₦airaland Forum

A businesswoman, Modupeoluwa Oyetoso, has been mourning the death of her fiancé, who was shot by suspected herdsmen at the Lanlete area of Ibarapa East LGA in Oyo State. PUNCH Metro gathered that the lovers were returning from the farm when the 4 suspects waylaid them around 5pm. While the fiancé was attempting to manoeuvre to escape the attack, one of the gunmen reportedly shot him.

“The bullet hit my fiancé at the back of his head. I didn’t know what to do, as the blood was rushing out of his head. I thought I could save him, so I attempted applying pressure to stop the blood, but I couldn’t do it because the car, which was still in motion, was about to hit a tree,” Oyetoso said during an interview with @twinklefiles on Youtube.

After managing to stop the vehicle, the assailants reportedly caught up with the businesswoman, whisked her away into a nearby forest and abandoned her fiancé for dead. While in the forest, Oyetoso explained that the suspects “brought out a rope, tied my hands and one of them used the rope to pull me, while another one at the back was hitting me anytime I slowed down as we were running to leave the scene. When I slumped, they beat me and pulled me up. I had to summon the strength to run with them as it was raining.”

PUNCH Metro was told that when the suspects got to a safe location, they instructed Oyetoso to contact her parents and demanded N50m for her release. She said, “When we got to a place, they brought out my fiancé’s phone, removed his SIM card, inserted it into another phone and asked me to call my parents to inform them that they wanted N50m for my release. My dad started pleading with them and they told him that if he wanted to see me alive, he should find it. They spoke with him in Yoruba, but they communicated with themselves using another language.

“I farm in a place where we have a lot of Fulani settlers; I am familiar with them. They (suspects) were dressed like them, so, I know they were Fulani. In the forest, they told me they don’t have cattle and that the only thing they do is to kidnap for money. They said next time I see robbers, I should stop instead of running because what they want is just money. One of them even told me to take what happened as fate and at that point, I realised that they were thinking about my fiancé.

“The rain started and ended while we were in the forest. There was no shelter, and when we got to a particular point, there was a river and the current was heavy. One of them went through it first; I was shorter than them and when they told me to come around, I was really scared. My hands were tied, as I walked through the river and one of them just held on to the rope and pulled me as I passed through the river to get to the other side.”

When Oyetoso ‘s parents were not forthcoming with the ransom the next day, the suspects reportedly threatened to kill and sell her body parts. “My dad kept begging them that it was a Saturday and no one keeps cash in the house. He explained to them that he was retired and did not know how he could raise the money and one of them shot in my direction because he felt my dad was taking them for a ride. They said if they did not get the money, they would kill me and get buyers for the body parts.

“My dad got to Eruwa around 9pm; he called them and 3 of them went to meet him and they left me with one of them. They told him to go to 3 different locations before they told him to drop the money somewhere; they wanted to know if he was being followed. After dropping the money, they told him to move ahead and after picking the money, they called the guy with me to bring me. While on the way to meet my dad, I met them counting the money. It took me about 15 minutes to get to my dad,” she added.

However, in a series of tweet, which was reposted on Instablog9ja, Oyetoso decried the state of insecurity in the Lanlete area, adding that two people were kidnapped a few days after she was released. Using her Twitter handle @Doopeh, she wrote, “The Ibadan branch of the poultry association of Nigeria reported that more than 10 of their members have been victims within the past 5 months. Our story needs to come out, because there is so much that isn’t said about kidnapping.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Gbenga Fadeyi said, “Prior to the incident, we had massive deployments of police tactical teams on the routes. Several arrests have been made, with suspects paraded and charged for kidnappings, armed robberies, among others. We also have collaborations with quasi-security groups, including vigilantes and hunters, to comb the bushes around the area. Stakeholders’ meetings have also been organised in that area.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/how-herdsmen-killed-my-fiance-kidnapped-me-oyo-female-farmer/

A security guard, Lawrence Ajigboye, has been arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly shooting a car owner, Obasi Ogbonaya, in the thigh around the Energy filling station in the Irawo area on the Ikorodu Road.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Obasi parked his Honda Pilot SUV in front of the filling station and left to do something in the area but when he returned, he discovered that one of the tyres had been deflated. Annoyed by the development, Obasi reportedly asked the people around for who deflated his tyre and approached Lawrence, a senior security guard in the area, to get an answer.

The encounter, however, took another dimension when Lawrence suddenly brought out his rifle and allegedly shot Obasi in his right thigh. Obasi was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital good Samaritans in the area. A source told our correspondent that the Owode-Onirin Police Division was contacted and policemen, who were mobilised to the scene of the incident, apprehended Lawrence and recovered the gun he used in perpetrating the crime from him.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation. He stated that the victim was demanding to know the person who deflated the tyre of his vehicle when the suspect shot him in the thigh, adding that the victim reported the incident after being treated in hospital.

Elkana stated, “On July 25, 2020, around 1.30pm, one Obasi Ogbonaya, 33, of No. 16 Ogedengbe Street, off Kukoyi Church Street, Alapere, Ketu, reported at the station that around 1pm, he parked his Honda Pilot SUV with number plate SMK 321 EV in front of the Energy filling station, Irawo bus stop, Ikorodu, and left.

“When he returned, he was asking the security guard, one Lawrence Ajigboye, about the vehicle’s tyre that was deflated. Suddenly, the security guard shot him in his right thigh and he sustained an injury. He was immediately rushed to a hospital for medical treatment. The suspect was arrested and a double-barrelled gun with two cartridges was recovered to the station. The case has been transferred to the SCIID, Panti, for further investigation.”

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/lagos-security-guard-shoots-motorist-over-deflated-tyre/

EQUITY RESEARCH NOTES: MTNN EARNINGS REVIEW H1-2020

Attached is our preliminary view on MTNN performance for H1-2020 and forecast.

Key highlights of the note:

H1 2020: Revenue sustains uptrend but leverage concerns crystallize.
-- Revenue growth: 12.5% y/y.
-- H1 2020 EBITDA: Climbed 8.2% y/y despite devaluation pressure.
-- Profit before tax: Declined 2.0% y/y, slowed by high finance costs.
-- Net Income: Below forecast on higher effective tax rate/finance cost.
-- Interim Dividend: N3.50/s, implying annualized div. yield 5.9% to Friday’s closing price.
Target Price: N173.25/s.
Current Price: N119.0/s.
Potential gain: 31.3%
Stock Rating: BUY

SOURCE (abridged): FSDHGroup Research

CAVEAT (by me): This is NOT a solicitation for purchase of shares. Public securities are not risk-free and you are advised to exercise caution / due diligence before making any investment decision.

lilachiever:
I lost my NIMC slip which contains my NIN, I also lost the SIM card that I used to register it.

Is there anyway I could get the NIN and the slip back?

You don't need the NIMC slip anymore, as you now have a better option.

You need to use same phone number you registered with (if necessary, first recover your SIM card); then follow these steps:
1. Dial *346#
2. Type 1
3. Your NIN will display (write it down).
4. Download the NIMC App on your phone.
5 . Fill the NIN and your phone number (do NOT fill BVN!).
6. Your digital NIMC card will display.
7. You may choose to print or screenshot it, for your record/use.

Cheers.

See as attached...

A businessman, Mark Davies, is demanding justice after allegedly being falsely accused of attempted rape by a woman, Chiamaka Hamzat, in the Wagbare Estate area of the Igbogbo-Bayeku Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that trouble started between Mark and Chiamaka when the executive of the estate purchased a transformer to power the area and demanded money from each landlord before they could be connected. In a bid to power his house, Mark, whose building is located about 400 metres away from an electric pole, reportedly paid the estate management and purchased a long wire, which was connected to the pole.

Chiamaka and her husband, Yusuf, were said to have approached Mark to connect to his wire after paying the fee demanded by the estate management. Mark told PUNCH Metro that the reason the couple approached him was to avoid purchasing a long wire to connect to the pole, which is at a far distance away from their house, adding that after he agreed, they went behind him to connect another building.

The Rivers State indigene said, “It was when the current started fluctuating that I traced the wire and confirmed that they had connected another building without informing me. I told Chiamaka to inform her husband to disconnect the other building, because two of my television sets had developed faults as the power was fluctuating, but they refused; so, I personally disconnected the two buildings.

“Unsatisfied with my action, Chiamaka and her husband reported me to the Wagbare Estate CDA executive and they all visited me at home and during the meeting, I told them that I could not please them at my own expense. Our conclusion at the meeting was that they should buy their wire and connect directly to the pole.

“They were not happy with the conclusion and since then, Chiamaka had been abusing me whenever she saw me passing, but I always ignored her. But on February 28, 2020, after the school bus took my kids to school, I was returning home when she accosted me and poured a bucket of water on my body. I became annoyed and told her that I would get her arrested.

“She held on to my clothe, tore it and cut my necklace, but unknown to her, I was recording the assault. I never touched her and I have recordings of the incident. I left her and went home to avoid further trouble and went to hospital to treat myself because I was sick.”

The story, however, took another dimension when the father of four said Chiamaka went to the Ikorodu Divisional Police Station to accuse him of attempted rape and tore her clothes to authenticate her claim. He added that despite presenting overwhelming evidence to refute her claim, the police were still bent on prosecuting him.

Mark said, “You won’t believe that this woman personally tore her clothes and went to the Ikorodu Divisional Police Station to misinform the police that I came to rape her and she refused and I started beating her and tore her clothes in the process. I went to the station and the Investigating Police Officer, Sergeant Adenike David, started saying I went to rape a married woman and tore her clothes in the process. I was shocked. So, I played the recording to her and her colleagues and they were surprised that Chiamaka came to lie to them.

“They said if not for the recording, I would have been charged for rape. So, Adenike called Chiamaka to come to the station and on getting there, she asked her why she lied and she said because I am a single man, people would easily believe her story. Adenike started begging me, but I refused and she gave me a caution paper despite her colleagues telling her that the woman was now the suspect.

“The case was later transferred to the OC, who tried to mediate between us and wanted me to leave the matter, but I refused. The case was moved to the Divisional Crime Officer, Uzoma Martins, who heard from both of us, but refused to take a look at the recording, and at the end of the day, said the woman should be released, because she was a first-time offender, but I insisted that there was nothing like that in law. They even tried to change the incident to a matter of two persons fighting.”

In a bid to get justice, Mark said he petitioned the Assistant Inspector-General in-charge of Zone 2 and a signal was sent for the transfer of the case, but Adenike allegedly refused until she was threatened with a query. “Chiamaka was brought to the Zone 2 Command headquarters on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. I want justice because my name is involved and I have children; I don’t want somebody to refer to them as children of a rapist tomorrow. I want justice, because this kind of thing can affect other men as some other women can rise up anytime and accuse them of rape and the police will take sides with them, because the law favours women than men,” he added.

When contacted, Chiamaka stated, “I poured water on him on that day because he had been embarrassing me, but I did not report to the police that he attempted to rape me.” However, a telephone conversation between Mark and Adenike, which was made available to our correspondent, put a lie to Chiamaka’s claim. In the conversation, Mark asked, “How can she (Chiamaka) allege that I was almost raping her and beat her and tore her clothe?

Adenike responded, “That is her complaint; that is what she told me and when I heard what you recorded, didn’t I scold her in the presence of her husband that she was the one that caused everything?”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Zone 2 Police Command, Hauwa Idris, described PUNCH’s journalists as impatient, adding, “Allow the police to do their work to find out whether the woman is telling lies. That is how one of your reporters went to write rubbish against me the other time.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/housewife-falsely-accuses-lagos-businessman-of-attempted-rape/

The Christian Association of Nigeria has declared Sunday, August 23, as a day of national prayer for the country to seek divine intervention concerning the spate of insecurity and violence across the states. CAN said this on Thursday in a statement by its General Secretary, Daramola Bade, titled, ‘Insecurity: CAN declares August 23 as a Day for Collective Prayers for Nigeria’.

The Christian body noted that all churches in the country were expected to comply with the nationwide directive. Bade said, “Calvary greetings to you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Please, be informed that there will be a collective prayer session, at least 15 minutes, for Nigeria on August 23, to tell God in one accord to have His way and do His will in Nigeria.

“This is borne out of the insecurity in Nigeria. All churches in Nigeria are to adhere to full compliance of this prayer. Thank you and God bless.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/can-declares-aug-23-day-of-prayer-against-insecurity/

And more...

More...

A woman has been left red-faced after tweeting a company to complain about one of their employees - only to discover he was the CEO. Twitter user Clementine Fandango, from Cardiff, complained to Amaechi Performance Systems, a Manchester-based consultancy firm, about former professional basketball player turned psychologist John Amaechi, 49.

Amaechi was awarded an OBE in 2011 for his services to sport and set up his eponymous firm after retiring, and is one of British sport's most high profile anti-racism campaigners. The former England international, who has also worked for the BBC covering the Olympics, was born in the US to a Nigerian father and British mother, and raised in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

He had tweeted using the term 'Karen', which Clementine took umbrage with. Retweeting a video of 3 women called Karen appearing on This Morning yesterday to defend their name, the former NBA player wrote: 'The most #karen thing ever'. The term 'Karen' has become widespread on social media over the last few years and refers to a stereotypical middle-class white woman, whose behaviour is a result of her privilege.

Clementine, who describes herself on Twitter as an 'opinionated socialiser,' tweeted the official Amaechi Performance Systems account to complain about the worker using the term 'Karen'.

'Hi, how do I go about making a complaint about John Amaechi, who's been sexist and gaslighting on social media?' she wrote.

The company replied pointing out that he was the CEO and wrote: 'Thank you for bringing this to our attention. In light of the severity of the situation, I’m going to escalate this complaint about John Amaechi directly to our CEO, John Amaechi. Rest assured, he will take a very dim view of such conduct.'

In a 2nd tweet they added: 'It's neither sexist nor gaslighting. But please feel free to report the alleged offending tweets to Twitter, who I'm sure will be delighted to handle your complaints. Thank you.

Amaechi found humour in the complaint and tweeted: 'My day is complete. Someone reported me to my own company.' Others also found the exchange funny, joking that it was going to be 'one hell of an HR meeting'.

'Wow she actually did ask to speak to the manager. Amazing' wrote one, while a 2nd added: 'That HR meeting is going to be exhausting, You'll have to switch seats either side of the desk between questions and everything'

A 3rd penned: 'Brilliant! Haha! I would have loved to have seen her face when she read the response. This has made my day!'

Amaechi was Britain’s first major NBA star, and played for Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets and New York Knicks during his career.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8592417/Woman-reports-NBA-player-turned-psychologist-company.html

Missyford31:
What are beautiful places in or near Owerri to see? Am coming there as soon as Australian lockdown are over n travel is allowed again. I wanna see sum animals there. Especially a hyena lol

Here are some places you can visit in Owerri/Imo State:

1. National Museum, Owerri.
2. Nekede Zoo.
3. Mbari Cultural And Art Center.
4. Maria Assumpta Cathedral.
5. Oguta Lake.
6. Owerri Mall.
7. Dan Anyiam Stadium.
8. Owerri Amusement Park.
9. Ukwu Mango Pepper Soup Joint.
10. Imo Palm Plantation Complex.
11. Channel O Sharwama Spot.

Have a safe trip!

What do you think about Prof Dikwa's opinion, as attached below?

BREWERY SECTOR: A QUARTER TO FORGET
Beer makers saw revenues plummet in Q2-2020 as the economic shut-down extinguished sales.

The quarter ending June 2020 will be one to forget for Nigeria’s struggling brewery sector. Whilst the negative effect of COVID-19 is still being reported across every sphere of the economy, the brewery sector was always one of those expected to suffer the most. Latest results from 2 industry giants, Nigeria Breweries and International Breweries confirm our worst fears. Combined revenues for both was N93.9 billion, representing 22% drop year on year. Both companies reported revenues of N120.4b in the corresponding quarter of 2019.

Disaggregated, NB Plc reported 21% drop to N68.6b and IB Plc 24% drop to N25.2b. Guinness is yet to release its quarter ending June 2020 results which happens to be its year-end. Ahead its release, the company issued a profit warning as it anticipated the worst. Revenue drop in the Brewery sector is not a surprise. With most parts of the country in complete economic lockdown, beer sales are expected to drop significantly.

As expected, fall in revenues crashed margins significantly. While NB Plc was able to eke out a tiny N70m pre-tax profit, IB Plc lost N4.2b. Nigeria’s Brewers actually fared worse when you consider that they reported N7.9b in 2019 and N12.3b in 2018. Could it get any worse?

Beer companies have always posted some of their best revenues in the 2nd quarter of the year and struggle in the 3rd. With results this bad already in the 2nd, things can only get worse Q3. Though, economic activities are gradually picking up, entertainment life (which it heavily relies on) remains comatose.

The industry has been struggling with dwindling sales and thin margins for years, as younger Nigerians ditch beer for spirits, which are often cheaper, do not bloat the stomach and are quicker to intoxicate. Increase in beer sales is also seemingly positively correlated with uptick in social events such as weddings, parties and birthday ceremonies. Hotels, bars, clubs and most entertainment centres remain shut since March. Some are expected to reopen in coming weeks, as government eases lockdowns. Till then, beer makers are clutching at straws.

COVID-19 could be blamed for the industry’s woes, but a changing demographic still poses an existential threat to the sector. In fact, COVID-19 only showed how urgently they need to pivot away from relying on outdoor events to drive sales. Beer drinking is purely a consumer product and needs to be pitched as such.

Rather than advertise beer as a drink for bars during live events, it should be sold as a “must-have” beverage in the evening during family time. It should also be pitched as a must-have staple for house parties and close family gatherings or even casual remote work settings. The packaging should also gear off for a makeover.

Beer dispensers anyone?

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2020/08/10/brewery-sector-a-quarter-to-forget/

Bialegend:
Lies from the pit of hell of the lagos-ibadan expressway gutter media lies and propaganda. Imagine news from anything naira as it's name?

Perhaps, you'll be happier receiving same story from CNN (see link below)?

Also, for your enlightenment, Nairametrics is owned by Mr. Ugo Obi-Chukwu (from Oyo State, perchance?).

Tribalism is a cop-out, a querencia for the unintelligent and uninspired; an ambuscade against reasoned analysis, and the calaboose of future intellectual accomplishments. You would do well to shun it!

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/09/us/us-citizenship-renounced-data-trnd/index.html

A new report published Sunday 10 August 2020, has shown that a record number of people are giving up their United States citizenship. It suggests that Americans are continuing to renounce their citizenship at the highest levels on record. This info is contained in a research report conducted by Bambridge Accountants, a New York-based firm that specializes in US expatriate tax, UK expats, Actors, and other creatives in the US and the UK.

According to the report, more than 5,800 American citizens gave up their citizenship in the first 6 months of 2020, compared to 2,072 Americans who renounced their citizenship throughout 2019. The report also noted that the Coronavirus pandemic had motivated US expats to cut ties and avoid the current political climate and onerous tax reporting.

A partner at Bambridge Accountants, Alistair Bambridge, in his conversation with CNN, said, “These are mainly people who already left the US and just decided they’ve had enough of everything. What we’ve seen is people are over everything happening with President Donald Trump, how the coronavirus pandemic is being handled, and the political policies in the US at the moment.”

Bambridge, in its report, also stated that while many people who renounced their citizenship complain of being unhappy with today’s current political climate in the US, others attributed their decision to taxes. He disclosed that US citizens living abroad are still required to file tax returns every year, report their foreign bank accounts, investments, and pensions. Although these citizens benefited from the $1,200 stimulus checks and $500 for each child, many of them felt the annual US tax reporting is just too much.

The report also stated that Americans who want to relinquish their citizenship are required to pay $2,350 and appear in person at the US embassy in their resident country if they are not in America. There are currently about 9 million US expats across the world, even as trends have shown a sharp decline over the last few years of US citizens expatriating.

Despite the risks that come with giving up US citizenship, Bambridge predicts the trend will only continue going up. He said, “A lot of people are waiting for the November election to see what’s going to happen. If President Trump is reelected, we believe there will be another wave of people who will decide to renounce their citizenship.”

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2020/08/11/reasons-why-a-record-number-of-people-are-giving-up-their-us-citizenship/

6 Nigerian chess players have boycotted the 2nd round of the ongoing World Chess Olympiad. Oladapo Adu, Bunmi Olape, Perpetua Ogbiyo, Abimbola Osunfuyi, Femi Balogun and Callistus.

It is the first edition of the Online Olympiad and the Nigerian chess players, having scaled through from the first round, shunned the competition after poor treatment by the Nigeria Chess Federation administration, our correspondent learnt.

“We were supposed to be given materials like laptop and data for the event, but these things were not provided,” IM Dapo Adu said. “The players did everything on their own in the first round and we qualified. We had about 5 days before the next round, which started on Friday, and we told the (NCF) president (Lekan Adeyemi) he needed to address us concerning data and other things we would need, and we all agreed that we would pull out if he didn’t address us.

“So, we pulled out because we didn’t have the resources to participate; we can’t be spending our money to be on Zoom for hours in this current situation. All the while the president was reading the comments on our platform, but he didn’t respond to them until 11:09am (on Friday) and the game started at 11am. Apparently he responded because we didn’t participate in the game.”

Another player, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “The major reason we decided to boycott the event was because of lack of communication between the president and the players. When players were asking for the way forward, we didn’t get a response until the last minute when nobody was online to play; that was when the president started typing and appealing to players.”

“We had issues like increasing cost of data due to Zoom application and what to expect in allowances, which the captain couldn’t resolve, so we requested the president to address the issues. But for 4 days, he didn’t address it, so we felt he didn’t want to be bothered. When we decided to discontinue playing, he embarked on a damage control but it was too late,” a male player told The PUNCH.

On a possible sanction on Nigeria by world body FIDE over the boycott, Adu added, “The implication is not going to look good on the Nigerian Chess Federation at the world governing body. We will deal with whatever that comes out of it because there is a problem and we need a change.”

President, African Chess Confederation, Lewis Ncube, however said a ban on Nigeria is unlikely. He said, “This is really sad because with the appropriate leadership Nigeria should be one of the leading African chess playing nations. I don’t know if there will be a sanction because this depends on the official reason provided by the NCF. Somalia could not complete their games due to shutdown of internet access on account of a political decision. This cannot lead to any sanctions on the Somali Chess Federation.

“This is a decision of the Organising Committee for the Online Chess Olympiad but I don’t think this will happen. The organisers are quite flexible as this is the first Online Olympiad.”

Efforts by our correspondent to reach the chess federation president, Lekan Adeyemi, to comment on the issue proved abortive. He didn’t pick our correspondent’s call, while he also didn’t respond to a text message sent to him as at the time of filing this report.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/aggrieved-nigerian-chess-players-boycott-olympiad/

A web developer with the handle @bigbrutha_ on Twitter is of the opinion that marriage is not beneficial to Nigerian men. He said a Nigerian man gets “zero advantage” out of marriage.

Do you agree?

SOURCE: https://www.naijanewspapers.com.ng/do-you-agree-marriage-is-not-beneficial-to-nigerian-men-twitter-user-says-104233.html

No fewer than 11 governors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stormed Benin, the Edo State capital, on Saturday for the flag-off of the party’s campaign ahead of the September 19 governorship election in the state. This was as the PDP has taken a swipe at the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over his statement on Friday that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State was the brains behind the crisis at the state House of Assembly.

At the ceremony, held at the University of Benin Sports Complex, the Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Committee of APC, Mai Mala Buni, led 10 governors and one deputy to the event, attended by many party supporters. Also present were Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos; Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi); Muhammad Abubakar (Jigawa); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna); Hope Uzodinma (Imo); Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Abubakar Bello (Niger) were present.

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, was represented by his deputy, Mr Edward Onoja, while Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi was also present. Presenting the party’s candidate in the election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to the supporters, Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe State, said the party would reclaim the state.

He said, “We are in Edo State to take back our state. 4 years ago, we were here and you voted for the APC and we know that you will do it again. We urge you not to be violent because victory is ours and we are here to win.” Ganduje, who corroborated Buni’s position, said the party would win by a large margin across the state. “With this crowd, we are confident victory is ours. We will reclaim Edo State,” he added.

Ize-Iyamu said going by the massive turnout of supporters, it was obvious the APC was not an opposition party in the state. He added, “With the people we are seeing today, will anybody say we are in the opposition? Can anybody say we will be intimidated? I want to assure them that in this election, we will not only win; we will win the 18 local governments.

“Let me assure you that never again will we have a governor that is ungrateful. We will have a governor that will respect Edo people, a governor that you can access, a governor that can empower our people and by the grace of God I will do it.”

Also speaking, Oshiomhole, who expressed confidence that Ize-Iyamu would win the election, stated that the governor had failed to fulfil his promises to Edo people. He added, “Never again should we have a governor who will describe Edo youths as miscreants. Do we have miscreants in this Edo State? No! The government has to impact on the poor and uplift them to a level of dignity.

“Never again should we have a governor who will invite the President to come and do commissioning of a forest that he is going to have an industrial park and today the bush is there. Do you want a governor that will sign an MoU? No.”

BUHARI ABSENT OVER APC CANDIDATE’S GRAFT TRIAL – OBASEKI CAMP
Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, claimed on Saturday that the President was absent from the APC inaugural campaign because of Ize-Iyamu’s corruption trial. The APC candidate is facing N700m corruption charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

He said in a statement, “Once again, President Muhammadu Buhari reaffirmed his commitment to his administration’s fight against corruption by staying away from the public unveiling of the corruption-scarred governorship candidate of the APC. Knowing the collateral damage such a gesture would have caused the anti-corruption war and its promoters, home and abroad, the President decided to stay away.”

He pointed out that the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and some other party leaders were also absent. In a related development, Osagie has faulted the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria, Mudashiru Obasa, over his claim that Obaseki was the brains behind the crisis at the Edo State House of Assembly.

“It is sheer recklessness and a proof of dictatorship for a governor who is supposed to be the head of the executive arm of government to decide to take charge of another arm through questionable means like it happened in Edo,” Obasa had said in a statement.

But in his response, Osagie said, “Obasa lacks independence of thought as he is controlled by the Lagos godfather. Nigerians should ignore his views, because he is merely amplifying the views of his paymaster and godfather. We understand the frustration of trying to please an overbearing godfather, but the point must be made that posterity will judge everyone who occupies a position of trust. While the godfather will not live forever, our roles in history will remain indelible in the sands of time.”

He advised the lawmaker not to always pander to the whims and caprices of political godfathers, even when evidence showed that they were clearly wrong.

OBASEKI DESERVES 2ND TERM, SAY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS
Real estate developers in Edo State have declared support for the re-election of Obaseki, saying his uncommon reforms and policies opened up the real estate sector. They, under the aegis of Edo Land Developers Forum, expressed confidence that the governor would emerge victorious in the poll, as they highlighted his achievements in all sectors of the economy.

Secretary of the Forum, Oserheimen Idah, said in a statement, “If the essence of governance is overall development of the society, and lifting burdens off the people, Governor Godwin Obaseki has indeed done well. He has performed excellently, putting smiles on the faces of residents; Edo people at home and in the Diaspora are proud of his governance style.”

OSHIOMHOLE PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE TOP INDIVIDUALS, SHAIBU ALLEGES
Edo State Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, has alleged that the former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, was importing assassins to assassinate some individuals in the state. Speaking to journalists in Benin City, Shaibu, who is Obaseki’s running mate in the forthcoming election, stated that the mode of entry and activities of the suspected assassins had been communicated to security agencies.

Shaibu said, “This is to bring to the notice of Edo people and the country at large that we have received intelligence that some individuals are in Edo State, courtesy of the former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

“The assignment is to come and assassinate some known individuals in the state. I am hereby bringing to the notice of the general public that these people are in town. We have informed the security agencies about their activities and why they are in town. We also call on President Muhammadu Buhari to urge security agencies to do their work. Edo is not going to be a theatre of war if these issues are addressed.”

Also, the deputy governor said Oshiomhole and Ize-Iyamu had run out of lies ahead of the election. Shaibu was quoted in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on media, Benjamin Atu, as saying, “Oshiomhole told us that Ize-Iyamu lies effortlessly and Ize-Iyamu on his part told us never to trust any word from Oshiomhole. Today, both of them have run out of lies. They have exhausted their lies and have decided to engage in violence.

“Oshiomhole told us that his stooge is a thief. How can we vote someone like that to be a role model in a state that is not starved of human resources?”

IT IS A LIE, OSHIOMHOLE NOT A KILLER – AIDE
But reacting to the claims, a close aide to Oshiomhole, Victor Oshioke, dismissed the allegation, saying, “There is no truth in that. Why will he want to kill anybody? Oshiomhole contested elections twice and he did not kill anybody. He preached against violence. They want to drag Oshiomhole’s name into the election. The PDP and Philip know that they have not performed so they are reducing their campaign to Oshiomhole. You can see that even today at the rally he still spoke against violence. Philip is sure of defeat for himself and his party.”

Meanwhile, Edo State Government has asked the people to hold the APC and Ize-Iyamu responsible for any spike in coronavirus cases in the state. It said the party disregarded COVID-19 safety protocols put in place by the federal and state governments during the party’s campaign flag-off.

“It is only regrettable and condemnable that APC is making a mockery of the hard work invested in protecting people from the pandemic by exposing them to the virus without caring how these would lead to a rise in cases in the state.”

PDP TACKLES TINUBU
Tinubu had in a statement titled, ‘In defence of constitutional democracy’, accused Obaseki of refusal to allow the state Assembly function, saying it was a move to thwart representative democracy. He also said the governor was ignorant of what he described as constitutional order.

Tinubu said, “Although Governor Obaseki’s conduct in the past year is undoubtedly impeachable, these legislators have made no threat to impeach the governor. Their only desire is to peacefully perform the duties asked of them by the constituents who elected them. What, then, is their offence?”

But in its response, PDP National Campaign Council for the state governorship election in a statement said Tinubu and his party were angry with Obaseki because he refused to allow looting of the state treasury. PDP, which described the swearing-in of 14 elected APC members of the House at an unknown location and an alleged plan to invade the Assembly complex but for the renovation going on at the premises as a coup d’état, noted that Tinubu and his party were also bitter over their failed attempt to seize the state legislature.

It therefore called on Tinubu to “stop whining over the failure of the coup against the Edo State House of Assembly by the APC.” PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in the statement, titled ‘PDP exposes why Tinubu is bitter with Obaseki,’ on Saturday said, “The whining by Asiwaju Tinubu has further validated allegations that the horrendous attempt to seize the Edo legislature has the fingers of the APC leadership for their personal reasons.

“Our Campaign Council notes that Asiwaju’s position also confirms allegations that some people in the APC are bitter with Governor Godwin Obaseki because he (Obaseki) refused to allow the APC cabal to have access to Edo treasury as well as his refusal to foist illegal levies and taxes on the people.

“It may however interest Asiwaju (Tinubu) to note that Nigerians have been waiting for a patriotic statement from him that would address the humongous corruption in this administration (of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)) particularly in agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission.”

Also, the Chairman of the party’s campaign council in Edo State, Chief Dan Orbih, at a press conference on Saturday said Tinubu’s style of politics was not attractive to Edo people. He added, “I want to state that Edo is not Lagos. Tinubu has put the entire Lagos State in his pocket. The huge revenue that accrues to Lagos State goes to his pocket and by his whims he decides how much is devoted to development or any other business of government. Edo is not Lagos.

“We are putting him on notice that such a thing cannot and will never work in Edo. We have been informed that he has since drawn up a list of commissioners which has been handed over to the APC candidate, which is made up of people who are not even from Edo State because that is his style. We are independent people and would not be put in the pocket of one man. The Lagos godfather shall soon find out that indeed Edo is not Lagos and he cannot extend his banana republic to Edo State.

“It doesn’t make any sense for Tinubu to sit down in the comfort of his home and draw up grounds for impeachment for the elected governor of Edo State. I have read through his statement and come to the conclusion that he is not aware of the issues concerning the incident at the state House of Assembly. I should expect that as a former Governor of Lagos State, he should know better.”

OBA OF BENIN SUES FOR PEACE
Earlier, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, had while receiving Ize-Iyamu and other dignitaries at the palace, called on candidates for the election to preach peace and shun campaign of calumny. The monarch said the need for peace could not be overemphasised, calling for all the parties involved in the election to go about their campaigns in a peaceful manner.

He added, “The throne is not partisan and this is because of the expectations of our people and because of the laid down rules by our forefathers. We see everybody as our children. It is said the voice of men is the voice of God. It is when the people make their choice to elect the person they want as a governor, and after that we pray for the person who has been elected as governor to succeed in office. The palace is never partisan.”

In an apparent reference to the political tension in the state, the monarch stated that the palace had not been happy with the happenings in the state in recent times.

WIKE DARES OSHIOMHOLE TO SHOW HIS CERTIFICATES
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has asked Oshiomhole to show his certificates to the world. Wike, who is Chairman of PDP National Campaign Council for the Edo election, alleged in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, that Oshiomhole only possessed a trade test certificate and not an academic certificate.

The challenge is believed to have come against the backdrop of Oshiomhole’s claim that Obaseki does not have a certificate, even though the University of Ibadan has affirmed he graduated from the institution. The statement partly read, “It is unfortunate we are in a country that somebody who does not have a certificate will question the one that has. Oshiomhole has a trade test which is not an academic qualification. I challenge him to show the world his academic qualifications.

“This same man he said has 3 credits was his brainbox when he was in government. So is it not better for Edo people to support a man that has 3 credits than to follow someone whom he said was a cultist and fake pastor who (allegedly) destroyed the manhood of his fellow man?”

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/eleven-govs-storm-edo-for-ize-iyamu-pdp-tackles-tinubu/

Over 2 months after his encounter with policemen from Lamgbasa Police Station in Ajah, memories of torture are still fresh in Akeem Adejumo’s psyche – a nasty past he wished was never part of his life. His father sent him on an errand to Badore – some kilometres away from their Green View Estate in Ajah – in his (the father’s) Pathfinder Jeep.

On his way home, he saw an elderly neighbour who took a ride with him. As the journey continued, 3 policemen reportedly led by one Inspector Sunday trailed and accosted him after he dropped off the man. They felt the vehicle was too big for someone his age and hurriedly concluded he must have stolen it. That was the beginning of a harrowing tale for 27-year-old Adejumo.

He said, “The elderly man was thanking me after dropping him off when the policemen stopped me and accused me of driving a stolen vehicle. They said they had been looking for the Jeep for the past 2 months. I told them the vehicle belongs to my dad which he has been using for about 2 years. One of them said I was arguing with them and slapped me. Another officer kicked the old man who tried to beg them on my behalf.

“Some neighbours came out to tell them that they know me and that the vehicle belongs to my dad but the policemen didn’t listen. One policeman shot into the air to scare them away. They entered the vehicle and asked me to drive them to the Lamgbasa Police Station but I headed towards our house and started shouting.

“They dragged the steering wheels with me. I started shouting ‘thieves, thieves.’ and one of them slapped me again. They all beat me up. Some people saw me and rushed to call my parents. The policemen brought me out of the vehicle and put handcuffs in my hands. They put me inside a tricycle with two others they arrested for cultism. A policeman drove the vehicle and we all went to the station. It was Inspector Sunday who led them.”

Adejumo told our correspondent that on getting to the station, the policemen subjected him to another round of beating; his entreaties to them that he was fasting that Thursday fell on deaf ears. He said he felt humiliated when some other policemen at the station joined the team and insisted that he stole the vehicle, adding he was later released when his father went to the station to claim the vehicle.

He stated, “I was just crying. They asked me to write a statement that I stole the vehicle. They beat me up because I refused to do so. All these while, they had removed the number plate of the vehicle and deflated the tyres. The incident happened during Ramadan period. “My dad was crying when he came and saw how they beat me. The DPO was shocked when he came out and saw my dad because they know each other. He told the DPO that he sent me on an errand. He was furious but the DPO begged him.

“They quickly called a repairer to pump the tyres and returned the number plates. That was how we left the station. They really disgraced me that day. It was as if they wanted to swap me with a criminal. I can’t forget what they did to me that day.”

Gruelling as it was, City Round learnt that such harassment has become the lot of many residents, especially youths in Badoore, Abraham Adesanya, Ilaje, among other communities in Ajah. According to a resident of Abraham Adesanya, Rasheed Yusuf, any young man who looks good and drives a posh car is now a suspected Internet fraudster (popularly known as Yahoo boy) to policemen in the area.

He said, “It has been like that for some time now. Some residents have complained at the Ogombo Police Station but nothing was done about it. There was a day some policemen raided here (Abraham Adesanya). They saw a resident coming out and accosted him. “They took him to the Ajiwe Police Station and detained him. He was released on bail after paying N50,000. The problem is that any young man they see around is a Yahoo boy to them as long as that person drives a big car. They would ask you to open your phones and check your online banking app.”

The Secretary, Eti Osa Indigenous Resettlement Youths Forum, Taoreed Oladepo, lamented that men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad has become a burden to many people. He said although he had never been harassed, he witnessed some and intervened in 3 different cases. Oladepo explained that sometime in March 2020 at Resettlement bus stop, Ilaje, Ajah, some SARS men arrested a manager at a bar around the area because he had tattoos on his body.

He stated, “The manager wanted to buy fuel at a nearby filling station when the SARS men stopped him because he has tattoos on his body and ordered him to enter their bus. I walked up to them and told them I knew the man very well. They wondered what concerned me about it and I told them it was not right to harass him. They later released him on my insistence. They would just park a mini bus at the junction and start harassing people with tattoos on their bodies and those with dreadlocks.”

In another scenario he witnessed within the community, he said SARS operatives stopped two corps members in a car and asked for the papers of the vehicle. He stated that despite confirming the documents were valid, the policemen told the corps members to alight from their vehicle.

Oladepo said, “That incident happened in January. The corps members insisted they would not come down from the car. The SARS men also insisted they would not allow them to go until they came out or ‘settle’ them even though the corps member who drove the car showed them all the documents they requested. They collected N2,000 before they let them go. Of course, some people might be real suspects. They should investigate rather than just harass anybody they come across.”

A community leader in Oke-Ira Kekere, Ajah, Mr Jackson David, alleged that while extorting money from motorists along Ado Road, men of the Anti-Cultism unit usually caused traffic. He urged the authorities to prevail on the operatives to focus on criminals instead of harassing innocent citizens.

David noted, “The policemen are working in the community but they do more harm than good. They would say they are doing stop and search but they are only collecting money from motorists. Nobody is saying they should not search because criminals are on the road, but when they search and do not discover anything incriminating on the person, must they take money? They stop everyone either you are a young or elderly.

“They are usually around Ado Road. Anti-Cultism is written on their shirts. At Ado Roundabout, they are always there and they cause traffic. 6 months ago, they stopped me and asked for my vehicle documents which I gave them. One of them asked me to go and see their team leader who was standing somewhere. “I asked him why I had to see his boss when he had already confirmed that my papers were complete. I confronted their boss and he asked if I was sure my particulars were in order. I told him he was insulting me and later left the spot. If not for my age and the confidence I displayed, they would have extorted me.

“You can part with some money if you so wish but it should not be because the policeman is carrying a rifle. That is robbery. Even if you want to arrest someone for not having valid particulars, you do so quickly without creating traffic. When you do that, you create problems for people.”

A mechanic along Badore Road, Rufus Adeyemo, admitted that cult clashes were rampant in Ajah and urged the police to go after the perpetrators. He said, “Cultism clashes are rampant around Ado Road, Badore, Lamgbasa but the police should go after the culprits and stop extorting money from innocent people. A cultist was killed at Oke-Ira Nla by a soldier some weeks ago and everybody was happy. Until recently when it subsided, we heard gunshots every day and people would be running helter-skelter.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Bala Elkana, promised to respond to our correspondent’s enquiry on the incidents. But he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/lagos-communities-where-police-harass-extort-youths/

The 14 elected members of the Edo State House of Assembly who were not sworn in since the inauguration of the Assembly in 2019 have written to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), highlighting the alleged infractions of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The members, joined by 3 members from the faction already sworn in, wrote through their counsel, Dr Ehiogie West-Idahosa of West Idahosa & Co., saying the governor’s action in not allowing them to be sworn in was unconstitutional. This, they said, underlined the disequilibrium in the political stability of the state and the resultant insecurity that had characterised the state.

In the letter with reference number WIC/AB/W2/1024/20, and obtained by Saturday PUNCH, the 17 aggrieved lawmakers, said to be loyal to a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, said contrary to the standard practice of inaugurating the House with possibly all members present, the governor, on June 17, 2019, chose to inaugurate the House at odd hours with only about 9 members in attendance. They alleged that agents of the governor prevented them from attending the inauguration, noting they had done everything possible to remedy the situation to no avail till date.

The letter titled, ‘Urgent and nationalistic appeal to intervene in the restoration of constitutional democracy in Edo State of Nigeria’, dated August 3, 2020 and signed by West-Idahosa, the principal partner, added, “Since then, the Assembly has been run by nine members for no justifiable reason whatsoever. By failing to inaugurate about 14 members-elect of the House, there is a huge social and political disequilibrium in the state.

“The rule of law has been seriously eroded and replaced by strong-arm tactics in Edo State. This in itself is anti-democratic and ought not to be allowed in a democratic government such as the one operated in Nigeria. Over 60% of the population of Edo State are unrepresented in the House of Assembly and are therefore missing out on constituency projects, employment and other forms of government patronage. This has escalated poverty levels in such constituencies and there is a corresponding increase in crime and general insecurity in such areas.”

They said contrary to Section 109 (g) of the constitution (as altered), Obaseki dumped APC for PDP even when there was no “nationally acknowledged” faction in the APC . They pointed out that democracy is founded on majority rule but that the 17 lawmakers were unable to do their job. The letter added, “It is undemocratic and unacceptable to any sovereign nation that the House of Assembly of one of the states making up the federation of Nigeria is operated by only 7 members out of the 24 elected.”

They said since the 17 members were elected on the platform of the APC, it is legally and politically incorrect to allow a party with minority membership keep 17 members-elect out of the House. They said since the proclamation of the House had been done and inauguration of the House “purportedly effected”, it is left for members who have not taken an oath to be allowed to and carry out their duties in the interest of justice.

“There is no feature of the law which precludes the said honourable members from taking their oath with the cooperation of sworn in members and the clerk of the House.”

The 17 members, who have also pledged loyalty to APC candidate in the September 19 governorship election in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, therefore appealed to the AGF to intervene by restoring a functional House of Assembly in the state. The letter contained the names and numbers of the 17 members.

They said, “We therefore respectfully appeal to you as the Chief Law Officer of the federation to invoke your power pursuant to Section 150 of the 1999 constitution (as altered) to arrest the breakdown of constitutional democracy in Edo State by intervening to restore a functional House of Assembly in line with the provisions of Sections 90, 91, 101 and 104 of the 1999 constitution (as altered). Our clients shall be very obliged to have your intervention in order to save constitutional democracy in Edo State.”

HOW THEY SECURED AGF’S BACKING WITHIN 24 HOURS
Sequel to receiving their letter on Tuesday, August 4, Malami, wrote the police IG within 24 hours directing him to provide security for the inauguration of the 14 members, which took place at an unknown location on Thursday. The Assembly’s Deputy Clerk, Mr Tom Efezokhae, administered the oath of office on the members. He, however, cautioned that the members already sworn in should not be prevented from discharging their duties.

The AGF’s letter obtained by Saturday PUNCH on Friday revealed that he (the minister) received a letter from West Idahosa & Co., on August 4, 2020, wrote the IG in a letter dated August 5, directing him to provide security for the exercise while the inauguration took place on August 6. The AGF’s letter, with reference number HAGF/IGP/2020/Vol1/4, dated August 5, 2020, partly read, “The law firm has requested that the affected members-elect, who are willing to discharge their constitutional roles, should be inaugurated or sworn in by the clerk of the House.

“In view of the foregoing and in order to ensure constitutional compliance with the dictates of Sections 91 to 96 of the 1999 constitution (as altered) and also to prevent breakdown of law peace, law and order, I am requesting that you kindly provide adequate security measures for the purpose of the inauguration of the concerned members and the subsequent sittings of the Edo State House of Assembly.”

The inauguration heightened the tension in the state on Thursday, especially as the police and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps took over the entrance of the Assembly Complex, which was shut and was undergoing renovation by the government. Apart from electing Victor Edoror as the new speaker and Emmanuel Agbaje as the deputy speaker, the 17 factional members also ‘impeached’ Francis Okiye as the speaker and Roland Asoro as the deputy speaker.

In a related development, in an open letter to the AGF via an advertorial in The PUNCH on Friday, Okiye, the embattled speaker, said he was reluctant to conclude that the “breathtaking speed” of his (the AGF’s) speed of response to West-Idahosa’s letter had anything to do with the fact that the governor had left the APC for the PDP.

In highlighting the pending and concluded litigation on the Edo Assembly crisis, Okiye said it was clear that all matters relating to the functioning or otherwise of the Assembly and/or its members are sub judice. He added, “It would therefore be clear that the course of action which you have urged upon the Inspector-General of Police would in fact amount to a grievous assault on the rule of law, separation of powers and respect for judicial authority.”

He urged the AGF not to allow his prestigious office to cause mayhem in the state, adding that he should take urgent steps to ensure the situation does not degenerate further.

I WON'T RECOGNISE FACTIONAL SPEAKER, SAYS OBASEKI, ATTACKS GANDUJE
Meanwhile, following Ize-Iyamu’s visit to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Presidential Villa on Friday, Obaseki has said he is not worried by the endorsement of the APC candidate by the President. Obaseki, who spoke with one of our correspondents on Friday, said the President, as the leader of the APC, was free to support his party’s candidate.

He said, “I cannot speak for the President; he’s a due-process man. He strikes me as somebody who wants the process to follow its due course. The President is a member of the APC. Why would he not receive his party’s candidate?”

The governor said he would not recognise the 17 lawmakers, describing the AGF’s directive to the IGP as illegal and a recipe for anarchy. “How can I recognise them? There is a law we have to follow, otherwise we will have to be like a banana republic,” he added. Obaseki, however, described as hilarious claims by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State that he (Obaseki) performed woefully.

He added, “If he (Ganduje) says all the physical structures, all the roads we have built, are underperformance, I see why he can never be governor. If he says reforming the educational system in Edo State, which is acknowledged worldwide, is underperformance, then he cannot be governor. Edo is not Lagos. We will see on September 19.”

The governor in a broadcast earlier on Friday said the events of Thursday had all the signs of an attempted coup d’état, adding that any person or group of persons who set out to test the will of the state would meet with the full wrath of the law.

He added, “These events portend grave danger to the safety and security of our polity. It had all the hallmarks of an attempted coup d’état. The people of Edo State rose as one to prevent the desecration of our democracy. It is however worrisome that certain persons are willing to plunge the society into avoidable anarchy and conflict just to satisfy their illegitimate objectives. Be assured, dear people of Edo State, that this government will take all steps necessary to defend the rule of law and democratic ideals.”

Meanwhile, Okiye has said he remains the speaker of the House, adding that till date, only 10 members of the Assembly had been sworn in. “We adjourned till Monday (August 10, 2020) and on Monday, we will sit. So, those people that are no longer members of the House going somewhere to conduct a get-together and come out to say they have a resolution, that they are now members of the parliament, I see that as an affront on democratic principles.”

EDO GOVERNOR IGNORANT OF CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER – TINUBU
In reaction to recent developments in the House of Assembly in Edo state, National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Friday accused Obaseki, who is also the PDP candidate in the forthcoming election, of being ignorant of Nigeria’s constitutional order.

Tinubu, in a statement titled ‘In defence of constitutional democracy,’ accused the governor of blocking access to the Assembly complex under the guise of renovation, adding that refusal to allow the House of Assembly function was a cowardly act and a move to thwart representative democracy in the state. He described the conduct of the governor in the past year as “undoubtedly impeachable”.

“By his refusal to permit duly elected members of the Edo State House of Assembly to perform their constitutional duties, Governor Obaseki betrayed contempt for the people of his state and, unfortunately, his ignorance of Nigeria’s constitutional order. As a governor, he ought to know better than to obstruct the functioning of his own legislature, but perhaps he is in need of a quick lesson.”

US EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER SECURITY AGENCIES' INTERFERENCE
The US Government has expressed worry over the deteriorating political climate in Edo State, stating it was disappointed with the role played by some political actors in the state, stressing that it does not support any party or candidate.

The US Mission in a statement, titled ‘The United States supports democratic process where the will of Nigerian people is reflected in results,’ in Abuja on Friday said it was especially concerned by allegations of interference by security forces in political matters, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation closely in the run-up to the election.

It added, “We are especially concerned by allegations of interference by security forces in political matters, which we will continue to monitor closely in the run-up to gubernatorial elections in the state in September. As we approach the 2020 off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo, we urge all stakeholders to work towards a free, fair, transparent, and peaceful process.”

APC MUST AVOID ZAMFARA, RIVERS EXPERIENCES IN EDO, SAYS BUHARI
The President, however, told APC leaders on Friday that the party must avoid the pitfalls which affected it in the Rivers, Zamfara and Bayelsa elections during the Edo governorship poll. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Friday said the President desired the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State to be transparent.

The statement titled ‘President Buhari receives Ize-Iyamu, urges APC to avoid Rivers, Zamfara experiences’ quoted Buhari as saying, “What I want is a transparent process so that the confidence of the people will be strengthened.”

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, told reporters that the campaign had started on a good and happy note, with the APC already taking over the state legislature with a majority of 17 out of 24. He said the governor had failed the people.

EDO ELECTION NOT DO-OR-DIE, SAYS APC CANDIDATE
Ize-Iyamu, who also met with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, told State House correspondents that the election was not a do-or-die affair, while asking the PDP-led government in the state to allow the will of the people to prevail.

He said Thursday’s development in the Assembly was a triumph for democracy. “Are you going to compare 7 people to 17? In a legislative arrangement, 7 people want to lord it over 17 people? That is an aberration. I have told you that even to form a quorum you need 8, they don’t even have 8 members.”

SOWORE SLAMS BUHARI FOR ENDORSING IZE-IYAMU DESPITE N700M FRAUD CASE
Meanwhile, convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, has faulted the President for endorsing Ize-Iyamu, who is facing corruption charges to the tune of N700m. Sowore, who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters, tweeted, “Pastor Ize-Iyamu is undergoing trial for N700m scam, Buhari pretends not to remember.”

Speaking on the endorsement, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the President must have been in a dilemma to raise the hand of a candidate who is facing corruption charges. He added that Buhari would have preferred to endorse the APC candidate with glee and razzmatazz in Benin City if Ize-Iyamu didn’t have the N700m corruption case on his neck. PDP also criticised the meeting, saying the APC candidate desperately needed the endorsement to shore up his battered image.

Factional Speaker of the Assembly, Victor Edoror, has said anyone displeased with the process should approach the court, or wait for the court to decide whether their action by convening the sitting was legal or illegal. Speaking in an interview on a Channels Television programme on Friday, he noted that the governor was nursing fears he might be impeached but the Assembly had no such plans.

IMPEACHMENT MERE CHARADE – WIKE
Rivers State Governor and leader of the PDP Campaign Council in the Edo election, Nyesom Wike, on Friday condemned the convergence of 17 lawmakers and purported impeachment of the speaker and deputy speaker of the Assembly, saying it was a mere charade.

He said, “Fortunately, the purported impeachment of the speaker is a mere charade, completely futile and exists only in the imagination of the evil perpetrators and their crude and unintelligent co-travellers and sponsors. We have raised the alarm before that the APC is not ready for a free and fair contest and will do all sorts of things including violence with the backing of the federal might to rig and claim unmerited victory at all cost. Nigerians can now bear witness that our claims and fears of the desperation of the APC are not without basis.”

Meanwhile, there were reports that 7 persons have been arrested in connection with the tension at the House of Assembly in Benin City on Thursday. One of our correspondents gathered on Friday that the arrested persons prevented the 17 lawmakers who attempted to make their way into the complex early on Thursday before they later retreated to an undisclosed location to be inaugurated.

When contacted on the telephone, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Kokumo, said he was busy, while the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Chidi Nwabuzor, said he had not been authorised to speak on the matter. But speaking at a press briefing in Benin on Friday, Vice-Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the APC Campaign Council, Mr Patrick Obahiagbon, urged the police to investigate the activities of the arrested persons to identify their sponsors.

PDP WOMEN PROTEST, EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR OKIYE
Women wing of the PDP in Edo state embarked on a march to the House of Assembly to show their solidarity with the embattled Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Frank Okiye. The women, who walked from the Government House to the Assembly Complex, and led by the Edo-South Woman Leader, Uwa Osunbor, queried why the 14 members suddenly showed up a few weeks to the governorship election.


SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/edo-crisis-pro-apc-lawmakers-list-obasekis-sins-in-letter-to-malami/

You are a Thinker. Kudos!

Dreal1247:
At times you people are packaging more problems for the family. Obviously, the man cannot even fend for himself. Now, you are sending him back to the poor family. The family needs him to provide for them and not the other way round. My observation though.

You are 4 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to win the lottery. Those odds apparently do not apply to Stefan Mandel, a Romanian-Australian economist who’s won the lottery 14 times. Mandel’s first 2 wins were in his native Romania, where he was trying to earn enough money to get his family out of the then-communist country. His salary was then just $88 (£67 or N34,000) a month. He moved to Israel before settling down in Australia, where he won the lottery an additional 12 times.

Plenty of lottery winners end up blowing it all – spending on huge houses and Porsches, gambling, or getting slammed with lawsuits. Robert Pagliarini, a certified financial planner, previously said to prevent that, lottery winners should assemble a “financial triad” to help plan for their financial future. “This includes an attorney, a tax person, and a financial adviser”.

“This financial dream team can help make smart financial decisions and help plan for the future. They can also help shield you from the media and from the onslaught of money requests from others.” The key way to navigate a sudden windfall like winning the lottery, Mr Pagliarini said, is to keep calm and focus on the long term with pragmatic financial planning.

As for Mandel, he now lives a quiet life in Vanuatu, a South Pacific island country known for its volcanoes and waterfalls. While his scheme was legal at the time, new laws in the US and Australia render Mandel’s scheme impossible nowadays. You can no longer buy lottery tickets in bulk and print your tickets at home – two key parts of Mandel’s formula.

Here’s the 6-step formula for how Mandel managed to make serious cash from the lottery:

1. Calculate total number of possible combinations. (For a lottery that requires picking six numbers from 1 to 40 i.e. 3,838,380 combinations).
2. Find lotteries where the jackpot is 3 times or more the number of possible combinations.
3. Raise enough cash to pay for each combination. (Mandel rounded up 2,524 investors for his push to win the Virginia lottery).
4. Print out millions of tickets with every combination. (This used to be legal. Now you would have to buy the tickets right from the store)
5.Deliver the tickets to authorised lottery dealers.
6. Win the cash. And don’t forget to pay your investors. (Mandel pocketed only $97,000 [£74,000] after a $1.3m [£1m] win in 1987).

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/how-to-win-lottery-romanian-mathematician-hacked-system-stefan-mandel-a8527556.html

A man who abandoned his wife and children for six years in search of greener pastures has been tied up and sent back to his people. The report was made public by a Twitter user with the handle @Ekwulu.

Ekwulu claimed that the man left his wife, children, and aged parents for 6 years in search of greener pastures in the western part of Nigeria. He claimed that since he left, the man hasn’t been able to send any money to his family.

He was recently spotted at a livestock market in Abeokuta by a family member, who then tied him up and sent him back home via a truck.

See photos below...

SOURCE: https://www.tori.ng/news/151565/man-tied-up-and-sent-back-home-after-abandoning-hi.html

For those who are more interested in facts and legality (rather than sentiment and wishful thinking), here is what the 1999 Constitution says:

PART II
B - PROCEDURE FOR SUMMONING AND DISSOLUTION OF HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

94. (1) Every person elected to a House of Assembly shall before taking his seat in that House, declare his assets and liabilities in the manner prescribed in this Constitution and subsequently take and subscribe before the Speaker of the House, the Oath of Allegiance and oath of membership prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution, but a member may, before taking the oaths, take part in the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly.
(2) The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly shall declare their assets and liabilities in the
manner prescribed by this Constitution and subsequently take and subscribe to the Oath of Allegiance and the
oath of membership prescribed as aforesaid before the Clerk of the House of Assembly.

95. (1) At any sitting of a House of Assembly, the Speaker of that House shall preside, and in his absence the
Deputy Speaker shall preside.
(2) In the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House, such member of the House as the House
may elect for a purpose shall preside.
96. (1) The quorum of a House of Assembly shall be one-third of all the members of the House.

Are you registered with any service / subscription sites? Some sites use Flutterwave, and if your subscription has auto-renewal enabled, you will be automatically debited (without prior notice) every month or every year as per schedule.

Akanoaaa:
Good morning guys. Please, is anyone here know about FLUTTERWAVE? I was debited by them without did or doing any business with them and I called my bank and I was told the transaction was done through ATM card but I'm the only one that have access to my card. Please if you know anything about these thieves, please tell me.

The Rockefeller Foundation, in partnership with SecondMuse and OpenIDEO, on Thursday announced the Top 10 Finalists for the Food System Vision Prize. One of the top 10 finalists is the Project Lead at Lagos-based Food Innovation Nervecenter, Adefolami Agunbiade.

The Press statement announcing the award and emailed to recipients by the Global Health Strategies on behalf of the Rockefeller Foundation stated, “These finalists were selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants from 110 countries, all seeking to develop a vision of the regenerative and nourishing food system that they aspire to create by the year 2050.

“The Top 10 Finalists, whose visions focus on Canada, China, India, Kenya, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, and the U.S., were chosen among 76 semi-finalists. They were selected based on their potential to inspire real, positive and bold transformation of a specific food system that is actionable, concrete and believed to be attainable by 2050. These visions aim to tackle challenges tied to six themes: environment, diets, economics, culture, technology, and policy.”

The statement added that Food System Vision Prize was launched nearly a year ago as an invitation for organisations, institutions, companies, universities and governments across the globe to develop actionable solutions for the food systems of tomorrow.

“An esteemed panel of judges, including food system leaders from across academia, civil society and the private sector, reviewed the semi-finalist submissions and selected the 10 Finalists. The inspiring Visions they have put forward paint a picture of a more hopeful future food system – one that is equitable, sustainable and can transform our planet and improve the diets and health of people across the globe,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.

The Top 10 finalists for the Food System Vision Prize are:

(1). Food Innovation Nervecenter: This Vision from Lagos, Nigeria identifies six key food challenges for the region, from food waste to aging farmers, and outlines a multi-faceted plan to build a more regenerative and nourishing food system [Lead Organization: Darkpore Media Africa LTD].

(2). 7Gen Food System: Led by the Sicangu Lakota people, this Vision for the Rosebud Indian Reservation of South Dakota, USA outlines a regenerative agricultural system that creates economic opportunities for tribal members; increases the accessibility of locally produced, nutrient-dense foods; and re-establishes the Lakota as primary stewards of the lands [Lead Organization: Sicangu Community Development Corporation].

(3). Arakunomics: Focusing on the regions of Araku, Wardha, and New Delhi, India, this Vision empowers tribal communities and seeks to ensure environmental sustainability, fair profits for farmers, and food and nutrition security for all [Lead Organization: Naandi Foundation].

(4). Eat Right: This Vision from New Delhi, India looks to create a national movement towards healthier diets through a systems-based approach of reducing food waste; improving hygiene and sanitation across the value chain; and increasing access to and affordability of healthy foods [Lead Organization: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India].

(5). From Mama’s Kitchen to Metropolitan Beijing: This Vision from Beijing, China imagines a plant-based dietary transformation for the world’s most populous nation, contributing to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution [Lead Organizations: Good Food Fund of the China Biodiversity Conservation & Green Development Foundation].

(6). Kwayeskastasowin Wahkohtowin: Led by local First Nations communities, this Vision from Manitoba, Canada aims to create a just and sustainable agrifood system while addressing the process of decolonization and reconciliation between Indigenous and settler populations [Lead Organization: Natural Systems Agriculture Laboratory, University of Manitoba].

(7). Lima 2035: This Vision for Lima, Peru imagines a regenerative and nourishing food oasis by 2035, with the aim of securing climate-resilient running water for all in Lima’s fragile desert environment [Lead Organization: International Potato Center].

(. Re-rooting the Dutch Food System – From More to Better: This Vision from the Netherlands outlines a transformed, circular Dutch food system that safeguards natural resources, promotes a healthier and more sustainable plant-based diet, and recycles unavoidable losses and wastes [Lead Organization: Wageningen University & Research].

(9). Restoring Nairobi to “A Place of Cool Waters”: This Vision for Nairobi, Kenya aims to develop a more equitable, just and sustainable urban space, where access to nutritious food is a reality for everyone [Lead Organization: African Population and Health Research Center].

(10). Stone Barns Center: This Vision from the Hudson Valley in New York, U.S. seeks to bring about a new food culture—rooted in the ecological, nutritional and communal potential of organic agriculture—through groundbreaking culinary experimentation [Lead Organization: Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture].

“These Visions are a great example of the importance of—and opportunity for—innovation during a crisis. This is even more urgent given the severe stresses placed on food systems as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Roy Steiner, Senior Vice President of the Food Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation; adding, “We look forward to seeing how they move their ideas from Vision to action.”

In September, the finalists will advance to a 3-month virtual Accelerator phase during which they will receive support to further refine their visions and find pathways for implementation and impact. The accelerator will focus on stakeholder engagement, storytelling, communications, and action planning through virtual programming, one-on-one mentorship and customised support.

Each finalist is eligible to become a Top Visionary and to receive a prize of $200,000. Top Visionaries will be announced in December 2020.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/nigerian-shortlisted-for-200000-rockefeller-foundation-food-vision-prize/

Had a similar experience and was stunned, till I found out why: The items I ordered were to be shipped from abroad.

Try using the "FILTERS" to select "Shipped from" then select "Nigeria". Cheers!

Premiumwriter:
This is my first time of trying to buy something from jumia.

I picked two items roughly N2,500 for both items and jumia is asking me to pay N9000+ for shipping.

I'm confused.. Because when I buy things from nairaland sellers here, I've never paid more than N3000 for shipping to the same location.

And that is mostly for 2 days delivery. And jumia is asking for this amount for almost a week delivery.

COMMUTING on Lagos roads is pregnant with risk. Apart the obviously decrepit roads and impenetrable gridlock, there is also the vicious intrusion from hoodlums and violent robbers, who wreak havoc on defenceless commuters locked down in traffic. Bearing in mind that repairs on the 3rd Mainland Bridge have just commenced, the unwholesome activities of traffic robbers on highways in Lagos might not subside anytime soon. There is a pressing need for the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, to curb the menace.

Shortly after the Federal Government declared a 6-month repair project on the 11.8km 3rd Mainland Bridge from this July to January 2021, trepidation literally enveloped the public. For motorists and others, their major angst centred on the gridlock that would ensue on the alternative routes and insecurity during transit. To make matters worse, most of the highways designated as alternatives are also ramshackle or undergoing repairs.

To assuage public anxiety, the Lagos State Government, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Road Safety Corps promised to redouble their efforts, including increasing the number of personnel to patrol, enforce traffic rules and provide security. Lagos said it would deploy 650 traffic officers to the highways. FRSC promised 250 officers for the same purpose.

Despite this, the public is being proved right. In the first days of the rehabilitation, there were torrents of reports on the traffic jam on the routes traffic was diverted to, which has not abated in any way. This is unfortunate, and government should have a rethink.

In addition, media reports state there has been an upsurge in traffic robbery incidents, both on 3rd Mainland Bridge and the alternative routes. A recent victim, Raheem Akingbolu, had a bitter experience. His trip from Ogba to his office was fraught with risk. He stated, “Like me, it was also the same for many Lagosians who were either robbed or thrown into anxiety for hours on the Ojuelegba-Stadium-Barracks Road en-route Apapa and Lagos Island. It was a flipside of the bridge closure and we all saw it coming.”

At different points on Lagos highways, hoodlums wilfully attack commuters, vandalise cars and dispossess victims of valuables. A media report quoted a motorist, Solomon Abiodun, as saying: “It is the same experience on the Maza-Maza-Alakija section of Lagos-Badagry Expressway, every night. There is usually traffic on both sides inward Alakija and outward Mile 2. These boys with cutlasses usually would demand you drop something for them or get your car vandalised. You are then forced to cooperate when you imagine that what you are parting with is a small fraction of what would be used to repair the car.”

On the day Akingbolu was robbed, a couple caught in the gridlock, underwent a similar experience that left their daughter in distress. “At a tender age, the baby girl saw guns pointed at her parents as she woke up with the noise of the smashed glasses,” Akingbolu recounted. “While other victims were counting their losses, a few of us moved towards the distressed family to help pick one after the other, particles of glasses on the body of the innocent girl.”

At other points in Apongbon, Costain, Oshodi, Obalende, Ebute-Meta, Cele/Ijesa and Iddo, travelling has become hazardous. Helpless Lagosians are the worse for wear in these dangerous situations. What happened to all the assurances by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and CP Odumosu, to implement security measures against the brazen marauders?

Traffic robbery in Lagos is capricious. It has been around for long, staying a step ahead of the police. The hoodlums are very patient, always waiting for the right time to strike. The National Bureau of Statistics notes that crime is most prevalent in Lagos of all the 36 states in Nigeria. In its 2017 crime statistics, NBS stated that Lagos recorded 37.9% of the crime in Nigeria that year, which stood at 50,975 of the reported 134,663 cases. In a 2018 report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime noted that maritime crime was particularly high on the Lagos coast.

Being safe personally is integral to quality of life. A global human resources consultancy, Mercer, notes that the safer a city is, the easier it is to attract global investors. In other words, crime-ridden cities are denying themselves opportunities to grow. As well, Lagos aims to sustain its goal of being a smart megacity that is mentioned in the same breath as top investment destinations in the world. Although it is the undisputable capital of commerce in Nigeria, its crime control has not stepped up commensurately.

Certainly, the scanty police patrols are inadequate to tackle this widespread crime; the trend deserves better strategies than we have now. Partly, the solution lies in beefing up security on all highways in Lagos on a 24-hour basis. This includes foot patrols; pin down points (at noticeable black spots), the use of technology like CCTV installations for surveillance, and undercover operations. Instead of their inordinate appetite to harass and brutalise innocent young people, police should deploy more officers and implement these measures immediately.

To be fair, the current centralised security structure is a recipe for disaster. There are not enough officers on the field to implement day-to-day routine security duties because a high number has been wrongly deployed to guard VIPs. If this continues, the insecurity siege in Lagos will not recede. It means, ultimately, Lagos has to take its destiny in its own hand.

Seeing that this is a federal polity, Nigeria’s richest state has to identify with the call for devolution of policing here, as it is in other federated countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, India and Germany. Without this, Lagosians remain at the wiles and mercy of traffic robbers. That is not a pleasant story to broadcast to humanity.


SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/odumosu-take-hard-action-on-traffic-robbery-in-lagos/

What is the difference between mature and immature thinking?

A banker, Princewill Njoku, has been reunited with his son, Kayomikun, after 4 years of struggle with his father-in-law, Chief Godwin Osuchukwu, who wanted to take custody of the child. Our correspondent had reported in 2017 that Princewill’s wife, Favour, died in September 2015, shortly after giving birth to the child at a medical facility in the FESTAC area of Lagos State.

However, her father, a community leader in Umuokwara Umucheke Okwe, Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, seized the boy. Osuchukwu had claimed that the 42-year-old did not marry his daughter properly. “In Igboland, if you don’t marry someone completely when she is alive, you will complete the rites when the person dies. So, Princewill should do the right thing,” he told our correspondent in 2017.

He also frowned on the Yoruba name given to the child and renamed him Ndidi. Princewill had written several petitions to the Lagos State Government and the National Human Rights Commission, claiming that his father-in-law planned to travel out with his son without his consent. The matter passed through different courts, as Osuchukwu also made allegations against Princewill, who produced photos as proof that he completed the traditional marriage rites for Favour.

The banker, an indigene of Umuokwaraku Umudiagba Abajah, in the Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, lamented how a directive from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions to the Ajegunle Magistrates’ Court to release his son to him was frustrated. Our correspondent obtained a copy of the legal advice, dated October 2017 and signed by the then Director, DPP, Dr Jide Martins.

It recommended the prosecution of 72-year-old Osuchukwu for child abduction and the release of the child to the banker. The advice read in part, “The facts contained in the duplicate case file reveal that after the death of his wife, Princewill Njoku gave his in-laws his baby boy, Kayomikun Chimdinso Destiny Sunday Patrick Njoku, who was in the care of his sister, Charity Njoku.

“On December 27, 2015, he went to pick his son from his in-laws, but his father-in-law, Godwin Osuchukwu, refused to release his son to him. He (Osuchukwu) also confessed to have denied him the possession of his son. From 2015 till date (2017), Osuchukwu has still not released his son to him.

“The suspect confessed to have detained Princewill Njoku’s son, Kayomikun, against his father’s will, and he still insists on not returning him despite various meetings and court interventions. In light of the foregoing, Godwin Osuchukwu should be prosecuted at the magistrates’ court for the offence of abduction or unlawful removal.”

The advice was, however, frustrated, as the case dragged on. Princewill was said to have written several petitions to the Attorney-General of Lagos State, the state Commissioner of Police and the DPP, calling for the activation of the legal advice. The police were said to have claimed that the legal advice could not be found in the case file. The banker was advised to write a letter, seeking the advice to be resent to the police, which he did.

3 years after, the police reportedly indicated readiness to prosecute Osuchukwu, as his family began moves to resolve the matter. He said, “My father-in-law’s lawyer had boasted to us in court that we could not do anything with the legal advice, because he felt that they had bought their way through to suppress the case from coming up. But the DPP had got marching orders from the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice to look into the case.

“After obtaining a new copy of the legal advice, the X-Squad also swung into action to prosecute him after over 3 years’ delay. The case was transferred to the Yaba Magistrates’ Court. My father in-law afterwards said that his dead mother appeared 3 times to warn his family of the dangerous waters they were treading, and he, as a father, wanted to right the wrongs in his lifetime. I give God the glory for disgracing all those who put impediments on the path of the truth coming out. I was able to get my son back without struggling for it. The day he was returned coincidentally was my birthday.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/banker-gets-son-back-after-four-years-battle-with-father-in-law/

Wonders they say never cease to happen. When she woke up on the morning of June 1, 2020, to mark her 55th birthday, little did Victoria Wilcox know that she would not witness the next.

On that fateful day, late Victoria, a mother of two, from Arondizuogu, Imo state and married to Mr Ralph Wilcox from Bonny LGA in Rivers State met her painful and gruesome death around 8 pm, when her houseboy named Abdulkareem Babangida (Abba in short form), a native of Kachia LGA of Kaduna State clubbed her to death with the aid of a newly acquired cutlass. With the heinous job done, he dragged her lifeless body under a tree in the compound and waited patiently to administer the same treatment to Ralph.

Before her untimely death, the deceased was said to have in 2005, retired into a private business from the Nigerian Housing Insurance Trust Fund, NHITF. According to reports, late Victoria and her husband had in July 2019 hired Abba to assist in her shop at the Aco Shopping Complex, Lugbe, Abuja where she used to sell some household items and sacramentals. Though she did everything to please Abba, she never knew he had a sinister motive to send her to an early grave.

Narrating his experience, the widower, Mr Ralph Wilcox, who miraculously survived Abba’s murderous intent, could not hold back his tears, saying, ‘‘Abba has blown my life away’’, wondering how he would cope with life without his soul mate. Mr Wilcox, who was a Director in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture until 11th March 2020, when he retired from service said,

‘‘It was about 8 pm that fateful day that I drove into my compound and he (Abba) opened the gate for me and when I entered, I asked, ‘Abba why is it that there is light everywhere and there is no light here? “He responded saying, ‘‘there was an explosion in the metre and that the Mummy was aware, so I decided to switch on the generating set’’.

“I told him to give me a few minutes to park so as to check the metre where I asked him to wait for me. When I couldn’t see my wife, I asked, where is Mummy? he replied, ‘‘Mummy is in the house.’’ Not suspecting anything sinister, Wilcox said he went into the house, only to be greeted by darkness all over the place, where the generator did not produce light. ‘

‘I went in, dropped the birthday gifts I bought for my wife and my Automated Teller Machine, ATM cards and rushed out with my phone,’’ he continued. At this point, he said he never knew Abba had killed, wrapped his wife in a nylon bag and found later that he put on the generator to muzzle the sound of his wife’s cries when he (Abba) was killing her.

Not too sure of what was playing out, Wilcox said he called one Alhaji and succeeded in calling him once to come to his aid and the number did not go, and now facing the metre to find out what the problem was, he heard “the sound of an axe on my head”. ‘‘He started hitting me and hitting until I collapsed, I fell on the floor and felt tick blood over my head. By then I was weak and when he thought he had killed me, he went inside the house to look for the key of my newly bought Jeep in the house,’’ he narrated.

Continuing, he said while Abba was still busy looking for the car key, he regained consciousness and crawled close to his bedroom and started banging the window, beckoning on the wife ‘‘mummy, mummy come out, we are under attack, Abba is attacking us,” not knowing she had been dead for long. According to him, ‘‘it was God Almighty that raised me after I collapsed again and battled to draw attention in the pool of my blood.’’

After mummy did not respond to his calls, he gained little strength and crawled again to the gate to seek help, noting that if Abba had started the car then; he would have run over him, and lock the gate. ‘‘If he had succeeded, my corpse and that of my wife’s would be here decomposing and nobody would even know, maybe after few days would start smelling before people will realise that we were dead.

“But God foiled his plan, woke me and gave me the strength to manage to open the small gate because he (Abba) forgot to lock the pedestrian gate as he was locking the main gate. “That was how I escaped to the road, where I met someone coming with a jeep who saw me and reversed to call security men,’’ said the widower. According to him, as at the time the security men came, he was already unconscious, adding that it was much later they told him that the person with the jeep he had met on the road went to bring people.

Abba did not know that he had gone out to bring people. At that point, he said the sympathisers now believed him (Abba) and packaged him and asked him to drive him to National Hospital. Abba while serving his master pretended he never knew how to drive. While still battling to regain consciousness, he told Abba on their way to the hospital to call mummy’s phone and inform her that he was under attack. ‘‘It was like I was in a trance. I remember vomiting and dying. The last thing I said was a branch to the police station and tell them; until I found myself in the hospital,’’ he said.

Wilcox said ‘‘While in the hospital undergoing blood transfusion in preparation for brain surgery, the news went around the estate and people started coming to visit in the hospital and immediately the first set arrived the hospital, Abba had reversed the vehicle to escape. But when the people saw him they blocked him and started interrogating him. When asked what happened, he blamed armed robbers until he was taken home by 2 am, where the lifeless body of the madam was found under a tree. It was then, it dawns on them that Abba had killed his madam.

When subjected to further interrogation, Abba admitted that he killed his Madam. On why he killed her, he said she was bringing Christian sacramental in the shop for him, a Muslim to sell, which he said offended him. That was after he lied that they were not paying his salaries as and when due. When asked again, why he didn’t resign within the 11 months he was with the woman, he said he wanted to kill the couple and sell their car, house and other valuables.

However, justifying his wife’s business, Wilcox said she was selling sacramental because she was a strong Catholic and wondered why Abba would kill his wife for living her faith. When asked about the whereabouts of Abba, he said he is currently with the police, the State CID and noted that he had written a petition to the Force Headquarters to inform the Police IGP through the Minister of Information and Culture, who signed it and copied the IGP.

According to him, Abba’s father had reported to the police and was made to visit his son in the cell, while they were still waiting for the Alhaji (Agent) that brought him on a contract basis. On how the boy was hired, he said, ‘‘it was the agent that brought him to us and we signed and paid. But our mistake as people are saying was that we did not go to the police to crosscheck.

Speaking on Abba’s role in the house, Wilcox said ‘‘Abba stayed with us for 11 months. He was Madam’s shop keeper; he wasn’t coming into the house. We had other boys in the house. That week that he committed this crime, he caused the quarrel between him and other boys and because of the way my wife took side with him, the other boys got angry and left because of Abba. We did not know he had a plan.’’

On how generous his wife was to Abba, the bereaved said, his wife bought Abba a new pair of Jeans trouser and T-Shirt and gave him N10, 000 to give his parents during the last Sallah break, and to make Abba comfortable, Abba was provided with everything he needed in his house which was also furnished with Air Condition on the demand of the deceased, wondering how she offended Abba to warrant her killing.

When asked if he had any premonition before the incident, he said: ‘‘Yes, I told my wife few weeks before that Abba was changing but she said she trusted him, and because I did not want to offend her, I allowed him to stay. I started suspecting something but my wife did not expect it.’’ On whether Abba is truly a native of Kaduna state, he said ‘‘Abba told us that he is from Borno state but through police investigation, we later found out that he is from Kachia Local Government in Kaduna state.

A lot of people have said he does not look like someone from Nigeria, late alone Kaduna from the way he speaks and looks.’’ On the lesson learnt, Mr Wilcox said ‘‘I will be very cautious and careful in bringing people to the house. I will not trust anybody again.’’ He advised the general public to always do due diligence before bringing anybody (House help) to their house.

One of the eyewitnesses, who is a native of Kaduna state who spoke to Vanguard said, ‘‘that boy does not look like someone from Kachia. Even the Hausa he was speaking and the video I watched, he is either a Chadian or Nigerien.” Another eyewitness told Vanguard that Abba disclosed to them during interrogation that he had concluded plans to use the shovel available in the house to dig grave under a tree in the compound and bury the couple after he must have killed them. He would then take his time to sell all their properties including houses and if anybody asked about them, he would say they travelled abroad.

Though he has taken the situation in good faith, Wilcox said he is not pleased with the slow pace of the case by the Nigerian police and pleaded with them to give him justice in order to step up plans to bury his wife.

SOURCE: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/08/how-our-houseboy-killed-my-wife-tried-to-kill-me-too/