The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Policemen occupy Ibadan ‘forest of horror’

    Policemen occupy Ibadan ‘forest of horror’

    •Oyo to shelter mentally-ill

    Policemen from the Oyo State Police Command and the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, have taken over the Soka “forest of horror” in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The FCID team, which includes forensic experts, arrived in the state last Friday.

    Residents are prevented from going near the crime scene to enable the police carry out their investigation undisturbed.

    When our reporter visited the scene yesterday, he was politely advised to keep a distance and was not allowed to speak with any personnel.

    Mechanics whose workshops are close to the scene were sacked by the policemen and the street was deserted, but for the security agents.

    The State Security Council met yesterday to discuss the discovery of the kidnappers’ den and how to curb crime.

    The meeting was presided over by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    The council assured residents that the operators of the “forest of horror” would be apprehended.

    Commissioner of Police Muhammed Ndabawa told reporters after the meeting that the kidnapper’s den had been in operation for over 10 years.

    Ndabawa said: “From the information available so far, that place has been there for a very long time, perhaps about 10 years. It was initially used by a construction company during the channelisation of the Ogunpa River. After then, the site was abandoned. The kidnappers’ den had been on for a long time but the government (past and present) was not aware of it.”

    He said the forest was discovered following the prompt response of the state anti-crime unit, Operation Burst, to a distress call.

    Besides revoking the Certificate of Occupancy of the land on which the kidnapper’s operated, Ndabawa said the council has told security agencies to identify uncompleted/abandoned buildings in the town to enable them respond promptly to distress calls in the future.

    He said the police had evacuated 42 mentally-ill persons from the streets after angry residents killed two of them, who were suspected to be ritualists.

    The police commissioner said: “After the discovery of the Soka forest, the police rescued 42 or presumed lunatics from the streets. So far, two have been killed. Investigations are ongoing and two of the so-called lunatics have confessed that they were looking for human body parts, but are not related to the Soka incident.”

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Affairs Toye Arulogun said the state government would create a temporary shelter with medical personnel and other facilities for the mentally-ill before they are re-united with their families.

    He said: “The Oyo State government has decided to establish a temporary site to accommodate the destitute that were rescued from the streets by the police. That will also go for others as time goes on. This is an invitation to Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and religious groups who have some expertise in this area to support the government.”

  • Mark, Tinubu, Akeredolu, Oyebode eulogise GOK Ajayi

    Mark, Tinubu, Akeredolu, Oyebode eulogise GOK Ajayi

    Eminent Nigerians have continued to pay tributes to Chief G.O.K. Ajayi (SAN), who died last weekend in Lagos.

    They described him as an embodiment of “discipline and finesse”.

    Senate President David Mark yesterday sent his condolences to the Ogun State government.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, Mark said the late Ajayi was not just a legal giant but one of those at the forefront of the struggle for the enthronement of democracy and emancipation of Nigerians.

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu described the late Ajayi as “an inspiration” and “one of the leading lights of the judiciary”.

    In his condolence message, Tinubu said: “The late Ajayi stood for justice and had a sterling professional career. He enriched our judiciary and served Nigeria well.”

    He said Nigeria has, once again, been robbed by death of the knowledge of a great mind, adding that the late Ajayi was a courageous jurist, who upheld the law and used it to secure democracy.

    Tinubu said: “Though saddened by his departure, we are comforted by the knowledge that he lived a fulfilled life and impacted on many lives. He was an inspiration at the bar and in public life.”

    Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and Professor of law Akin Oyebode said the late Ajayi, fondly called “gentleman G.O.K.”, was a quintessential lawyer of impeccable pedigree.

    They described his demise as a monumental loss.

    Oyebode said the late Ajayi exuded a methodical advocacy, superb intellect and dogged commitment to excellence, “the like of which is uncommon in our environment”.

    Akeredolu said since Ajayi’s death, many people have talked about his dogged, principled and unwavering commitment to the fight for an egalitarian society, where no man is oppressed.

    He said: “G.O.K., as he was fondly called by his admirers and those who knew him, was an advocate indeed. He was debonair, unobtrusive, resilient, principled, courageous and decent. He was a man in whose presence one felt a sense of overwhelming and outstanding knowledge of law.

    Highlighting the deceased’s unwavering support for the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and other progressives, Akeredolu said the nation’s politics has suffered retrogression from self-appointed representatives of the people.

    He accused the deceased’s contemporaries of offering themselves to highest bidding politicians, adding: “Unfortunately, some of his peers are busy seeking to rubbish the age-long principled stance of the progressive order. They are, regrettably, available to the highest bidders while masking their predilection for material acquisition, pretending that altruistic politics is possible in a society where ethno-religious bickering holds sway.

    “G.O.K. was a major advocate in the defense team of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) under the leadership of the late Awolowo until the end of the Second Republic.

    “The defense of the late Abiola, winner of the 1993 presidential election that was annulled by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida, was another index of his unwavering commitment to the progressives.

    “He was unshaken in his belief that in spite of the hostile environment, the military under the late General Sani Abacha, must be made to adhere to the rule of law. He participated, actively, through the courts, in the activities that culminated into civil rule in 1999.

    “We pray that his family would have the fortitude to bear the loss. This occasion should also call for sober reflection on the part of those who have, disappointingly, lend themselves to the destructive scheming of the current holders of ephemeral power. May G.O.K.’s resourceful soul rest in perfect peace.”

    The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ijebu-Ode branch in Ogun State, described Ajayi’s death as “a great loss to the legal profession”.

    The late Ajayi hailed from Itan-Ntebo Quarters in Ijebu-Ode.

    NBA Chairman, Ijebu-Ode chapter, Chief Biyi Odugbesan, in an interview with The Nation, said many lawyers passed through the late Ajayi, adding: “His death is a great loss to the bar and legal profession. We are going to miss him. He is a revered lawyer and has contributed to the growth of the legal profession in Nigeria.”

    Former Ijebu-Ode Local Government Chairman Giwa Mufutau Oseni said the late Ajayi was “a courageous legal practitioner who used his professional calling to advance the cause of justice and defend the oppressed”.

    Oseni said the late Ajayi handled many landmark cases that helped to shape the “bar and bench” and would be missed by the country.

     

  • House of Reps, Tambuwal, Ihedioha appeal judgment against defecting lawmakers

    House of Reps, Tambuwal, Ihedioha appeal judgment against defecting lawmakers

    THE House of Representatives, its Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, have appealed Monday’s judgment by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja restraining defecting members of the House from altering the current composition of its leadership.

    In a notice of appeal filed in Abuja yesterday by their lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), the three appellants faulted Justice Ademola’s reasoning and urged the Court of Appeal, Abuja to set aside the judgment.

    The judgment was on a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/4/14, filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the House of Representatives, its principal officers and members of the House, who defected from the party to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The appellants, who raised seven grounds of appeal, with a promise to add more, argued that the judgment is “perverse and not supported by the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.”

    They added that the judge “erred in law when he granted reliefs not sought by the plaintiff.”

    The appellants contended that the judgment “is against the weight of evidence.” And that he erred “when he granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiff and “went further to hold that the 1st to 39th respondents ought to have resigned their seats as members of the 1st appellant.

    They argued that the judge erred when he held that the reliefs of the 1st respondent (PDP) were justiciable and proceeded to grant the reliefs sought without considering the provision of Section 30 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act Cap L12 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    The section provides that “neither the President nor the Speaker as the case may be, of a legislative house shall be subjected to the jurisdiction of any court in respect of the exercise of any power conferred on or vested in him by or under this Act or the standing orders of the Constitution.”

    The appellants argued that the judge wrongly assumed jurisdiction over the suit, which was predicated on the internal affairs of the House of Reps, which is protected under Section 60 of the Constitution. They further argued that the reliefs sought by the PDP were not justiciable, yet the judge proceeded to grant the reliefs.

    They contended that the PDP lacked the locus standi to institute the case because it was not predicated on any recognised legal interest; the reliefs sought were not supported by any legal evidence and that the judge failed to reckon with the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Fawehinmi vs Akilu (1987) 12 SC 136, Amaechi vs INEC (2008)1 LRECN 1.

    The appellants faulted the judge for holding that the suit was rightly commenced with originating summons, without regard to the provision of Order 3 Rule 6 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009.

    They argued that the judge was wrong to have held that the claims of the PDP do not amount to an abuse of court process when there are similar cases, involving the same parties, still pending before the court.

    They referred to suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/621/2013 between Senator Bello Hayato Gwazo and 79 others vs Alhaji Bamaga Tukur and four others and argued that the parties and reliefs sought were similar with that on which the judge gave judgment.

     

  • Priest, 20 others held for alleged child theft in Akwa Ibom

    Priest, 20 others held for alleged child theft in Akwa Ibom

    Officials of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Akwa Ibom State paraded yesterday a Catholic priest and 20 others for their alleged involvement in child theft.

    The State Deputy Director, Fubara Duke, said Rev Okono Joseph of St Peter’s Parish of Owerri Catholic Diocese in Imo State, was arrested for buying two boys (three and four years) at N900,000.

    Duke, who spoke at the DSS headquarters in Uyo, said the self-styled man of God bought the children from an agent sponsored by Uche Joel Canice Onyekedru from Ogiri in Imo State.

    Other suspects are: Mercy Etim; Collins Edet; Caroline Nkwonna; Cecilla Ngene; Eleka Okoye; Nwaonu Okoro; Adaobi Onyeke; Elizabeth Onubogu, Umeh, Ebele Nwadika, Florence Onyodobi, Emenka Anaefuna, Nnamdi Onuchukwu, Ifeoma Gladys Nweze, Chiyneyen Roseline, Idam Vivian Ogbona and David Ogbuagu.

    The Assistant Director said in the last eight months, over 60 children had been sold.

    Duke said the leader of the syndicate, Onyekedru, could not remember the number of children he has sold.

    “He usually operates in conjunction with agents, who liaise with government officials in children homes and maternity hospitals.

    “The investigation took our men to Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states before they arrested some of the suspects. Over 20 children were rescued.

    “Though some of the suspects are still at large, efforts are being intensified to ensure that they are all arrested.”

    He advised parents to be wary of strangers.

  • 6 feared dead after consuming local beverage

    No fewer than six persons, aged between 20 years and 22 years, were feared dead after allegedly consuming a local beverage, Zakami, at a wedding reception at Unguwa Uku, in the Kano metropolis.

    An eye-witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Kano that the incident happened at about 10.30 p.m. on Sunday.

    According to the witness, the deceased, all males, drank the substance at the party that was also attended by many youths including the bride and groom.

    NAN gathered that the deceased collapsed after consuming the intoxicating beverage and died on the way to the hospital.

    The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Magaji Majiya, confirmed the incident.

    He said the police had since commenced investigation into the matter with a view to finding out the cause of the tragedy.

    “On receiving the report, we invited the groom; he is currently assisting us in our investigation.

    “I cannot confirm the number of deaths until we finish our investigation,’’ he said.

  • Ideal earrings for your hairstyle

    Ideal earrings for your hairstyle

    HAVE you ever wonder what earlobes would look like, if we did not have earrings to beautify them? Being another form of accessory, earrings radiate elegance and add attraction to any look. So, it’s important to pick the right pair of earrings that will flatter your hairstyle, make-up and dress. Here are a few tips which will help you pick the right earrings for your hairstyle.

    Medium to long length hair – Choose hoop-style earrings with caution. Hoop-style earrings add weight and curves to your face, making your face look round.

    Round face – You should pick earrings of oval shape than going for circles. Choosing rectangular or square styled hoops is another way of adding dimension to your round face paired with long hair.

    Other styles which will work best with long hair are elongated and oblong shaped earrings. You can also choose to experiment with long danglers and chandelier style of earrings.

    Up-do style-Pick dimensional earrings, such as squares, diamond, or gold drops. With an up-do, you can emphasize your neck area and for that, long beaded earrings or chandelier earrings can be your pick. Teardrop earrings would also be a good option for an up-do hairstyle.

    Short hair- Short hairs are just perfect for showing off your earrings. You don’t have to worry about your earrings being hidden by your hair. With short hairs, you can pick anything from plain button earrings to stylish hoop or dangle.

    However, before making choices, keep in mind the overall look. If you have super short hair, then big hoops or dangle might look overwhelming. So, it’s important to choose the earrings which complement your hair cut.

    Pony tailed hair-Choose drop earrings in bright colours. You can also look for earrings in earthly materials like bamboo, wood and cork.

    These great choices will grab the attention of all and you will surely steal the scene.

  • Red-Carpet looks:Premiere of Lekki Wives

    Red-Carpet looks:Premiere of Lekki Wives

    TV’S biggest stars, cast and crew of the Lekki Wives series gathered their very finest for the London premiere which took place recently. The red carpet offered an exciting assortment of glittering, plunging and, at the very least, tasteful gowns.

    Stars of the series, all sporting creations by award-winning Nigerian designer, Zizi Cardow, stepped out in all their finery for the premiere.

  • Get Butterfly experience

    Get Butterfly experience

    DO you care for a fabulous skin? Then you don’t have to go any further. Launched on February 28, 2012 in Georgia, USA, but coming soon first time to Nigeria,Africa, April had an initial goal to produce cosmetics that were not harsh to the skin and to provide women with the proper education on skincare and make-up application.

    After watching how many teenage girls, including her own daughters, skin would become damaged as a result of trying an array of cosmetic lines, she vowed to step in with a solution.

    Wearing make-up is a big part of a young girl’s adolescent years, so she wants to make sure that the make-up they are using is not harmful and she plans to educate them on the true purpose of cosmetics. This applies to adult women as well.

    Butterfly Cosmetics features a light coverage hypoallergenic mineral line, as well as the popular “kamouflage”- a complete blemish and scar cover.

    “Nigeria being the giant of Africa gets to be the first stop for the Butterfly Cosmetics experience which proudly carries the slogan, Looking Fabulous and Loving It,” so says April Smith from Buena Vista, Georgia, the brains behind this international cosmetic line.

    The rapid success and international interest in Butterfly Cosmetics subsequently inspired April to create and launch her couture clothing line, Laschon Kouture. The perfect marriage of haute couture and fabulous face make for an endless stream of inspiration for April. She debuted Laschon Kouture earlier this year with her fall/winter couture fashion line. These products will soon be available to consumers on close range in Nigeria.

  • This is Lagos

    This is Lagos

    For Lagos, it has turned out that there is no short cut to transforming a city, except a shot of determination and commitment. Coming from a derogatory tag of a dirty city, Lagos, known to its admirers as the city of aquatic splendour, is gradually regaining its lost glory and wearing beautiful and modern looks.
    To underscore the transformation, a Nigerian neurologist, who had been away from the country for over three decades, returned recently and was shocked at the level of transformation the city he left behind had undergone.
    Michael Egbejumi-David, who was born in Lagos, had this to say about his shock: “I was born in Lagos and I grew up in the state. But I went to secondary school in what was then called Bendel State. What I think of Lagos in particular is the Lagos I retained in my mind in the 1970s. But the then Lagos disconnects from the reality I see now and what I had in my mind as Lagos because I was not coming home as frequently as I should.
    “I think I am sort of paying for that in some sense. For instance, I find Lagos overwhelming now; it just seems too much. So, I am having to re-learn, to re-adjust and I found Lagos to be far bigger than I remember from the 70s.”
    Egbejumi-David is not the only one to have expressed pleasant surprise at the good turn-around in Lagos’ fortune. Adejoke Akinlola has lived in the United Kingdom for about 10 years now.
    She was in Nigeria for the first time last year after staying away for a long period. Her friend, with whom she would stay with, lives in the Lekki area of the city. And from the airport, Adejoke kept marvelling and asking her friend one particular question: ‘ah! This place has changed. When did they do this?’
    Each time she asked the question, her friend, Chioma, would simply smile and remain silent. As their car drove through the city and approached the Lekki toll gate, Adejoke could no longer contain her surprise, as she retorted: “Lagos has really changed. Everywhere is wearing new looks and the roads are good.”
    From Oshodi to Ikeja, Marina to Lekki and other choice places across the city, testimonies are flowing in everyday over the new-found hope for a better Lagos. And the state government, in partnership with private organisations, is in a race against time to ensure that the trend continues and extends to all the nooks and crannies of the city.
    Though many have agreed that much still has to be done, especially in the suburbs, to completely make Lagos the dream city, the consensus has, however, been that Lagos is gradually regaining its lost glory, with the rate of transformation going on in places like the Central Lagos, Ikeja, Ajah and Oshodi, among others.
    Particularly interesting are the Marina and Lekki axis of the city. The roads are well-paved with sidewalks and drainage channels on both sides. They are kept clean both night and day by sweepers who run double shifts to make sure that the roads remain clean.
    Paul Okonkwo was born in the old Maroko area of Lagos. Together with his family, Paul was uprooted from the area by the military government in the mid-80s. He later moved abroad to seek greener pastures. Recently, Paul returned to Nigeria and was curious to see his birth place once again. But much as he tried, he could not locate the exact place where his old community used to be. “This is serious. Most of the constructions are very new to me. Despite being born in the area, I was not able to identify any particular old landmark. This is really beautiful.”
    At night, the streets glow with beautiful solar-powered street lights. Aside giving the city beautiful images at night, the lights also keep men of the night at bay, giving night crawlers the opportunity to reclaim the long-lost night life that made Lagos the envy of other cities in the 60s and 70s.
    Beautifully constructed flyovers now adorn major highways across the state. Unlike in times past, the physically-challenged people are not left out of the consideration in the construction of the new flyovers, with special area built to accommodate their wheelchairs.
    Explaining the trend in a recent interview, the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said: “Lagos residents are living witnesses to the state’s urban renewal project. That is what the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola has been doing in the last three years to overhaul Lagos inner-city roads. It is a multi-pronged strategy designed to make domestic trips enjoyable in the metropolis; drain water off the streets when it rains heavily and provide other road users, especially pedestrians, walkways in order to reduce cases of accidents.”
    The transformation actually started in 1999 when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which had the arduous task of re-building the ruins left behind by 16 years of military inerregnum, laid a solid foundation for the mega status of Nigeria’s commercial capital city. It is upon this foundation which Mr Fashola, who was former governor’s Chief of Staff during the second term (2003 – 2007), has been building with incredible vigour.
    To an average resident of Lagos, the Oshodi area of the city used to connote fear and danger, as street urchins, also known as area boys, armed robbers, pick-pockets and other men and women of shady characters reigned supreme.
    Their law was the order, irrespective of the time of the day. Every day, the activities of the area boys caused traffic gridlocks in Oshodi, leaving motorists stranded for hours. It was also common for unexplained fights to break out, leaving unsuspecting and innocent passers-by at the receiving end.
    But all that is now history. Oshodi, the once notorious hotbed of Lagos, has assumed a new status. With a large part of the bad spots reclaimed and turned into a beautiful park- the Heritage Park- by the state government, Oshodi has gone from an area noted for cult wars, bag snatchers and armed robbery to a tourists’ destination where you can take your family to for a weekend treat. Welcome to new Lagos!

  • N10b cash on jet: Reps secure travel logs of Minister’s plane

    N10b cash on jet: Reps secure travel logs of Minister’s plane

    •Alison-Madueke suspends trip to prepare defence

    The travel logs of the jet chartered by Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke are now in possession of members of the House of Representatives as they prepare to launch their probe of the N10 billion allegedly spent by her on the plane.

    The logs, The Nation authoritatively gathered, cover the minister’s trips to China, South Africa, United States and United Arab Emirates.

    There are also indications that the House may demand movement logs of the Challenger jet from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA); and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    One of the parastatals under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been fingered in the hiring and payment for the jet.

    Upset by the media attention generated by what many Nigerians see as waste of public funds, the minister has suspended a foreign trip with President Goodluck Jonathan to prepare her defence for the House of Representatives.

    Investigations in Abuja showed that some representatives have obtained travel logs of the minister which they intend to present to the Public Accounts Committee for verification from FAAN, NAMA and NCAA.

    A reliable source said the fact-sheet available to some members indicated that the average cost of a trip on the jet was about $300,000.

    It was also learnt that the parastatatal in question maintains the jet with $500,000 per month.

    The source said: “This probe is a result of painstaking efforts by some members in the last one year. Some of these members, including those from PDP in the House, have secured the travel logs of the minister to and from Nigeria.

    “For instance, she had been to China, South Africa, United States, the UK and the United Arab Emirates with the jet. At a point, the jet was relocated to Ghana when controversy arose on the jet in August last year.

    “Even if FAAN, NAMA and NCAA decide not to release the records of movement of the Challenger Jet, these countries will oblige the House of Representatives. Also, the leasing company is foreign owned, it cannot hide the records if it wants to remain in business.”

    Another source said: “We have identified some issues for Diezani as follows:

    • What informed the hiring of the jet?

    • Why will the parastatal be paying for the jet?

    • Why will the minister travel in a private jet while on the delegation of the president to some countries?

    • Assuming that the hiring of the jet was due to exigencies, what informed the extension of the privilege to members of her family as was the case during the 2013 Easter Break trip to Dubai in UAE?

    “We are not after the person of the minister but we want probity in government. We won’t allow a serving public officer use the public treasury for personal purpose.

    “And what we are doing is not new because a group, Crusaders for Good Governance (CGG), sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the same issue last year.”

    But the probe has caused anxiety in the presidency following recurring scandals trailing cabinet members.

    A source in government said: “The presidency is worried that the series of probes targeted at ministers might be attempts to bring down the government by some forces.

    “We are waiting for the investigative process and how it will go. The government will certainly pay keen interest on the probe.”

    Mrs. Alison-Madueke has already suspended an overseas trip with President Jonathan to her enable prepare her defence for the House of Representatives.

    A source close to her said: “The minister is just upset with the allegation, she decided to cancel her schedule abroad to clear her image. She believes the allegations are too grave to ignore.

    “She is already preparing her defence; she has devoted the weekend to do this. The minister has told everyone around her that there is a total misconception and misplacement of facts and purely an act of political blackmail against this administration

    “By the time she is through with the facts and figures, Nigerians will know the truth. She was seriously upset that some people are personalizsing the issue. She said the figures they are quoting were exaggerated; when the Minister opens up, it will be revealing too.”