The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Muslims asked to look out for new moon today

    The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has directed Muslims across the country to look out for the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah 1440 A.H today.

    The new moon will usher in the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.

    A statement by the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in the Sultanate Council, Prof Sambo Wali Junaidu, advised Muslims to report the sighting of the moon to the nearest district or village head for onward communication to the Sultan.

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    “Muslims are, therefore, requested to start looking for the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah 1440 A.H on August 1 and report to the nearest district or village head for onward communication to His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar III.”

    The statement added: “May Allah (SWT) help us in the discharge of this religious duty, amen.”

  • Man allegedly slices daughter’s throat

    An eight-year-old girl, Zarau Seidu, is now lying critically ill at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, the Adamawa State capital, after her father allegedly cut her throat with a knife.

    The suspect, Mr. Seidu Dan Iya, who is believed to be suffering from a psychological problem after an alleged long time drug abuse, when asked by neighbours why he cut his daughter’s throat, said he just felt like doing it.

    The story broke out on Wednesdar when a neighbour of the suspect complained on her Facebook page that they took a girl to the FMC, Yola and had difficulty in getting a doctor to attend to her.

    Our reporter, who was one of the journalists that went to the hospital, found out that she was admitted at the emergency unit.

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    The doctor who attended to the girl, Mr Elkannah Patrick, said she had a 50-50 chance of surviving.

    He said he had cleaned the cut and would source a tool for surgery, stressing that the girl had a slim chance to live.

    The Head of Clinical Services, FMC, Yola, Dr. Yerima Suleiman Yusuf, said the hospital would treat the victim free of charge.

    He said: “We have a Paupers’ Fund from which we will treat this patient, because we realise that the mother is not ready and the father has a psychiatric problem.”

    The Nation learnt that the suspect has been detained by the police.

  • Man held for ‘biting woman’s breast’

    A 22-year-old man, Precious Michael, who allegedly bit a woman on her breast, on Wednesday appeared at a Magistrates’ Court in Asaba, Delta State.

    The police charged Michael with assault and causing grievous hurt.

    Prosecution counsel Mrs Blessing Okafor  told the court that Michael assaulted Miss Ella Ibeawzie, near the Royal Park Hotel, Asaba.

    Okafor alleged that the defendant bit Ibeawzie on her breast and also knocked out her tooth during an altercation.

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    She alleged that the defendant also tore Ibeawzie’s dress, valued at N4,000.

    The offence, she said, is punishable under sections 355 and 451 of the Criminal Code Cap C21 Vol 1 laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Edith Anumodu admitted the defendant to N50,000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Anumodu ordered that the surety must provide an affidavit of means.

    She adjourned the case till August 20.

  • Suspect dies in hospital after threatening to kill policemen

    A suspected cultist, Chinedu Obi, who threatened to invade a police station with his colleagues and kill those who arrested him, has died, The Nation learnt on Wednesday.

    The suspect, according to Ogun State Police Command spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, died on July 20 at a hospital he was taken to for treatment after he was shot in the leg to restrain him from causing more harm.

    Obi was arrested on July 19 by policemen attached to Sango Ota Division for alleged malicious damage, but went berserk during interrogation.

    The suspect, it was gathered, suddenly ran out of the statement room, picked an axe and started smashing windscreens of vehicles parked inside the police station.

    According to the police, Obi damaged 17 vehicles inside the station and pursued policemen with the axe before he was demobilised.

    Oyeyemi said the officer who shot Obi acted in line with Force Order 237 since the suspect was armed with an axe and aggressive.

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    He refuted claims that the police shot the suspect and allowed him to bleed to death, insisting that Obi was taken to the General Hospital, Ota where he died while receiving treatment.

    “The truth of the matter is that the suspect was arrested on July 19 at about 10:30am in connection with a case of assault/ malicious damage. He was taken to Sango Ota Divisional Headquarters for investigation.

    “While he was being interrogated, he suddenly went berserk, picked an axe recovered earlier as an exhibit and started chasing policemen at the station.

    “He ran out of the interrogation room to where vehicles were parked and used the axe to destroy 17 vehicles. Afterwards, he started chasing the policemen with the aim of using the axe on anyone around.

    “It was at that point that an armed officer on duty was left with no alternative but to shoot him in the leg in order to demoblise him. He was then taken to General Hospital, Ota for treatment, but later died while receiving medical attention.

    “It is worthy of note that before the suspect went out of his mind, he had made statements to the police and it was established that he was a renowned cultist who had been terrorising Ijoko Ota and its environs before the incident that led to his arrest,” said Oyeyemi.

    A viral one minute and 30 seconds video showed Obi at the back of a police patrol van bleeding and threatening to return with his gang members to kill those behind his arrest.

    He warned police officers serving at the station to flee before his return because upon his return with his Black Axe members, they would “spray” the division and kill everyone.

  • Ondo quarry worker freed

    A 35-year-old woman, Mrs. Tope Olorunfemi, who was kidnapped last week by suspected herdsmen on Afo/Idoani Road in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State has been freed.

    Olorunfemi, an employee of Xiamen Wine Stone at Afo, was abducted on her way back home from work on a commercial motorcycle (okada) at gunpoint near Irekari Comprehensive High, School, Idoani.

    Narrating her ordeal, the victim said the kidnappers first took her and the commercial motorcyclist to a nearby bush where they dispossessed her of her belongings at gunpoint.

    She said the okada rider was ‘released’ a few hours later, and she trekked for hours with the suspects throughout the night inside the bush.

    She said the kidnappers did not know that she understands Hausa language.

    Olorunfemi said she was shocked to earlier hear the okada rider and the kidnappers discussing how to share the ransom her family would pay.

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    The Nation learnt that the next day, hunters from Idoani, Idogun, Afo and Imeri organised a search party to rescue the victim.

    Then a call suddenly came from the kidnappers demanding N3million ransom.

    It was gathered that after four days of pleadings and negotiations, the abductors agreed to take N300,000 from the victim’s family, following the intervention of royal fathers, chiefs and well-meaning individuals from the four communities.

    Residents, describing the incident as unfortunate, expressed worries about incessant killing, kidnapping, raping and destruction of their cash crops by the suspected herdsmen.

    They expressed concern about the safety of their children and appealed to the government to intervene.

    The monarchs at Ose communities have issued a 21-day ultimatum to herders to vacate their domains, although the police have opposed the directive.

  • DPP’s report indicts house help for killing 89-year-old woman, daughter

    The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has indicted a house help, Joseph Ogbu, for the June 19 murder of his 89-year-old employer, Mrs. Adejoke John, and her 36-year-old daughter, Oreoluwa.

    The indictment is part of the legal advice on the case issued by the DPP, T. K. Shitta-Bey, on July 12, following a July 5 police request.

    The DPP’s office dispatched the legal advice on July 17 to the police and the “presiding magistrate, Magistrate Court 8, Ebute-Meta, Lagos” where Ogbu was arraigned on June 27.

    In the report, seen by The Nation on Wednesday Shitta-Bey said facts in the duplicate case file presented to her office by the police, sufficiently established a case of murder and armed robbery.

    She recommended that Ogbu be tried for both offences, adding that her office would file the processes for his arraignment and trial at the high court.

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    The report read: “After a careful consideration of the facts available in the duplicate case file, this office is of the considered opinion that there are sufficient facts establishing a prima facie case of murder and armed robbery contrary to sections 223 and 297(2)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 against Joseph Ogbu.”

    Magistrate O. A. Olagbende of an Ebute-Meta Magistrates’ Court remanded Ogbu, 22, in Ikoyi Prison on June 27, following his arraignment by the police on a temporary three-count charge of murder and stealing.

    He was suspected of murdering his boss, Mrs. Adejoke John and her daughter, Oreoluwa, on June 19, just two days after he was employed.

    The State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID), Yaba, Lagos alleged that Ogbu stabbed Oreoluwa to death after she turned down his demand for N4,000 on the second day of his employment.

    He, afterwards, strangled Mrs. John.

    Police counsel O. W. Ologun said the defendant committed the offences on June 19, at about 10pm, at his employer’s 4, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos, home.

    He said the defendant also stole his employer’s Toyota Camry car, Gionee, Itel and Nokia phones, a power bank, a pair of scissors, two cutlasses, an LG Plasma TV set and a handbag containing clothes and towels.

  • Woman ‘conspires’ with lover to ‘rape’ friend

    A 23-year-old woman, Eniola Shittu, has been arrested by the police in Ogun State for allegedly conspiring with her lover, David Peremobowe, 31, to rape her friend.

    Eniola, a resident of Ikopa Tuntun, Abiola Way, Abeokuta, was arrested on July 27 following a complaint by the victim at Obantoko Police Division, spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi said last night.

    He said the incident occurred around 1:45pm on July 24, when Eniola messaged the victim on WhatsApp to help her buy food.

    Eniola was said to have asked the victim to bring the food to her boyfriend’s house at Somorin, Obantoko in Abeokuta where she was offered a bottle of beer by the boyfriend.

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    “But immediately she finished taking the beer, she became very weak and David unlawfully had carnal knowledge of her. While he was doing it, the victim’s friend, Eniola, used her phone to record how she was being raped.

    “On the strength of her complaint, the DPO of Obantoko Division, SP Olasunkanmi Popoola, sent his detectives to the boy’s house where David and his girlfriend, Eniola, were arrested. The Gionee phone with which the video coverage was made was also recovered.

    “Police Commissioner Bashir Makama has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for further investigation and prosecution,” Oyeyemi said.

  • Police arrest two for alleged varsity killing

    The police in Rivers State said on Wednesday that two persons had been arrested in connection with the Monday killing at the Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu, in Port Harcourt City Local Government.

    A 500-level student of the Department of Forestry and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Prince Barisua Tuaka, was shot dead on campus on Monday evening.

    Police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said in a statement that two suspects have been nabbed in connection with the killing.

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    He said the suspects are Elechi Chibuzor and Nnamdi Chibundu.

    Although he could not confirm last night whether the suspects were students of the university, he said they were being investigated.

    Governor Nyesom Wike has sanctioned the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Blessing Didia, over the incident. Wike queried the VC.

    Police Commissioner Mustapha Dandaura has appealed to residents to help the police serve them better by giving information that can assist the operatives tackle crimes.

  • Council launches immunisation plus days

    The Chairman of Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr. Joseph Gbenu, on Wednesday launched this year’s National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) at Apa Primary Health Centre, Badagry.

    Represented by his wife, Mrs. Esther Gbenu, he said the NIPDs would run till Sunday.

    Gbenu said: “The National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) is a national effort, in which Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is administered to children from birth to age five. The vaccine protects our children against illness, paralysis and death.”

    He urged everybody, especially nursing mothers, to participate in the exercise by bringing out their children.

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    “I implore all of you to bring your children for immunisation. The vaccination team will visit homes, schools, churches, mosques, markets, and everywhere there are eligible children.”

    Health Supervisor Anthony Godonu hailed the council chief and his wife for their passion for the well-being of the people.

    The launch, Godonu said, was to reduce deaths among children.

    The Medical Officer of Health (MoH), Dr. Toyin Akinloye, said polio eradication is a public health effort to eliminate cases of poliomyelitis (polio) infection around the world, which began in 1988 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Rotary Foundation.

    Health Educator Akadiri Gabriel told nursing mothers about the dangers of polio.

  • Teenager arraigned for alleged cultism

    A teenager, Shakiru Odebiyi, allegedly caught belonging to a secret society, was on Wednesday brought before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court.

    The defendant, 19, an aluminium roofer, of no fixed address, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and belonging to an unlawful society.

    Prosecuting Inspector Donjour Perezi told the court that the defendant committed the offences on July 16 at 4pm, at Agbotikuyo Street, Agege, Lagos.

    He alleged that the defendant and others at large unlawfully assembled in a manner that threatened people and disturbed the public.

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    “The defendant and others at large also took an oath binding them to be members of Eye and Aiye confraternities,’’ Perezi said.

    He said the offences contravened sections 42 (a) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Bukola Mogaji granted the defendant N70, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    She said the sureties should be clergymen, traditional title holders or community leaders.

    Mogaji said Odebiyi should be remanded at Kirikiri prison pending perfection of his bail conditions.

    The case was adjourned till August 23.