The Nation Newspaper

Category: News Update

  • Edo poll: Oshiomhole wants panel to reject witnesses’ statements

    Edo poll: Oshiomhole wants panel to reject witnesses’ statements

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Monday asked the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal to strike out witnesses’ statements in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the July 14 poll, l Charles Airhiavbere.

    This was contained in an application filed by counsel to Oshiomhole, Adeniyi Akintola.

    Akintola in the application said the witnesses’ statements have become an academic exercise in view of ruling the tribunal gave on September 27.

    He argued that the statements have no bearing on the issues before the court as they related to dispute over academic qualifications.

    Akintola also opposed a motion on notice file by Counsel to Airhiavbere, Paul Itua seeking extension of time to allow for more witnesses.

    He said the application will serve no purposes, stressing that the ruling of the tribunal has taken care of the application.

     

  • FADAMA farmers lose billions to Edo flood

    Edo State Coordinator of FADAMA III Project, Mrs. Judith Momodu, on Monday said farmers benefiting from the project  lost billions of naira to flood in the state.

    Momodu said the entire rice production belt in Edo was washed away by the flood which affected three local government areas in the state.

    In a chat with our correspondent, the coordinator disclosed that some of the things destroyed by the flood include facilities used by the farmers for their activities.

    She said many of the farmers have started harvesting their crops when the flood struck.

     

     

  • Jonathan tasks new services chiefs on terrorism, oil theft

    Jonathan tasks new services chiefs on terrorism, oil theft

    President Goodluck Jonathan has charged the leadership of the country’s armed forces to deal decisively with the twin security challenges confronting the nation, terrorism and crude oil theft.

    Specifically, the president tasked the new service chiefs to come up with a new security strategy to combat the threat of terrorism and crude oil theft.

    Besides, the president also promised to give succor to families of members of the armed forces who lost their lives in active service to the nation and on international duties.

    He gave the charge on Monday when he decorated the newly appointed service chiefs with their new ranks.

    The President was assisted by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

    While wives of the service chiefs stood by while the decoration lasted.

    The brief event which took place at the Presidential Council Chamber, Abuja, saw the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sahad Ibrahim been decorated with his new rank.

    Before the new posting he was a Vice Admiral.

    Also decorated were the newly appointed Chief of Navy Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, formerly, Rear Admiral and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Bade, formerly Vice Marshal.

    The service chiefs were accompanied to the ceremony by their wives and other close relatives.

    Jonathan in his brief remark said, “I will like to use this forum to specially charge you to rise to the many security challenges confronting our nation today. More specifically the Chief of Naval Staff along with his officers and men has the honourary responsibility of up scaling security in our territorial waters.

    “The unacceptable rising incidences of crude theft must be tackled frontally. I expect the Chief of Naval Staff and other serving Chiefs to immediately go to work to urgently bring the issue if crude oil theft to an end.

    “May I further reiterate that the security of life and properties in all parts of this country is a sacred obligation which our administration will do everything in its power to live up to. We cannot allow threat to national security to compromise our national transformation effort.

    “While we are determined to reposition Nigeria for sustained growth and development, we shall proactively prosecute the fight against terrorism with total commitment and effectively check the activities of all criminal elements in our dear land. In this regard we will step initiatives aimed at strengthening and repositioning our security agencies for greater efficiency to discharge their constitutional responsibilities.”

    He also noted that the newly appointed officers together with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ehijerika, who retained his position, had been appointed in recognition of their notable attributes of patriotism, excellence, loyalty, dedication, courage and unwavering faith in Nigeria.

     

  • Nollywood producer wants court to dismiss fraud charge

    Nollywood producer wants court to dismiss fraud charge

    A popular Nollywood producer, Ifeanyi Onyeabor, on Monday urged an Ikeja High Court to dismiss the N8.8 million theft charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    Onyeabor’s counsel, Mr. F.H. Awalah, made the plea at the resumed hearing of the suit.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Onyeabor, managing director of Igo Motion Pictures International, was arraigned on July 5, 2011 on a seven-count charge bordering on stealing and fraudulent conversion.

    The EFCC had alleged that he collected the money from Steve-James Nigeria Limited in December 2008 under the pretext of producing two movies — “Young Amazon’’ and “Tribes.’’

    According to the EFCC, the offences contravene Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.

    Onyeabor’s counsel, Awalah, informed the court that both parties had “amicably resolved the dispute.’’

    “The complainant (Okomah) said he is no longer interested in the case; the EFCC should discontinue the prosecution.

    “There was a mistake based on misinformation and the parties have resumed their cordial business relationship.

    “The production of the two movies, which led to the dispute, has almost been completed in Ghana, “Awala told the court.

    Collaborating Awalah’s claim, the complainant’s counsel, Mr. Louis Mgbolu, faulted the refusal of the EFCC to halt the trial.

    “It is a mockery of the prosecution process because my client is no longer interested in prosecuting the defendant,’’ Mgholu said.

    Justice Habeeb Abiru, who noted that the EFCC had no legal representation in court, however, refused to dismiss the charges.

    He said, “ The matter was filed by the EFCC. There is nothing I can do. I cannot strike out the matter.

    “But if by the next date of adjournment they are not here, I will close their case and the defendant will open his defence.”

    The case has been adjourned to November 1 for continuation of trial.

     

  • UK woos Nigerians for Chevening scholarship

    UK woos Nigerians for Chevening scholarship

    The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Lagos on Monday urged Nigerians to take advantage of its Chevening Global Scholarship Programme.

    A statement by a spokesman of the British High Commission in Lagos, by Mr. Wale Adebajo, said that the scholarship would be awarded to individuals with leadership qualities from 116 Commonwealth countries across the world.

    According to the statement, beneficiaries of the scholarship would undergo one-year master’s degree courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and other UK universities.

    “Chevening scholarship is the prestigious global scholarship programme of the UK government.

    “These scholarships are aimed at supporting UK’s foreign policy priorities through positive relationships with leaders and decision makers around the world,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the British High Commission as saying in the statement.

    The statement also said that beneficiaries would have the opportunity of studying international relations, diversity and complexity at the centre of London.

    The statement added that beneficiaries would be exposed to research facilities, talks, seminars and debates.

    According to the statement, applications for the 2013 and 2014 Chevening scholarships would open to the public by the end of this month.

     

  • Chinese worker killed in Borno

    Gunmen have shot dead a Chinese national who was working as a chef for a construction company in Borno State, a company official said Monday.

    “One of our Chinese workers, a cook, was killed by some gunmen who stormed the livestock section of the market where he had gone to buy a lamb in the company of two local staff,” Albert Audu, of the China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CCG), told AFP.

    He added that the attack occurred Sunday.

     

  • SIM cards: Pilgrims decry excessive charges

    Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia have decried the excessive charges by Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) which issued them with free SIM cards through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent in Madina reports that most of the pilgrims were complaining of “crazy charges” which had limited their ability to communicate with their families in Nigeria.

    Alhaji Usman Abdullahi from Niger told NAN that he loaded 10 Riyals (about N500) worth of credit on his handset but was only able to make a call to Nigeria for one minute.

    ”I was surprised that I could not continue with the call, even though I had a balance of four Riyals; throughout the day and in the morning, my credit balance was reading zero,” he said.

    Another pilgrim, Alhaji Malami Gwandu from Kebbi said he had since stopped using the SIM card after discovering that the charges were “excessively too high.”

    Many pilgrims were also said to have stopped using the card.

    An official of STC in Madina who refused to named, said the high charges was a result of dual billing.

    ”The pilgrims is charged by STC and the donor company also charges the pilgrim effectively reducing the air time available to the affected person. We have received similar complaints from other pilgrims.”

    NAN recalls that an official of the Niger Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Mamman Mohammad had in August said in Minna that the free SIM cards had “no hidden charges.”

     

  • Chavez wins Venezuelan presidential poll

    Chavez wins Venezuelan presidential poll

    Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has won a fourth term in office, after opposition leader Henrique Capriles admitted defeat.

    Mr. Chavez won 54 per cent of the vote, the country’s electoral council announced, with turnout at about 81 per cent.

    BBC says noisy celebrations among Chavez supporters erupted across the capital, Caracas, following the result.

    Mr. Chavez said Venezuela would continue its march towards socialism but also vowed he would be a “better president.”

    Electoral council president Tibisay Lucena announced that with 90 per cent of votes counted Mr. Chavez had taken 54.42 per cent of the vote with Mr. Capriles on 44.97 per cent.

    “The revolution has triumphed,” President Chavez told a cheering crowd from the balcony of the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.

    “Viva Venezuela! Viva the fatherland! The battle was perfect and the victory was perfect,” he said.

    However, Mr. Chavez also sounded a conciliatory note, saying he wanted to “include everybody,”adding: “I commit to being a better president than I’ve been these past few years.”

    A subdued Mr. Capriles congratulated Mr. Chavez but told opposition supporters not to feel defeated.

    “I want to congratulate the candidate, the president of the republic,” he said at his campaign headquarters.

    He added: “We have planted many seeds across Venezuela and I know that these seeds are going to produce many trees.”

    Jubilant Chavez supporters held impromptu street parties in central Caracas, blaring horns and waving flags.

     

  • ‘Rwandan military intelligence tortured civilians’

    ‘Rwandan military intelligence tortured civilians’

    Amnesty International on Monday accused Rwandan military intelligence services of engaging in torture, unlawful detention and enforced disappearances of civilians.

    The human rights group said in a report members of a Rwandan military intelligence department, known as J2, had tortured civilians with electric shocks, beatings and sensory deprivation to force confessions.

    J2 also held civilians in military detention without charge or trial for months on end, Amnesty said.

    Rwanda’s Ministry of Justice said on Sunday that while some illegal detentions had taken place, these abuses were handled by the courts.

    “These occurred as a result of over-exuberance on the part of individuals within the security services and were dealt with through the courts which immediately put in place corrective measures,” Reuters quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

    Rwanda did not directly address the allegations of torture detailed in Amnesty’s report, but the ministry said reports of torture are “investigated through established channels and are treated with the utmost seriousness.”

    Last month a report by Human Rights Watch said Rwanda has been supporting a rebellion in neighbouring Congo, where the M23 rebels have committed widespread war crimes, including dozens of rapes and killings.

    Rwanda has repeatedly denied involvement with M23 but many Western donors have suspended aid after a United Nations report concluded Rwandan officials were supplying the rebels with weapons and logistics.

     

  • Bomb factory found in Minna

    A discrete raid by Police in Minna, Niger State capital on Saturday night led to the discovery of a bomb  factory in Maitunmbi quarters of the town believed to belong to the  Islamic fundamentalist sect – Boko Haram.

    Acting on the tip-off by one of the five suspects earlier arrested over the killing of three Policemen in two operations in the town last week, a team of armed plain cloth men stormed the sect’s bomb factory behind a popular private school in the area at about 8:30pm.

    The raid which lasted for about two hours led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police from the state Command headquarters recovered from the building two domestic gas cylinder already prepared for explosion.

    Other lethal weapons found in the house include about 30 disposable food beverage and soft drinks cans as well as body spray cans all stockpiled with explosives, 25 kilograms of fertilizer, batteries, remote control devices and other electrical gadgets.

    Though no arrest was made at the time of the raid, it was gathered that the team deployed the best practice in carrying out the raid as majority of the residents in the neighborhood did not know of their action while it lasted.

    When contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Pius Edobor refused to give details on the raid, but promised a statement later.

    According to the Police spokesman, ”We are still on that operation, we will issue a statement later.”

    Meanwhile a serious hunt for was launched by a Joint Military Team (JMT) of about 40 armed military, Police and State Security Service (SSS) to comb for armoury of members of the sect in Maitunmbi area on Sunday morning.

    End.