₦airaland Forum

A 34-year-old pastor has been arrested by the police for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl in Phase 2, Site 1 area of Kubwa, Abuja.

The suspect was alleged to have raped the victim several times before he was eventually arrested.

City News gathered that the suspect had lured his victim from Kaduna where he went for pastoral work in a church in Kaduna last April.

The source said the suspect, who had been married for over two years without any issue, had convinced the mother of the teenage girl that he would to sponsor her in school if she lived with him in Abuja.

“Instead of fulfilling his promise, he turned the girl to a sexual partner since that time he took her,” the source alleged.

The source however said trouble ensued when the victim, who was unable to reach her parents as her phone was seized by the suspect, became fed up with the whole situation and refused to go to bed with him.

“When he discovered that the girl was not ready to give in, he brought out a pump action gun which he threatened her with,” the source alleged.

Though the suspect eventually had his way, the victim later reported the matter to the wife who quickly sent her away.

City News further learnt that the victim managed to get back home where she narrated her ordeal to the mother who subsequently reported the case to the police in Kubwa.

Confirming the incident, the Kubwa Divisional Police Officer, Chief Superintendent Nurrudeen Sabo, said the suspect has been arrested and the case is being investigated.

Sanchez01:
Hahahahahahahahahahaha

The NPF consists of secondary school graduates who don't even know the law. Most of them are rogues in uniform. The IGP should wade into this. Secondary school graduates among them should be converted to traffic warders while other qualifications should be put in their place. It is imperative that the IGP give his men proper orientation. Policemen in Nigeria flout rules without knowing it.

One of the soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North has been arrested for attempting to rob a filling station in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The suspect, Abel Solomon (30), said the operation would have fetched him N20 million if it had scaled through.

The robbery operation plan was ruined by the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), led by a Chief Superintendent of Police, Abba Kyari.

Solomon and his accomplices were arrested while still fine-tuning their plan.
He confessed that the pump action rifle recovered from him, which he wanted to use for the robbery operation, belonged to a Boko Haram insurgent.

According to him, after one of their encounters with Boko Haram members, he had taken and buried the rifle. When he and his accomplices started brainstorming on how to rob the filling station, he went and unearthed the rifle. He said he had served at the 58 and 509 Signal Regiments before moving to 143 Battalion in 2014.

The suspect, who said he joined the Nigerian Army in 2005, added that: “After our training at Katangura, Niger State, we were deployed to Adamawa State to fight Boko Haram insurgents. After engaging the insurgents, we normally retrieve all weapons abandoned by the insurgents.

That was how I found a pump action rifle abandoned by the insurgents. I buried it in the bush.”

Akin Kuponiyi

The Federal Government has filed criminal charges of running a fake lottery promo against Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc and Nestle Nigeria Plc and their officials.

The 10-count criminal charge number FHC/L/478C/15 was filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, by the Police Legal Officer from Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

In the charge, it was stated that Dayanand Thandalam Siram, Jonathan Murray, Uche Uwechia, Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc and others now at large between October 2014 and October 2015, induced the citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to confer benefit on themselves.

They allegedly did this by entering into the contract of buying a product titled ‘Lucozade And Ribena Big Cash Give Away’ upon promise that the participants will win a prize.

The accused same time and period were also alleged to have indicated that the premises of GSK House, 1, Industrial Avenue, Ilupeju, Lagos, as a place for the purpose of lottery to be used for the purposes of obtaining by false pretence from the Nigerian populace.

The offence alleged to have been committed by Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc and its officials are contrary to and punishable under section (1)3 of the advance fee fraud and other related offences Act laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

It was also alleged that Rahul Culaco, Omolara Banjoko, Adebayo Elegbe, Shelewa Ashimi, Friesland Campina Wamco Nigeria Plc. same time and place used the premises of their company for the purpose of obtaining by false pretence from the Nigerian populace.

The case has been adjourned till next March when all the accused and their company will be arraigned before the court.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, but similar circumstances, the Federal Government has filed another 10-count criminal charge of sponsoring fake promo against Nestle Nigeria Plc and two of its officials.

In the said criminal charge number FHC/ L/477C/15, it was alleged that Gord Hon, Beebee Ayeku, Nestle Nigeria Plc between October 2014 and October 215, induced citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to confer benefit on themselves by entering into contract of buying a product by way of advance payment in the guise of lottery captioned ‘Year-End Shoppers bag Promo’ upon the promise that the participants will win a prize.

Nestle Nigeria Plc and its accused officials were also alleged to have identified 22/24, Industrial Avenue, Ilupeju, Lagos, as a place for the purpose of lottery to be used for obtaining by false pretence from the Nigerian populace.

The offence alleged to have been committed by Nestle Nigeria Plc and its officials are contrary to and punishable under section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences.

In a verifying affidavit sworn to by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gyu Musa, attached to the Police Enforcement Unit team of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Abuja, averred that investigation in respect of the case has been concluded and all major documentary exhibits required for the prosecution of the case have been obtained.

He said except for the arrest of certain persons, a prima facie case of obtaining by false pretence and lottery offences have been established against the accused persons.

lalasticlala

Dear Bunmi,

My girlfriend is an official member of a leading pentecostal church and she takes her religion seriously - so much so that she always recoils at the idea of having sex. She says it’s against the teachings of the Bible. This makes me sad.

I am a Christian myself and I go to a reputable orthodox church from time to time.

My girlfriend’s attitude is really upsetting me. I know a lot of our religious friends who are happy in fulfilling sexual relationships, why should our situation be different?

At times I even wonder if she’s not hiding something more sinister from me. I’ve asked her to reach some sort of compromise by giving me MouthAction but she says nothing can be done sexually until we are married.

It seems as if she is using her religion as a bait for us to get married.

What can I do? If she turns out to be a pig-in-a poke after we get married, what could I do?

Funsho

lalasticlala

Adebowaletunji:
seriously this is becoming annoying.....how can one post a news only to be banned for nothing...and seems there is a propaganda against certain sections of Nigeria in this forum...see the link where ipob and massob countered and absorbed themselves of hijacking any ship and i have not seen the news anywhere on nairaland just bc the owners do not uphold the tenets of good journalism
www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/biafra-ipob-massob-deny-alleged-seizure-of-merchant-ship-by-members/
is this not sectionalism even though i dont belong to that tribe?

Former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori has completed his prison terms in the United Kingdom. But he is yet to be a free man, as he was immediately re-arrested.

TheNEWS learnt that Ibori jailed 13 years in April 2012 by a Southwark Crown court in London was released by prison authorities on 22 January.

He was released from Her Majesty’s Prison in Bedford, outside of London, where he finished his prison term. He was also initially at the Long Lartin Prison in Worcestershire.

“He is out of here”, a prison source at Bedford confirmed on Tuesday night.

Our sources said Ibori was re-arrested to face another charge, which borders on the confiscation of his ill-gotten assets, estimated to be about 250 million pounds.

The case initially billed for May, will now come up in June, sources told us this afternoon.

We cannot however confirm Ibori’s new prison.

Fifty-seven year old Ibori was jailed for using UK financial institutions to launder hundreds of millions of pound sterling he stole from public funds in Delta State.

His journey to jail began with his arrest On 13 May 2010 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates under Interpol arrest warrants, issued from United Kingdom courts and enacted by the Metropolitan Police.

He had earlier made a mockery of Nigeria’s legal system, walking away free from the multi-billion fraud charge levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, including the $15 million bribe he offered the then EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu.

Ibori’s case and extradition became one of the longest, most complex and expensive operations mounted by Scotland Yard in recent years.

Prosecutors alleged that companies owned by Ibori and his family were beneficiaries from the sale of state assets, including shares in Econet, a GSM telephone operator, as well as crude oil deliveries.

Before his conviction, UK juries two years earlier found James Ibori’s sister, Christine Ibie-Ibori and his mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo, guilty on counts of money laundering, in a verdict delivered at the Southwark Crown Court, London.

On 27 February 2012, Ibori himself was docked, accused of stealing US$250 million from the Nigerian public purse. He pleaded guilty to ten counts of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud. Among possessions confiscated were a house in Hampstead, north London, for £2.2million, a property in Shaftesbury, Dorset for £311,000, A £3.2m mansion in Sandton, near Johannesburg South Africa , a fleet of armoured Range Rovers valued at £600,000,a £120,000 Bentley Continental GT, A Mercedes-Benz Maybach bought for €407,000 cash, that was shipped direct to his mansion in South Africa.

After the sentencing hearing, Sue Patten, head of the Crown Prosecution Service central fraud group, said it would bid to confiscate the assets Ibori had acquired his riches “at the expense of the some of the poorest people in the world.

Also jailed with him apart from his sister and mistress were his wife, Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, his lawyer, Bhadresh Gohil and his financial advisors, Daniel McCann and Lambertus De Boer.

While in prison, Ibori continued to exercise a lot of influence on the politics of his Delta state, with the present governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, regarded as one of his disciples.

Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, two term governor of the state, who succeeded him in 2007 is his uncle.

Born in Oghara, 57 years ago, the young James Onanefe Ibori was educated at Baptist High school, now Oghareki Grammar School. From there, he went to the University of Benin, where he studied economics and statistics. After his university education, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he worked at Wickes DIY, married his wife, Theresa and tainted his record with two convictions for theft and credit card fraud, that were to later haunt his political career in Nigeria.

He became governor of Delta state in 1999 and held forte for eight years.

lalasticlala

Olufemi Atoyebi, Ibadan

A lawyer, Yewande Oyediran, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the death of her husband, Lowo.

Lowo’s family had also accused Yewande of stabbing her husband to death.
The husband resided in France, but had been coming home regularly since he married Yewande.

A family source, who is a brother to the deceased, said the husband was into property development and had come home in December 2015, to execute a job in Nigeria.

The family source told our correspondent that the family feared that apart fron losing Lowo, the case might also be lost because the suspect worked as a counsel at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

“She is a lawyer with the Oyo State DPP at the Ministry of Justice. She is also the daughter of an Anglican venerable in Ibadan. As an employee of the DPP, she could truncate the case. We heard that her family is making efforts to cover up this dastardly act using the state judiciary,” he said.

The Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Leye Oyebade, had ordered a thorough investigation into the case.

He added that the matter had been transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation of the command for proper probe into the alleged murder. He said the suspect had been arrested, but had not spoken to investigators.

Ajisebutu said, “We received the report this morning (Tuesday), but information is still sketchy. The CP has ordered a thorough investigation to determine why the suspect, who is a state counsel, allegedly killed her husband. The murder weapon has been seized by the police. We cannot say much for now until investigation is completed.”
A government official, who did not want to be named, said the state was aware, adding that at the appropriate time, a statement would be made.

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili on Monday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to always tell Nigerians the truth when it comes to insurgency so as to stop creating doubts in the minds of the citizenry.

Ezekwesili who is the leader of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, movement made the call at the group’s usual sit-out in Abuja.

Ezekwesili said, “The government cannot afford to go to the old ways where lies were fed to the people. Let there be truthfulness. Government should not create a trust deficit syndrome because it will be difficult to mend. Everything that the government is doing concerning the war, they should tell the truth. We will get used to it and join in the solution.”

Stating that BBOG will continue to demand for the return of the kidnapped Chibok girls, Ezekwesili beckoned on the President to fulfill the promise he made to the parents of the kidnapped girls.

“What drove us out of our comfort zone is that we got tired of not doing anything. We will continue with our core value. No matter what anyone want to do, this advocacy will continue. A pledge is a pledge. We made a pledge to parents of the Chibok girls and will not fail in this pledge.”

“We have gone through a lot. But what we have gone through is little of what the 219 girls are going through in the hands of the Boko Haram sect. Let nobody succeed in making us feel we should not continue. We will continue until the girls are back. The girls deserve justice and they have not been given justice. We are unhappy that they are spending close to two years in the hands of the terrorists.”

“I have not lost hope. There is no basis to lose hope. Though we might be depressed sometimes, we won’t lose hope. We will stand for the girls. We will hold on to the commitment the president made to the Chibok girls’ parents and Nigerians. We believe that he will keep his promise and bring the girls back.”

“Some people have been vocal about our Chibok girls, but now they feel the Chibok girls are distractions. Our Chibok girls are not distractions,” she said.

Ife Adedapo and Olaleye Aluko

There was panic on Monday on Iju Road, Lagos State, after policemen used tear gas to disperse protesting workers at the Linda Manufacturing Company, during which a lady, identified simply as Aina, was hit by a tear-gas canister in the face.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the protest, which started at about 8am, was staged by the workers of the company to register their disapproval of the alleged sack of 10 workers.

It was gathered that while the police used tear gas to disperse protesting workers from the company, a tear-gas canister hit Aina in the face, damaging the bridge of her nose.

Some of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity said the lady had been rushed to the Ikeja General Hospital where she was receiving treatment.

It was learnt that about 10 workers, including executives of the workers’ union in the company, were given the sack. Their letters were said to have been dispatched by courier to their houses on Saturday and Sunday.

The General Secretary of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, Douglas Adiele, who spoke on the issue, explained that the grouse with the management of Linda company started the previous week when workers went on strike and demanded that the company stopped giving them “unrealistic targets”.

He said the workers had been given targets to complete about 350 tasks in a day, which many of the workers had been unable to achieve.

According to Adiele, workers who are unable to complete the tasks are given demerits and when the demerits have reached 27 points, they are disengaged.

One of the protesting workers, who identified himself as Tunji, told PUNCH Metro that the management started with a target of 160 in 2015, which kept on increasing until it reached 350.

Adiele said, “The affected workers were disengaged without negotiating their benefits with the union. The union will picket the company if by Wednesday, the management refuses to recall the sacked workers.”

In 2014, Linda company with factories in Iju and Mushin area of Lagos was shut down by Lagos state agencies over the death of an employee, Nnamdi Solomon, whose remains were abandoned in the rain on the premises for two days.

It was gathered that during the Monday protest, the workers destroyed some equipment and computer systems in the company.

When contacted, the Human Resources Manager of the company, Ms. Lara Folajimi, said she could not comment on the issue.
“Right now I cannot explain anything. I cannot answer any questions for now,” she said.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said Aina’s injury was not from a gunshot.

She said, “She is one of the protesters in the company. They became so riotous that they beat the foreign nationals who are the company owners. They scaled the fence and snatched the passports of their employers. The policemen on guard duty were attacked and during the scuffle, the riot gunner of one of the policemen on duty exploded and hit the lady. She is currently receiving treatment in a hospital.”

The International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has issued world-wide red alert on former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Daily Trust gathered that the notice was based on a request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which had on November 18, 2015 written to the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, seeking his assistance “to issue an INTERPOL Red Alert” on Maina, who had been charged to the Federal High Court on July 10, 2015.

In a response to the anti-graft agency’s request, Olushola Subair, Commissioner of Police, INTERPOL, in a letter dated 11thJanuary, 2016 and addressed to the Chairman, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, informed the agency that its request had been processed and a notice duly issued by the INTERPOL, Daily Trust gathered.

In its response, Interpol noted that: “Be informed that the Bureau has taken necessary action on the wanted fugitive as requested with INTERPOL General Secretariat, Lyon, France. He has been published on the INTERPOL Red Notice accordingly.”

Cyriacus Izuekwe

The wife of a Lagos bishop, who is also a pastor, has been arrested and charged before Ejigbo Magistrates’ court for allegedly defrauding a widow who is her church member to the tune of N2m in Lagos state, western Nigeria.

Reverend (Mrs) Precious Amanze allegedly duped the widow, Oluwatoyin Simonson, under the false pretence of assisting her to clear her debt.

The arraignment followed a petition written by Simonson’s lawyer, Barrister Patrick Ekugum, to the police at Area ‘M’ Command, Idimu, to investigate the alleged fraud and intimidation of the widow by Amanze.

According to the police, Simonson introduced Amanze to an American drug manufacturing company called Clean Shield to market their drugs in Nigeria with a specified bonus to members.

After Amanze was introduced to the network business by Simonson, she provided her office located at College bus stop in Ikotun where every bonus for members would be sent through Amanze’s bank account by Clean Shield.

The members, including Simonson, initially did not suspect any foul play considering Amanze’s status as a pastor and wife of a bishop.

It was alleged that when the bonuses started coming into Amanze’s account for several months for members to share, Amanze reportedly refused to inform other members or pay them any money.

The police also discovered that Amanze was signing Simonson’s signature on her behalf for feedback to the U.S. company indicating that the members were collecting their bonuses.

When Simonson requested her own money to invest in another business, Amanze told her that she borrowed N1m on her behalf with interest and requested that she should refund the money first.

Amanze told Simonson that she should not talk about her bonus because she was still owing her and threatened to deal with her to recover the debt.

After the matter was reported to the police through a petition, the police requested the details of the payment paid by the U.S. company and it was discovered that Simonson had a bonus of over N2m which was signed off by Amanze without her consent and knowledge.

Amanze confirmed to the police that she actually signed the money on behalf of Simonson without informing her.

Amanze was charged with forgery and stealing under the Criminal Code.
When she was arraigned, she pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. J. O. E. Adeyemi granted Amanze bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

She was remanded in prison custody pending when she would perfect her bail condition.

The matter was further adjourned till 7 March, 2015.

Ade Adesomoju

Details have emerged about what the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, allegedly wrote in the torn statement which he made under caution while in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on January 5.

The statements of the operatives who were said to have witnessed the incident and the “incidence record book” which gives details of the occurrence were part of the documents filed along with the charges of destruction of evidence preferred against him by the EFCC before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.

The court papers obtained by our correspondent on Sunday indicate that five operatives of the commission witnessed the incident which was said to have happened on January 5, 2016, the day the PDP spokesperson was arrested.

Metuh allegedly tore his statement on January 5, 2016 while being investigated for an alleged fraudulent receipt of N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser and money laundering allegation involving a separate sum of $2m.

The court documents indicate that the pieces of the torn statement have been kept with the commission’s exhibit keeper.

The entry number 049 in the incident duty log which was recorded at 4.30pm by an EFCC detective, Junaid Sa’id, on January 5, 2016, reads, “Destruction OF Written Statement: I have booked the incident of tearing into pieces of statement by Mr. Olisa Metuh, who was given his statement to endorse after volunteering his statement and he decided to tear into pieces the third page of his four-page statement.

“The torn statement has however been registered with the Exhibit Keeper. Entry made by Det. Junaid Sa’id.”

The document gives the timeline and details of how Metuh’s arrest was effected at about 10.55am in his residence at Prince and Princess Estate in Gudu, Abuja, on January 5, up till when he allegedly tore part of the statement at about.4.25pm on the same day.

It also indicates that Metuh had stated in the part of the torn statement that the account in which the N400m was paid was requested for by former President Goodluck Jonathan, for payments to be made to settle some debts owed by the PDP.

It reads in part, “12.30 hours: Mr. Metuh Olisa began to volunteer his statement under words of caution.

“15.30 hours: Mr. Metuh Olisa concluded his statement which was of four pages. I passed the statements to the team leader, CSP Ibrahim Musa, to read over and endorse accordingly but in the process of reading and after endorsing pages one and two, he swiftly tore into pieces page three of his statement which read that former President Jonathan had asked him to make available, account details owed by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the debts owed him personally and some media houses.

“He further stated that he gave the account details of Destra Investments Ltd. to the President and thereafter he received the payment of N400m into his company’s accounts which he used for specific assignments given to him by the President of which he was not willing to disclose for what purpose.

“I thereafter refused to give him page four of his statement for endorsement because I did not want him to tear it as well. This incidence (sic) happened in the presence of the following officers: Mr. Ibrahim Musa, Mr. Wetkas Michael, Mr. Bello Umar, Ms. Ibrahim, who were all carrying out their various assignments.

“16.30 hours: The torn page of the statement which is in pieces was registered with the exhibit keeper and the incident recorded in the incidence record book of the commission.”

The allegation of a 65-year-old man who dragged his wife to court over a
dissolution of their marriage will leave you in dismay.

According to the accuser who doesn’t want his name on print before an Asaba High Court, he re-married after the death of his first wife, so he could one again have a companion and also someone to help him take care if his four children, but the only thing he has gotten so far from being married to his second wife is beatings and harlotry.

“I married my wife in 1998 and did the church wedding at Catholic Church of Assumption, Zappa, in Asaba. Since then, we have two children; a boy and a girl, but this woman always threatens to kill me, she beats me at every chance, and many times, I go into coma. She vowed that she must kill me and she sent all my children packing, I cannot continue with the marriage.

“She beats me most times, but it came to a climax on January 17, 2016, when she took something and hit my head in an attempt to kill me, so that I would not be able to pursue the divorce case in court, but thank God, her mission did not come to reality as I overcame her plan.

“She is a harlot, she beats me every day. I cannot eat her food again because she is a harlot. It is against my tradition and I want the marriage dissolved before she kills me,” he said

According to Punch, when the court asked the man’s wife, she denied her husband’s allegations saying;
“ What will make me to beat or attempt to kill my husband? We stay in the same house, sleep on the same bed, I am taking good care of him, but I don’t know what is wrong"

The case still lacks enough evidence to prove that the 65-year-old man was actually been abused by his wife as he claims.

However, the case remains in court, while the trial judge demands his first son as a witness to the allegations, the case was adjourned to February 17, 2016.

Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt

Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested the wife of a suspected kidnapper, Mrs. Mercy Okachi, over the abduction of a youth leader in the state.

Okachi was arrested at her residence in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area after a cash sum of N10 million being the ransom paid was traced to the house of her fleeing husband, Kendiri Okachi.
Surprisingly, Mrs. Okachi’s arrest was used to negotiate the release of the kidnap victim (name withheld for security reason).

The police had reached out to the kidnappers, including Mrs. Okachi’s husband, and asked them to free the youth leader for Mrs. Okachi to be released.

The youth leader, who was abducted on January 12, 2016 in Igwurita axis of Ikwerre LGA, eventually regained his freedom after staying in the forest for about eleven days.

Speaking with newsmen on the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad said that the N10 million ransom was tracked by the police to the home of one of the suspects that is currently at large.

Mohammad added that one AK-47 rifle and 14 rounds of live ammunition were also recovered from the residence of the fleeing kidnap suspect.

He disclosed that the police had earlier gone into the forest with eight patrol vans loaded with armed policemen, but added that some farmers, who appeared to have given the kidnappers information, bungled the initial effort of security operatives at rescuing the youth leader.

He explained that the policemen withdrew from the forest after a fierce exchange of gunshots with the kidnappers.

“The victim was abducted on January 12, 2016 in Igwurita by four armed men. Thereafter, kidnappers called family members and demanded for ransom. They (family of the victim) agreed to pay N10 million.

“After the ransom was delivered in Elele, we tracked the money, which was picked by one of the kidnappers. The money was tracked to a house in Ubima in Ikerre Local Government Area. Police stormed the house and retrieved the bag of money and arrested the wife of one of the kidnappers.

“After the arrest of the woman, we heard information that the victim was kept in the forest. A team of security operatives in eight patrol vehicles went into the bush on Saturday by 4am and they laid ambush for the kidnappers.

“By 6pm, some farmers were passing and we never knew they were informants to the kidnappers. While the police were waiting somewhere for the hoodlums to come and buy food for their victim, they opened fire on us and we withdrew to avoid casualties on our own part.

“When they (police team) came back to their base, the wife of one of the kidnappers put a call across to her husband, begging him to release their victim so that the police could release her. That was how we bargained for the kidnappers to free the victim,” Mohammad said.

The state police spokesman maintained that the youth leader was freed without ransom, adding that the N10 million was retrieved based on the pressure from the police.

He added that investigation was ongoing by the police with a view to arresting and bringing the culprits to book.

Speaking with newsmen, the wife of one of the kidnap suspects (Mrs. Okachi) said that her husband was not part of the kidnap deal, adding that he (her husband) only received ransom and kept it in the house.

Mrs. Okachi explained that she never knew the content of the bag until police came in and took the bag away while her husband took to his heels.

“I want the police to release me. My husband is not a kidnapper; he only received that bag and kept it at home here. I have told by husband to stop going out with Ikechi (one of the kidnap suspects at large).

“We know we are poor, but we have been praying to God to make us rich. We deal in palm oil and we have been surviving on that since. The entire community knows me that I am always going to church to seek God’s favour.

“I am not part of the crime; if the police can give me just two days, I will assist them in their investigation. I have five children and they need to be taken care of,” Mrs. Okachi lamented.

The victim, who thanked God for saving his life, said he became temporarily deaf after receiving so much beating and torture from his captors.

“I don’t pray that even my worst enemy should face the kind of torture I went through. I went deaf for sometime after I was mercilessly beaten by those who kidnapped me,” he stressed.

Paul Iyoghojie

The police at Ilasan division, Lekki, Lagos, western Nigeria, have arrested a driver, Ongro Stephen Ishade, 26, for allegedly stealing his employer’s Toyota Sienna SUV valued at N5m and drove it to Kwara State, North Central Nigeria to look for a buyer for it just two weeks after he was employed.

The police alleged that the incident occurred on 18 January, 2016 at Probyn Road, Friends’ Colony, Aguigi, Lekki, Lagos when the suspect was sent on an errand by his employer, Sholape Akinola.

The driver instead drove his employer’s vehicle straight to Kwara State to look for a buyer for it.

Nemesis caught up with the driver when he was arrested by the police in Kwara State while driving around the vehicle to look for a buyer.

During interrogation, according to the police, the suspect from Cross River State, Southsouth Nigeria, allegedly confessed to the police that he stole the vehicle from his employer in Lagos to go and sell and use the proceeds to build a house for his parents in the village who have no accommodation.

Following his alleged confession, the police in Kwara State sent a signal to the police in Lagos State about the incident and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ilasan Division Lekki, Lagos, SP Onyinye Onwuamegbu, dispatched a team led by SGT. Orukotan Lonikola to Kwara State to bring the suspect and the stolen SUV back to Lagos.

The suspect was arraigned before an Igbosere magistrates’ court Lagos on a two-count charge of felony to wit, stealing.
Police prosecutor said the offences are punishable under sections 409 and 285(1) (7) (10) of the criminal laws of Lagos State.

The accused denied the police allegations in the open court when the charges were read to him, and Magistrate Mr. P. A Adekomaiya admitted him to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adekomaiya adjourned the case till 15 February, 2016 for mention while the defendant was taken to Ikoyi Prison Lagos pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.

The National Economic Council (NEC) rose from its 65th meeting on Thursday in Abuja, with a resolution to engage two audit firms to conduct forensic audit on 81 government revenue generating agencies.

The approval followed submission of an interim report by the ad hoc committee of NEC, chaired by Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, to review the management of the Excess Crude Account and remittances into the Federation Account.

The governors of Jigawa, Baderu Abubakar; Anambra, Willie Obiano; Lagos, Akinwumi Ambode; and the Minister for Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, said this in their joint briefing to journalists.
According to Mr. Ambode, 18 core revenue generating agencies, such as NNPC, will be audited by KPMG, an international audit firm, while an indigenous firm, SIAO, will audit other non-core revenue generating agencies.

The governor said that NEC would take further action on the agencies after the firms had completed the forensic auditing.
The Jigawa governor said that the Accountant-General of the Federation reported to council that as at Dec. 31, 2015 the Excess Crude Account stood at $2.26 billion.

The governor said that the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, informed the council of the standing of the bailout funds given to states.

He said that 23 states had benefitted from N10 billion each, Excess Crude Account-backed soft loan, while 28 states benefitted from the presidential bailout for the payment of salaries and gratuities.
Gov. Obiano gave a report concerning some MDAs collecting revenue in foreign currency and remitting in local currency into the Federation Account.

Mr. Obiano said the permanent secretary, Ministry of Finance, reported that besides NNPC, NIMASA and NPA, other agencies involved in such practice were FIRS, Shippers Council, Airport Authority and Nigeria Immigration Service.

Mr. Obiano said that the official reported that the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) had resolved the problem as all account was now under the CBN.
He also said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who presided at the NEC, reiterated the Federal Government’s policy that NNPC and other agencies must present budget for approval before spending in line with the TSA.

Mr. Udoma hinted on the 2016 budget focus of the administration, saying that plans were on to foster macro-economic stability conducive to the grow of the GDP at 4.2 per cent.

He said the budget’s objective was to deliver inclusive growth to Nigerians, create sufficient jobs and build an economy less vulnerable to oil price shocks.

According to Mr. Udoma, while the government intends to ensure more revenue drive, it will not increase taxes, but strive to raise the collection of VAT from its 20 per cent level.(NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Bureau de Change business has become a scam of recent with the connivance of some Central Bank officials.
“I understand some CBN directors are helping the BDCs through the back door,” adding that this had resulted into a drain on the nation’s economy.

He also noted that the revelation coming out of the arms deal is just a tip of the iceberg saying it is only one aspect in the office of the National Security Adviser.
“We have not come to the NNPC, and the Customs is also there,” he added.
He rejected suggestions that the Central Bank of Nigeria should resume the sale of foreign exchange to Bureaux de Change (BDCs).

The President spoke Wednesday night during a meeting with Nigerians resident in Nairobi, Kenya, according to a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu.
Buhari also said about a third of petroleum subsidy payments under the previous administration was bogus.

“They just stamped papers and collected our foreign exchange,” he said.
The Central Bank recently stopped the sale of foreign currencies to the bureaux when the price of crude oil and the value of the naira dipped to a record low. Buhari said some bank and government officials used surrogates to run the BDCs and prosper at public expense by obtaining foreign exchange at official rates and selling it at higher rates.

“We had just 74 of the bureaux in 2005, now they have grown to about 2, 800.
“We will use our foreign exchange for industry, spare parts and the development of needed infrastructure. We don’t have the dollars to give to the BDCs.

“Let them go and get it from wherever they can, other than the Central Bank”, Buhari was quoted as telling the gathering.

President Buhari again rejected the call to devalue the naira, as to do so, he said, was to kill the Nigerian currency.
Buhari said he was yet to be convinced that Nigeria and its people would derive any tangible benefit from an official devaluation of the naira.

He noted that export-driven economies could benefit from currency devaluation, but that doing so in import-dependent economy such as Nigeria’s would only lead to further inflation and hardship for the poor and middle class.

He said he had no intention of bringing further hardship on the nation’s poor who have already suffered enough.
Buhari said proponents of devaluation would have to work much harder to convince him that ordinary Nigerians would gain anything from it.

He appealed to Nigerians studying abroad to bear with his administration as it strives to address the challenges they were facing as a result of new foreign exchange measures.

The President said he was optimistic that the Nigerian economy would stabilise soon with the efficient implementation of measures and policies introduced by his government.

lalasticlala

Samson Folarin

There was confusion in the Mushin area of Lagos State after a 51-year-old carpenter, Muritador Ajayi, was electrocuted by a live high-tension wire.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased was working on the roof of a building under construction on Bamigboye Street, when power was suddenly restored to the area.

Muritador’s hammer was said to have touched the wire as he raised it to drive in a nail, which led to his electrocution.
He was rushed to a general hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

It was gathered that his wife, Taiye, on getting the sad news, collapsed and was taken to a private hospital where she also died.

It was a sombre atmosphere when our correspondent visited the victims’ residence on Alafia Street.

One of the deceased’s children, Sunkanmi, explained that both victims had been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.

Sunkanmi, who was with his father when the incident happened, said it took about 10 minutes after he fell off the roof before he could get help.

He said, “It was around 9am last Friday that the incident happened. My father was contracted to roof the house which was under construction. There was a high-tension wire that passed near the roof of that particular house.

“He had asked me to lift a plank for him so he could lay it on the roof. I just noticed that he fell off the roof; I thought his feet slipped. I later realised that it was when he lifted the hammer that he was electrocuted and fell.

“I saw him vomiting blood and I started shouting for help, but nobody came. It was as if the area was deserted.”

He said some residents heard his cry about 10 minutes later and assisted in taking his father to the Mushin General Hospital.

Another child of the family, Yusuf, said Taiye, who was their father’s second wife, followed them to the hospital.

He said, “The doctor asked us to take our father into the ward, and we were asked to wait outside. My father’s second wife followed us to the hospital and waited at the gate.

“But someone took her to a shop and it was there that a child went to break the news to her that her husband was dead; she collapsed immediately. She was taken to a private hospital on Araromi Street, where she was also pronounced dead.”

It was gathered that Taiye had yet to give birth to any child for Muritador before her demise.
The case was reported at the Olosan Police Division.

The victim’s first wife, Nosimat, while fighting back tears, said she was at home when she got the news.

She said, “We have been married for over 24 years and we had four children together.

The morning the incident happened, he said all those who were supposed to join him to work on the building gave excuses and said they could not join him.

“I was the one who called our son to support him. Even Sunkanmi said he had a place to go, but I begged him to join his father. About 15 minutes after they left, power was restored. Some minutes after, Sunknami ran home and started screaming that his father had been electrocuted.”

She told PUNCH Metro that the family was not ready to make any case with the owner of the house.

Nosimat, a trader, appealed for support for her four children so that their education would not be affected by the death of their father.

A resident, who did not identify himself, said the late carpenter had just bought a car which he intended to use as a taxi, when he died.

“He never got to drive the car before he died,” he added.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said she would call back, but she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Olaleye Aluko

A fashion designer, Funmi (pseudonym), has been abducted and gang-raped by seven men on Powerline Road, Oko Oba, in the Agege area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the Elere Police Division, where the rape was reported, had arrested a 32-year-old man, Abiodun Ariyo, as one of the suspects.

Ariyo, who is a cobbler and reportedly made advances to Funmi in the past which she refused, allegedly led six of his friends to abduct and gang-rape the 20-year-old lady.

Our correspondent learnt that on Sunday at about 9pm, Funmi was returning home from her shop when she was said to have been waylaid by Ariyo on Powerline Road.

The suspect, who reportedly came with six men, allegedly dragged the lady to a place where she was gang-raped.

Our correspondent gathered that Funmi was thereafter taken away to a yet-to-be-identified building where she was kept till the evening of Monday.

The victim’s family members were said to have looked everywhere for the lady without success, after which they reported at the police station.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the gang later sneaked into the area at about 11pm on Monday and dropped off Funmi on her street.

The lady was said to have become unconscious, as she could not talk for about a day.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Funmi’s elder brother, Olasunkanmi, said the family was distraught while trying to find out the whereabouts of the victim.

He said, “Abbey (Ariyo) had earlier disturbed my sister, but she was not interested. Later, he bought her a phone which she collected. When we learnt about it, we told her to return it as Abbey was not a responsible man.

“She went to return the phone to Abbey on Saturday. On Sunday, she was returning home around 9pm from her shop when Abbey led some guys to rape her.

“They took her to a place where they slept with her. We searched for her all through Sunday till Monday. I went to her shop, but her friends said they did not see her. Around 11pm on Monday, she staggered back home.

“We asked her what happened, but she could not say anything. It was on the second day, Tuesday, that she told us that it was Abbey and his friends that gang-raped her.

“She could not recall other faces well, but she recognised Abbey. However, the police have yet to arrest the other suspects.”
A social worker, identified only as Ike, who took Funmi for medical examination, said the result was being awaited to know if the victim had any complication.

She said, “The lady could identify only one person who has now been arrested. The suspect and his parents live in the same house. The man is still denying the incident. She has been taken for a medical test and we are awaiting the result.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that the matter had been brought to the attention of the Lagos State Domestic and Social Violence Response Team.

The team’s Coordinator, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the Department of Public Prosecutions had prepared a letter to request the duplicate case file once the matter was charged to court.

She said, “When the victim was brought to our attention, we engaged the Divisional Police Officer and the police ensured the arrest of one of the key suspects.

“This is a drug-addicted rape, so the lady could barely recognise the faces. She narrated to us that when she saw Abbey, they were talking about his phone.

“She suddenly saw different men behind him, and one of them used a handkerchief to cover her nose. That was the last thing she knew.

“We are waiting for the result of the medical tests. So, once the matter is charged to court, we have stood by with the DPP to request the duplicate case file for advice.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, had yet to get back to our correspondent on the incident.

A pregnant business woman, Mrs Tosin Taiwo, detained at Surulere Police Station in Lagos collapsed in the cell after four days before she was forcefully granted bail.
Sources told newsmen that the woman, who was eight weeks pregnant, was arrested at Meran area and detained at Surulere over an allegation that she borrowed money. Meran is in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area.

The sources said that her husband, Mr Taiwo came to the police station for her bail, but was refused bail by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), one Mrs Louisa Njoku.
``The IPO said she will not grant her bail due to instruction from above. ``I believe the complainant gave the instruction. That is why he brought the case to Surulere Police Station where he knows officers. ``One of the officers, who arrested her at Meran, simply identified as Jide, boasted that the woman would rot in jail,’’ a source told NAN.

The husband told newsmen that his wife was not well when she was arrested, stressing that at the police station in Surulere, they were informed of her condition. Taiwo said the wife borrowed some money from her friend to do business but unfortunately, she was duped and could not make up the payment as scheduled. He said payment plan was made known to the complainant, noting that the complainant had wanted a full payment rather than in instalments.

``He brought police to arrest her on Saturday and detained her at Surulere Police Station. ``All efforts to secure her bail proved abortive as the IPO was tossing us up and down, saying there was instruction from above not to grant her bail. ``We followed it up on Sunday and Monday; the IPO was not cooperating. ``It was then we went to meet the Area `C’ Commander, ACP Tajudeen Bakare, who advised the complainant to accept our terms of payment,’’ her husband said.

``The complainant still insisted in collecting his money in full or else, the case should be charged to court. ``The area commander again, advised him against it as it may last longer than necessary. ``The area commander then ordered the IPO to release the woman on bail or charge her to court.

Due to `instruction from above’, she was not released. ``The IPO told us that she would be charged to court on Tuesday morning. We were at the station early in the morning waiting for the police before my wife fainted. ``In the company of the IPO, we rushed her to Randle General Hospital where she was revived about two hours later. The police almost killed my wife.

``I am sure the complainant gave them money to detain my wife indefinitely. ``While she was still in the hospital bed, the police called me to come and sign for her bail.’’

When newsmen visited the casualty unit of the hospital at about 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday, only the woman was seen sleeping without police presence. All efforts to get close to her bed were rejected by the hospital staff, who said that she was brought by the police; therefore, no stranger should go close to her.

One of the matrons at the casualty unit, who spoke topressmen anonymously, noted that Tosin was in a stable condition, adding that they had yet to determine why she fainted. About 2.30 p.m. when the hospital certified her to be strong enough to go home, they insisted that police must come before she would be discharged.

The woman later said on telephone that the hospital discharged her at about 5 p.m. after obtaining permission from the IPO to let her go. She said she bled while in the cell, stressing that she was seeking medical attention to ascertain if the pregnancy was still intact. When contacted, the police spokesperson, SP Oladapo Badmos, said that she would confirm the incident as at press time.

lalasticlala

Friday Olokor and Samuel Awoyinfa

About two weeks after his death, the corpse of the patient that died of Lassa fever is still at the National Hospital in Abuja and yet to be buried.

Although the details of the delay for the burial were still sketchy, a source in the hospital told The PUNCH that the family might have abandoned the corpse “because of the manner of the death.”

The 33-year-old newly-married man lived in Jos, Plateau State, but came to see a relative in Kubwa because of his illness.

He, however, died within 24 hours of admission at the National Hospital, Abuja.
When one of our correspondents visited the hospital on Tuesday, many of the hospital employees were not ready to volunteer information concerning the corpse.

But an employee who pleaded anonymity said, “The information we got was that the family of the deceased patient are scared that they may contract the disease in the process of the burial. Several calls have been put to them but it seems they are not convinced. A lot of work should be done by enlightening them that the body has been decontaminated and is therefore safe and harmless.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the National Hospital, Dr. Tayo Haastrup, said the hospital management had been waiting on the Federal Ministry of Health to give proper advice and directive concerning the corpse.

He also denied that employees had been scared and panicky whenever any suspected case of Lassa fever was brought to the hospital.

“Nobody is running. Our doctors, nurses and medical staff in the Accident and Emergency Department are prepared for any suspected cases of Lassa fever. We are prepared and there is no cause for alarm. All the kits are available.

“The corpse of the dead patient was well bagged as usual and cannot contaminate anybody. We have informed the Federal Ministry of Health. The ministry, through the Director, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, should advise us appropriately on it. We are waiting for the directive of the ministry.”

However, when contacted, Nasidi told
The PUNCH that the family of the dead patient had yet to come and claim it but did not explain why it was so.

The NCDC boss also ruled out cremation of the corpse simply because the death was as a result of Lassa fever.

Meanwhile, laboratory tests conducted on the patient with symptoms of Lassa fever who was brought to Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja tested negative.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Mohammed Danfulani, made the clarification in an interview with The PUNCH.

The woman, who was brought to the hospital on Sunday morning, was said to be having fever, diarrhoea, passing out stool with blood, and vomiting blood.

“We have a patient that has such symptoms but the test was sent for confirmation by public health officials. The result was, however, negative, it’s not Lassa fever,” Danfulani stated.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, has said that a 24-year-old female student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and 18 others are currently under observation.

He disclosed this on Tuesday at a press conference in Abeokuta, the state capital.

He said the undergraduate had contact with the index case in Lagos State recorded in Ahmadiyyah Hospital in the Ojokoro Local Government Area of the state.

Ipaye added that the 18 other cases were workers of the same hospital but reside in Ogun State.

Ipaye, however, said of all the 19 people who had been placed under watch for between 12 and 14 days as of Tuesday, none had developed symptoms of the disease.

The Shippers` Association Lagos State on Tuesday said 50 per cent of cargoes meant for Nigerian ports were being diverted to Cotonou port as a result of the Central Bank `s forex restriction on some imported items.

The President of the association, Mr Jonathan Nicol made the disclosure while speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said that many Nigerian shippers had diverted their cargoes to the ports in the Republic of Benin since the policy started, adding that there were less restrictions on imports in the West African country.

Nicol said the development had deprived Nigeria a lot of revenue, urging the Federal Government to ease the policy to boost revenue.

“When the CBN forex restriction policy came into being, we appealed to the Federal Government to review the policy and remove some critical items because it is hurting our business and the country`s revenue.

“The reflection of that restriction is beginning to show up because we are having fewer cargoes in our ports.

“Rather than shippers bringing their cargoes to Lagos, they prefer Cotonou and they do their foreign transactions there because Benin Republic does not have such restrictions as we have.

“In fact our country have been depleting in cargoes to the extent that we have lost 50 per cent cargoes to the Republic of Benin, helping to make the Cotonou ports the largest in West Africa.

“The Federal Government should kindly remove some critical items from the list to boost shipping business in the country and attract revenue to the country“ he told NAN.

Nicol decried what he called the incursion of foreign shipping lines into the freight forwarding business in the country, saying the development was not good for the economy.

“If foreigners with better resources and expertise are allowed to intrude into the business, it might render no fewer than 100,000 Nigerian freight forwarders jobless.

“We do not understand why a foreigner will suddenly come from nowhere, claiming to be a Nigerian company and make incursion into the freight forwarding business.

“Many Nigerians are engaged in this area and we think we might lose about 100,000 jobs to this problem.

“The Federal Government has a Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and the mandate of the council is to train freight forwarders on the best standards.

“Since we have people who can do this job locally, I do not think we should tolerate foreigners.

“The government should ensure the business is reserved for our people to protect their jobs, “ the shipper said.

He also urged Nigerians who backed the foreigners dominating the local freight forwarding business to have a rethink.

By Clara Nwachukwu

LAGOS — As oil prices continue on the downward slide, Nigerian oil firms may be producing at up to $5/barrel loss, as average production costs for independent and marginal field producers is between $30 and $35/barrel.

Oil prices, yesterday, resumed their free fall, with Brent crude, similar to Nigeria’s sweet crude grade, falling 2.6 per cent to $31.34 a barrel following a 10 per cent rise on Friday, while U.S. oil shed 95 cents to $31.24.

To compound the producers’ woes, a significant proportion of what is produced is lost to oil thieves and pipeline vandals, which they insist are even more dangerous than the bearish run oil prices
Industry chiefs, who spoke exclusively with Vanguard on phone, argued that the turbulence in the international oil market deserves urgent attention.

Specifically, they insisted that the Federal Government needs to be talking with Nigerian producers very fast, if it must save indigenous companies from running aground and plunging the economy into deeper crisis than it is in already.

Impact on producers
Speaking on the impact of the oil crash on the producers, Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, Mr. Emeka Ene, said:
“Current price is below Nigeria’s average of between $30 and $35 per barrel. Most marginal field producers are producing above $30/barrel, and with pipeline vandalism activities, costs will shoot up by another $10/barrel, so oil production now is not sustainable.”

Ene, who spoke against the backdrop of oil crashing to 13-year lows of below $28/barrel last week, noted that the bearish run may soon fizzle out, whether shale or conventional oil is being produced at above $25/barrel. As such, the southward run is not favourable to any producer.

He also revealed that “a lot of Nigerian companies are out of work because they cannot compete with the multinationals, so government needs to have a serious talk with stakeholders in the industry.”

Oil theft, pipeline vandalism
Whether oil prices go bullish soon or not, other stakeholders feel that the benefits of the rise will be lost on Nigeria, if the government does not deal decisively with the twin incidence of pipeline vandalism and oil theft.

The President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, Mr. Nosa Omorodion, maintained that “government needs to address the issue of oil theft and pipeline vandalism very fast because, even if price stabilises tomorrow or whenever, we will still not be able to reap the full benefits of that rise.”

He further argued that “oil theft and vandalism remain recurring and very worrisome because these issues are much bigger than oil slide, which is mostly driven by speculation, while these activities affect planning and are more cankerous than price slide. Operators are risking their assets including human resources to produce the oil, only to have it stolen thereafter.”

Against this backdrop, Omorodion, whose association is responsible for finding and producing oil, revealed that NAPE is planning a national seminar this month end to holistically address the issue of oil slide.
He said: “We are going to assess the length and breadth of the oil and gas industry because the price slide is not only affecting petroleum, but also other sectors of the economy.”

Apart from the impact on cost of production, the NAPE boss noted that “The current price is affecting so many things, as nobody is drilling for exploration now, and no one is thinking about fancy technology to boost production. Also, exploration will suffer as no company is exploring for new wells to grow reserves, and many small scale producers, which are mostly Nigerians, will shut down.”

Going forward
Currently, most producers, both OPEC and non-OPEC including the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq and a host of others are producing at optimal capacities, which indicates that the downward glide may not let up soon. Also, some analysts have predicted that price may glide to below $20 or even $10/per barrel before rebounding.

Furthermore, with Iran’s oil also up in the market and expected to be ramped up systematically, compounded by the melt down in demand being fueled by the crisis in China, crude prices are facing more pressures. But producers recognise that the global economy is in need of some succour but differ on the best ways to go about it.

Noting that Nigerian service companies, who are the hardest hit by the crashing oil prices and provide about 650 value services across the industry, Ene insisted that Nigeria has the weapon in these companies to cushion the market turbulence but has not fully appreciated it.

According to him, “Nigeria has a thriving local oil industry, and if properly supported, can push down cost of production to $10 per barrel. About 10 to 15 years ago, industry cost was below $10 per barrel and nothing much had changed.

On his part, Omorodion believes that now is the time for oil companies to be at the most cost efficient by prioritising between wants and needs, while government becomes more fiscally disciplined and diversifying the economy.

But Ene argued that the solution is not in prescriptivism, like the majors calling for as much as 40 percent cuts in cost of services thereby killing off the companies, adding that government needs to identify and reduce unrealistic economic toll gates.

In his opinion, “The whole system is heated up, and cost of borrowing is very high. So far, conversation has been restricted to major operators and has not included the service companies driving operations in the industry.

“If we must produce oil at $10/barrel, government needs to be talking to Nigerian companies, who have invested in people and technology and are not repatriating their profits.”

Furthermore, he noted that a lot of the systemic costs being borne by indigenous firms contribute to the high cost of production, such as what he described as “Federal Government agents charging unrealistic charges like asking for $10million for permits need to be looked into.”

The deceased sister, Ngozi, was said to have attended a burial ceremony for two days and returned home, a development that caused misunderstanding between her and the husband.

Cyriacus Izuekwe

The police on Monday paraded eight suspected cultists who have been terrorizing the residents of Bariga and its environs in Lagos State, western Nigeria.

The suspects were paraded by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr Fatai Owoseni.

The group allegedly burnt a house and set a 65-year old woman ablaze in Bariga last Saturday.

Among those arrested and paraded was the suspected leader of the gang, Tanimola Ogbere, also known as ‘Who Knows Tomorrow’.

Others paraded are Richard Abayomi, 30, Richard Ewa,31, Kayode Dada, 25 and Afex Olajide Fagunwa, 32.
Others include Nurudeen Lateef, 22, Mohammed Musa, 28, and Adamson Adelani.

The suspects were arrested after they allegedly invaded Bariga and burnt a house along with a woman.

Fracas broke out after a rival cult led by Ibrahim now at large reportedly killed two persons identified as Benmo and Abiye.

The incident in Bariga was a reprisal attack allegedly led by Ogbere.

CP Owoseni said that following the mayhem by the cultists the police went into action and arrested the suspects and their leader.

He assured that the police will continue to do their best in combating crime in the state and sought cooperation from members of the public for information.

A teenager has revealed how he was raped several times while in Kirikiri Prison. The teenager, Bashua (surname withheld), said that the incident happened in 2014, when he was just 16-year-old. He said that the policemen doctored his age, to ensure they arraigned and sent him to prison.

Bashua had recently regained his freedom, through the intervention of the Stephen and Solomon Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (WHO). The foundation is led by Mr. Giwa Amu, a Lagos-based human rights lawyer.

Bashua, a secondary school student, said he was returning home from a coaching class when he was arrested by a team of policemen. According to him, he was later charged to court for an offence he did not commit. He said: “I was remanded at the Kirikiri Prison and experienced being locked with over 100 inmates who were older than me. I was molested sexually. I was raped several times in a day.

They would tell me not to cry. I was in remand for one month and those days were hell for me. “I was going home from Epe, after coaching class, when a team of policemen on patrol arrested me at Obalende and took me to Bar Beach Police Station, Victoria Island.

The police kept me in a cell with other boys and suspects for one week. I was arrested on November 20, 2014. The policemen told me and the other boys that we belonged to a gang that attacked a team of policemen. “I denied the allegation.

I told the policemen that I’m a secondary school student. I was just 16-yearold, but they did not listen to me. They beat us mercilessly and said we should shot up. I was in police custody for one week with other boys. Our parents were not aware we were in police custody.

The police arraigned us at Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Obalende. They doctored my age from 16 to 19 years. The magistrate ordered we should be remanded in prison.” Amu said the case of the 16-yearold boy was most touching. He said: “His age was doctored to be 19. We started rehabilitating him since he was released because he told us that he was kept in the open cell where there is high activity of homosexuality.

He said he was raped several times a day.

He is undergoing treatment and we have placed him on scholarship so he can continue his education.” Amu added that boys were arraigned in court with no counsel representing them.

He said: “As part of our prison ministry, we visit the courts regularly to help indigent accused with free legal services. We happened to be in court the day they were to be arraigned. It was a dock brief and we found out that they did not have any lawyer.”

Bashua was not the only youngster arrested and charged to court for allegedly attacking policemen. Others were Oladepopo (21), Samson (21), Yinka (19) and Andrew (20). The boys would have continued to languish in prison but for the quick intervention of lawyers.

The Federal Government has hailed the U.S. endorsement of its anti-corruption fight, calling it an incentive to continue with the battle that must be won for the Nigeria to achieve sustainable growth.

Recently, the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, at the World Economic Forum, WEF, Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, commended the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for its effort at combating corruption in Nigeria.Mr. Kerry related how money meant to buy arms for Nigerian soldiers to combat Boko Haram was stolen by public officials; and how the Buhari administration was making moves to prosecute such persons.

On Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, told media executives in Lagos that the acknowledgement of the effort by the government could not have come at a better time.

“The Federal Government is delighted that the anti-corruption war being led by President Muhammad Buhari has been acknowledged and applauded on a global stage.

“It is particularly gratifying that in that speech, Mr Kerry made the link between corruption and terrorism. We agree that corruption is indeed a radicaliser because it destroys faith in legitimate authority.

“Let me remind you, gentlemen, that radicalisation is a key causative factor of terrorism,” the minister said.

Mr. Mohammed said that he would soon kick-start a series of town hall meetings across the country to take the sensitization campaign, which he launched in Abuja last Monday, directly to Nigerians.

The town hall meetings, he said, would be in addition to using the National Orientation Agency, NOA, and the relevant units of the Ministry of Information and Culture to reach every part of the country.

“We know that those who stole us dry are powerful. They have newspapers, radio and television stations and an army of supporters to continuously deride the government’s war against corruption.
“But we are undaunted and will not relent until corruption is also decimated,” the minister said.

Mr. Mohammed said that corruption was responsible for the endemic poverty in the country today, noting that whereas Nigeria’s national budget has increased from just over N900 billion in 1999 to over N6 trillion in 2016, poverty has also increased almost by the same proportion.

“The reason is not far-fetched: Appropriated funds have mostly ended up in the pockets of a few looters,” he said. ”When the money meant to construct roads is looted, the end result is that the roads are not built and the people suffer and even die in avoidable road accidents.

“When the money meant to provide electricity is looted, we all are perpetually sentenced to darkness. When the money meant for healthcare is pocketed by a few, we are unable to reduce maternal and infant mortality. These are the costs of corruption,” he said.

According to Mr. Mohammed, whereas the sum of N51.829 billion was appropriated for 1,278 projects in the Zonal Intervention Projects for 2015, a total of 21 individuals and companies benefited from the ‘Dasukigate’ to the tune of N54.659 billion.
“The implication is that the amount received by 21 individuals and companies is more than the 2015 Zonal Intervention Project budget by N2.829 billion! ‘

‘Furthermore, the value of what the beneficiaries of ‘Dasukigate’ contributed to development is zero, compared to how the lives of Nigerians would have been transformed, poverty reduced and livelihoods improved, by the Zonal Intervention Projects which – as we have shown – would have cost N2.829 billion less than ‘Dasukigate’,” the Minister said.

He said that contrary to what was being said in certain circles– that the government was dwelling too much on the war against corruption to the detriment of other areas of governance– enough time could not be devoted to the fight.

”The situation is very grim indeed, as far as corruption is concerned. That is why the Federal Government is embarking on this sensitization Campaign.

“Our approach – which is to count the cost of corruption – is not to vilify anyone but to use facts and figures to give Nigerians a sense of what corruption has done to their lives,” the minister said.
(NAN)

An Enugu-based couple, Segun and Mary Ayeni, have shown great hope despite birthing a set of conjoined twin girls.

Speaking with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, the parents of the girls, Miracle and Testimony, expressed optimism despite the condition of their twin daughters born on November 16, 2015, who are joined at the groin.

The father, Segun, 35, explained how, despite his initial reaction of trauma, his faith gave him the courage to pull through.
He said, “Naturally, you would be a little bit traumatised. That is natural. But in everything, when you know the word of God, it will strengthen you more, because it is part of life. There is nothing one can do about it. It has happened.

“When I first heard it was going to be twins, I was happy. But later they said they were joined in some way and I asked, ‘Conjoined how?’
“I thought it was the kind of thing whereby they would be separated immediately. But I later discovered that if they should try to operate immediately, we would lose the two (girls).”

Interestingly, the children are very healthy. According to their father, they are in perfect condition.

Ayeni said, “It was after the birth that we knew for certain that the babies were conjoined. When they (the doctors) were talking about it, I didn’t understand, not until the babies came out.

“They are not connected to anything (machine). They eat normally; they poo (defecate) and wee (urinate) normally because they have separate genitals and legs.

“They are not sharing any vital organs, according to the doctors. That is why they said their chances of surviving are very high. They are okay, except for the occasional fever, which is normal, and within one or two days, it is gone.”

Like Segun, his wife, Mary, attributed the birth to God and expressed an assurance that the twins were born for a purpose.
The couple, who celebrated their third wedding anniversary in December, had their first daughter, Marvellous, on November 19, 2013.

According to the mother of three, Marvellous has had a normal relationship with her siblings.

The day Mary took her firstborn along to the hospital; she said Marvellous played with them like any child would.

The mother said, “After the birth, I was told that they were conjoined, but it was two weeks later that I saw the children face-to-face. I delivered the babies by caesarean section. While I was in the hospital recuperating, the babies were transferred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital.

“It was a week after that I went there to see them and I was happy because they are strong; it was just that they are conjoined.

Will I question God? What will I do as their mother? God gave them to me,” she told our correspondent.

The twins, who are still in the Intensive Care Unit at UNTH, are visited by their mother every day.

Segun noted that though they went for five ultrasounds, they were unprepared for the peculiar birth. He added that the true nature of the children’s condition was kept from him.

He said, “They were just telling us, ‘It seems they are joined somewhere.’ They would not open up to you because they don’t know the kind of heart you have. You know that some people may not have the heart to withstand such a thing. It may be a strange thing to the person.

“Initially, they were even saying (they shared) one leg. An ultrasound (scan) can only give you (a view) of the full-fledged human form between six to seven months (to the delivery). We did it again in the sixth month.

Segun said tests were run on the twins regularly, adding that an average of N25,000 to N35,000 was spent for his children’s care weekly, while the fees could be much more, depending on the tests.

“The doctors are constantly checking to see if any of their vital organs are joined in any way. There’s another one we are about to do now — MRS (Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) scan. Today, we will still do a series of it. That one is (a total of) about N80,000.

“I don’t keep track of all those costs because they are my children; I don’t expect anyone to pay me back. I really cannot recall the test I spent highest for.

Mary told our correspondent that though the nurses in the hospital are kind to her twins, she has been stigmatised by some hospital staff and neighbours.

“Because of illiteracy or not being exposed, some think that whenever anything (strange) happens, it is somebody that is behind it.

“Some female workers that clean the hospital asked, ‘Why are you disturbing yourself?’ They told me to leave the kids and run away. But I can never leave them and run away because they are my blood.”

“The neighbours living in my compound are fine; they understand because they are learned. But on the streets, some people that heard I had conjoined twins stopped greeting me. Some wouldn’t even talk to me; some that used to come and collect things from me before now talk about me in jest. They laugh. But God will take all the glory.”

Mary further expressed apprehension about the urgency of the situation of the children.
According to her, she has been trying to reach out to a woman, who had conjoined twins in 2007.

“I am looking for how to get in touch with the woman so I can find out a lot of things. I don’t understand what the doctors are doing. I am worried that they may be experimenting with my kids,” she said.