The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Catholic bishop’s kidnappers yet to make contact

    Catholic bishop’s kidnappers yet to make contact

     Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

     

    THE refusal of the gunmen, who kidnapped the Auxiliary Bishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Moses Chikwe and his driver, Mr. Ndubuisi Robert, to establish contact with the church and the victims’ families, three days after their abduction, is causing anxiety and disquiet among residents in Imo State.

    The Archbishop of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Anthony Obinna, has urged Catholics and others to disregard a report that Bishop Chikwe has been killed by his abductors.

    The cleric was kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be abductors alongside his driver  around World Bank area of Owerri on Sunday evening.

    Read Also: Monarch laments kidnappings in FCT

    His vehicle was later found in front of Maria Assumpta Cathedral, the archdiocesan headquarters, in Owerri.

    It was gathered on Wednesday that the kidnappers were yet to establish contact with the church and the victims’ families. This is causing anxiety among Catholic faithful and residents.

    However, following the rumours of the killing of the bishop in the social media, the Head of the Owerri Catholic Ecclesiastical Province, Archbishop Anthony Obinna, has urged people to disregard the news.

     

  • Driver kills boy in Anambra

    Driver kills boy in Anambra

     Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

     

    A DRIVER has killed a boy on the Ihiala road, Uli in Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State.

    The driver, who was speeding, crushed the boy.

    The accident involved a Toyota Sienna Space Wagon car with registration number LSR 748 GN.

    The Nation gathered that the victim was crossing the road when he was knocked down by the driver.

    Seven persons were injured in another crash on the Awka-Enugu road involving a Toyota Space Wagon Privia and a Nissan Altima.

    Read Also: Burna Boy’s massive year

    Eyewitnesses attributed the accident to brake failure. Fifteen persons were inside the vehicles.

    Sector Commander Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Andrew Kumapayi confirmed both accidents.

    He said the body had been deposited at the mortuary.

    Kumapayi condoled with the bereaved family and wished the injured quick recovery.

    He advised motorists to avoid speeding, especially in built-up areas.

     

  • U.S. nurse tests positive after receiving vaccine

    U.S. nurse tests positive after receiving vaccine

    Our Reporter

     

    AN intensive care unit (ICU) nurse in San Diego, who had received Pfizer Inc. vaccine’s shot against COVID-19 on December 18, has tested positive for the virus.

    Matthew W, a 45-year-old nurse in San Diego, told ABC News San Diego affiliate KGTV that after receiving the vaccine, he had only experienced arm soreness as a side-effect of the vaccine.

    However, six days later after working a shift in the COVID-19 unit, he said he had chills, muscle pain and fatigue.

    A coronavirus test confirmed him positive for COVID-19, he said.  Following this incident, Dr. Christian Ramers, an infectious disease specialist with the Family Health Centre of San Diego, told KGTV that this was not unexpected.

    Read Also: 75-year-old Israeli man dies after getting vaccine

    “We know from the vaccine clinical trials that it is going to take about 10 to 14 days for you to start to develop protection from the vaccine.

    “That first dose we think gives you somewhere around 50 per cent and you need that second dose to get up to 95 per cent,” Ramers explained.

     

  • Jigawa High Court sentences two to death by hanging 

    Jigawa High Court sentences two to death by hanging 

     Ahmed Rufa’I, Dutse

     

    JIGAWA State High Court has sentenced two persons to death by hanging.

    They are Mustapha Idris and Jamilu Harisu from Ringim and Farko local governments.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Abubakar said Idris, 29, of Daneji village in Ringim Local Government was found guilty of killing his girlfriend, Nafisa Hashim, of the same village. He was, therefore, sentenced to death by hanging.

    Justice Abubakar said the offence is contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code Laws.

    Harisu was sentenced to death by hanging for killing his father, Malam Harisu Bako, of Muku village in Garki Local Government.

    He was found guilty of the offence under Section 221 of the Penal Code Laws.

     

     

  • Edo records two deaths, 18 new cases

    Edo records two deaths, 18 new cases

    Our Reporter

     

    THE Edo State has recorded two deaths and 18 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of active cases in the state to 90.

    In a tweet, Governor Godwin Obaseki urged residents to take personal responsibility to protect themselves and their loves so as to prevent the spread of the virus.

    According to him, “We recorded two deaths and 18 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of active cases in the state to 90.

    As we combat the second wave of the pandemic, I urge you to take personal responsibility to protect yourself and your loved ones this season. Stay safe.”

    Read Also: Edo Poly to partner NBTE

    The governor had earlier said the state government had reactivated isolation and treatment centres across the state, adding that the state’s contact tracing network and disease surveillance mechanism has been reinvigorated to deal with new cases in the state.

    He said: “We now have in place a robust disease surveillance system in the state with well-trained contact tracers, who can undertake active case searches; we have 4 PCR molecular laboratories that can undertake large numbers of tests with procedures to promptly obtain results from the laboratories.

    “Our case management system is intact to provide care for confirmed cases. We also have 4 well-equipped, functional isolation centres spread across the state.”

     

     

  • NIMR investigating alleged issuance of fake results

    NIMR investigating alleged issuance of fake results

    Our Reporter

     

    THE Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) says it is investigating a video circulating on the social media alleging that fake COVID-19 result could be obtained at the institute.

    Its Director-General, Prof. Babatunde Salako, said in a statement yesterday in Lagos that the institute as “a reputable research entity would not engage in such derogatory activity”.

    The Lagos State Government had on Tuesday raised alarm over sales of fake COVID-19 test results in the state.  The government said processes were being put in place to clamp down on both buyers and sellers.

    Salako said: “A video has been circulating on social media, creating the impression that fake COVID-19 result can be secured from NIMR. This is to inform the general public and our friends that this will be thoroughly investigated.”

    Read Also: COVID-19 vaccine: Facts, myths and misconceptions

    “NIMR does not stand for such behaviour, and will not be tolerated.”

    He said the institute had been in the forefront of curbing the spread of the virus, noting that it would continue to contribute to the fight against the spread of the virus.

    The institute, in collaboration with Lifebank, had in March launched the first drive-through COVID-19 test in sub-Sahara Africa.

     

  • Police nab two robbery suspects in Kano

    Police nab two robbery suspects in Kano

    Fanen Ihyongo, Kano

     

    THE police in Kano State have arrested two robbery suspects, Aliyu Shuaibu Dille, 22, and Rabiu Muktar, 28.

    They recovered a pump action rifle from them.

    Police spokesman Abdullahi Haruna, who yesterday paraded the suspects, said they had been on the wanted list for long.

    Haruna, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said a team of Operation Puff Adder led by Yunusa Danzomo of Badawa Division, arrested the suspects during surveillance patrol at Badawa Quarters, Kano.

    Read Also: Police, others kill six bandits in Katsina

    During interrogation, the two men confessed that they had participated in robberies on the Hadejia Road, near Sheshe Super Market, Yankaba Quarters and Badawa Quarters, Kano.

    Dille said he used the money he made from robberies to sell Indian hemp.

    Police Commissioner Habu Sani ordered that the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for discreet probe.

    He said the suspects would be arraigned after investigation.

     

  • Fed Govt cautions against self-medication

    Fed Govt cautions against self-medication

    Agency Reporter

     

    THE Federal Government has advised Nigerians against self-medication for COVID-19, saying it could lead to body organs damage.

    Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi gave the advice on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Articles about various home remedies and ways to prevent COVID-19 have been circulating on social and conventional media since the onset of coronavirus pandemic.

    Theories such as gargling hot saltwater, drinking lots of water and taking various vitamins and antibiotics are a few that are believed to cure the disease.

    Adebiyi emphasized that while there might be some “rationale” behind these theories, they could, however, pose serious dangers to the body and cause health complications.

    “Be careful what you read on social media and send to your friends and loved ones. There are all sorts of inaccurate information out there.

    Read Also: Why we soft-pedalled on travel ban, by Fed Govt

    “The best thing we can do is maintain our good health habits, eat healthy diets and do lots of exercises when we can. Practice social distancing, maintain top hand hygiene and stay home, unless you need to go out for essential activities,” she advised.

    The director noted that one of the most dangerous prevention methods circulating on social media was the abuse of hydroxychloroquine, believed to be a cure for COVID-19.

    According to Adebiyi, taking certain drugs without medical prescription and supervision can result in body toxicity and consequently lead to sedation, coma, seizures, heart complications and other conditions.

    “Do not take any drugs outside of a physician’s recommendation please. At this moment, the best we can do to stay alive is to take medications that have been hypothesised as helpful.

    “People with underlying conditions can safely take drugs when prescribed, but we need a better understanding of the risks and benefits of taking medication to treat COVID-19.”

  • How Odekunle, 77, battled COVID-19, by Agunloye

    How Odekunle, 77, battled COVID-19, by Agunloye

     Tajudeen Adebanjo, Sanni Onogu, Abuja, Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan and Toba Adedeji, Osogbo

     

    FORMER Minister of Power and Steel Dr. Olu Agunloye on Wednesday gave an emotional description of how Prof. Femi Odekunle, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), headed by Prof. Itse Sagay, succumbed to the battle against the Coronavirus.

    Odekunle, Nigeria’s first professor of Criminology, 77-year-old, died at the COVID-19 Isolation Centre in Gwagalada, Abuja, on Tuesday.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, had during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said: “A good friend of this government just passed on at 6:30pm.”

    Many did not know the person he was referring to until the news of Odekunle’s death was announced later in the evening.

    Agunloye, who wrote about the final moments of Prof. Odekunle, described his death as sad.

    According to him, it was Chief Joju Fadairo who discovered at 8.30pm on Sunday, that Odekunle was sick and in danger.

    “We both couldn’t get Femi on phone for about one week and Joju decided to call his wife.  From that moment, we worked all night to activate the diverse circle of Femi’s friends. And they sprang to action within two hours. Since then, they worked frantically to ensure that Femi got the best care possible,” he stated.

    Agunloye, who is a former Minister of State for Defence, said he and his friends tried very hard but Odekunle didn’t make it.

    The first professor of Criminology, he said, died at about 6.30pm, after a 12-day battle for life.

    “When I spoke with his wife twice between 1pm and 3pm on Tuesday, I could hear in the background loud heavy rumblings of the man struggling to breathe with great difficulties and excruciating pains even though he wore an oxygen mask.

    Read Also: Covid-19: A call for prayers

    “As a matter of fact, Femi’s friends rose stoutly to his support over the last 48 hours, but it was just too late. Top government functionaries amongst them led by Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola along with President’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, SGF Boss Mustapha and two sitting governors tore through bureaucracies and red tapes and pulled stunts but the damages to Femi’s health appeared to have gone too far for remedy. It is sad, very sad.

    “Prof. Odekunle was my close friend of 54 years. We first met in Independence Hall when I entered UI as a Prelim student in 1966.”

    Agunloye enjoined Nigerians to exercise great care and caution over their health.

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the Nigeria Society for Criminology (NSC) yesterday expressed sadness over Odekunle’s death.

    In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja by his Special Adviser (Media), Ola Awoniyi, the Senate President described Odekunle’s  death as a great loss to the academic community and to Nigeria.

    He said Odekunle was a reputable scholar and an academic giant who imparted knowledge to his numerous students and served his country with his expertise in a discipline in which he was an authority.

    Oyetola, in a statement yesterday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, said he received news of the demise of the Osun-born professor of Criminology with a huge shock.

    The governor said Odekunle’s death was an immense loss to his family and the nation.

    He described the deceased as a man of great intellect, insight and impeccable character, acknowledging his commitment and contributions to the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    The NSC described Odekunle’s death as a major loss to the academic community.

    A statement by the Secretary of NSC’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Prof. Hawau Evelyn Yusuf, said the foremost criminologist was a fearless, upright and exemplary scholar, whose influence in the field traversed continents of the world.

    Until his death, Professor Odekunle was the BoT Chairman of Nigeria Society for Criminology.

    Also, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Adeyinka Abideen Aderinto, said: “Very sad. (He was) a thorough academic, frank and kind. He was my PhD external examiner in 1996 and we remained close till his glorious transition.”

    Another foremost criminologist, Prof. Omololu Soyombo, described Odekunle’s death as a colossal loss.

  • ‘Buhari to blame for rising insecurity’

    ‘Buhari to blame for rising insecurity’

    Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

     

    A CHIEFTAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Onuoha Nnachi has blamed the insecurity in the country on poor leadership by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Nnachi spoke yesterday at his Owutu, Edda home in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    According to him, the president’s inability to manage the economy is partly responsible for the growing insecurity in the country.

    Nnachi, a former senatorial aspirant, said the president’s failure to appoint capable hands to manage the country’s economy led to its collapse.

    Read Also: Buhari asks CBN not to give forex for food import

    He said: “It is a presidential issue. The president has failed the country on security. It is as if we have no president. The economic structure is not properly handled. We know that causes insecurity.

    “As at February, the value of our naira was N360 to a dollar. It means if you have N360 million, you could afford a million dollars. But today, to afford a million dollars you need N480 million; that means a difference of N120 million. That’s the rate of devaluation; you cannot survive it in our economy.

    “And it is true, our monetary policies are a failure, our fiscal policies are a failure because we have the wrong people in the wrong place.”