Evesworld Blog

AT least, two persons have been reportedly injured in alleged midnight sporadic shootings on Monday by Navy personnel into Naifor Island (opposite Warri), an Ijaw community in Warri South- West Local Government Area of Delta State. The victims, Mr. and Mrs. Tiemo, it was gathered, were part of Gbaramatu residents who fled their homes during last Saturday’s military invasion of Oporoza town to the area for safety. Alarmed by the incident, aggrieved villagers, however, took the wounded victims to the Naval Base, which is directly opposite Naifor Island, and left them for treatment. But the Ijaw Youth Council, the umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, in the statement on Tuesday, said what the military was presently doing in Ijaw communities of Delta and Bayelsa states amounted to genocide against their people. The group’s spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare, said the people, especially women and children, were in serious danger of massive death, if they were not...

Farmlands in five communities in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have been submerged by flood. This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Emmanuel Anya, after Governor David Umahi visited the dam that caused the tragedy on Monday. He said the governor had ordered   a comprehensive report of farms and cash crops destroyed by the flood. Anya stated that the flood was caused by the blockade of the dam being constructed by the Federal Government in Npu, Anuri Local Government Area of Enugu State. The affected communities are Ameke, Okue, Amaokwe and Ngwogwo. Noting that the damage was huge, Anya cited the governor as saying that the report would be sent to the Federal Government with a view to assisting the state and farmers whose means of livelihood had been severely affected. He said, “We came to the point of the Ukeh River Dam that is being constructed by the Federal Government in Np...

The Ebola outbreak in Guinea is over, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday, the second time the West African nation has been declared free of the virus. It has been six weeks since the last confirmed Ebola patient tested negative for the virus, according to the WHO report. The source of infection for the latest outbreak had likely been exposure to infected bodily fluid from an Ebola survivor. After having been declared free of Ebola in December, Guinea reported seven confirmed and three probable infections in March and April. The country now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are identified before they can spread. “We must continue to be vigilant to ensure that we rapidly detect and stop any new cases that may occur,” said WHO Guinea representative Abou Bekr Gaye. In neighbouring Liberia, three new Ebola cases were reported in early April, with the last patient testing negative on April 28. If n...

The Niger Delta Avengers in the early hours of Wednesday broke through the heavy military presence in the Niger Delta region, blowing up two vital Chevron oil wells in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. Our correspondent learnt that the incident occurred around 3:44am near Egbema, an Ijaw enclave in Warri North. The affected pipelines were identified as Chevron Bibi Oil Well RMP 23 and RMP. It was gathered that Chevron noticed the incident at about 4am following a drop in pressure during production. The wells have been shut down. A military source and a staff of Chevron who did not want their names mentioned confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the attack led to heavy spillage in the creeks. A team of engineers had been sent to assess the damage and to stop further spread of the spill, according to the source. NDA also confirmed attacking the oil wells in a tweet.

As President Muhammadu Buhari flags off the cleanup of the Niger Delta on Thursday (tomorrow), beginning from Ogoniland in Rivers State, the Federal Government has assured Nigerians that the exercise will not stop until it is completed. It stated that it had put in place adequate measures that would ensure the sustenance of the clean-up exercise in the region and urged residents of the affected areas to support the government as the programme begins. The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, who disclosed this on Tuesday, observed that aside the fact that there was already a $1bn commitment for the programme, some other government agencies and international oil companies would be involved in providing funds for the cleaning of the Niger Delta. Mohammed spoke during a live television programme monitored by our correspondent in Abuja. Asked to explain how the government intends to continuously provide funds for the sustenance of the clean-up exerc...

Diamond Bank Plc has fired 200 members of its workforce as the economic challenges affecting the country continue to batter the financial services industry. This is coming two months after the bank announced that its profit before tax for the first quarter of this year fell to N6.04bn from the N7.94bn it recorded in the first quarter of 2015. The slowdown in the economy has fuelled a high non-performing loan rate in the banking system, causing banks to record sharp decline in their profits for the 2015 financial year and the first quarter of 2016. Diamond Bank was said to have fired the workers on Friday. Confirming the development in a statement on Tuesday, the lender said the sacking of the 200 workers was in line with its strategic plan to drive shareholders’ value. The statement read, “Diamond Bank recently rightsized its workforce. The rightsizing was a core strategic exercise in line with the bank’s growth objective and the will to continue t...

The Rivers State Police Command on Tuesday said two armed robbers were killed after they engaged a team of policemen and soldiers in a shootout on Stadium Road in the Elekahia area of Port Harcourt. Six members of the gang were also arrested by the security operatives. The armed robbers were said to have trailed a bullion van from the Diamond Bank in the Trans-Amadi area with the intent of attacking the vehicle and operatives manning it. It was gathered that the robbers, who came in Nissan Primera and red Jetta cars, were noticed by security operatives, who trailed them. PUNCH Metro gathered that when their intentions became clear to the policemen and soldiers at the Elekahia area, they opened fire on the robbers, killing two and arresting six. The incident occurred at about 1pm. A source said, “We learnt that the armed robbers were trailing the bullion van from Trans-Amadi, but unknown to them, some policemen and soldiers noticed and trailed them....

A family of three has been found dead inside their mini flat on Church Street, Lagos Island, after allegedly inhaling some chemical substance. Who sprayed the chemical into the apartment had been a thing of concern to the victims’ family members and residents of the area. The deceased are 30-year-old Ibrahim Yusuf, a tricycle rider; his wife, Saidat; and their five-year-old daughter, Rodiat. PUNCH Metro learnt that neighbours had heard a scream from the victims’ apartment in the early hours of Monday which they ignored, thinking it was a sign of disagreement between the couple. At about 2pm, Ibrahim’s friend, Quadri Aderibigbe, who lives on Freeman Street, said he became worried when he did not see him. He said, “Usually by 7am he should be at the park. When it was 9am and I did not see him, I sent a boy to check on him. The boy came back and said he knocked on his door but didn’t get any response. When it was 2pm, I went to see his mother if she had...

Two graduates, Desmond Quadri and Richard Orji, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly raping a woman in the Ajah area. PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects had attended a party together where they had some bottles of alcoholic drink. After the party, 24-year-old Quadri was said to have gone into the bush to defecate and was accompanied by his friend, Orji, 25. The men, who had reportedly been friends for eight years, were said to have spotted the victim in her room alone and sneaked into the compound. Orji was alleged to have stabbed the 32-year-old in the shoulder and thigh, before taking her phones, Ipad, perfumes and other personal effects. Not done, the suspects allegedly took turns to rape her for about half an hour before leaving her for dead. Residents were said to have taken her to the hospital and reported the matter at the Ajah Police Division. Our correspondent gathered that the case was transferred to the ...

Two men who are allegedly members of a syndicate that produces fake naira notes have been arrested by the police on Oluwakemi Street, in the Ojodu Abiodun area of Lagos State. PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspects – Hope Ihesiaba and his brother, Ifeanyi – were arrested by the Isheri Police Division on Saturday. Our correspondent learnt that the police were tipped-off by a woman, who sold foodstuffs in the area, that the suspects spent fake N1,000 notes and the operatives moved in on the duo. Eighty pieces of fake N1,000 notes, two laptops, a sledge hammer and a cutlass were said to have been recovered by the police from the suspects’ house. It was gathered that apart from the duo, two friends of Ifeanyi, a lady simply identified as Ijeoma, and a man identified only as Paul, were arrested by the police for allegedly receiving and spending some of the fake notes from the suspects. Speaking with PUNCH Metro , 33-year-old Hope, from Abia State, said he ...

A herbalist, Seye Olufokunbi, has narrated how he defrauded a Lagos banker, identified simply as Lekan, of N2.5m. The 33-year-old said he told Lekan, who worked in one of the banks on the Victoria Island, that the money was for a special soap. He said he lied to the banker that the soap, when kept in a box for two days, would produce a lot of money. The money magic was said to have failed, leading to a petition to the Lagos State Police Command’s Rapid Response Squad in February 2016. The operatives were said to have trailed and arrested the suspect at his base in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. The suspect, who spoke with our correspondent at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Tuesday, said he was initially selling herbs to Lekan before the banker told him to perform money ritual for him. He said, “I have known Lekan for a long time and he is my customer. He was initially patronising me for herbs for his ailment. “But he later approached me for money ...

The 31 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Minna, on Tuesday said the religious violence, which claimed four lives in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger on Sunday, had been brought under control. Major Njideka Agwu, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations Officer, who made this known to newsmen in Minna, said the army, police and the NSCDC had restored peace in the area. She said one Methodus Emmanuel, a 24-year-old trader based in Padongari, was killed on Sunday by a mob over allegations of blasphemy. “Three other persons, including personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also lost their lives. “Troops of the 31 Artillery Brigade of One Division, Nigeria Army, quickly intervened and restored law and order while a dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in the town,’’ she said. Agwu also said that a religious house, a house and a shop were burnt while 25 other shops were looted following the violence. She said that the hoodlums embarke...

There was confusion on Ebute Road and Asiwaju Street in the Ibafo area of Ogun State after suspected vandals clashed with policemen and military personnel, leading to continuous gunshots in the area. PUNCH Metro learnt that the gunshots began on Sunday around 10pm and lasted till 8am on Monday which forced residents to flee from the area. Our correspondent gathered that the clash was caused by the vandals’ attempt to rescue one of their kingpins who was arrested by the Ibafo Police Division. It was learnt that the vandals’ kingpin, whose name had yet to be ascertained, had been arrested for killing a police corporal attached to the division, identified as Torbee Atorough. PUNCH Metro had reported on May 25 that Atorough was abducted by some suspected militants at a duty post in the community. It was said that Atorough’s whereabouts had since then remained unknown, as the police in Ibafo continued to search for him. PUNCH Metro learnt that the se...

Residents of Ilogbo, a town in the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, have been cut off from their neighbours, as the bridge linking them with other communities has collapsed. The bridge, which was constructed over the Atuwara River, linked the community with Oju-Ore and Iwoye, among other communities in the Ota area. Residents who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Saturday said they woke up on Thursday to discover that the bridge had collapsed. They said each time it rained, the river usually overflowed its banks and covered the bridge. But on Wednesday, the torrential rain weakened the bridge, and it caved in after a truck loaded with sand crossed it. They said since then, their children could no longer go to school because of the precarious nature of what remained of the bridge. Although through the efforts of the landlords, tricycle and okada (motorcycle) operators, a makeshift plank bridge had been constructed over the river, it could onl...

Some suspected hired assassins have killed Michael Ogunnusi, the owner of the Allonze Hotel on Ishawo Road, Agric, Ikorodu, Lagos State. PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects, who entered the hotel on a motorcycle, pretended that they were lodgers. The security guard who opened the gate was said to have been tied up by the armed men. They were said to have made straight for the victim’s room in the hotel and shot him dead. Our correspondent reliably gathered that the deceased was killed for allegedly dating the wife of the gunmen’s leader. It was learnt that the suspects took Ogunnusi’s phone before fleeing the hotel. A source said the men were four in number and brought a car which was parked outside. He said, “While one was in the car, three went in on a motorcycle, pretending to be customers; they got separate rooms to stay. However, no sooner than they got their keys that they went to the man’s room.  One knocked at his door as if he was...

A Lagos-based hotel manager, Ms Omolara Koleoso, has accused some soldiers at the Ikeja Cantonment of unlawfully detaining her for  arguing with their colleague. She said she was detained for over 24 hours without food, adding that family members who came were not allowed to see her. Our correspondent learnt that it took the intervention of a senior officer in the barracks before the woman was released around 8pm on Saturday. PUNCH Metro gathered that around 4pm on Friday, Koleoso had gone to pick her daughter, who is a pupil of the Command Day Secondary School within the cantonment, after receiving a call that she was ill. It was learnt that as she wanted to drive out of the barracks, a female soldier shut the gate and reportedly demanded that the pupil disembarked from the car and joined other students for sanitation in the school. Attempts by the mother to convince her that the daughter was ill and needed to rest reportedly fell on deaf ears...

The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal on Tuesday ordered Barewa Pharmaceutical Company to pay a fine of N1m for the sale of a contaminated baby teething mixture, My Pikin,  which resulted in the death of a number of babies in the country. In a lead judgment read by Justice E.C. Iyizoba, the Court of Appeal set aside the decision of a Federal High Court in Lagos, which on May 17, 2012 ordered the winding up of the company and the forfeiture of its assets. Rather, the appellate court ordered Barewa Pharmaceutical Company to pay a fine of N1m for the offence. The Court of Appeal however upheld the seven years imprisonment imposed on the company’s Production Manager, Adeyemo Abiodun, and its Quality Assurance Manager, Egbele Eromosele, by the lower court. “The order for the winding up of the appellant is set aside, instead the appellant is sentenced to a fine of N1m,” Justice Iyizoba held. The Federal High Court had in a judgment delivered in 2012 by ...

Civil servants in Ondo State have decided to embark on an indefinite strike on Wednesday following the inability of the state government to pay their salaries for five months. The leadership of the organised labour in the state are currently holding an emergency meeting over the plan. Meanwhile, workers in the state have been directed to stay at home and hospitals are to be shut down. It is not yet clear what would be the fate of pupils, who are taking the Senior School Certificate’s Examination. Details later…

Worldwide, breastfeeding is recognised as the best way to feed an infant because it protects the mother and infant from a variety of health problems. Even so, many women who start out breastfeeding stop before the recommended minimum of exclusive breastfeeding of six months. Often, women stop because of the common problems they encounter. With sound guidance and appropriate medical treatment, most of them can overcome these obstacles and continue breastfeeding for longer period. Breast engorgement Engorgement is a medical condition that breastfeeding mothers can experience. The breast milk will come in around 24 to 72 hours after birth. A degree of fullness may be experienced in the breasts at this time. After feeding, at least, one’s breast should feel soft and light (well drained). Engorgement is caused by a build-up of blood, milk and other fluids in the breast. It will occur if the baby is not feeding and attaching well and the breasts not drained well...

 Soldiers suspected to be operatives of the Joint Task Force have invaded the home of the father of wanted ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, carting away what sources said were vital documents.   It was gathered that the incident happened between the hours of 5am and 8am at Kurutie. The soldier later moved to other communities in search of the ex-militant and youths alleged to be members of the Niger Delta Avengers. Kurutie, where Tompolo’s father lives, is also where the temporal site of the scrapped Federal Maritime University is located in Warri South West local government area of Delta State. Community sources told our correspondent that the soldiers also stormed other Gbaramatu communities, including Benikrukru, Kokodiagbene, and Okerenkoko. The spokesman of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, confirmed the development to our reporter on phone when contacted. He alleged that briefcases containing monie...

If you have diabetes, what I’m about to share with you in this post could prevent you from having a premature heart attack, save your eyesight, kidneys, legs, and nerves—even save your life. Stress hormones in your body may directly affect glucose levels. When under mental stress, people with type 2 diabetes generally experience an increase in blood glucose levels. Your blood sugar can also increase when your body is under physical stress. This can happen when you’re sick or injured. This can affect people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Stress can affect people differently. The type of stress that you experience can also have an impact on your body’s physical response. When people with type 2 diabetes are under mental stress, they generally experience an increase in their blood glucose levels. People with type 1 diabetes may have a more varied response. This means that they can experience either an increase or a decrease in their blood glucose levels. Wh...

Two policemen were Monday feared dead while two others were injured following clashes with protesters under the auspices of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). MASSOB are agitating for the release of IPOB henchman Nnamdi Kanu currently standing trial for treasonable felony. The group is also agitating for the independence of Biafra from the Nigerian State. The Nation gathered that a police patrol van was vandalised by the protesters at Mammy Market junction along Nnebisi road. The Nation gathered that trouble started after policemen fired tear gas canisters into the crowd on a peaceful march around Anwai road in Asaba metropolis. Following this attack, the crowd regrouped and attack a police patrol team fatally stabbing a policeman in the melee that ensued. The Nation reporter who visited the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba where the corpse of the slain cop was deposited observed that the Achilles tendon of the dece...

The Police Command in Gombe State has confirmed that a gang of armed robbery suspects killed a lecturer and a Cameroonian at Kashere junction on the Gombe-Kumo Road.  This is contained in a statement issued by DSP Ahmed Usman, the command spokesman, in Gombe on Monday. The statement stated that the incident occurred at about 11:45p.m., on Sunday night. It named the lecturer as Malam Sulaiman Umar of the Department of Arabic Studies, Federal University, Kashere and the Cameroonian as Malam Zainab Mahmuda without giving further details. The statement stated that the suspected robbers were about eight in number, adding that investigation into the incident had commenced.

The Chief Executive Officer, Ambibol Diabetes Foundation and Clinic, Ikeja, Lagos, Dr. Adebola  Adelaiye,  says that six million Nigerians have been diagnosed with diabetes. Adelaiye said with the figure, the country had the highest population of people living with the disease in Africa. She said that Nigerians were dying of diabetes due to the ignorance and poor management of it. According to the United States trained physician, many of the Nigerian patients get to know about their status when it is almost impossible to manage and treat it. She said, “The International Diabetic Federation estimates that about six million Nigerians have diabetes. It is not a killer disease but it is killing many Nigerians unfortunately. “This is because a significant population of those who have it do not know they do. I once treated a Nigerian patient in the U.S. who did not know he had high blood sugar. You can control diabetes with the right dietary and med...