Borussia Dortmund are eyeing a 2nd European Cup final, while Real Madrid are aiming for their 13th. Rivers PDP Suspends Speaker, 26 Lawmakers.
Tuesday 30 April 2013
From our news desk
Borussia Dortmund are eyeing a 2nd European Cup final, while Real Madrid are aiming for their 13th. Rivers PDP Suspends Speaker, 26 Lawmakers.
Actor Solomon Akiyesi tells his own side of the story
Over the last one week, hell has been let loose on me. I’ve not only suffered verbal attacks, but also vituperations and near fisticuffs, all because of another futile attempt of mine at my journey towards achieving that which I honestly and passionately desire – a peaceful home and family. Social network sites and blogs have been awash with how I left Lilian, my “pregnant” wife, to marry Uloma, my Lagos “mistress” whom they also claimed was pregnant for me. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
Only a mad or cursed man would simply leave his pregnant wife and elope with another one. And lest I forget, I urge you, as you read this, to have an open mind to listen to that which is true instead of taking sides and jumping into wicked conclusions with its attendant wicked insults and uncouth commentaries about how Solomon is running his life and how he is not. I’m not asking for pity or trying to buy anybody’s love at this time.It gets more interesting. Continue...
This is my life. If at my age I don’t know what I want, then I may just remain the dumb ass that I’ve been called over and over again. I don’t think I need anyone to give me any lecturing on how I should exercise my privileges.
For the record, I never planned on marrying more than one wife. And unlike the serial husband I’ve been labelled, I had dreamt and planned a lovely home and family.
And my quest for this dates back to 2003 after I had moved into Port Harcourt. I soon settled down with Ezinne, my university days girlfriend, whom I ran into in Port Harcourt during her National Youth Service. As fate had it, we couldn’t help reliving old times and one thing led to another. One fateful, rainy Thursday evening in October, 2002, Ezinne came to inform me that she was pregnant.
It was as far as I was concerned, a devastating blow to the new life I was living; rap music, cars, money and women. So, I told her the pregnancy was unacceptable to me. Besides, I only just started working and needed stability. But months later, Ezinne was to inform me that she was carrying a baby girl.
And knowing my attachment to baby girls and not wanting to ever have a baby outside wedlock, I repented and changed my thuggish ways and asked her to marry me, more so that I was mature enough in every ramification. Or so I thought.
And so, sometime in April, 2003, I hired a hall and invited a pastor to come officiate at my marriage with Ezinne and bless our rings. All done, we went home and started as husband and wife. God, the creator, knew how glad I was and looked forward to a happy home. However, five days after that marriage, I called my new wife on my way from work to ask what was up for dinner and she told me she had been in the hospital.
I rushed to the hospital and was told by Ezinne that she lost the baby. I got her discharged and took her home. But I was completely broken at the loss of a baby I had expected so much. Four days later, I asked my wife if she actually saw the dead baby. She responded by saying the doctor brought it but she gave instruction for it to be buried because she could not behold the sight. Instinctively, I called the doctor – both to thank him and to confirm because he wasn’t around when I went to pick her home. After thanking the doctor, I asked of the sex of my dead baby.
The doctor didn’t talk for like six seconds. I asked him the same question again and he said he’s been restless in his spirit and that he could no longer keep the fact that there was no baby inside Ezinne and that nothing like miscarriage happened in his hospital. I challenged him again and asked if he was not the same person, who confirmed her pregnant and that Ezinne had been attending antenatal in his hospital.
He responded that he had not set his eyes on Ezinne since October of the previous year. Meanwhile, Ezinne had always taken money from me for antenatal and had even shopped for the baby! It then became clear to me that this was a fluke all together.
Sadly enough, Ezinne denied any wrongdoing. For three years, I exposed opportunities for Ezinne to simply tell me the truth but she never took advantage of any of the opportunities. Alas! She was not pregnant. I decided to investigate myself and took her for HSG where it was discovered that there were no fallopian tubes in her and that there was evidence of previous surgery of the uterus. I independently probed further and found out with evidence that Ezinne had a life-threatening abortion in 1992 that resulted in the rupture and subsequent removal of her womb and tubes.
My biggest pain was not what I found out but the fact that Ezinne hid all this from me all these years and was still being economical with the truth even when confronted with hard evidence! In frustration, I moved out of the house but not before taking her to her mum in search of the truth.
Even the mum corroborated what Ezinne gave as excuse for the scar that runs from her navel down to her pubic region, i.e. she was operated upon due to menstrual irregularities. I then decided to stay out for good. While I was out, my relationship with Lillian whom I had known years earlier grew.
I was always going to see her in Enugu. I then got me another apartment and Lillian came around quite often too. Gradually Lillian grew from that little girl I was merely helping in her schooling, into a mature, witty and intelligent young woman. So, having taken my people to Ezinne’s place for the dissolution of the marriage – since we did only traditional marriage – I proposed to Lillian.
And, in 2007, we proceeded to the registry for marriage. And that was the day her father started troubling me. He insisted Lillian was not supposed to go home with me. For two years, he cut communication with me. Shortly after the marriage, my businesses ran into a crises and my entire life nose-dived.
There was tremendous loss in my finances. In my travail, Lillian’s father went to the police and told them to deal seriously with me because I was an “irresponsible son-in-law”. When the challenges kept mounting and seeing my life was at risk after I was badly shot, I left town to sojourn elsewhere. In 2010, I gradually re-emerged and we started finding our footing again.
Even though I tried to settle down again, I found that the centre could no longer hold, as Lillian had metamorphosed into a nag and had acquired a fire tongue with which she talked me down and reigned curses on me at any little provocation. There was no week we didn’t have a major fight, whether I was home or not.
At some point, she became religious. And having found her way into Winners Chapel, she suggested to me one day that it was necessary we took our marriage to God since we hadn’t a proper wedding. She said her church pastors were willing to help in blessing our marriage so there could be a turnaround. To this, I obliged. She said she would love for us to wear wedding costumes for the purpose of photographs. To this I also consented. And so, to Winners Chapel we went and were blessed and certificated.
But it was as if that blessing was what someone was waiting for before they would blow the whistle that would usher me into the hall of pain. Lillian became insatiable.
You would see tiny ingredients of marriage only when I could ensure her comfort. Once Lillian’s comfort was compromised, she would lampoon me and tell me my life history in graphic details and lecture me on what Mr. A and B have done for their wives that I’m not able to do.
It’s even worse when I try to remind her of the recent past that I laboured tenaciously to keep her happy. Once she told me that there was nothing I had done in the past that anybody couldn’t have done. Imagine sacrificing all you’ve got, including almost your life, for someone who would tell you it’s no big deal and that any other person could have done what you did. And then, suddenly, she wanted me to quit my acting career or she would divorce me. My phones were always her best companions at night. If she was not reading my texts, she was in my facebook or BBM.
I had no peace. My best moment was whenever I had to leave home for work. And after work I never wanted to go back home. On a trip back home sometime ago, I was praying that my aircraft should crash and I die instead of going home. Even when I was driving home, I was under strong temptation to ram into oncoming vehicles instead of going home.
It was either that a long list of demand would be waiting for me or an equally longer list of questions about whom I had been online with and whom I had been calling and not calling.
Then on the side was a supposed father-in-law, who claimed he regretted the marriage because he wasn’t getting anything from it and that I only came to destroy the love that existed in their family before the marriage. So, my joy knew no bounds when Lillian told me last year that she was pregnant. For me, it was a good thing. Maybe the baby would take her attention away from me at last. Then the heat started again. I must provide N2 million for her to deliver her baby, even though she knows my income and its source. When her pressure got to a head and to avoid the same road I travelled with Ezinne, I took Lillian to a gynaecologist. A scan was run on her and the result was declared before the two of us that she was not pregnant.
This was after she told me that she had done an independent scan and that she was carrying triplets! Even with the medical confirmation, Lillian never stopped her push for N2 million and money for baby shopping. I ended up suffering a partial stroke in January. Yet she would wake me up at 2am to ask me of my plans to raise N2 million for her, even while I was bedridden with stroke.
I knew then that I was going to die in that marriage and had to do something about it. Ladies and gentlemen, this is about my life. If what greeted the Internet and press was that I died, trying to please Lillian and my marriage, people would still insult me and ask why I didn’t take a walk. And taking a walk I tried to do but I did not do it right.
I tried to skip due process to avoid hurting anyone. More so, I did not have the political and emotional will to ask for divorce. Pray, people, divorce is not like going to a grocery store where you go to pay your money and come back with a bag full. What would have been my ground for divorce? I should also confess that I could not find an answer to what would happen to Lillian if I asked her to go because I was more than a husband to her.
So, I foot-dragged to the point of taking the easy way out. And the easy way is not usually the best way as I found out on Saturday, April 13.
Uloma did not just jump into the picture to “snatch” Solomon from Lillian. Uloma has been my friend since 2006. We met again in 2009 at the peak of my business crisis and have been seeing each other afterwards. Candidly, I was swept away by the love, understanding and the peaceful disposition Uloma proffered even as a friend, far from the opposites I was getting back home. The way Uloma treated me was the exact desires any man longed for in a wife. So, I was always running to her whenever Lillian lit her fires.
So, I asked myself why I couldn’t marry her. Far from the evil rumour that I wanted to marry Uloma because of her money, I wanted to marry Uloma to fill a vacuum in her life and make her happy and fulfilled because this woman with a heart of gold who has impacted many lives deserved to be happy.
If that was what I could ever do to plant some comfort in her life. If there was going to be any immediate gain for me, it would have been peace of mind and its attendant long life, not her money or any physical or material gains. I’m not a lazy man.
Apart from being an actor, I have been in business for almost fifteen years. Years back, when I poured millions of naira on exotic cars and a posh house in Port Harcourt, Uloma was a seventy thousand naira recovery staff in Sterling Bank. Today, even if Uloma gave me all her salary from where she presently works, it won’t be enough to put Internet credit in my tablets and phones. Someone even posted that I said I would have ‘hammered’ if I had married Uloma.
What could I possibly gain? Uloma wasn’t frustrated to the point of desperation to pay a man to marry her. There was no award for anyone who married her. She does not own an estate or anything willed to her by anyone that I was running after. Uloma is not the daughter of any rich man or top politician. She’s as much a hustler as I am.
Ok, yes, sincerely, maybe I actually would have ‘hammered’ long life, happiness, inner joy, a sense of being loved and long life. I also would have ‘hammered’ having her sisters as my sisters because they love me like their own brother – a far cry from what my own people give me.
If I had married Uloma, I know I would have had a good burial whenever I died because I’ve always been scared that at my level of loneliness, whenever I die, my corpse would probably have decomposed before my people would find me. I beg to be loved and appreciated. Nobody to call my own.
No one ever cared about me. I have always been alone and hardworking too. From way back, my joys, my sorrows I have always swallowed alone. But Uloma was the only person who truly listened to my heart and understood where I was coming from. So to say any of my failed marriages was for money is simply stupid and unreasonable. The first car Ezinne ever drove and financing for her first attempt at business all came from me.
Lillian was not born with a silver spoon. Her father is only a retired naval officer and the last time I checked he had no wealth ascribed to his name. On her 18th birthday, I bought Lillian an exotic Corolla car. At 300 level in school, I gave her a Mercedes Benz.
Then she graduated with an LS400 Lexus. This is apart from a lush apartment and school bills that God used me to help her take care of. So, who amongst these would I have married for money? Uloma stood out because she’s shared my pain even when it was because of me and that explains why it was a difficult task telling her Lillian was still in my tracks.
I couldn’t have deliberately gone out of my way to hurt Uloma, because that will be simply committing suicide. Hurting Uloma is like waging war against a nation. Is it her legion of admirers I will have to contend with or her nation of die-hard lovers who will be tumbling over each other to get a pound of flesh?
I wouldn’t give hurt for the love and hope Uloma and her family gave me. Unfortunately the same scandals I thought I was preventing by not doing what everyone is saying I would have done is now the same thing staring me in the face, and everyone is worse hurt.
And above all, my own life is now seriously at risk because I feared hurting anyone. I ask all concerned to please sheathe their swords of anger and find it in their hearts to forgive me. I will make restitution as much as the mercy of God permits me. It’s never too late to begin again as far as God keeps us all alive.
I’m a man on a mission for a peaceful marriage, a good home and family life. I guess my desperation took good reasoning off me. Again, I am humbly and truly sorry. I thank my friends who have stood by me through this trial. Your comforting words are like lights on my dark path.
And for the judgmental few, I urge you; work with the truth while the Almighty fixes that which went wrong in my life.
Monday 29 April 2013
President Jonathan commends Adenuga’s exemplary enterpreneurship as he clocks 60
Felicitating with him on the occasion, President Jonathan noted that Otunba Adenuga who was recently conferred with Nigeria’s second highest National Honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON will be celebrating 60 years of great achievements in business and philanthropy.
The President described Otunba Adenuga as an embodiment of the ideals of “diligence, commitment, unmediated patriotism and selfless service”.
“On behalf of the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I join your family, friends, protégés and well-wishers in thanking God for your exemplary life.
“It is my prayer that Almighty God continues to bless you with robust health and enduring happiness,” President Jonathan wrote.
He wished Otunba Adenuga very happy birthday celebrations.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
April 28, 2013
Sunday 28 April 2013
Baga death toll rises, 228 killed, 4,000 houses burnt – Senator Maina.
Saturday 27 April 2013
The New way to save phone numbers of your loved ones
This information was shared by a colleague please pass it round.
The Federal Road Safety Commission
has just come out with the concept
of "ICE"..Please read carefully, it
may save your life or that of
someone you know
"We all carry our mobile phones
with names & numbers stored in
its memory. If we were to be
involved in an accident or were
taken ill, the people attending us
would have our mobile phone but
wouldn't know who to call.
Yes,
there are hundreds of numbers
stored but which one is the
contact person in case of an
emergency? Hence this 'ICE' (In
Case of Emergency) Campaign. The
concept of 'ICE' is catching on
quickly. It is a method of contact
during emergency situations.
As
mobile phones are carried by the
majority of the population, all you
need to do is store the number of
a contact person or persons who
should be contacted during
emergency under the name
'ICE' ( In Case Of Emergency). The
idea was thought up by a
paramedic who found that when
he went to the scenes of accidents
there were always mobile phones
with patients but they didn't know
which number to call.
He therefore
thought that it would be a good
idea if there was a nationally
recognized name for this purpose.
In an emergency situation,
Emergency Service personnel and
hospital staff would be able to
quickly contact the right person by
simply dialling the number you
have stored as 'ICE'.
Please share
this. It won't take too many
'forwards' before everybody will
know about this. It really could
save your life, or put a loved one's
mind at rest.
For more than one
contact name simply enter ICE1,
ICE2 and ICE3 etc. PASS THIS
AROUND AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE AS THIS CAN HELP IN AN
EMERGENCY"..From the Federal Road
Safety Commission.
Thank you and have a wonderful day.
From our news desk
Tuesday 23 April 2013
NUC names University of Ibadan number 1 in Nigeria – See list of top 100
The body, which is responsible for accreditation of schools, put University of Lagos in second place and rated Covenant University as the best private university.
Below is the 2013 Top 100 NUC University Ranking in Nigeria.
2013 TOP 100 University In Nigeria by NUC
1. University of Ibadan, UI
2. University of Lagos, Unilag
3. University of Benin, Uniben
4. Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU
5. Ahmadu Bello University, Abu
6. University of Ilorin, Unilorin
7. University of Jos, Unijos
8. University of Port Harcourt, Uniport
9. University of Maiduguri, Unimaid
10. University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
11. Lagos State University, Lasu
12. Federal University of Technology, Futo
13. Covenant University, CU
14. University of Nigeria, UNN
15. Federal University of Technology, Futa
16. Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Unizik
17. Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Esut
18. Pan African University
19. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. lautech
20. Modibbo Adama University of Technology
21. African University of Science and Technology
22. University of Uyo, Uniuyo
23. Bayero University Kano, Buk
24. Ambrose Alli University, AAU
25. Redeemer’s University,
26. Babcock University
27. Federal University of Technology,
28. University of Calabar, Unical
29. Michael Okpara University of Agriculture,
30. Ajayi Crowther University
31. Bowen University
32. Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rsust
33. Lead City University
34. Crawford University
35. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU
36. Abia State University, Absu
37. Usmanu Danfodio University,
38. Igbinedion University
39. Imo State University, Imsu
40. Niger Delta University
41. Bells University of Technology
42. Kwara State University
43. Nasarawa State University
44. Caleb University
45. Obong University Obong
46. Adekunle Ajasin University
47. Ekiti State University,
48. American University of Nigeria
49. Joseph Ayo Babalola University
50. Veritas University Abuja
51. Afe Babalola University
52. Kaduna State University Kaduna
53. Osun State University Oshogbo …
54. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University Katsina
55. Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ndufu-Alike
56. Salem University Lokoja
57. Novena University Ogume
58. Achievers University, Owo Owo
59. Benson Idahosa University Benin City
60. Ebonyi State University Abakaliki
61. University of Abuja Abuja
62. University of Mkar Mkar
63. Madonna University Okija
64. Bingham University Auta Balifi
65. Plateau State University Bokkos
66. Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun
67. Federal University, Dutse Dutse
68. Nigerian Turkish Nile University Abuja
69. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai
70. Landmark University Omu-Aran
71. Delta State University, Abraka Abraka
72. University of Agriculture, Makurdi Makurdi
73. Renaissance University Enugu
74. Federal University, Otuoke Otuoke
75. Tai Solarin University of Education Ijebu-Ode …
76. Federal University, Oye-Ekiti Oye …
77. Kano State University of Technology Wudil
78. Tansian University Umunya …
79. Akwa Ibom State University Uyo
80. Baze University Abuja
81. Kebbi State University of Science and Technology Aliero
82. Benue State University Makurdi
83. Adeleke University Ede
84. Ondo State University of Science & Technology Okitipupa
85. Kogi State University Anyigba
86. Western Delta University Oghara
87. Federal University, Wukari Wukari
88. Paul University Awka
89. Caritas University Enugu
90. Federal University, Lafia Lafia
91. Cross River University of Science & Technology Calabar …
92. Fountain University Oshogbo
93. Al-Hikmah University Ilorin
94. Godfrey Okoye University Ugwuomu-Nike
95. Oduduwa University Ile Ife
96. Anambra State University Uli
97. Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye …
98. Federal University, Lokoja Lokoja
99. Federal University, Kashere Kashere
100. Rhema University Obeama-Asa
[Voice of the Nigerian Tertiary Institutions]
Two sisters hack brother to death over proceeds from land sale in Calabar
According to information made available to DailyPost, Kokoette was attacked by his sisters with sticks and machetes in a fight which ensued, following a disagreement over the sharing of proceeds from the sale of their late father’s land at Akpabuyo.
The incident which happened, weekend, at Ikot Nakanda, according to a family source, left the deceased with deep machete cuts in the head inflicted which eventually led to his death.
“The man had deep cuts in the head and arm inflicted by Idak and Ikwo during a fight in the bush behind our house,” Otop Idebe, Kokoette’s cousin said.
“They claimed that their brother had made so much money from the sale of their father’s land while they were away and so when another parcel was sold, they demanded that the money be shared equally among all the surviving children and when their brother objected, they were not happy,leading to the fight,” he added.
While naratting what led to her brother’s death, Idak said, “On that fateful day, we were told that Kokoete gave the names of three of us, including one of our siblings, Efangha, to a native doctor for money rituals.
She added that, “Kokoette insisted on using the kitchen and , quarrel ensued. While still exchanging words, Kokoette went to the toilet in the bush behind the compound and Ikwo followed him with a big stick and a machete. After a short while, I heard Kokoette screaming, so I ran to the place to stop them only to see Ikwo using the machete on him.”
However, Ikwo gave a different story. According to her, the deceased trailed her to the bush, where she went to stool and they started a fight.
The suspects were arrested by the police in Ikot Nakanda in Akpabuyo and transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department ,CID,,Diamond Hill in Calabar.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. John Imoh (DSP) said they would be charged to court after the police had concluded investigation on the matter.
“I don port o” – Etisalat ambassador, Hafeez Ayetoro aka Saka, switches to MTN
Hafeez Ayetoro, ace comedian and Nollywood actor, who has become the face of Etisalat for some years now, has switched network from the GSM company he was known with, to telecom giants MTN.
It will be recalled that Hafeez’s face became a part of Etisalat branding for years, but DailyPost can authoritatively inform you that the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education lecturer, was given an irresistible amount of money to switch allegiance.
The advert starts with Saka dressed in green traditional attire, only to transform into a bright yellow attire as he leads a music band.
“I don port o, I don port go MTN. I don upgrade to MTN,” Saka sings and dances.
Monday 22 April 2013
Nigeria Central Bank to phase out polymer notes from June
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is set to phase out polymer notes by June this year as the apex bank is to begin the printing of second generation smaller denominations in paper from that time, the News Agency of Nigeria is reporting.
In an interview with the agency on Sunday in Washington DC at the Spring Meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Tunde Lemo, the Central Bank Deputy Governor, said the bank is phasing out the polymer notes because it fades out easily.
"By the middle of the year, we will start to produce the second generation of lower denomination notes, now in paper and not in polymer," he said.
"However, with the benefit of hindsight, we probably should not have adopted polymer because, yes, the substrate lasts longer, but the in-consubstrate began to fade; we didn't realise that at the time of introduction."
He said at the time of introducing the polymer notes, available research showed that it lasts longer than paper notes.
Mr. Lemo also said that the contract for the printing of higher denomination notes has been awarded to a foreign company due to the low capacity of the Nigerian Printing and Minting Company.
Nigeria's conversion to polymer notes had been engulfed in crisis from the onset.
Officials of Securrency, the Australian firm that got the contract to print the polymer notes, during the tenure of Chukwuma Soludo as Central Bank Governor, allegedly paid millions of dollars as bribe to top Nigerian officials for the contract.
Nigeria's anti-corruption agency is already investigating the corruption and has questioned Mr. Soludo and other senior finance officials in office during the contract award.
185 killed, 2000 houses razed in Borno town, Baga, as soldiers, Boko Haram fight
Local government officials, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, said 185 persons died, at least 2000 houses, 64 motorcycles and 40 cars were burnt in the wake of the attack.
The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, visited the town on Sunday and was told by residents that soldiers were responsible for the torching of houses that led to the death of many.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that scores of others are currently hospitalised with various shades of burnt injuries.
Residents said most casualties, especially the aged ones and children, died as a result of the conflagration that engulfed the entire town.
Governor Kashim Shettima, who visited the town on Sunday, became emotionally drenched at the sight of charred houses,vehicles and how homeless residents took refuge in the bush.
The Commander of the Task Force, Brigadier General Austin Edokpaye, explained that the fire that consumed the town and resultant deaths should be blamed on the Boko Haram terrorists who opened fire on soldiers while using civilians as human shields.
A local trader in Baga told PREMIUM TIMES that the attack started at about 8 p.m. on Friday and was continued the next day.
"Only God can understand what we have done to deserve this. But the soldiers were mindless that night in their approach; they killed and burnt our houses, chased everyone into the bush including women and children. So far we have buried 185 corpses. – some were burnt beyond recognition; others are hospitalised with various degrees of burnt," said the resident who begged to remain anonymous.
Governor Shettima who drove through the burnt town amidst heavy motorcade of security personnel condemned the incident which he said was a 'nasty occurrence'.
At the town's hospital, the governor had to commiserate with women, children and aged men receiving treatment for various degrees of burnt caused by the fire.
Bashir Isa, a grocery merchant, told PREMIUM TIMES that "everyone has been in the bush since Friday night; we started returning back to town because the governor came to town today.
"To get food to eat in the town now is a problem because even the markets are burnt. We are still picking corpses of women and children in the bush and creeks."
Brigadier General Edokpaye denied allegations by residents that the shootout was unprovoked.
"We lost an officer during the attack on our men on patrol. We've received an intelligence that some suspected Boko Haram members usually pray and hide arms at a particular mosque in town. It was around that mosque that our men were attacked with several of them injured and an officer died.
"When we reinforced and returned to the scene, the terrorists came out with heavy firepower including RPGs which usually has a conflagration effect," the army chief said.
Governor Shettima pleaded with fleeing residents to return to their burnt homes as a committee had been empannelled to provide a palliative compensation for the loss they suffered.
He also called on the commander to "take full charge" of his operation and ensure he personally supervises his field officers from time to time "in order to avert such nasty incidences in the future."
Source: Premium news
From Our News desk
Sunday 21 April 2013
From our news desk
Saturday 20 April 2013
Awolowo laid to rest
The remains of Chief Oluwole Awolowo, the late publisher of Nigerian Tribune, popularly called Unbreakable, has been laid to rest.
Awolowo was buried at the St. Saviour Anglican Church cemetery, Tai Solarin Way, Ikenne, Ogun State.
There was long procession from the church, with M I C pall bearers displaying with the grey casket.
This added more fun to the event.
The dust-to-dust rite however elicited uncontrollable tears among his children, friends and relatives.
The action of one of his children, Jide, action elicited more tears among the family members while the corpse was being lowered into the grave.
The party was later moved to Obafemi Awolowo Square on Tai Solarin Road ,Ikene.
Chief Ebenezer Obey and other musicians were on band stand thrilling the guests as at the time of filing this report.
S-H-O-C-K-E-R: Rape victim remanded, suspect granted bail by Lagos court
The victim was allegedly raped several times by three men: Kassim Mohammed, 43, Oluwatobi Daramola and James Aniekan.
The Magistrate, Mrs E. B Daudu of an Ikeja Magistrate court granted the application of the police prosecutor identified as Anthonia for the rape victim to be remanded in the Child Correctional Center because her guardians could not take proper care of her, which made her vulnerable to sexual assault.
One of the suspects
The Magistrate however, released one of the suspects, Tobi, on bail. It took the kind intervention of the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Lagos High Court, Mr A.O. Isaacs for the Magistrate to temper justice with mercy by releasing the victim to her guardians after spending nearly the whole day at the correctional center.
According to the little girl, the police prosecutor, Anthonia, whom she described as the 'fat woman' accompanied her to the remand home and threatened that her people would not see her again. The little girl said that she was shown a cell with no windows at the Correctional Centre, and she was threatened that she would be locked there for five days.
Mohammed, Daramola and Aniekan were said to have allegedly defiled the little girl serially between July 2012 and January 2013. Daramola and Aniekan, were said to be about 21 and 19 years old respectively although, they claimed to be 17.
The victim's ordeal in the hands of the suspects, started when she was only 6 years old. Two of the suspects, Daramola and Aniekan were arraigned at a magistrate's court in Lagos for alleged defilement. The arraignment of Daramola, was held weeks before that of Aniekan. Tobi was arraigned on a one- count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with the hapless little girl.
The charge sheet reads; "That you Daramola Oluwatobi 'm' between July 2012 and January 13, 2013 at Idowu Egba, Ikotun, Lagos in Lagos Magisterial District had sexual intercourse with one girl "f" aged 7 years and thereby committed an offense punishable under section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011."
The victim who lives with her aunt and her husband at 2, Oladipo Close, off Lawani Ogunle Street, Greenland Estate, Isheri area of Lagos, narrated what she had suffered in the hands of the men.
"My uncle (her aunt's husband) and I were going to the shop. Tobi saw us. He then greeted my uncle. I also greeted him. The next day, my uncle told me to stay at home, eat and do my home work. My uncle said he would be back at home very soon that he wanted to go and collect money from his shop.
"When I went downstairs to buy biscuit, Tobi saw me. He greeted me and said, "Fine girl, how are you?' I said 'fine." He asked if he could buy me anything and he bought gala and a bottle of coca-cola. He then asked me to show him our house, which I did and later when I was in bed and about to sleep, Tobi came into our house. He played football with me and left.
"The next day, Tobi, James and one small boy came. They put their fingers inside my bum-bum (that is they thrust their fingers into her private part). The next day, Tobi and James came again without the small boy. They now put their wee-wee(penis) inside my bum-bum(private part). Another day again Tobi came with Kassim, Kassim was holding a knife and a pack of Five-Alive and gala.
"Tobi left but Kassim used his wee-wee on me. He said that if I shout he would kill me with the knife. When Kassim had finished, he said I should show him my bathroom. I showed him and he bathed. After bathing, he said I should bring a glass cup. He shared the five-alive. He gave me four rolls of gala while he took two. He told me to throw the empty pack of five-alive into the dustbin. Kassim left after he had made sure that I discarded the empty pack of the juice into the dustbin."
The victim who has gotten used to being violated sexually every day was relieved temporarily as she escaped being abused the next day by the suspects, as she went on holiday. "The next day, I did not see Kassim because I went to my aunt's sister's place at Igando on holiday."
It was however a temporary relief for her because the sexual assault continued when she came back from the holiday.
"When I came back from aunt's sister's place. I was sent on errand by my aunt. On my way, I met Kassim who asked after my uncle and aunt. I told him they were around. Kassim now said that I should enter his house. The next day I wanted to go and buy biscuit for Chibuike my little brother (the aunt's son), Tobi saw me and asked that I should follow him to his house. He threatened that if I refused, he would make sure I got lost and so would not see my parents again.
"I followed him out of fear while carrying my two-year old cousin along. Tobi defiled me once again using his male sex organ. When he finished, he told me to go and bathe in his bathroom, but I left with my brother to buy the biscuit. My aunt asked me why I came back late. I told her that there were many people that wanted to buy things from the Mallam (the man selling provisions). I did not report all these things to my aunt and her husband because Kassim threatened to deal with me if I mentioned his name."
Narrating her own side of the story, the victim's aunt simply called, Ngozi, said when the ordeal of her little niece started, she was in Abuja where she went to give birth. She said she was in Abuja between June and August last year, and even had to return to Abuja for medical attention because she developed complications after she had given birth through Cesarian operation. While she was away, she said the victim was left in the care of her husband and a cousin.
She said it was in January this year, while she was going through the little girl's clothes that she discovered that two of the little girl's under wears had blood stains, then she suspected that something was amiss. She then persuaded her neice until she told her about James who worked in a barber's shop nearby. She said the little girl also told her that James defiled her and threatened to deal with her if she revealed what he had done to her.
She said, "Immediately, I called my pastor and told him what happened. He called one of the members of our church who is a policewoman. The woman said I had to come down to Ikotun Police Station to officially report." After the police had interviewed the girl, they got James arrested. The father of James was trying to defend his son that he could not have defiled the girl since he, the father, is a pastor. However, James was detained and arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate's Court, where he was granted bail.
According to Ngozi, James confessed that he did it. He, according to her, even wrote a confessional statement at the police station. But James's father allegedly maintained that he made the statement under duress.
Unfortunately, while this was going on, her guardians did not know that she had been raped several times by more than one person. "It was two weeks later that we discovered that there were others. I heard my two-year old son ordering the girl to lie down in bed. I wondered how a two-year old boy could talk like that. So, I asked her where the boy learnt that.
"She was just staring at me. I insisted that she answers me. It was then she told me it was one Tobi that said that to her and that the little boy was present when he did that. I started shouting and asked if the boy was watching as Tobi defiled her. She said yes that Tobi ordered him to look at the dressing mirror in his room, she told me about Tobi and Kassim."
However, Ngozi said the police were reluctant to arrest the suspects stating that Tobi's parents went as far as alleging that she wanted to extort money from them while Kassim's wife claimed that her husband was not in Lagos.
According to Ngozi, the police were no longer working in our interest even when Tobi was arraigned before a Magistrate's Court presided over by Mrs. E. B Daudu. She said what really galled her and her husband was when the police prosecutor identified as Anthonia who was supposed to be working in her interest, made an application for the rape victim to be remanded in the Child Correctional Center at Yaba.
The prosecutor claimed that the application was necessary because the guardians could not take proper care of her. This, she said was what made her vulnerable to sexual assault. To the chagrin of the plaintiffs, Mrs. Daodu granted the application while she released Tobi on bail.
Meanwhile, the family of the victim who no longer has any trust in the ability of the police to prosecute the three suspects is making efforts to get the Lagos State Government to take over the case from the police
Don’t pay for tinted vehicle permit – IG
Many motorists had complained about the police clampdown against the use of tinted glasses and accused policemen of extorting them for using tinted glasses without permits.
But Abubakar, who spoke in Abuja on Friday during a meeting with the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of 12 zonal commands across the country, advised motorists not to succumb to financial demand by any policemen, noting that the application for the permit was free.
"It (permit for tinted glasses) is free of charge; there is no amount of money written there for anybody. They (motorists) should not allow any policeman anywhere to subject them to paying fees that are not officially, legally and legitimately stated," he said.
Abubakar said those complaining about the clampdown were not sincere as they knew that "by all standards they do not deserve to have tinted glass vehicles."
He vowed that the police and other security agencies would enforce the ban as it was meant for the good of all Nigerians.
According to him, the law authorises only the IG to issue permits for tinted vehicle glasses without delegating such power to Commissioners of Police.
"Do you know that most criminals use tinted vehicles as cover to carry arms and ammunition, to carry EIDs, to throw bombs on innocent worshippers in churches and mosques and other places?
"We cannot continue to fold our arms and allow criminality to take place. Tell me, what a commercial vehicle is doing with tinted glass? Tell me what an ordinary Nigerian who has nothing to hide is doing with tinted glasses?" he asked.
The IG said criminal elements such as kidnappers, armed robbers and terrorists had been using vehicles with tinted glasses, stressing that the police would not allow that to continue.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command on Friday said it had recovered two bodies with gunshot wounds at Annune and Adaka villages near Makurdi.
The command's Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ezeala, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Makurdi that the corpses were discovered by the anti-riot squad drafted to the area to maintain peace and order.
He, however, denied claims by residents of Adaka village that Fulani herdsmen had invaded the village and were killing Tiv people.
Ezeala said, "The claims are unfounded. What actually happened was that some of the villagers saw two armed men at Adaka village and got panicky. Some of them started fleeing the village."
The spokesman said that normalcy had since been restored while the villagers had already returned to their homes. But some of the villagers, who spoke with NAN disagreed with Ezeala's claims
Jonathan Promises Women More Than 35 per cent Of Political Position
Thursday 18 April 2013
Photo: Woman kills husband, sets his body ablaze
A woman named Esther Peter (pictured above) on Tuesday April 16th allegedly killed her husband, Kenneth Peter Anayo, then set his body on fire at their home at NEPA Phase I Road, Ijagemo, around the Ikotun area of Lagos. Neighbours said the couple was always fighting in public and in fact there was a serious fight between them a few days before the Tuesday incident, where Esther stabbed her husband with a broken bottle and he had to be treated at the hospital. Neighbours said they noticed that Esther and Peter's room was on fire around 2am that Tuesday morning and when they went there to help, they noticed that the room was locked from the outside. They managed to break down the door, and that was when they saw the burnt remains of Kenneth. Esther and her son were nowhere to be found.
Esther was later found around the area with her belongings in a bag trying to escape. Neighbours handed her over to the police from the Isheri-Oshun division, who later came to remove Kenneth's remains. (A LIB reader was there live and took some photos). Esther, who is from Cross River told police that the fire was caused by the candle lit in their room while she went to fetch water but couldn't explain why the door was locked from the outside and why she had all belongings in a bag. Police say they have every reason to believe Kenneth was killed being burnt.
The case is being handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos. See the photo after the cut...but viewer discretion advised!
Fuel subsidy killer cop dismissed
The Chief Superintendent of Police was dismissed by the Commission at its 35th plenary meeting in Abuja on April 3,2013 for acts unbecoming of a senior police officer.
Fabunmi is also being prosecuted for murder by the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender at the Lagos High Court.
Mrs Oduwole extorted N21.6 million from police sergeants by conducting a sham promotional examination for them.
The Chief Information Officer of the PSC, Ferdinand Ekpe, confirmed the sanctions of the two Police Officers by the Commission.
Chinedu Ikedieza (Aki) And Wife At Encomium’s Black & White Ball
Why my son should be the next governor of Adamawa state – Tukur
According to him, his decision to tip his own son as the next Governor of the state was borne out of the principle of equity and fairness of providing a level-playing field for all contestants.
Tukur while speaking with newsmen yesterday, questioned the rationale for querying his son's ambition to govern his state, when indeed, his son had been in politics and was even eyeing the gubernatorial seat before he became the national chairman of the party.
His words, "my son has been in politics, long before I became the chairman of the party. He was a member of the House of Representatives when I was not PDP chairman. Was I the chairman at that time?
"If my son wants to be governor, I cheer him. If my son is looking for leadership to provide service, why not? My job is not a chairman of the party to promote any individual.
"I have already given out what I will do as chairman of the party. It is to build our party based on equity and justice; free and fair process of electing its leaders at all levels. No imposition. Include everybody and let the party members decide who will be its candidates.
"Bringing the issue of saying, oh, he is my son or my daughter does not arise. Those who are governors are they not sons of other persons? Are they from trees? They are also sons of some individuals."
On the vexed bombing and killing of innocent Nigerians by the Boko Haram sect, Tukur said, that the nation was under foreign attacks, as according to him, there was no other plausible explanation to the bombings of innocent worshippers in churches and mosques, traders in markets and security outfits as currently witnessed in many states of the North.
He urged Nigerians to stand together, irrespective of faith differences and confront the insurgency which he described as evil.
He said: "My belief is that we must use the opportunity to build a united and strong nation. Nigeria is playing a major role in the African Union. Even today, we are the ones looked upon to go and mediate and keep peace in Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Dafur, among many others. We must have peace at home and remain united in spite of all challenges.
"We are being faced with the menace of insurgency which we call Boko Haram. We are being attacked from outside. We are being attacked at the churches, mosques, police station, prisons, markets. We better think.
"We must stand together as a people: the clergy, community leaders, traditional rulers and the Ulama must work together. This is the time that all hands must be on deck to confront this evil.
"What is happening is a struggle between good and evil and we must all join hands to defeat the evil.
When asked to take a position for or against the proposed amnesty for Boko Haram, the PDP chairman said, "it is not Boko Haram. It is evil. Even if you want to give a connotation, how can you equate the bombing of churches and mosques; police stations and prisons; banks and markets? Let good confront the evil and conquer it".
From our news desk
Wednesday 17 April 2013
Okonjo-Iweala mother’s kidnap: Despite my effort, they refused to give me one kobo from the ransom – Palace aide
Chiejine Onochie and Chukwuma Okoh who were on March 27, 2013, arrested by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau, SIB of the Lagos State Police Command, disclosed the whereabouts of the six other suspects – Jideofor Ogbue (aka Marvellous), Michael Ojeagbulu, Endurance Okeke, Ibrahim Abubakar, Buhari Hamadora and Hassan Oseni.
Onochie, who claimed to be a palace aide where the mother of the Minister for Finance stays blamed poverty for his action.
According to the 32-year-old suspect: “I contacted Chukwuma Okoh, whom I came in contact with through my girlfriend. It was Chukwuma who contacted Ifeanyi and the same Ifeanyi recruited Jideofor Ogbue (aka Marvellous) and others to kidnap Mama.
“The day they came for Mama, Prof Kanene Okonjo, she was outside the gate. When they accosted her, they claimed it was the presidency that directed them to pick her up when they could not see the Minister for Finance, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for arrest on allegations of fraud involving billions of naira.”
Another member of the gang, Chukwuma Onochie, a graduate of Accounting and Finance, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, also blamed joblessness for his involvement in the operation.
The 31-year-old suspect also claimed he did not get any kobo from the N13 million because he opposed other members of the gang who were demanding an outrageous N60 million ransom
I did not kill anybody – Fayose
A former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, yesterday dismissed the rumour making the rounds that he was a murderer, saying that his political opponents were the people behind the unfortunate rumour.
Speaking against the backdrop of the renewed political crisis in the state, and the rumour that he was behind it, the former Governor said that the rumour was part of a smear campaign ahead of the 2014 governorship election in the state.
He said, “ My popularity in Ekiti ahead of the 2014 governorship election is a dilemma to my opponents and that is why they are looking for any opportunity to blackmail me.
“I am not a murderer as they claimed. Nobody or court has arraigned me for murder in the last seven years. Are we saying that the system is not working.’’
Fayose said his political opponents had nothing to use in campaigning against him.
“It is all political gimmicks and intrigues. They are running a failed propaganda,’’ he said.
“Look at it again; there had been renewed violence, attacks and killings in Ekiti in the last couple of months now just because people are defecting from Action Congress of Nigeria,CAN, to PDP to give me support, ’’ he said.
He appealed to his supporters to remain resol
Man Loses Two Kids In Six Months Due To ‘Doctors Negligence’
Mr Frank Ogundana has lost two kids in just six months due to what he described as ‘doctors’ negligence’. His eight-year-old daughter, Donna, who was admitted at the General Hospital Ikorodu on Monday April 8, died last Thursday under questionable circumstances morbidly reminiscent of the death of his only son at the same hospital about six months ago.
The grieving man has therefore called on the Lagos State Government to check “the excesses of doctors at the Ikorodu General Hospital” as he alleged that no fewer than 20 couples in his community may have lost their children in similar questionable circumstances .
Donna, a primary four pupil of Lagos State Poly.echnic Staff School was diagnosed at birth as being afflicted with Sickle Cell anemia. But a later test was to confirm that she was AA. Indeed she was never admitted in any hospital until her predicament of April 8.
According to Ogundana who lectures at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Donna had never been admitted or had blood transfusion since she was diagnosed to be AA in LUTH about five years ago.
“I have four children, three girls and a son but my only son died at the Ikorodu General Hospital due to doctors’ negligence, that was six months ago.
“Some medical tests were carried out on her and her blood count was 29 per cent, while malaria parasite was negative. She was treated for malaria, pains and also given sedatives. But rather than get better, my daughter’s condition got worse as she complained of increasing pains.
“On Tuesday, she started crying frequently and her eye balls became yellow. Unfortunately, doctors were not available to attend to her. I walked up to a nurse to complain about the situation but she said the symptoms were normal.
“On Wednesday, I could not bear it any longer as my daughter could not sleep for 24 hours; her heart was beating fast but the nurse on duty said they have increased the sedatives which means she would sleep for longer hours but
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