MOTHER OF MURDERED UNIBEN STUDENT SPEAKS ON HER DAUGHTER DEATH.

MOTHER OF MURDERED UNIBEN STUDENT SPEAKS ON HER DAUGHTER DEATH.

Forty-nine year-old Mrs. Joy Omozuwa, mother of Vivian Uwaila, the late UNIBEN student, has said that although painful, killing herself will not bring her daughter back to life.

The mother of five who fondly called her daughter Uwa, said this on Tuesday while speaking to our correspondent.

Omozuwa who spoke in Pidgin English, while explaining the agony her daughter passed through before she died and how she’s been coping with her grief.

The family house located at Ogbeide street, off NNPC Depot Fence Road, Agbor Road, in Benin, wore a mournful look when our correspondent visited them.

The distraught woman narrated: “What happened to my daughter pains me, it pains me very much because I did not expect that she will die in that horrible manner.

“We left home together on that fateful day. She was very vibrant and she loved reading. She had been going to that church to read for the past five years. She’s been reading there since the Covid-19 lockdown. She said she did not want to have a carry-over in her exams, to avoid the extra expenses it will bring.

“She used to come back home early. At times, she would return around 2 pm to eat and at times, she would read till about 5 pm. More so, she had sight problem, so she didn’t keep late night out. But she will always tell me not to panic if she did not come back home on time, that she would be fine.

“On that fateful day, a friend from my church came to visit me. While she was with me, I tried to call my daughter around 5 pm, but her number did not connect. But, when I returned after seeing-off my friend, I saw three missed calls from a friend, Mrs. Osula, on my phone.

“When I called the number, she told me to come immediately, that my daughter has been taken to the hospital.

“As I was running to the place, my husband was asking where I was running away to, I told him it was Uwa, and I kept on running.

“When I reached there, I was told the they met her in the church, her mouth was gagged with a piece of cloth, her eyes blind-folded and her hands tied to her back.

“My friend said when she untied her hands, she thought she had died. But when she saw that Uwa was moving her fingers, she realised that she was still alive, so she rushed her to a private clinic in the neighborhood.

“When I arrived at the clinic, the sight of my daughter was pathetic. She was bleeding from her ears and nose. Her eyes were swollen with blood and a big cut on her head. They also raped her. I couldn’t stand the sight. I stepped out of the clinic.

“She wore a jean skirt with a white top that morning. The white top was soaked in blood and it turned red. I cried bitterly. I asked, who did I offend? Even if I offended anyone, I did not promise to pay for my offence with my daughter.

“The beating was so much. Fire extinguisher that was in the church was used to smash her head.

“When I finally summoned up courage, I took a bucket with water and a napkin and began cleaning her up. Her breathing was faint. She was infused to revive her. She struggled in agony at intervals.

“When my husband arrived at the clinic the following morning, he said the church where she was attacked looked like a place where a cattle was slaughter. He asked that we take her away to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for better treatment immediately.

“On arrival at UBTH, the doctors tried. They conducted every necessary treatment methods, including oxygen, were used on her.

“I later confronted the doctor in charge, he told me frankly that the injuries were too much and she had lost so much blood. He told me that her case is a 50-50 thing, but they will do their best.

“They really tried best, but, I lost her on Saturday.”

When asked to describe the her, she said, “Uwa was not a troublesome person. She is my second daughter and she was the most gentle of my five children. She was always reading her book. Just last week, her elder brother was jokingly asking when she will show him her boyfriend, but she responded that this was time to study and not to love, that husband will come at the appropriate time. She had male friends, but they were not lovers.”

Also speaking on the disposition of Uwaila, Mrs. Edith Otoibhi, the Vice Principal, Gloria Group of Schools, Benin, said taught the deceased for six years.

She said: “She (Uwaila) was my student. I taught her home economics from JSS-1 to 3 in 2008, and I taught her CRS in SS-1 to 3 at Gloria Private School. She was the best student in my subjects.

“She was very disciplined, very intelligent. You cannot beat her in any subject in the class. She came first in most of the subjects.

“She was very nice and friendly. She hardly had problems with anyone in the classroom. She was also very honest and truthful.

Testimony from Pastor Aderemi Badru

Aderemi Badru has this testimony to lift up your faith.

When I met my wife in 2008 and I perceived in my Spirit that she was the one for me, my excitement knew no bounds! But after I had proposed that I wanted to marry her, she dropped the bombshell on me! She asked me, “what if I cannot have children, will you still marry me?” As at that time she had not even said yes!

I quickly dismissed what she said as a man of faith and I said “God did not tell me that my wife won’t be able to have children, so change your words.”

She smiled and said “I know what I am talking about and I don’t want to build my marriage on lies.” She then told me that something significant happened to her when she was 8years old and she later discovered that what happened to her was spiritual with the intention to prevent her from having children in the future. She did not tell anyone even her parents until the mom knew while she was praying at her friends. 

She continued by telling me that by the time she was sixteen years, she was not seeing her monthly bleeding as a lady and it has continued till I met her. She went on to say that it was told her mum that the person who attacked her did a spiritual damage to her so that he can be rich and my wife will not have children!

When she finished, I did not know what to say but I just said “ I am not marrying you so that we can have children, I am interested in marrying you so that we can live together and fulfill our purpose together”. 

Inside my heart, the struggle began! I had to be sure if I actually was going to marry her with all she told me! Fortunately, I traveled to Abuja that week and I went to my usual private spot to pray at Papa’s ground in Kubwa. 

I laid before the Lord and asked the Lord to guide me on what to do and the Holy Spirit spoke to me again like He did when I first met her and assured me that she will have children  and that He will give me a sign on our wedding day!

I eventually told her to stop worrying about what anyone said because God has spoken to me and if she decides to marry me, I am certain we will have our own children! She eventually took about four months to conclude and then she said yes. But the struggle began immediately with so many spiritual attacks against the two of us, we almost lost our lives before the wedding.

On our wedding day August 29th, 2009, something unusual happened, her menstrual period just suddenly started out of no where. This was something she had not seen in almost two years and that time it was because she took a medication. I knew it was the sign that the Lord promised me, so I knew I was not making any mistake! 

By December 2010, my wife was sick but by January ending of 2011, we got a great news that my wife was pregnant. We kept the news to ourselves and we continued to praise God. On February 15th, 2011 which was her birthday, I had planned a surprise birthday party for her while she went to see her Doctor so I told her to meet me where I was! 

As soon as I saw her, I knew something was wrong! I ran to her and asked if she was okay, she hugged me and wept quietly! The doctor had just confirmed to her that we had “missed abortion” which means that there was no heartbeat! I told her no, it was a lie, we will go for another ultrasound and we did but it actually confirmed what we were told! We both managed to go through the surprise birthday hiding our tears! 

From that moment on, we tried and tried, we went to several specialists, nothing happened! We were prayed for severally and there was always a constant word from the Lord that He will bless us with children! We tried IUI twice in Nigeria but nothing happened! 

We soon moved to the US and we said to each other, at least we can take advantage of the advanced medical facilities in the US for conception so we began to try again. We went to the best specialists that we knew and tried until we became heavily indebted! At that point, we decided to stop worrying about children and just keep serving the Lord.

So in 2019, we went back to see the Dr and she told us that even if we do and IVF that there was no guarantee that it will work because it’s all in God’s hands. She told us that there were families who had done IVF eight times and never got pregnant, so she said that we should pray and trust God to bless whatever efforts we put in this time!

So we decided to go on with the medical help again but this time we decided not to pray about it. We just called on five of our friends  to join us in raising an altar of Praise for seven days. We approached my mentor and his wife who administered the Holy Communion to us with mummy. She specifically declared while laying her hands on my wife’s womb that we were going to have twins. Several of our fathers in the Lord both here and in Nigeria were moved by the Lord to pray for us at this period. Thus, we knew it was time, we just continued to praise God for answering our prayers.

I was in a conference last year at Saddleback Church when the doctor called me in a video call that my wife was pregnant with triplets! That was exactly what we asked from the Lord, I have no words to explain my joy! But from that moment, the enemy did everything to manipulate and intimidate us but the Lord who gave us victory in Christ Jesus was with us through the entire process. 

By the time my wife went for the second ultrasound, we were told that we had lost the third baby. It was painful but we just kept praising God for the remaining two babies. 

On the day my wife’s pregnancy reached 21 weeks, it was a hot Saturday afternoon, she suddenly began to see water flowing! We quickly called the Dr who told us to start coming to the Hospital right away. By the time we got there, the water flow did not stop! The Dr checked her and broke the news to us, one of the babies’ water bag had ruptured!

Within a few minutes a team of four doctors approached us and told us that they are really sorry because with what happened, my wife will soon go into labor within the next ten days and if she does then the children will be miscarried because at 21weeks, there is no medical support they can give them. The Doctor also told us that if my wife could carry the pregnancy to 23rd week, then she can come back to the hospital and if she had the children then, the hospital have enough facilities to support the children at that age! They also explained to us the risk of infection and the various medical issues that our babies can have if they are born that early!This was one of the best children medical hospital in the world.

The Doctors told us that a chaplain will come and counsel us through the grieving process. It was so unreal! Faith in me just rose up and I said to them, we don’t need any chaplain and that we will not grieve or mourn over the children. As soon as they left, I held my wife’s hands and we praised the Lord and wept together. 

As we were rounding off our prayers, a nurse came in and told us that we should just have faith that she has seen that happened before and the person will still carry the children to 32 weeks. She was the voice of God we needed to hear at that moment. Our faith was boosted and we reached out to my church pastor, our friends, mentor and pastors to pray with us and  a host of others raised altars of prayer for us. 

My wife and I decided against praying in fear so we decided that we will continue to praise God! We needed God to keep the pregnancy in there, so we daily praised God! “I raise a hallelujah “ became our main song! 

Yes God did it, my wife carried the pregnancy for another six weeks and on the day the pregnancy clocked 27 weeks, our Elijah and Elisha came! Elijah was 2pounds, Elisha was 1pounds 3 ounces. They were both tiny and small! We both were just joyful that God kept them. I did not even see how small they were because of the joy that filled my heart. Then a new journey began 

The Doctors kept working night and day with the nurses to help the children navigate those delicate moments. After three months Elijah came home to us and after 5 months Elisha came home to us! 

Today as we celebrate the 6th month that God brought Elijah and Elisha to us, we cannot but testify to God’s goodness and mercy over us, making us a living testimony of His unlimited power and grace! To God be the glory, great things He has done!

I have written this to encourage someone out there not to give up and trust God who will never fail! 

I hope this encourages your heart?

Aderemi Badru

Aderemi Badru

Badru Oluwatobiloba

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BREAKING! CHURCHES/MOSQUES TO BE REOPENED

BREAKING!

CHURCHES & MOSQUES

TO BE REOPENED

The Federal Government of Nigeria has lifted the ban on religious gatherings across the country.

The government had earlier imposed the ban two months ago to check the spread of corona virus.

However, at  the briefing of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Monday 1st June 2020, Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the PTF, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the relaxation of the ban for four weeks.

“The PTF submitted its recommendations and the PRESIDENT has approved the following for implementation over the next four weeks spanning 2nd – 29th June, 2020, subject to review-:

“Cautious advance into the Second Phase of the national response to COVID-19; application of science and data to guide the targeting of areas of on-going high transmission of COVID-19 in the country;

“Relaxation of restriction on places of Worship based on guidelines issued by the PTF and protocols agreed by state governments.”

It therefore means that subject guidelines to be agreed subsequently, Christians will return. to church especially for Sunday services consequently. The next Sunday service is on Sunday, 7th June, 2020.

To God  be the Glory.

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APC GOVERNORS BACK OBASEKI FOR SECOND TERM

APC GOVERNORS BACK OBASEKI FOR SECOND TERM

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Some governors, who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have thrown their weight behind Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State ahead of the party’s governorship primary in the state slated for this month.

Obaseki and his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is the national chairman of the APC, have been at loggerheads over the governor’s second term bid and other issues.

The feud between the Obaseki and Oshiomhole has polarised the party in Edo State.

Last Tuesday, the faction loyal to Oshiomhole endorsed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as its consensus candidate for the June 22 governorship primary election of the party.

Ize-Iyamu, widely seen as the preferred candidate of Oshiomhole, will now slug it out with Obaseki at the primary.

He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in the 2016 gubernatorial election and only returned to APC in December, 2019.

However, some governors and their trusted allies spoken to by our correspondents on Sunday, said whether using direct or indirect primary mode to elect a candidate, they will ensure Obaseki picks the APC ticket and win the September governorship election.

They said they will not allow a repeat of the Lagos State scenario, where the then governor, Akinwumi Ambode was edged out in the build-up to the general elections in 2019.

Our correspondents report that Ambode was denied the APC ticket following his rift with the National Leader of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

One of the governors, who does not want to be named, said: “We will support Obaseki using direct or indirect options. We will definitely support him.”

‘Picking Ize-Iyamu as consensus candidate a slap on our face’

A credible source close to another governor in the North West said: “I can assure you that the governors will stand by Obaseki; what happened in Abuja last week is nothing but desecration of the norms.

“How can some people meet somewhere in Abuja and say they have anointed someone as the consensus candidate for Edo?

“This is a slap on the face of all members of the APC, including the governors who are working hard to salvage the sanctity of democracy.

“Under normal circumstances, the incumbent governor should be given the right of first refusal but democratic ideals dictate that primary election should be held,” he said.

Another governor said, considering the restrictions of movement, they would ensure that they observe all the protocols of the moment during the build up to the elections in Edo and Ondo states.

“We will observe the COVID-19 protocols but whether direct or indirect primary, we will support Governor Obaseki to win in Edo.

“This is the only way we will respect the wishes of the people who elected him at the first instance.”

“There is no two way about it, Obaseki is the man to beat…We will mobilise for him because he has performed,” another governor said.

Asked if they would not offend Oshiomhole by their action, he said: “It is not about offending anybody; it is about serving the people.

“The people of Edo are with Obaseki and we don’t want to lose the state.”

On how to end confrontation in the party, the governor said: “The rule of law should be allowed to thrive, we have escaped many hurdles because of the actions and inactions of the national chairman.

“It is time for him to be retrospective so that the party would have peace.

“I think the fundamental thing is for him to think to rebuild the party or simply leave the scene,” he said.

Oshiomhole mum

Attempts to speak to Comrade Oshiomhole on phone were not successful as he did not pick his calls.

He did not also respond to a text message sent to him at the time of filing this report.

Obaseki, Oshiomhole supporters at war

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Governor Obaseki have each paid for and obtained the N22.5m nomination and expression of interest forms, to contest the party primaries slated for June 22.

After picking his form last week, Pastor Ize-Iyamu denied claims that Oshiomhole had endorsed his aspirations.

According to him, Oshiomhole as the party leader could not afford to endorse an aspirant.

While responding to the claim that Ize-Iyamu has been adopted as the consensus candidate of a group of aspirants who were with him in Abuja, Obaseki’s Director of Media and Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said in a statement that the candidate of the party will emerge in Benin, the state capital and not Abuja.

According to him: “It is, therefore, hilarious to hear that a so-called consensus candidate for the party in Edo State governorship election was selected in Abuja.

“It is not surprising that the charade was hatched and actuated by Oshiomhole and members of his Edo Peoples Movement, a proscribed dissident group in the state.

“For us, this is a joke taken too far and clearly shows that Adams Oshiomhole once again has set the APC on a journey to perdition in Edo State as he did in Zamfara, Bayelsa, Rivers, Taraba and several other states,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that while the National Working Committee (NWC) had proposed direct primary to pick the party’s flag bearer, the camp of Obaseki has been pushing for indirect mode.

The strength of APC govs

There are 20 members in the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), a platform in which all the APC governors belong.

The forum is being chaired by Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu.

Members of the PGF are; Obaseki (Edo), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Abdulrahman Abdulrazak (Kwara), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe).

Others are; Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Badaru Muhammad (Jigawa), Nasiru El-Rufai (Kaduna), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger) Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Governor Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe).

Governors meet Tinubu ahead of primary

Some of the APC governors on Sunday met behind closed doors with the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the September governorship election in Edo State.

The meeting, it was learnt, was informed by the lingering crisis between Obaseki and Oshiomhole over the forthcoming party primary.

Oshiomhole is a strong ally of Tinubu, and therefore the latter’s intervention will make or mar the chances of Obaseki in winning a second term.

It was learnt that the APC governors had earlier planned to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari over the fate of their colleague.

But they decided to, first of all, seek an audience with the APC national leader in the last-ditch effort to save the incumbent governor from being denied the second term ticket.

It was learnt that the meeting was initially scheduled to be held virtually but some of the governors decided to come down to Lagos to meet physically with Asiwaju at the State House, Marina.

According to a source, the governors were concerned about the situation in Edo and they decided to make a move to save the face of their colleague who is seeking re-election.

The meeting, according to a source, was held behind closed doors with the only issue on the table being the forthcoming APC primary.

“Basically, the governors are looking for soft landing for Governor Obaseki in the forthcoming primary elections.

“This is why they have decided to pay a visit to Asiwaju to intervene in the matter.

“The outcome of the meeting is not known yet but be rest assured that by Monday, the resolution would be clear,” a source said.

The Special Adviser on Media to the Kebbi governor, Yahaya Sarki, declined to comment on which camp his principal belonged, saying Governor Bagudu was away and for that he would not comment on the matter.

“The governor is not in the state, he has travelled to Abuja.

“For this reason, I can’t comment on the matter,” he said.

Edo ALGON backs indirect primary

Meanwhile, members of the Edo State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) said they will support indirect primary for the selection of the party’s flag bearer.

Addressing journalists in Benin, the state ALGON chairman, Jekins Osunde, said the group supported the indirect primaries because it is the safest, humane and healthy alternative for 2020 governorship primaries of the party.

Source - Daily Trust.

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Court sentences former Exxon Mobil engineer to 15 years imprisonment for raping his tenant’s 14-year-old niece

Court sentences former Exxon Mobil engineer to 15 years imprisonment for raping his tenant’s 14-year-old niece

A Lagos  High Court sitting in Igbosere sentenced a former Exxon Mobil engineer to 15 years imprisonment today, June 1, 2020.

James Onuoha was sentenced to 15 years jail term without an option of fine after he was found guilty of raping his tenant’s niece, who was 14 years old at the time.

The incident happened on January 4, 2016, and caused outrage at the time, with a number of celebrities lending their voice to call for justice.

At the last adjourned date, on January 14, 2020, the court adjourned the case until March 25, for judgment, after the parties adopted their final written addresses.

However, the judgment could not be delivered on March 25 due to lockdown resulting from the COVID- 19 pandemic.

At the resumed hearing of the matter, Justice Adedayo Akintoye delivered judgement on  Onuoha.

Before handing down the verdict, the convict’s counsel, Dr Victor Olowonla, in his allocutus, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as he was a first time offender.

Onuoha was first arraigned in January 2016 at the Magistrates’ Court on a four-count charge of defilement.

Onuoha was remanded in Kirikiri correctional centre pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Following his indictment by the DPP, the case was transferred to the high court for trial.

The state government accused Onuoha of committing the alleged offences on January 4, 2016, at 11:30 a.m., at 25, Samuel Amoore Street, Idowu Estate, Ike-Ira Nla, Ajah, Lagos.

The prosecution led by Dr. Jide Martins said the defendant willfully had an unlawful sexual act with the teenager without her consent.

He said the offences contravened Sections 134 (2), 135 (1), and is punishable under Sections 137 and 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Onuoha, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

History: 2nd time Light goes off in White House.......

For the 2nd time in the history ,  The lights of the White House in USA went off and The President Donald Trump was taken to the Bunker.

 #Younneedtoknow....

learning from my experience

Exactly one year ago, I resigned from my role as the Editor of a foremost online newspaper to become a freelance investigative journalist. Many felt it was a wrong move. A then colleague said I would “die of hunger”.

A note on why you should never listen to negative opinions about your dreams.

Resigning was a decision that came after many months of sleepless nights. It was a well-paid job, the ‘Editor’ is what many in journalism aspire to become, my boss wasn’t tired of me yet and, to worsen matters, I didn’t have another job waiting for me. Freelance! One friend said I was “mad”, another said I was “unstable”.

A colleague at the time told another: “If anyone leaves the job of Editor to become a freelance investigative journalist, he will die of hunger. Investigative journalists? They used to be respected when they were scarce; these days, there are so many of them.”

Of course, I dismissed that scathing comment with a wave of the hand. Someone who first set eyes on me in 2018 couldn’t be predicting the next phase of a battle-laden journey that had started decades back — from struggling with sciences in secondary school, to leaving a university of agriculture to go study Animal Science at the University of Ibadan where I could benefit from the Arts community, to having no life in uni because I was combining campus journalism with Agriculture, and working my socks off seven days every week since 2004 (no exaggerations). 

There were times when I wondered if I could indeed regret that resignation, but I was sure the investigations I’d been eyeing since 2017 were worth pursuing. I was sure, too, that even though I loved editing, it was on the field that sky-high fulfillment awaited me. I knew the field was where I would be most useful to myself and my country.

One year later, I still do not have money but I am far from hungry too. Notably, journalism has never been this fulfilling. I first stepped into the Rutam House newsroom of TheGuardian in 2005, which means I’ve been in and around journalism for 15 years, yet I’ll pick the fulfillment of the last year over any of the other 14 years.

Some group recently described me on Twitter as “one of Nigeria's unknown but quietly emerging writing talents” and someone leapt to my ‘defence’ with a do-your-research-well reply. Others still describe me as a “young reporter” or “fast-rising investigative journalist”. Unlike my recent ‘defender’, I find these descriptions truly complimentary. That many think I’ve only just burst onto the scene is testament to the productivity of the last 12 months.

I almost didn’t write this because I felt it was probably too early to. The journey ahead is quite long if God preserves me, so there’s quite a lot of work to be done. I haven’t arrived yet. But I continue to push myself hard every day, then harder the next! Just that I didn’t want to pass up the first opportunity to encourage someone: don’t let your fears or any negative talker prevent you from taking that step you’ve always wanted to. 

Get up and take the plunge! Take up that new job, launch that business idea, relocate to that city, walk up to that lady you’re dying for, get out of that unholy alliance. Better to do it and fail than not do it at all — because if you did it and you failed, you at least would never spend the rest of your life regretting and wondering “what if?” That alone is no victory to be underestimated.

Credit :Fisayo Soyombo

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