The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Boy found in Arik aircraft’s wheel

    Boy found in Arik aircraft’s wheel

    Arik Air has expressed  shock over  how a teenager at the Benin Airport beat aviation security checks at the city Airport  to stowaway into the main wheel of its aircraft.

    The airline said it was becoming increasingly concerned  about incessant security lapses at the nation’s airports

    It urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria  ( FAAN) to immediately address the situation .

    The airline’s spokesman Mr Banjo Ola, said  in a statement :”  The pilot of Arik Air flight W3 544, departing Benin Airport for Lagos at 9.00am today 24thAugust, 2013 reported to the control tower the presence of a strange boy in the bush about 200 – 300 meters  at the end of runway 23.

    ”The control tower told the Captain that they were sending security men to the place to arrest the boy.

    “As the captain was making his final turn, preparatory for take-off, a cabin crew called his attention to the information by some of the passengers that they saw a boy running towards the airplane.  The First Officer confirmed that they had observed it earlier and alerted the control tower which responded that they have sent the patrol team to arrest the boy.  The Captain again reported to the control tower and was informed that the situation was under control and that he had been cleared for take-off.

    ” On arrival at the domestic wing of MMA, Lagos, a teenage boy, who apparently had sneaked into the aircraft main wheel well jumped out and was arrested by Arik personnel and handed over to FAAN security.

    “The management of Arik Air has expressed shock over the incident wondering how the teenager beat the Aviation Security personnel at the Benin Airport to get to the runway”.

     

  • First international flight lands in Enugu.

    It was historic.

    As soon as the crowd that thronged the Akanu Ibiam International Airport to witness the arrival of the first passenger international flight sighted the Ethiopian Airline, they went frenzy in jubilation.

    The plane was sighted at about 12.10 am and pulled up at the tarmac six  minutes later.

    Carrying 20 passengers on board, the Boeing  737 aircraft took off from Addis Ababa.  58 passengers boarded the plane back to its destination.

    The crew was personally led by the deputy chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines, Esayas Haylu.

    On hand to receive the aircraft include the Secretary to the Federal government, Anyim Pius Anyim, Minister of aviation, Stella Oduah; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Minister for power, Chinedu Nebo.

    Also present were all the South East governors excepting that of Imo state.

    Present also were the national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh and Comfort Obi of the Police Service Commission.

    Deputy CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Esayas Haylu expressed happiness that his Airlines was the first to commence international flights to Enugu.

    Esayas who is also the chief commercial officer of the airlines greeted the crowd with the traditional Igbo greeting of “Igbo Kwenu” on disembarkment.

    He praised the “spirit of Igbo people”, saying repeatedly, “I love you, I love you”.

    Esayas promised that the Ethiopian Airlines would ensure that it abides by the aviation rules and regulations of Nigeria as long as they fly the Enugu route which is their 76th destination world wide.

    Ends

  • Senior Advocate, Ozekhome kidnapped.

    Senior Advocate, Ozekhome kidnapped.

    Barely  48 hours after the Edo state Police Command paraded 47 suspected kidnappers, the command Friday lost four officers an attempt to save the human Rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) from suspected kidnappers.
    Though the suspected kidnappers succeeded in taking away their victim, Chief Ozekhome and his drivers in the gun duel, but there are indications that the police in the state led by its Commissioner of Police are closing in on the suspected kidnappers.
    The Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, has directed the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Folunso Adebanjo to fish out the suspects, just as he vowed to ensure that the suspects are brought to justice.
    Narrating the incident to newsmen, Commissioner Adebanjo said that “ operatives of the command led by DPO Ehor division responded swiftly to a distress call at about 3:30pm that unspecified number of armed men had blocked the Benin-Auchi road by Ehor axis.
    However the hoodlums armed bushed the the patrol vehicle and opened fire on them, prompting an exchange of fire.
    “At the end of the gun duel, the hoodlums escaped with bullet wounds but not without their victim who was later identified upon search on his abandoned vehicle as Chief Ozekhome (SAN) and is driver.
    ” Regrettably,  the command lost four officers in the encounter. We salute their rare courage and bravery for they fought and died as heroes for the course of humanity. Their death shall not be in vain.We remain undeterred in our fight against armed banditry” he  stated.
    The Force Public Relations Officers, Frank Mba, told journalists of telephone that “ the IGP hs directed the CP to commence immediate vigorous manhunt for the hoodlums who must be arrested and brought to justice and the kidnapped victims rescued.
    ” We therefore once again call on the general public not to relent in their partnership with the police to fish out the criminals as common enemy to our society and report anyone found with the bullet wounds to the nearest police station”.

     

     

  • Shell seeks peace in Niger Delta

    The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), on Friday said development could only be achieved in the Niger Delta under the atmosphere of peace.

    Its manager, Government and Community, Mr. Evans Krukrubo, said this in Yenagoa at the company’s presentation of foreign scholarships to 14 indigenes of Ekeni and Ezetu communities.

    He said it was only when there was peace that oil companies could be in better position to contribute more to the development of their host communities.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ekeni and Ezetu communities are under the Basan West Cluster Communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

    “If you do not have peace in your cluster communities, it will be difficult for the oil or any company to foster meaningful socio-economic development in the area,” Krukrubo said.

    He said the SPDC was partnering with the Bayelsa government to ensure that the Global Memoradum of Understanding (GMoU) between the company and its host communities was fully implemented.

     

     

  • World Bank offers to boost agriculture – Adesina

    World Bank offers to boost agriculture – Adesina

    The Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, said on Friday the World Bank boosted agricultural development in Nigeria in the last two years by offering nearly N139.5 billion to the sector.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adesina, said this while speaking at the ongoing All Nigerian Editors’ Conference in Asaba, Delta.

    He said that nearly N62 billion of the amount was specifically pumped into irrigation development.

    He also said the African Development Bank (ADB) had provided nearly N77.5 billion to support the development of infrastructure around the staple crop processing zones in the country.

    He said the International Fund for Agriculture Development had also provided additional N31 billion to support staple crop processing around the country.

    The minister added that the French Agency for Development for the construction of rural roads had provided another $200 million (about N31.2bn) to complement government’s market development efforts.

    He said since the advent of the reform programme in the agriculture sector, changes were recorded in commercial banks’ lending to farmers.

     

  • U.S soldier gets life sentence over Afghan massacre

    The United States soldier who murdered 16 Afghan villagers last year has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, BBC reports.

    Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, 40, opened fire on men, children and women during the attack in Kandahar on March 11, 2012.

    The father of two pleaded guilty in June to avoid the death penalty.

    He apologised during his sentencing hearing at a Washington state military base on Thursday, calling the attack an “act of cowardice.”

    Sgt. Bales had been making a case for why he should one day be eligible for parole, which would have meant he could have been released in 20 years.

    But on Friday the military jury of six ruled against him at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle.

    Sgt. Bales showed no emotion as the sentence was announced. His mother bowed her head, rocked in her seat and wept.

    An interpreter gave a thumbs-up to Afghan villagers who were flown out by the U.S Army to give evidence at the trial.

    But afterwards they were far from happy with the outcome.

     

     

  • 2013 AFROBASKET : Nigeria beat Congo 93-75

    Nigeria’s national basketball team, D’Tigers continued their impressive performance in the ongoing 2013 Afrobasket Championship in Cote d’Ivoire on Friday when they defeated Republic of Congo 93 – 75 in their second Group C game at the Palais des Sports de Treichville, Abidjan.

     D’Tigers had posted a 74-59 points victory against Mali in her opening game while Congo lost their first match 74-43 to Cameroon.
    D’Tigers, ranked number two in Africa behind Angola were the better side in Friday’s game racing to a 10 points lead to finish the 28 – 18 points in the first quarter. The coach Ayo Bakare-led team continued with same spirit to open up a 21 points margin at half-time (53 – 32).
    The Congolese team soared back to reduce the margin to 14 points at the end of 3rd quarter which ended at 72 – 58 points but the Nigerian team maintained the leading position and increased the lead to 18 points at the end of the fourth quarter to end the game 93 – 75 points.
    Nigeria will end their Group D campaign on Sunday against Cameroon by 8pm, after Congo would have taken up Mali earlier in the day by 3pm.
    Meanwhile, defending champion of Africa Cup of Nations – Afrobasket, Tunisia Friday evening became the first team to record centenary points when it defeated Burkina Faso by 100-45 points to lead group-B, while Morocco also picked it first group-B win beating Rwanda by 30 points margin of 87-57 points at the Palais des Sports Treichville, Cote d’Ivoire.
    The best three teams from the tournament will represent Africa at the 2014 World Basketball Championship in Spain.

  • JTF recovers 11 floating drums of stolen oil

    At least 11 floating drums of stolen crude oil have been recovered by the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Pulo Shield.

    It was gathered that operatives of the 146 Battalion Sector 2 command of the JTF intercepted the big drums along the Samakiri creek in Bonny local government area of Rivers State.

    The drums were said to be floating towards a newly established illegal refinery at Samakiri creek when JTF uncovered them.

    The Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the operatives acting on a tip-off uncovered and destroyed the illegal refinery.

    He said 15 suspected oil thieves were arrested by the outfit in different operations within the region.

    He said after foiling the attempt to set up the refinery, the troops conducted a cordone-and-search operation and discovered the floating drums.

     

  • Abductors of Osun Speaker’s wife know fate October 14

    Justice Moshood Adeigbe of Osun State High Court sitting in Iwo on Friday adjourned to October 14 judgment in the case involving five people accused of kidnapping the wife of the state Assembly’s Speaker.

    Adeigbe gave the date while ruling on the written addresses of both the prosecution and defence counsel.

    The defence counsel, Mr. Segun Komolafe and the state counsel, Mr. Wale Afolabi, had all adopted their written addresses, urging the court to uphold their submissions.

    Adeigbe admitted the written addresses of the counsel but directed them to submit to the court relevant authorities cited in their submissions by September 3.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that six accused persons were arraigned for the kidnapping of Mrs. Muibatu Salaam on October 9, 2012.

    They are Chukwudi Okereke (25), Ogbole Ochijile (27), Okonkwo Lucky (27), Chukwuma Osifo (28) Kaikine Mahah (30) and Uwadiunor Philip (32).

    Phillip was on June 28 discharged on the ground that he was not connected to the crime.

    The accused were arraigned on a three -count charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms and kidnapping.

     

     

  • NDIC’s report on banks’ fraud worrisome – ASSBIFI

    The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) on Friday described as worrisome the level of bank fraud as recently reported by the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (NDIC).

    The National President of ASSBIFI, Mr. Olusoji Salako, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the report indicated that the level of fraud in banks was high.

    The NDIC’s annual report and statement of accounts released on Tuesday said that bankers committed fraud amounting to N17.97 billion in 2012.

    “This development calls for concern from every stakeholder.

    “We have the report, and we are considering the steps to take to prevent a reoccurrence in the future.

    “In most cases, these bankers are mobilised by outsiders to commit fraud in the system.

    “We are not going to sleep with this report; we will work on our members, “ Salako said.

    He said the union would intensify education of its members on the dangers of allowing outsiders to use them for fraudulent purposes.

    Salako said that fraud in the banking industry escalated due to reckless deposit mobilisation, casualisation and outsourcing of workers.

    “Casualisation and outsourcing are two key factors.

    “If you employ a person on a casual basis, and the person has to handle a lot of cash, yet, he or she is being paid peanuts, there will be the temptation to steal.

    “Also, in the last decade, aggressive marketing came in and people with questionable characters were employed in the industry to source for deposits.

    “Our flanks have been opened by this practice, all safety measures thrown overboard, and all that the bank executives are concerned about is the amount of deposits brought in,“ he told NAN.