The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Three die in Benue’s early-morning inferno

    Three die in Benue’s early-morning inferno

    Three persons were burnt to death in a early morning inferno which razed down a apartment at Katsina Ala street, Makurdi, Benue state, on Tuesday.

    The victims were 40- year old member of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Worker Terhemen Makar, his wife and a two- year old son who were completely burnt beyond recognition.

    The only survivor of the inferno was a seven -year old son of the deceased who was rescued by sympathizers who forced open part of the building.

    He sustained injuries and was quickly rushed to St.Theresa’s Hospital in the state capital for treatment.

    An eye witness, Terna Iorza, told The Nation that the fire started shortly after the Power Holding Company of Nigeria restored electricity in the area.

    Immediately there was a spark and fire with thick smoke engulfed the entire apartment, which is heavily fortified with burglary proof.

    Terhemen and his wife reportedly struggled in the thick smoke until they were burnt to death with their two-year old baby.

    The state Police Public Relation Officer, Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the incident, saying investigations have commenced on the matter.

     

  • Nigeria, U.S partner on intelligence sharing

    Nigeria, U.S partner on intelligence sharing

    United States Consul General, Lagos, Mr. Jeffery Hawkins, has described Nigeria as a great partner of his country in drug control.

    The U.S envoy, who spoke while presenting technical equipment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos, said the equipment would be used in the establishment of a centre for intelligence sharing between the two countries.

    “NDLEA is a great partner for the United States in drug control. The U.S embarks on serious war against narcotics and we are proud to contribute in developing the capacity of the NDLEA through the establishment of a Centre for intelligence sharing,” Hawkins stated.

    The NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, who received the items, said that the country’s partnership with the U.S has been very fruitful.

    “The relationship between the United States Government and the Government of Nigeria has been characterized by similar gestures in the area of technical support. It is important to acknowledge your sustained determination to support Nigeria in winning the fight against notorious drug trafficking syndicates. This assistance to the agency is highly treasured,” Giade said.

    The NDLEA boss attributed the high performance of the agency to the growing support and partnership it has with America.

     

  • Ozekhome’s abductors want N150m ransom

    Ozekhome’s abductors want N150m ransom

    There were conflicting reports on the whereabouts of kidnapped Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, his driver and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Athanasious Ugbomhe who were abducted in Edo State last Friday.

    While reports in the social media indicated that Ozekhome’s abductors have contacted his family and demanded for a ransom of N150 million with three days ultimatum, the lawyer’s elder brother, Pius, reportedly told a confidant that no member of the family had been contacted as at Tuesday morning.

    However, a close friend of Ugbomhe told journalists that the kidnappers demanded for N100 million for his release.

    He said, “This man has health condition that requires constant attention. He is a good person and not a moneybag. They should please release him unconditionally.”

     

     

  • Banker dies after sex romp with mistress

    A 45- year old banker at the weekend died in a hotel room in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, while having marathon sex with his undergraduate mistress.

    The deceased, who works with a commercial bank in the city died after having sex with a-21-year old lady (names withheld).

    The lady is a-200 level student of Micro-Biology at Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.

    The state police spokesman, Sylvester Igbo, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the incident, said the lady in question has been arrested and is cooperating with the police personnel in their investigation.

     

     

  • Champions League: Ambrose promises Celtic’s ‘fightback’

    Champions League: Ambrose promises Celtic’s ‘fightback’

    Efe Ambrose has backed Celtic to turn the tables against Shakhter Karagandy of Kazakhstan to reach the group stage of the Champions League.

    The Kazakh giant killers shocked Scottish double champions Celtic 2-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League playoff and Scots are now under pressure to score three unreplied goals on Wednesday to scale through to the mini-league stage of the Champions League.

    “I am very sure we will go through to the group stage of UEFA Champions League at the expense of Shakhter,” predicted Nigeria international defender Ambrose, who was on the bench for the duration of the first encounter.

    “I am not having any special feelings about the game or taking the game more seriously than others, it is just like every other game that we have played and will still play.”

    Last season, Celtic reached the Round of 16 of the Champions League before losing to Italian champions Juventus.

    MTNFootball.com reports that history favours Celtic as the club had upturned such first leg result three times in the past.

    The Kazakhs, on the other hand, are aiming to make history as the first club from the country to reach the group stage of the prestigious Champions League.

     

  • Madonna is highest-earning celebrity

    Madonna is highest-earning celebrity

    Pop star Madonna was the world’s top-earning celebrity over the past year, trumping the likes of Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.

    The 55-year-old Material Girl made an estimated $125m (£80m) thanks to her MDNA tour, clothing and fragrance lines, according to Forbes.

    The magazine said it was the most money Madonna had made in a single year since it began tracking earnings in 1999.

    BBC says director Steven Spielberg was at number two with $100m (£64m).

    Most of his earnings came from his back catalogue of film hits such as ET and Jurassic Park – which has just been released in 3D to mark its 20th anniversary – as well as last year’s Oscar winning Lincoln.

    The director also takes a cut of all ticket sales at Universal Studios theme parks.

    Third place was a three-way tie between 50 Shades of Grey author EL James, Simon Cowell and shock jock Howard Stern, with earnings of $95m (£61m).

    Thriller writer James Patterson follows with $91m (£58.5m), while TV and radio host Glenn Beck earned $90m (£57.8m).

    Others in the top 10 included Transformers director Michael Bay ($82m, £52.7m) producer Jerry Bruckheimer ($80m, £51.4m) and pop star Lady Gaga ($80m).

    Forbes compiles its annual list of celebrity earnings using input from agents, managers, producers and others to calculate its estimates for each celebrity’s entertainment-related earnings.

     

     

  • Brazil minister quits over Bolivia senator’s row

    Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota has resigned in the wake of a diplomatic scandal with Bolivia.

    He quit after a Bolivian opposition politician holed up in the Brazilian embassy in La Paz for more than a year fled the country in a diplomatic car.

    A Brazilian official has admitted using his diplomatic immunity to drive the senator across the border without permission from either country.

    BBC reports that Senator Roger Pinto was given asylum at the Brazilian embassy last year.

    He had been accused of at least 14 crimes in Bolivia, including corruption. He denied the charges and asked for asylum saying he was being persecuted.

    Mr. Patriota’s resignation was announced in a brief statement from the office of President Dilma Rousseff on Monday.

    The same statement named Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, Brazil’s head of mission at the United Nations, as the new foreign minister. Mr. Patriota is to become Brazil’s new UN ambassador, officials said.

    The BBC says Mr. Patriota’s resignation came after a day of diplomatic tension with Bolivia.

    Brazilian diplomat Eduardo Saboia said he used his diplomatic immunity to get Mr. Pinto out of Bolivia, leaving with him in an official vehicle on Friday.

    Mr. Saboia said Mr. Pinto had been suffering from depression and he had taken a personal decision to help him.

    The senator had been living in a small room in the Brazilian embassy for the past 450 days.

     

     

  • Mother of stowaway lad quizzed

    Mother of stowaway lad quizzed

    Directorate of Security Services (DSS), Edo State Command on Monday questioned the mother of Daniel Ohikhena, the 13- year old lad who stowaway aboard an Arik flight to Lagos last Saturday.

    The mother who gave her name as Evelyn was questioned for several hours.

    It was gathered that officials of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) shouted at the mother for wanting her son to make them got sacked.

    Mrs. Evelyn was taken to the office of the DSS for questioning.

    Speaking to journalists shortly before she went to the Benin Airport, Mrs. Ohikhena said it was her sister who lives in Germany that informed her about the incident.

    She said Daniel who is in JSS one has been secretly nursing the ambition of travelling abroad without her knowledge.

    The mother of four children stated that she was yet to recover from the shock of her son’s dangerous trip.

    ‘’Immediately we started looking for him, his nine years old younger brother told me that anytime they are watching film, Daniel always say he will go abroad, he will go to airport to enter plane . He told me to go and check airport and I did not believe him.

    ‘’On that fateful day, I left home on Friday night for my elder sister’s place to pass the night. When I came back the following morning my daughter told me that both of them had argument but that later when she woke up in the morning she did not find him again.

    ‘’I did not maltreat him. The only thing is that I don’t joke with my children education, I give them the best education. Everybody knows me. Go and ask of me in Oba market. The only thing I bordered myself with now is how my daughter will go to school, federal government college.

    ‘’Daniel does not have friends. He hardly leaves home. I don’t know where he was going in Lagos. We don’t have any relative in Lagos. Even me I have never been to the airport. The only thing I cannot deny now is that maybe he must have been to the airport while in private school but I m not aware,” she posited.

     

     

  • U-17 World Cup: Eaglets land in tricky group

    U-17 World Cup: Eaglets land in tricky group

    Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets had been handed a tough test after drawing the defending champions Mexico, Iraq and Sweden in the draws for the FIFA cadet youth championship which took place in the United Arab Emirates on Monday.

    The draws which took place at the Hotel Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi saw the Manu Garba team pitched in Group F.

    The Mexicans would start the defence of the trophy they won as hosts in 2011 when they confronted the Eaglets on October 19.

    Nigeria has won the tournament three times previously in 1985, 1993 and 2007.

    Full draws

    GROUP A: UAE, Honduras, Brazil, Slovakia

    GROUP B: Uruguay, New Zealand, Cote ‘d”Ivoire, Italy

    GROUP C: Croatia, Morocco, Panama, Uzbekistan

    GROUP D: Tunisia, Venezuela, Russia, Japan

    GROUP E: Canada, Austria, Iran, Argentina

    GROUP F: Mexico, Nigeria, Iraq, Sweden

     

  • Benefits of power privatization to manifest soon – Jonathan

    Benefits of power privatization to manifest soon – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan said Monday in Abuja with the successful conclusion of the sale of the country’s power generation and distribution companies, Nigerians will soon begin to enjoy the positive benefits of the privatization of the sector.

    A statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the President stated this during an audience with a delegation of the Anioma Peoples’ Congress led by the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien.

    According to the statement, President Jonathan confirmed that all successful bidders for the power generation and distribution companies had completed the payments required to complete the sales process which, he said, was conducted in conformity with globally accepted standards and best practices.

    The President said, “We are fully conscious of the centrality and importance of adequate power supply for our developmental efforts. We have challenges in the sector but we are constantly working to overcome them.

    “We are currently in a transition phase in which the sector is being positively transformed. The sale of our generations and distribution companies is almost concluded. Finally, everyone has paid and in the shortest possible time, our power sector will take on a much more positive life of its own for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

    He said that his administration remained fully committed to significantly improving national infrastructure and will continue to work on rapidly developing railway links, airports, seaports, roads and other transportation services in the country.

    “We are glad that you appreciate what we are doing. We will continue to work very hard so that Nigerians in all parts of the country feel the positive impact of our efforts to accelerate national development and progress,” he added.