₦airaland Forum

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has appointed Messrs. Felix Edoka, Ernest Odeigah and Dr. Gambo Saleh Adam as Registrar, Bursar and Librarian respectively, to man the affairs of West Africa’s foremost Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution for the next five years.

The personal details of the newly appointed principal officers are as follows:

1. Mr. Felix Edoka, the new Registrar, is a member of the following professional bodies: American Society of Public Administrators (ASPA), Association of University Administrators (AUA), Certified Board of Administrators of Nigeria (CBAN), and Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). Edoka, holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Akoko, Ondo State; and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from the University of Jos, Plateau State. Until his new appointment, he was the Deputy Registrar (Human Resources) of the university. His appointment takes effect from September 4, 2016.

2. Mr. Ernest Odeigah, the new Bursar, is a fellow, Certified National Accountants (CNA) and member of the following professional bodies: Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation (CITN), Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE). He holds an MSc in Finance and an MBA from University of Lagos and University of Calabar respectively, as well as a BSc from European American University, United Kingdom. Odeigah, until this appointment, was the acting Bursar of the university. His appointment takes effect from September 17, 2016.

3. Dr. Gambo Saleh Adam, the new (Click on the link below to read more)
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Daily Sun reports that soldiers belonging to the Operation LAFIYA DOLE at harbour in Kangarwa on Sunday dealth a blow on suspected remnants of Boko Haram.

No fewer than 16 insurgents were killed while weapons were seized, during the encounter, which according to the army spokesman, was launched by the suspected terrorists at about 5:30pm on Sunday. One soldier also died in the operation.

“The alert troops rose to the occasion and dealt a decisive blow on the insurgents, by killing 16 of them and recovering arms and ammunitions from them.

“Weapons recovered from the insurgents include one Rocket Propelled Grenade seven tube, one Rocket Propelled Grenade bomb, 11 AK-47 Rifle, a 60mm Mortar tube, a dozen of 60mm Mortar bombs, a 36 Hand Grenade, five AK-47 rifle magazines, one Gionee Handset and one Bandolier.

“Unfortunately, an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded in action during the encounter. We are glad to state they have all been treated at the unit’s medical facility and are all in stable condition.

“The troops have (click on the link below to read more)
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A Dubai court Monday sentenced to death a Jordanian man convicted of raping and killing an eight-year-old boy in a crime that shocked public opinion in the United Arab Emirates, media reported.
The Dubai court of first instance convicted 49-year-old Nidal Eisa Abdullah of kidnapping Obaida Sedqi from his father’s garage on May 20 before raping and killing the boy, the local Gulf News daily said.
He was also ordered to pay 21,000 dirhams ($5,700) to the victim’s parents, the newspaper said.
Abdullah had admitted he raped and murdered the boy, also Jordanian, but denied kidnapping the victim, the Dubai daily said.
The defendant, who became publicly referred to as “Obaida’s killer”, claimed that the boy “had willingly sat with him in the car”, it added.
According to Gulf News, Abdullah is said to have “lured the eight-year-old to his car by offering to buy him a scooter” before having forced sex with the boy and then strangling him.
But during one of the hearings, Abdullah told the court that he had mental problems.
“I was not conscious or awake and do not remember what happened that day,” the daily quoted him as saying.
By law, the death (Click on this link to read more)
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The Nigerian Army has declared a journalist, Ahmed Salkida, and two others, Ahmed Bolori and Aisha Wakil, wanted for their alleged connection with Boko Haram.
The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, on Sunday via email, saying the army decided to declare Salkida and the two others wanted because of the conviction that they had relevant information on the location of the Chibok girls.
He said that the army’s decision had to do with the two recent videos released by the leadership of the insurgent group and the findings by a preliminary investigation by the military on the videos.
He stressed that the military was sure that Salkida and the two others had contact with the terrorists and the missing girls.
Usman said that the three wanted people must come forward to tell Nigerians where the missing girls and other abducted persons were being kept to enable the military to rescue them.
‘‘There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram.”
The acting Army Spokesman called on Nigerians to provide useful information that could lead to the arrest of the three wanted persons.
Wakil, who is a lawyer, was in contact with the Federal Government in 2013, during the amnesty negotiations with the insurgents.
She was reported to have met with former President Goodluck Jonathan as part of the negotiation, which later broke down.
Bolori is said to be the coordinator of the Fa’ash Foundation and the Partnership Against Violent Extremism. He resides in Maiduguri.
I got the video exclusive before release –Salkida
Salkida had on Saturday went on his Twitter handle, @ContactSalkida, to announce that he had obtained the video of the Chibok girls exclusively from Boko Haram.
In a series of tweets, the journalist analysed what he saw in the video, saying one of the girls in the video said airstrikes by the military had allegedly killed some of her colleagues.
He said, “Just In: Jama‘atu Ahlil Sunnah Li-Da‘awati Wal-Jihad #BH has released a video showing the abducted #Chibokgirls and restating their demands.
“This is the second time Shekau has ordered a video of the girls to be released to the public since the abduction of the girls 852 days ago.
“I’m studying the video of the #Chibokgirls that was sent exclusively to me before their abductors upload on it YouTube later. @BBOG_Nigeria.
“Many of the girls can be seen in the video; a Chibok girl speaks in mother tongue and narrates how airstrikes has killed dozens of her mates.
Salkida later twitted the YouTube link to the video on Sunday morning.
In what appeared to be a change of tone after the military declared him and others wanted, Salkida tweeted links to his report published on December 12, 2011, in which he said he was critical of Boko Haram.
He tweeted (Click on the link below to read more)
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Pope Francis surprised 20 former prostitutes on Friday by knocking on their door in Rome and popping in for a chat.
The Argentine, who has repeatedly described the human trafficking behind much prostitution as “a crime against humanity”, sat down with the group, including four women from Albania, seven from Nigeria and six from Romania.
The other three hailed from Italy, Tunisia and the Ukraine, according to a Vatican statement. The women, all (Click on the link below to read)
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Nigeria’s participation at this year’s Olympic Games in Brazil exposes some fundamental flaws in sports administration and development in the country despite a whopping annual budget writes Eric Dumo
It took the screams of a few young men around 11:41pm last Sunday for Deji Bello to know that something big was going on. A follower of major events in the country, the 38-year-old businessman still wonders how he missed this particular one. Overwhelmed by the quest to survive in the face of mounting economic and social challenges, the Kwara State-born father of two, like many Nigerians, was too carried away to realise that the Olympic Games, sports biggest spectacle, had begun in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, three days earlier. On the fateful night the screams from a handful of young men at a viewing centre near his house woke him up from bed, Bello had missed Nigeria’s first football match at the competition against Japan – a high scoring encounter which the Under 23 Eagles led by Samson Siasia won 5-4 despite arriving Brazil few hours before kickoff, and was midway into missing the second match against Sweden as well. Nigeria went on to win that game and qualify for the quarterfinals of the tournament.
However, unlike in previous years, much of Nigeria’s participation at the global sporting event this year has almost been greeted with apathy by many across the country. According to sports enthusiast, Jimi Bankole, the lack of interest among the populace might not be unconnected to the several controversies that trailed Team Nigeria in the build up to the opening ceremony of the games last week.
“There has been nothing really inspiring about Nigeria’s participation at the Olympic Games this year. Apart from the fact that our boys qualified for the quarterfinals of the football event, it has generally been from one controversy to another. Most of the athletes had it very tough getting to the event, even the men’s soccer team that is perhaps our only hope of picking up a medal at the competition only arrived Brazil just hours before they were to play their opening match. It is so bad that even the outfit the contingent was supposed to wear for the opening ceremony did not arrive Brazil until after that period, forcing our representatives to appear in ordinary track suits. This is not only embarrassing but also a major dent on our image as a nation.
“As far as I am concerned it is all of these factors that have combined to ensure that a lot of Nigerians are not showing interest in how our athletes are faring at the competition as much as they should have. It is a sad commentary on the state of sports in this country,” Bankole said during a chat with our correspondent earlier in the week.
Participating in a total of 10 sports at the event in Brazil – athletics, basketball (male), boxing, canoeing (slalom), football (male), rowing, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling, the chances of Nigeria surpassing its best Olympic outing of six medals and 32nd spot on the overall table in Atlanta, United States, in 1996 looks slim. Apart from lack of adequate preparation ahead of the competition which takes place every four years, facilities to put athletes in proper shape were either unavailable or in horrific conditions despite a bogus annual budget for sports in the country.
For example, in boxing, a sport which gave the country her very first medal at the Games in 1964 when Nojim Mayegun won bronze in the men’s light-middleweight, Nigeria would be represented by only one person – Efe Ajagba, reducing the nation’s chances of picking a prize in a sport it had performed fairly well over the years. But even with the abundance of talent splashed all across the country, the last time Nigeria won a medal in boxing at the Games was in 1996. Competing in the heavyweight category, Ajagba will have to bank on sheer luck to make a good impression in Brazil.
“I must confess I am not too happy because I am the only one who qualified for the Olympics games. You know that to have a lot of boxers qualify would have been better and it would have been an encouragement.
“However, I would use this opportunity to shine and encourage other boxers that were unable to qualify. I know it’s going to be tough, but I am trusting God to see me through,” he said in one interview before the contingent departed for Rio.
Like many sports where Nigeria was once known to be a force to reckon with at continental and international level, poor administration and lack of developmental programmes have reduced boxing to a shadow of itself.
Former national boxing coach, Isaac Ikhuoria, while expressing disappointment at the development, says the situation if not quickly addressed, could get to a stage where the country is not able to present boxers for major competitions again.
“I am not happy about what is happening to boxing; it’s not a good omen for us. One of the major causes of this problem is that there are no regular competitions to keep boxers in shape as a result of poor funding. I expected that apart from qualifiers, efforts would also be intensified in having more competitions in place. Without resolving this issue, things might not improve,” he said.
During a recent visit to the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, one of the major breeding grounds for talents in boxing and other sports in the country, our correspondent observed that most of the facilities used to train boxers were in complete shambles. Apart from the worn-out nature of the punching bags, the general boxing arena was in a state of utmost decay. The sight is a testament of how one of Nigeria’s most revered sports has continued to suffer neglect despite the huge funds the Ministry had received over the years.
“Boxing is the sport that first put Nigeria’s name on the world map. Long before the country became known with football, it had brought glory to Nigeria in different ways. But the lack of support over the years has led to the decline in performance and interest.
“Most boxing arenas across the country are no longer safe and this has prevented fans from coming to watch fights. To take boxing back to its glorious days, both the Nigerian Amateur Boxing Association and Nigerian Boxing Board of Control need to shape up. They must put up programmes to discover, nurture and promote these young Nigerian talents,” Kabiru Akano, a promoter of the sports told Saturday PUNCH.
Like boxing, only one athlete would fly Nigeria’s flag in weightlifting, an event Nigeria was reputed for dominating and doing well in the past. Oluwatoyin Adesami, who competes in 107kg, now carries the country’s only medal hope in the category.
Ade Babajide, a former professional weightlifter, told Saturday PUNCH that the sport is currently in the closing stages of its complete collapse in Nigeria.
He said if not quickly rescued, the country might not win anything in major weightlifting competitions in the future.
“We are not just a serious country. All the funds meant to develop weightlifting has always ended up in private pockets rather than used to actually improve the sport and its athletes. Go to the gym at the National Stadium to see things for yourself, everywhere is in a mess, nobody is motivated to give their best. If we continue like this, very soon we would not even be qualifying for major competitions,” he said.
But apart from boxing and weightlifting, swimming is another sport that has continued to suffer neglect despite the abundance of talents available in the country. Blessed with a vast water body, the lack of programmes to spot talents and nurture them into world champions has continued to rob the nation of the recognition it should get in this area.
Making its first appearance at the Olympics this year after an eight-year absence, Nigeria would be represented by only two swimmers in Brazil – Samson Opuakpo and Rachael Tonjor. While the former competes in the men’s 50m freestyle, the latter who fought for honours in the women’s 100m breaststroke, has already crashed out of the Games.
Swimming coach, Michael Idemu, blames the problem on corruption and mismanagement of funds meant for nurturing talents and building and maintaining facilities used to train swimmers over the years.
According to him, even though the swimming pool inside the National Stadium in Lagos, which was built in 1972 and hosted major competitions including the 1973 All Africa Games now wears a new look after undergoing rehabilitation following its neglect for almost 20 years, other similar facilities across the country remain in questionable conditions.
“It has taken the intervention of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development this time for the Olympic-sized swimming pool at the National Stadium in Lagos to be renovated. That facility has been neglected for close to 20 years with all the equipment vandalised and stolen by rogues.
“But there are several other places the authorities have to look at if we are to reap the abundance of talent we boast in swimming. The talents are everywhere, it is just for you to spot them and refine them into world champions. This will happen if the corruption in the sector can be curbed.
“Many of our athletes have been sacrificing and are still willing to sacrifice; only a little pat on the back is all they desire. But in Nigeria, it is easier to approve a budget for a ‘ghost’ constituency project than for a sports project that would bring glory to the country,” he said.
A look into the 2016 budget of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development shows how the country is still far away from achieving any tangible development in sports especially the erection of major facilities to nurture talents across the nation.
For instance, of the total N75.4bn allocated to the Ministry, only a paltry N4.6bn is earmarked for capital expenditure – that is the building of needed training facilities like football pitches, basket courts, athletics tracks and fully equipped halls for indoor games like table tennis, boxing, weightlifting and others – while a whopping N70.8bn is budgeted for recurrent expenditure – payment of salaries and other expenses related to running the day to day affairs of the ministry.
Apart from the secretariat of the Ministry itself, there are four wings under it – Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, National Youth Service Corps, Nigeria Football Federation, and the Nigeria Institute for Sports.
The Youth and Sports Development Ministry budgeted N27, 798,124 for “Local Training,” while the amount budgeted for transportation for this training is N47, 369,208. There is also a provision for transportation for an “International Training,” N12, 749,191 but there is no provision in the budget for the “International Training.”
There are three provisions for the “Purchase of Office Furniture and Fittings,” and they are allocated N38, 257,300, N181, 701,880 and N29, 400,000 respectively. There are also two provisions for “Purchase of Library Books and Equipment,” allocated N26, 060,500 and N11, 764,000 respectively.
When summed up, the total for the purchase of books alone for the Ministry itself amounts to N37, 824, 500 – more than the amount 37 Federal Universities and 25 Federal Polytechnics spend to purchase the same items in a year.
The Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre has a capital expenditure of N74,876,501, and it is broken down as follows; N23,958,000 for the construction/provision of housing, N35,462,881 for the construction/provision of libraries, and yet another N15,455,620 for the construction/provision of housing.
Apart from N1, 519, 222 listed as ‘international training’ for the Nigerian Football Federation, the breakdown of the rest of the other sum under the ‘capital expenditure’ was not expressly stated.
Analyst, Sadiq Ahmed, says the huge amount allocated for the sector in the annual national budget has little or no impact on sports development in the country.
According to him, earmarking the chunk of the budget for payment of salaries and purchase of books and other items that are irrelevant at the detriment of necessary facilities and welfare of athletes is totally unacceptable.
“We cannot move forward as a society if we continue this way. The budget breakdown for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development should trouble every lover of sports in the country because with what we have, no meaningful development can actually take place. But if the funds are used sincerely for what they are approved for, things could be a bit better. However, I see things remaining like this for some time,” he said.
In the wake of Nigeria’s embarrassing performance at the Olympics in London, United Kingdom, four years ago, about N2.2bn was budgeted for the 51 athletes that participated at the Games. But sadly much of that money was used to fly and entertain dozens of government officials who had no business at the competition.
Between 2010 and 2015, at least N20bn had been spent on capital projects in the sports sector under the yearly budget received by the Ministry. In spite of such whopping allocation, many sports facilities remain in shambles while athletes and coaches have continued to be robbed of entitlements for their efforts during this period.
Apart from the misappropriation of funds, Ahmed told (Click on the link below to read more)
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Punch reports that detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in Abuja on Friday said he was willing to enter into negotiation with the Federal Government to secure his release and end the political crisis that has continued to trail his continued incarceration.
He also denied claims that he was working with some militant groups in the Niger Delta region, including the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta and Niger Delta Avengers.
Speaking through his lawyers, Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Amobi Nzelu, at a press briefing, Kanu said he was not opposed to negotiation to secure his freedom from detention which he described as “politically motivated and orchestrated.”
They however said the IPOB leader would not renounce his ideology for him to be released, because “IPOB is bigger than him.”
Ejiofor said, “Kanu will not renounce his ideology, IPOB is bigger than him. He cannot say yes or no to renouncing it, but he is open to political resolution of the problem. Nobody has approached him for negotiation where he is kept.
“The issue of IPOB is beyond him, he is open to negotiation. We are not against discussion on this issue. A political solution will be easily achieved than legal solution but Kanu must be released unconditionally.”
While reacting to media reports that the IPOB leader and MEND were negotiating with the Federal Government, Ejiofor said Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any form of relationship with the members of MEND.
He said, “In the past few days, the media has been awash with news on negotiations going on between the Federal Government and the members of MEND, where our client’s name conspicuously featured. It is on that note that we wish to inform the general public that Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any form of relationship with members of MEND.
“MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or Indigenous People of Biafra in any purported negotiation going on between MEND and the Federal Government. The general public is accordingly advised to ignore, discountenance and disregard the falsehood being peddled by MEND. Nnamdi Kanu does not know them.”
“Nnamdi Kanu welcomes (Click on the link below to read more)
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Punch reports that at least three Nigerian athletes in the ongoing Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games created records of sorts that will be cherished in a longtime to come.
The trio with records are two table tennis stars, Segun Toriola and Aruna Quadri as well as Rower, Chierika Ukogu .
The 41 year-old Toriola had his 7th appearance in the current Games, equaling the table tennis record. This has made him the most capped African Olympian.
Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri set (Click on the link below to read more)
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The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, has appealed to the authorities of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and the Council for Legal Education (CLE), to ensure the inclusion of graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in their respective schemes, stressing that NOUN does not run part time or correspondence courses as being misconstrued.
Rasheed, who made the appeal while hosting the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, and his management team in his office in Abuja, described the continued denial of NOUN graduates opportunity to participate in the NYSC scheme and Nigerian Law School as unnecessary.
He noted that NOUN is a great revolution in the education sector, with a mission to bridge the admission gap in the country without compromising standards.
The NUC scribe stated that the open and distance mode of learning was no longer a foreign concept around the world and should be embraced and not discriminated against by conventional universities in the country.
Earlier, Prof. Adamu had noted that the appointment of the executive secretary was of great significance to NOUN and would ensure continued mutual collaboration between NOUN and NUC.
He said NOUN as an ODL institution has received a lot (Click on the link below to read more)
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The Zika virus has arrived in the United States, with mosquitoes in South Florida spreading the virus. It causes birth defects in babies born to pregnant women, the CDC says.
That agency has issued travel warnings for pregnant women in countries where the disease is spreading. But the CDC says cases in Florida are not expected to be explosive or widespread.
The virus is mainly spread by mosquitoes, although some cases are sexually transmitted.
What is Zika? How can you avoid it? WebMD answers your questions.
The Zika virus, first identified in Uganda in 1947, is transmitted by the same type of mosquito that carries dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya virus. A mosquito bites an infected person and then passes those viruses to other people it bites. Outbreaks did not occur outside of Africa until 2007, when it spread to the South Pacific.
The CDC has confirmed Zika can spread through sex, usually after a person traveled to an area where Zika has broken out, got the virus, and gave the virus to a sex partner who did not travel. Infected women and men can both pass the virus to sex partners -- even if they haven’t shown symptoms of infection, the CDC says.
The CDC is aware of a report that Brazilian scientists have found the virus in the saliva and urine of infected people, CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, told reporters, but more information is needed.
What are the symptoms of Zika?
The disease can cause fever, rash, joint pain, and redness in the whites of the eye. But most people won’t know they have it.
“Only about (Click on the link below to read more)
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The time to start working toward a healthy pregnancy is before you conceive. Learn strategies for getting pregnant, and how to prepare for pregnancy.
1. Preparing for Pregnancy
1. See Your Doctor First A preconception counseling appointment with your doctor is an important first step in preparing for pregnancy.
2. Why Prenatal Vitamins Are Important Why you should take prenatal vitamins before and during your pregnancy.
3. Your Prepregnancy To-Do List Trying to conceive? Print this to-do list for a healthy pregnancy.
4. Pregnancy After 35 As women reach their thirties, they experience a decline in fertility. Furthermore, complications during pregnancy are more common when women reach age 35.
5. Teen Pregnancy Do you have the facts about teen pregnancy -- the statistics and the way teen pregnancy affects health?
6. Miscarriage At least 85% of women who have miscarriages have subsequent normal pregnancies and births. Learn more about miscarriage causes, symptoms and more.
2. Improve Your Fertility
1. Understanding Conception This article helps you understand the various steps from ovulation to a positive pregnancy test.
2. Getting Started on Getting Pregnant You've decided to have a baby! Now you're probably wondering: how long will it take to get pregnant, when to have sex, and how often? Find out here.
3. 8 Ways to Boost Your Fertility If you're like most couples who are trying to conceive, you want to get pregnant sooner rather than later. Here’s help.
4. Tool: Ovulation Calendar Find out the best times for you and your partner to conceive.
3. Already Pregnant?
1. Early Pregnancy Symptoms Do you have any of these five early signs of pregnancy?
2. Implantation Bleeding Find out more about implantation bleeding.
3. False Pregnancy (Pseudocyesis) False pregnancy, or pseudocyesis, is the belief that you are expecting a baby when you are not really carrying a child.
4. Home Pregnancy Tests Some women approach the prospect of pregnancy with excitement, others with worry. No matter how you feel about the idea of being pregnant, a pregnancy test may let you know, one way or the other, if you are pregnant.
5. Choosing Your (click on the link below to read more)
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A 62-year-old Australian has become the country’s oldest woman to give birth, local media reported on Wednesday.
The unnamed Tasmanian mother gave birth to a girl in Melbourne.
Australian Medical Association President, Michael Gannon, said that it was “madness, selfish and wrong” for the woman to have the baby and asked whether “anyone thought ahead to its teens.
According to the report, the woman gave birth at 34 weeks through cesarean section.
The mother and baby were reportedly both in good health.
It said that the woman was implanted with a donor embryo in an operation outside Australia and was supported throughout the pregnancy by her 78-year-old partner.
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Punch reports that robbers have cashed in on the unending gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with many motorists and passengers being dispossessed of their valuables.
Motorists, who spoke with PUNCH Metro, said gunmen attacked them as the gridlock intensified due to the rehabilitation of the road by Julius Berger Plc.
Some victims said the robbers attacked Lagos-bound vehicles held up in the traffic and stole phones and money, among other valuables.
A motorist, Aborishade Osanyin, said the hoodlums operated at about 8pm on Sunday.
He said, “They targeted exotic cars in the traffic. They harassed the owners and collected their valuables.
“The robbers are suspected to be hoodlums hiding under the Kara Bridge. Some motorists managed to reach the police, but the robbers had a field day for about 20 minutes.”
A commuter, who did not identify himself, described how the robbers operated.
“Some of them wore masks and had guns. They took the side of the long bridge where Julius Berger is rehabilitating and attacked vehicles in the gridlock. They shot into the air as they moved from one vehicle to the other. It was scary; some people jumped out of their vehicles and ran away,” he said.
The commuter said when policemen, who had received information on the robbery, arrived at the scene, they started shooting into the air to scare off the robbers.
He said the hoodlums escaped into the surrounding bushes.
It was learnt that policemen attached to the Warewa Police Division, Ogun State, and the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, and the Isheri Police Division, Lagos State, responded to the situation.
A policeman in the team told PUNCH Metro that no arrest was made.
He said, “The hoodlums have hideouts in the area. When they sighted the police patrol vehicles, they took to their heels. The most important thing was to stop the robbery, which we did. We were able to assure the motorists driving into Lagos that the robbers had fled and that they were safe.”
Similarly on Tuesday, the robbers were said to have blocked the Multichoice end of the expressway attacking motorists in the resultant gridlock.
The Commander, RRS, ACP Olatunji Disu, said the police dislodged the robbers on Sunday.
He said, “The RRS patrol team and the Isheri division went after the robbers. We were able to dislodge them.”
Meanwhile, Julius Berger Plc, the Redeemed Christian Church of God and the Mowe Unit of the Federal Road Safety Corps have started work on alternative roads to decongest gridlock on the expressway.
One of the alternative routes, which had been made available for use, opened up from the Warewa end to the Kara end of the expressway.
The FRSC Mowe Unit Commander, Assistant Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, said the alternative roads would be accessible to only cars while heavy-duty trucks would use the expressway.
One of our correspondents, who visited Warewa around 2pm on Monday, observed that motorists had been plying the alternative route to link the Berger area of Lagos.
A motorist, Joseph Adewale, while commending the initiative, called on the contractor to speed up work on the expressway.
He said, “For the past six weeks, the expressway has been a nightmare because of the gridlock. At about 9pm on Sunday when I was returning from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, there was traffic on the long bridge. I spent almost two hours there. With this alternative route, I hope the traffic will ease. The construction on the expressway should be completed on time.”
Another driver, Simeon Peter, appealed to the FRSC to be at the spot at all times to ensure order on the road.
“If there is no one to control the traffic, the aim of providing this alternative will be defeated,” he added.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the RCCG created two alternative routes at the Ibafo, Ogun State end of the expressway to ensure a free flow of vehicular movement.
One of the church’s engineers working on the road, Mr. Abioye Olujimi, said a barrier would be mounted at the entrance of the road to prevent trucks.
He said, “We are 95 per cent through with the routes. What remains now is to spread asphalt on it. Over 2,000 vehicles had used the roads today and I assure you that the expressway will soon be free. The alternative roads are strictly for small vehicles, while heavy-duty trucks will use the bridge.
“There is going to be a barrier across the roads to prevent trucks from coming in. We are through with the black spots at Car Park C and NASFAT. We are also working on the ones at Mountain Top and in front of Ara Hall in Ibafo. We want to evacuate about two-third of the vehicles on the expressway through these alternative routes.”
The FRSC, Mowe Unit Commander, Ogunjobi, urged motorists to avoid driving against traffic.
He said his men (Click on the link below to read more)
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In the last decade, fashion in Africa has been greatly redefined. African fashion designs have assumed the status of a global genre which holds its own among world fashion.
Indigenous African designers have also claimed their pride of place, standing tall among their contemporaries in New York, Paris, Italy and so on.
In fact celebrities, the world over, have come to identify with African fashion styles. It is no more news that one of the greatest converts to African fashion style is world’s number one lady, Michelle Obama, along with her daughters.
Make no mistake, the Obamas do not take to African fashion just because they are African Americans, but because African fashion has come to give its European counterparts a good run , not for money, but creative ideas.
Check out these latest African designs for example: (Click on the link below to see more African Fashion styles)
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Software Engineer (C++) Job
• Lagos, Market Related
• Job Type: Permanent
• Sector: IT
• Posted on Monday, August 1, 2016
• Reference: 192253
Job Details
We are a management consulting firm and the Nigerian leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses. Our customized approach ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. We are currently recruiting to fill this position. Responsibilities
• Provide insight and feedback as well as well as programming models and overall system performance.
Candidate Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline.
• 3+ years' experience in software development including embedded and server applications
• Ability to write and debug code to run on processors with or without an OS.
• Experience in bring up and verification of DDR memory systems, PCIE, Ethernet, Storage (SAS/SATA) etc. is highly desirable.
• Experience with C, with C++ as a bonus.
Apply before Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 60 Days left Companies may expire jobs at their own discretion (Click on the link below to apply).
<[url: http://www.primeviewsng.com]>

• Lagos, Market Related
• Job Type: Permanent
• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Posted by Hot Jobs on Monday, August 1, 2016
• Reference: 192275
Job Details
An indigenous E & P Company is currently seeking to employ suitably qualified candidate to fill the position.Job Description
• Assure application of the best available economical technology in drilling and completions operations.
• Other responsibilities include well cost estimates, surveillance, improvement of daily progress, follow-up assessments and equipment selection and application.
• Provide rig site technical assistance to Drilling Supervisors during critical well control situations or abnormal pressure detection.
Candidate Requirements
• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering either Mechanical, Process, Materials or related discipline.
• A minimum of 8 years experience in Drilling and Completion of wells with minimum of 2 years as a drilling supervisor on a rig.
• Good supervisor skills, with sound knowledge of well control techniques and drilling operations practices
• Good analytical, communication and writing skills, with PC fluency and familiarity with drilling engineering software. Conversant with relevant software (well plan for windows, Compass especially)
• Proficient in English language, both in speech and in writing.
Apply before Friday, September 30, 2016 - 61 Days left. Companies may expire jobs at their own discretion (Click on the link below to apply)
<[url: http://www.primeviewsng.com]>

I have always wondered what it is in human nature that makes certain attractions almost impossible to resist for some people. Maybe it’s the forbidden fruit aspect or the potential risk that makes it so appealing. One thing is for sure, men and women have been engaged in immoral, liaisons with their in-laws, with spouses of their friends, and other complicated relationships from time immemorial. Whatever the gratification derived from it, almost always goes awry, in the long run and there are always casualties. There are many stories of these clandestine forays ending in fatalities.
Over the years of practicing as a therapist/counsellor, one of the most consistent themes with my clients is related to infidelities with both sexes. Similarly, of all the letters I receive from readers, infidelity rates quite high. What is even more interesting with the letters is the particular type of infidelity that is reported, and informs the topic today. I receive a wide range of variable permutations of unholy alliances with married couples. The majority and the most complex are involved with familial relationships, and bosses at work having affairs with the spouses of their colleagues or friends’ wives. It’s a total mystery to me. I received a remarkable letter from a reader which I will share with you today. Please, read it below:
Dear Gloria,
I am writing you a letter that I implore you to keep confidential because the information can ruin many lives. I give you the permission to share it with your readers but please take note of the thing I need you to keep private. I feel assured and confident that you will honour my request because I have been following your column for a few years and I know you treat people with respect.
I am in my forties. I have been married for over 15 years and have two children. I hold a very high position in society and so does my husband. Before I met my husband, K, I first met my brother in-law J when I went on a trip abroad with some friends. We had a brief but very passionate relationship which lasted a few months and that was the end of it. I was quite young and I already had a boyfriend I was planning to marry, but after four years with my boyfriend A, I decided to end it after I had the encounter with J.
I just thought that what I had felt with J was so powerful that I could not marry someone else if I did not feel the same thing with him. My family were very angry with me but I knew if I married my boyfriend, I would be unfaithful to him.
A few years went by and I was building my career and becoming successful. Then I met my husband. Apart from the fact that my husband’s last name was similar to J’s, when I met my husband I did not know they were brothers. It crossed my mind for a minute but I thought it was just coincidental that their last names were the same. My husband and I got married abroad and that was when I met his brother and realised that it was J. I was so shocked because my husband never said much about his brother and he called him by a different name to the one I knew.
It was a bit uncomfortable and I was not sure if I should tell my husband about my past relationship with his brother. I decided it would be too dangerous not to tell him as it may come out somehow. I decided to tell my husband that his brother and I had just flirted briefly years before I had met him. My husband was a little taken aback but he accepted it was in the past and I had no way of knowing they were brothers.
My brother in-law, J travelled immediately after the wedding but during the wedding, what shocked me was that I noticed that I still had some very strong feelings for him. I just brushed it aside. A few years later, my brother in-law returned to live in Nigeria and he stayed with us to help him settle.
Almost immediately, we started an affair. It went on for a year, and then J moved out and got married so it stopped for a little while, but it started again and (Click on the link below to read more)
<[url: http://www.primeviewsng.com]>

There are strong indications that the police and Department of State Services have received the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari, to carry out full investigations into the N480bn budget padding in the House of Representatives.
Sunday PUNCH gathered on Saturday that the security agencies had already swung into action by scrutinising documents collected from a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, as part of the investigations into the budget padding.
Investigations showed that Buhari, as part of his commitment to the anti-graft war was favourably disposed to investigations into the allegations in spite of his closeness to the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara.
It was learnt that Jibrin, who visited the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Friday, submitted written demands by four principal officers of the House during the vetting of the 2016 budget by the National Assembly.
It was gathered that the lawmaker made copies of the same documents available to the police detectives as investigation into the scam began last week.
It was also learnt that security agencies had started scrutinising the documents with a view to determining members of the House that would be quizzed.
It was gathered that the DSS, during the week, would start the investigation with the questioning of civil servants working in the National Assembly Budget Office and that other affected principal officers would subsequently be invited.
Jibrin had, in his petitions to the security agencies, accused the Speaker of the House; Dogara, his deputy, Yusuf Lasun; the House Whip, Alhassan Doguwa, and the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, of padding the budget.
It was gathered that security officers were banking on using as evidence written demands by the principal officers to establish a criminal case against the House leadership.
Sources said Jibrin had submitted “incontrovertible” evidence linking the four men to the budget padding incident that embarrassed the Federal Government.
Among the documents, said to have been provided by the petitioner, was the breakdown of the amount that was added to the budget which was allegedly to be shared by Dogara and his cohorts.
In one of the demand notes, the speaker was to get N3bn; the deputy speaker, N2.55bn; House leader and chief whip, N1.8bn each; deputy leader and deputy chief whip, N1.5bn each; minority leader and minority whip, N1.4bn each; while the deputy minority leader and deputy minority whip would each get N1.3bn, totalling N17.5 bn.
Other evidence that may be used to establish a case against the house leadership include the document on the N20bn projects allegedly inserted in the 2016 budget under the service wide vote.
It was also gathered that detectives were examining a document showing the 2,000 projects inserted into the budget by 10 standing committees chairmen which was approved by the speaker. The projects amounted to N284bn. The total amount of the budget padding was said to be N480bn.
Sunday Punch was made to understand that the documented evidence, in possession of the petitioner, would make it difficult for the house leadership to escape prosecution for malfeasance unless a political solution was adopted.
Further findings indicated that Jibrin had received the full support of the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami in his quest to torpedo the house leadership.
It was learnt that Jibrin had met with Malami where he was assured of the Federal Government’s support for his anti-corruption crusade in the National Assembly.
A top government officer, who confided in Sunday PUNCH, said, “Security agencies have received the backing of the President to probe the allegation. The President has said that there is no sacred cow in the fight against corruption. You know he is close to Dogara, but he will not stop the security agencies from investigating anybody.”
A source stated that though the government knew that Jibrin was not entirely blameless in the unfolding saga, it would not overlook the allegations against the principal officers.
When asked about the status of the investigation into the budget padding, the Force Public Relations Officer, Donald Awunah, declined comment, saying he did not have any information on it. “I can’t speak on the investigation, I know nothing about it,” he said.
But when contacted, the Presidency said that the President would not ‘interfere with the budget padding allegation in the House.’
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who said this in an interview with one of our correspondents, also stated that budget padding would not occur again in the Buhari administration.
Adesina said the President had made it clear to all those concerned that he would not tolerate a situation where he would present a budget and the federal lawmakers would pass a document completely different from what he submitted to them.
How Jibrin maintains informants at N’Assembly
Meanwhile, details emerged on Saturday on how the former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, ruffled the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers with his ‘budget padding’ allegations for over a week.
Investigations showed that the All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Kano State operated largely under cover since he began taking on Dogara last week, except for his announced brief appearance at the headquarters of the Department of State Services in Abuja on Friday night.
Findings revealed that Jibrin ran a ‘Mobile’ office’ with a laptop computer, mobile phones and hard copies of the 2016 budget.
One National Assembly aide, who understood his movements, confided in SUNDAY PUNCH that Jibrin kept a safe distance from his Abuja residence and reportedly avoided using cars he was easily identified with.
It was gathered that soon after he kick-started his media war against the four principal officers, Jibrin initially shuttled between his Kano and Abuja residences.
However, in the last four days, Jibrin, who had also served as the Chairman, Committee on Finance in the 7th Assembly, stayed under cover in Abuja, coming out only to hold brief discussions with family members and aides before disappearing again.
But, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, denied that anybody was after Jibrin.
Namdas also said “claims” by Jibrin that Dogara sent the police and DSS operatives after him were “unfounded.”
Efforts to get Jibrin’s comments failed on Saturday. He rarely answers his calls or responds to text messages.
DSS seals off Reps secretariat
In a related development, the secretariat of the Committee on Appropriation at the House of Representatives was sealed off on Saturday by operatives of the Department of State Services.
Two unarmed officers of the agency blocked the entrance to the secretariat as of 4.40pm when SUNDAY PUNCH visited the National Assembly.
The operatives barred the Clerk to the Committee, Dr. Abel Ochigbo, from entering his office.
Although Ochigbo and other members of staff were in possession of the keys to the secretariat, they were not allowed access into the office.
Our correspondent observed that one of the operatives blocked Ochigo when he wanted to open the door and denied him access.
The two operatives were among the regular officers posted to the National Assembly by the DSS.
The operative, who barred Ochigbo, simply said he was under “instructions” not to allow anybody into the office.
“No, no; you cannot enter there please,” he said and blocked Ochigbo.
The security personnel did not (Click on the link below to read more)
<[url: http://www.primeviewsng.com]>

Punch reports that no fewer than 100 people suspected to be militants have been reportedly killed as the Nigerian military on Saturday continued the aerial bombardment of Fatola, the base of militants and pipeline vandals in the Arepo area of Ogun State.
One of our correspondents who was around the scene of the incident at the time, observed that the attack started at about 12pm and lasted for about 30 minutes.
Our correspondent counted at least eight missiles fired by a fighter jet, which flew across the creek at intervals.
Another aircraft was observed hovering around the area.
Residents, who were caught unawares, ran for their lives due to the ground-shaking effects of the missiles.
Business activities were grounded and many residents fled their houses for fear of being hit by missiles.
A resident who was on the road when the shots were fired said the Saturday attack was more intense than previous air raids.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, she said, “The air raid started on Thursday evening. It was just a missile that was released, but the effect was serious. On Friday evening, another airplane which flew across the creek released gunfire which lasted for some minutes. I could hear the shots as if they were fired close at me. But the Thursday and Friday attacks were child’s play compared with that of today (Saturday).
“The aircraft releasing the missiles had three short wings with a sharp mouth. It maintained a visible presence in the sky and anytime it wanted to fire, it flew down as if it was about to crash. I never knew the military had such a weapon.”
Another resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that he lay flat in his apartment during the Saturday attack.
He said, “I was alone in the house with my son. The boy shook with fright every time a missile landed. I carried him and lay flat on the floor. The missiles shook the whole ground. I am not sure if I would continue to live here because of this. My landlord left with his family yesterday.”
A source close to the millitants told SUNDAY PUNCH that the missiles levelled the base of the militants, adding that more than 100 people were killed.
He said, “The whole place has been levelled. From the information I just gathered, those killed today (Saturday) cannot be less than 100. I am aware that some of them (the militants) are presently in the waters where they are hiding. They are making calls and seeking escape routes from the place.”
Another source, who asked the military to intensify attacks on the militants, said the militants abandoned their ammunition in the creeks.
He said the men could regroup and cause greater havoc if given a breathing space.
He said, “The heat is on them. One of them said it was because of the kidnap of a monarch in Lagos (Oniba of Iba) that the missile attack was intensified.
“He said he had asked his colleagues to release the monarch, but they didn’t listen. I am aware that the monarch will be released between today and tomorrow, if he has not been killed.
“The military should deploy secret officials in Ibafo, Pakuro, Wawa and other villages. I believe those places will be their next hideouts. They must not be given any breathing space. If they are allowed to regroup, there will be serious problems.”
The acting Director of Defence Information, Brig-General Rabe Abubakar, confirmed the air strikes.
He said, “The joint operation will continue until the area is secure and free from all forms of unwanted and criminal gangs whether they are militants or vandals.”
Abubakar, told one of our correspondents on the telephone on Saturday that while he would not confirm the exact casualty figure, the knew that some of the camps of the vandals were destroyed.
He gave the assurance that the military would ensure the destruction of more camps in the ongoing operation.
He said, “No, we cannot confirm the exact casualty figure in the operation. There are so many camps, and we will continue to destroy them in that operation.
“We have taken some camps. The casualties cannot be confirmed but I know that we were able to target some of their camps and locations.”
Meanwhile, in an attempt to forestall the spate of militants’ attacks, the Onijegun of Ijegun land in Lagos State, Oba Nureni Akinremi, on Friday convened a meeting at his palace.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the meeting, which was attended by all the chairmen of community development associations in Ijegun, examined the solution to security challenges posed by the militants.
A source close to the palace and who also attended the meeting told one of our correspondents that the community had resolved to hire members of the Oodua People’s Congress to man strategic locations in the neighbourhood.
The source added that operational vehicles, motorcycles and walkie-talkies would be provided for the operatives to ensure effective performance.
He said, “We have agreed to engage members of the Oodua People’s Congress for the protection of the whole Ijegun against all the attacks that claimed lives in the community. We plan to hire 70 guards who would be deployed in various strategic points in the community.
“The guards are specifically meant to checkmate militants’ attacks but they will also be working with the existing security men in each CDA. We have budgeted N5m to ensure their smooth operations and they will start by Monday.
“People have made donations and contributions are on going in each CDA. We want to buy three buses and at least 10 motorcycles to aid their operations. We have already bought walkie talkie for them to communicate with one another and they are well armed. By God’s grace, the buses will be available on Monday.
“The operatives are (Click on the link below to read more)
<[url: http://www.primeviewsng.com]>

Bricklayer Abducts Two Children, Sells Three-Year-Old for N1, 500
Punch reports that a suspected child abductor, Ola Ibikunle, has been detained by the police after he was caught with a four-year-old girl in the Oyero area of Ijoko, Ogun State.
It was learnt that Ibikunle, a bricklayer, had held his victim, Eniola, by the neck and was about to strangle her in an uncompleted building when he was caught by passersby.
The suspect, who confessed to have stolen a three-year-old boy and sold him for N1,500, was later handed over to operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Agbado Police Division.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Eniola and her 11-year-old sister, Opeyemi, were following their father, Segun Quadri, to a church in Ijoko around 2pm on Tuesday.
The father was said to have gone some distance ahead when the suspect ambushed the children and abducted Eniola.
The victim’s sister, Opeyemi, reportedly raised the alarm which caught the attention of some passersby.
The suspect was reportedly met in an uncompleted building while trying to strangle the girl.
An angry mob had beaten him up before the police arrived on the scene.
Ibikunle, who hails from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, told our correspondent that Eniola was his second victim.
The suspect, who spoke in Yoruba, confessed to have stolen a three-year-old boy around the Ijoko area sometime in June and sold him to a man in the Sango area for N1,500.
He said, “I am a bricklayer, but I use child abduction to augment my wages. A man in the Sango area contracted me to always get children for him. I don’t know what he uses them for. Last month, I abducted a boy of about three years and sold him to the man for N1,500.
“This girl (Eniola) was the second child I would abduct, but I did not succeed.”
The victim’s father, Segun, said he and the children were already late for a church programme on that day which made him to walk faster than them.
He said, “The incident happened around 1pm on Tuesday. We had a programme in our church and we were late. Since Opeyemi is older, I thought they should be able to find their way to the church.
“I had gone some distance ahead when some people called me that Opeyemi said her younger sister had been abducted. She said the abductor escaped with Eniola to an uncompleted building and she led us there. We met him holding her by the neck.”
A police source told our correspondent that efforts were being made to apprehend the buyer of the abducted children.
“The suspect has confessed to the crime and he stated that he sells his victims to a man in the Sango area. But he has yet to mention the name of the kingpin. Some operatives followed him to the area twice, but he did not lead them to the man’s house. We are going to ensure that we track him down,” the source said.
The Ogun State acting Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said (Click on the link below to read more)
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Punch reports that the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 31-year-old man, identified only as Damilola, for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman on Omole Estate, in the Ojodu area of the state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim, Favour (pseudonym) and Damilola were members of a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and the woman had invited the suspect to her birthday party on Tuesday, July 19.
Favour, a National Diploma holder and fashion designer, was allegedly told by the suspect five days after the birthday party that he had a surprise gift for her.
The two were said to have gone to Damilola’s apartment on Otubor Street on Omole Estate.
Our correspondent gathered that the suspect raped the victim in his room.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Favour reported the matter at the Ojodu Police Division and Damilola was arrested.
The incident was also reported at the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, Alausa.
A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that Damilola had failed to show up at the victim’s birthday party and allegedly lured her to his house a week later.
She said, “Damilola and the lady were church friends. The lady had her birthday on Tuesday, July 19, and she invited all youths in the church who were her friends. Damilola, however, did not come. He, thereafter, called her to apologise and promised to make it up.
“On the following Sunday, Damilola called her that he had set up a makeup party and that the two were going to a restaurant. However, he took her to his house in the estate, and locked her up. He beat her up and raped her.
“When the lady regained her freedom, she reported the matter at the police station. On Monday, she, accompanied by other church youth executive, went to the DSVRT office in Alausa to make another report.”
The DSVRT Coordinator, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the victim had been taken for medical tests.
She said, “The suspect allegedly gave the victim multiple slaps and instructed her to pull off her dress. She was crying and begging. The victim later gave in and Damilola raped her.
“The DPP has requested the duplicate case file. The victim has been referred to the Mirabel Centre, Ikeja, for necessary tests. The suspect has yet to get a full-time job. He is into entertainment business.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest, adding that the matter had been transferred to the police gender unit.
She said, “The case has been transferred to the gender unit of the command for further investigation.”

BRITAIN’S biggest family have welcomed baby number 19 to their brood and revealed they won’t rule out rounding the number to an “even 20”.
Superparents Sue and Noel Radford brought newborn Phoebe Willow back to their bustling home after a 40-minute labour, weighing 7lb 15oz.
Beaming mum Sue, 41, told The Sun it still may NOT be her last baby, adding: “Phoebe is so beautiful and I am happy to have her here safely for now – but never say never.”
This echoes Noel’s comment last month when he said: “We don’t plan to not have any more and we don’t plan to have any more. If it happens it happens, that’s how we roll.”
The family do not claim benefits and keep finances afloat through a successful family-owned bakery close by their home in Morecambe, Lancashire.
Phoebe joins siblings Chris, 27, Sophie, 22, Chloe, 21, Jack, 19, Daniel, 17, Luke, 15, Millie, 14, Katie, 13, James, 12, Ellie, 11, Aimee, ten, Josh, nine, Max, seven, Tillie, six, Oscar, four, Casper, three and Hallie, 13-months.
But they consider themselves parents to 19 after sadly losing baby Alfie at 23 weeks into the pregnancy in July 2014.
Last night said: “Our friends and family keep saying I should have one to get an even number – so round it off to an even 20.
“I can’t rule it out. At the moment I am happy to have Phoebe with us, she is healthy and a little stunner. We are over the moon to have her here.
“The rest of the kids are lining up to have a cuddle, I find it easy because they muck in so much.
“She slept from 11.30pm straight through until 8am last night and that was her first proper night at home, hopefully it will continue like that. She is shattered from the attention.”
Sue was just 14 when she first found out that she was pregnant over two-and-a-half-decades ago – but they were determined to keep baby Chris as both were given up for adoption from birth.
They got hitched four years later and she was soon expecting their second child Sophie.
Just over a year afterwards they found out that they were expecting Chloe – and babies have been in quick succession even since.
Sue’s typical day kicks off at 6.30am and she doesn’t get to bed until 11pm.
Noel sets off to work at the (Click on the link below to read more)
<[url; http://primeviewsng.com]>

Punch reports that some residents living in White Sand community in the Ijora Badia area of Lagos State have abandoned their houses after a clash between hoodlums led to the death of two persons.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the clash, which started on Monday and continued till Wednesday, was between hoodlums from both Hausa and Yoruba dwellers in the area.
The deceased were identified as Ahmed Tijani and Ojo.
The hoodlums from both tribes were said to have clashed during a demolition being carried out in the area by the National Emergency Management Agency.
Our correspondent learnt that on Tuesday, the Hausa community claimed that NEMA officials were demolishing houses belonging to them only, and some Hausa hoodlums tried to stop the officials from continuing with the exercise.
Some officers of the Nigeria Customs Service were said to have come to the aid of the NEMA officials, during which they allegedly shot sporadically to disperse the hoodlums.
Three persons were said to have been hit by bullets, including Tijani, who later died.
The Yoruba community was said to have been aggrieved by the customs officers’ actions and consequently, some hoodlums chased and injured one of the customs officers.
PUNCH Metro learnt that policemen from the Ijora Badia division came to the scene and the residents handed over the customs officer allegedly responsible for the shooting to the police.
Violence was said to have erupted shortly afterwards between the hoodlums from both Hausa and Yoruba groups.
Our correspondent learnt on Wednesday that some residents had fled the area.
A resident, who gave his name only as Akinsile, said two persons died and three other persons were injured by the bullets.
He said, “There had been tension between the Hausa and Yorubas, which became an issue on Tuesday when NEMA officials came to demolish unapproved structures. Some Hausa hoodlums resisted them and they stabbed a boy, Ojo, to death in the process.
“Some Yoruba hoodlums also attacked the Hausa community in retaliation and it became an ethnic clash. On Wednesday, all the Hausa started fleeing the community. The Seriki Hausa is nowhere to be found. The customs officer, who shot at Tijani, was caught by angry residents and handed over to the police.”
Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Four persons were injured. Two persons died. After the shootings, the customs men wanted to run, but the Yoruba people chased them and one customs officer was shot. He was rushed to a hospital.”
Our correspondent learnt that policemen from the Area B Command, Apapa, patrolled the area on Wednesday to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
Efforts to get the Seriki of the Hausa community on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
The Public Relations Officer, NCS, Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, Uche Ejesieme, said the customs officers were on routine patrol when the hoodlums mounted a roadblock and attacked the operatives.
He said, “Our operatives were on routine patrol and they ran into a roadblock mounted by some hoodlums. Our men also saw that some NEMA officials were carrying out a demolition in the area, but they were being attacked by hoodlums. So, NEMA officials called on our men to rescue them.
“Customs men cannot (Click on the link below to read more)
<[url: http://www.primeviewsng.com]>

Punch reports that a trader at a market on 23 Road, FESTAC Town, Lagos, Ikechukwu Alu, has been arrested by the police for the alleged abduction and rape of a seven-year-old girl, Victoria.
It was learnt that the victim had been sent on an errand to buy a voucher (recharge card), but she misplaced it while returning home.
On getting home, she was reportedly chased out to look for the recharge card during which the 25-year-old suspect abducted her on Adeola Street in Amuwo Odofin, where she lives, and took her to a shop in a nearby market.
Alu reportedly made the girl to pass the night in the shop and allegedly raped her.
PUNCH Metro learnt that as he left the shop around 5am the following day, some residents around the area saw him, with Victoria strapped to his back.
The residents, who are aware Alu does not have a child, reportedly queried him on how he came about the girl.
When he could not give a genuine explanation, they were said to have poured ashes on him and alerted the police at the FESTAC division, who picked him up.
Our correspondent learnt that Victoria told the police that the suspect “put his thing (manhood) in my bum-bum” and was subsequently taken to the Mirabel Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
A test carried out on her at the centre reportedly confirmed that she was raped.
The suspect reportedly told the police that he had met the girl crying on Adeola Street and asked her what was wrong.
“She said her parent sent her to buy a recharge card, but it got missing and as a result she was chased out. I told her to follow me to a place and promised to take her home afterwards. She agreed and that was how I took her to the shop. We only slept together; I didn’t touch her,” he said.
Alu was brought before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court on one count of rape by a police prosecutor, Francisca Job.
Job told the court, presided over by Magistrate A.O. Adegbite, that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The charge read, “That you, (Click on the link below to read more)
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Punch reports that forty-seven-year-old Zhen Zhen attempted to kill her lover, Leo Feng, 41, when she set Ernest Hotel in the Ikeja area of Lagos on fire.
The hotel attendant, Emeka Nwaegbo, said this at the resumed hearing of the case at the Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s court.
Nwaegbo told the court that Zhen accused Feng of sleeping with her without giving her food, which informed her decision.
PUNCH Metro had reported that the lovers checked into the hotel on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, on July 4.
It was alleged that the couple smoked and shunned the warning of the hotel attendant to stop the act.
However, around 2am on July 5, the hotel was said to have been gutted by fire.
The couple were arrested by the police and the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.
Although the couple were arraigned last Wednesday on counts of arson, the magistrate adjourned till Friday to enable all witnesses to be present in court.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspects, who could not meet their N2m bail conditions, were remanded in prison.
Present at the resumed hearing were the manager of the hotel, Ernest Nwayerem; the hotel attendant, Nwaegbo; and the representative of the Chinese Embassy, who identified himself only as Olayiwola.
Nwaegbo told the court that the lovers were customers at the hotel, adding that Feng, who was indebted to the hotel, dropped his personal effects, including passport, to assure the management that he would pay his outstanding debts.
He said, “At about 10.30pm, they both checked into the hotel. The man dropped his belt, money, passport and socks with the receptionist downstairs because they owed the hotel some money.
“I was conducting a routine check round the hotel when I discovered that the frontage of their room was littered with cigarette stubs and broken plates.
“I told them to pack the dirt, but the woman started shouting on me; I did not understand because she was speaking in their language.
“I later went downstairs to call the manager. When she got there, she tried to calm them, but they did not listen to her.
“Some minutes later, Feng came downstairs saying he wanted to collect what he dropped at the reception. I gave him everything, except his passport.”
The attendant said as Feng was stepping out, someone raised the alarm about fire, adding that he discovered that the fire started from the suspects’ room.
He said he alerted the hotel manager to the incident.
“When I asked the female suspect what happened, she said the man starved her for two days and that was why she wanted to burn him in the room. She said, ‘Two days, I no chop. I wan make e die.’ ”
Zhen, who spoke through an interpreter, denied the allegation, saying the fire started from a television in the room.
“I did not set the hotel on fire. The fire started from the television in the room. I did not tell the room attendant that he (Feng) starved me for two days; he is lying. We always bought food from a restaurant,” she said.
When the magistrate, Mrs. Bola Folarin-Williams, asked why she did not call attention to the fire, she said she could not because she did not know how to communicate with people in the hotel.
However, the representative of the Chinese embassy, Olayiwola, said the embassy wanted the law to take its course.
He said, “The embassy said the suspects did not come into the country through it. Also, it gathered that their passports are expired.”
The magistrate said the argument of the defendants on how the fire started was unconvincing.
She, however, asked all the parties to meet and agree on settlement terms, just as the hotel insisted on recovering its loss which it estimated at over N17m.
The defendants were ordered to be remanded in prison until they perfected their bail conditions.
The case was adjourned till August 9, 2016.

Why candidates, parents and guardians are deeply worried
Recent developments in Nigeria tertiary admission system have thrown confusion and uncertainty into the minds of candidates who sat for the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), about the possibility of securing a hitch free admission to study their courses of choice in any Nigerian university.
Similarly, parents and guardians are also worried about the educational destiny of their children, particularly as it concerns several policy somersaults of the government in recent past.
A parent, Mr. Jackson Sunday, while expressing his displeasure with the development told our correspondent in Abuja that the policymakers are losing focus by the day. “How best can someone describe a situation where government would announce a policy and before you could say ‘Jack Robinson,’ it would swallow its vomits. That can, obviously, be attributed to inadequate consultation and contributions from major stakeholders in the education sector, and it is very unhealthy for our education system.”
The most worrisome aspect of it is the issue of Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) exams being conducted by individual universities for the purpose of testing the candidates’ academic and intellectual competence.
Not long ago, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, announced the ban on Post-UTME describing it as a well-orchestrated means of defrauding candidates. The statement caused some confusion in the plans of individual universities and also generated criticisms from some stakeholders in education.
The Minister, apparently working on information available to him insisted that Post-UTME exams should remain scrapped, describing the exercise as illegal, unconstitutional and well-orchestrated platform for schools to defraud candidates, thus throwing more financial burden on parents and guardians.
He maintained that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is the only statutory body that has constitutional backing to conduct admission exams into public tertiary institutions, and under no circumstance whatsoever should any institution take over that responsibility by proxy.
“For the avoidance of doubt, any educational institution after secondary education is regarded as a tertiary institution,” he said. “Therefore, all tertiary institutions, including Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, universities or by whatever name it is called after secondary education must be subjected to admission through the JAMB.
“Moreover, there has been no empirical evidence to show that since the inception of post-UTME, universities have been having better students. Rather, students are still being put on probation, withdrawn or outright expulsion annually on the account of low performance even when they gained admission through post-UTME.
“At the end of probationary admission by JAMB, the candidates can be cleared (screened) for final admission. For any institution with a shortfall in admission, such institution can revert to JAMB for supplementary admission. Clearing in this case (screening) entails only the verification of certificates of the candidates, JAMB scores, and any other physical examination to ensure that such candidates are not cultists. After this, the candidates are qualified for matriculation. Such screening should be at no cost to the parents or students and should be done upon resumption in order to avoid unnecessary travels in search of admission.”
The piece of news brought joy and happiness to parents and students, some of whom were denied admission into the university or other tertiary institutions of their choice due to the illegalities allegedly perpetrated by school officials during the post-UTME.
A candidate, Pelumi Oluwaseun, who shared her joy over the development narrated how she had scored far above the cut-off mark on several occasions but could not pass the hurdles of post-UTME because of the actions of the university management.
She explains: “I was shocked when one of the officials asked for gratification. The official requested that I cooperate with them (which has to do with huge sum of money or sexual rewards in lieu) but I couldn’t because I can’t afford it. That is why I have continue to spend years at home.”
Adamu, no doubt, had such cases in mind, when, in sympathizing with parents/guardians who spend fortunes on transportation, hotel accommodation, examination fees and sundry costs, for their wards to gain admission into our universities, said such practice negates the resolve by government to make education affordable to Nigerians.
“I am also mindful of reported cases that some staff of tertiary institutions take undue advantage of the female candidates in their quest to gain admission,” he announced. “In some cases, parents die in the process of travelling to secure admission for their wards, and never live to see those children through,” a situation he described as painful and avoidable.
In response, the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities converged on Abuja for an emergency meeting to deliberate on better ways of resolving the problem. But at the end of the day, they succeeded in convinced the federal government on the need to continue with the screening exercise for students that chose their institutions, after presenting what they considered to be genuine reasons and a compromise was reached.
Few days after, candidates were shock to hear that the federal government and Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) have reintroduced post-UTME, but this time around it would cost every candidate N2, 500. The Minister, through a statement released by his Director of Publicity, Media, and Public Relations, Mr. Ben-Gwong, later clarified that the N2, 500 would only be paid by candidates who successfully scaled through the university screening exercise. This is contrary to the previous practice in which all candidates are forced to part with some money before they could sit for the post-UTME exam.
The AVCNU Secretary-General, Prof. Michael Faborode, said the agreement was reached after extensive deliberations with the officials of Ministry of Education led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan.
As if that was not enough, JAMB was widely reported to have introduced Point Grading System. According to the reports which JAMB later denied, prospective candidates for admission would be chosen based on the points they scored in accordance with the laid-down procedures. But few days later, JAMB denied the widely circulated report, blaming it on mischievous people that went and copied the illustration from their website and fed Nigerians with the information.
JAMB Head of Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin said: “The Board wishes to state clearly that the point grading system was an initial illustration by the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, of how few institutions were using the system to select candidates for admission while other institutions were subjecting candidates to written test.”
He recalled that the recent workshop on the modality for the 2016 admission into tertiary institutions approved the re-enforcement of admission guideline recognized by law, “and this is not the point system that is widely circulated in some media,” he explained.
Dr. Fabian maintained that the 2016 admissions would be conducted purely on the three existing admission pillars of merit, catchment area and educational less developed states.
First step is (Click on the link below to read more)
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FIFA president Gianno Infantino has announced that 40 teams will feature at the 23rd edition of the Fifa World Cup from 2026 with Africa getting two more slots.

In May, the new president of the world football governing body had indicated desire to add eight new teams to the tournament, a proposal that will be discussed possibly in October.

However, Infantino has disclosed this again in a media chat following an U13 exhibition match between FCT and Enugu at the National Stadium, Abuja in climax of his two-day visit to Nigeria.

The 46-year-old assured Africa that will get no fewer than two of the eight fresh slots in the proposed expanded World Cup event.

“I believe for the World Cup 2026, because World Cup 2018 and 2022 are already decided, there should be 40 teams. And out of the eight more there should be at least two slots for African teams.”

He reiterated his vow to fulfill all his campaign promises, especially investing more in football development.

“I promised that the secretary general shouldn’t be an European. “The secretary general is African with Samoura and this is good for Africa. It is about time we try to follow words,” he concluded.
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Daily Sun reports the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has enjoined Nigerians to be patient with government, assuring that the current food shortage in the country would be over in two years.

The minister stated this when Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano visited him in his office.
Ogbeh also disclosed that the ministry has reclaimed all the Federal Universities of Agriculture and commenced the process of training 100,000 extension workers across the local government area in the country.

The minister, who stated government’s determination to stop cows from roaming farms and streets in search of frazing in the next 18 months, commended the serious commitment of Governor Obiano to agricultural sector and promised to support the state in the ministry’s programmes.

He said the ministry would be willing to help the state in fish fingerling production and other areas of the sector to boost food production in the country.

The Minister advised the governor against the use of NPK 15-15 fertilizer which according to him destroys the soil, while encouraging the state to consider the use of lemon grass to tackle the erosion problems in the state.

He further applauded the State for improving its rice production capacity from 80,000 metric tons to 210,000 metric tons.

Earlier in his remarks, Governor Obiano said the State has been doing well in commercial agriculture, stating that it spent almost N150 million last year to boost seedlings.

The Governor who disclosed that Anambra has commenced the exportation of punkin leaves (Ugu) and bitter leaves to the United Kingdom, said about N20 million was used for the training of farmers on packaging of the produce for exportation.

If you have not been able to save enough money to start or grow your business, you may need external funding to achieve this.
Your bank may be an option of funding. But yoi must be ready to meet the following requirements as compiled by http://articles.bplans.com, an online report.
Collateral
Your business has to have hard assets it can pledge to back up a business loan. Banks look very carefully at these assets to make sure they reduce the risk.
If the borrower is unable to present a collateral, he may not be able to get the loan.
Business plan
The vast majority of commercial loan applications require a business plan document. Nowadays, it can be short, perhaps even a lean business plan but banks still want that standard summary of company, product, market, team, and financials.
All of your business’s financial details
They include all current and past loans and debts incurred, all bank accounts, investment accounts, credit card accounts, and of course, supporting information including tax ID numbers, addresses, and complete contact information.
Complete financial statements, preferably audited
The balance sheet has to list all your business assets, liabilities and capital, and the latest balance sheet is the most important.
Your profit and loss statements should normally go back at least three years, but exceptions can be made, occasionally, if you don’t have enough history.
All of your personal financial details
They include social security numbers, net worth, details on assets and liabilities such as your home, vehicles, investment accounts, credit card accounts, auto loans and mortgages.
For businesses with multiple owners, or partnerships, the bank will want financial statements from all of the owners who have significant shares.
Expect to sign a personal guarantee as part of the loan process.
Insurance information
Since it’s all about reducing the risks, banks will (Click on the link below to read more)
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Punch reports that Francis Taiwo, a Celestial Church of Christ pastor who starved and kept his nine-year-old son in chains for months, has been arrested.
The 40-year-old pastor was apprehended by the police from the Onipanu division on Sunday at his church – CCC, Key of Joy Parish – in Ajibawo, Atan, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Police sources told PUNCH Metro that Francis might be charged with attempted murder, among other offences, after the completion of investigation.
“The pastor may be charged with attempted murder. His action was capable of killing the boy,” one of the sources said.
Our correspondent had reported that Francis chained his son, Korede, to the altar in the church for more than a month and starved him until he went into a coma in an attempt to cast out the supposed spirit that made the boy to steal.
Korede was, however, rescued on Friday during a joint operation by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the police, after receiving a tip-off from residents of the area.
Korede’s stepmother, Kehinde, had also been arrested for allegedly aiding the cruelty meted out to the boy.
Korede, who said he aspired to be a doctor, had blamed his father for his stealing habit.
“It is true that I stole a pot of soup and a bowl of eba in our house. I also stole in the neighbourhood. My father’s inability to give money to my stepmother for the upkeep of the family caused it. When I was chained, my father and stepmother fed me twice a day. Some days, I was not given any food. I want to go back to school because I want to be a doctor in the future. I do not want to go back to my father’s house,” Korede had said.
Francis, a father of five who hails from Benin Republic, confessed to the act in his statement to the police, adding that Korede’s mother was late.
He said, “I was ordained a pastor in the CCC in 2012. I had divorced two wives, including Korede’s mother, Maria; she is late now. She had four children for me – two boys and two girls – before she divorced me in 2007 after she gave birth to Korede. I chained Korede because he is possessed. An evil spirit makes him to steal. He needs deliverance. His siblings are not living with me.”
A resident, who identified himself only as Elijah, said Francis (Click on the link below to read more)
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