₦airaland Forum

Building in Abuja at the weekend, said Jonathan and the late President Musa Ya’Adua were imposed on the nation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as a “punishment” over his inability to secure third term in office

DAILY POST exclusively gathered that the suspect who was a mechanic apprentice, was arrested with an IED and some mobile phones on Sunday evening, while on his way to the camp.

The Federal Government has sacked the heads of 24 agencies and parastatals.
Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, disclosed this in a statement.
According to Lawal, the full list include:

1. Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)

2. Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN)

3. Voice of Nigeria (VON)

4. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

5. National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)

6. Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)

7. New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

8. Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)

9. Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)

10. Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN)

11. Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)

12. National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)

13. Petroleum Equalization Fund

14. Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC)

15. Bureau of Public Procurements (BPP)

16. Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)

17. Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA)

18. Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON)

19. National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

20. Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC)

21. Bank of Industry (BoI) (xxii) National Centre for Women Development (NCWD)

22. National Orientation Agency (NOA)

23. Industrial Training Fund (ITF) (xxv) Nigerian Export-Import Bank

24. National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP).
Details later...

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approached the Supreme Court to seek clarification on the political status of Senators Andy Uba, Stella Uduah and other lawmakers representing Anambra State for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as it recognised the list of Ejike Oguebego- led state executive committee of the party.

But Senators Annie Okonkwo, Chris Ubah, John Emeka and other PDP lawmakers on the list of the Oguebego executive that got the apex court’s judgment, have written INEC alleging that the commission made a biased presentation of facts in its motion for clarification.

A letter from the law firm of A.C. Ozioko and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on behalf of the lawmakers dated February 10, condemned the steps taken by the electoral body as well as the alleged biased manner in which the application for clarification was brought and couched.

While holding that there was no ambiguity in the apex court’s judgment, the Oguebego group said the decision to go back to the Supreme Court for clarification of its judgment could not have arisen from a neutral and unbiased arbiter.

The group also accused the electoral body of suppressing the facts of the case by deliberately removing some vital pages of the lead judgment of the Supreme Court including the attachments of the letter of Chief Chris Uche (SAN) to INEC dated January 29, 2016.

A panel of Supreme Court justices had in its judgment delivered on January 29 this year affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court which held that only the constitutionally-recognized state party leadership led by Oguebego could organize the party primaries.

In the judgment of the Federal High Court which was restored by the Supreme Court, the PDP, its agents, servants, privies were restrained from forwarding, sending or submitting to the second defendant (INEC) any delegates list or nominated candidates that may emerge from the congress conducted by the purported caretaker committee set up by the first defendant for the PDP, except those that emanate from the plaintiffs’ (Ejike Oguebego and Hon.Chucks Okoye) congresses and primaries.

Justice Elvis Chukwu, who delivered the judgment, further restrained INEC, its agents, servants, privies, assigns, officials whatsoever name they may be called from accepting or receiving any delegate from the congresses or primaries conducted by the caretaker committee set up by the first defendant for the state PDP, except those that emanate from the palintiffs.

Although the above judgment of the Federal High Court was subsequently set aside by the Court of Appeal, it was restored by the Supreme Court in its judgment of January 29, following a successful appeal by the Oguebego group.

In a motion on notice dated February 5, 2016 and filed by a consortium of lawyers headed by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), the electoral body set out six issues for clarification.

In urging the apex court to review its judgment in the interest of justice, INEC said it was confused on the step to follow.
The motion which was brought under Order 8 rule 16 of the Supreme Court Rules. 1999, Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act, 2004 and Section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution is attached with a 10-paragraph affidavit of urgency while the main motion has a deposed affidavit of 19 paragraphs, all deposed to by Ebuka Nwaeze, a lawyer in the law firm of Chief Awomolo.

No date has been fixed for hearing the motion..

By Ngozi Uwujare

TWO undergraduates of the Ebonyi State University, 26-year-old James Okoh and Victor Uchenna Okefie, 27, are now cooling their heels in the cold embrace of the of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, AKS, where they are being interrogated, following their arrest by the Enugu State Police Command.
Okoh and Okefie, who had been at large, allegedly conspired to murder, Mrs. Stella Uhuo, a US-based lady who was visiting home on vacation.

Prior to the dastardly act Ohuo had been a benefactor to Okoh, a final year Sociology student of the university, who hails from Amata in Afikpo North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State. She asked members of her family to come to the airport to receive her.

She was said to have intimated Okoh about her planned visit and requested him to come to the airport so that he could take her to Abakaliki to deliver some luggage given to her by some friends in the United States for onward delivery to their families.

On the fateful day, November 14, 2015, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu, told Sunday Sun reporter that the family of the deceased joyfully turned out at the airport to receive her. Okoh also came with his friend in a Volvo car.

Her personal luggage were put in the car brought by family, while the ones she wanted to take to Abakaliki were loaded into the boot of the Volvo car with registration number Lagos EKY 855 CY. After the exchange of pleasantries, the family left while Ohuo, Okoh and Okefie headed to Abakaliki. The time was about 10.00am.

Okefie sat at the back of the car while Okoh drove with Ohuo sitting in front, completely at peace, unknown to her that they had a heinous plan. Along the way, Okoh diverted off the busy Enugu-Abakaliki road, to a side road away from passing cars. From the back, Okefie lunged forward, grabbed Ohuo by the neck with a choking hold while Okoh viciously hit her on the head. Then Okefie strangled her. When her legs ceased kicking as life ebbed out and her heart stopped beating, the duo, still acting out their carefully scripted evil plan, calmly searched her and took all the money she had in dollars and her iPad.

When Sunday Sun reporter spoke with suspects in custody, Okoh recounted what transpired after the woman died. He said: “We dumped her corpse along Enugu/Abakaliki express road, on the Enugu State side. We took her dollars and luggage including ipad and broke the SIM cards of her phones. We ran to my hostel at Ebonyi State University and later went to Sabongari in Abakaliki to change the dollars to Naira and got over N850,000. We burnt the clothes of the deceased, and shared all the male clothes we saw in the luggage.”

The following day, after waiting for long and not receiving any call from Ohuo, her brother became troubled and went to the police to file a missing person report. At the time of the incident, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, was the police commissioner. Soon after he handed over to Ekechukwu, who assumed duty at the Command.

Soon after he received the case file, Ekechukwu directed detectives attached to Anti-Kidnapping Squad to commence investigation. They promptly arrested Okoh on January 29, 2016 at his hostel at the Ebonyi State University while Okefie was traced to his parent’s house at Ajaokuta in Kogi State on January 31, 2016. In the course of interrogation they confessed to the crime, and gave graphic details of how they did it.

Upon receiving news that the duo had been arrested, Ohuo’s family members stormed the headquarters of AKS, to identify them as the two people who were last seen with their sister before her death. They were shocked that Okoh who their sister had helped immensely could have been the person to tragically end her life. They wailed and were unable to control their emotions.

Meanwhile the corpse of Ohuo has been in the mortuary since November 14, when it was picked up from the roadside.

Ekechukwu assured that the suspects would be charged to court soon after the conclusion of investigation.

By DAVID ADUGE-ANI

Last week, residents of Jiwa community in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) witnessed a ceremony marking the solemnisation of a gay marriage in the area. DAVID ADUGE-ANI reports that the ceremony was however cut short by the intervention of men of the Nigeria police who promptly arrested the suspects.

On Saturday February 6, 2016 a popular hotel in Jiwa Community of Abuja, King’s Land Hotel hosted two male guests who were there to celebrate their marriage, otherwise known as same-sex marriage. According to our findings, the stage was already set with the hall decorated awaiting the commencement of the ceremony. At about 5.30 pm many invited guests were already seated for the occasion, with invited guests, including their sponsors, the chairman of the occasion and other guests in their hundreds awaiting the commencement of the ceremony.

However just as the celebrants were emerging from the car that conveyed them to the venue and were about taking their seats at the high table, men of Nigeria Police Force drafted from the Gwagwa Police Station swooped down on them and promptly arrested them. The suspects who live in Jiwa Community are said to be indigenes of Kaduna State. Eyewitnesses told our reporter that many other persons, including their sponsors, chairman of the occasion and the owner of the hotel were equally arrested during the raid.

LEADERSHIP Weekend also gathered that men of the Nigeria Police Force, Gwagwa Division (AMAC) had earlier gotten information about the marriage that was to take place in the area, and had therefore sent a team of plain-clothed policemen to keep surveillance of the area. It was gathered that the names of the two men were given as Abdul Lawal who is supposed to be the husband, while Umar Tahir posed as the wife. The sponsors of the marriage according to our findings are Abubakar Tahir and Mohammed Sani.

It would be recalled that on January 7, 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the Bill which outlaws same sex marriage. The signed bill says the gays; lesbians in Nigeria will risk a 14-year jail term if they do not retrace their steps and renounce such marriage. Also, any person who operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisations directly or indirectly will earn a 10-year imprisonment. Those who administer, witness, abet or aid the solemnisation of a same sex marriage are going to bag a 10-year jail term.

The Nigerian Senate had previously passed the bill in November 2011, while lawmakers in Nigeria’s House of Representatives affirmed the decision by the Senate on May 29, 2013. According to some abstracts, obtained by the Act reads: “A marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex: (a) is prohibited in Nigeria; and (b) shall not be recognised as entitled to the benefits of a valid marriage.

“A marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex by virtue of a certificate issued by a foreign country is void in Nigeria, and any benefit accruing there-from by virtue of the certificate shall not be enforced by any court of law. “A marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex shall not be sole nixed in a church, mosque or any other place of worship of Nigeria. “No certificate issued to persons of same sex in a marriage or civil union shall be valid in Nigeria. Only a marriage contracted between a man and a woman shall be recognised as valid in Nigeria.
“The registration of gay clubs, societies and organisations, their sustenance, processions and meetings is prohibited.

“The public show of same sex amorous relationship directly or indirectly is prohibited. ”The Act also stipulates the volume of the sanctions awaiting the violators of the new law. “A person who enters into a same sex marriage contract or civil union commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 14 years imprisonment. “A person, who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisations directly or indirectly makes public show of same sex amorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment.

“A person or group of persons who administers, witnesses, abets or aids the solemnisation of a same sex marriage or civil union or supports the registration, operation and sustenance of gay clubs, societies, organisations, processions or meetings in Nigeria commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment. “The High Court of a State or of the Federal Capital Territory shall have jurisdiction to entertain matters raiding from the breach of the provisions of this Act.”

Under existing Nigerian federal law, sodomy is punishable by jail, but this bill legislates for a much broader crackdown on homosexuals and lesbians, who already live a largely underground existence. Homosexual acts are still a crime in 38 African countries, where most people hold conservative religious views.

In 2011, the US and UK hinted that they could withdraw from countries which did not respect homosexual rights on the socially conservative continent. The threat has helped hold back or scupper such legislation in aid-dependent nations like Uganda and Malawi.
Recently scores of Nigerian gay activists living in London stormed the Nigerian High Commission to pass on to President Buhari and government the over 65,000 signatures they were able to gather demanding that Nigeria repeals its ‘archaic’ anti-gay law.

According to them, Nigeria has one of the harshest anti-gay laws out of the 76 countries that currently criminalise LGBT people. The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill punishes same-sex “amorous relationships” with 10 years in prison. It also prohibits same-sex marriage with up to 14 years and jails members of LGBT equality or advocacy groups for 10 years.
The author of the Care2 Petition, Aderonke Apata, said: “Since the insidious 2014 anti-LGBT law was passed in Nigeria, there have been waves of police arrests and torture, anti-LGBT mob attacks, public whippings, evictions from homes, harassment and discrimination against ‘suspected’ LGBTs. Equality advocacy organisations and activists in Nigeria are not spared mistreatment.

“Growing up in Nigeria, I was unable to disclose my sexuality, yet unable to hide it. The culture in Nigeria makes it clear that being gay or transgender is a sin, a sentiment that is fuelled by homophobic messages from faith communities, political leaders, families, and schools. I took these messages in, identified with them, and carried the shame of being a lesbian woman in Nigeria. I was arrested, tortured and extorted by the Nigerian Police. I demand a repeal of this toxic law.”

Also there are renewed efforts by influential rights activists in the United States to instigate the home government and coerce Nigeria into reversing its anti-gay law as Buhari recently visited the country.

In a veiled manner, lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have intensified pressure at forcing Nigeria’s Buhari-led Federal Government to revisit the law. Proponents of LGBT rights are syndicating targeted articles with a view to raising the tempo of the discourse. Some of the social media campaigns specifically accuse the U.S’ black and African activists, who are opposed to same-sex marriage, of double-speak and hypocrisy in their human rights stance.

One of the articles written by Brandson Ellington Patterson, an editorial fellow at Mother Jones’ San Francisco bureau, argued that “every chain must be broken “if freedom is to be achieved for all black people.” Mother Jones is a non-profit news outlet that delivers reports on urgent issues in the U.S.

According to Patterson, on social media, “I have seen black people imply that marriage equality is a frivolous concern, and that gay people shouldn’t have received the right to marry before black people got the right to walk down the street without being shot by the police. I’ve seen black people argue against gay marriage by pointing out that it’s still not legal to smoke weed in most of the United States. Then there are those who reject gay marriage and homosexuality as a sin. Despite steady growth across the entire U.S. population, support for same-sex marriage among black Americans remains in the minority, and is lower among black Protestants than all other religious groups except white evangelicals.”

Confirming the Abuja incident the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) FCT Command, ASP Anjuguri Manza told LEADERSHIP Weekend that his men swooped into action after getting information about the marriage. “We got information earlier in the day that the two men were organising a gay marriage ceremony in Jiwa community. However our men have to mobilise and get the suspects arrested. At the moment the two suspects, their sponsors, including the owner of the hotel, where the ceremony took place have been arrested, detained while more investigations are being conducted. We will charge the suspects to the high court as soon as the appropriate investigations have been concluded on the matter,” he said. ASP Manza however warned that the FCT Police Command would continue to arrest and charge to court, perpetrators of such illegal acts in any parts of the territory where it occurs.

From where he sat among his co-suspects, 33-year-old Ugochukwu Mbah’s expression portrayed him as very remorseful.

According to him, if he had not ignored his conscience, he would have quit kidnapping before his arrest.

But now, Mbah and four other suspects, Kenneth Levi, 32; Onyema Uzodinma, 31; Udochukwu Nwanguma, 37 and Nduka Nwankwo, 25, are in police net.

They were said to have confessed to a series of kidnapping within Imo and Abia states. They were arrested by the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team led by CSP Abba Kyari.

Speaking to journalists after his arrest, Mbah, a father of one, who hails from Mbaise in Imo State, hinged his foray into kidnapping on frustration, saying his previous ventures yielded no result. He said he had to take part in kidnapping on his friend’s suggestion.

He said as the only son of his father, who had three wives and 15 children, he faced many family problems. According to him, he was even forced to travel to Angola in 2012 in search of greener pastures after which he was deported.

Mbah said, “They said that I do not have up to N1m in my account. They said if I did not have enough money that I was likely going to commit crime. It was the Igbo community that conspired against me. I genuinely wanted to do business there but they refused. Back in Nigeria, I was broke and since all my efforts to live a good life were frustrated, I decided to survive by any possible means.

“The only person who gave me accommodation when I came back home was Richard (now in prison) and he was the one who brought me to Owerri. He told me what he was doing for a living and the need to return to Owerri for full time kidnapping. He introduced me to Nduka as a capable hand. I assisted them to raise money to buy enough equipment (guns) needed for the job.”

Having sold some stolen cars and got involved in many kidnapping operations, Mbah said he graduated from selling stolen cars to full time kidnapping.

He said in his statement that his first job was the kidnapping of a female teacher who was driving a Toyota Highlander. He said they were able to collect N17,000 from her while he drove the SUV to Abia State where he sold the car for N300,000. Mbah said the woman’s husband was a pensioner, who could not pay the ransom because he had not been paid by the state government.

Speaking about his last operation during which they made N1m from a Nigerian kidnap victim based in South Africa, Mbah said, “On January 7, 2016 when we were patrolling MCC Road, close to Toronto roundabout in Owerri, we spotted the man driving an exotic car. We kidnapped him. After many days of negotiation, his family paid the ransom of N1m.”

On what led to his arrest, Mbah recalled that a phone call from Richard was the beginning of his doom. He said Richard had called to inform him of an operation but he refused to pick the call because he was praying.

He continued, “I realised that God allowed Richard to call while I was praying with my family to use that to warn me to stop crime. I am destined to be a pastor; it’s just that I have not accepted my calling. Kidnapping was just a temporary job for me. Now, I preach to my co-inmates. Some of them have even given their lives to Christ.”

On his part, Nwankwo said he used to sell second-hand clothes in Aba before he was introduced to the kidnapping trade. He also explained that he told his initiators he was ready to do anything to make money and save himself from poverty. “After we kidnapped the South Africa-based man, I was just living my life when police came and raided our area. They found me with cocaine. I called Ugochukwu from police cell not knowing that they had arrested him,” he added.

Meanwhile, the victim of the kidnap, Victor Ogadinma, said he was in Nigeria during the Christmas period to see his family.
He said, “I was in the front of my house waiting for my family members to open the gate, when three heavily armed men accosted me and forced me out of the car to the back seat. It was around 7.30pm, and my wife came out while they were struggling to push me into the car but they pushed her down.

“I told them I had N220,000 and $2,000 and some European currencies. I was picked on January 7 and released January 10. They offered me food but I chose to drink only water.”

The suspect whose house was used to shield the victim, Nwanguma, said he kept the victim in his mother’s kitchen because she was not around.
He said out of the N70,000 he was given, he gave his brother N50, 000 and gave his wife N10,000.

“I pray that government should forgive me because of my children,” Nwankwo said.
Meanwhile, items recovered from the suspects’ hideout in Umuakpala village in Abia State, include two AK 47 rifles, two magazines, one Beretta pistol, one pump action gun and 52 rounds of live ammunition. A police source says efforts were still on to nab the remaining members of the group who are on the run.

MATTHEW DIKE

Trust is one of the key words every marriage and legal amorous relationship is built on. Infidelity, as a matter of fact has caused many people their marriages. Heartthrobs have ended up in hospitals because of cheating on partners. MATTHEW DIKE, looks at some outrageous scenarios in which infidelity and adultery destroyed very good relationships and homes.

Love is said to be a dangerous game. Most heartthrobs are very jealous and could do anything, even to kill or harm either their rivals or their lovers or both.
When a man is married to a woman, he expects loyalty without doubt from the wife while the women, especially the Christians who believe in one man- one wife policy as stipulated in the bible, expected same from their husbands.

In some cases when temptation set in, either the man or the woman usually throw decorum to the wind to flirt with the opposite sex outside wedlock. In most cases, the repercussion is usually disastrous. Many people have been killed or injured out of jealousy or shame of being betrayed by someone they love so much. Some cases of jealousy are ridiculous.
Below are some of the outrageous scenarios in which either the men or women were caught in the infidelity act.

Lagos State police command comment on how to deal with people who go out of the way to attack their heartthrobs violently because of infidelity or adultery, and how a clergy looks at a good relationship…
Some Violent Attacks On Heartthrobs And Rivals By Do-or-Die Possessive Lovers Earlier Published in LEADERSHIP Newspapers

On October 20, 2015 a woman ‘butchered’ her husband’s head for impregnating her friend and neighbour. The woman identified as Mama Ekaite was said to have attacked her hubby, Papa Ekaite for impregnating their next door neighbour, Mama Ngozi, at Ajah area of Lagos State.
Their neighbour, Mama Risikatu was purported to have leaked the secret to Mama Ekaite that Papa Ekaite had impregnated Mama Ngozi, a widow, and was warming up to marry her.

Another neighbour, Emeka Opara told LEADERSHIP that Mama Ekaite was very infuriated when she heard the offensive news and rushed to Mama Ngozi’s apartment with same anger, but fortunately for the latter, she was not in her one room apartment.
Immediately Papa Ekaite returned from work, it was as if hell was let loose as Mama Ekaite demanded to know the truth from her husband. Papa Ekaite was said to be apologetic, but called it an act of God which provoked his wife.

His wife, who is a turkey and chicken seller, pulled out the short cutlass she used in cutting meat and used same to ‘butcher’ her husband’s head.
After the deed had been done, she fled from the scene. Her husband vowed to marry Mama Ngozi and warned that his wife should not step into the house because of what she had done to him.

On September 12, 2015, a man caught his neighbour making love to wife in his matrimonial bed and in his bedroom, along Ojo Road, Ajegunle, in Lagos State, which people around described as an abomination.
The angry man, identified simply as Udoh arrived his residence only to be informed by a tale-teller that his neighbour, Chukwuka was inside with the wife identified as Gift.
Udoh was said to have peeped in through a hole in the window and saw Chukwuka having carnal knowledge of his (Udoh’s) wife, Gift.

Udoh had attempted breaking the door when Gift opened it and dashed out of the room with only one wrapper round her body.
Their neighbour, Enang disclosed that Udoh entered his two-room apartment and was searching for his cutlass when Chukwuka escaped through the other room.
When Udoh came out with his cutlass, the two lovebirds were nowhere to be found. Udoh warned that if any of them returns to the residence blood would flow.

In September 3, 2015, a jealous lover stabbed his rival in the eye when he saw him and his heartthrob caressing one another in the night, at Ilasan Estate, alongVictoria Island- Lekki- Ibeju expressway.
The angry lover, identified simply as Mudashiru was said to have seen the two heartthrobs in a manner he believed was provocative and decided to take action.

Mudashiru slapped his estranged lover, Ifeoma without question. Ibrahim never had the premonition that confronting Mudashiru would become a calamity on him. But when he did, Mudashiru burst a beer bottle and stabbed him in the eye.
Ifeoma was said to have explained to the people around that Mudashiru had been dating her for about six years but did not show any interest in marrying her. But since Ibrahim came into her life, he rekindled her hope in marriage as he had promised to marry her. She said out of jealousy, Mudashiru stabbed him and also injured her too.

On July 9, 2015, a woman threw decorum to the wind as she bit her hubby’s private part and finger for having the effrontery to bring her friend to their bedroom and having carnal knowledge of her when she caught them.
Mama Bose, who sells tomatoes and pepper at Oshodi market, in Lagos State, was with her friend Mama Sunday who sells fish close to her.
Papa Bose, a commercial mini-bus driver stopped over to greet both women before he left.
After some minutes, Mama Sunday’s mobile phone was said to have rung and she begged her friend Mama Bose to look after her fish because she had an urgent call from her residence.

Mama Bose agreed, but unknown to her the woman was going to meet her (Mama Bose’s) husband, Papa Bose at their residence along Agege Motor Road, Mushin.
A woman who bought tomatoes and pepper from Mama Bose three days earlier but forgot the clothes she bought at the market with Mama Bose came to collect the items. She begged Mama Bose to use N500 and pick a motorcycle to her residence where Mama Bose left the clothes so that she could take them.

Mama Bose agreed and moved to her residence, but as she was approaching, a tale-teller beckoned on her not to talk and she revealed to her that her friend, Mama Sunday was inside their apartment with Mama Bose’s husband. She wondered why she should be there instead of the market.
One of their co-tenants, Chidi Ekeh disclosed that Mama Bose used a spare key to open the bedroom door. And behold, Papa Bose and Mama Sunday were both naked in bed having carnal knowledge of each other.

Ekeh said, “Papa Bose tried to beg the wife not to raise an alarm but she was too enraged to listen. Instead she was looking for an object to smash on their heads. Papa Bose held his wife’s hands and told her rival to wear her clothes quickly and escape from the scene. Mama Bose bit him in the hand while Mama Sunday managed to escape in one wrapper and blouse.
The angry woman held her husband’s private part and bit it. She said if not for the children she had for Papa Bose, she would have chopped off his penis and possibly chewed the testicles because he is not responsible.”

On October 13, 2015, an angry woman abandoned her husband and escaped with their three kids because he had not paid her bride price.
The man was said to have wept because he did not know where to find them and could not also confront the wife’s family with the situation.
The man, Friday Onyeka had been living with his heartthrob, Matilda for 10 years, along Igbosere Street, Lagos Island, in Lagos State, before the incident occurred. Onyeka is from Kwale, in Delta State, while his wife hails from Cross River State.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Cautions Jealous Heartthrobs Against Attacks On Their Partners
The State police command spokesperson, SP Ifedolapo Badmos has appealed to lovers to maintain peace during this season of St Valentine. Badmos told Lagosians to shun violence, adding that whoever is aggrieved should report the matter to the police instead of taking the laws into their hands.

Her words: “People should be law- abiding and as they celebrate Valentine’s Day, they should do so peacefully. If you are aggrieved, please report the matter to the police. Don’t take laws into your hands. There is a standing rule and there is law. You must obey the law. That’s the norm. If you have any serious issue with your partner please don’t carry out any violence. Just go to the police station and report the matter and police will take action on the matter. Avoid fight or any form of violence.

We are not going to tolerate that. If you do anything illegal, ours is to enforce the law. If you commit a criminal offence, we are going to take you to court and prosecute you. So this festive season, we want everybody to be peaceful. Whether you are married or not. We don’t want violence, that’s what I’m saying.”

General Overseer Prays For Peaceful Marriages And Unions This Season
The General Overseer of Super Miracle Jesus Christ Best Church, in Lagos, Peter Akolonu prays for peaceful marriages and unions as Nigerians celebrate St. Valentine’s Day. He prayed that peace should reign in Nigeria and the whole world.

He was brutally wounded by the attacker known as Ismaila Ibrahim and one of his hands got broken during the fracas that ensued between them.

A suspected car thief, who posed with three others as traffic officials, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

Our correspondent learnt that the suspect, John Godwin, was apprehended on Monday by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad while he and three others, still at large, towed a Toyota Camry in the Isheri-Oshun area of the state.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the Camry, with number plate, FKJ 555 CV, had been stolen by the gang; and the car was being towed by a Toyota Corolla when the police stopped them around the Isheri-Oshun Roundabout on the LASU-Iba Road.

Our correspondent learnt that when they were stopped, other members in the Corolla zoomed off. The rope used in pulling the stolen vehicle was torn, and Godwin was arrested.

According to the police, the syndicate, which was led by one Ndubuisi, a spare parts seller, was taking the stolen vehicle to Mile 2, before it was intercepted.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Godwin, who claimed to be a mechanic, said the gang leader, Ndubuisi, had invited him to assist him in moving the vehicle from the Isheri area.

He said, “I met Ndubuisi in a hotel at about 10pm. He told me a vehicle broke down in the Isheri area, and he needed men to go with him to tow it to the Apapa area. I saw two men with him – Ade and Ebuka. We all entered a Toyota Corolla and headed for the Isheri-Oshun area.

“When we got there, three of them came down from the car. Around 3.30am, they came back and told me that the vehicle would be towed. So, we started towing the Camry with the Corolla.

“We tied a rope to the Camry, linked it to the Corolla, and we began to tow. We were on the LASU – Iyana-Iba Road when we saw some RRS policemen. The rope tied to the Camry broke, but to my surprise, both Ndubuisi and Ade, who were in the Toyota Corolla, didn’t wait.

“Ebuka, who was with me in the Camry, on sighting the RRS operatives, also took to his heels. That was how I was arrested.

“I am a mechanic. I specialise in repairing Mercedez vehicles. Ndubuisi and I became friends when I was a mechanic. He buys, refurbishes and resells cars in the Mile 2 area.”

The owner of the car, Joseph Inaboya, said the Camry was parked in front of his house, adding that he was not aware when the syndicate came to tow it away.

“When policemen called me that my car was recovered from thieves, I said it could not be true as it was parked in front of my house. But when I went downstairs to check the car, I could not find it.”

On Tuesday, the police also arrested a suspected traffic robber, Bayo Folayemi, on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, while he and an accomplice allegedly stole a motorist’s wallet containing N4,500.

Our correspondent learnt that the victim had raised the alarm during which policemen nabbed Folayemi while the other suspect fled.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrests, adding that the command would not tolerate crime in the state.

“The separate cases of car snatching and theft have been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, while efforts are being intensified to get the fleeing members of the syndicates,” she added.

This was what a teacher by the name Jide Ositale did to 10yr old Gbenga Daniel Philemon at Leaders foundation School Ijebu ode for not doing his assignment .The Proprietress of the school when confronted on why she could allow such a corporal punishment to be meted out to a mere ten year kid put under her care boasted that the parents can go to blazes, that if they are tired of the school,they can take their kid away.

The mother of the kid who was in tears when she spoke to CKN News this afternoon said the boy is traumatized and afraid to go to school again. This is a big warning to would be parents to beware of LEADERS FOUNDATION SCHOOL, IJEBU ODE..


The proprietress has boasted that not even the State government can tell her what to do in her school..The parents of young Gbenga are calling on Governor Ibikunle Amosun and State Ministry of Education to look into this matter urgently to save other students being brutalized in the school daily.

LEGALAide:
have you vomited the money you owe your landlord? Mtchewww.

King Akpanke, a 41-year-old man residing in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has been arrested by the State Police Command for allegedly killing his stepmother's secret lover who was sneaking into his late father's house to have sex with the woman.

It was gathered that after warning the man several times to stay away from his father's wife, Akpanke took the laws into his hands and decided to kill the man.

Though the suspect has confessed that he actually murdered the man, Akpanke said he acted in self defence in the fight that saw the man killed, claiming the man wanted to kill him before he was able to overpower him.

“On that day, he came to my house around 9am to abuse me. There was nobody in the house. The house belongs to my late father and I am the third son.

So, when he started abusing me, we fought. He brought a stick, but I went inside and took a knife and stabbed him in the head.
I later discovered that he had died. It was a mistake. The young man was having regular sex with my late father’s wife.

I warned him several times to stay off the house, but he refused. He was always in our house to have sex with her. He called me all sorts of names. He planned to kill me.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Henry Fadairo, confirmed the arrest of Akpanke, stating that he would be charged to court after the police had concluded its investigations.

The police in Lagos have arrested six persons for allegedly disturbing the peace of residents of Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, during a church service.

The members – Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi (44), Clement Eromosele (26), Chukwudi Akwegbu (26), Chibuzor Chukwu (18), Godspower Enudi (21) and Okorie Livonus (36) – were arraigned in a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba.

They were accused of converting a residential apartment to a church.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the landlord and residents of the building where the defendants gathered to worship had complained that the congregation caused noise pollution whenever they prayed.

They were said to have cautioned the worshippers to lower their voices, but the members reportedly declined.

Our correspondent gathered that the church was reported to the police at the Pen Cinema division, who arrested the six members on January 14 during Sunday service, while the others were said to be at large.

They were brought before a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. T. Akanni, on two counts of engaging in a conduct capable of causing a breach of the peace.

The offence, according to a police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, is punishable under sections 410 and 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The charges read, “That you, Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi, Clement Eromosele, Chukwudi Akwegbu, Chibuzor Chukwu, Godspower Enudi and Okorie Livonus, and others still at large on Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, Lagos, on January 14, 2016, at about 8am in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit: conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

“That you and others still at large on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully convert the residential apartment of the aforementioned house to a church and disturb peace of the landlord and other tenants as you were praying on top of your voice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Akanni, admitted them to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum. The magistrate added that the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments and their residential addresses to the court for the perfection of the defendants’ bail.

The case was adjourned till February 15, 2016, for mention.

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has replaced the embattled chairman of the Board, Haliru Bello Mohammed with Senator Walid Jibrin.

Mohammed is currently standing trial for his alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms purchase scam, allegedly spearheaded by the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki who is also standing trial over the scam.

Until his elevation on Wednesday, Jibrin was the Secretary of the BoT and he is to occupy the position in acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.

He still remains the substantive BoT Secretary for the time being.
The decision changing the leadership of the BoT was conveyed by Jibrin at a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

It was also listed in a communiqué issued after a meeting of the BoT held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

The party organ also declared its unflinching support for the Northeast zone of the party to occupy the position of substantive National Chairman, to replace Prince Uche Secondus who is the acting chairman.

A court in the Federal Capital Territory had in November 2015, ordered Secondus to vacate the position within 14 days, but Secondus said he has filed an appeal against the order.

Addressing journalists on the development, Jibrin said the Northeast zone would meet next week to pick a national chairman to replace Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu who resigned in May last year.

Nigeria is aiming to hand over the $4.5 billion Ajaokuta steel complex to private operators this year as part of a plan to kick start its industrial and mining industries, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dr Kayode Fayemi has said.

Construction of Ajaokuta, which lies on the Niger River and was supposed to have an installed capacity of 5 million metric tons of steel a year, began in 1979. Work was delayed by the government’s failure to pay the builders, Russia’s Tyazhpromexport, on schedule. By 2004, when it was taken over by India’s Ispat Industries Ltd., it was yet to produce any steel. Ispat’s concession was revoked in 2008 and Nigeria is yet to resolve all outstanding legal issues, Fayemi said.

“Ajaokuta Steel Mill is one of the major issues I have put on the table,” Fayemi said in an interview in Cape Town yesterday. “Under my watch” it will be revived, he said.

Fayemi was appointed in November by President Muhammadu Buhari, about seven months after he won elections that marked the first change of power in Africa’s biggest economy since democracy was restored in 1999. Buhari is trying to boost the slowest economic growth this century by spending on infrastructure and diversifying economic activity away from oil, the price of which has fallen by about 70 percent over the last two years.

In addition to steel, Fayemi said the government aims to improve the implementation of mining laws, make available better data on the country’s deposits and act to regulate informal mining. Because of the global rout in commodity prices, Fayemi doesn’t expect significant investment soon.

“The sector has been comatose for some time. We will be ready for the next boom,” Fayemi assured.

Initially the focus will be on industrial minerals for domestic consumption, he said. Limestone for cement production, iron ore for steel, bitumen for asphalt, barium for oil drilling and lead and zinc will be focused on, he said.

The country will also try and attract investment into gemstone mining and will improve data on gold deposits in Zamfara State and elsewhere before trying to attract investors in 2017, he said. An attempt will also be made to revive thermal coal production for power generation.

lalasticlala

For daring to challenge a neighbour who peeped at his wife in the toilet, a 51-year-old Lagos State civil servant, Babatunde Ojulari, has lost four teeth during a fight with the peeping tom, Sunday Akinola.

Punch reports that trouble started for the pair when the victim's wife reported to him that Akinola barged into the toilet » in their residence on Akala Street, Idi-Oro, Mushin, knowing that she was in there and did not tender an apology when he saw her there.

Ojulari was said to have gone to confront Akinola but did not meet him at home and was reporting to his wife when the suspect came in and challenged him, which led to a duel between them.

In the end, Ojulari’s four teeth were yanked out during the fight by a blow from Akinola.
Akinola was arrested after the incident was reported to the police and charged to court.

Narrating the cause of the fight, the victim said:
“On Friday, January 8, 2016, my wife complained that Sunday (Akinola) barged in while she was in the toilet. Our neighbours and I begged her. Two days after, I informed Sunday’s wife about what he did.

We were on it when he showed up. He punched me and hit me with an iron rod. I lost four of my teeth in the process. He was not remorseful. He still threatened to kill me.”

But Akinola's wife, Helen , refuted the claims of Ojulari, saying it was the victim that attacked her husband first.

“Mr. Babatunde (Ojulari) is our co-tenant and we have been living together for six years. I was at home with my husband, who was sick on that day, when I heard a woman singing a song to abuse me.

When I came out, I saw Mr. Babatunde and he asked me whether I heard about what happened between his wife and my husband. My husband came out and told me to go inside.

It was at this point that both of them started exchanging words which led to the fight. It was Mr. Babatunde that first gave my husband a blow. He (Akinola) responded and punched him in the mouth which made his four teeth fall off.

I want the police to settle this matter. I have been sending people to beg the Ojularis on my family’s behalf.”

The case was charged at the Ikeja Magistrates' Court and when the charge of assault was read to Akinola, he pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail by the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Olayinka, in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum, while the case was adjourned till March 15, for mention.

The Presidency on Tuesday put in place strict measures to forestall terror attacks at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Muhammadu Buhari, B Abubakar, in a circular dated 26th of January, 2016 with Reference number C-in-C/CSO/LTU/558 directed all tinted cars and other vehicles to be thoroughly searched.

According to him, most of the major attacks by terrorist groups around the world against high profile targets were done with hijacked vehicles or tinted vehicles.

The circular titled; ‘Use of tinted cars around the Presidential Villa, Abuja’ reads: “It has been observed that some staff of the Presidential Villa driving tinted cars, especially security personnel are in the habit of refusing to wind down their windscreen for security checks before driving into the villa.

“It is most worrisome that some of them used the excuse of either driving official cars or driving VIPs to justify their acts.
“This act which is not in tandem with standard security drill and procedure poses serious threat to the safety and security of the Villa.

“It is important to note that the insistence of security operatives at the pilot gates to properly screen vehicles coming into the villa whether tinted or not tinted, official or unofficial is not out of place.

“Therefore, there is need for all to subject themselves and their vehicles to security checks as the case may be, so as to prevent unscrupulous elements from exploring the situation to launch attacks on the Villa.

“More So, that most of the major attacks by terrorists groups on high profile targets around the world are being carried out using hijacked vehicles or vehicles with tinted glasses,” he stated.

He urged Heads of units/departments to advise personnel working under them to always subject themselves to proper security checks and should not take the duties of security personnel for granted.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has dismissed an application by the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), seeking to stop his trial on the charges of diversion of N32bn arms fund.

Justice Husseini Baba ruled on Monday that contrary to Dasuki’s allegation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was not in contempt of its order granting him (Dasuki) bail on December 18, 2015.

Dasuki was re-arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Service on December 29, 2015, shortly after he met the bail conditions and was released by Kuje prison.

Dasuki had, through his motion urged the court to prohibit the EFCC from prosecuting him over an alleged “brazen” disobedience of the orders of court granting him bail.

But Justice Baba held in his ruling on Monday that since it had been confirmed that Dasuki was being held by the Department of State Service, which “is a stranger” in the case, the EFCC which is prosecuting Dasuki and his co-accused could not be said to have violated the bail order.

He ruled that the only option open to the former NSA was to file necessary suit in line with section 46 of the 1999 Constitution for the enforcement of his right to liberty.

After the Monday’s ruling, prosecuting counsel, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe, asked the judge a date for trial to commence, but Dasuki’s lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), urged the court to give a date long enough to enable the ex-NSA’s lawyer to “tackle the issue of the stranger”.
The judge subsequently adjourned till March 23 for trial.

Dasuki filed the motion with respect to the 19 counts of diversion of N32bn arms funds for which he is being prosecuted along with a former Director of Finance and Administration, Office of the National Security Adviser, Shuaibu Salisu.

The other co-accused are, a former General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Babakusa and two companies – Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

The ex-NSA, through his lawyer, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), has also filed the same application dated January 11, 2016, before Justice Peter Affen of the same Maitama Division of FCT High Court.

The case before Justice Affen is with respect to the 22 counts of N13bn fraud filed against him and others including a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, and a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda.

Others charged along with them are a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, the ex-governor’s son, Sagir Attahiru, and a firm, Dalhatu Investment.

On Thursday, January 28, Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), received a letter.
The two-paragraph letter from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, made only one request from the anti-graft chief. Signed by Muhammad Diri, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, the letter asked Mr. Magu to forward “the case diary in respect of investigation into” the OPL 245 Malabu scandal.

The letter, which should normally be a routine one, caused a dilemma to the EFCC chief. It put him directly in the middle of a conflict, a senior government official called “cold war” between the Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The crux of the disagreement between the vice president and the attorney general concerns what decision the administration should take as it tries to resolve the fraud and controversy surrounding the allocation of immensely rich OPL 245 to Malabu and its subsequent assignment to oil majors, Shell and Eni.
PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported the recommendations made by the justice ministry to the presidency regarding the resolution of a long-drawn scandal which has given Nigeria a bad name, and is being investigated by authorities in Italy, UK, Nigeria, and the U.S.

The recommendations
One of the recommendations which has since been accepted by the Attorney General was for the nullification of the tripartite agreements that ceded the oil bloc to Shell and Eni. The committee described the agreements as “null and void”, saying it “should not be given any legal effect by the FGN (Federal Government of Nigeria) as doing so would amount to the FGN condoning and perpetuating illegality.”

The two oil firms had in 2011 agreed to pay to Malabu, through the Nigerian government, the sum of $1.3 billion dollars for the bloc. While the oil firms claimed at different times that they paid the money into the Nigerian government account not knowing who the final recipient would be, the former attorney general, Mohammed Adoke, who co-signed the agreements on behalf of the federal government, said the government only served as a mediator between two willing parties.

Over $800 million of the money has since been paid into accounts controlled by ex- petroleum minister, Dan Etete, with most of it believed to have been distributed through phoney companies to top Nigerian government officials, including Mr. Adoke.
Apart from calling for the cancellation of the agreements and the retrieval of the bloc, estimated to contain about nine billion barrels of crude, the justice ministry also called for the prosecution of both Nigerian and foreign officials involved in the scam.

It also recommended that Shell and Eni be fined at least $6.5 billion (five times the $1.3 billion Shell and Eni originally paid in 2011 the block) for their roles. This, it stated, should be done “in accordance with the relevant provisions of our laws in conformity with international best practices via the appropriate courts (at) home or abroad as the case may be.”
Although Mr. Malami is yet to formally advice the presidency on these recommendations, multiple sources close to the Vice President said he was already aware of them and agrees with all but one.

The disagreement
One of the major recommendations of the justice ministry was that the oil bloc return to Malabu.
“Properly speaking, in the eyes of the law, OPL 245 still belongs to Malabu and was never fully transferred to Shell/Agip/Eni,” the ministry’s committee that reviewed the case said in its report.

A lawyer who was involved in drafting the ministry’s recommendations told PREMIUM TIMES that that conclusion was based on some considerations: Malabu was the only one legally allocated the oil bloc by Nigerian government; Mr. Etete who represented Malabu during the 2011 agreement was not a shareholder of the company and had no legal right to do so, an information to which all the other parties including Shell, Eni, and the Nigerian government were privy of; and past presidents, including Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, had all agreed Malabu was the owner of the bloc.

“In fact, after a thorough independent investigation, the House of Reps concluded that the oil bloc revert to Malabu, and wrote the federal government on that,” the source, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said.
However, that recommendation has been rejected by both the Vice President and the Presidential Advisory Committee on corruption, headed by eminent law professor, Itse Sagay.
“That recommendation cannot stand,” a source close to the Vice President said. “Malabu itself was registered falsely and it deceived the government into getting the bloc. The bloc should return to the government.”

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how Mr. Etete, as petroleum minister, awarded the oil bloc to Malabu in 1998. He also created a fictional character, Kwekwu Amafegha, to own 30 per cent shares of Malabu; the other owners being Mohammed Abacha, son of late dictator Sani Abacha, and Hassan Adamu, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S. Mr. Etete created the fictional director because he did not want to be seen awarding an oil bloc to himself.

Controversy lingers
In explaining the Vice President’s stance on the OPL 245 saga, an official close to him, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said it was Mr. Sagay’s committee that was directly assigned by President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the case and report to the presidency on the matter.
He described the vice president office’s involvement as “informal”.

However, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that while the Malabu issue signposts the conflict between the VP’s office and the justice ministry, there is indeed a deeper turf fight between the two entities.
Sources at both the Justice Ministry and the VP’s office told this newspaper that part of the recommendations of the presidential committee was that a special prosecution team made up of private credible lawyers be set up.

The team would report directly to the vice president, who himself is a professor of law and former Attorney General of Lagos State. The team, if approved by Mr. Buhari, would prosecute major corruption cases like Malabu, and review pending ones like the Halliburton and Siemens corruption cases.

“What is then the function of the Justice Ministry and all the government lawyers being paid by the government,” an official of the ministry close to the Attorney General said. “If the government thinks they are not competent, why continue to pay them.”
Mr. Malami would not comment on the friction between his office and that of the VP. He did not answer or return calls. Neither did he respond to a text message sent to him. He was also not present in his office when PREMIUM TIMES visited his ministry.


Magu’s dilemma
While the “cold war” persists, the EFCC chairman, Mr. Magu, is yet to provide the case file requested by the Attorney General.
His dilemma, insiders at the anti-graft agency say, is complicated by the fact that about a week before the AGF’s letter, he received a similar one from the Vice President’s office to which he already replied.

The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, denied knowledge of any of the letters and would not comment on the status of the investigation into OPL 245.
Mr. Diri, however, confirmed that the EFCC chief was yet to respond to the letter from his ministry.
And until Mr. Malami gets the case file, he as Attorney General and Justice Minister cannot write President Buhari on his recommendations on how to resolve the OPL 245 fraud.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, on Saturday asked the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to resign his position in order to preserve the integrity of the National Assembly.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, in an interview with our correspondent, said the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court would add value to the battle against corruption.

Citing an instance involving a former Senate President, the late Chuba Okadigbo, Falana asked Saraki to resign having undertaken to prove his innocence before the CCT.

He said, “Having undertaken to prove his innocence at the Code of Conduct Trubunal Senator Saraki should resign as senate president so as to preserve the integrity of the National Assembly.

“When Senators Chuba Okadigbo and Adolphus Wabara were indicted they were made to step down as senate presidents.”
This comes amid indications that senators opposed to the Senate President under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum, had regrouped to force Saraki out of the seat.

The Supreme Court had on Friday dismissed the appeal by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, challenging the validity of his trial on charges of assets declaration preferred against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

A seven-man panel of the apex court presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, unanimously ruled that Saraki’s appeal against the jurisdiction of the trial and competence of the charges lacked merit.

Justice Wallter Onnoghen, who read the lead judgment, held that contrary to Saraki’s contention, the Danladi Umar-led Code of Conduct Tribunal was validly constituted by two members.

Justice Onnoghen also held that the tribunal was by the provisions of its enabling laws and the Constitution conferred with the quasi-criminal jurisdiction and thus could validly issue bench warrant.

He thus held that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 was applicable to the proceedings of the tribunal.

Saraki, who said the Supreme Court judgment was disappointing, however, said he would have his day in court and that “at the end of the day, truth will prevail and justice will be served.”

FEMI Rasaq, a suspected notorious armed robber, who was paraded on July 16, 2015 at police headquarters, Eleiyele, Ibadan, after he was arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ibadan in connection with armed robbery, but who was granted bail when charged to court, is back in the SARS cell, as he was recently nabbed with others over a case of burglary.
It will be recalled that Femi was apprehended in 2015 while driving an unregistered Toyota Highlander skillfully decorated with ribbons, with the inscription “GROOM” on the number plate. But investigation revealed that the vehicle was snatched at gun point in Idi Iroko, Ogun State. Other vehicles, including a Toyota Highlander, a Toyota Camry (muscle) and a Honda Accord car, were also recovered from the suspect.

Though released on bail after he was arraigned in court, Femi decided to toe the familiar pathway to crime, almost immediately after he regained his freedom, by forming a gang with other criminals he met in the cell while at SARS. But the hawks within the state police command soon picked him and his gang members on their way to disposing of their loot.

Speaking with Crime Reports on the arrest of the three-man gang, the state Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade gave the names of other gang members as Adenle Olusola and Paul Olaitan. Also arrested was one Sani Abdulahi, said to be the one receiving stolen goods from the gang and other criminals.

According to Oyebade, the suspects broke into a house at Egbeda area of Ibadan and stole electronics and other items. “Though the house had no occupant when they broke in, they had intended to attack the victims if there was any, as they were armed with a gun,” he said.
Crime Reports had an interview session with the suspects. Below are the excerpts of their confession:

Femi Rasaq (23)
I was once arrested by the Oyo State Police Command and three vehicles were recovered from me. I was charged to court on December 8, 2015 and granted bail. The case is still in court and the next adjournment date is February 24. I was arrested again by the police on January 9, 2016 for burgling a house at Oluwo area of Egbeda Community, Ibadan.
I formed a robbery gang with Olaitan Paul and Adenle Olusola. We met inside the cell at SARS. We came there based on different cases. I had no discussion with Paul then. When he was being taken to court, I gave him my father’s number for him to assist me in calling and asking him for his forgiveness.

But while telling each other the story behind our arrests in the cell, Olusola told me that after I must have regained freedom, I should look for vehicles to snatch, promising that he would help me perfect the documents and secure new number plates for them.
Actually, I don’t like the situation I have found currently myself. It is not that I desired to go back to crime. What happened was that after my arrest in 2015 and subsequent release on bail, it was difficult returning to Badagry where my home was before my arrest.

This was because leaders of Ajara community where I lived with my father held a meeting with my family and excommunicated us. They said they watched me on the TV and heard the news of my robbery escapades. Sola and Paul were at the meeting also.
On the day I was charged to court, Olusola came to court. He used to call my father before then but didn’t tell him we met in the cell. I started living with Olusola in Ikire after I was granted bail.

I went to Idi Iroko to procure a locally-made gun for N10,000. I also got nine live cartridges from two of my friends.
The three of us left Badagry for Ikire but I was afraid of going back to crime. I was further discouraged when Olusola’s girlfriend came from Lagos and offered to get us jobs, but Olusola hurriedly dismissed her, saying he didn’t want her to stall our plans.

It was Paul who suggested we go for burglary and was the one who located the house we went into. The first time we went to the house, we scaled the fence and took three laptops which we gave to Olusola. He sold them to someone at Sabo.

We went the second time with Olusola’s car and packed the items we stole in the car. In the morning, when we wanted to leave, the car did not start. I called Olusola and he came with a mechanic. We managed the car to an auto workshop, but later called a taxi into which the items were transferred.
It was while we were taking the items to Sabo that policemen stopped us. They searched the vehicle and saw the gun I bought in my bag. They discovered that we stole the items after they interrogated us. I would not have gone back to crime if not for Olusola who encouraged me.

Paul Olaitan (20)
I first found myself in SARS cell after I was arrested for burglary at Alakia area of Ibadan. No one taught me house burglary. It was a guy who suggested it to me after I destroyed some plasma TVs and other items in a sachet water factory where I worked, when my boss refused to pay my salary arrears.

I was taken to Airport police station where I met the guy. He told me that I should have planned to steal and sell the TVs, instead of destroying them. He disclosed that buyers were always available at Sabo. After my release, I started to steal phones from where they were being charged.

I met Femi in SARS cell and we used to eat together. When I was charged to court from SARS in 2015, I was remanded in prison until my mother came to perfect my bail two months after. She pleaded with the complainant and the case was withdrawn from court. It was that case that my made my stepfather to divorce my mother. I am the only child she had for my father before she remarried.

I went to court on the day Femi was to be arraigned and saw Sola. I used to see him in Agodi prisons. He offered me accommodation so I went to join him. When Femi came out, the three of us planned how to go and burgle a house I had noticed at Oluwo community as unoccupied. This was after each of us complained of lack of money.

Adenle Sola (38)
I was arrested in 2015 for buying a stolen car from a friend. I was arraigned in court and remanded in prison when I could not fulfil bail condition. I left prison after a month when the bail conditions were perfected.

Before then, Femi and I had discussed in SARS cell on how he could dispose of stolen vehicles, and I told him that I knew someone who could do a perfect job of it. I was charged to court before him. I saw Paul when I went to court on adjournment date. That was how he lamented that he had nowhere to live, and I asked him to join me.

I knew when Femi went to purchase gun. He didn’t tell me when he and Paul first went to burgle, but they brought three laptops to me and I helped them to sell them for N10,000. We used the money to feed ourselves.
My car was used by Femi and Paul to load the items stolen from the house they burgled the second time. It is not as if we enjoy being in police cell but as things are now, we are just asking for forgiveness.

Sani Abdulahi (23)
I have been engaged in buying stolen properties for four years. Paul had once sold a Samsung LED TV 32” to me and he gave me the receipt. He called me recently, saying that there was a Yahoo guy who wanted to sell some items. He promised to bring the items to me. I was surprised when he came with police to arrest me. I knew that some of those who bring items to me used to steal them.

A 12-year-old boy has revealed in chilling details, the horror of the series of tortures he received in the hands of his guardian called Mama Sarah. The boy, Michael Madagwu, a primary 1 pupil, said his ordeal started after his father died and his granny handed him over to Mama Sarah in the village.

Madagwu said that he thought a better life waited for him in Lagos with Mama Sarah.But all he received was hawking and receiving all sorts of bodily harm.

Madagwu, who is now in the protective custody of Lagos State Child Protection Unit recalled in vivid detail, the day his guardian ruthlessly, slashed his body with razor. His words: “Mama Sarah used to beat and denied me food at the slightest provocation. She could use slippers, wire and any object to beat me. She had bitten me on my back and slapped my face several times.

When her beating became too much for me, I told her that she should take me back to the village; I didn’t want to live with her anymore. I told one of our neighbours at Obalende, where we sell, but the woman told Mama Sarah.

When we got home at Oshodi that night, she used rope to tie my legs and hands. She used razor to slash my body. She called me a thief and made me to kneel down.

She said that I should carry a big stone on my head. She used pepper to rub into my eyes and forced me to eat pepper. She used wire to flog me mercilessly all over my body and on my face. I can’t talk properly now because my mouth is swollen.”

The Lagos State Child Protection Unit where Madagwu is being cared for had already invited Mama Sarah to come and explain why the boy has several injuries on his body. The boy said his father died when he was just five-year-old.

A closer look at his body reveals scars he claimed were inflicted on him by his guardian. His young body bore bruises, teeth marks, broken teeth, swollen hands and mouth. Madagwu said he had been living with Mama Sarah for close to eight years since she took him from his grandmother.

The 12-year-old would have died from the torture he constantly received in his guardian’s house, but for the incessant interventions of a neighbour, Mr. Ik Odo.

When Odo couldn’t stomach seeing the boy being tortured anymore, he reported Mama Sarah to Mr. Musbau Agbodimu, a human right activist in Lagos. While attempting to speak through his swollen mouth and missing teeth, Madagwu said he hadn’t eaten for days and feels pains all over his body.

Remembering the genesis of his troubles, Madagwu said: “My grandmother called Mama Sarah to take me to live with her in Lagos after my father died. I have been living with Mama Sarah since I was five years old, but she didn’t allow me to go to school. She kept me at home and made me to sell kerosene. But last year, she enrolled me into a primary school after Mr. Odo, our neighbour intervened.”

The boy said on the fateful day the woman pounced on him with razor he waited until she was asleep and ran away from home.

His words: “I ran away from our home at Oshodi and slept under the Oshodi Bridge.

The next day, I begged people for money and I boarded a vehicle going to Obalende, from there I trekked to the Bar Beach Market to look for help, to escape from her. She got information that I was at the market and came there. She dragged me home and started beating me all over again. She locked me up in the toilet until Mr. Odo and other neighbours came to my rescue.”

Odo, who reported Madagwu’s abuse to the human rights group, said he was infuriated by the boy’s plight and decided to report the matter to the appropriate authority. Odo said: “Mama Sarah and her family are very mean to Michael. I’ve known the boy since he was five-year-old, but life had been cruel to him because of the people he lives with. They don’t love him. They beat him mercilessly.

Efforts to get her to change towards the boy didn’t work. Mama Sarah gave him heavy tables to carry and made him sit in front of the road to sell kerosene from morning till night.

“There was a day she battered the boy so much that the neighbours had to report her to the police. She went to the station, told the police that Michael was a thief and the police allowed her to go.

Michael too had gone to report her to the police for torturing him, but police sent him away without investigating his complaints. I took the bold step to report her because she locked him up in the toilet after beating him mercilessly. I don’t want her to kill the boy.” Mr. Agbodemu condemned the torture Madagwu had been subjected to.

He called for the arrest and prosecution of the persons who inflicted injuries on the boy. He said: “I took Michael and together with Mr. Odo, we reported the child abuse to the Lagos State Government.

He is with the state government Child Protection Unit. We have served the woman, he alleged to be the one who inflicted the bruises on him an invitation letter to appear before the Unit to explain herself. Nobody should inflict such wounds on another human being.”

lalasticlala

“Few days ago, the IPO told us he can’t go around looking for a rapist. He said we should go and look for the suspect ourselves. We have started the investigation on our own since the police said we should handle it ourselves.

The Nigerian military has rejected an account of a meeting between the Senate leadership and military chiefs, as provided by the senate president’s office.

The service chiefs led by Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Olonishakin, had on Wednesday met with Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and other leaders of the legislative body behind closed doors.

After the meeting, Mr. Saraki’s spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, issued a press statement, saying that the service chiefs briefed the Senators on “various challenges faced by the military, particularly the state of their equipment which they said required serious upgrading and restocking”.

He added that the officers also complained that their vote in the 2015 supplementary budget had not been released, thereby hampering their ability to fund their operations.

“Other issues that came up for discussion was the need to continuously increase the personnel in the three branches of the military and the hindrance posed by the procurement process which they said is very slow,” Mr. Olaniyonu said.

However, in a statement signed by the acting Director, Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar, on Friday, the military denied providing such details to the lawmakers.

“As far as the military is concerned Boko Haram insurgency is within the ambit of what the Nigerian Armed Forces can handle,” Mr. Abubakar, a Brigadier General, said.

The statement read, “The story which claimed that Service Chiefs decried inadequate equipment and non-release of 2015 military votes as the reason of continued insurgency is equally scurrilous and calculated to diminish the armed forces. The story is false and far from what happened when the service chiefs visited the leadership of the senate.

“But for avoidance of doubt, the visit of the military leadership to the senate president was purely a closed-door meeting aimed at intimating the senate about the level of successes recorded in the onslaught against Boko Haram and to assure the National Assembly and all Nigerians that the military is winning and will soon see the end of this menace called Boko Haram.”

The statement added that newspaper captions, following Mr. Olaniyonu’s account, “are inappropriate and misleading designed to further confuse the general public about the situation in the North East”.

lalasticlala