Author: The Nation

A man in Adamawa State, Aminu Abubakar, has been arrested by the Police for allegedly beating his wife to death.

Abubakar allegedly dealt the fatal blows on his wife, Nana Fadimatu, after he heard that she had concluded plans to leave him and get married to a man in a neighbouring community.

Operatives of Adamawa Police command who arrested the man, a resident of Lelewaji community in Shagari Phase 2 Estate, Yola South Local Government Area, have charged him with descending on the wife after he heard that the wife was going to marry another man the next day.

According to a statement from the Police headquarters in Yola on Sunday, the 56-year-old Abubakar was arrested for beating Fadimatu, 38, “over information she is going to marry another man.”

Signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Suleiman Nguroje, the statement said the suspect “furiously engaged” the deceased about 10pm on Friday, May 5.

The statement said Abubakar applied force on Nana Fadimatu by hitting her with a hard object, as a result of which she fell unconscious and was later pronounced dead.

The statement said that the suspect was arrested by the Police of the Shagari Divisional Headquarters after a report received from Fadimatu’s intended new husband, Mahmud Rufai of Shagari Annex, Yola South.

• We imbibed our dad’s positive virtues – Gov

Scores of prominent Nigerian leaders, on Saturday, bade farewell to Pa Abraham Joseph Michael (AJM) Diri, father of the Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, at Sampou community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.

The attendees included a cross-section of leaders, namely Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and his wife, Dolapo, former presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr Goodluck Jonathan alongside his wife, Dame Patience, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu as well as the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.

State governors and governors-elect at the funeral service were governors Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, (Delta), Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and wife, Betty, Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Darius Ishiaku (Taraba).

The governors-elect of Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Taraba and Niger states were also present.

Chief Obasanjo, in his goodwill message delivered by Vice President Osinbajo, described Pa Diri as an exemplary teacher, a lay reader, and community leader, who gave his children proper upbringing.

According to him, “we are here to celebrate the life and times of Pa Diri. The array of personalities here is an indication that Pa Diri brought up and nurtured the aspirations of so many children.”

The former Nigerian leader noted that the late Diri’s reward as a teacher came not just through his son, Senator Diri, but attracted so many notable Nigerians to Sampou to celebrate a humble teacher.

“He could not have imagined that an array of personalities would come here to honour him. According to the book of Proverbs 14:23, “in all labour, there is profit.”

Former President Jonathan, in his remarks, said he was with the bereaved Diri family in appreciating Obasanjo, Osinbajo and all those who came to celebrate and honour the family and the people of the state.

He recalled that Pa Diri passed on a day that the present administration in the state was marking its third anniversary and prayed God to strengthen Diri and his family.

Also, former Vice President Atiku said: “There is a special relationship between me and the people of Bayelsa State. I am with you as a family and that is why l am physically here.”

The PDP presidential candidate noted that he attended the funeral ceremonies of former governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in Amassoma, former Governor Seriake Dickson’s mother at Toru-Orua and that of Diri’s father.

Responding, Senator Diri said he and his family as well as the entire state were humbled by the large turnout of high profile dignitaries in his community to bid his father farewell.

“We are indeed overwhelmed. There can be no love more than that. I would not have thought even in the wildest of my imaginations that there would be a large number of high profile Nigerians here to celebrate my father.”

Diri, who described his father as a disciplinarian, noted that he impacted positively on all who crossed his path and they all shared his positive attributes.

Scores of prominent Nigerian leaders, on Saturday, bid farewell to Pa Abraham Joseph Michael Diri, father of the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, at Sampou community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.

The guests comprised a cross-section of leaders, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and his wife, Dolapo; former Presidents Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr Goodluck Jonathan alongside his wife, Dame Patience, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu as well as the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.

Governors and Governors-elect at the funeral service were Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and wife, Betty; Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Darius Ishiaku (Taraba).

The Governors-elect of Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Taraba and Niger States were also present.

Obasanjo, in his goodwill message delivered by Vice President Osinbajo, described Pa Diri as an exemplary teacher, a Lay Reader, and community leader, who gave his children proper upbringing.
He said: “We are here to celebrate the life and times of Pa Diri. The array of personalities here is an indication that Pa Diri brought up and nurtured the aspirations of so many children.”
The former Nigerian leader noted that the late Diri’s reward as a teacher came not just through his son, Senator Diri, but attracted so many notable Nigerians to Sampou to celebrate a humble teacher.
“He could not have imagined that an array of personalities would come here to honour him. According to the book of Proverbs 14:23, ‘in all labour, there is profit’.”

Jonathan said he was with the bereaved Diri family in appreciating Obasanjo, Osinbajo and all those who came to celebrate and honour the family and the people of the state.
He recalled that Pa Diri passed on a day that the present administration in the state was marking its third anniversary and prayed God to strengthen Diri and his family.
Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said: “There is a special relationship between me and the people of Bayelsa State. l am with you as a family and that is why l am physically here.”
The PDP presidential candidate noted that he attended the funeral ceremonies of former governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in Amassoma, former Governor Seriake Dickson’s mother at Toru-Orua and that of Diri’s father.
Responding, Senator Diri said he and his family as well as the entire state were humbled by the large turnout of high profile dignitaries in his community to bid his father farewell.
“We are indeed overwhelmed. There can be no love more than that. I would not have thought even in the wildest of my imaginations that there would be a large number of high profile Nigerians here to celebrate my father,” he said.
Diri, who described his father as a disciplinarian, noted that he impacted positively on all who crossed his path and they all shared his positive attributes.

A yet-to-be identified 10-year-old boy has allegedly killed his unnamed friend, aged 12, with his grandfather’s pistol in Otuan community of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The incident reportedly occurred during the week while the two young friends were playing and mouthing possession of bulletproof charms.

An eyewitness claimed that the boys were acting scenes from a movie they had watched when the deceased boasted that he had spiritual bulletproof and challenged the 10-year-old boy to shoot him and see if the bullet would enter.

The eyewitness claimed that the 10-year-old quickly ran into his grandfather’s room, picked up a pistol and fired shots at his friend which resulted in his death.

It was gathered that the owner of the pistol, who is an ex-service man, was not at home when the incident occurred.

It was also learnt that after firing the shots that killed his friend, the 10-year-old quickly abandoned the gun and fled the scene to an unknown destination.

Another community source explained that “people are currently searching for the boy who is on the run. There is a tradition in the community that whoever kills another person in the community would be put to death instantly.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said the matter was yet to be reported to the police.
“It (killing) has not been reported to the Police yet. But, we will find out if such an incident happened,” Butswat, a Superintendent of Police, stated.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Saturday expressed satisfaction with conduct of the rescheduled 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for 80, 000 candidates.

Adamu, who alongside Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Is-haq Oloyede, monitored the exam at the Computer Based Test (CBT) centre located in Mambilla Barrack, Asokoro, Abuja, expressed delight with the smooth conduct of the exercise.

He said: “I am very happy with what I have seen. The (temporary) holding room (for candidates) , and the arrangement in which they are taking the examination, I think everything is in order.”

While saying no negative incident was recorded in the conduct of the UTME at the CBT centre, the minister, however, made a case for a temporary holding place for candidates waiting for the scheduled time of the exam.

“Everything is okay, have you seen any problem? Perhaps they should have a class for the holding room, I think that is the only improvement they will make here,” Adamu said.

JAMB’s Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in an interview on Saturday, said about 80,000 candidates, who could not sit for the 2023 UTME within their scheduled time owing to no fault of theirs, sat for the rescheduled UTME across the country.

According to the JAMB’s spokesperson, candidates affected included those who were verified at their centres but could not sit the examination, those who could not be biometrically verified, those with mismatched data, among others.

He said the deployment of innovations in the conduct of the exam paid off as the exercise recorded the lowest reported cases of infractions.

“In this year’s UTME, issue of examination malpractices was reduced to almost zero level,” the JAMB spokesperson said.

On when the results of the rescheduled UTME would be released by the examination body, he said the board’s management will analyse the conduct of the exercise after its conclusion before it will make a decision on that.

Recall that the Board had last week Tuesday released results of candidates who had earlier took part in the exam, that commenced on Tuesday, 25th April.

A total of 1,586,765 candidates indicated interest in sitting for the 2023 UTME.

The third batch of 131 stranded Nigerians has arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Tarco airline plane B737-300 touched down at 1.45pm.

Already, no fewer than 506 have been evacuated since Nigeria started airlifting on Wednesday.

The first batch of 376 was airlifted on Wednesday by Airpeace and Nigerian Airforce plane, C 130 while the second batch of 130 with a 99% female was airlifted by a Sudanese aircraft, Taco on Friday.

The first batch was airlifted from Egypt while the second batch came in from Port Sudan. .

The 3rd batch is also from Port Sudan.

Speaking shortly after welcoming the evacuees, NiDCOM Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed joy that the process has commenced.

Read Also : Sudan crisis: Third batch of 132 evacuees depart

Dabiri-Erewa also assured no Nigerian would be left behind.

She said, ” It is not over, until it is over. Another batch is coming tomorrow. Thank God the tension is less now, and one thing is certain, no one would be left behind.

“Unfortunately, some people put a tribal colouration. to all these issues. You can see, the mission wanted them to be orderly, and priority was given to women and children. If a man jumps through the window and comes to out to say oh because I am from this ethnic group, I think that is most uncharitable.
But nobody will be left behind.”

She re-emphasised that the directive from the Ministry of Foreign Affiars is that priority be given to women in the ongoing exercise.

On the situation with Wadi Halfa camp, she said: “There were situations. You see, Egypt is very strict with their laws. If you have more than one person, they would not carry everybody.

“There were situation where the figures did not tally. They said there were two people they are looking for.

“So, it is a war situation and it is a bit complicated. I just want to appeal to our people there to just be patient, follow the rules, you will be home.

“Cairo is strict, so just follow the rules as they have given us. The most important thing is to come back and everybody will come back.”