The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • UNILAG VC task students on 250million BOI grant

    The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe has advised students within the institution to take advantage of the 250million grant given to the institution by the Bank of Industry to support creative and entrepreneurship ideas.

    Ogundipe said this at the Accounting and Entrepreneurship Summit for Students 2019 organised by Nigeria University Accounting Students Association held at the Main Auditorium, University of Lagos.

    The event tagged “Technological Advancement: The Nigerian Economy and the Future of the Accounting Profession” had in attendance students from different schools across the country.

    Ogundipe mentioned that #50million out of the #250m will be for training and renovations, while the #200million is meant to be given as loans to start-ups among the students, depending on their proposal and cost required.

    Read Also: UNILAG business school begins classes Saturday

    “We will be giving out loans between #1million to #2million to students that are able to come up with great innovative business ideas. We are also planning to register a limited liability company for our students while we will recommend experts to mentor them”, he said.

    He posited that the summit was in tandem with his vision as he concludes his maiden Professor Ogundipe Innovative Challenge (POIC) 2019.

    He stressed that the UNILAG is well equipped to mentor and provide all the needed support for students with creative business ideas.

    In his words, Head of Tax and Corporate Advisory Services of PwC Nigeria, Taiwo Oyedele challenged the students to open their minds, network and share opportunities and be ready to diversify.

    Oyedele, who spoke about tax sustainability of our economy, lamented the lopsidedness in the tax regime in Nigeria which he said that the poor pay more tax than the rich.

    Also speaking at the event, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, Joseph Aborowa challenged the students to develop the art of integrity as they prepare themselves for the marketplace.

    In his words, the President of NUASA, Opeyemi Oderinde said that the programme is aimed at helping accounting students to keep them abreast of the latest trends and issues in the profession.

  • Abuja-Kaduna kingpin: I’ve kidnapped over 50, murdered 10

    An alleged kidnap kingpin, Bello Abdul, 40, alias Yellow, has confessed to murdering over ten persons and abducting more than 50 victims on the notorious Abuja-Kaduna highway.

    He spoke after he was arrested on Tuesday evening by operatives of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

    Yellow was arrested at his hideout in Niger State by detectives, who have been on his trail following allegations of operating an armed robbery, cattle rustling and kidnapping syndicate that spanned across Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

    It was gathered that his gangs, which had mainly young boys were responsible for over 150 kidnappings and several murders along the Abuja-Kaduna highways and Kajuru.

    Read Also: Police nab suspect for alleged armed robbery, kidnapping in Niger

    A source, who hinted on the arrest, told our Correspondent that seven AK47 rifles were recovered from Yellow, adding that the suspect had countless others yet to be retrieved.

    He said: “He confessed that he used to buy the AK47A rifles at N50,000 each and he has so many of them. So far, we have recovered seven from him. He used to buy ammunition in containers.

    “This man is a dangerous suspect. He has been on the wanted list for a long time and we have been trailing him. Each time he was located in an area, he would run to another location. He controls so many gangs and his network goes as far as Zamfara and Katsina. But finally he has been caught.”

    In a video where Yellow was being questioned by IRT operatives, the suspect confessed to have killed over 10 people and kidnapped more than 50.

    The suspect who spoke Hausa said: “Yes I am married with five children. I was in Niger State. I was in Kajuru before but I moved to Niger in Iyamadamakwa. I live in Kara.

    “Since I relocated to the village, I have been calm. I was into armed robbery and kidnapping. I have kidnapped about 50 times. I have collected N3m like six times. I have collected N10m, N17m, and N19m from different places.

    “I operate along Abuja-Kaduna road. I use small boys and those from my village in Maidaro. My boys are in Katsina and Zamfara. They are in nine places.

    “I used AK47 rifles and I bought them N50,000 each from one Yaro Alhaji at Kajori. I buy like a container of ammunition. A single ammunition is N1,000.

    “I have killed like 10 people. I killed one because the family insulted me on phone when I called them. Others were killed because their families did not pay ransom. I have rustled about 200 cows.

    “I did all these things before but I have stopped them now. I have calmed down. If I call my brother Alhaji Abu, he will bring those weapons I used for kidnapping.”

  • Prince Jide Fadairo’s last respect for late mother

    If there is one thing still shocking to Prince Jide Fadairo, it was when his mother, Madam Grace Oladunni Otusemowo Fadairo, took her last breath on earth.

    Prince Jide and his siblings are yet to recover from the shocking demise of their beloved mother but they have taken it in good faith.

    The Chief Executive, House of Oduduwa Foundation, is throwing a wondrous befitting burial for his late mum amidst pomp at the ancient Abeokuta town, Ogun State.

    Read Also: Siasia’s mother’s 59 days in captivity

    Mama Grace Fadairo began her final journey with a well-attended Service of Songs on Tuesday 10th of September in Ogba, Lagos.

    Iya Ijebu, as she was fondly called, hailed from the popular Ayorinde family of Onipako compound in Odo Egbon Ijebu Ode.

    She was a devoted Christian and well respected community leader during her lifetime.

    In the obsequies of her burial, Iya Ijebu will be laid to final rest at her husband’s town in Abeokuta, as the Fadairo’s are of the Owu, Abeokuta descant. Mama’s funeral service will hold at Freeman Methodist Cathedral Church, Ogbe Owu, Abeokuta today, Friday 13th September and will be subsequently interred at the church’s cemetery.

    Interesting, Jide Fadairo, is married to Princess Folashade Ogunwusi, the elder sister of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

  • Fishes worth millions lost in Delta flood

    Fish farmers in Ekpan, Uvwie council area of Delta State are counting their losses, which run into millions following recent flood in the area.

    President General of Uvwie Kingdom, Chief Austin Ukuwrere told newsmen that fishes in over 3,000 ponds were carried away by the flood.

    Ukuwere explained that the waters overflowed the ponds and thousands of fishes stocked by farmers escaped.

    He revealed that most of the farmers have become indebted, as they took huge loans to raise the fishes, with hopes to pay back upon harvest.

    Read Also: Flooding: Edo cautions residents over heavy rainfall

    Among the affected ponds is Royal Fish Farm, one of the biggest, located in New Layout area of Ekpan.

    The fish farm, which has different pond clusters, grows different size of fishes, drawing buyers from far and near.

    On their parts, the Royal fish farmers blamed the flood on the lack of drainage systems in the area.

    Conducting newsmen around the farm, the fish farmers lamented they were constrained to reconstruct the damaged ponds as well as re-stock the ponds.

    They urged the state government to help clear the water channel, construct drainage in the area to help avert future flooding, as well as fix the road leading to the farm.

    The flood incident, the farmers posited, has caused a setback in the efforts of the state government to encourage fish farming as a major boost to the agricultural sector.

  • QuickCheck boosts financial inclusion with new App

    QuickCheck, an online banking and micro-lending platform that provides collateral-free loans, has launched a new app to improve financial inclusion among Nigerians, while also educating borrowers about financial instruments and managing risky debts.

    About 60 per cent of the country’s adult population remains financially excluded, lacks credit history and cannot access financial services such as quick and easy loans.

    In a research conducted by the Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), while only four per cent of the adult population has access to credit through formal financial institutions, a larger number have their loan requests rejected due to bank policies and requirements.

    Chief Technology Officer, QuickCheck, Luis Rodrigues, said this was addressed in 2017 as the company developed a solution to give Nigerians access to such loans anywhere and anytime, with no collateral necessary. The startup already helps individuals with access to loans up to N200,000 in minutes, thereby supporting entrepreneurs start and sustain micro-businesses.

    Read Also: Pupils develop app on traffic gridlock

    “With the new app, we want Nigerians to access loans quickly and conveniently. So if you live in Nigeria, own an Android phone, and you need quick cash to settle emergencies, go on Google Play Store, search for “quickcheck” and spot our bright orange icon to download the QuickCheck loan app for free, sign up to create an account and apply for a loan instantly without collateral.

    “QuickCheck will simply run a credit scoring, and if you’re eligible, the cash loan will be disbursed to your account within minutes. All the necessary information to access loans is also available on our website,” he said.

    Having built its own credit scoring algorithm based on artificial intelligence applied to non-traditional data, the internal data science team actively works on the improvement of the assessment technology to make the procedure of getting a loan even faster, more streamlined, and tailored to the needs of different groups.

    “Currently, we are experiencing exponential organic growth and are closing a couple of strategic partnerships to get even closer to our customers, by integrating our technology and credit offering where they need it, within those channels they are already accustomed to.

    “We strongly believe in the product innovation, and therefore, we invest a lot in the exploration of complementary products,” Fabiano di Tomaso, CEO of QuickCheck.

    With its tech solution, QuickCheck not only bridges the financial inclusion gap, but improves customer interaction with the new app and a revamped brand identity.

    Every day, hundreds of people from Nigeria can benefit from the speed and hassle-free access to credit — no papers, no queues, no collateral, no guarantors, just a smartphone and QuickCheck app available on Google Play Store.

    In just two years, QuickCheck, processes nearly N2,500 transactions daily, and has already disbursed around N2 billion in microloans ranging between N5,000 and N200,000

  • Son fakes own kidnap to defraud dad of N500,000

    A 35-year-old man, Hamza Abdullahi has been arrested by operatives of the FCT Police Command for allegedly arranging his own kidnap.

    According to the police, the suspect arranged his kidnap in order to defraud his father.

    After arranging his kidnap, the suspect alongside his friend called his father and demanded N500,000 ransom.

    Speaking in Abuja on how the suspect was apprehended, the Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations, DCP Sunday Babaji said: “Police detectives from this command arrested one Hamza Abdullahi and his cohort, Awalu Shuaibu for arranging his kidnap and demanding ransom from his father.

    “The suspect who wanted to use the medium to extort money from his parent was arrested at Katampe extension where he had gone to receive the ransom.”

    Read Also: Fortune-tellers ‘defraud’ woman of N11m

    Babaji said effort is being intensified to arrest one of his cohort who is currently at large.

    Speaking to The Nation on how he arranged his kidnap, Abdullahi who is an auto engineer said: “I was caught faking my kidnap to get ransom from my dad. I arranged my kidnap because I was desperately in need of money.

    “I spoke with a friend of mine whom I begged to call my dad and inform him that I have been kidnapped but I was hiding at his place. My friend acted like the kidnapper and demanded N500,000 as ransom. He called my dad and asked for the ransom. He also threatened my dad that he would hurt me if the ransom was not dropped in due time.

    While the negotiation was going on, we were hiding at Katampe. On the day my dad came to pay the ransom, I was recognized by some of the officers who came with my dad to drop the ransom. I think my dad had shown them my picture and one of the policemen identified me as the person kidnapped.”

    On why he decided to defraud his dad, he said: “I just needed the money to cover up for some things like rent and other basic needs.”

  • ‘Abductors of CMD based in Delta’

    The abductors of the Chief Medical Director of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Prof. Sylvanus Okogbenin, are based in Delta State, says Edo State Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Abubakar.

    Abubakar said the kidnappers would soon be apprehended.

    The Edo Commissioner stated this when he played host to the new Edo State Director of the Department of State Security, Shiek Mohammed Waziri.

    Abubakar said the police would continue to collaborate with the DSS to tackle security challenges in the state.

    Read Also: Kidnappers of CMD to be caught soon, says Obaseki

    He said, “We are one. Our target is one. We have no option than to collaborate. We will partner to checkmate activities of criminals in the state.

    The Edo DSS boss promised.to share intelligence with the Edo Police Command to fish out criminals in the state.

    He stated that all agencies were supposed to collaborate, coordinate and ensure that they harmonise intelligence to ensure peace and security is maintained.

    “Wherever we go, the police is our first point of call. We want to appreciate the synergy that has been established. It is our believe that we must create a tranquil atmosphere so that people can do legal business while those on the other side of the law are fished out.

    “I want to appeal for excellent relationship between out operatives in the field

    We need synergy to tackle challenges and critical issues. We expect some of the returnees from South Africa will be an issue. We should be looking forward to addressing those issues.”

  • Fortune-tellers ‘defraud’ woman of N11m

    The FCT Police Command on Thursday paraded four suspected fortune-tellers for allegedly defrauding a woman of N11million.

    Kehinde Ayoola 37, Sesan Fatoye, 30, Shola Samuko, 50, and Seyi Fagbemi, 32, said they successfully defrauded their victim after convincing her that they saw a vision of a bright future for her.

    The victim was said to have followed the ‘conmen’ to their shrine in the hopes that a dazzling future beckoned.

    Speaking on how they were arrested, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in the FCT, DCP Sunday Babaji said: “Police operatives acting on a complaint, smashed a notorious criminal gang that pose as soothsayers to defraud their unsuspecting victims.

    “In her complaint, the victim noted that the gang had defrauded her of close to N11million before she alerted the police. The syndicates’ shrines are located at Waru, Pyakassa and Galadimawa village. While the command is working assiduously to arrest other members of the gang, the public is advised to be wary of persons who approach them on the streets as fortune-tellers.”

    Items recovered from them include; charms, herbs, calabash, pipe, white and red pieces of clothes, and several green bottles with different contents.

    Speaking on how their victim was defrauded, Kehinde Ayoola, a 37-year-old from Ekiti said: “I came to Abuja early last year to sell herbs but I found myself in police net after I saw vision for a woman I met.

    Read Also: FCT Police nabs four ‘One Chance’ suspects

    “I told her she had bright future and that I would like to help her achieve her future goals. She was convinced by what I told her. When I got home, I gave the phone to my boss to convince her further and he told her to buy bible and other things.

    “When she came to our shrine, we told her to write three things she desired most in life and what she would like to be. She said she wanted to be very rich, to be great and also be famous. She also complained that she and her husband were cats and rats and she desired to be richer than her husband.

    “With what she mentioned, we started our work. We prayed for her and asked her to buy goat. We told her the goat would be used as sacrifice and after the sacrifice, we asked her if she was ready for her blessing. She said she was ready for her blessing but we told her that before she gets the blessing, we will need to buy four elephants.

    He continued: “When we told her that, she brought about N1.6million for us to buy the elephants which we told her were sold at the rate of N450,000. We did not buy anything but we deceived her and told her that we have bought them and done the sacrifice for her.

    “After that, we told her to go and get N9million again. Last week Wednesday, she asked me to come pick the money but when I got there, I was arrested.”

    On how much they made from their victim, Ayoola said: “I have not made much from this business. The woman we defrauded was our major breakthrough. We only made small money from previous ones. We made about N11million from her but I only got N2.1million as my share.  From the money I made, I bought two plots of land in my village, I gave my mother who is hospitalized about N260,000, and I gave my younger ones who are in school too.”

  • Man gets 10 years for defrauding Chinese firm of $179,000

    An Ikeja High Court on Thursday sentenced one Lawrence Maduagwu to 10 years imprisonment for defrauding a Chinese company of $179,000.

    Justice Mojisola Dada convicted Maduagwu of a two-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining by false pretence brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The convict was arraigned on February 28, 2018, charged with stealing and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of $179,000.00.

    Maduagwu was introduced to the complainant, PMC Industry Limited, through its Nigerian representative, Ohio Ileogben, as a businessman who deals in calcium chloride chemicals.

    Read Also: Son fakes kidnap to defraud dad of N500,000

    He, however, failed to pay for the 500 metric tonnes of calcium powder valued at the sum of $179,000, after taking delivery of the items and efforts to get him pay for the goods were unsuccessful.

    In the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, S.O. Daji, called five witnesses and tendered several exhibits that were admitted in evidence by the court.

    The defendant, however, testified for himself and also called two other witnesses.

    During the sitting on June 19, 2019, parties adopted their final written addresses respectively.

    Delivering her judgement yesterday, Justice Dada convicted and sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment on count one and three years on count two.

    Both sentences are to run concurrently from the date of his remand, February 28, 2018 by the court.

    The Judge also ordered that the convict make full restitution of $179,000 which the EFCC must employ all legal means to ensure compliance.

  • Aspirant seeks cancellation of Bayelsa APC primaries

    Governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Preye Aganaba, has asked the High Court in Yenagoa to void the primaries that produced Chief David Lyon as the party’s candidate for the November 16 governorship election.

    Aganaba sued APC, Lyon and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the court as defendants in a suit he personally filed on September 12.

    Read Also: INEC to publish names, particulars of candidates for Kogi, Bayelsa polls

    He urged the court to declare that the September 4 primaries did not hold. Aganaba also asked the court to declare that since there were no primaries, the declaration of results which produced Lyon as the party’s flag bearer was illegal, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect.

    He also demanded an order setting aside the results of primaries, and sough an order ‘restraining the APC from presenting Lyon or submitting his name to INEC as its candidate’. Other reliefs sought by Aganaba are: “An order restraining INEC from receiving, acting on, publishing or listing Lyon as the governorship candidate of APC; an order restraining Lyon from parading himself as or holding himself out as the candidate of the APC in the Bayelsa State governorship election.”