Posts

Showing posts from June 19, 2016

News Renewed communal clash claims five in C’ River

Image
At least five people have been confirmed dead following renewed land dispute crisis between the people of Adadama in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State and their Amagu neighbours in Nko Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The age-long communal clash between both communities over a parcel of farmland had over the years claimed several lives with its attendant wanton displacements arising from the destruction of properties. Southern City News learnt on Friday that four persons were killed when some women from Adadama went to their farms to harvest cassava but were chased out by some youths from Amagu. The source, who preferred anonymity, said trouble started when the youths from Adadama got the wind and mobilised immediately back to the farm land to protect the women. “When they reported their ordeal, the youths of Adadama went on rescue mission and fracas ensued. It led to the death of four Adadama youths while four persons were rushed to the

I’ve found love in single mother

Image
ONE of the most eligible bachelors in Nollywood, Kalu Ikeagwu, has found love. Today in Enugu State, he’ll be getting married to his heartthrob, Ijeoma, a single mother. However, the handsome actor has settled for a low-key wedding unlike some other celebrities. In an interview with RITA OKOYE, the excited groom shares his love story, opening up on why he didn’t end up with an actress. You are having a low-key wedding on Saturday, are you scared of anyone? I’m a very private person and I don’t want a lot of crowd. It’s not a secret, some blogs have written about it. I don’t like noise, and for me, the most important thing is the marriage itself. The wedding is just to say to everybody that, before God and man, I am married to this person. The main thing is the marriage and it mat­ters a lot where I come from. Are you excited? Definitely, I am excited about my marriage, but nothing much about my wedding. Are you saying this because ce­lebrity marriages keep breakin

Shocking confession: I police in the day and rob at night – Anti-robbery policeman

Image
In a series of shocking revelations, an armed robbery suspect, Chris Oboko, a corporal attached to the C4I unit of the Nigeria Police in Rivers State, has told investigators how an informant “lured” him into a gang of car snatchers. Thirty five-year-old Oboko, who has now been dismissed from the force, was recently arrested in Port Harcourt, during a mop-up of criminal elements responsible for incessant robberies and carjacking in the state by the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team. For him, the lure of armed robbery loot was something he could not simply resist. According to him, the turning point for him was when he encountered two members of a robbery and kidnapping gang, who were in the process of selling the cars they got from one of their victims. Investigators in the case said Oboko’s arrest seems to validate the shade of opinion that ‘bad eggs’ in the force are responsible for the bad conduct of some policemen. Oboko, who jo

Missing Abuja businesswoman fear killed as friends allege cover up

Image
Friends of missing Abuja-based businesswoman, Charity Eiyadogbon, say they believe she might have been killed shortly after she was abducted on May 11, 2016. Forty-four-year-old Charity, who is said to be separated from her husband, David, vanished without a trace, without informing anyone of any trip even though a curious message was found on her Facebook wall saying she was going on a road trip. Her friends who believe she might have been forced to write this on Facebook to make it look as if she indeed travelled, said unpacked luggage in her apartment and a full pot of soup in her kitchen showed that she did not plan to go anywhere. Saturday PUNCH learnt that Charity, who got married in 1988 at the age of 16, had been separated from her husband, David, for about two years, while her children live with their father. The police said David had been invited over the whereabouts of his ex-wife, but did not reveal if he is seen as a suspect. A US-based law

Family seeks justice for factory worker tortured to death by police

Image
To members of his immediate family, Chibuike Edu’s death is like a nightmare that they have not been able to wake up from. The family is still trying to understand how the 22-year-old ended up in the cell of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Enugu, where he was tortured only to die just 10 minutes after he was rushed to the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, on May 18, 2016.  To compound the family’s anguish, Chibuike’s death was not even communicated to them, and his body had yet to be released by the police for burial. The corpse was deposited at the morgue in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozala, Enugu, without the knowledge of the family members, who are now crying out for justice. Our correspondent learnt that the late Chibuike, a native of Ulepa village in Ntezi, a community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was a factory worker with Intecil Products Limited, which is based in the Emene area

AMCON shuts Murray-Bruce firms over N10bn debt

Image
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria on Thursday morning sealed the Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt premises of Silverbird Galleria belonging to Senator Ben Murray-Bruce. The Abuja Galleria currently houses the Abuja studio of the senator’s Rhythm FM radio station and Silverbird Television station as well as his other business interests. The one in Lagos hosts the Silverbird Cinema and outfits belonging to other people. The buildings were sealed by AMCON through the assistance of officers of the Nigerian Police Force at about 8am, following a court order secured by the corporation. The Federal High Court, Lagos Division, had on Friday, June 17, 2016, granted an interim injunction against Silverbird Productions Limited, Silverbird Showtime Limited, Silverbird Galleria Limited and Ben Murray-Bruce, Guy Murray-Bruce, Roy Murray-Bruce and Jonathan Murray-Bruce on the application of AMCON. AMCON said in a statement that it had since appointed M. A. Banire

Biochemist presents real cure for Erectile Dysfunction, Prostate and Infertility

Image
GOOD NEWS! “You Can Now Finally Get Rid Of Your Embarrassing Sexual Problems Permanently! And Transform Your Sex Life Into That Confident Consistent And  Lasting Sexual Experience You’ve Always Wanted. Suffering in silence from: Weak Erection? Infertility? Having Uncomfortable Prostate Symptoms? Being unable to give your partner the same type of mind blowing orgasms that will get her moaning and clinging to you? If any of these situations relates to you, and you are on this page right now, congratulations! Because I can confidently assure that you‘ve, at last, come to the solution you’ve being looking for ever since. I am telling you this from research backed experience and the results and testimonies gotten from more than 300 men who at one point in their lives have struggled with various kinds of sexual dysfunctions. What is Sexual Dysfunction? Sexual dysfunction refers to a problem occurring during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the in

Two sentenced to death for murder in Ekiti

Two men – Segun Adeyemo and Gboye Babaniwura – were on Thursday sentenced to death for murder by an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ikole Ekiti. They were sentenced to death by hanging for killing two men – Yeti Abubakar and Sikiru Ahmadu at the premises of the police station in Iluomoba Ekiti on September 13, 2011. Justice Abiodun Adesodun found the accused persons guilty, holding that the prosecution has proved the case of murder preferred against them beyond reasonable doubt. “I hereby sentence you, the first accused person, Segun Adeyemo and the second accused person, Gboye Babaniwura to death by hanging until life goes out of you. May the Lord have mercy on your souls,” Justice Adesodun ruled on Thursday. State counsel, Femi Onipede, told the court that the accused persons committed the offence at Iluomoba Ekiti in Gbonyin local government area of the state. Onipede revealed that on the said date, the accused persons murdered the victims by hitting

Bianca Ojukwu’s mother dies

Image
Mrs. Caroline Onoh, wife of a former Governor of old Anambra State, late Chief Christian Onoh, is dead. She died in Enugu on Tuesday. She was 81. The deceased was the mother of ex-Nigeria Ambassador to Spain, Bianca Ojukwu. The second son of the late former governor, Dr. Ken Onoh, confirmed his mother’s death in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday. Onoh, who is also a Special Adviser to the Enugu State Governor, said his mother died on Tuesday at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) after a brief illness.

Arms cash: EFCC set to invite Fayose’s wife

Image
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to invite Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose, the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, for receiving N100m through an account which is operated by her and her husband. According to the EFCC, the money, which emanated from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser, was paid into the Zenith Bank account of Spotless Investment Limited on June 17, 2014, less than a week to the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State. The money was paid into the company’s account with bank teller number 0540997 by Abiodun Agbele, an associate of the governor. The two signatories to Spotless Investment Limited’s account are Fayose and his wife. An EFCC detective told one of our correspondents, “N100m was paid into the Spotless Investment Limited account with number 1010170969 at Zenith Bank. The two signatories are Fayose, with Bank Verification Number 22338867502, and his wife, Helen Olayemi, with BVN 222989902

DSS arrests Ihejirika over arms deal

Image
The Department of State Services has arrested a former Chief of Army Staff  Lt.  Gen.  Azubuike Ihejirika (retd.). Sources said Ihejirika was arrested on Tuesday night at his Maitama, Abuja residence. It was learnt that the arrest of the former COAS was not unconnected to the ongoing $2.1bn arms purchase probe involving the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) A source said, “It is true that we picked up the former COAS; he is helping us with investigation into the arms procurement when he was in service, but it is too early to say when he would be released on bail.” It was gathered that Ihejirika’s arrest and detention was informed by new leads linking him to alleged fraud in the arms procurement process during former President Goodluck Jonathan administration. The former chief of army staff had denied allegations against him. The DSS could not be reached on Wednesday to comment on the arrest of the former COAS as it had yet to

It’s disgraceful states can’t pay salaries, says Buhari

Image
President Muhammadu Buhari  yesterday described as disgraceful that two-thirds of state governments can’t pay workers’ salaries. He also vowed to leave no stone unturned to rid Nigeria of fraud and corruption. The President told State House workers who gathered at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa to welcome him back from his vacation; that those who take whatever does not belong to them will be made to face prosecution. He said: “27 out of the 36 states cannot pay salaries. This is a disgrace to Nigeria. It is a disgrace up till now that most of the states cannot pay salaries. What happened to all we have gotten over the years? We look up and down, left, right and centre, what have we saved? There was nothing because we developed a consumption culture that we were not supposed to develop. Most of your colleagues that have left service, I doubt if they are getting benefits. That is the situation we find ourselves in.” Noting that the military had m

Again, suspected herdsmen kill 13 in Benue

Image
THREE days after Governor Samuel Ortom met with stakeholders from Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo local government areas to deliberate on ways to tackle the incessant Fulani attacks, unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Wednesday raided four villages and killed 13 persons in two local government areas of Logo and Ukum in the state. According to our correspondent, this is the third attack between last Saturday and Sunday this week, where 59 persons were killed in the area. The Benue State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Moses Yamu, confirmed that four people were killed in the Vaase community of Ukum while three corpses were recovered in Anyiin and one in Uzer in Logo LGA of the state. He said additionally five corpses were recovered from Tsukwa. Yamu said the attacks were carried out simultaneously at 2am by the suspected herdsmen. However, a source told our correspondent that death tolls were over 18 at the time of

Kano: Yoruba leader’s killer to die by hanging

Image
Justice Kabiru Auta of a Kano High Court  on Wednesday sentenced the killer of a Kano-based business tycoon, philanthropist and Yoruba leader, Alhaji Ganiyu Akanbi Bello, to death by hanging. The accused person, Abubakar Abdulrahaman (a.k.a Daddy), 28, was found guilty on one-count charge of culpable homicide, punishable by death, while he was discharged and acquitted in another charge of armed robbery. Abubakar was accused of murdering Bello on June 5, 2014 in his residence at the GRA Nassarawa, opposite Kano Race Course, when he stabbed the deceased in the heart with a kitchen knife. The prosecution, led by M.M. Sulaiman of the state Ministry of Justice, and assisted by the nominal complainant counsel, J.I. Macaulay of Kehinde Olaitan Chambers, called seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits. The exhibits included, the knife he used to stab the deceased and his Blackberry phone. Making his last plea for the accused person, his counsel from the L

PHOTOS: Accident causes gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

Image

Hijab: CAN files stay of execution

Image
The Christian Association of Nigeria in Osun State has filed a stay of execution against the judgment of an Osun State High Court which allowed the use of hijab in all public schools in the state.   The Osun State Chairman of  CAN, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, who confirmed the action to our correspondent in Osogbo said the  process was still on as at the time of filing this report.   Ogundiya said, ” We are filing the stay of execution now. The process is still ongoing but I went to court this morning to sign some papers. We will let you have the details later.”   Ogundiya spoke briefly with our correspondent before the meeting of leadership of the CAN in the South West began. The meeting also had representatives of the national body of the CAN in attendance.   The chairmen of CAN in Ondo, Ogun and Oyo who spoke at the meeting said the entire Christian communities in their respective states were solidly in support of the Osun State branch in resisting the wearing

Zenith Bank, not Dasuki funded my campaign – Fayose

Image
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State says Zenith Bank Plc and other private donors funded his 2014 governorship campaign. He, therefore, stated that linking him with embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki (retd.) was nonsensical. Fayose said this in a statement on Wednesday while reacting to an allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that N1, 219, 490,000 was flown to Akure Airport on June 12, 2014 to Fayose by a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro. The money was alleged to have emanated from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser and was eventually paid into Fayose’s account by one Abiodun Agbele, an associate of the governor. The N1,219,490,000 was subsequently conveyed by a Zenith Bank bullion van to the Zenith Bank branch in Alagbaka Estate, Akure. However, Fayose in a statement by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said the EFCC were grasping at straws. The governor also alleged t

Abia Govt to appoint 34 physically challenged persons as aides

Image
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has directed the transition committee chairmen of the 17 local government areas in the state to appoint two disabled persons each from their areas as special assistants as a way of reducing unemployment in the state. The directive followed an appeal to the governor by the physically challenged in the state, who said they were qualified and could contribute to the development of the state if employed. Ikpeazu. who spoke at the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, during a town hall meeting for Abia South senatorial zone for the people of Obingwa, Aba South and Aba North LGAs, said his administration would carry everyone along. He disclosed that N4b had been set aside for the renovation of primary schools across the state and assured the people that the fund would be judiciously applied. According to him, under the programme, 10 primary schools are to be rehabilitated in each of the 17 LGAs. Ikpeazu urged youths in the state t

Police Assert Self, Bello Tells the new IGP

Image
NIGER State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has said that the newly appointed Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Kpotun Idris is coming on board at a critical time when the Police have to reassert itself as a vital institution in government’s efforts at restoring peace and security in the country. Bello in a congratulatory statement issued in Minna on Wednesday, said as peace gradually returns to many parts of the North East region following the resounding successes recorded by the military in the battle against insurgents, Nigerian Police should be prepared to build on these gains to finally restore peace, security and civil life in the affected areas. The statement, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Jibrin Ndace said, “In line with world’s best practices, with the breakthrough by our military in quelling the insurgent elements in the North East region, the onus is now on Police force to effectively and consciously ensure that it takes

Five expatriates kidnapped, one killed in Calabar

Image
At least five foreign expatriates and two Nigerians were on Wednesday kidnapped at the Idundu axis of the Calabar-Oban road by suspected militants.   The incident occurred around 6am when the foreigners and their Nigerian colleagues working for MacMahon Construction Company were on their way to work.   The construction firm is located at the Mfamosing Plant of United Cement Company Nigeria Limited in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. The company is said to be one of the major contracting firms to Lafarge Holcim, owners of UniCem.   The workers, who were conveyed in four MacMahon vehicles, were escorted by a security pickup that had four armed policemen when they were attacked by the gunmen before the Idundu Bridge.   The armed police escort team could not salvage the situation while the attack lasted.   One of the foreign expatriate identified as Tim Croot, an Australian citizen, alongside the driver of one of the vehicles whose name wa