₦airaland Forum

Police nab 4 suspected kidnappers who demanded N7m from victim’s family
•Man shot dead at filing station
By MATTHEW DIKE
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section

Policemen have arrested four suspected kidnappers, in Lagos, over the weekend, after they abducted a lady, Chi Obi demanding N7 million ransom from her family.

Chi Obi was said to have been kidnapped by Akin Gbenga, Sikiru, Lanre and Matthew. The suspects were arrested in a hotel (name withheld) along Iba- Igando Road, Lagos.

Chi was kidnapped Along ASPANDA Road, Igando, Lagos. The suspects allegedly demanded for N7 million from the victim’s family. Policemen attached to Federal Highway Team got a tip off and moved swiftly to the scene and effected the arrested of the hoodlums.

Daily Sun gathered that the Obis were planning how to pay the ransom to save one of their own when the crime fighters arrived the scene.

The family thanked God immediately their daughter was set free. A police source at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja told Daily Sun that one of the elders in the family showered encomium on the police. According to him, he never expected that the police could be able to rescue their relation.
In another development, suspected gunmen who operated in a Pathfinder Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) shot one Man dead in the metropolis, at the weekend.

The deceased identified as Raimi Abiodun was shot at a filing station (name withheld) on Market Road, Ayobo. The incident which occurred at about 9:00pm caused pandemonium in the area. People scamperedfor safety.
The cause of the killing was not known as at the time of going to the press. A source said the deceased was shot at close range.
He said immediately people heard the gun shot, everybody took to their heels. “They killed him just like that. Nobody can tell the reason for the shooting of the man. He was shot dead in cold blood. They came in a white Pathfinder. Police arrived late.

They chased the criminals and also rushed the victim to a nearby hospital. That’s all I can tell you. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but unfortunately he died on the way to the hospital,” he said.

So if you wanna invest in a tax haven Osun is the place to head to
Just go there, lie low, no flaunting of wealth, make your dough and pay nothing in return

Onlytruth:
Ojukwu's death is a huge opportunity for Nigeria to fix the past and secure the future, but I doubt that Nigeria is capable of higher thinking. Self deceit and delusion of having captured the East is what would likely prevail.
It appears that Ojukwu prevailed on MASSOB to remain non-violent.
Now that he is no more, frankly anything can happen.

The Nigerian authorities has all the powers to re-lay the foundations of Nigeria.
Igbo marginalization cannot continue under any guise.
Nuff said.

Nigeria is no yet ready. Igbos should do their thing and move on. We should create a register online for condolence comments and if financial help is needed, we should organize to give what we can.

xxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxx

If you are a journalist and you see Awolowo today what would you ask him?

For me I will ask why he threw away his famed expression ''Nigeria is a mere geographical expression'' by fighting against those trying to put that expression into practice by forming their own country when they had no alternative.

I am dying to know why Awo fought against Biafra

xxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emerging trend of social almajiri in Yorubaland
By Hakeem Jamiu

There is a social malaise which is gradually creeping into the lexicon of Yorubaland and this is the ugly spectre of hungry children begging for food and alms at social events. Older women are equally not left out in this ugly but strange practice in Yorubaland. It is strange in Yorubaland because the concept of almajiri which simply means street urchin is common in the Northern part of the country. Yorubas use to refer derisively to anybody soliciting for arms in Yorubaland in the olden days as almajiri. The almajiri of the North are usually children between the age bracket of 7 and 20 in most cases. Almajiris are so desperate for food that any unsuspecting visitor to the Northern part of the country who goes to a restaurant to eat but mistakenly left his food to wash his hands is likely to lose such to waiting almajiris before he comes back for the food.


I first noticed this ugly trend at a ceremony I attended a few months ago at Ayetoro Ekiti. Elderly and middle aged able bodied women from Kwara, Osun and Oyo states invaded the burial ceremony uninvited and were embarrassing guests who refused to give them money. Also noticeable were children with their begging bowls who thronged the venue of the ceremony soliciting for left over food and alms. The children were a pitiable sight. Poverty was clearly written on their faces. I have attended many social functions after that and the same trend was noticeable. But I became worried a few days ago, when I attended the burial ceremony of a friend's father in Ilesha , Osun State . They came in various groups and employ different methods in soliciting for alms. There were the elderly women who were busy harassing guests in the name of praise singing and would not leave until you part with money, there were the men with their public address system which they use in praise singing but which is disturbance and yet, there were Yoruba children in the mould of almajiris with their begging bowls scrambling for left-over and at the same time soliciting for alms.


Fellow guests on my table at the event who were also journalists expressed their concern in unison about the growing trend of almajiri of various categories in Yorubaland. They all agreed that it has become a social problem. We started discussing and realised that the culture of begging in the mould of almajiris is alien to Yoruba culture. In those days before the advent of the British, the Yorubas are a proud people known for their hard work and industry. They practiced hoe agriculture and were well known as traders and for their crafts. Yoruba artists have produced masterpieces of woodcarving and bronze casting, some of which date from as early as the 13th century. Many of Nigeria 's best-known artists and writers are Yoruba. Other occupation of the Yorubas at that time were drumming and masquerading which would now be called showbiz. They engage in all the foregoing occupation but a Yoruba man or woman (able bodied) would not beg for alms as it is considered shameful and something akin to a curse. The Yorubas cherish their oriki (folklore) which is a poetic version of eulogizing the exploits of their progenitors which is an incentive for them to excel and even surpass their progenitors. The Yorubas have harsh words for lazy people. Such people are objects of ridicule and butt of jokes in the society. With this background, it is understandable why we became worried with the array of beggars at the Ilesha ceremony.


After leaving the party, I reflected on the scenario of the almajiris in Ilesha and I was able to draw a relationship between Political almajiris and social almajiris. I discovered that social almajiri had its root in the advent of the politics of do -or-die introduced into the political lexicon of Yorubaland by apostles of mainstream politics especially ex-President Obasanjo. The grand Patron of political almajiris who recently passed away was Chief Lamidi Adedibu. Many have argued that his death has led to the proliferation of almajiris in Yorubaland. This is because those he hitherto dole handouts to must look for other means of survival since he is no more. These political almajiris are ready to exchange their mothers for few coins. A new political class of men without integrity and anything goes was created and they became political almajiris who survive on crumbs from their masters. They would rig, kill, maim and do all sort of things to acquire political power. With the ascension of these men in power, good governance became a thing of the past. Our collective patrimony was squandered by these political almajiris. Nigeria has never been so blessed with petro dollar with oil selling for $156 dollars per barrel but Nigeria has never been so poor with a chunk of the population living below poverty line. So versions of the political almajiris are the social almajiris that now invade ceremonies in Yorubaland. With these children begging for alms, a ready made market for thuggery and other social vices is assured. The activities of the beggars are not limited to parties. At bus stops in our cities, it is a common sight to see women most of who are still in their mid thirties, who would strap a baby at their backs and approach men with stories of despair to solicit for alms. Many of them would end up in bed with such men. This is another brand of alamajiri and these are Yoruba women. A violent version of almajiri but which is gradually being tackled in Lagos is the 'Area Boys' syndrome. These are Yoruba street urchins who are semi- armed robbers.


The underlying factor in this new trend is failure of the Nigerian State on one part and the laziness on the part of these women. Most of them don't want to work,  In those days, when everybody's occupation was farming you dare not beg. You must find something to do. But these days, our women and children are too lazy. It is either they steal or beg. In most cases a mother and child become almajiris at social events. So the question now is can a Yoruba man now refer derisively to a Hausa beggar as almajiri when we have many of them now in Yorubaland? The answer is no! This trend must be arrested before it goes out of hand. The almajiris in the North these days engage in novel forms of drug abuse like sniffing of gutter water to get intoxicated, sniffing of adhesives and other drugs so that they are ever ready to unleash terror on the rest of the society whenever they are called upon to do so by the political wing of almajiris. I strongly recommend that guests at public functions must stop encouraging almajiris by giving them money.


But can government which itself owns the political wing of almajiris arrest this trend? Time will tell.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-149827.0.html

Why we can’t tax Osun people, by Aregbesola
By Adesoji Adeniyi 21 hours 46 minutes ago
Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font
Rauf Aregbesola Rauf Aregbesola



Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the weekend explained why his administration has refused to tax the people.

Aregbesola said his people are very poor and tax would be an unnecessary burden on them.

He spoke at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Osogbo, the state capital, during a dinner with representatives of various financial institutions.

The dinner was part of activities marking the one year anniversary of the Aregbesola administration in office.

The governor urged the institutions to assist in eradicating poverty in the state, assuring them of security and a business friendly environment.

He solicited for funds to finance capital projects and programmes that would improve the state’s economy.

Aregbesola said: “I am in Osun State to eradicate poverty. If you are talking about Unclad poverty, it is here in the state. We can not tax anybody here because we do not want them to die.

“Are we going to tax people waiting to die? We were able to save 13 million in the last year, not through tax, but by blocking leakages in the system. So you bankers have no choice than to help us deliver good governance to the people. We need your support to eradicate poverty.

“I am amused about the uninformed comments of our predecessor in office about the finances of the state. They are confused and cannot comprehend what we are doing because they are not financially literate.

“We have the vision, passion and action. I am here to change the fate of the black man through the various programmes and projects of our unusual and unconventional government.

“My predecessor left the state’s account in a bad state. We met a suffocating loan of N18.3 billion, which the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration secured in an unprofessional manner.

“But within a year in office, my administration was able to increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state from N300 million to N600 million and pay the loan through the access of N25 million bond from the bank, with the monthly servicing of less than N100 million, instead of the N800 million used to service the former loan.”

The governor said his administration does not wait for the federal allocation before it pays its workers, adding that any state waiting for it is doomed. 

He said states rejected the October allocation because of President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to deduct some amount from it for the creation of Sovereign Wealth.

Aregbesola said nobody has the right to deduct from any state’s allocation without the governor’s consent.

He advised state governments to exploit other avenues for generating revenue.

Commissioner for Finance, Economic Planning and Budgeting, Dr. wale Bolorunduro said the government plans to increase the IGR to N1 billion next year.

On incessant bank robberies in the state, Bolorunduro said the government has collaborated with security agencies to forestall a recurrence. He said the governor has ordered for five Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and established a security trust fund to combat the menace.

Many of the bank executives acknowledged the governor’s passion for development and promised to support his administration.

They include: Ayo Abina, Skye Bank; Elias Akenzua, Zenith Bank; Akinleye Ogunleye, Diamond Bank; and Boyin Oladokun, Unity Bank.


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/27811-why-we-can%E2%80%99t-tax-osun-people%2C-by-aregbesola.html

If any Awoist here thinks the interview showed Awo in good light, they are mistaken. It simply depicted him as a monster trying to lie through his teeth.

You will not see it due to your Awoism- ask any external person to read and comment on the article.

I have no problem with Yorubas as a people and this argument is only going to end up in circles.

At least Adekunle was brave enough to admit his monstrosity. Awo could not.

I rest my case.

lagcity:
Na wa 4 u oo. Did i mention anything about Igbo coup? He didn't starve anybody, he wasn't the Biafran military who hijacked civilian supplies. He wasn't the Biafran general who sent child soldiers to die on the warfront. Child soldiers for christ sake! Awo saved millions of Igbo lives by ending the war quickly.

The same Awo who admitted to two things:

1. That he signed the 20-pound policy
2. That he stopped the supply of foreign food into Biafra, thereby starving children to death

That is enough to know who was pulling the strings.

lagcity:
I feel like i am talking to a very young person here. Which agreement did they have? Please tell us more about this agreement.
Igbos are doing great because of Awo, not despite him. He made sure their money and property and rent money were returned to them. He stopped the closing down of AC Bank so that Igbo traders can borrow money to do business. He kept all money due to the Eastern state when he didn't have to. What else do you people want. He stated all these while Ojukwu and Zik were alive. What was Zik doing by the way?

Since when did 4 Igbo coup plotters= all Igbo?
Yeah! he did all that after starving 1000000 kids to death.

lagcity:
Awo never promised Ojukwu anything. In fact Awo was the one cautioning Ojukwu to take things easy. Ojukwu kept insisting he would meet at the battlefield.

So you are mad, Ademoyega failed to pull trigger ehn. When it suits you, you'll say he was a principal actor. but at other times, you'll say he betrayed the cause. Since when did one Yoruba's actions = all Yoruba?

Last week, I give my Igbo friend Somto money to buy me Large pizza and a coke. The arsehole brought me Medium pizza and a coke. Somto is Igbo and he betrayed me, so Igbo as traitors! can you see what's going on here?

Since when did 4 Igbo coup plotters = all Igbo? Nice tit for tat, yeah?

I am not mad, for what. Igbos are doing great despite Awo's starvation and 20 pounds

And yes, Ojukwu and Awo had an agreement that Awo reneged on.

Dede1:
You are just hyperventilating because of none issue. The first Asiwaju of Yoruba might have forgotten there were central banks in Enugu, Aba, Onitsha and Owerri. It was a mark of dubious character on the part of Awolowo to hedge his allegation on looting of the banks limited to Benin City, Calabar and Port Harcourt. Maybe there was no looting of central banks or Biafrans were selective or Awolowo was delusional.

Were Calabar and  PH not in Biafra land? Can Biafra loot what belonged to it? Any account of Biafrans looting in Benin? What I know is of Muhammed and the Nigerian soldiers looting in Benin. I will admit this one if proven wrong.

lagcity:
can you pls tell me one thing Yorubas promised Igbos that they didn't deliver? Just one thing.

Like Ademoyega being a principal planner in the coup and failing to pull the trigger when he had to
Like Awo and Ojukwu meeting before the war only for Awo to join the North

ekt_bear:
They looted the treasury of the Midwest region in their retreat. Millions in hard currency stolen, evidently. Spend 3 minutes looking and you'll find several accounts.

Can you help me here? Awo said Biafrans looted CBN in Biafra
You say Biafrans looted CBN in the Midwest
Which do I take, both?

I have searched and cannot see any evidence, pls help thanks.

lagcity:
Biafrans looted Nigerian money. So basically they've got back the money they deposited in Nigerian banks. End of story. Where do you expect Nigeria to write that loss due to Ojukwu robbing banks in the east? Imagine Ojukwu turned armed robber, that's just sad.

Where did that happen? In Awo's dream abi?

dayokanu:
All the pricipal actors in the coup killed except Ademoyega

Case closed. Ademoyega was a principal actor. That will be all for now.

dayokanu:
Continue migrating elsewhere. Just that this time it wont require Black scorpion to go to the Ibo Heartland to exterminate them. it can be done on the streets of lagos, Jos, Kaduna etc

Deaths from Agbero. Your people surely prefer those death from Agbero to being victims of osisikankwu and Vincent Duru

They would rather die in SW, North everywhere else but in the erosion plagued and cursed Iboland

Igbos own 70% of Abuja- El Rufai
Igbos are 40 % of Lagos- Aneke the bird

Live with the mistake of Awo.

As erosion in the SE as flooding and ocean surge in the SW
As kidnapping in the SE as motor park death killings in the SW
Igbos have been migrating all over the world before Awo and the Biafran war and they are not about stopping, until they colonize the entire SW. BLame Awo.

Am I supposed to believe that Ademoyega was in the coup for the fun of it? What difference does it make if he did not pull the trigger?

In any country in the world who gets killed/jailed for life for involvement in a coup? Those who pulled the trigger or everyone known, without any doubt, to be involved in a coup? Twisted history on nairaland

Okay so who pulled the triggers that killed Ironsi, Fajuyi, and 100s of Igbos officers and soldiers?

aribisala0:
2 3 5 6 million where does this figure come from.
i am afraid there is really no argument here just a mishmash of sentiment and disjointed "facts".

the question is of every single person involved in the war why is it AWO a Non-Combatant that receives the gretest animus.
even those that condoned the pogrom in the North do not get a mention. or did he kill those people in the north.

surely there is a failure of logic somewhere.

Generals Gowon Muhammad,Obasanjo Katsina are rarely criticized.

why is this

Because Awo admitted to two things:

1. That he signed the 20-pound policy
2. That he stopped the supply of foreign food into Biafra, thereby starving children to death

That is enough to know who was pulling the strings.

dayokanu:
Iboland is soo prosperous that the people cant live there, they always run away

Some even prefer Boko Haram lands to their erosion ravaged and cursed towns where they would be victims of Osisikankwu or Vincent Duru

On Igbo migration it is simply for territorial expansion which you guys will have to live with since you stopped them from having their own country.

Just like you are victims of motor park touts

How many deaths from those agberos again sef?

bashr8:
south west is the poorest region in the south its no secret ,even lagos have more poverty rate than any south east or rivers and delta, lets not evn talk about the north.

Katsumoto:
That s another lie you tell yourselves. Contentment with one's lot in life is the basis of happiness and not material wealth.

Secondly, the migration pattern is the true indication of economic prosperity.

Hahahahah!!!

Igbos also migrate to the North? How prosperous is the North?

On Igbo migration it is simply for territorial expansion which you guys will have to live with since you stopped them from having their own country.

Katsumoto:
T

Secondly, the migration pattern is the true indication of economic prosperity.

Aregbesola of Osun STATE does not think so, plus the fact of almajirism in the SW, plus the fact that most of the wealth in Lagos are in the hands of non-Yorubas, but I digress.

Why we can’t tax Osun people, by Aregbesola
By Adesoji Adeniyi 19 hours 25 minutes ago
Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font
Rauf Aregbesola Rauf Aregbesola



Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the weekend explained why his administration has refused to tax the people.

Aregbesola said his people are very poor and tax would be an unnecessary burden on them.

He spoke at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Osogbo, the state capital, during a dinner with representatives of various financial institutions.

The dinner was part of activities marking the one year anniversary of the Aregbesola administration in office.

The governor urged the institutions to assist in eradicating poverty in the state, assuring them of security and a business friendly environment.

He solicited for funds to finance capital projects and programmes that would improve the state’s economy.

Aregbesola said: “I am in Osun State to eradicate poverty. [b]If you are talking about naked poverty, it is here in the state. W[/b]e can not tax anybody here because we do not want them to die.

[b]“Are we going to tax people waiting to die? [/b]We were able to save 13 million in the last year, not through tax, but by blocking leakages in the system. So you bankers have no choice than to help us deliver good governance to the people. We need your support to eradicate poverty.

“I am amused about the uninformed comments of our predecessor in office about the finances of the state. They are confused and cannot comprehend what we are doing because they are not financially literate.

“We have the vision, passion and action. I am here to change the fate of the black man through the various programmes and projects of our unusual and unconventional government.

“My predecessor left the state’s account in a bad state. We met a suffocating loan of N18.3 billion, which the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration secured in an unprofessional manner.

“But within a year in office, my administration was able to increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state from N300 million to N600 million and pay the loan through the access of N25 million bond from the bank, with the monthly servicing of less than N100 million, instead of the N800 million used to service the former loan.”

The governor said his administration does not wait for the federal allocation before it pays its workers, adding that any state waiting for it is doomed.

He said states rejected the October allocation because of President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to deduct some amount from it for the creation of Sovereign Wealth.

Aregbesola said nobody has the right to deduct from any state’s allocation without the governor’s consent.

He advised state governments to exploit other avenues for generating revenue.

Commissioner for Finance, Economic Planning and Budgeting, Dr. wale Bolorunduro said the government plans to increase the IGR to N1 billion next year.

On incessant bank robberies in the state, Bolorunduro said the government has collaborated with security agencies to forestall a recurrence. He said the governor has ordered for five Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and established a security trust fund to combat the menace.

Many of the bank executives acknowledged the governor’s passion for development and promised to support his administration.

They include: Ayo Abina, Skye Bank; Elias Akenzua, Zenith Bank; Akinleye Ogunleye, Diamond Bank; and Boyin Oladokun, Unity Bank.

Katsumoto:
Did you read any comments on me whether the retaliation was justified or not?

You responded to me and I did same to you. Any problem?

10 years before the war: Nigeria is a mere geographical expression- Awolowo
10 years later- same person joined to fight against Igbo rebellion to safeguard their lives been decimated in the North
How do I reconcile that?
If Ojukwu had killed him in Calabar prison instead of releasing him would he have been in a position to do what he did to the Igbos?

Aigbofa:
He only safeguarded the interests of his people, nothing personal, nothing against Ndigbo.

And you get angry and mad at me when I say he did that to the detriment of me and mine.

Katsumoto:
And when you are presented with the evidence, you will either deny them, blaming some funny conspiracy, or keep quiet.

Yes, evidence to show that all those individuals he listed pulled the different triggers on the different victims.
Then follow up with the role that Ademoyega himself played. Unless you tell me he was in the coup for the fun of it.
Then tell me that the killing of Ironsi, Unegbe (then Quatermaster General) and 100s of Igbo officers and soldiers was not revenge enough
Yet Igbo civillians were killed in 1000s, leading to Igbos been forced to save their lives in their own country.

Go ahead and break it down for me.

aribisala0:
sometimes you mix emotion to the extent of forgetting reality.

how would the 20 pound policy have affected the outcome of the war .

you know religion is a funny thing we need devils just as much as we need gods
may we all find enlightenment

Not on the 20 pound policy which was after the war but on the acceptance to work with the North to decimate Biafra and the starvation policy he established
What did Igbos do to him before then? If he claims ''Igbos'' did a coup that killed Akintola (whom he was not friends with anyways), what about the revenge killing of Ironsi and other Igbo soldiers in the North? Was that not enough?