₦airaland Forum

By Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

State Governors have expressed support for  the economic measures being introduced by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to bring the country out of recession.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Zamfara State Governor,‎ Abdulaziz Yari, told State House correspondents that this was one of the resolutions reached at the extraordinary meeting of the NGF held at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

Yari said: “Also the governors resolved with a commitment to encourage the Federal Government to continue along the line to bring the country out of recession.”

On the issue of insurgents, he said that members resolved that it must be treated as a matter of national emergency

According to him, the forum also agreed to activate the states’ task forces on polio and primary health care, which are to be led by the deputy governors.

The governors, he said, also expressed their commitment to paying their counterpart funding towards polio eradication.

He said that the governors would engage the Minister of Health in order to give urgent attention to eradication of Lassa fever from the country.

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Senator Iroegbu with agency report

The death, last week of Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo, father of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), is threatening the fragile peace in the Niger Delta, Reuters reported on Monday, saying militants were becoming restive over the circumstances of the death.

The militants massed in the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), that had dealt heavy blows to oil and gas installations in the region, had entered into an unofficial ceasefire with the federal government, pending formal negotiations of their grievances last month.

But the death of the father of the militant leader, the report said, might reverse the little gains of the peace process and lead to the resumption of hostilities as the militants were said to be holding the military vicariously liable for the incident.

The octogenarian had fallen while fleeing an army raid on his hometown in May and injured his leg, which had to be amputated two months later, said a spokesman for his son, Tompolo.

The old man died last week from complications arising from the amputation. And the NDA militants were said to be agitated by this.

Although security sources said Tompolo had links to the NDA, which had claimed responsibilities for the attacks on oil and gas installations, which incidentally began shortly after corruption charges were brought against him, he had persistently denied any involvement in the acts.

“In a nutshell, [the] government caused the death of my father,” Frank Ekpemupolo, another son, said at a gathering of 400 mourners at his father’s compound in Warri, the largest city in Delta State.

Mourners including community chiefs, politicians and villagers accused troops of harassing people in the fishing communities dotted along the region’s waterways.

An Avengers spokesman told Reuters the military was “harassing poor people of the Niger Delta”. The military denies it, saying troops are merely searching for militants and criminals.

Several new militant groups have sprung up in the last few weeks, each with its own demands, and some have vowed to launch a new wave of attacks.

Community leaders say they are concerned that the government has not contacted militants or unveiled a negotiation team, three weeks after the Avengers said they were ready for the promised talks.

“We haven’t been contacted, but we are not worried,” said the Avengers spokesman.
Captain Mark Anthony, a spokesman for the Niger Delta Liberation Force, a defunct militant group, said the “government’s muteness” since the Avengers announced a ceasefire was creating “a security concern for everybody”.

“They have only stopped bombing temporarily. It doesn’t mean they are tired of bombing,” he said.
An army offensive was launched in late August against militant camps which led to the deaths of five people and the arrests of 23 others.

Eric Omare, spokesman for the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), which represents one of the region’s largest ethnic groups, said statements by President Muhammadu Buhari that militants would be treated like Boko Haram jihadists prompted fears that the offer of talks was a ruse to prepare for a military onslaught.

Tensions in Warri are concentrated along its murky brown waterways — used by fishermen, commuters and thieves stealing crude oil — where fleeting encounters with strangers can end in bloodshed.

Boats slow down and their occupants raise their arms when they encounter naval patrol boats fitted with machine guns.

Fishermen say they fear being mistaken for militants and shot. Gunmen disguised as priests killed three soldiers last month.

An official who did not want to be named said “arrangements” were being made to resume dialogue with the militants.

He said the government wanted each militant group to send representatives, rather than acting through intermediaries as in the past.

By Evelyn Usman

LAGOS— Damilola Taju, 20, member of a three-man robbery gang, arrested by policemen attached to Ikorodu Division, Lagos, for allegedly attacking market women, has blamed his criminal tendencies on frustration.

Meanwhile, the bag they stole from the lady, who alerted policemen that arrested him, contained only sanitary pads. And the lady also hit him on his only good eye, making him pass out temporarily.

Taju, a Lagos State-born, lamented that he tried his hands on several menial jobs without luck. He claimed to have approached one of his friends, Haruna Abolaji, for financial assistance, only to be introduced to robbery. Unfortunately for him, he was arrested on his first day of robbery.

Vanguard gathered that the suspect went to Ogolonto area of Ikorodu in the company of three other persons at 4a.m., where they laid ambush for women who usually leave early for market.

They were alleged to have succeeded in dispossessing two women of cash and other valuables. They met their Waterloo after the third victim, who they collected her hand bag, raised the alarm that alerted an anti-crime patrol team.

The lady was said to have held on to Taju, until the arrival of the policemen. Haruna was arrested, too, while the third suspect, identified simply as Kazeem, escaped.

‘I was frustrated’
Expressing remorse over his action, Taju disclosed that when the bag snatched from the third victim was searched, it was discovered to contain only the lady’s sanitary pad.

The teary Taju said: “Frustration pushed me into this. Everybody I approached for financial assistance gave one excuse or the other. Some even called me a lazy man.

“Even on this day in question, I stood by to watch while they were robbing. I was just there to understudy the strategy.

“After snatching two bags, I begged them for us to leave, but they said we will not leave until they get five victims.

“Unfortunately, when the third lady started shouting, she held my trousers. I struggled hard to free myself from her and even hit her. She then hit me on my only good eye.

“As you can see, my other eye is bad. I passed out temporarily and by the time I regained consciousness, policemen were there.

“The most painful aspect was that when the lady’s bag was opened, it was just her sanitary pads and N20 that were inside. She was not even with a phone.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the arrest to journalists, explained that Taju and his likes were arrested following intensified patrol around Ojota, Oregun, Anthony and Oshodi axis.

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) says the recent tremor in Kwoi, Kaduna State, was caused by what it called “passive sources”.

A statement from the agency signed by the head of the Media and Corporate Communications unit of the agency, Dr Felix Ale, yesterday said the nature of the source would soon be determined after the completion of yet another investigation into the incident. There were specific details.

He said reports had established that the incidents were recorded in Kwoi and surrounding villages of Nok, Sanbah and Chori in Jaba LGA on Sunday, 11th and Monday 12th September, 2016.

“The current finding was the outcome of a preliminary report by the team of experts immediately deployed to the affected communities from one of the activity centres of the space agency: The Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics for on the spot assessment and to carry out a survey and investigation on the incident”, the statement said.

The team which was led by the Head of Seismology division of the space agency, Dr. Ofonime Akpan, established that the seismological station of NASRDA located at Kujama in Kaduna State accurately recorded the incident which made it easy for collation of data and early release of preliminary reports on the incident, according to the statement.

The reports revealed that the time of occurrence of these events and intensities of the locations as reported by inhabitants of the communities which included cracks on walls of buildings, falling ceiling fans and other items correspond with results of analyses carried out by the team of experts from NASRDA’s Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics.

The agency appealed to residents of the various communities to remain calm as no stone would be left unturned to unravel the situation as more data was aggressively being collected from other seismological stations. The agency promised to make its detailed reports known to the public as soon as further investigations on the incident were completed.

BY KOLA EKE-OGIUGO

A rape suspect identified as Simeon, in a mild drama, yesterday jumped into River Niger after he was said to have sighted a policeman by the river bank.

Eyewitness, Paul Ijeh said the suspect had been on the wanted lists of the police for allegedly raping a 10-year old girl in Okpanam community, adding that efforts by the police in Okpanam to track him down proved abortive when he fled the community.

It was gathered that the rape suspect a native of Okpanam community had also committed other atrocities, ranging from alleged robbery and land deals before the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Since two months ago, our informed sources said Simeon allegedly moved into the eastern states where he occasionally calls his close friends after which he destroys his Sim Card.

Expectedly, he was said to have sighted a policeman by the head bridge while on the walk way when he allegedly jumped into the River-Niger for fear of the unknown.

The eyewitness further said passersby including motorists travelling to Onitsha were shocked to watch the suspect dive a full length into the River Niger.

But some police officers at Okpanam police who did not want their names in the print said the suspect had been on the wanted lists for alleged rape, adding that “We are not too sure he was the one who jumped into the River-Niger, we heard somebody jumped into the River Niger.”

Ejiofor Alike with agency report

Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, a unit of ExxonMobil, will resume shipment of Qua Iboe crude, Nigeria’s largest grade of crude oil in October, three months after the company had declared force majeure on the exports of the grade.

This is coming as oil prices slumped three per cent tuesday following another gloomy prediction by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on demand growth that suggested that oversupply in the oil market might persist for longer than anticipated.

ExxonMobil had declared the force majeure after it observed a leak caused by what it described as a “system anomaly” during a routine check of its loading facility on July 14, this year.

The cause of the leak was not clear, but the force majeure came just days after a militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), claimed to have bombed the company’s 48-inch Qua Iboe crude oil export pipeline on July 11.

But 24 hours after the claim by the militants, the company’s spokesperson, Todd Spitler, debunked the claim, saying “there was no attack on our facilities.”

However, citing industry sources, Reuters reported that the company is offering an October-loading cargo of Qua Iboe crude oil, the first offer since the company declared the force majeure.

It was not clear if the pipeline had been repaired, or if the company expected it to be back on stream in time to load crude in October.

But the cargo is offered for October 8-16 loading at a premium of $1.80 per barrel to dated Brent.
A spokesman for Exxon said the force majeure remained in effect but did not give a timeframe on the resumption of operations.

While ExxonMobil said at the time it declared force majeure that the export terminal was operating, traders said the company did not release a revised loading schedule for the crude exports.

The last ship to load crude at the Qua Iboe terminal was the Ottoman Nobility on July 9.
One of the three other ships scheduled to load the crude had been near the terminal since July 12.
A vessel loads one million barrel of the grade every three to four days, and exports of 250,000 barrels per day aboard eight vessels were scheduled for July.

Before it declared a ceasefire recently, the Avengers had warned that if the company moved forward with repairs “something big…will happen,” and threatened to attack the company’s workers, instead of blowing up its facilities.

Shell-operated Forcados crude oil exports were halted since the Avengers attacked its subsea pipeline in February.

In a related development, oil prices fell tuesday on concerns over increased drilling in the United States and as investors took profits after oil prices rose close to one per cent in the previous session.

While the Brent crude was down $1, or 2 per cent, at $47.32 a barrel, the US West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.25, or 2.7 per cent, to $45.04.

The IEA, energy adviser to over 26 industrialised countries, said a sharp slowdown in global oil demand growth, coupled with ballooning inventories and rising supply, means the crude market would be oversupplied at least through the first six months of 2017.

IEA’s gloomy forecast came a day after OPEC also predicted oversupply in the oil market in 2017.
IEA’s prediction contrasts with the agency’s last forecast a month ago for supply and demand to be broadly in balance over the rest of this year and for inventories to fall swiftly.

The IEA’s latest comments follow a surprisingly OPEC’s bearish outlook published in the cartel’s monthly Oil Market Report (OMR) on Monday.

Oil traders were quoted as saying that the price falls were an indication that increasing oil drilling activity in the United States was still a concern.

A “shocked” South African-based Nigerian has told officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency he was implicated by his friend after parcels of drug that tested positive to methamphetamine were found in his luggage.

Abiodun Banjo, 45, was arrested during the outward screening of passengers on a South African Airline flight to South Africa.

The parcels of drug weighed 3.435 kilogrammes with a street value of N31 million in Nigeria, the NDLEA said.

The suspect, a graduate of Technical College, Ijebu-Ode, and hails from Osun State said the bags were given to him by a friend in South Africa.

“My friend in South Africa called me that his brother will give me two bags containing foodstuff to take to him,” said Mr. Banjo, who said he works in Pretoria and had been living in the country since 2012.

“He also promised to give me $2,000. I opened the bags and checked thoroughly but could not find anything criminal that was how I accepted to take the bags but I was surprised when the drug was detected under the bags.

“I feel very sad that my friend has implicated me.”
Ahmadu Garba, NDLEA Commander at the Abuja airport, said the drug was detected during a routine check on the passengers.

“Two bags belonging to one Abiodun Israel Banjo, 45 years old, were found to contain parcels of methamphetamine,” said Mr. Garba.

“Inside the bags were food ingredients and clothes but underneath was a thin parcel of narcotics carefully concealed. He was immediately arrested and investigation is on-going.”

Muhammad Abdallah, Chairman of NDLEA, called on members of the public to be aware of tricks employed by drug trafficking cartels.

“Drug traffickers recruit mules by enticing them with money,” said Mr. Abdallah, a retired colonel.

“They are very clever in concealing drugs as drugs have been detected in bags, electronics, foodstuff and clothes among others.

“We strongly advise that all passengers should endeavour to pack their bags themselves and avoid taking bags for others.”

The NDLEA boss said ignorance is no excuse in drug trafficking and the suspect shall be charged for unlawful exportation of narcotics.

“A person shall be deemed to have exported a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance under this NDLEA Act; if he brings to or deposits the narcotic drug or psychotropic substance concerned at any time at any customs area such as airports, customs port or any other customs point generally.”

A 40-year old preacher who forcefully kissed an 18-year old girl under the pretence of exorcising some demonic spirit from her has been arrested by the Tesano Police in Accra.

Edmund Kakrae Agyei, the founder and leader of the Faith Word Church International at Nii Boi Town in Accra, has consequently been charged with indecent assault and breach of trust.

The incident happened on August 30, after the pastor had through the victim’s parents invited her to the church premises in order to cast out the said demons from her.

The pastor was said to have told the mother of the girl on August 28 that he had a bad vision about the girl and that he needed to see her to do some exorcism.

The mother subsequently informed her daughter who went to the pastor. He allegedly took the girl, a senior high school graduate, to his home where the pastor sought to find out from the girl whether she has been receiving love proposals from men to which she answered negatively.

Pastor Agyei according to the Police, asked the girl if she has been experiencing menstrual pains.

The girl responded in the affirmative and the pastor asked her to allow him smear some holy oil around his navel.

The victim obliged and the pastor smeared the oil. After that, the pastor was said to have told the victim that he can only deliver her by applying some of the anointing oil on her clitoris but the girl refused.

According to the Police, the pastor reportedly grabbed the victim tightly and forcefully kissed her in the mouth and attempted to force her to have his way but the girl resisted and raised an alarm.

Realizing that his plan had backfired, the pastor is said to have told the girl he was only trying to establish if she is a disciplined girl.

The victim rushed home to inform her mother and the matter was reported to the Tesano Divisional DOVVSU leading to the arrest of Pastor Agyei.

The Pastor reportedly admitted the offence in his caution statement to the police but blamed it on the devil.

According to the police, the pastor said he was possessed by the devil, which instructed him to do that.

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Ahead of 2019 general elections, a new political movement, the Nigerian Patriots, NP, has emerged.
The group, it was gathered, has an ultimate goal of becoming a mega-party that will contest for elective positions.

Those who have shown interest in the group, according to a Tribune report, include some former Nigerian leaders, vice presidents, former and serving state governors, senators and House of Representatives, as well as eminent politicians.

A number of chieftains of the All Progressive Congress, APC, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, LP, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, are also reportedly part of the proposed party.

It was learnt that most of the leaders in the South-West, comprising former PDP governors and lawmakers who were uncomfortable with some prevailing situations in their parties, are also part of the group.

The steering committee of the proposed party is headed by a PDP bigwig, Chief Dosu Oladipo, who told Tribune that “Anybody that wants the survival of this country should come to the Nigerian Patriots. It is not a socio-cultural group; it is a political group.

“We are reaching out to all leaders across the six geopolitical zones. We have consolidated in the South-West; South-East, South-South; North-Central; North-East and the North-West.

“At the appropriate time, the Nigerian Patriots will apply for registration by INEC.”

The new group is hoping to capitalize on the factionalisation of the PDP and the cold war in the APC over supremacy in the National Assembly caucus, as well as rancour in a number of state chapters.

Speaking on the ongoing talks, Oladipo said the group boasts of members who strongly believed in restoring good governance by ending an era of impunity and ineptitude to the political space.

He disclosed that he and other leaders of the steering committee met in Ibadan, last Wednesday, in the ongoing moves to consolidate on the gains of the past few weeks of serious engagements and consultations.

Oladipo did not disclose when NP would apply for registration by INEC because of the need “to avoid some mistakes that characterised the formation of mega parties in the past.”

“You don’t do things in haste, when it comes to forming the kind of formidable national party we are involved.

“We are promoting the principle of inclusiveness and consultation.

“We are still reaching out to other like-minds across board and once they say, ‘oh, it is time to move to the next stage, we will gladly comply”, he added.

by Bolaji Ogundele

A fight for the heart of a woman has left one person dead in the Emebiren area of Warri.

The Nation gathered that the deceased, identified as Robinson Ituke, was in a sexual relationship with Rose Ajekpemevor before she got married to Ochuko Ajekpemevor. Robinson and Rose however reportedly continued seeing each other even after the lady had been married.

The situation was said to have got out of hands on Saturday when Ochuko, who has been suspecting his wife and had warned Robinson to stay away from her, reportedly got wind that the duo had continued with the illicit relationship.

According to sources, Ochuko, in a feat of anger, had beaten up his wife and forced her to take him to her ‘lover’s’ house.

The Nation gathered that on arriving at Robinson’s residence at Number 8, Udoko Street, Ugborikoko, Ochuko who had reportedly hidden a knife in his pants, pounced on his ‘rival’ and stabbed him on the chest. The attacker reportedly fled immediately.

When the relatives of the deceased learnt of what had happened to their brother, they mobilized to the attacker’s house thinking he was still at home. But when they found out that the man had escaped, they destroyed all his property and left.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta state Celestina Kalu (SP), said the command was already on the trail of the killer-husband.

In a brief situation report, made available to the Nation in Warri on Sunday, Kalu said “one Clement Ituke of No.8 Udoko Street, Ugborikoko, Effurun, reported that at about 1600hrs of the day, one Ochuko Ajekpemevor and his wife, Rose Ajekpemevor, came into his house and the wife pointed hand on his son and her said her husband, Ochuko Ajekpemevor, brought out knife and stabbed his son on his chest and ran away.

“The victim was rushed to lnland Hospital Ugborikoko immediately where he gave up the ghost. Meanwhile, detectives visited the scene, photographs taken and the corpse deposited at Warri Central Hospital’s morgue for autopsy while effort is on going to trace and arrest the fleeing suspect”, she said.

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

More than any other period in the nation’s history, the Nigerian Armed Forces are engaged simultaneously in at least 10 major internal security operations across the six geo-political zones of the country.

These major internal security operations include the war against terrorism, deadly herdsmen, cattle rustlers, kidnappers, oil thieves and pipeline vandals, and the joint police/military security outfits against criminal activities such as armed robbery in the 36 states of the federation.

The various operations involve huge deployment of military assets and manpower and are being prosecuted simultaneously at a period of dwindling national revenue and protracted war against terrorism and insurgency that has lasted six years, thereby stretching the military too thin.

In the North East, there is Operation Lafiya Dole, which handles the overall Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations with expanded scope, scale and depth comprising three divisions and more than five states. This has dovetailed to other specialised operations like Operation Crackdown to wind down the war against insurgents and clear the remnants of the Boko Haram sect in Sambisa Forest; Operation Gama Aiki, which serves same purpose in the northern part of Borno state; and Operation Safe Corridor, set up for the de-radicalisation and rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram terrorists.

North Central has Operation Safe Haven stationed in Plateau State with area of operation extending to Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Kwara States to quell ethno-religious conflicts and other criminal activities.

There is also Operation Sara Daji and Operation Harbin Kunama in the North West, established to battle the criminal activities of armed bandits, cattle rustlers and robbers operating particularly in Zamfara, Kaduna and fringes of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Kano states.

Down south, the military has a major operation codenamed Operation Delta Safe which was formerly Operation Pulo Shield. It is now complemented by the Nigerian Army’s Operation Crocodile Smile, and Navy’s Operation Tsera Teku. These operations are all aimed at crushing the resurgent Niger Delta militancy and other acts of criminality like oil theft, vandalism, and bunkering in the region.

In the South west, there is Operation Awase with a mandate to contain the criminal operations around Ogun-Lagos axis, particularly in Arepo where illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism are regular occurrences. South East has Operation Iron Fence to combat armed robbers, hooligans and kidnappers.

In addition to all these operations is Operation Mesa, which is a Joint Task Force (JTF) operation against all forms of criminal activities in all the states of the federation.

The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed that the military was currently handling not less than 10 such major operations but gave assurances that the Nigerian armed forces were capable of the assigned internal security responsibilities.

Abubakar however agreed that other security agencies must step up to assist the complementary roles of the military in the ongoing campaign to rid the country of all forms of internal threats and criminalities.

He stressed that the military in spite of all the limitations in the area of personnel, funding and support from relevant agencies would not sit back and allow the country disintegrate or drift towards anarchy.

He said: “There is no military in the world that can claim that it is overstretched when it comes to internal security challenges. This is our primary duty to ensure that our country is united. Even though the military would have loved a situation where other security agencies step up and play their role to complement our supporting duties.

“There are certain security operations that could have rightly been carried out by other security agencies to assist the armed forces but in the event this were not done we cannot just fold our arms to allow things to deteriorate. This is our country, it is our duty to protect it and we are able and capable of defending our territorial integrity.”

On the various operations across the country, Abubakar said,”so far we have over 10 major operations aimed to sustain tight security, peace and stability in the country.”

He said: “You are aware of the most critical is ‘Operation Lafia Dole’ in the North East against Boko Haram, the other one is ‘Operation Sharan Daji’ against cattle rustlers and criminal activities in the North West. We also have ‘Operation Safe Haven’ located in Jos to quell ethno-religious crisis in the area. There is also ‘Operation Delta Safe’ which replaced ‘Operation Pulo Shield’ to crush criminal activities to protect the critical economic infrastructures in the Niger Delta

“We have ‘Operation Safe Conducts’, which is to guide armed forces participation in electoral matters. This is to create a conducive atmosphere for elections, while ‘Operation Iron Fence’ targets armed robbers, hooligans and kidnappers. This operation which is jointly done with other security agencies, armed forces across the country is mostly domiciled in the South East. We also have Operation Gama Aiki which is a multi-national operation with troops from the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) member states. This together with Operation Crackdown is an operation within operation aimed to mop up Boko Terrorists in the North East.”

“Further down South, we have ‘Operation Tsare Teku’ guarding the Sea which was launched early this year by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Its being spearheaded by Navy to secure the maritime environment and it has been very successful in reducing hijacking of ships and piracy. There is also ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ launched by the Army to support the larger ‘Operation Delta Safe.

“In addition, there ‘Operation Awase’ in the South West, it is equally meant to contain the criminal operations around Ogun-Lagos, especially in Arepo, which has been very successful and has restored confidence within the affected communities who can now sleep with their eyes closed. Added to all these is ‘Operation Quick Response Squad’, which is mostly against armed robbery, which is coordinated in various formations.”

A security consultant, Mr. Max Gbanite, called for more funding as well as expansion of the resources and personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Gbanite argued that with proliferation of internal insurrections in various parts of the country, the military needed serious attention for it overall improvement and modernisation.

He therefore, called for special funding for the security and defence sector in the form of National Security Fund.

He said: “Our military requires additional funding, mobilisation of human capacity or training because the amphibious force we have in Calabar, which part of them has been deployed to the Niger Delta for Operation Crocodile Smile and Delta Safe is not enough to handle the problem and vastness of that particular region.

“So there is a need to increase the capacity of the Army, Navy, Air Force because we are a big and serious nation. When you increase this capacity, it gives the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers the opportunity to build the infrastructure to address oil spill as its not only a civilian responsibility. It however requires money to do that. So my clear answer is that we must increase the size of our armed forces. But if and when you do that, how do you fund it? You cannot fund it from the statutory allocation.

“There is a need for National Security Fund, where a deduction from all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for certain percentage to be put aside to assist all military operations including Police, DSS, DIA and everything about security. When it comes to funding we are actually lagging. It is easy for someone to actually raise alarm that $2.8 billion was allocated to the security sector, that is nothing compare to other countries.

“If you go and ask the US government how much did they spend on their Army you can’t get an answer. They can only tell you that X amount is budgeted for military and that’s all you will hear. You don’t know what is given to the Air Force, Marine and other forces. At this particular point in time, the Nigerian Army is due to have an operating Aviation Wing, Navy does not have enough patrol vehicles for our waters, NAF does not have enough and operational aircraft for the internal security that we are faced with,” he added.

Speaking further, Gbanite blamed the precarious situation in which the Nigerian Armed Forces found itself on the downsizing policy carried out by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who purged the military and drastically reduced the number of their personnel.

He also recalled that former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, had a wonderful proposal that could have solved the emerging security situation when he tried to establish a National Guard for internal security operations, similar to the one in the United States.

“We have been a very great nation that we have never had any issue with external aggression against our nation, instead we have always done interventionist force as exemplified in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali and Cote’d Ivoire. And under President Olusegun Obasanjo, our military was really downsized but if you look at our growing population that means there will be growth in internal insecurity,” he said.

“Unfortunately,” he noted, “the Police are not properly equipped and trained to manage those things at this particular point in time.”

In another development, the UN refugee agency has expressed concern over basic services and security in a territory formerly controlled by Boko Haram insurgents, as hundreds of internally displaced people are returning to their devastated villages and towns in the north-eastern state of Borno – only recently liberated by the Nigerian armed forces.

Speaking to journalists at a press briefing in Geneva Friday, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Leo Dobbs, said “Comprehensive figures are not available but our field staff and partners are reporting both government-facilitated and spontaneous return in recent days of hundreds of people to places such as Mafa, Konduga, Benisheikh and Dikwa,”

UNHCR expects the number to grow in the coming weeks, while noting that government and aid agency assistance has been stepped up in Borno’s 16 newly accessible districts.

“UNHCR and its partners have restricted access to 10 of these districts, where some 800,000 people need urgent help,” Dobbs elaborated. “Some of those now returning to their homes in the liberated areas from places like the Borno capital, Maiduguri, appear to be happy to go back, citing dire conditions in the places where they have been living, including camps for the internally displaced.”

However, UNHCR is concerned about the welfare of the people, who are returning to areas that have been devastated under Boko Haram rule.

“Many of the internally displaced will be going back to destroyed homes and infrastructure, and areas lacking health care and other services,” said the refugee agency’s spokesperson. “The returns should be voluntary, dignified and safe – people should be informed about conditions in their home areas.

In regular contact with state officials, UNHCR has raised its concerns and offered to work closely with them to help ensure that the reinstatements are conducted safely, with dignity and in accordance with international standards.

Dobbs pledged that the UN agency would continue to monitor the situation of returnees, especially the most vulnerable.

“Meanwhile,” he said, “as we and partners scale up our operations in the north-east, security and access to the needy, especially those in the newly accessible areas, remain major challenges. A greater humanitarian response and presence on the ground is urgently needed, aid efforts must be better coordinated, and data collection improved.”

In the past week, UNHCR began to deploy a 14-strong emergency response team, including experienced senior emergency coordinators and several protection officers.

Most of the displaced are women, children and the elderly. Priority issues include shelter, food, potable water and health concerns, including acute malnutrition and cholera prevention.

In concrete terms, UNHCR continues to work through local partners to carry out vital protection monitoring in Bama, Monguno, Damboa, Konduga, Mafa, Dikwa and including Biu, Bayo, Hawul, Shani and Kwaya Kusar districts in southern Borno.

Over the past two weeks in Bama, the UN refugee agency provided 200 shelters for 1,000 people and distributed non-food items to 16,000 people, while in the Cameroon-Nigeria border town of Banki, it handed out aid items to 10,000 people. In Maiduguri, UNHCR constructed almost 2,000 semi-permanent shelters for around 10,000 people, and is building emergency shelters for 5,000 people in Dikwa.

The UN refugee agency also warned that Boko Haram continues to pose a real threat, despite the recent setbacks suffered by insurgents during joint regional military operations.

“Although the government has rolled back Boko Haram gains since last year, the insurgency has switched to terror attacks and remains a potent threat,” said Dobbs.

The insurgency in the north-east of Nigeria has forcibly displaced more than 2.25 million people since 2014, including 2.066 million internally displaced people, and almost 190,000 refugees in neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Meanwhile the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Operation Gama Aiki has braved the challenging difficult terrains and unpredictable weather conditions to conduct an aerial bombardment of 12 Boko Haram terrorist Camps in northern part of Borno.

The Chief Military Public Information Officer of MNJT, Col. Muhammad Dole, in a statement saturday, said the troops killed four terrorists and lost two personnel in one of the operations.

Dole said “despite these limitations for the ground forces, the Air component of the operation, through successful combined air operations continue to deny the terrorists freedom of action and movement within the battle fields. Recent air strikes and simultaneous clearing operations on 12 identified terrorist camps and hideouts have greatly shattered their cohesion.”

He noted that the continuous blockade of the terrorists main supply routes and arrest of their logistics suppliers caused serious economic hardship and led to the surrender of many terrorists in different locations in the Area of Operation (AOO) of MNJTF.

“Additionally, the troops of Sector 4 in Diffa Niger Republic tracked and neutralised four terrorists suspected to have attacked the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp and Two others were arrested at Tumoua village,” he stated.

Dole stated that in another development, the troops of Sector 4 while on clearing operation after successful air strikes at Baroua village, encountered an Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) explosion.

The incident, he said, led to the death of two personnel including an officer and a soldier, while six other soldiers were wounded. He said the deceased personnel were given befitting burial in Diffa while the injured soldiers were evacuated to Niamey, Niger Republic for medical treatment.

The MNJTF Spokesman however, assured that in spite of this unfortunate event, the morale and fighting spirit of the troops remain very high.

In a related development, the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), said a fighting patrol team of 33 Brigade Nigerian Army following a tip off on September 9, 2016, had contact with suspected kidnappers at Lame Burra forest near Dutsen Ganye, Gunduru and Kati Layin villages, Bauchi State.

Usman said during a heavy exchange of fire, troops killed seven of the kidnappers and destroyed their camps. He said the troops also recovered two AK-47 rifles and three Dane guns at the camp.

The Army Spokesman stressed that troops are still combing the general area to further track down other fleeing members of the criminal gang.

He said: “It is important to state that the Brigade after the initial successes of its Operation Forest Kunama, which was aimed at clearing all livestock rustlers and armed bandits camps in Bauchi and Gombe States general area, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, directed them to maintain continued presence at the Lame-Burra forest. This is to prevent the criminal elements that fled from returning.”

Subsequently, Usman said, two Forward Operation Bases (FOBs) were established at Lame and Jimi to cover the Lame and Burra axis of the forest respectively. He noted that the troops usually carry out periodic fighting patrols into the forest from the FOBs.

In the same vein, he said the troops on Operation Lafiya Dole deployed at Forward Operation Base (FOB) Buratai in conjunction with local vigilante arrested a suspected Boko Haram terrorist named Adamu Damuna. He is currently being interrogated.

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Kunle Falayi

While incarceration is meant to be a “home of reformation” for offenders, for an armed robbery kingpin recently arrested in Lagos, it was an opportunity for him to set up a ruthless gang that would terrorise many parts of Lagos.

When the suspect, 27-year-old Francis Ogbonna, was arrested by the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, it was revealed that he led the gang of car snatchers who operated in Aguda, Surulere, Ijeshatedo and Ikotun areas of the state.

When he and his gang members were arrested in a hotel they used as rendezvous, four stolen cars and a locally made gun were recovered from them as they were brokering a deal to sell the cars to a buyer.

Also arrested was Chisom Joseph and Oloko Raheem.

Saturday PUNCH learnt from a source at the IRT that during interrogation, Ogbonna confessed that his gang snatched six vehicles in four days in their last robbery spree.

In his statement, Ogbonna said he left the Kirikiri Medium Prison, Lagos, an angry man.

He said he hatched the plan to start his car robbery operation while in the prison and wanted to “correct his past mistakes” when he became free.

Ogbonna, a native of Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, said, “I came to Lagos immediately after my secondary school education and was living in Surulere where I drove a taxi until 2013. That year, I relocated to the East.

“But after trying my hand at different jobs, I came back to Lagos last year and ventured into crime in November 2015.

“It started when one of my friends whom I went to secondary school with, Uchenna, asked if I could help drive a stolen car from Lagos to Owerri.

“I knew Uchenna was an armed robber and that the car he was talking about must have been snatched in a robbery. So, I began to move such vehicles for him. We moved mainly at night and he paid me N50,000 for each car.

“I remember delivering a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Seqoiua SUV. The third vehicle I moved for him was a Lexus 330 but I was arrested by some Customs officials in the process. I was later released.”

According to him, after his first brush with the law, he again got into trouble on December 13, 2015, when some Customs officials stopped him and Uchenna in a vehicle that had been snatched from a victim in Lagos.

It was learnt that a second vehicle was driven by another member of the gang who managed to escape.

He said the officials demanded the vehicle particulars, and when he gave them, they called a phone number written on the documents and the owner told them the vehicle was snatched.

Ogbonna said, “I was arrested and Uchenna ran away. The Customs officials took me to Lagos and handed me over to the police. I later took them to Uchenna’s house but he ran into the bush when he saw them and fled to his village.

“I was charged to court and remanded in prison. At the Kirikiri Prison, I met Joseph and Raheem.  I knew them at Aguda and we normally smoked Indian hemp together.

“They knew me as a taxi driver. They told me they were also arrested for robbery. We became very close in the prison.

“In May 2016, Chisom and Raheem were released on bail, while I was released in July. While in prison, I contacted Uchenna and he told me of his plan to travel out of the country because some of the men who worked for him were killed during an operation.

“I told him that he was the one who got me into trouble and when I kept calling him, he changed his number.  I became angry because I was the only one facing the problem he put me in. I decided that my revenge was to go into armed robbery fully.”

Ogbonna said he met another individual called Amos in prison. When they both got out, Amos reportedly introduced him to one “Alhaji” whose main business was buying stolen vehicles.

He said he met another man called Tosin, who also bought stolen vehicles.

Ogbonna said, “I told Tosin that I had no gun and he asked me to meet him. He said he would arrange a gun for me. I informed Raheem about my robbery plans and he told me he was ready to participate.

“The day after I spoke with Tosin about the gun, he came to meet me at a hotel where I lodged in Aguda, Surulere. He brought me a double-barrelled locally made pistol with five cartridges.  I immediately called Raheem, Joseph and one David. They met me at the hotel and we embarked on our first operation.

“We went to Ojuelegba that night and robbed a cab driver of his vehicle. We went to Ago Palace Way and snatched a Toyota Corolla. That same night, I went to Alhaji at Cele area, and handed over the Corolla to him. I parked the taxi in Surulere. The next day, I called Alhaji to demand our money but he refused to pick my calls.

“The following day, I went with Tosin to snatch a Honda Accord at Kilo. I gave the car to Tosin. We also snatched a Toyota Camry in Aguda. We used the taxi cab we had snatched earlier to move around during these operations.

“We went to sleep that night and abandoned the taxi on a street.  We also parked the Camry on another street overnight. The following day, we drove in the Camry to snatch a Honda at Akerele in Surulere. We snatched a Toyota at Ajao Estate that same night.”

Ogbonna said at that point, he already had three vehicles in his possession that he needed to dispose of.

He said when he called his buyer, the Alhaji, again, he picked up the call finally and told him that the Toyota he had earlier handed over to him was tracked to him and had been taken away.

“The following week, I was in a hotel in Ikotun when Tosin brought some policemen and I was arrested.  Now, I am regretting everything I have ever done. If the police have mercy on me, I would like to become a policeman to help fight crime.”

Twenty-two-year-old Joseph on his part, said he decided to become a robber after a close friend of his named Tigana, introduced him to  the business.

Joseph said he was a barber before he ventured into crime.

According to him, Tigana, who was his customer, liked him very much.

“One day, I was smoking Indian hemp with him and I told him to ‘teach me how to fish’. He collected my phone number that day and called me later.

“I went to meet him at a hotel where he bought drinks for me and introduced me to Raheem and other men. That was the first day I went out on operation with them. We drove to Victoria Island later that night and robbed a man of his car, money and phones.”

He said they were arrested in September after strings of robbery and were remanded at the Kirikiri Prison where he met Ogbonna.

The police said the suspects would be charged to court soon.

Ihuoma Chiedozie, Enugu

A herdsman on Friday sustained bullet wounds in an attack on a Fulani cattle rearers’ settlement in Aku, a community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Our correspondent learnt that three other herdsmen are missing in the wake of the attack, which was reportedly carried out by youths of Aku community.

It was gathered that the relationship between members of the community and the herdsmen had been tense for a long time due to misgivings on the part of the villagers over the destruction of their crops by cows.

It was also learnt that the herdsmen, who are usually armed, have been harassing the villagers.

A 17-year-old herdsman, identified as Wareri, sustained three gunshot wounds during the attack.

Three other herdsmen, said to be Wareri’s siblings, are said to be missing.

Wareri’s father, one Alhaji Sodu, also a herdsman, identified his missing children as Musa, Baba and Muhammed.

Sodu said about 100 cows in his herd were scattered in different directions during the attack, and are currently missing.

Meanwhile, chairman of a security committee set up by the Enugu State Government to address herdsmen menace in the state, Brigadier General Fred Eze (rtd.), also on Friday visited the injured herdsman at a hospital in the 9th Mile Corner, where he is receiving treatment.

The victim’s father, Alhaji Sodu, who was at the hospital during the visit, appealed to security agencies to rescue his sons.

“I am too old now to go into the forest in search of my three sons, I am appealing to security agencies to rescue my sons unharmed.

“The youths have slaughtered seven of my cows.

“Over 100 cows are missing now,” he said.

Speaking during the visit, Eze urged restive youths in various parts of the state, who are furious over the activities of the herdsmen, to avoid reprisal attacks.

He said security was beefed up in the affected area to forestall further violence.

“We want to allay fears generated by this incident, the army has moved to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

“The Garrison Commander, O.T Akinjobi, has dispatched a search party for the missing kids.

“Another combined team of police and the army have equally moved into the area to avert any breakdown of public peace,” he said.

Eze added that the incident is being investigated.

He said, “This incident is already under investigation and authorities will unravel the remote causes of the incident and ensure that appropriate actions are taken.”

Civil disturbances involving herdsmen have been on the rise in Enugu State, where cattle rearers have makeshift settlements in several communities.

Over 20 persons died when herdsmen invaded Ukpabi Nimbo, an Enugu community, on April 25.

A Catholic seminarian and a housewife died in a herdsmen attack on Attakwu, another community in the state, on August 25.

Judith Juahla a university student took to Facebook to expose a lecturer she said allegedly slept with her with the promise that she’d get good marks but did not deliver.

Judith claimed she slept with her lecturer with the expectation of a passing grade or an A, but was shocked to find that she got an E instead.

When she confronted the lecturer his reason was that she did not let him ejaculate inside of her and therefore did not deserve the grade.

According to reports, she is an electrical engineering student at University of Nairobi and the lecturer was identified as Dr. Kiogora.

The reports have so far been unconfirmed and the lecturer of school is yet to react or comment on the story.

You can see her post below.

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Ozioma Ubabukoh

A 2013 Norton report found that one in three smartphone users had experienced some form of cybercrime. Protecting yourself doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, but you should consider the following 10 steps:

1. When browsing or shopping on your phone (or computer), always look for “https” in the url instead of “http.” That indicates an added level of security, which should always appear before exchanging any private information, like credit card numbers, online.

2. Add a password to your phone. It might be a pain to type a number into your phone each time you want to use it, but losing your phone without that protection could lead to a far greater headache. Given that Norton reports that 25 per cent of smartphone users have had their phone lost or stolen, it’s a smart move.

3. Use a “find your phone tool.” Certain software and apps, including Find My iPhone (and Find My Phone for Android), make it easy to find your phone if you lose it and help anyone who finds it to connect with you. Some programmes, like Norton Mobile Security, also offer the option of locking and wiping your phone remotely if necessary.

4. Don’t allow automatic connections. Some smartphones are set up to automatically connect with available Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices. Disabling this option will prevent your phone from connecting and transmitting data without you realising it.

5. Treat email and social media requests from strangers suspiciously. Criminals might send friend requests to people they don’t know to gather information about them. While most people will ignore or reject the request, a small portion will accept, and those are the people who criminals target. For example, they can use a seemingly harmless post, like the victim’s photos from a restaurant meal, to then call the victim, impersonate the restaurant and request a credit card number in order to process a refund for an alleged overcharge.

6. Be a savvy shopper. It’s not wrong to shop from your phone, whether by browser or retailer app, but you should be extra careful with vendors you aren’t familiar with, especially if the store initiated contact through an email, text message or social media site. You can always run a Web search on the company first, or visit the Better Business Bureau to check for any complaints.

7. Check privacy settings on apps. Some apps request a lot of information from you, including your location and passwords or access to other apps or your text messages. If they don’t need all of that information (and why would they?), then deny access.

8. Beware of the package tracking scam. If you’re ordering a lot of packages online, you might not be too surprised to receive an email from what looks like a major retailer about a package that it couldn’t deliver. But take a closer look, and you might notice that the email isn’t actually from the domain name of that retailer. It’s a common scam, and typically works by getting the recipient to click on a fraudulent link that then collects personal information. Don’t click on it.

9. Avoid fraudulent Wi-Fi networks. Call it the coffee shop problem: A fraudster sets up a Wi-Fi network that has a similar name to the coffee shop he’s sitting in, but instead of simply providing free Wi-Fi, he’s using the signal to collect information from the people around him who log onto the network. For example, a coffee shop user could use the shared Wi-Fi to log into his or her bank, and the fraudster could potentially access that banking information.

10. Use better passwords. Consumers often reuse the same passwords for multiple sites, which can leave them vulnerable to hacking if one site gets broken into. Some passwords, like ones based on your birthday or mother’s maiden name, are easy to figure out. Anyone with access to your Facebook account, for example, can easily piece together basic family information.

There’s no reason to stop leveraging your phone for convenience and productivity, but just be sure to apply a few street smarts first.

By Daniel Anokwuru

A bus conductor Mr. Everton Ugochukwu Chionwe, has allegedly escaped being killed by soldiers from the Central Vehicle Depot (CVD) Barracks Ojo Cantonment Lagos.

Chionwe was allegedly battered and robbed of his money and phone by the soldiers.

Narrating his ordeal, he said: “I am living today by the special mercy of God who saved me as the soldiers intended to kill me as they descended on me with any available objects at their disposal. They pummeled me, until I temporarily passed out.

“The soldiers were attacking any civilian that tried to rescue me with heavy woods.” This, he said, happened at exactly 6:30 pm in front of the CVD barracks.

He alleged that the soldiers made away with all the money he and the driver made for the day and his Techno phone.

“Last Thursday, I was at work and there was traffic gridlock at Volks bus stop. I wanted to urinate. I told my master and he permitted me to go. I crossed over to the bush opposite the CVD barracks. As I was urinating, someone threw a heavy stone on my back.

When I looked back; I saw a woman who was throwing more stones at me . She has a makeshift shop in the bush. I saw about five soldiers inside the woman’s shop drinking and smoking with some area boys. The soldiers said if I finish urinating I should come. I entered the makeshift shop and told the woman that I was very sorry because, I knew they were out for a problem having seen soldiers with her.

Before I knew it, the soldiers descended on me, hitting me with iron, stones, any object at their reach. The woman told them to continue beating me as I urinated close to her shop. She called more soldiers to join in the beating . They continued until I fell down.

“I went to the Onirekere Police Station to report the robbery case. The police gave me papers to go to the hospital and instructed me to come back the following day. The next day, the police followed me to the makeshift shed. But the woman threatened to call soldiers to beat us. We had to leave. We were advised by some people around to quickly leave as the woman was so powerful, besides she was taking good care of some soldiers who are backing her .

“I am appealing to the military authorities to wade into the matter and bring those who brutalised and robbed me to justice,” he said.

Whe contacted, a senior Army officer, Charles M, told Daily Sun that he is in-charge of the barracks and that he woulod fish out the culprits because they work under him.

Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta

A herbalist,  Tunde Banjo, and an alfa, Nurudeen Adeniyi, have been arrested by operatives of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly killing a 16-year-old-girl, identified only as Olayinka.

They were reportedly arrested in Ijebu  Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

 Our correspondent gathered that the police also arrested 19-year-old Tobi Ogunkoya, who was suspected to have lured Olayinka into the hands of Banjo and Adeniyi.

The trio were said to have been arrested by policemen from the Ago Iwoye and Ijebu Igbo divisions on Tuesday.

A source said Olayinka’s breasts were severed  by her killers.

The state acting Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said at about 2.30pm,  one Serifat Adebanjo reported Olayinka’s abduction to the police in Ago Iwoye station, alleging that Ogunkoya was a suspect in the abduction.

Oyeyemi added that acting on the information, the police stormed a house in Imosan community and apprehended Ogunkoya, who confessed that Olayinka was in the custody of Banjo in Ijebu Igbo.

Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, added that upon his arrest, Tobi took policemen to the home of Banjo in Ijebu  Igbo, where they met him with the Alfa, and they were arrested.

He said two fresh human hearts and a live tortoise were allegedly found in their possession.

Oyeyemi said Banjo onfessed to the police that the girl had been killed, her breasts and other vital organs severed, while her remains were thrown into the Ogbere River, in the Ijebu East Local Government area of the state.

He said, “The Police have arrested Banjo,  a herbalist, and Adeniyi, an alfain Ijebu Igbo. Banjo said they have killed the girl and body dumped inside the Ogbere River. The police are working to retrieve the corpse. Two human hearts and one live tortoise were a recovered from the suspects.”

Oyeyemi said the suspects would be soon be transferred to the homicide section of  the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

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Rotimi Amaechi, minister of information, says President Muhammadu Buhari will not spare anyone involved in acts of corruption.

He said Buhari had made pronouncements that set the tone for anti-corruption agencies to go after anyone who has questions to answer, including members of his cabinet.

Amaechi said before the president was elected, he did not leave anyone in doubt that the fight against corruption would not only be taken seriously but would form a cardinal plank of his policy direction.
The minister said this on Monday while delivering a keynote speech at Cambridge University.

“As someone who has been in active politics for more than 30 years, I have learnt that many well-intended reforms are possible only if the leader can offer the requisite leadership and muster the right political will,” he said.

“In my country, since our President, Muhammadu Buhari was elected, he did not leave anyone in doubt that the fight against corruption will not only be taken seriously but will form a cardinal plank of his policy direction.

“So far, he has made several pronouncements that set the tone of his commitment to strengthening anti-corruption agencies to go after anyone who has questions to answer. The president’s resolve was enough to signal all of us, members of his cabinet and the citizenry, that an end has come for the old ways of doing things.

“Currently, many people who have been indicted in one form of corrupt practice or another are being prosecuted in our courts. That, I believe is the way to show leadership and take responsibility.

“Our president has stopped at nothing to demonstrate that whosoever is caught in corruption related crimes will not be spared.”

He challenged leaders to practise what they preach, emphasising the need for them to take responsibility when economic crime or corruption happens.

“They should be held accountable. Leadership is expected to do three simple things, perhaps four: upholding the primacy of leadership and political will, insisting on the force of example, enforcing the urgency of incentives and the necessity of sanctions and finally by leveraging on the power of partnership,” he said.

“Another important factor is what I refer to as the force of example. There is very little any leader can achieve if he talks the right political talk without offering personal examples.

“In these days of internet and social media revolution, citizens often spend time to scrutinize the reputation and activities of any leader to find out if they are consistent with what he or she stands for in the media. Essentially leaders must practise what they preach if they expect to be taken seriously both by those within their organisations, state or country.”

John Ameh, Abuja


The House of Representatives has postponed by one week its anticipated resumption, The PUNCH learnt in Abuja on Sunday.

This also implies that the expected action of the 360-member legislature on the budget padding allegations levelled against the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers, will be delayed by at least one week.

The other three are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff Lasun; the Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor.

Lawmakers proceeded on their annual recess on July 20 and were scheduled to reconvene on September 13.

Findings by The PUNCH showed on Sunday that the resumption date had been postponed by one week due to the forthcoming Eid-el Kabir festivities.

A senior National Assembly official stated on Sunday, “The Sallah proper will be on Monday, September 12, just one day to the original resumption date.

“Taken that the Federal Government will naturally declare Monday and Tuesday (September 13) as public holidays to mark the Sallah, it is no longer feasible for the House to reconvene on September 13.

“We are now looking at a date from Tuesday, September 20.”

Meanwhile, a former Deputy Minority Whip of the House, Mr. Garba Dhatti, confirmed to The PUNCH on Sunday that the resumption would be delayed by “three weeks.”

Dhatti, who is still a serving member, stated, “The end of recess will now be up to three weeks (September 20).

“It has to be after Sallah, which you know is Monday (September 12).”

The development came as the Chief Whip of the 7th House (2011-2015), Mr. Ishaka Bawa, told The PUNCH that there was “nothing abnormal” for Dogara and other principal officers to receive higher allocations for intervention or constituency projects in the 2016 budget.

Bawa said in every budget year, principal officers were allocated higher votes for projects in line with a “parliamentary tradition in practice over the years.”

Citing the instance of the 7th Assembly, where he was the fourth highest-ranked principal officer, Bawa disclosed that each of the 10 principal officers received higher project allocations according to their ranks.

He also confirmed that all the principal officers had higher project votes than those he called “floor members.”

Bawa added, “As a principal officer in the 7th Assembly, the funds allocated for my projects were higher than that of Dogara, who was a ‘floor member’ at the time.

“Dogara was a floor member. Even as the Chairman, Committee on House Services, the funds for his projects were nothing compared to that of the least-ranked principal officer.

“Principal officers got their allocations pro-rata. They then identified the projects which were domiciled in the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies for execution.

“Every member knows that this has been the practice and the 8th Assembly principal officers have done nothing new.”

According to Bawa, the allocations of Dogara and the other three principal officers in the 2016 budget are not padding “so long as they were contained in the budget that was considered, passed by the National Assembly and signed into the law by Mr. President.”

Bawa, a lawyer, argued that the padding allegations could “only be sustained if there is proof that the money (N40bn) was added to the budget after the National Assembly passed it and on its way to the President’s office.”

A former Chairman, Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, had alleged that the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers requested the inclusion of N40bn projects in the 2016 budget, besides sundry projects in sums ranging from N20bn to N30bn.

He claimed that his refusal to oblige the four principal officers and his opposition to several alleged financial infractions were responsible for his sacking by Dogara on July 20.

The leadership of the House denied the alleged padding, saying all insertions into the budget followed the “due process of legislation and budgeting.”

However, it said Jibrin’s allegations would be investigated internally by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges after the House would have reconvened on the initially fixed September 13.

The police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption are already investigating the allegations.

Jibrin had petitioned the agencies and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission as well as the Department of State Services.

Also on Sunday, Jibrin suggested how the budgeting process and other finances of the House could be reformed to plug alleged loopholes for “fraud.”

Jibrin said he made the submissions to the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption during his visit to the body in Abuja on Wednesday last week.

He said he told the committee, which is chaired by Prof. Itse Sagay, that the legislature was abusing its power of appropriation and should be stopped.

Jibrin suggested that copies of the budget should always be circulated to all members while the highlights and the details must be considered together by lawmakers.

He added, “The most important reform here is to ensure that budget estimates and details are returned to the floor of the House at the same time for passage.

“This will check the insertions by some standing committee chairmen and principal officers in the process of budget passage.

On the internal finances of the House, Jibrin said such funds should be made public so that Nigerians could follow the spending pattern of lawmakers.

While the All Progressives Congress-led federal government has made the anti-corruption war a priority, the conduct of the party’s members in Ondo shows a lot still needs to be done to sensitise Nigerians on the malaise.

The way money was shared by aspirants and their agents to the hundreds of delegates at the venue of the congress, a common scenario in Nigerian polity, arguably demonstrates the endemic corruption in the nation’s political system.

One of the 24 governorship aspirants of the party, Tunji Ariyomo, believes corruption is systemic and not necessarily the character of the average Nigerian.

Mr. Ariyomo said the buying of votes in the Nigerian political system will continue regardless of which political party is in power. He said the corruption will continue as long as the present electoral system, where delegates and not the people choose their representatives, continues.

He argued that the only way President Muhammadu Buhari can build on the electoral reforms of the past administration is to abolish the delegates system and adopt the open system of primaries where citizens can have the opportunity to choose their candidates.

Mr. Ariyomo lamented the situation where the delegates were virtually camped away by some contenders making it difficult for other competitors to woo them legitimately.

“The primary election here appears transparent as you can see, but the process needs to be changed so that the people can decide, rather than use the delegates system,” he said.

According to him, he did not spend any money on any delegate as that would contradict his belief on an equitable process.
“There is yet to be an equitable process, even though everyone seems to be on an equal platform,” the aspirant said.

Other aspirants spoke on how the primary helped some delegates make money off different candidates.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that some major aspirants gave delegates between N150,000 and N200,000 to secure their votes.

Other less wealthy aspirants gave between N25,000 and N100,000 to each delegate.

The only female aspirant, Jumoke Ajasin Anifowose, said she was not prepared to pay money for votes, as it appeared the highest bidder would win the day.
“I did not pay money to anybody, ” she said.
Some delegates, who confirmed how much they were given, spoke on how they were treated.

According to them, each aspirant brought his loyal delegates into Akure and lodged them in a hotel beyond the reach of rivals. The aspirant then ensured that none of them went out until the morning of accreditation and voting.

“We were lodged in the hotel by our aspirant. And if you lodge in the hotel you will be given money, ” a delegate from Owo, who did not want his name mentioned, said.
He said he was given N100, 000 by his preferred candidate before he cast his vote.

Another delegate, who only provided his first name as Fatai, said he only got N20,000 as “pocket money,” from his candidate.
“What I got was N20,000 and it was given to me as pocket money,” Fatai said.

“I voted for the aspirant because I love him and not because of money.”
The primary election was conducted by the Governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Abubakar, who pledged to uphold fairness and transparency during the exercise.

About 2774 delegates were accredited for the election from the three senatorial districts of the state.
Rotimi Ogunleye, a media aide to Olusola Oke, one of the front runners in the primaries, said cash was not the determining factor in the support and votes garnered by his boss.
He admitted that money was spent, but noted that it was not about the cash.

“While I do not rule out the fact that running a political structure requires money, especially issues of logistics; political support is not based on cash,” he said.
“It is about coagulating interest, creating and sustaining relationship. It is not about cash.”
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that some aspirants made double payments after the delegates list was amended on the night before the election.

According to a source within the party, some of the aspirants had to “recharge their barrels” to chase the new delegates who were later included in the list.
“That means spending additional funds,” he said. “You can imagine after giving out N100million, what are you going to do when the list of delegates was suddenly changed and you did not have access to it until about 10 p.m. on Friday.”

But speaking on the development, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Ondo, Omo’oba Adesanya, said giving money to delegates was a form of allowance and not necessarily bribery or buying of votes.
He said the delegates left their homes for two days or more and should be properly taken care of or the aspirants would not be fair to them.

Mr. Adesanya, who was also a delegate at the primary, noted that the funds were privately sourced and not from public funds, and so could not be described as corruption.
“The delegates deserve some form of allowances for bringing them out from their homes and comfort to Akure for two days,” he argued.

“Even government officials, governors and other persons, including the security agencies that participated in the primaries received some form of allowances. So I don’t see any problem with the aspirants providing allowances for the delegates.

“What they got is not outrageous because some of them came from very far away. Some from the creeks and riverine areas; so it is not out of place to ensure that they were taken care of.”

Mr. Adesanya said the election, which eventually produced a lawyer, Rotimi Akeredolu, as winner and APC candidate, was peaceful, credible and transparent.

He said all the aspirants would come together to ensure the party emerged victorious in November.

A permanent secretary in the Ogun State civil service has died barely 48 hours after being sworn into office.

Mrs. Olubunmi Odumusi died in her sleep on Friday night, her family said. She was 57.

Relatives said she died after a prolonged battle with cancer, after being at treated local and foreign hospitals at a huge financial cost.

Mrs. Odumusi, a journalist, joined the civil service and rose the position of director in the state Ministry of Information and Strategy.

She was in the United States of America for medical treatment when she received the news of her promotion as Permanent Secretary. She flew back to attend the inauguration and attended the event on wheelchair on Thursday.

As news of her passing spread Saturday, sympathisers thronged the family home at Sam Ewang Estate in Abeokuta.

Her heartbroken husband wept, clasping the body of his departed wife. The body was later taken to the Neuro Psychiatric Hospital.

A family source said Mrs. Odumusi went to bed on Friday, but failed to wake up in the morning.

Reacting to the death, former Governor Gbenga Daniel praised Mrs. Odumusi as a “gem” and said she was very hardworking in his administration.

”I join others in commiserating with the families of Mrs Olubunmi Odumusi. I have a vivid recollection of her as one of the very hardworking Directors who bought into the vision of our administration quite early,” Mr. Daniel said.

“She was very active in the Regional Master Plan of the state which we did and was one of the topmost advocate of the Master Plan. Ogun State service has indeed lost a gem and my prayer is that God in his mercies will grant the family the grace to bear this painful loss at a time when they should be celebrating her promotion. Adieu,” the former governor wrote.

A former Information Commissioner, Doyin Ogunbiyi, who worked closely with the deceased, lamented the loss and expressed shock over the incident.

“She replied my congratulatory message oo yesterday …so sad. She was one of my trusted and hardworking staff as Commissioner in the Ministry of Information Youth Sports and Culture then, also Mrs Yetunde Kujore and Barr Demola Badejo..These trio were most efficient and reliable…,” she said.

The Abia State Police Command has arrested two teenage girls for allegedly attempting to sell their unborn babies. According to the police, they were arrested along with one Oluchi, the wife of the owner of the home, where they planned to have the babies and later sell them.

The girls, Esther Odum and Ebere Ejimadu, have however denied the allegation. They insisted that there was a mix up somewhere. They stressed that they went to the medicine home for treatment.

The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, said: “The command got information that the suspect, Ifeanyi Agbasonu and his wife Oluchi, were operating a baby factory at No. 2 Bridget Road Aba. It was there that the two pregnant girls, Esther Odum and Ebere Ejimadu, were arrested.”

Odum, from Owerri, Imo State, admitted that she was pregnant, but denied nursing any idea to sell the baby after birth. Odum said: “I was introduced to Ifeanyi Agbasonu as a homeopathic doctor.

I have not stayed there for long. I just arrived there.

The place didn’t look like a hospital to me. I came there on Wednesday and was arrested on Friday. When I got there on Wednesday, Ifeanyi told me that he is a homeopathic doctor, who specialised in the treatment of infections and wounds. Ejimadu said: “I got there on Monday.

I live with my aunt at Port Harcourt. The doctor in the hospital told me that I have infection.

He said I was free to choose the kind of medicine I wanted to take. He said I should choose either orthodox or traditional. His wife advised me to choose traditional treatment. She said it would work better than orthodox medicine.

My aunt said she had a doctor that specialised in treatment of infections. She took me there. I was supposed to stay there until Sunday. I was however arrested. He has even started administering the medicine on me.”

Oluchi said she knew her husband to be a homeopathic medicine practitioner.

She said she was surprised to see policemen at the medical centre. She added: “When I asked them their mission, they said I was under arrest. I asked why? They said I would know when I reach their station.”

The command also paraded four young men suspected to be fake members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The Police said the four men specialised in hijacking petroleum tanker drivers for ransom.

Samson Folarin

Tragedy struck on Wednesday at the Secretariat end of CMD Road, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos, after a tricycle rider, Christian Ugochukwu, was crushed to death by a truck.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the truck driver, John Monday, had bashed the victim’s tricycle earlier on Shangisha Road and refused to stop.

The victim was reported to have parked his tricycle and chased the truck.

He reportedly caught up with it at the Secretariat bus stop and hung to its side door.

The driver reportedly flung the door open and Ugochukwu fell.

He was subsequently crushed to death by the truck’s back tyres.

A witness, who did not identify himself, said the incident happened around 1.30pm.

He said, “Christian (Ugochukwu) plied the Shangisha route and he was in his tricycle when the passing truck bashed it.

“The truck driver continued his movement as if nothing happened. He also didn’t heed the cry of the man to pull over. So, Christian started chasing the truck, caught up with it and hanged to its door.

“He had a stick in his hand and he used it to threaten the driver that he would hit him if he didn’t stop.

“The driver suddenly opened the door and he fell. The back tyres climbed on him and he died. It was a bad sight.”

It was learnt that immediately the incident happened, the driver sped off.

Another witness said a crowd mobilised and chased the truck driver, adding that he was caught at a filling station in the Otedola Bridge area.

A police source said the driver and his conductor were rescued by policemen from the Isheri division, joined by officers of the Metro Patrol and Safer Highway.

“The driver said he drove to the filling station to escape being lynched by the mob, who had petrol to pour on him.

“He was rescued alive and taken to the station along with the man’s corpse. The corpse was later deposited in the Iyana Isolo General Hospital morgue,” he added.

Our correspondent was told that Ugochukwu’s wife had just been delivered of a baby on the morning of the incident.

He was said to be looking for money for hospital bill when tragedy struck.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect would be charged to court at the end of investigations.

She said, “The suspect is in our custody and he is assisting with investigations. Meanwhile, the victim’s corpse has been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.”

“I came home to pick something in the morning and I met my wife with her lover inside our room eating food bought from an eatery,” Husband laments

A mother of three has lost her 14-year-old marriage to adulterous behaviour as an Igando Customary Court in Lagos granted the request of her estranged husband to dissolve the union.

The petitioner, Mr Dare Abiodun, a 40-year-old businessman, had approached the court for the dissolution of the union, citing the wife’s infidelity and threat to life.

Delivering his judgment, the court’s President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said he was convinced that the couple could no longer live together as the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions.

“The court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the wife’s claim to still love her husband.

“The court hereby pronounce the marriage between Dare Abiodun and Ajoke Abiodun dissolved today; both henceforth cease to be husband and wife,’’ Omilola ruled.

The husband had told the court that he caught her wife with her lover in their bedroom.

“I came home to pick something in the morning and I met my wife with her lover inside our room eating food bought from an eatery,” he said.

Abiodun said that his wife had been threatening his life with some dangerous weapons.

He added:“My wife is always threatening my life with dangerous weapons; she chased me with knife in our street to stab me.

“She is a good fighter; her hobby is fighting as I have, on at least five occasions, bailed her at the police station.

“She fight with friends, neighbours, even in the church and I had to leave that church for her because of this shameful acts.”

The estranged wife, Ajoke, however, accused her ex-husband of being fetish and he killed a baby in her womb sometime ago.

“He gave me `Suya’ to eat when I was eight months pregnant and the baby in my womb became restless, moving fast.

“ I rushed to the hospital only for me to have a still-birth,” she said.

The woman, who did not object to the dissolution of the marriage, also told the court:“I saw my brazier in my husband’s brief case and when I queried him, he said he wanted to take it to his church for prayers.
“He also brought a handkerchief to the house and gave it to me to clean my private part and return to him but I refused.

“He has been bringing home different types of soup and other liquids for me to drink which I also refused because I do not trust him.

“Apart from his fetish nature, he has also turned me to a punching bag.’

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will resist any further increase in the pump price of fuel by the Federal Government, saying the nation is yet to recover from the impact of the recent increase of petroleum products implemented last year.

Speaking in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, at the 14th edition of the NLC special school programme, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the organized labour will surely go on strike if the government attempts to increase fuel price.

He said despite the change mantra of the present administration and the promise to the people, the socio-economic conditions of average Nigerians have continued to degenerate, stressing that it is necessary to convene a committee to review the national wage for workers.

“In the face of rising inflation following the devaluation of the Naira which makes the current minimum wage not to pay the transport fare of workers to and from work, not to talk of buying them basic needs, congress requests that, it is time minimum wage is reviewed as quickly as possible. The government needs to constantly consult with broad segment of the Nigerian population at all times, especially groups like the Labour movement Also, we are warning petroleum marketers not to contemplate any further increase in the pump price of the products, especially that of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The current economic hardship required alternative economic agenda that should not be planned by the government alone,” Wabba said.

Declaring the programme open, the Akwa Ibom state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, noted the importance of the Labour movement in any growing economy and commended labour for establishing a school programme to provide training grounds for congress members.

Samson Folarin

The Anti-Robbery Squad of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, has arrested a four-man gang that had allegedly been terrorising residents of the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects – Akin Ayotunde, Isaac Ogbonna, Sola Dede and Sodiq Lawal – specialised in lurking around houses at night and switching off their victims’ generators before attacking them.

They, however, met their Waterloo last Thursday when they were arrested after invading the apartment of one Bello Hakeem in the Igbe area.

Our correspondent was told that the suspects spent six hours in the victim’s duplex and went away with his car, generator, money, phones, Automated Teller Machine cards, modems, laptops and cash.

They also stole his wife’s jewellery and withdrew N100,000 using one of the ATM cards.

Hakeem told our correspondent that around 11.09pm on Tuesday, he observed that his generator suddenly went off and he asked two of his children to go outside and fix the problem.

 “About five minutes after they left, they were forced back into the house by four men, who were armed with knives.

“They ordered us to cooperate with them. They searched the house and made away with three laptops, six phones, three ATM cards, a new 3.5KVA generator, one 75alms battery, two modems, jewellery, cash, and my Toyota Corolla. They held my family hostage for six hours before leaving at about 6am the next day,” he added.

Hakeem, an environmental scientist, said he reported the incident at the Ijede Police Station, adding that the suspects were able to withdraw N100,000 from his First Bank account before he deactivated all the stolen ATM cards.

He said two days after the incident, a friend called him that a car that looked like his own had been put up for sale.

He said operatives from the SCIID, Yaba, were alerted and the suspects were rounded up.

The four suspects, who confessed to the crime, said they operated with knives to avoid bloodshed.

The gang leader, Ayotunde, 27, said, “I used to sell garri with my grandma in a market before a former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, demolished shops in the market. I tried another job, but it didn’t work.

“I then sold the idea of robbing houses to my friends and we agreed to use only knives and not guns. We always lurk around developing areas in Ikorodu at night, look for any house that had its generator on, scale the fence and put off the generator. When the occupants of the house come out to check the generator, we attack. We made N60,000 from our first operation in March.

“I was arrested when the man whom I had given the man’s car to called me that he had found a buyer. He said the buyer had paid N700,000 for the vehicle and that I should come for my share. We agreed to meet at a restaurant in Ojota. But on getting there, I discovered that it was a set up and I was arrested.”

Ogbonna, 23, an indigene of Ebonyi State, said he was looking for money for the treatment of his elder sister when he was invited to join the gang.

“My sister needed blood transfusion and I had to look for money by all means. I got N25,000 from the operation,” he added.

The third suspect, 24-year-old Dede, from Ondo State, said he joined the group because he was told nobody would be killed, adding that he needed money to change his apartment.

He said, “An Alfa told me to move out of my family house because there was a spiritual force working against the success of men in the house. I needed money to change my apartment.”

The police also arrested the receiver of some of the stolen items, Akeem Lawal, who claimed that the suspects lied to him that the goods were imported.

The Police Public Relations officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest, adding that investigations were ongoing.

She said, “The last house they robbed belonged to a couple who quickly alerted the police. They were trailed and arrested. They are currently undergoing interrogation at the command.”

Residents of the Oghara community in Ethiope West Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State are resting easier following the fatal lynching of a notorious crime boss operating in the area, Onoriode “Onos” Okeribo, according to sources speaking to SaharaReporters.

Onos’ death followed his arrest in Edo State by members of the local vigilante group who had known of his brutal reputation, according to numerous police and local sources. A series of SaharaReporters' investigations found that Onos was the mastermind behind the armed robbery, murder for hire, and kidnappings in the area and operated with the open protection and collaboration of the 19th Battalion operating near the Oghara area.

A SaharaReporters investigation discovered last year that Onos paid members of the 19th Battalion to protect him while he carried out his criminal activities in the area, including illegal oil bunkering, kidnapping for ransom, and carjacking.

This was revealed shortly after Lance Corporal Obinna of the 19th Battalion shot and killed Benson Ogedegbe , the Chairman of the Oghara vigilante group, in broad daylight on the orders of Lieutenant-Colonel Aminu Umar. The late Mr. Ogedegbe had been accused of informing the police of the illicit activities of Onos and the 19th Battalion.

Our investigation of the battalion also revealed that Mr. Umar, the 19th Battalion Commanding Officer, ordered his troops to abduct and torture protesters in the Koko military base in Oghara, Delta State.

The notorious battalion made headlines again in March this year when it went on a rampage in Ekpan community, Delta State, damaging millions of naira worth of property and wounding several persons.

SaharaRepoters has since learned that soldiers attached to the 19th Battalion responsible for Mr. Ogedegbe’s murder have been charged for their misconduct.

An eyewitness to Onos’ lynching told SaharaReporters that he was attacked by an angry mob, leaving him in a pool of blood surrounded by broken bottles, sticks, and stones. The source added that the deceased was the ringleader of a “daredevil criminal gang” that terrorized the community with kidnappings, armed robberies, and pipeline vandalism.

Mob carrying the beaten Onos in Oghara
It was gathered that Onos was arrested in Benin City from neighboring Edo State and taken to the local government headquarters where a mob lynched him. When police officers attempted to protect Onos, they were reportedly threatened by the mob.

The Oghara local government chairman, Sulemon Golley, also confirmed these developments but told SaharaReporters that details would need to be given by the Edo State police.

Speaking to SaharaReporters, another resident who commended the action of the mob stated that Oghara had been under the grip of kidnappers and armed robbers for years and the situation had degenerated to the level where landlords and civil servants who were targeted by the gang had to leave the community.

SaharaReporters spoke to the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed that Onos was arrested in Edo State and has reportedly died by mob lynching. Mrs. Kalu also told our correspondent that the Delta State police are continuing to investigate the remnants of his gang operating in the Oghara area.

The Edo State Police Public Relations Officer was not available to take SaharaReporters’ call at the time of publication.

A 35-year-old woman, Kanung Doris, was Monday remanded in prison for allegedly stabbing her husband to death in Oyo State.

Doris, a resident at 12, Alaafia Street, Mokola, Ibadan, the state capital, is facing one-count charge of murder.

According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Femi Omilana, the mother of three allegedly stabbed her husband Vincent Kanung, 45, with a knife in the stomach following some disagreement.

Omilana told the Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court “The accused committed the act on August 3, at about 11.30 p.m.

“The incident resulted to the death of Vincent,” the prosecutor said, adding that the offence contravened section 316 and 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol.II, Laws of Oyo State 2000.

The accused person pleaded not guilty.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mr. Taiwo Oladiran, said the court lack jurisdiction to try the matter.

Oladiran adjourned the case till September 20, for mention, ordering that the accused be remanded at Agodi Prison pending the outcome of advice from the Office of Director of Public Prosecution, DPP.

Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

The father of a teenager, Master Innocent Kokorifa, allegedly killed by a police team in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on August 18, 2016, has demanded justice from the police authorities and the government.

The deceased’s father, Mr. Daniel Kokorifa, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Rivers State Sector Command, said his son, who was brutally murdered by the police on the fateful day was innocent and never had any criminal records since his birth.

Kokorifa made the disclosure on Monday when some human rights activists led by a former Secretary, Civil Liberties Organisation, Mr. Alagoa Morris, paid a condolence visit to his home in Okaka area of Yenagoa metropolis.

Kokorifa, first out of five children of the FRSC personnel, was shot dead in a mysterious circumstance by the police Anti-Vice/Anti-Kidnapping team along Airforce Road in Yenagoa, on August 18, 2016.

The victim was said to be running an errand for his mother, Pere, when he was allegedly killed by the police.

But the state police command had in a statement last week claimed that the victim died in a gun battle between a three-man notorious armed robbery gang and the police team.

Painting vivid picture on the circumstances surrounding his boy’s killing, Kokorifa said upon investigation, he discovered that Innocent was killed by a police team led by his own friend.

He also said his son died on the day his West Africa Examinations Council results were released wherein his late son cleared all his papers.

Kokorifa, who hails from Indowari community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa, said,”On August 18, 2016, my wife called me that our son was shot dead.

“We went to the SCID, they denied knowledge, we went to Anti-Vice, they also denied.
When we went to the scene of the incident, we discovered that it was Anti-Vice team that came for the operation that night.

“In the following morning, I went to Anti-Vice again, they denied knowledge. I saw a friend, who works there. My friend also denied knowledge. But I later discovered that it was my friend that led the team that killed my son.

“From there, I went to the emergency ward at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa in search of my son. There I was told that the police brought the boy that night around 11pm, but that the doctors said there was no life in the boy the police brought.

“That was how I knew my son was dead. I went inside the mortuary with my son’s picture and my ID card before they allowed me in. There I saw the lifeless body of my son.”

Kokorifa, who said he would follow the matter to its logical conclusion, rationalised that after the end of the case, the police would no longer be killing innocent people in Ijaw land.

He saluted the courage of various rights groups and youths who had been standing by the family, alleging that the police had killed his innocent son who just took his WAEC examinations and wanted to read law in the university.

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