The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • ‘Caregivers leaving due to poor welfare’

    ‘Caregivers leaving due to poor welfare’

    Convener of Kehinde Oshilaja Foundation, Kehinde Oshilaja, has decried the situation in special schools.

    Speaking at an event attended by stakeholders in education, Oshilaja called for reforms to avert crisis in special education.

    He lamented caregivers in such the schools were leaving due to deplorable conditions, meagre salary and neglect.

    The situation, he warned, could worsen if government failed to intervene.

    Read Also: President Tinubu approves take-off of sections 3, 4 of Lagos-Calabar coastal highway

    Said he: “Owners of these special schools have failed to prioritise well-being of workers, leading to exodus of caregivers.”

    Oshilaja added: “This brain drain will have a devastating consequences on vulnerable pupils who rely on these professionals.”

    He urged government to address the plight of caregivers by improving their working conditions.

    Oshilaja also appealed for improved conditions for teachers.

  • ‘Expect positive changes from Tinubu’

    ‘Expect positive changes from Tinubu’

    General Overseer of Love Base Assembly, Rev. Mike Iwunze, has urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu who is poised to deliver good governance.

    The cleric spoke with reporters ahead of his church anniversary and 65th birthday on Thursday till Sunday, with the theme: “God of Rest”.

    Iwunze said Pastor Anu Ojo and Rev David Oluwapemi would be guest speakers at the anniversary. He urged Nigerians to forgive, pray and accept President Tinubu’s government.

    Read Also: President Tinubu approves take-off of sections 3, 4 of Lagos-Calabar coastal highway

    He noted the administration is trying to resolve challenges but we must understand the place of God’s word and intervention. We should not be swift to criticise the government.

    Iwunze said the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu has been assisting in alleviating poverty by creating avenues and making provisions. We need to support them.

    “I pray we will experience new things through our President and cabinet. Good things will happen”, said Iwunze.

    Stressing need for Nigerians to seek God and pray for the leadership because policies and programmes by the Federal Government to tackle the poverty had not yielded  result.

    He noted the church has good news because there is increase and prosperity according to God’s promises. We need to pray to enter God’s rest, and seek Him to bring the hardship to an end.

  • NTIC student shines at International English contest

    NTIC student shines at International English contest

    A student of Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC), Akande Barakah Anjolaoluwa, has achieved the top spot for Nigeria at the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

    Anjolaoluwa scored 8.5 out of nine points.

    Read Also: ‘MTN building West Africa’s largest data centre in Nigeria’

    In his brief congratulatory message, the Managing Director of NTIC, Feyzullah Bilgin, said: “Huge congratulations to Akande Barakah Anjolaoluwa from NTIC School for rocking the IELTS exam with an impressive 8.5 out of 9 score.

    “Anjolaoluwa’s brilliance shines bright, making us all so proud! This outstanding performance  is a testament to her future.

     IELTS is an English Language proficiency test, developed and run by the British Council in partnership with IDP Education and Cambridge Assessment English.

  • Lagos Police arrests robbery suspect

    Lagos Police arrests robbery suspect

    Operatives of Lagos Police Command have arrested a suspected armed robber in Idimu area of the state. The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest in a post he shared on his X handle @benHundeyin on Sunday.

    He said the suspect was arrested yesterday during a patrol of the axis(Idimu)

    Read Also: Police order clampdown on vehicles without number plates in Abuja

    “Today, at 3: 00 a.m. at Pipeline Street, Idimu, the suspect was arrested by officers from Idimu Division.

    “When searched, one locally made pistol and one live cartridge were recovered,” the spokesperson said.

    According to the image maker, investigation is ongoing on the matter.

  • Soldiers kill 23-year-old herder in Plateau

    Soldiers kill 23-year-old herder in Plateau

    Personnel of Operation Safe Haven have killed a 23-year-old herder, Abubakar Musa, in Donkasa community of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

    The incident occurred around 2:00am while members of the community were sleeping.

    According to the Fulani community, the incident happened when personnel from the operation arrived in the area and started shooting sporadically in an attempt to make some arrests, but shot Abubakar to death without any justification or reason.

    Read Also: We don’t recruit terrorists as soldiers, says Army

    Father of the deceased, Jibrin Abubakar, said: “I was at home when a call came in that soldiers came to the community, arrested three persons and shot dead Abubakar.

    “This is not proper because Abubakar, being an innocent person, doesn’t deserve this. We don’t know our offence. Those who have committed this dastardly act have committed a big mistake.

    “If someone has committed a crime, the person should be investigated before any action is taken against him. It is a crime against humanity to the highest order.’’

    Mother to the victim, Asiya Muhammad, condemned the killing, adding the three persons arrested are from the community.

  • Police deny arrest of Verydarkman

    Police deny arrest of Verydarkman

    • ‘We only invited him for questioning’

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has refuted a report that Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as Verydarkman has been arrested.

    The police said he was only invited for questioning on the allegations of cyber stalking, cyber bullying and defamation of character.

    In a statement, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said Verydarkman has since been released after voluntarily giving his statement on the allegations.

    Read Also: Police order clampdown on vehicles without number plates in Abuja

    Adeh said: “Contrary to the news making the rounds about the alleged arrest of Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as Verydarkman or VDM by the police, the FCT police command wishes to clarify that Verydarkman was not arrested by the police but was only invited for questioning on the allegations of cyber stalking, cyber bullying and defamation of character.

    “He has since been released after voluntarily giving his statement on the allegations.”

  • NAF airstrikes destroy illegal oil refining sites

    NAF airstrikes destroy illegal oil refining sites

    Kill nine suspected terrorists eliminate terrorists

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has destroyed several illegal oil refining sites in Rivers State and eliminated scores of terrorists in Niger in recent coordinated air strikes.

    This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, AVM Edward Gabkwet, on Sunday in Abuja.

    Read Also: Prioritise national interest over tribal affiliations, Sultan urges Army

    Gabkwet said as the activities of oil thieves and economic saboteurs had become sophisticated, so also the NAF and other security agencies re-strategise to checkmate their activities and be ahead of their game.He said the oil thieves had in most cases continued to find new ways of concealing their overhead tanks used in storing stolen crude oil products from busted pipelines in the Niger-Delta region.

  • One killed, four kidnapped in Abuja

    One killed, four kidnapped in Abuja

    Terrorists renewed their onslaught on Bwari Area Council in the wee hours of yesterday, when over four persons were reportedly kidnapped, and one other killed, in the Guto area of Bwari.

    The attack, which began around 12:30am in the fringes of Guto and Piyawe communities, crept into Tudun-Fulani and Sabon Gari areas, both in the headquarters of Bwari Area Council.

    Residents claim that two separate groups had invaded the area council, with kidnappers numbering over 30, surrounded the communities, shooting sporadically and forcing their way into people’s homes.

    Eyewitnesses alleged that the invaders came into the Piwaye through the swaps and made their way to Guto and Piyawe where they kidnapped a man and killed a woman in her mid-40s.

    Read Also: Prioritise national interest over tribal affiliations – Sultan tells Nigerian Army

    The deceased, whose name was simply given as Madam Alice, was said to have only visited her sick mother, who stays with his brother in Bwari.

    Two victims were allegedly abducted from their homes in Guto, while another person was kidnapped from Tudun-Fulani, which is less than a kilometre from the council Secretariat.

    A resident, who preferred anonymity, said the attackers operated from 12:30am to 2:30am without challenge from security agencies.

  • Troops nab 47 rail track ‘vandals’ in Kaduna

    Troops nab 47 rail track ‘vandals’ in Kaduna

    Troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army,  Kaduna have arrested 47 suspected rail track vandals along  Kakau Daji-Anguwan Ayaba.

    The suspects, who had loaded two trucks with the vandalised rail track items, said they were employed by one Alhaji Babawo, who is at large, to load the items and off-load them in a nearby bush along the road.

    Parading the suspects at 312 Artillery Regiment Kaduna, the Acting Commander 1 Division Provost Group, Lt.-Col. I. Y. Rena, stated that the suspects were cross-examined to ascertain their level of involvement in theft.

    Lt.-Col. Rena said some of the vandalised rail track items were found in the nearby bush, waiting to be evacuated by the criminals. Handing over the suspects to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Kaduna Station  Divisional Crime Officer, ASP Inuwa Dahiru, Lt.-Col. Rena urged the security agencies to make adequate arrangements to secure the tracks against further vandalism.

    Read Also: We don’t recruit terrorists as soldiers, says Army

    ASP Dahiru  praised the Army for their proactiveness and collaboration with other security agencies in tackling the security challenges in the state. He assured the Army that the suspects would be investigated before they were charged to court to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.

    The General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Operation Whirl Punch Maj.-Gen M. L. D. Saraso, commended the troops for arresting the suspects.  He charged them to remain resilient and focussed to bring criminal elements in the Division to book.

  • NDLEA arrests 60 in Abuja drug party

    NDLEA arrests 60 in Abuja drug party

    •Agency intercepts N7.35b drugs consignments •Two excrete 150 cocaine wraps in Lagos

    Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested 60 suspects at a drug party held at an apartment in Abuja.

    Its Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, in a statement yesterday, said: “In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Friday night disrupted a drug party dubbed “Go hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison”, where 60 suspects, comprising 25 males and 35 females, were arrested at an apartment in Sun City Estate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    “The raid followed credible intelligence about the drug party organised by one Stanley Ikechukwu who was arrested at the venue.

    “Six of the suspects – Victoria Adoga; Hamza Yari; Joanne Essein Joy; Socchima Valentine; Jago Imole; and Charles Indobuibisi – were arrested with  various quantities of ecstasy and cannabis.’’

    At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, he added, the agency intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth N7.350 billion.

    Read Also: National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

    Babafemi stated that the seizure, made from six containers the previous day, was the third of such in the past one month.

    This, he said, followed tracking of the consignments from their port of departure by a special operations unit of NDLEA, which worked with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the agency and other security agencies, including the Customs Service.

    According to the statement, at the end of the joint examination of the six containers, a total of 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 157,500 kilogrammes were recovered. 

    Also, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, arrested two passengers travelling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight at the screening point of Terminal 2 after they tested positive to ingestion of illicit substances on June 21.

    He said the suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, were thereafter taken into custody for observation.

    He said while Daniel excreted a total of 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg in six excretions, Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of the same Class A substance with a total weight of 662grammes in five egestion.