serves him right

A former lecturer in the Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile Ife , Prof . Richard Iyiola Akindele, who was dragged to court for demanding sex to pass one of his students , Monica Osagie , on Monday , was sentenced to two years in prison .

Justice Maureen Onyetenu , who had to stand down the case two times , before finally giving her judgement , said regardless of the plea bargain arrived at by the parties, Akindele should be used as a scapegoat to deter higher institutions ’ lecturers in the habit of molesting female students because of sex from engaging in such acts .
She sentenced Akindele to 24 months jail -term for asking Monica for a sexual benefit and handed him another 24 months jail -term for soliciting from the victim sexual benefit to pass her .
The visibly displeased Justice Onyetenu also sentenced Akindele to 12 months jail- term for deleting parts of the Whatsapp conversation between him and Miss Osagie to conceal evidence against him and sentenced him to another 12 months jail -term for falsification of age . The six years jail terms are to run concurrently.
The judge who insisted that plea bargain could apply when public interest was involved , stressed that public interest was against Akindele, saying many female students have been turned to sex slaves by higher institutions ’ lecturers .
“The menace is getting to secondary and primary schools . I am a pastor and a counsellor . I know mental torture many of our female students have been subjected to by the likes of the respondent .
“The adverse effect of such action is huge . Many of his likes have been awarding marks to those students that are ready to warm their beds , thereby releasing half- baked graduates into the society, ” Onyetenu said .
Earlier, Akindele informed the court of his decision to change his plea from ‘not guilty ’ to ‘guilty .’

source : www.punchng.com

The Federal Government asked the United States to be cautious in granting visa to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party , Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in order not to create the impression of endorsing him for the 2019 election .
The Minister of Information and Culture , Alhaji Lai Mohammed , gave the government position at an interactive session with media executives in Abuja on Thursday .
Mohammed said the government was aware of the move by the former Vice President to lobby the US to lift the visa ban imposed on him.
He said , while the US has the prerogative of whom to issue visa , it should be mindful of the timing , in order not to give the impression that Atiku has been endorsed by the US government .
READ ALSO : Senate okays higher institutions for President ’ s hometown, nine others
“We understand and appreciate the fact that it is the prerogative of the US to grant a visa to anyone who applies.
“However , we want the US to be neutral and be wary of taking any decision that will give the impression that they are favouring or endorsing one candidate over the other
“Impression must not be created that the US government is endorsing one particular candidate over the other ,” he said .
The minister recalled that for years , there has been a kind of congressional bi- partisan investigation on corruption against certain individuals which had made it difficult for Atiku to secure a US visa .
“I am sure you will all recall the Jefferson ’s case and the cold 90 ,000 US dollar in fridge .
“We are not unaware that Atiku has engaged the services of some lobbyists to persuade the US to issue visa to him .
“Our position is that if the former Vice President is seeking the US visa we have no problem about it.
“However , we want the US government not to create the impression that it is endorsing one candidate over the other ,” he said .
( NAN )

Divisional Crime Officer, Ilaro Police Command , SP. Oni Waheed, said the public should desist from buying mobile phones from strangers in order not get into trouble with the law .
Waheed gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Ota , Ogun State .
He said instead , people should purchase their mobile phones from well- known outlets to prevent them from getting into police net .
“It is easy to trace cell phones bought from an outlet when a crime is being committed by criminals than the one purchased from a stranger ,” he said .
Waheed noted that hoodlums sometimes robbed people of their valuables like cell phones , laptops and money and sell them to innocent people .
According to him , most of the criminals who indulge in the act usually sell the stolen goods to innocent people , on the pretext that they needed money urgently to attend to some needs .
“We have seen many victims of such a problem and there is no evidence to prove their innocence. “
source :www.punchng.com

I don't believe this trash

young child who was thought to have died of the wounds he sustained from dog bites has woken up as the family took his body to be buried.

Kumar Marewad, 17, left family, friends and locals in complete shock with his sudden revival.

The boy had come down with a high fever after the dog bite and his condition deteriorated after being brought to hospital in the Dharwad area of India.

Doctors had told relatives to expect the worst, as an infection had spread throughout his body.

After hours on a life support machine, Kumar’s family decided to take him home for his final moments, the Times of India reports.

The family said Kumar eventually stopped moving or breathing for some time and they presumed he was dead.

They had asked villagers to prepare for his funeral and had carried Kumar two kilometres when he suddenly opened his eyes, started breathing and moved his hands and legs.

The teenager was rushed to hospital where he remains on a ventilator.

Dr. Mahesh Neelakhantannavar said: “We suspect he suffers from meningoencephalitis, an infection caused due to dog bite.”

Kumar’s parents expressed relief at his apparent recovery and told how he had given up school to support his family.

Police Special Fraud Unit on Friday arraigned Nigerian film maker, Olajide Kazeem, better known as Seun Egbegbe, for alleged serial frauds involving N39, 098,100; $90,000 and £12,550.

Egbegbe was arraigned on 36 counts alongside one Oyekan Ayomide, with whom he allegedly conspired to perpetrate the frauds between August 2015 and February 2017.

The two were arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

They allegedly defrauded no fewer than 30 Bureau de Change operators in Lagos between August 2015 and February 2017, mostly by falsely representing to the victims that they had foreign currencies to sell to the BDC operators.

The police alleged, for instance, that on February 2, 2017 Egbegbe and Ayomide fraudulently obtained the sums of N2.45m and £3,000 from one Alhaji Isa Adamu in Lagos under the guise that they wanted to sell the naira and buy the pounds.

The other victims of the alleged frauds by Egbegbe were Mohammed Sanni, who was allegedly defrauded of N2.46m on 2017 New Year day; Jubrila Ado, allegedly defrauded of N1.257m on September 9, 2016; Hassan Amodu, allegedly defrauded of N600,000 in January 2016; Sanni Hassan, defrauded off N1.43m and £2,750 in August 2015; Saidi Abdullahi, defrauded of N700,000 on April 18, 2016; Atairu Abdullaahi, defrauded of N1m on June 23, 2016; and Abdullahi Babadisa, defrauded of N650,000 in January 2016.

Others were Abdurawan Hassan who allegedly lost N1.46m to Egbegbe on January 1, 2017; Suraju Garuba, who lost N850,000 in July 2016; Abdullahi Mumini, who lost N2.15m in September 2016; Garuba Hassan, who lost N700,000 on January 10, 2016 and Sanni Mohammed, who lost N1.89m on January 29, 2017.

Also, allegedly, swindled by Egbegbe were Barowo Abdullahi, who lost N2.6m; Yahu Alidu, who lost N1.75m; Tairu Musa, who lost N2m; Mohammed Bello, who lost $300; Mohammed Usman, N450,500; Suleiman Shehu, who lost N1.276m; Ahmadu Abda, who lost N2m; Nairu Musa, who lost N1.007m; Sanni Mohammed, who lost N1.6m and $3,000.

Others were Umaru Haruna, who lost N1.7m; Abubakar Musa, who lost $4,000; Abdulrasaq Sanni, who lost N1.7m; Abdullahi Babatunde, who lost N2.77m; among others.

The police prosecutor, who signed the charge sheet, Mr. Effiong Asuquo, said Egbegbe and Ayomide acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same.

However, when the 36 counts were read to Egbegbe and Ayomide, they both pleaded not guilty.

The prosecuting counsel for the police, Innocent Anyigor, urged the court to order the remand of the defendants in the prison custody and to fix a day for trial.

The defence counsel, Mrs. A.O. Gbadamosi, told Justice Oguntoyinbo that she intended to file bail applications on behalf of Egbegbe and Ayomide.

The judge ordered that the defendants should be remanded in the prison custody and adjourned till March 24, 2017 for commencement of trial.


Source : www.punchng.com

governorship aspirant in Anambra state, Dr. Tony Nwoye, has said the antics of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in using the name of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to deceive the electorate during elections would not save APGA in this year’s election.

Nwoye, who plans to contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, said the claim that APGA belonged to the Igbo had become clear to all to be a misrepresentation and grand deceit.

Speaking with newsmen at Nsugbe in Anambra East Local Government Area, after registering as a member of the APC in his ward, the 2013 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party asked Governor Willie Obiano to start writing his handover notes as the APC had determined to take over the state in this year.

He said, “They (APGA people) have been whipping up the propaganda that APC is not an Igbo party, but when we get to the field, we will tell our people the truth.

“Let them stop using Ojukwu’s name to deceive our people. They have used APGA as Ojukwu’s party to rob the Igbo people.

“If APGA is truly an Igbo party, why is it that up till now, it is only in Anambra State that it has formed government?

“Why is it that in the national assembly, only two are APGA and out of 109 senators, none is APGA? Why is it that since the time of Ojukwu, who they claim is the symbol of APGA, they could not win one single state outside Anambra?

“They have been using it to hold our people down; to siphon our money and we must stop it.

Nwoye, who is currently a House of Representative member representing Anambra East, West and Oyi, said his joining the APC was already bringing dividends of democracy from the Federal Government to the state.

He said, “Keeping the state in APGA will continue to set the state backwards.

“We are going to add more money on the N14b already budgeted for the second Niger Bridge. I personally ensured that the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, especially the Umunya axis, was captured on the 2017 budget.

“Iam happy that about N8bn will be appropriated for Anambra section of the expressway this year. This is a road that had claimed many lives. This is aroad that different administrations in the past had campaigned with and failed to do anything.

“The same applies to Anam – Kogi road, which is in my constituency. If completed, it will positively impact on the lives of Anambra West people and I thank God that through the efforts of the chairman of works committee, which I am a member, N1bn has been earmarked for its construction, after it was abandoned for over five years.

“These things would not have been possible if we are not in APC.”

Source : www.punchng.com

Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Tuesday sacked 10 commissioners and redeployed two others.

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi, in a statement indicated that six commissioners were retained, two of which were redeployed to other ministries.

Those retained include the Commissioner for Justice, Yusuf Shehu-Usman; Dr Daniel Iya, Health; Sunny Agassi, Lands; and Mr. Gabriel Aka’aka, Environment.

The commissioners redeployed are Aliyu Tijani from Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to Education, while Haruna Osegba moves from Commerce and Industry to Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Already, the governor has forwarded the names of new nominees to the State House of Assembly for confirmation to replace those axed.

The owner of the chickens which led to a fight and death of a chartered accountant, Idowu Solaja, has alleged that the deceased was the first to attack Segun Irehin and his wife, Sola.

The witness, Clement, told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that 51-year-old Solaja had, on the day of the incident, spoken to him first before heading for the home of the suspects.

Our correspondent had reported that Segun and his wife, Sola, had last Monday attacked Solaja, over a chicken roost owned by them in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

Solaja, who owned a house beside the Irehins, had allegedly complained to the couple that his family was being disturbed by the fowls, which led to a fight.

He allegedly died from the injuries he sustained after being beaten by the couple.

Our correspondent learnt that Segun was an elder with the Jehovah Witnesses.

Clement, who claimed to be a primary witness, said 57-year-old Segun had equally sustained injuries, adding that Solaja, not Segun, was the aggressor.

He said, “I am the owner of the chickens. I bought them sometime in December, 2016 and I discovered that they were dying one-by-one. So, I decided to sell them off.

“I was passing by the road when I saw the pastor’s (Segun) roost. I approached and asked him to allow me to keep the chickens in his roost. He told me that he would have loved to buy the chickens, but he didn’t have the money. He said I could keep them in his roost, but I would be coming twice a day to clean up the surroundings.

“Last Monday when this incident happened, I was cleaning the roost when I saw the man (Solaja) and he asked if I owned the chickens and I answered in the affirmative. He asked who gave me the permission to keep the chickens there and I told him it was pastor (Segun). He asked if he was around and I said yes.

“He went to the door of the house and started shouting. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know who he was.

“It was mummy (Sola) that came out first. There was a lot of noise. As mummy was trying to respond, daddy (Segun) came out and accused him (Solaja) of harassing the family. As they were arguing, he hit daddy and punched him. Both of them fell and he continued punching him. Daddy was holding his clothes and could not retaliate because he is an old man.”

Clement said at that point, he decided to intervene and separate the fight.

Clement, who claimed to be a gospel artiste, said he believed there had been “hatred and envy” between the two families.

He said while Segun went into the house to clean his blood, Solaja headed for the station on the advice of some residents.

He explained that when Segun also wanted to go to the police station, the victim’s wife held him back “so that her husband would be the first to reach the station.”

Clement lamented that he had yet to return to the house to check his chickens which might have died from hunger.

A relative of the suspects, who did not want to be identified, said the Irehins had been living in the area for over nine years, adding that they had been in the poultry business before changing to piggery.

He claimed that Idowu and his wife moved into the area last year and complained about the piggery.

He said, “Last year September, he relocated the pigs to where they eventually died due to bad environment.

“After the fight over the chickens, the man went to the police station and said he wanted the matter charged to court. I went to get a lawyer to bail Segun out around 2pm.

“Around 9pm, a police officer told me the deceased said he was no longer interested in taking the matter to court.

“Around 11pm, I saw a policeman in my house and he said Idowu (Solaja) had died. By that time, the couple had gone to church and I had to call them to explain the development. They came and were subsequently arrested.

“The deceased had an issue with his health and he didn’t think about that before coming to fight. He always moved around with an inhaler; he was asthmatic.”

The wife of the deceased, however, denied that her husband had asthma, adding that it was only an excuse by the suspects’ family.

She said, “My husband did not have any asthma. It is a lie. They are only trying to make excuses. Also, I held the man because he wanted to run away.”

Ummi Hassan sat on the trunk of a felled tree, her eyes fixed on her bulging belly. She was just weeks away from giving birth but tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I was in love with a soldier who got me pregnant,” she told AFP recently on the outskirts of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in northeast Nigeria.

“He was redeployed when I was two months pregnant,” she explained.

Ummi, 18, and her army lover kept in touch by telephone and she hoped to join him one day to bring up their baby in the economic capital Lagos, 1,200 kilometres (760 miles) away in the southwest.

But she said her dreams were crushed when he refused to provide money for her antenatal care.

“I don’t have food to eat, I only eat what I get from friends,” she added.

Ahmed Bolori, the coordinator of local charity the Fa’ash Foundation, said the teenager was one of “hordes” of young women seduced by soldiers sent to the northeast to fight Boko Haram.

“A lot of young women have been impregnated by military officers who take advantage of these women,” he said.

“Before the pregnancy is detected the military officer is posted to another place and he cannot be traced.”

– ‘Not reachable’ –

Kaltime Ari, also 18, said the father of her young son was also a soldier. He gave her money for an abortion but she refused to go through with it, she said.

“I was four months pregnant when he left and I don’t know where he is now. His phone is not reachable.”

Amina Mohammed’s soldier boyfriend was redeployed to northern Borno state when she was three months pregnant with her son, Umar. Now aged two, the toddler has never seen his father.

“His colleague took me to Konduga (37 kilometres, 23 miles from Maiduguri) to see him but I was told he had been redeployed to Gwoza 90 kilometres away,” she explained.

“It was dangerous for me to go to Gwoza at the time because of Boko Haram, which made me come back and accept my fate.”

– Poverty, hunger, impunity –

The three women talk of futile attempts to force their boyfriends to take responsibility, visits to the men’s superiors, being brushed off with excuses and having to survive on charity.

Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency has killed 20,000 and made more than 2.6 million homeless in the northeast since 2009. But Bolori said the abandoned women were just as much victims.

“They are invariably poor, hungry and uneducated which make them ready prey for the soldiers. Impunity also emboldens the perpetrators who go unpunished,” he said.

In October last year, Human Rights Watch said camp leaders, civilian vigilantes, police officers and soldiers had raped and sexually exploited women and girls displaced by the conflict.

The organisation said it had documented 43 cases of abuse in July at seven camps in Maiduguri for displaced people. Women and girls were forced into sex and given false promises of marriage, food and money.

But they were abandoned if they became pregnant.

The government has promised a “discreet and unbiased investigation” into the claims, about which President Muhammadu Buhari said he was “worried and shocked”.

Supplies of food, clothing and medicine have been irregular to those who have fled the violence; many of the women are widowed and the girls orphaned, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

Kaltime said desperate times have led to desperate measures.

“There is hunger in Maiduguri, people don’t have food and have no money to buy anything to eat,” she added.

“This is why many young women like me end up sleeping with soldiers and getting pregnant because they are the ones with money to spend.”

– ‘Really unwanted’ –

Ummi and Kaltime said their parents kicked them out when they discovered the pregnancies. Ummi moved in with friends while Kaltime went to her godmother’s.

Amina still lives with her parents but says their attitude towards her has changed and she is no longer treated with love and affection.

Northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim and conservative. Women who become pregnant outside marriage face rejection by their families for supposedly bringing them dishonour.

“In our culture unwanted pregnancies are really unwanted,” said Bolori, warning of the need to accept the children regardless of the manner of their birth.

“The danger is that the children born by these sex victims will grow to be more dangerous than Boko Haram if discrimination against them is not checked.”

There was no immediate response from the military when contacted by AFP.

There was chaos on Monday on Mojeed Sanni Street, in the Igando area of Lagos State, after a 40-year-old Hausa trader, Ibrahim Adamu, allegedly killed a bus driver, Lekan Adeleke.

Some residents and friends of the victim made a bonfire on the road as they chased away Hausa traders in the community, threatening to avenge the killing.

The men were on the rampage when policemen from the Igando division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Olatunji Ajimuda, stormed the area.

The police team reportedly took Adeleke’s corpse to a mortuary, while the suspect, who was saved from being mobbed to death, was taken to the Area M command.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the deceased had bought noodles worth N230 from the suspect’s son on Sunday around 10.30pm.

He was reported to have paid N200 and promised to pay the balance of N30 the following day, which didn’t go down well with the suspect’s son.

The son allegedly reported to his father, Adamu, who became angry and attacked 30-year-old Adeleke with a spiked plank.

The victim reportedly slumped and hit his head against the concrete edge of a gutter in the area.

A friend of the victim, Kehinde Akinduro, said Adamu had a kiosk where he sold confectioneries, while the son sold noodles beside the kiosk.

He explained that Adeleke had actually paid the balance of N30 to the suspect’s son.

He said, “He was joking with the boy that despite being a customer, he went and reported him to his father. They started abusing each other. At this time, the son was already preparing noodles for me on the instruction of Adeleke.

“The next thing I saw was that Adamu, who was eavesdropping, brought out a spiked plank and hit Adeleke with it. I cautioned him, but he faced me and hit  me in the leg. I sustained some injuries.

“When Adeleke saw that he could no longer handle the situation, he took to his heels. But the man followed him and hit him in the head as he tried to jump the gutter. He fell and hit his head against the edge of the gutter.

“When Adamu saw that he had become unconscious, he took him into his kiosk and poured water on his head. He was doing this when a large number of residents stormed the place.  When he sighted them, he abandoned the man and took to his heels.”

He said the suspect, speaking in Hausa, asked his son to flee in another direction.

“The boy escaped, but we were able to get Adamu. We called the police and handed him over to them,” he added.

The mob was said to have destroyed Adamu’s kiosk and set it on fire after Adeleke died around 12am on Monday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim and the suspect had a close relationship.

One of Adeleke’s close friends, Tunde, said the victim once protected Adamu from a robbery attack.

“But Adamu is ill-tempered,” he added.

Tunde appealed for support for Adeleke’s family members, whom he said depended solely on him.

Our correspondent was told that the victim had recently bought a piece of land in Ogun State where he planned to build a house for his wife and nine-year-old daughter.

A bus driver, who did not want to be identified, said the policemen from the Igando division handled the situation maturely.

“The DPO spoke with the protesters. He released N15,000 for the corpse to be deposited in a morgue,” he added.

A source said a mob invaded the Igando Police Station in a bid to lynch the suspect.

He said the DPO quickly transferred the suspect to the Area M Command.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said investigations were ongoing.

She said, “It was a case of murder. One Adamu used a plank to hit a bus driver, Adeleke, in the head which led to his death. The corpse was deposited in the Mainland General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

“Meanwhile, we have intensified patrol in the area as normalcy has been restored.”

source www.punchng.com

More than 20 people were feared dead after Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on a convoy of motorists travelling under military escort in northeast Nigeria, witnesses told AFP on Monday.

The exact toll from the ambush on the main road between Maiduguri to Damboa on Saturday was unclear, with numbers varying from two to as high as 15 and 24.

But according to travellers who survived the attack and local rescuers, at least 15 trucks laden with food were seized when the Islamists struck at the Korowaso forest on Saturday.

“The attackers appeared from the bushes as the convoy slowed down at a part of the road riddled with potholes and opened fire on the vehicles,” said one of the drivers, Idrissa Kyari.

“They killed 15 people and injured nine while many passengers fled into the bush after subduing the military escorts. They also took away 15 trucks carrying food into the bush.”

Two students from of University of Maiduguri were killed in the attack with three others injured, said a teacher at the university on condition of anonymity.

Masida Umar, a civilian vigilante assisting the military against Boko Haram, said: “We evacuated 24 dead bodies and several injured to hospital.

“Many people fled into the bush and have not been seen despite deployment of a search team.”

Umar said there were fears Boko Haram may have captured those who fled.

The militia member said the rebels were believed to have launched the attack from Sambisa forest, which connects with Korowaso.

– Supply lines cut –
Last month Nigeria’s military claimed to have dislodged Boko Haram from their last stronghold in the former game reserve after a months-long offensive.

But residents in the area have said fighters were still hiding in areas on the edge of the forest.

Military and police authorities declined to comment on the incident when contacted by AFP.

The 90-kilometre (55-mile) Maiduguri-Damboa road was nominally reopened last February, allowing motorists to ply the highway but only under military protection.

It had been closed in 2013 following a spate of deadly attacks on motorists, as Boko Haram seized swathes of territory in Borno and two neighbouring states.

In the last two years a coordinated fightback against Boko Haram involving Nigerian troops and soldiers from Cameroon, Chad and Niger has successfully clawed back lost territory.

That has put pressure on Boko Haram, substantially cutting its food, fuel and weapons supplies.

As a result Boko Haram has carried out raids on farming communities as well as highway ambushes in its search for food and fuel.

Last Thursday, at least three Nigerian soldiers were killed when Boko Haram fighters on camels raided a military post near the home of the country’s army chief in Borno state.

source www.punchng.com

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday disclosed that an aircraft belonging to Lufthansa had been grounded for the past three days at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

He said the aircraft got his landing gear damaged when it landed on bad runway of the airport scheduled to be shut down for six weeks in March for repairs. 

Amaechi disclosed this at the Second Presidential Business Forum held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja and presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. 

The minister was responding to the concerns raised by the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Frank Udenba-Jacobs, on the negative implications of the planned temporary closure of the airport. 

He said there was no going back on the Federal Government’s decision to close the airport to allow reconstruction of the runway. 

He reiterated government’s position that the runway built for 20 years had been in existence for 34 years, hence the need for the rebuilding. 

He explained that the entire architecture of the runway from bottom to top has collapsed and it is no longer safe to use it. 

The minister said. “We are not going back on the planned closure of Abuja airport. 

“I understand that ‎Lufthansa landed and damaged their gear and have been here for three days. 

“The runaway was built to last for 20 years but it has been in use now for 34 years. 

“We cannot do it only at night. We don’t want to loose anybody.  We are not repairing but rebuilding‎. If anything happens, you will ask us to resign and we don’t want to resign.”

The Chairman of Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State, Babagana Malarima, has said 236 were killed in the Air Force’s accidental bombing of an internally displaced people’s camp in the state’s northern town of Rann.

Malarima, who demanded compensation from the Federal Government, stated that the volume of destruction of lives and property calls for intervention by means of compensation for the survivors.

The LGA chairman, during a condolence visit by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Friday, described the death as massive.

He asked the Federal Government to build roads that would link the community to other parts of the state, saying access to Cameroon was easier than Gamboru Ngala, another Borno town 30 km away.

Malarima said, “Our problem since this local government was created about 20 years now (is that) we need a road to link this headquarters to other parts of the state.

“Many people have lost their loved ones and most of them are the breadwinners. About 234 is not a small number. We need to compensate these people; 234 buried by the community.

“And it’s even more than this. The report I received from Maiduguri this morning is that two who are in the hospital have also died, therefore we need to be compensated seriously.

“It was a market day yesterday (Thursday), but it was not like the normal market day. This is a place where our activities are skeletal, but it was at the lowest ebb yesterday.”

Buratai pleaded with the people, saying he had been meeting with commanding officers to ensure that there was no repeat of the tragic incident.

According to the army chief, two days after the tragedy, a group of Boko Haram members launched an attack on Rann, targeting the traumatised civilians and the troops.

He said the insurgents were successfully repelled with 15 (Boko Haram) fighters killed and one captured alive with arms and ammunition.

Buratai, while displaying the assailants’ corpses and weapons, added, “The intelligence information we got from our partners was that Boko Haram terrorists were moving into this place and the information was that they were already in this place. It’s not unconnected because you (Rann residents) saw them coming to attack here.

“It must be the information that was passed to the air components (pilots) for them to take necessary action, and unfortunately, a mistake happened. It has happened before in other places and we pray it doesn’t happen again.”

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order aimed at limiting the “burden” of the Obamacare health law that the incoming US leader has vowed to repeal.

During the signing in the Oval Office, Trump’s chief of staff Reince Priebus described the order as aimed at “minimizing the economic burden” of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, “pending repeal.”

Doing away with Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement is a top priority for Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and, since Trump’s inauguration Friday, the White House.

In their view, Obamacare — which aimed to ensure healthcare for the millions of Americans who are neither covered by public insurance, nor by their employers — marked a costly drift toward socialized, European-style medical care.

Until lawmakers are able to repeal Obamacare, “it is imperative for the executive branch to… take all actions consistent with law to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the Act, and prepare to afford the States more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market,” the executive order said.

The order instructs the US health secretary and other departments and agencies to “exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act” that imposes a fiscal burden or other cost on a state, on consumers, on insurers or on a range of healthcare providers.

Trump has pledged to start undoing the divisive health law on his first day in office, while also declaring it inconceivable that poor Americans are locked out of coverage.

The president has said the law should be repealed and replaced “simultaneously,” a stiff challenge given the complexity of America’s vast health care system.

Obamacare added more than 20 million people onto insurance rolls, lowering the percentage of Americans without coverage from 16 percent in 2010 to 8.9 percent last year.

Republicans are pledging a repeal of Obamacare — which has been blamed for sharply rising insurance premiums — and rapid votes on a replacement bill in order to prevent gaps in coverage and reassure a restless insurance industry.

Only one third of the US population is covered by public insurance — either Medicare, for those over age 65, or Medicaid for the poorest Americans.

Half of all Americans are insured through their employers, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, while about seven percent are covered through the so-called individual market, which serves those who are self-employed or are employees without coverage through work.

Obama’s solution rested largely on requiring that everyone be insured, and providing federal subsidies to those who cannot afford coverage.

Republicans deemed the first requirement too coercive, and the latter too costly.

‎A 22-year-old man, Bright Uwalaka, who allegedly defiled a 14-year-old girl and impregnated her, was on Friday charged before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court , Lagos.
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Uwalaka, who resides at No. 10, Hassan St., Ajangbadi, Lagos State, pleaded not guilty to the count charge of defilement.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the accused committed the offence at No. 10, Hassan St., Ajangbadi, Lagos State, at about 6.00p.m. on Oct. 19, 2016.‎
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Osayande said the accused, who was living in the same area with the girl, called her to his parents apartment and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her and impregnated her.‎
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She said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
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Chief Magistrate Ipaye Nwachukwu granted the accused N500,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.
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Nwachukwu said the sureties should be gainfully employed and one of the sureties must be a civil servant.

She said both sureties should provide evidence of tax payments and their addresses verified.‎
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The case was adjourned to March 14, pending advice from the Department of Public Prosecution.

The Nigerian Air Force is moving a contingent of 200 men and air assets to Dakar, Senegal, which is the base of the Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention (ECOMIG)  to force President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia out of power, The PUNCH has learnt.

This is just as the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, warned the troops on Wednesday to maintain discipline in the operations in The Gambia and to be worthy ambassadors of Nigeria.

The Nigerian troops, which left from the 117 Air Combat Training Group camp in Kainji, Niger State, on Wednesday, will join troops from Senegal, Ghana and other countries in the West African sub-region.

The ECOMIG troops are to ensure that Jammeh hands over power to his successor, Adama Barrow, on Thursday (today).

It was gathered that the Nigerian air assets, deployed in Dakar for Jammeh’s removal, included fighter jets, transport aircraft, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft.

The head of the Nigerian contingent is Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf.

Speaking with the troops before they left their base, Air Marshal Abubakar, said, “No act of indiscipline by the contingent will be tolerated. I therefore urge you to maintain discipline and be professional in your conduct. You must be reminded to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.”

 Other air assets deployed included transport aircraft and the Light Utility Helicopter.

Also, Senegalese troops have moved to the Gambian border in readiness to force Jammeh to leave office.

Senegal reportedly gave Jammeh till midnight to quit or risk being ousted through military prowess.

Wednesday was meant to be Jammeh’s last day in office but parliament had granted him three more months in the post, thereby stopping Barrow from being sworn in on Thursday (today).

Jammeh had declared a 90-day state of emergency, saying “any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, incitement of violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace” were banned.

BBC reported that thousands of United Kingdom and Dutch tourists were being evacuated from The Gambia for fear of an imminent crisis.

Jammeh, who lost in the December 1, 2016 election, had initially accepted defeat. He, however, later made a U-turn, rejecting the outcome of the poll.

Despite international pressures to hand over power, Jammeh had on Tuesday, declared a 90-day state of emergency 24 hours to the end of his tenure.

He warned security forces against violating the order or engaging in acts likely to cause a breach of the peace, and denounced “foreign interference in The Gambia’s election.”

The handing over of power is supposed to hold today, Thursday.

West African countries are seeking United Nations backing to intervene militarily to eject Jammeh, who has ruled the country for 22 years.

ECOWAS has mandated Senegal to spearhead military intervention, but only as a last resort and with the backing of the UN Security Council.

No fewer than 3,920 persons lost their lives in the bloody crises between Agatu farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State between 2013 and 2017.

Also,  property, farmlands and economic trees worth   several billions of naira were lost during the period under review.

The Sole Administrator of Agatu Local Government, Mr. Mike Inalegwu, made this known on Monday in Makurdi, shortly after signing a peace agreement on behalf of the people of the area and the leaders of Fulani herdsmen from Nasarawa State.

Inalegwu when asked to give the actual figure of lives lost so far, he said,  “With the available data in our possession, Agatu communities have lost 3,920 lives between 2013 and 2017.”

He explained that despite the number of casualties, Agatu people were willing and prepare to cohabit with the Fulani in an atmosphere of peace and mutual trust.

Giving an insight into some of the provisions of the agreement, the council boss said that unarmed herdsmen from Nasarawa State would be allowed entry into Adapati Island in Agatu to graze their cows.

He, however, said such herdsmen would not be allowed to take permanent residence in the area.

 Inalegwu added, “It also provides that no herdsman is allowed to graze beyond the Island while they would be held accountable for destruction done to any farmland or farm produce within or in any nearby Island other than Adapati.

“Moreover, herdsmen would not be allowed to cross to Agatu hinterland until normalcy is restored and by extension neither the Agatu nor the herdsmen will be allowed to carry arms and dangerous weapons to the area.”

The sole administrator, who added that the agreement could be withdrawn in the event of a breach, assured the people that military personnel would constantly be on ground to monitor its implementation and when violated the military would occupy the area.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu,  has condemned the killing of 10 members of the Civilian joint Taskforce in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of the state by unknown gunmen.

stray bullet said to have been fired by a policeman killed one person in Olomi area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Sunday when mob after a man was allegedly caught by a vigilance group with a human head in the area.

Our correspondent learnt that after the vigilance group allegedly caught the man, identified as Taheed Musiliu, with a cellophane bag containing a human head, a mob gathered to lynch the suspect.

A police patrol team, however, arrived the scene to prevent the mob from killing the suspect preferring rather to arrest the man for interrogation.

The mob, however, protested the police action by preventing the patrol team to take away the suspect.

It was gathered that the police patrol team fired tear gas canister to disperse the mob after they blocked all the street gates leading to the scene.

But the mob were adamant on executing jungle justice on the suspect. This led to commotion when the mob became confrontational and attacked the police.

Dangerous weapons were said to have been used to attack the police team while their van was vandalised.

All the gates leading to the area were said to have been locked by the mob to ensure that the suspect was not taken away by the police.

However, a bullet fired by one of the policemen hit one person among the mob leading to his death.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect was eventually taken to police custody for interrogation.

He added that one person died as a result of a stray bullet while 27 persons were arrested.

Ajisebutu said the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the command had begun investigation into the incident, adding that the mob were angered because they claimed that the mobile telephone of the suspect had among its contact persons, some names of Divisional Police Officers of the command.

He said, “On the reports that the suspect has telephone contacts of four DPOs, it is possible and there is no crime in having them. Every member of the public should know that DPOs are public officers and their telephone numbers are always given to the members of the public.

“I am the PPRO for the command and many members of the public have my number. If any of the people that have my contact is arrested for a crime and you find my number on his phone, would you say I am a culprit? The police have the right to ensure that jungle justice is not passed on anybody.

“A suspect was arrested with a human head. The police were called. In the process of taking the suspect to the police station, some hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons attacked the policemen, injured two and destroyed their patrol vehicles and attempted to set them ablaze for not allowing them to carry out extrajudicial killing of the suspect.

“The armed hoodlums barricaded the street gates against the policemen. The injured policemen were rushed to the hospital for medical attention. Twenty-seven of the hoodlums were arrested and the suspect found with human head was eventually rescued. The case is currently under investigation by the state CIID.”

The Federal Government has rejected the conditions given by the Bring Back Our Girls group for joining the search for the missing Chibok girls in Sambisa Forest.

In a letter addressed to the convener of the group, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, which was made available to the media on Sunday, the government said it was unable to postpone the trip as scheduled.

The letter dated January 14 was signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

“Thank you for your letter, dated Jan. 13, which is in response to ours of Jan. 11, requesting that we change the date of the proposed guided tour of the North-East to accommodate a Pre-Tour Meeting between your organisation and some top officials of the Federal Government.

“We have also noted the conditions you gave for embarking on the trip which include the said Pre-Tour Meeting and the retraction of some remarks allegedly made by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. – Gen. Tukur Buratai, which the #BBOG finds to be slanderous.

“We regret, however, to inform you that we are unable to postpone the trip as scheduled. ’’

The government insisted the team would proceed on the trip on Monday as scheduled because of the narrow window available to have a good weather on the day.

It said that payment for the satellite downlink streaming of the mission had been made for the day and shifting the date will require another round of booking to secure such a slot.

The government added that apart from the BBOG members, local and international journalists had been invited for the trip, while some preparations had been made by the Nigerian military.

It noted that the remarks purportedly made by the Chief of Army Staff and the request for a meeting with its certain top officials were irrelevant to its request for the BBOG to join in the search mission.

The government stressed that it extended the invitation to the BBOG in recognition of the group’s commitment to the safe release of the Chibok girls in captivity and interest in the welfare of those who had been released.

“We hope that the BBOG will drop its conditions and join the trip which shows the commitment of the Federal Government to securing freedom for the Chibok girls and its transparency in handling the issues of the girls. ’’

The government had in a letter of Jan. 11, invited members of BBOG to a short trip in a military operational flight into Sambisa forest in search of the missing Chibok girls.

In the letter, the government asked the BBOG to nominate three of its members to join on the guided trip out of which two would join the sorties due to limited seats on the search plane.

The government had stated that the trip would avail the BBOG the opportunity to witness and better understand the efforts being made to secure the freedom of the girls and other victims of Book Haram terrorists.

The BBOG had in its reply to the invitation letter requested the government to meet certain conditions before the tour and also demanded for a change in the scheduled date.

Specifically, the group requested a Pre-Tour Meeting with some officials of government and a retraction of some remarks allegedly made by the Chief of Army Staff, which it alleged are defamatory.


http://punchng.com/chibok-girls-fg-rejects-bbog-conditions-joining-search/

In a first of its type, a man has been convicted of rape and sentenced to 12-month jail term by a court in Switzerland.

The 47-year-old Frenchman had had sex without a condom with a sexual partner who believed he was wearing one.

In the landmark decision, the court in Lausanne determined that having sex without a condom if the use of a condom is expected by those involved is considered rape, the news agency, ATS, had reported.

The Frenchman had met his sex partner, a Swiss woman, through the dating app Tinder.

Reports had it that on a second date at the woman’s house, they began to have sex with a condom, but the man later removed it.

The woman said she only realised that he was no longer wearing a condom after the sex was over.

The court judged that if the woman had known that her partner wasn’t wearing a condom, she would have refused sex with him.

Speaking to ATS on Tuesday, the victim’s lawyer said the decision was “a first for Switzerland.”

The court handed the Frenchman a 12-month suspended jail sentence, but the decision can be appealed.

source : www.punchng.com

Sokoto State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Mani Katami says the state government has disbanded the state Hisbah Commission due to crisis in the commission.

The commissioner made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Sokoto on Sunday.

Katami said that the decision was taken on Saturday during a meeting with the leadership of three factions in the commission and the officials of ministries of religious affairs and Justice.

“This action was taken as the three groups had failed to harmonise themselves into one group, for efficient and united operations.

“The state government had given them a grace of over one year to do so, but the groups had failed to harmonise, this is contrary to the Act establishing the commission.

“This had allowed unnecessary bickering, unilateral operations, while myriad of complaints were received from members of the public about alleged overzealousness and high handedness of its operatives.”

Katami directed the Chairman of the commission, Dr Adamu Kasarawa, to immediately hand over all documents and property of the commission to his office.

The commissioner said that the state government would soon constitute a proper and harmonised leadership of the commission.

Reacting, Kasarawa denied the allegations of wrong doing by the over 9,000 strong operatives of the commission.

“This action by the state government is very unfortunate, but I will hand over all items and documents with me as directed, because I am a law abiding citizen.

“It is not also true that we have been operating unilaterally, but some officials were not happy with some of our most recent operations.”

http://punchng.com/sokoto-govt-disbands-hisbah-commission/

LA pH La quench

It was tears of joy for the Ademola family on Thursday as Nigerians from different parts of the country indicated interest in settling the medical bill of the newborn twins of the family.

The babies had been detained over the inability of the family to pay the remaining N150,000 of the N300,000 medical bill.

The mother, Sarah Ademola, had fled Felken Maternity Centre on Awofodu Street, where she was delivered of the babies, due to the inability of her husband, Adeyemi Ademola, to pay the bill.

Adeyemi had told our correspondent that he was frustrated by the development, adding that he was making efforts to settle the bills.

He had lamented the financial difficulty of the family, saying those who owed him debts had refused to pay.

Our correspondent had reported that the matter was taken to the Somolu Police Station, where a Divisional Police Officer planned to mediate.

However, after the report hit the newsstand on Thursday, many Nigerians indicated interest in settling the bills, as well as helping the family.

Among those who showed interest were the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Bolanle Ambode; a member of the Senate representing Lagos East, Senator Gbenga Asafa; a retired military officer, Gen. Oviemo Ovadje; and  non-governmental organisations, among others.

Some other Nigerians outside the country were also said to have called the hospital to indicate willingness to pay the bill.

Our correspondent was told on Thursday that it was one of the NGOs that visited earlier on Thursday that eventually paid the money, just as Asafa gave the babies N100,000.

The matron of the hospital, Mrs. Gloria Akinbobola, said, “Immediately the report came out this morning, an NGO came and transferred the balance into our account. They also promised to give the family N50,000 to take care of the babies.

“They don’t want to be identified. We have received calls from many other people. A lot of them have been making promises.”

A representative of Senator Asafa, Kanmi Adebowale, said the N100,000 gift was for the upkeep of the girls, adding that the senator decided to support the family because they lived within his senatorial district.

When our correspondent contacted Adeyemi, he said he had found the mother of the twins, saying she had been taken to her hometown in Agbowa, Lagos State.

He said, “We are grateful to Nigerians. We have found the mother of the twins, but the problem is that she is terribly sick and has been taken to her hometown in Agbowa.”

When our correspondent reached out to Sarah, she said, “I didn’t abandon my twins. I had to flee the maternity centre because I was not well taken care of.

“All they were interested in was their money. They said they would not attend to me until their N300,000 was complete. I was abandoned in the place.

“After we borrowed N70,000 from the cooperative society, they still didn’t attend to me. I had to run away to find solution to my health.

“I am in a place where they are treating me now. Please pray for me to survive. I am dying. I don’t want to die. I want to live to take care of my babies. I want to reap the fruit of my labour.”

The Oluwo Oke of Iwo Oke, Oba Kadiri Adeoye, has withdrawn the case he  instituted against the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, before the Osun State Magistrates’ Court. 

Oba Adeoye confirmed the withdrawal of the case to our correspondent  on the telephone on Thursday.

With this, the case is expected to be struck out tomorrow Friday which is the next adjourned date but the Magistrate, Mr. Olusola Aluko, has vowed  to see the case of contempt against the Oluwo to the end. 

The monarch said he decided to withdraw, the case following several appeals from prominent persons from within and outside the state.

He said, “It is true that I have withdrawn the case. I had to do that to honour prominent personalities, who have been begging me to do so. The governor also intervened and some notable people in the country.

“These are the people, who God has given this country to and it will look as if I have an ulterior motive if I insist on going ahead with the case.”

Oba Kadiri had accused the Oluwo of sponsoring hoodlums, who vandalised his shopping complex among sundry criminal allegations. 

Governor Rauf Aregbesola  had on Tuesday at an inter-religious service held to commence  the New Year made a veiled appeal to the Oluwo Oke to drop the case. 

Aregbesola said, ” Oluwo Oke, Awo ni n gba  ‘wo nigbowo. B’ awo ‘o ba  gba ‘wo ni gbowo, awo a te.” 

The Yoruba adage means that the initiated ones do assist one another if not they would be subjected to ridicule. 

The governor repeated this for about four times and the Oluwo Oke later went to give the governor a piece of paper after which the governor said the monarch had acceded to his demand. 

source: www.punchng.com

The Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative has invited the management of Chi Limited to explain the circumstances surrounding the killing of two of its workers by policemen.

It was learnt that the ministry, in a letter to the company on Wednesday, asked the management to “unfailingly” appear before it on Thursday.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported that some policemen on Saturdayopened fire on protesting casual workers of the company during which 19-year-old Daniel Osikoya and another worker were killed.

However, the Lagos State Police Command, in its reaction,  said the workers had thrown caustic soda at the policemen, inflicting injuries on an inspector.

The casual workers had protested against what they termed discrimination between them and regular workers, saying the management only catered to the welfare of the regular employees.

They said the company did not give them New Year packages, which were allegedly given to full-time workers, adding that they decided to take away a carton of the company’s products each as end of the year gifts.

They were about to move the cartons out of the factory gate when the policemen confronted them.

A source at the ministry told The PUNCH on Wednesday that representatives of the company would appear at the ministry’s office in Alausa Ikeja, to explain the role of the firm in the incident.

“The commerce and industry ministry has invited the management of Chi Limited to explain what led to the killing of the workers. The Lagos State Government will see that justice is done in the case,” the source said.

The Head of Public Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, Sola Ogunmosunle, confirmed the invitation, saying investigations were on.

Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, in this interview with FEMI MAKINDE accused the Oluwo Oke of Iwo Oke, Oba Kadiri Adeoye, of being used to tarnish his image

Is it true that Oluwo Oke is senior to the throne of Oluwo?

If it is true that Iwo Oke is not under Iwo, the plausible question to ask is why Iwo Oke is within Iwo land? Why is it not a separate town? Iwo Oke is under Iwoland just like Ogbaagba, Telemu, Ile ‘gbo, Asamu, Ikire Ile Ile, Ajaga Aase. I have more than 29 kings under me and Oluwo Oke is one of them. He is part of Iwo Traditional Council; he is under my authority. The Oluwo gave him the land and the crown. I am the consenting authority. He became an Oba in 2008 and it was through the Oluwo, Tadese.

What is the relationship between Iwo and Iwo Oke?

In those days, there were wars all over the land. Stronger kings would raid others and conquer their land and capture their people as slaves and take their possessions. Owu was the first to break then. There was war in Oyo and other places. But Iwo was the only place that was never ravaged by any war. The Fulani war, as fierce as it was, never got to Iwo. This was as a result of divine arrangements and we had warriors.

So, when the great towns broke up and the people saw that Iwo was peaceful, they were attracted to Iwo. As the people came, they were given lands by Iwo leaders to settle. Ilemowu is one, Kuta, Ile ‘gbo, Asamu, Telemu, Ogbaagba, these are all Owu people.

So, are you saying Iwo Oke people are from Owu?

Let me explain to you. The peace attracted many people. We used to appoint Olubadan from here in Iwo. It was not that we would ask them to nominate a candidate but we would appoint somebody from here and send him to Ibadan to be the Olubadan. The first Baale in Ibadan, Baale Olugbode, was sent from Iwo to be baale in Ibadan. Orowusi, Oderinlo were sent to rule in Ibadan. It was so because Ibadan people believed that Iwo people were very powerful. Bashorun Ogunmola went from Feisu here in Iwo to Ibadan. Balogun Ali Iwo also went from Iwo to be king in Ibadan.

Many people were not happy with the way I traced my origin back to Ife early this year. Our mother, Luwo Gbagida, who was the 16th Ooni of Ife, got married to Obaloran. Obaloran was a chief in Ife. Obaloran just became an Oba under Oba Sijuwade. Luwo gave birth to Telu and Luwo later became the Ooni. But Telu became a prince by the virtue of his mother becoming the Ooni. Obaloran had so many wives and the person who later came to the present Iwo Oke was one of the many wives of Obaloran. Obaloran was not an Oba then so he had no crown so also Telu did not have any crown.

But Luwo gave a crown to Telu, her eldest son, and asked him to proceed to a place where a creature that talks like humans live. That creature is the parrot. Telu, the first, did not get to the present day Iwo. He died at Igbo Orita just like Moses also did not get to the Promised Land in the Bible.

So, to put simply, Oluwo Oke is not a son of Luwo Gbagida. He is a son of Obaloran, he was given birth to by one of the wives of Obaloran and not Luwo Gbagida, who was the 16th Ooni. They came when they learnt that their step brother had become a king and we settled them just like we settled others, who came for help. So, where did he bring his crown from? He can’t say that he brought his crown from Ile-Ife and still be under Iwo land. Iwo Oke is just like Iyanfoworogi and other communities under Ife. Iwo Oke is not like Ila Orangun and Oke Ila. His own is quite different from that. Oluwo Oke prostrated before Oba Tadese that he should help him talk to ex-Governor (Olagunsoye) Oyinlola so that the state government could give him recognition as an Oba. He is a third- class Oba while I am a first-class paramount ruler.

Is it true that you and some thugs went and vandalised Oluwo Oke’s shopping complex in Iwo town?

That is a lie. Do you see me as a violent person? Don’t you see the people on my entourage? Have you ever seen a thug among them? Oluwo Oke was rude to me in Ife. We were at a function and some of the Obas present asked him to greet his father (me) but he became angry. They told him that Oluwo was his father, being the paramount ruler in Iwoland.

Is it true that you travelled to the United States and was deported because of a crime?

That case is in court and I don’t want to comment on any case in the court. It is all a calculated attempt to bring me down but I cannot be brought down.

How about the allegation that you are into advanced fee fraud?

I have said I don’t want to comment on any case before the court. Is it reasonable that a first- class paramount Oba will be involved inyahoo yahoo? How much do I want to gain from it? Even if I am hungry, I have goodwill and influence, so I can never think of that. Oluwo Oke is using all these to seek cheap publicity. He and those using him are baffled by the kind of media attention I get. But this did not come by tarnishing people’s image. It is through service to the people.

I brought medical equipment worth over N1.5bn for a hospital in Iwo land . I brought them from Canada. The equipment will be moved to the hospital as soon as the state government completes the renovation of the hospital. The governor has been of assistance in most of these programmes I am doing for my people.

So, if I need money, can’t I sell part of this equipment instead of getting involved in fraud? It is all a calculated attempt to bring me down but they will fail.

Is it true that you can no longer travel back to Canada?

I am a Canadian citizen. Why won’t I be able to travel to Canada? Canada is my second home. It is like you are telling a Nigerian outside the country that he or she can no longer come back to Nigeria. It is not correct. Let me tell you, Iwo will soon become a renegade province of Canada.

People just fabricate all kinds of lies to tarnish my image. They are using him to tarnish my image but I am not bothered because this is one of the prices I have to pay for being a leader.

I feed my people three times in a week. I rehabilitated the road linking Iwo to Osogbo from Ibadan. The road was abandoned for many years and within one year I came and rehabilitated it, now motorists are plying the road day and night.

How much did you spend on that road before it became motorable again?

I don’t have it here but we have spent millions. We used cement to patch the potholes and the ditches on the road. It is the same technology that was used overseas. The maintenance of road constructed with cement is very easy.  It doesn’t break. I heard Dangote used it for the road he constructed.

Why was Oluwo Oke’s SUV vandalised by your people?

That is another lie. But the case is also in the court. However, he lied and said the vehicles were attacked. The SUV had an accident. He went and told the court that the car was vandalised by thugs. Do I have thugs? I don’t! Let us leave this case also because it is before the court.

Will you appear in court now due to the court order?

I have said that I don’t want to comment on the case before the court. The commissioner of police was also represented in court but no warrant was issued against him. My lawyers are always in court and one of the kings under me represents me.

Aside these facts, my lawyers have filed applications for stay of proceedings, notice of appeal and application on jurisdiction of the court. The court should have heard the application on jurisdiction but this did not happen.

What informed the empowerment programme for 10,000 youths?

We gave those who have been trained but who do not have tools to work with the right tools. Those who don’t have training will be trained before they will be given various tools for their jobs, that is what I want to be known for and not a king who grabs the land of his subject or snatches their wives. Obaship position is about service and all of us ( Obas) must begin to use our thrones for that purpose.

You recently traced your root to Ife and said Oluwo could become the Ooni of Ife. How possible is this?

 I told my children that they can become the Ooni in the future. I wish the present Ooni of Ife long life and good health. He will reign for long. But what I said is true. This should not cause any crisis.

We should see ourselves as one and not fighting among themselves. It’s like you are using a weapon to beat yourself, people will think you have gone mad.

We need to use our position to better the lives of our people and not to be selfish and show off our wealth while our people are suffering. I am redefining monarchy with all I am doing. Oduduwa was neither the first Yoruba man nor the first king. He became the greatest through service to the people. He played a fatherly role.

Kings should not be about snatching your subject’s wife or grabbing their lands, because they are your children. I am embracing the practice of Oduduwa. We have not seen a leader in Yoruba among the kings since the exit of Oduduwa.

There are some kings who go to a town and use lesser kings to bring the prominent ones down. They try to bring down other kings.

I am not fighting the Oluwo Oke or Iwo Oke. He is the one telling lies and being used by others to bring me down. I don’t have thugs. I don’t have miscreants. I cannot be brought down. All I am doing is for the development of my people.

Widely known as the Wicked Producer, Udomboso John Saviours aka Young John is indeed ruthless when it comes to making beats.

With his signature on several hits like Olamide’s Story for the gods,Bobo, and Kiss Daniel’s Mama, among others, he is indeed one of the most sought after producers in the country.

In an exclusive chat with Sunday Scoop, the beat-maker spoke on the origin of his name. “The name came from God because I never sat down to form the name or write it down, and that’s why I give all credit to the Almighty,” he said.

Sharing his plans for 2017, the Akwa Ibom State-born entertainer said, “By the grace of God, my 2017 is going to be bigger than 2016 because I have a lot of things under wraps for this year. I just implore my fans to stick with me and watch out.”

On why he prefers to work with YBNL, he said, “YBNL is family to me; that’s why I always work with them most and put them first. But I also work with other artistes such as Kiss Daniel. I don’t have affinity for any particular type of song and I’m open to producing any genre of music.”

Listing the artistes he’ll like to work with going forward, he said, “I want to work with 2face, Wizkid, and other top artistes in the industry.”

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Saturday thanked Lagosians for the massive support given to his administration in 2016.

Ambode, in his New Year message, promised to would work assiduously to ensure that the state is taken to the next pedestal in 2017, especially in the area of physical and social infrastructural development.

He assured the residents of the state that he remained totally committed to his promise to deliver a vibrant, non-discriminatory, clean, prosperous and safer Lagos.

“The state witnessed significant improvements in its performance indices due to the massive investment on its tripod of security, infrastructure and job opportunities in 2016.

“More emphasis will be placed on sustaining the growth in 2017 through people-oriented programmes and policies which cut across education, health, agriculture, housing, tourism, environment, among others.

“In 2017, we shall carry out fundamental reforms on all our modes of transportation – roads, water and the walkways.

“In this wise, an integrated transport management system is a priority.”

Ambode said his administration would embark on the urbanization of the Marina axis, waterways channelisation, establishment of more parks and gardens as well as community sports centres and stadia in different locations across the state.

He urged residents to continue to cooperate with his administration, especially in the area of prompt payment of taxes.

The governor also charged residents to continue to keep the peace, saying that it was only in an atmosphere of peace and stability that meaningful projects and programmes could be carried out.

He assured that the government would continue to judiciously distribute the state’s commonwealth and ensure that the ongoing social and infrastructural development got to every part of the metropolis.

Ambode said as the state prepares to celebrate the golden anniversary of its creation, all hands must be on deck to ensure that the prosperity of the past five decades is sustained.

“I promised Lagosians a government of inclusion; I do not intend to renege on that promise.

“We will continue to work 24 hours round the clock to deliver on our promise to ensure a Lagos that works for all.”


source : www.punchng.com

The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, has said that the days of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, are numbered, calling on his remaining members to surrender to the troops.

This is just as no fewer than 15 Boko Haram insurgents were killed by troops on Friday in a battle at Rann in Borno State.

Sources said five soldiers were also critically injured.

The Director, Defence Information, Brig.Gen. Rabe Abubakar, in an interview with our correspondent, said arrested Boko Haram members were already supplying the military with vital information.

Abubakar added that Boko Haram members should not allow Shekau to deceive them any longer, as his days were numbered.

He said, “The Boko Haram insurgents are applying medicine after death. After all, we are aware that such video was done before we took over Sambisa Forest. Therefore, the release of the video is not surprising to us.

“The insurgents are defeated and those arrested are giving us the vital information that will aid our mop-up operations in the area.

“We are going to convert the forest to a training camp soon. Shekau is a coward and we will trail him to anywhere he is hiding. He is definitely not in the Sambisa Forest of Borno State. We are calling on the remnants of the Boko Haram sect to surrender for their safety before it is late. They should not allow Shekau to deceive them as his days are numbered. The public should disregard all the antics of the terrorists.”

In the battle at Rann, which reportedly started as a gun fight between troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole and the insurgents at about 6am, it was learnt that no fewer than 15 of the Boko Haram members were killed.

A military source said troops also recovered weapons from the dead insurgents.

He said, “The gun battle lasted for about three hours. The terrorists actually planned to launch a surprise attack on the soldiers. Fortunately, the insurgents were the more hit.

“Troops from the 3 and 112 task force battalions in Rann were the soldiers who repelled the attack. Weapons ranging from AK 47 rifles, magazines, FN rifles to Improvised Explosive Devices were recovered from the insurgents.”


www.punchng.com
http://punchng.com/dhq-says-shekaus-end-near-15-terrorists-killed-borno/