Killers of 16 soldiers may be mercenaries, not Nigerians – Akpabio

 

                                                 Akpabio

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, said those involved in the killing of soldiers in Delta State may be foreigners.

Some armed men had on Thursday, March 14, attacked and killed 15 personnel of the Nigerian Army during a peace mission to Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Speaking on Tuesday during a debate on two merged motions by Senators Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, APC, Katsina Central, and Edeh Dafinone, APC, Delta Central, Akpabio opined that those who killed the soldiers may be mercenaries.

He said, “We are not at war. I don’t think they are from the Niger Delta. They may be mercenaries.”

The Senate thereafter ordered the probe into the killings as it has asked its Committee on Defence, Army, Navy, and Air Force to liaise with the Military authorities to get more information on the remote and immediate cause of what it described as “a dastardly act.”

The Red Chamber further called on the Federal Government to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book, just as it observed a minute silence in the honour of those killed.

It also called for the recruitment of more policemen so that the military would not be dragged into civil matteThe Senate, however, rejected a prayer to observe a minute silence or to commiserate with the families of innocent civilians killed in the process, saying that their numbers are still unknown.

While the Senate rejected an additional prayer for relief materials for the community by the National Emergency Management Agency, the Upper Chamber resolved that families of the killed soldiers should be compensated immediately as moved by the Deputy Senate President,  Senator Jibrin Barau, and seconded by Senator  Tony Nwoye.

Father in shock over two-year-old son’s DNA result

 

                                              Father in shock over two-year-old son's DNA result

A man, Stephen Moses, has raised concerns after paternity tests revealed that he is not the biological father of his two-year-old son (names withheld).

Moses said he had not been able to get over the revelation of his supposed child having a sickle cell genotype when he has an AA genotype while his wife is AS.

The man said that he felt the need to confirm the boy’s paternity following the child’s several battles with sickle cell.

He revealed this while appearing on a popular television programme, The Justice Court, saying two different tests confirmed that he is not the biological father of Teri-Oluwa.

In a series of tweets on his X handle on Monday where he tagged a now-viral video of the court session, Moses wrote, “I am still in awe of how we got here. We got married precisely May 21, 2016. A year down the line she got pregnant and gave birth on her birthday November 8, 2018. The first crisis the baby had, we spent thousands in hospital and that’s when we first discovered he was SS.

“At this point, I was confused. She first told me it was the enemy that was doing us through the boy. I didn’t believe and at the same time, I didn’t argue with her. I started doing my research if it was possible for AA + AS to produce SS.

“I saw some rare occasions of extreme weather conditions but it wasn’t possible in Nigeria as a result of good weather. I spoke to a few counselors and midwives in Ifako General Hospital and Lagos State Teaching Hospital.

“We kept on living together and we kept praying and fasting and nothing changed. The boy kept on going through crisis. At this point, we were already out of cash and could not afford a DNA test because I was already uncomfortable having confirmed from many sources that it was impossible.

“For me to produce SS even when I marry SS as an AA. So I started voicing my displeasure out to my friends and one of them pointed me to Justice Court that they will do the DNA test for free. So I contacted them and arranged a sample for me and the boy for the paternity test.

“Paternity test results came out in December and we had a court session where it was unveiled as seen in the video. Since December, she has been dodging and refusing to pick up calls from the Justice Court to carry out the Judge’s verdict to run a maternity test.”

He stated further that before the paternity was proven, his in-laws arrested him claiming he had not been providing upkeep for the child, adding that the story changed when the result of the test came out negative as his wife had been unreachable.

“So, as I write this story, Justice Court has not been able to reach her over the phone. She is not picking up calls. One funny thing in all this is, in November last year, her family got me arrested at Ajuwon Police Station because I was not dropping upkeep for the said child.

“It took the intervention of our family lawyer to get the case out of the police station. I remember the police were supporting her. In December, DNA results came out and it was negative. The need to clear herself arose and she went into isolation,” he stated.

On the possibility of the child being swapped at birth, Moses said it was slim as he was present in the labour during the birth.

He noted, “The above video shows the last part that says ‘Is the child swapped in the hospital?’ It may be possible but the chances are slim. I was present in the labour room and there were only two women in labour that day. It wasn’t a hospital, it was Ojodu Health Centre at Gbadamosi, Ojodu.

“The other woman already gave birth while she was in labour. I remember following the nurse to clean him up and collect him back, dropping him beside her on the bed and waiting for her sister to come and then I left to cook something for her. Honestly, this marriage wrecked me.”

The wife, while reacting in the video, said Moses’ story was true but disagreed with the results.

In her defence, she said that Moses did not discuss it with her before carrying out the DNA test.

She said, “All that is said is true but when we were first diagnosed, why couldn’t he tell me that we should go for DNA? And meanwhile, he didn’t even come out straight that he wanted to do a DNA test. He started misbehaving in the house and sometimes he wouldn’t even come home until my brother said I should let him know whenever my husband was around.

“One he was around and my brother came and that was when he said what was happening because I didn’t know anything. So, he told me that his father dreamt that he was nursing another man’s child and that was the excuse he gave me that day and it went on like that.”

When asked who the father of the child was, the wife replied, “Nobody touched me. I’m very sure.”

Fire razes Sokoto Central Market

 

Fire has gutted the motorcycle section of Sokoto Central Market.

An eyewitness, who could not ascertain the cause, said the fire started early Monday morning.

However, another source revealed that the fire emanated from a dump site close to the motorcycle section.

While reacting to the incident, the chairman of Motorcycles Marketers Association, Shehu Muhammad, said they could not quantify the number of motorcycles destroyed because the fire was still raging.

“We cannot quantify the number of motorcycles burnt down by the fire now because the fire is still raging.

“But many people lost their shops along with their motorcycles because they could not come in time as the fire started around 6am.

“But men of the federal and state fire services are currently battling, but I know it will take some time before they can quench it all,” he said.

He, however, begged the state government to come to the aid of those who lost their property during the inferno.

Disquiet in Peter Obi’s camp as unnamed person pocket N60m donated to campaign

 

A yet-to-be identified individual around the team of Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the last general election, has been accused of reportedly cornering N60 million donated to his campaign.

@MissPearls, a strong supporter of Obi, made public the allegation on Sunday via a series of posts on her X handle.

According to her, someone donated N60,000,000.00 to Obi but a greedy middle man ‘pocketed’ everything.

She disclosed that the former Anambra State governor has found out about the incident and is now insisting that the unnamed middle man must refund the donor.

@MissPearls went on to claim that a person can’t be corrupt around Obi and go scot free, adding that the coming days will be very interesting.

“The corruption we were vehemently speaking against was happening right under our noses and we didn’t even know

“I trust Obi. You cant be corrupt around him and go scot free. The coming days will be very interesting!

“So someone donated N60M to Peter Obi. A whooping N60M. A greedy middle man pocketed EVERYTHING. Now Obi has found out and said the middle man must refund the donor. Lobatan!,” she wrote on her X handle.

Meanwhile, DAILY POST on Monday reached out to Yunusa Tanko, one of the spokespersons of Obi’s presidential campaign, to seek his comments on the matter.

Although he did not confirm the incident, Tanko noted that Obi had always insisted that people should account for money given to them.

He said: “I don’t know or have heard about that but what I know is that his Excellency Mr Peter Obi has always said that if there are contributions or donations being made for a particular project in support of his candidature, they should account for the persons who have given them the money.

“For example, if I am looking for a support, say I want to mobilize people or agents for Peter Obi and I will now solicit for fund, If people donate to me, it’s incumbent for me to account for those who donated to me.

“In this case, whoever that donated money to that particular person should ask, ‘what was the money meant for, and how was the money used?’ with proof.

“That is why I said, knowing fully well that such a thing could happen, that is why Mr Peter Obi said people should account for money. And it’s because he called people out that’s why people are hearing that people donated ‘X’ amount of money somewhere ‘ABC’, which he didn’t know.

“I am only saying that Peter Obi has asked people to account for money given to them by any group or whosever.”

Court orders Binance to release data of Nigerian users to EFCC

 

                                             Binance

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Binance Holdings Limited to provide the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with comprehensive information on all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform.

The court handed down the order in an ex-parte motion filed by the EFCC demanding information about Nigerians trading on Binance.

The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/259/2024 and dated February 29 according to the anti-graft agency was brought pursuant to Sections 6(b), (h), (I), 7(1), (a)(2), and 38 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Establishment Act, 2004 and Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 (as amended).

In the affidavit in support of the motion deposed to by an operative of the EFCC, Hamma Bello, he stated that the Special Investigation Team of the commission domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser received intelligence that money laundering and terrorism financing was carried out on Binance.

He said, “The Special Investigation Team of the commission domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser received an intelligence stating the nefarious activities (money laundering and terrorism financing) on Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange platform.

“That on receipt of the intelligence, the team began an investigation by conducting surveillance of the activities of the platform.

“The team uncovered users who have been using the platform for price discovery, confirmation, and market manipulation, which has caused tremendous distortions in the market, resulting in the Naira losing its value against other currencies”

Bello also said the team uncovered some users whose activities on Binance resulted in the country’s currency losing its value against other currencies.

He said, “That the team uncovered users who have been using the platform for price discovery, confirmation and market manipulation which has caused tremendous distortions in the market, resulting in the Naira losing its values against other currencies.

“That the damage the platform has caused was clearly explained to the operators of the platform, and they were requested to delist the Naira and avail the ONSA on the activities of the Nigerians on their platform.

“That from the information afforded to the team by Binance shows trading volume from Nigeria in 2023 alone stood at $21.6bn.

“Attached and marked as Exhibit EFCC 1 is a copy of the document from Binance to the ONSA stating this fact amongst others.
“That the commission will ensure that investigation is conducted within such reasonable time,”
Bello stated that the requested data would help the commission complete its investigation.

According to a certified true copy of the ruling, which was delivered on February 29 but sighted by journalists on Monday, Justice Emeka Nwite granted the interim order.

Nwite said, “The applicant’s application dated and filed 29th February 2024 is hereby granted as prayed.

“That an order of this honourable court is hereby made directing the operators of Binance to provide the commission with comprehensive data/information relating to all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform.”

Binance is an online exchange where users can trade cryptocurrencies.

The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, at a press briefing after the 293rd meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee in Abuja on February, disclosed that more than $26bn was channelled through Binance without traces in the last one year.

Financial Times had on February 28 reported that two executives of the company were arrested and detained after they flew into the country as a result of a ban on their website.

On March 12, 2024, the FT reported that the EFCC asked Binance to share data on its 100 top users in Nigeria as well as all transaction history for the past six months.
According to the report, the request is at the centre of negotiations between Binance and Nigeria.

Delta killings, a national calamity — Lawmaker

 

The lawmaker representing Bomadi Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Kenneth Oboro Preyor, has described the gruesome killing of soldiers on a peace and rescue mission at Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state as a national calamity, hence, called for the arrest of the perpetrators without delay.

Preyor made the statement, yesterday, at a press briefing in Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area, against the backdrop of the unprovoked killing of the peacemakers, calling on the federal government to, without delay, fish out the perpetrators and bring them to face the law of the land.

He said: “I condemn in its entirety the barbaric and gruesome killing of the soldiers on a peace and rescue mission. This is a national calamity and I strongly condemn the barbaric act.

“As a representative of Bomadi State Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, in which Okoloba is one of the communities, we invited the leadership of both communities to the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace and Conflict Resolution, headed by Chief Godwin Uzor on 7th February, 2024.

“Present at the meeting were my counterpart in Ughelli South, Hon. Festus Otuama, the immediate past chairmen of Bomadi and Ughelli South LGAs, CSP Chuks Ukadike represented the State Commissioner of Police and representatives of other security apparatuses.

“At the end of the meeting, a Peace Accord was signed by both parties. But, it was unfortunate one of the parties, Okuama community, breached the Accord and became the aggressor until the present national calamity.

“It’s so painful that a mere community land dispute led to the claiming of innocent lives of military officers and soldiers, people who have taken upon themselves to defend our country.

“As I’m addressing this press briefing, I am weeping within, I’m not happy because those are breadwinners of families and it’s very painful.

“The federal government should ensure the perpetrators of this dastardly act should not go unpunished. They must be fished out wherever they go, and the military intelligence has the capacity to do it to bring these idiots to face the wrath of the law.

 I call on all my constituents to continue to maintain the peace in the constituency”.

Soldiers bar journalists as Delta gov visits troubled community

 

                                             Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori

Four days after the killings of military officers and civilians in the Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, on Monday, visited the troubled community to assess the extent of the destruction.

The military Joint Task Force, however, barred journalists from covering the governor’s assessment tour of the troubled community.

The JTF operatives barricaded the major entries to Okuama with an armoured personnel carrier tank, thus preventing vehicular and human traffic, including media men, from gaining access to the community.

But Oborevwori, who was received by the leader of the military JTF, General Officer Commanding 6 Division Nigeria Army, Major General Jamaal Abdulsalam.

They went for a closed-door meeting that lasted for about one hour.

SSANU, NASU begin strike, ground varsities

 

                                                   SSANU, NASU    

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union have begun a nationwide strike today (Monday) over alleged unfair treatment and disparity in the payment of salaries by the Federal Government.

Last Monday, the unions threatened to shut down hostels and power supply in universities across the country if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands before today, March 18, 2024.

National President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, said his members, including Vice Chancellors, registrars, and bursars, have not been paid 2022 arrears.

On Sunday, Ibrahim informed The PUNCH that the two unions were set for their nationwide strike.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated that he was unaware of SSANU/NASU’s planned strike.

However, during the Channels Television’s Morning Show programme, Ibrahim declared that the strike had started.

“Definitely, it (the strike) has already started.

“As of today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria and that will be the case for the next seven days until and unless the needful is done,” he stated.

The SSANU president stressed that no government representative has reached out to the non-academic unions, noting that though some have reached out unofficially, their assurances cannot be taken to the bank.

He wondered why some government officials would not fully comply with President Bola Tinubu’s instruction to pay 2022 arrears.

He added that the Minister of Labour , Nkiruka Onyejeocha, has not reached out to the aggrieved unions despite issuing a seven-day notice last Monday.

This, he said was a departure from the responsiveness of the ex-Labour Minister Chris Ngige.

He stressed that the unions would go back to their toolbox and decide the next line of action should the government fail to heed the unions’ demands after the seven-day warning strike, which commenced today.

Terrorists kidnap 87 in fresh Kaduna attack

 

                                             FILE: Terrorists group

Terrorists on Sunday night kidnapped 87 people after launching a fresh attack on the Kajuru-Station community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A member of the Kajuru-Station Youths, Harisu Dari, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Monday in Kaduna.

Harisu said the terrorists also broke into some shops and stole food items and other valuables.

He said they invaded the village around 10 pm.

The attack came barely two days after 15 women and a man were abducted in the Dogon-Noma community of the same local government.

Kajuru and Chikun LGs had in the past two weeks become the hotbed of kidnapping, causing tension in the state.

Harisu explained that no contact has been established yet with the 87 locals abducted on Sunday night.

“As of the time I visited the community this morning, security operatives have not been drafted to help restore the confidence of the villagers.

“The villagers are traumatic with the sad development. The government needs to re-strategise in tackling these terrorists,” he said.

PUNCH Online reports that the terrorists had in two weeks kidnapped over 172 villagers.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, did not respond to calls or a text message sent to him by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.

NEWSWhy ladies above 35 years should propose to men – Fada Oluoma

 

Famous Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev Fr Chinenye Oluoma, has urged women who have clocked 35 years and desire to marry not to wait for men to propose to them.

Oluoma suggested that women in that age bracket should break the law and convention by approaching men first, especially men have shown signs of liking to them, instead of waiting endlessly in vain.

The cleric’s advice was contained in a video he shared on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

According to him, those who are above 35 years and continue to wait for men to propose to them suggest they are not yet ready for marriage.

He said: “At 35 years of age, my dear sister, you are waiting for a man who will come to propose to you at the airport. 35 years? You’re not ready. You are waiting for a man to come and propose to you. ‘You don de enter menopause’. Menopause ‘means that men will pause’.

“Break the law! I’m saying this but it may sound funny. If you’re a young girl and you know marriage is your calling; you can be a good mother. You happen to see any guy who is interested in you but doesn’t have courage. You know some guys like some ladies but they don’t have the courage, some guys don’t the courage. You discover that this guy have shown signs of liking you but doesn’t have the courage of talking to you. My dear sister break that useless law. Approach that guy. Break that useless convention. Meet the guy and say ‘Bro, I know you like me but you don’t have the courage’. Tell him ‘I will make it easy for you’. Tell him your good qualities.”

Consumers slam sachet water producers, retailers as price skyrockets in Abia

 

Residents of Umuahia and other parts of Abia State have expressed outrage over the astronomical increase in price of sachet water, popularly known as pure water.

Findings by DAILY POST showed that the price of sachet water has gone up to N50 per one.

But two weeks ago, the commodity was sold at 2 sachets for N50, meaning that the dealers have increased the retail price by 100% percent.

Also, a bag which contains 20 sachets now goes for between N400 and N450 when compared to N300 it was sold two weeks ago by the retailers.

Findings also showed that the price increment began after a two-day strike recently embarked upon by members of Table and Sachet water Producers Association in Abia State.

Arising from the meeting, the members increased the price to N350 per bag from the previous N250, while retail shops sold to the final consumers at N50 per sachet.

Some residents of the State, who spoke to DAILY POST on the development, said they now drink directly from boreholes and other public sources to quench taste.

However, the residents who acknowledged the health implications of drinking from other sources, appealed to both the producers and the Abia State government to immediately do something about the problem.

A public health expert, Dr Terry Omemma, who spoke to DAILY POST on the development, said something must be done to reduce the price of drinking water to enable the poor consumers access to it.

He also warned that consuming unclean water could lead to an outbreak of major water-borne diseases.

But defending their decision to increase the price of sachet water, the members of Association of Table and Sachet water Producers in Abia State, blamed their decision on the rising cost of production materials.

The members, who spoke through Peter Nwakanma (Chairman), said they would reduce the price if the cost of production materials came down in the market.

They rather blamed retailers for selling at N50 per sachet to the public despite buying a bag at N350.

They warned the public against drinking water not approved by NAFDAC, saying that doing that could expose them to deadly diseases.

But a shop owner, Mr Onumba Kalu countered Nwakanma, saying, “they increased the price, why are they blaming the retailers?”

NEWSCircular road: Scores of landlords stranded as Oyo govt begins demolition of houses

 

Scores of landlords in some parts of Ibadan are currently stranded as a result of demolition of their property by the Oyo State Government.

DAILY POST reports that no fewer than 50 houses along the Ibadan Circular Road were demolished in Ibadan, the state capital, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The project, aimed at decongesting major entry and exit points of Ibadan, was initiated by a former Governor Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, but the construction started during the tenure of the immediate past governor, late Abiola Ajimobi.

Some of the communities affected by the circular road construction are Fashade; Aba Osho; Igbalefa; Adigbe; Badeku; Akamo; Alase; Ojoku; Dare; Isase; Oleke Meji as well as Ogido, all within Ona Ara Local Government Area.

DAILY POST reports that the affected landlords and landladies are currently stranded as a result of the demolition.

Some of the residents who spoke, appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to come to their aid.

A community leader who spoke with journalists on Wednesday, Abdulfatal Amubikan, described the development as strange.

He said, “This exercise came to us as a surprise. The governor had, during our peaceful protest to the Secretariat in January, promised that our houses will not be demolished. I was privileged to speak on behalf of others when we went there. We told him about what was posted on our houses by the Ministry of Lands.

“And first, the governor promised that our houses will not be demolished, that we should go back to our various homes. Secondly, he promised to talk to the Commissioner for Lands and get back in three months’ time. That we should just give him (Makinde) three months to work on it, but we should be rest assured that the government will not demolish our houses. The government did not wait till three months (April) before it started demolishing our houses.

“We expected that three months would lapse by next month (April) so as to meet the governor again about his promise. He also promised that the government will compensate affected residents, and since yesterday (Tuesday) till today (Wednesday), about 500 houses have been demolished. And it is still an ongoing exercise”.

Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Williams Akinfunmilayo, when contacted confirmed the development.

He added that the houses that were demolished were those built close to the circular road.

He spoke further by saying that landlords with genuine documents would be compensated by the government.

“I just enquired from the team that went there, and they said just a little over 50 were touched and some of the residents have even been removing the iron sheets before they got there. Nobody demolished 500 houses. And those buildings touched were ones about 100 to 150 metres from Circular road.

“Those who have genuine papers should come to the secretariat. The government will compensate them. What the government has acquired is 500 metres to the left and right. So, whoever is affected, with genuine papers, will be compensated,” he said.

Househelp stabs boss to death 7 days after resuming work

 

Tragedy struck in the Gbagada area of Lagos after a yet-to-be-identified woman was stabbed to death by her house help, in her apartment on 29, Kiniun-Ifa Street, Sawmill.

t was not clear when the fleeing house help, identified simply as Peter, allegedly committed the murder.

But the lifeless body of the woman, according to information gathered, was discovered on March 9, 2024, by her son, who came to visit.

When this reporter visited the building yesterday, it was under lock and key. The deceased was said to be the only occupant in the building. There are three shops in front of the building.

A resident in the area, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “The woman’s son, upon arriving at the compound, went straight to his mother’s apartment only to find her lifeless body on the staircase, with blood all over.

“A long piece of wood suspected to be the murder weapon was also found. By then, the body has started swelling, suggesting that the woman might have been killed days before.”

Vanguard also gathered that the fleeing househelp resumed work a week before the tragedy occurred.

It was further gathered that a relative of the agent that brought the fleeing househelp had been arrested as the unidentified agent was nowhere to be found.

Efforts to speak with the deceased son failed as he was too devastated to speak.

Policemen at the Ifako Police division were said to have visited the scene and evacuated the corpse.

Terrorists kill one, abduct eight in Kaduna community

 

                                             Bandits

Terrorists on Tuesday night, launched another attack on Banono Angwaku community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing one Christopher Zamani,  injuring another person, and abducting eight persons.

The eight victims were identified as Kauna Fidelis, Tina Bulus, Alice Joshua,  Sarah Micah, Janet Amos, Martha Peter, Rita Joefrey and Favour Ado.

A resident of the LG,  Dauda Manyu, who confirmed the incident to PUNCH Online on Thursday in Kaduna, said the terrorists also stole money, two motorcycles, food items and other valuables.

He said they invaded the village around 10 p.m.

The attack came barely 48 hours after 61 villagers were abducted in the Buda community of the same Kajuru Local Government Area.

Kajuru and Chikun LGs had in recent two weeks become the hot-bed of kidnapping, causing tension in the state.

Dauda explained that no contact has been established with the 61 locals abducted on Sunday night in the Buda community.

He said, “The only solution to this kidnapping spree is for the government to engage the local hunters and collaborate with the military to comb our forest. There is a need to mount 24-hour surveillance on cattle routes because that’s their route.

“The people are going through hard times coupled with the hard economy in the country. These terrorist activities pose great challenges to our farmers, no one can access their land to farm peacefully in the coming rainy season.

“How do we surmount the hunger that has grappled our country? The government and the military must be sincere and devise means of tackling these challenges immediately.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer,  ASP Mansir Hassan,  asked our reporter to send a text message, but as of the time of filing this report, he had not responded.

Baker’s throat slit in Lagos apartment, heart allegedly missing

 

                                             Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin

A baker, Tina Ileogben, has been killed and her heart reportedly ripped out of her chest and stolen at her residence on Olowo Street, in the Alhaja Shifiwa area of Dopemu, Agege, Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim, who was said to be working at a bakery, did not report for duty on Wednesday when one of her colleagues was instructed to check her at home.

On getting to the premises, it was learnt that the colleague met the door leading into her flat open and upon gaining entry, met her lifeless body on her bed.

A resident in the area, who gave his name simply as Segun, said the colleague quickly raised the alarm, adding that neighbours who rushed into Ileogben’s flat observed that her throat had been slit and her heart removed from her chest.

He said, “The incident has thrown people including her neighbours into confusion. People got to know what happened to Ileogben when her colleague came to her flat.

“Ileogben’s colleagues did not see her at work and one of her colleagues came to check her at home when they could not reach her on the phone. It was when the colleague got to her flat, met the door open and entered that he saw her lifeless remains on the bed.

“The person who perpetrated the crime slit her throat, put a hand into her neck to access her chest and removed her heart. People saw some of her intestines around her neck and a doctor who was also at the crime scene confirmed that her heart had been taken away.”

Speaking with our correspondent, Ileogben’s elder sister, Justina, said her sister was raped before she was killed, adding that her sister’s blood was visible in her flat.

She said, “I am dead already. I was at home when I received a call informing me that my sister had fallen and they needed my presence. I quickly rushed to her house and saw a lot of people there.

“I suspected something bad had happened, started crying and rushed to my shop. I later summoned the courage to go into her flat to find out what happened to her and saw her corpse.

“Blood stains were on the floor, wall, and her bed. When I looked closer at her corpse, I saw that the person raped her before killing her. The person used a knife to slit her throat and her heart was also removed from her chest.”

Justina, while demanding justice, urged men of the state police command to track down the suspect responsible for her sister’s death.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, noting that officials of the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit had evacuated the deceased’s remains to the Mainland General Hospital, Yaba, for post-mortem examination.

He said, “One Akeem, a coworker of the deceased, and her landlord reported the case at the Dopemu Division. The deceased, Tina Ileogben, was supposed to report on duty but when was not seen, and the senior staff on duty instructed him to go and check up on her since she lived close to the company.

“On getting there, Akeem met her room open, he entered the room with two neighbours and discovered the lifeless body of the deceased naked in a pool of her blood with her neck slit. An investigation into the case is ongoing. Regarding the missing heart, nothing of such happened.

School abduction: FG rules out ransom payment, considers US offer

 

                                             Mohammed Idris

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, said it would not pay “a dime” as ransom for the release of over 280 pupils and teachers kidnapped from the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State.

The Federal Government also said it had received offers of help from the United States and other countries to secure the student’s release and was weighing the offers.

“Mr President reiterated his zero tolerance for the payment of ransom…and Mr President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by the government to any of these criminal elements,” the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told State House Correspondents at the end of Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Idris insisted that the security agencies were “working round the clock” to ensure the release of the students and teachers kidnaped on March 7,  promising that they would be “brought back to safety.”

The Federal Government’s stance came barely 24 hours after Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, offered to approach and have a dialogue with terrorists who abducted the pupilsl

The terrorists reportedly invaded Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna, shooting at their targets before whisking away the pupils and teachers from both schools.

Locals said the secondary section of the school was relocated to the primary school on account of the security threats to the council.

A day earlier, the United Nations confirmed the abduction of at least 200 internally displaced persons from their camp in the Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.

Gumi advised that to facilitate the release of the abducted schoolchildren, the President should give him the opportunity to negotiate.

The Islamic scholar warned against Tinubu repeating the mistake made by his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who refused to negotiate with bandits.

Conveying the President’s stance on the issue, the information minister said, “In council today, Mr. President reiterated his directive to the security agencies and the Ministry of Defence to ensure that our kids that have been abducted by these criminal gangs are brought back to their homes safely. This was also mentioned by Mr. President in council today.

“So, the security agencies are working around the clock. These children and people who have been abducted by criminal elements will be brought back to safety pretty soon.

“The security agencies are working hard in that direction. And Mr President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by the government to any of these criminal elements.”

 On TVC’s Politics on Sunday, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed that the FG was receiving support from the United States government for the release of the students, teachers and IDPs.

Asked what specific support the United States was prepared to offer Nigeria in the rescue efforts, Idris replied, “We’re aware that it is not just the US that has offered. Other countries have also offered to support Nigeria. But what we can tell you is that the government is still reviewing these offers and the position of government will be made known to you.

“Now, like I said, Mr. President has said this is not an unacceptable situation. The government will not condone abductions or kidnapping or any kind of criminality in that direction…and the government is taking very proactive steps first to mitigate and also to stop the spread of this.

“The government is not taking any excuses. The President has directed that security agencies must, as a matter of urgency, ensure that these children and all those who have been kidnapped are brought back in safety and also in the process to ensure that not a dime is paid for ransom. So it’s important to underscore that the government is not paying anybody any dime.”

President Tinubu had on Friday condemned what he called “heinous incidents of abduction,” directing security agencies to ensure their rescue.

Tinubu, who said he had been briefed on both abductions in Borno and Kaduna, assured Nigerians of ongoing rescue efforts.

26-year-old Nigerian without engineering certification invented water-powered generator

 

A 26-year-old Nigerian man, Emeka Nelson, built a generator that operates mainly on water.

Nelson invented the water-powered generator despite lacking formal education or engineering certification.

The inventor said the generator has a maximum capacity of 1000 Watts and a voltage ranging between 220 and 240.

It also has the potential to challenge conventional power-generating methods in Nigeria.

He disclosed the generator has powered his 2-bedroom apartment in Awka, Anambra State. 

The 26-year-old also said a litre of clean water can power the generator and supply energy for 6 hours.

The young innovator shared the good news during an interview video with BBC Africa last year. 

He also added that he worked on the project for 16 years at the time of his interview with BBC. 

Nelson said his invention is environmentally friendly and also addresses safety concerns associated with traditional gasoline generators.

Speaking about the passion behind the invention, he said he lost a friend at the age of 12 as a result of a generator fumes incident. 

This drove him to work diligently until he developed an alternative to the use of gasoline generators. 

Nelson has also invented a machine that converts waste into petrol and diesel, as well as into tiles and roofing sheets.

In the interview, he said “This generator that uses water instead of petrolーthat fuel that sometimes is almost as expensive as goldーdo not entirely render petrol useless. But if you no longer have to worry about petrol, why not?”