The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Two medical doctors re-arraigned over alleged attempted murder of patient

    By Adebisi Onanuga

    Two medical doctors were Monday re-arraigned before an Igbosere High Court, Lagos over alleged attempted murder of a 17-year-old patient.

    The defendants, Ejike and Grace Orji, who are husband and wife, are standing trial on a new four-count charge bordering on attempted murder, causing grievous harm, negligent act and causing harm before Justice Adedayo Akintoye.

    They were first arraigned on August 31, 2018 in a Magistrates’ Court and were granted bail.

    Following Director Public Prosecution (DPP) advice, they were on May 28, arraigned before Igbosere High Court on a three-count charge which they pleaded not guilty and were granted N500, 000 bail each with two sureties each in like sum.

    During resumed proceeding Monday, the Prosecutor, Mr Babatunde Sunmonu, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on July 26, 2018, at Excel Medical Centre in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi in Lagos.

    He said the couple attempted to murder a 17-year-old boy, one Somtochukwu Ezi-Ashi, by unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm to his left leg.

    According to the prosecutor, the couple allegedly caused grievous harm on the 17-year-old boy by fixing a Plaster of Paris (POP) cast too tight on his leg without his consent or that of his parents.

    Sunmonu said that the two doctors, who were not orthopaedic specialists, recklessly administered orthopaedic medical treatment to the minor, from his upper thigh to his toes and deliberately refused to remove the said POP when requested to do so.

    He said that the defendants deliberately removed the POP in a manner that put the life of the boy at risk.

    According to him, the defendants unlawfully inflicted wound to the left leg of the complainant “when they lacerated his toes with a saw blade and concealed the act”.

    He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 230, 245, 251 and 252 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The couple pleaded not guilty.

    Read Also: Two medical doctors in trouble over death of pregnant woman

    Counsel to the defendant, Mr Sashore Supo (SAN), urged the court to allow the defendants continue to enjoy the previous bail conditions earlier granted them by the court.

    The prosecutor opposed the bail application, saying that attempted murder was not included in the previous charge.

    “With the severity of the offence of attempted murder, I oppose the bail application,” he said.

    Justice Akintoye, in her ruling, granted the request of the defence.

    She said “the previous bail is to continue forthwith, the defendants should ensure they appear in court for their trial.

    Justice Akintoye adjourned the case until November 27 for trial.

  • Court orders man to pay N44,000 feeding allowance arrears to his child

    By Agency Reporter

    A Shari’a Court ll sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna on Monday ordered one Kabiru Yusuf to pay N44,000, the feeding allowance arrears for his child, staying with his former wife, Shafa’atu Zakari.

    The Judge, Malam Murtala Nasir made the ruling after the complainant told the court that she and her son were neglected by Yusuf since their divorce in December 2018.

    Read Also: Court sentence man to one year imprisonment for cheating

    The judge ordered Yusuf to pay the money on or before Oct 31.

    Earlier, the complainant, a resident of Tudun Wada Kaduna, had prayed the court to compel the defendant to pay the N4,000 monthly feeding allowance for their child for the 11 months he neglected them and continue to pay same amount every month.

    The defendant who resides at Nariya area of Kaduna, did not deny the claim made by his former wife, but begged the court to be lenient.

  • Gov. Ugwuanyi donates additional 29 patrol vans to security agencies in Enugu

    By Agency Reporter

    Enugu State Government on Monday donated additional 29 patrol vans to 10 security agencies in the state in response to recent rise of insecurity in parts of the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is coming eight days after the police command in the state was gifted with 65 patrol vans by the state government.

    Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, of Enugu state, while presenting the Innoson patrol vehicles, said that the gesture was part of ongoing efforts to rejig the security architecture of the state.

    Ugwuanyi said that it had become compelling to strengthen and equip security agencies in the state to be able to tackle crime.

    He said that the state government had also taken delivery of hundreds of motorcycles and bicycles, adding that it had also placed order for automated drones.

    The governor lauded the roles of the security agencies in protecting the lives and property of residents of the state.

    Ugwuanyi charged them to deploy the vehicles for their intended use.

    The organisations that benefited from the latest gesture include the Nigerian Army, 8, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), 6, Nigerian Air Force, 3, Nigerian Immigration Services, 2 and Nigerian Customs Service, 1.

    The rest are the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, 1, Nigerian Correctional Services, 1, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), 1, Federal Road Safety Corps, 1 and Department of State Security (DSS), 5.

    Read Also: Buhari approves N10b for Enugu airport upgrade

    In an interview, the Commandant of the NSCDC in the state, Mr Evaristus Obiyo, said that the gesture would spur them to do more in securing residents of the state.

    Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Mr Steve Oruruo, said that the state government had by the gesture reinvigorated the security apparatus in the state.

    Oruruo said that the move would serve as a motivation to the various security agencies.

    “It is the responsibility of government to provide security in the line with Sect. 45 of the Nigeria Constitution and what the governor has done is in tandem with the aspirations of residents of the state.

    “The state government has been proactive in providing the basic solutions to the problems of the people,” he said.

    The special adviser said that the results of recent interventions by the state government had become manifest as the rate of insecurity had dropped so low.

    Oruruo said that much was expected from the security agencies, adding that government expected total absence of criminality in the state. (NAN)

  • Police arrests notorious rail track vandal in Enugu

    By Agency Reporter

    The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested a “notorious thief’’ who engages in alleged vandalism of rail tracks within and on the outskirts of Enugu metropolis.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Enugu by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ebere Amaraizu.

    Amaraizu said that the suspect was arrested on the rail line within Emene community near Enugu.
    According to the police spokesman, the suspect, a driver of a Mitsubishi L300 pickup was apprehended on Sunday by officers of the Emene Division.

    Read Also: Enugu Airport: Nwosu commends Buhari for approving N10b maintenance fund

    “He was nabbed following his role in the alleged vandalism of rail line in Emene axis where he allegedly abandoned his L300 pickup truck, loaded with iron rail tracks vandalized by his gang on Oct.11.

    “The suspect and his gang had taken to their heels on that fateful day and abandoned the said vehicle loaded with the exhibits when police moved to arrest them,’’ the command’s spokesman said.

    Amaraizu said that the suspect has been helping the police in its investigation.(NAN)

  • Winners of Lagos photo contest emerge

    By Omolola Afolabi

     

    Winners of Lagos Photo Contest have been announced.

    The unveiling took place recently at the African Artists Foundation (AAF), Victoria Island Lagos.

    The competition themed “Unlock Cammission” was sponsored by Tecno in partnership with AAF.

    The event was organized to put to test the camera quality of the new Tecno Camon phone.

    Each of the contestants were graded on the criteria of style, balance colour grading, composition and creativity.

    Eight finalists were initially picked and later trimmed to a total of four.

    Read Also: Tecno offers varsity scholarship to students

    They are Praise Anthony, Olayiwola Victor, Emmanuel Abubakar Shehu and Habib Zakawaru.

    The four finalists are expected to embark on a trip to Europe soon.

    Speaking on the selection process and how the winners emerged, one of the judges said “the selection process was based on individual talent, great work ethics and willingness to work constructively as a team while pursuing individual visions.”

    He added; “Some people started strong but their energy levels waned at the end, so we were largely impressed with the sort of progress rate we saw in these selected few.”

     

  • Breast cancer survivor advocates more enlightenment on disease in Nigeria

    By Agency Reporter

    Juliet Aguwa, who has survived breast cancer in the last 12 years, says life after surviving the disease is not often discussed for the benefit of all mankind.

    Aguwa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that families of cancer survivors should be helped to rebuild and live a healthy balanced life.

    She said that in order to help cancer recipients live a healthy life, she had launched her non-governmental organisation to ensure the message about breast cancer reached the nooks and crannies of the globe.

    “My advocacy as a Breast Cancer survivor didn’t just start now, I’ve been travelling, impacting and advocating for its awareness since 2010, and I’m working with global organisations such as Nurses Affecting Change, American Cancer Society, Susan G Komen.

    “I launched my NGO, `Courage to Dare’ in 2010. I’ve gained recognition for my work from the global media from The Oprah Winfrey Show, Moments With Mo — Mo Abudu, USA Today, Genevieve magazine and more — these are platforms that have supported me to share my story and encourage other African women who have been diagnosed to have the disease.

    “Now it’s time for me to tell another chapter of my story. Life after surviving breast cancer is a world that is not often discussed such as family, rebuilding and living a healthy balanced life as a Breast Cancer recipient,’’ Aguwa told NAN.

    She said that she recently launched a website www.julietaguwa.com, a strong platform that was geared toward educating in Nigeria and globally by sharing real life stories as a patient and survivor.

    She added that technology had now made it easy for advocacy and education to happen in micro moments and reach thousands of people who need information.

    She said that her NGO, Courage to Dare, partners with health care practitioners and global advocates on awareness outreaches worldwide.

    “Our visits over the years have implemented monthly self-examinations to detect signs of breast cancer, such as a lump, education on mammogram screenings and encouraged men and women to talk to their doctors about when and how often to get a mammogram,’’ she said.

    Aguwa said that the NGO provided educational materials to healthcare organisations such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos and Sebeccly Cancer Care and Support Center, also in Lagos.

    She said that her project “The Juliet U. Projects’’ had now been put in place to scale her efforts, facilitating powerful discussions and bringing the right stakeholders together to support men and women diagnosed with breast cancer.

    Aguwa said the government must be active in education campaigns, especially in the rural areas, adding that education campaigns should be run in local languages through the local media that reach the grassroots.

    “After education comes action, women need access to effective and affordable healthcare, and this must be treated as a priority for government efforts to be effective.

    “The welfare of healthcare practitioners must also be treated as priority as they are a key players in facilitating progress in this space.

    “Local and international collaborations between government and NGO’s like us will go a long way. We will do it better, if we do it together.

    “We must collaborate to educate, raise funds, equip hospitals and take other necessary actions to lower the death tolls.

    Read Also: 500 women screened for breast cancer in Ilorin

    “The good thing is that the World Health Organisation has been able to give a level of data on cancer diagnosis,’’ she said.

    She noted that one of the major challenges faced in Nigeria and some parts of developing African countries is lack of adequate, structured, effective and easily accessible data and statistics.

    “To get this information may be difficult but there is a minimum of one screening center in every major city in Nigeria.

    “NGO’s are also constantly running free screening campaigns from time to time and October is one month of the year where women and men can be on the lookout and take advantage of this opportunity.’’

    Aguwa said that one of the key reasons why the Juliet U project was launched was to collaborate with as many sectors on work to be done in closing the gaps on data, accessibility and affordability.

    The opportunity of excellent care to underserved communities in the country and continue to ensure that these communities were eligible for the programmes and that they received the appropriate screening and treatment they deserve, she told NAN.

    “Juliet U Project will also be working on a documentary project that highlights collection of stories from several women, hoping that it serves as a bridge to showcase men and woman’s journey and as a result, render help to a lot of underserved communities,’’ she added. (NAN)

  • Court grants mother custody of her twins

    By Agency Reporter

    Justice Ado Muktar of a Gudu Grade II Area Court, Abuja, on Monday granted custody of two children to their mother, Fatima Arasah.

    In his judgment, the judge held that under Islamic laws, it is believed that the mother has tender hands, skills and patience to care for children.

    Muktar, also held that under Islamic law, custody is absolutely a mother’s right and anybody who separate them, Allah will also separate him on the final day.

    “I hereby grant custody of the twins to their mother.

    “However, the children must be accessible to their father for visitation should he wish so,’’ he said.

    The judge also said that the mother is not permitted to travel with the children without their father, Daudu Aresah’s consent.

    Read Also: Court grants bail to lecturer accused of sexual harassment

    Fatima, a civil servant had approached the court, seeking to legalise the sole custody of her 12 year old children.

    She informed the court that since she was divorced in 2008, she had been solely responsible for the children’s needs without help from their father.

    She further explained that since 2014, her ex-husband has not contacted the children.

    Daudu, the respondent, however, did not object to the custody demand as he failed to honour court summons.(NAN)

  • Escaped lion from Kano zoo captured

    By Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

    The Managing Director of Kano Zoological Garden, Alhaji Usman Gwadabe, has announced that a team of experts has captured the escaped lion from the zoo around the ancient city.

    The escape of the nation from the Zoological Garden at about 9.00 pm on Saturday night threw inhabitants in the area into panic.

    Many of them ran helter skelter for possible attack of the escaped lion.

    On Sunday morning, the ever-busy zoo and its environs were deserted as shops, filling stations, including the popular Ado Bayero Shopping Mall were under lock and key.

    Read Also: Ganduje orders probe of Kano Zoo’s ‘Gorilla swallowed N6.8m’

    The lion, which was captured around the city area, was said to have behaved itself without attacking or attempting to cause any havoc.

    The Managing Director said the lion has been taken back to the zoo and urged residents to go about their normal business activities,

  • Border closure: IMF tacitly backs Nigeria, urges speedy resolution of issue

    By Agency Reporter

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed tacit support for the closure of Nigeria’s land borders to its neighbours over issues bordering on illegal trade.

    Mr Abebe Selassie, the Director of the African Department at the IMF, gave the position at a media briefing on the sidelines of the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Washington.

    He spoke in response to a question seeking his views on the compatibility of the border closure with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
    He was responding to a question on weather the closure negates the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

    Selassie said although free trade was critical to economic growth of the continent, it must be legal and in line with agreements.

    `On the border closure in Nigeria which has been impacting Benin and Niger, our understanding is that the action reflects concerns about smuggling that has been taking place.

    “It is about illegal trade, which is not what you want to facilitate,’’ Selassie said.

    He said the IMF was hoping for a speedy resolution of the issues as the action was already taking a toll on the economies of the country’s neighbours.

    “We are very hopeful that discussions will resolve the challenges that this illegal trade is posing.

    “If the border closure is to be sustained for a long time, it will definitely have an impact on Benin and Niger which, of course, rely quite extensively on the big brother next door,’’ he said.

    On Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said the borders were closed to curb illegal trading activities by Nigeria’s neighbours.

    Ahmed said the closure would remain in force until the country secured the commitment of its neighbours to trade agreements and treaties signed with them.

    Meanwhile, the IMF director said the AfCFTA was one of the most exciting policy developments in the region in recent months.

    Selassie said analyses by the Fund showed that the initiative had a “tremendous potential to facilitate higher economic growth’’.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IMF projected a region wide economic growth of 3.2 per cent in 2019.

    Read Also: Archbishop urges FG to open borders

    Selassie said the “hard task’’ before African nations was making sure the AfCFTA was fully implemented “to facilitate the trade that we need to see between countries in the region’’.

    The IMF director also commented on the continent’s high debt burden, especially from China, resulting largely from borrowing to balance budget deficits.

    He explained that the Fund was not particularly wary of China, which he said “has been a very important development partner for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa’’.

    “There are some counties that have borrowed extensively, and this is not just from China but from all other sources of financing either through Euro bond, domestic markets or other sources of capital.

    “ Yes, there are countries that have borrowed beyond what they can quickly pay, but it is important that we get this story straight.

    “China has been a very important partner for many countries and remains so.

    “Our concern really is more about overall debt level, not just about debt but some other things.

    “One is, once you have borrowed money to invest in infrastructure, health and education, it is important you are able to capture the rate of return on that investment so that the debt can be serviced.

    “What you put the debt to and how effective the investment projects that you are undertaking is really the important part of the equation,’’ Selassie said.

    He added that it was also important for countries to address their “tremendous development needs avoiding debts becoming unsustainable’’.(NAN)

  • IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu blames FG for mum’s death

    By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

    IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu’s mum dies

    Ugoeze Sally Meme Kanu, mother of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu is dead.

    Kanu, who announced the mother’s death on Sunday, said she died August 30, 2019 in Germany after doctors battled unsuccessfully over a protracted illness she suffered.

    The freedom fighter linked federal government to the death, citing alleged soldiers’ invasion of his Umuahia, Abia State residence in September 2017.

    He said: “Watching her children being hunted and killed by the federal government was the cause of her illness, and today we have lost her.”

    Read Also: IPOB seeks freedom for 27 pro-Biafra agitators

    He however pledged not to be deterred by the death in his struggle for the actualization of Biafra republic.

    “I had said before that I was ready to sacrifice anything for Biafra, and today I have sacrificed my mum. We will not be dettered, we shall continue to fight for the freedom of our people.”

    The IPOB leader, who disclosed his mum died long before his visit to the UN and several other engagements, described such resilience as a demonstration that the loss of his mother has not dampened his spirit.

    He was however silent on the burial arrangements as well as reasons behind the belated announcement.