The Nation Newspaper

Tag: dad

  • Dad, son held over arms production

    •Rapist nabbed

    The police in Benue State have arrested three suspected firearms manufacturers.

    They include a father and his son.

    The suspects, Thomas Ode alias Tommy, Kingsley Abi and his father, Odah Abi, were nabbed at Oju in Oju Local Government.

    The Nation learnt that a G3 rifle, four G3 empty shells of ammunition, two expended cartridges, two cut-to-size iron barrels for manufacturing local guns and three wooden gun butts were recovered from them.

    Others include three locally-made baretta magazines, three skeletons of locally-made pistols, two cut-to-size double barrels for making local pistols, a toy gun, two iron boxes containing blacksmithing tools, two plastic bottles containing marijuana seeds and five sachets of Tramadol.

    Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni said the suspects were caught during investigation of an abduction and a rape case.

    He alleged that one of the suspects abducted and defiled a 15-year-old girl on May 21.

    Owoseni said: “The case was reported to the police and during investigation, it was discovered that the suspects manufactured firearms. “Investigations have begun to arrest the people they supplied the firearms to. We will find out other things they have done.

    “The police appreciate the support of law-abiding people. We will continue to count on their partnership towards ensuring security of life and property.”

     

     

  • Police arrest dad for ‘burning son with iron’

    •’I was chained, dragged naked on the street’

    A 17-year-old boy has relived his travails in his parents’ hands.

    Marvellous, a candidate in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), claimed that he was chained by his dad, marine captain Blessing Erewa, and burnt with iron.  He is pleading that he be taken away from home.

    Marvellous claimed that he was beaten, chained, dragged naked on the street and burnt with iron by his father last Sunday in their Ifedapo Estate, Abuja Lasori, Owode Ibese, Ikorodu, Lagos home.

    He lives with his parents and two younger siblings on Alhaja Olaitan Avenue in the Estate.

    Police spokesman Chike Oti, a Superintendent (SP) told The Nation yesterday that Erewa was arrested on Friday.

    Oti added that the case has been transferred to Gender Section for thorough investigation and prosecution.

    Erewa’s wife Mariam, a trader, and the other two children are no longer in Lagos. Marvellous is currently undergoing treatment.

    Marvellous told our reporter that it all started on Saturday when he asked his dad for money for his exam.

    He said: “I am to begin WASSCE on Wednesday, but my father had said he will not complete the N10,000 payment for the exam because I don’t do most of the domestic work in the house. This made me to go out last Saturday to search for the N10,000 but I came back home very late. When I got home, my mother was angry with me because she was not feeling fine and I went out. I explained everything to her but she was mad with me and she reported me to my daddy; I was afraid to enter the house because I know my daddy is violent and he would beat me.  Daddy sent me out of the house, he said he does not want to see me at home nor anywhere around, so I slept in an uncompleted building in the community.

    “The following day (last Sunday), I was at one of my friends’ place close to my area, but around 7pm, my father came and met me there; he said he has told me that he does not want to see me in the community or anywhere around. He beat me there, stripped me naked and dragged me from there to our house, less than three kilometres away. A lot of people tried to ask him what the problem was, but he did not answer them. When we got home, he used a dog chain to beat me. The chain hit me on my private parts and I got injured. While that was ongoing, my mother was boiling water, daddy wanted to pour the hot water on me, but I don’t know why he changed his mind.

    “He later plugged the iron and pressed it on my body. Although daddy told them at the police station that using the iron on me was not intentional, but I know he did it purposely because there were no clothes around that he wanted to iron that day.  He just plugged the iron and pressed it on my back for like 50 seconds each; he did this like five times. He then chained me to the burglary.

    “While I was chained, my mummy poured the urine of my younger ones on my body and she spat on me. This is the second time that my daddy has used hot iron on me.  He unchained me the following day (Monday morning) and told me to go outside the house. While I was outside, I was feeling ashamed because people were looking at me; he later told me to go away for a while that he does not want to see me. Later he told me to sit down somewhere, but I could not sit, because the pain was much. I then wore a condemned shirt and went to one of my church members, who took care of me till that Monday afternoon.

    “I went back home in the afternoon, my mummy insulted me; she told me ‘that is good for you’.  I told her that a responsible mother will not say what she is telling me and that a responsible mother will not see her son go through what I went through the previous night. I later left the house. She told my daddy that I came home to insult her, my daddy came to the place I usually play games, when he got there, he beat and dragged me home again, he wanted to break the television in the place but people prevented him. On our way home, he saw some members of the Community Development Association (CDA), he reported me to them that I was too stubborn. I just removed my cloth to allow the people to see my body with the iron burns; they were angry with my father, and they told him to treat me.

    “Daddy took me to the hospital that evening and we went back home. On Tuesday morning, he went to work, my mummy went out too and did not leave food for me to take my drugs. I didn’t have a choice than to go to the neighbourhood and they gave me food to eat.

    “I did not go back home that Tuesday night because my daddy had earlier told me that he was going to take me to the village to go to live and suffer there.”

    Marvellous claimed that his parents always beat him, adding that he was never comfortable staying with them, because they are not friendly with him.

    He admitted that he used to steal in the community, noting that he stole because his parents don’t give him food.

    “I have stopped stealing; I don’t want to live with my parents again. My exam is on Wednesday and I want to write it but I am yet to get the balance of the payment,” he said.

    The CDA Vice-Chairman, Mrs Yeyeseun Osundairo told The Nation that the community got to that Marvellous steals because his parents were not feeding him. Mrs Osundairo said: “We advised him to stop stealing being a young boy and told him to rather ask for help than steal. The boy has stop stealing; he asks for help or does small jobs in the community and gets money for it. But since he stopped stealing, we discovered that his father always beat him.

    “When I heard of the incident and I asked his mother what happened. She told me that her husband dragged Marvellous into a room, chained him and used hot iron to burn him because he did not wash plates.

    “We took the case to Ipakodo Police Station in Ikorodu. Blessing ran away but Mariam was arrested.  I don’t know how they resolved the matter at the station, but to my surprise Marvellous and his mother were back home the next day.

    “The following day, we saw Marvellous on the road side; he said his parents sent him away. This made us to take Marvellous back to the police station, his father was arrested but we do not know the whereabouts of his mother and his two younger ones. Marvellous is still receiving treatment in a hospital,” she said.

     

  • Dad, son arrested for ‘selling drugs to pupils’

    Dad, son arrested for ‘selling drugs to pupils’

    •Police parade student, ‘madman’ for alleged robbery

    A 40-year-old man,  Ibrahim Sheu,  arrested by  Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives for selling Tramadol and other addictive stimulants to pupils, yesterday said he sold about six sachets a day.

    Sheu was arrested with his  son, Farouk, 23 , after undercover RRS operatives busted them at Itire, Lagos.

    It was gathered that the suspects usually lurked around schools, where the pupils came to them to get the drugs.

    But Sheu denied lurking around schools, insisting that the pupils usually came to his shop to buy two capsules of Tramadol.

    He said: “I don’t use to go to any school. The children  come to my shop to buy Tramadol. I sell two capsules for N30 to them. I sell about six sachets everyday. I only sell to those in secondary schools. Primary school children used to come but I don’t sell to them.”

    Parading the suspects, Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said they were arrested after officials of the  Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) got information that some primary and secondary school pupils indulged in hard drugs in the area.

    Edgal advised parents to be  vigilant and carry out surprise checks on their children.

    Also paraded was  Olaniyi Oluwatimilehin, 23 , who allegedly stole an Iphone-8 and N230,000 in a shop, as well as a mentally unstable man, Johnson Oyahere, 35, found with a toy gun under Eko Bridge.

    Oluwatimilehin, a Gateway Polytechnic student, committed the alleged offence on February 16, at about 10:20am, at 13, Aina Street, Ikeja.

    According to the police, he was captured by a Close Circuit Television (CCTV) and the footage was posted on the internet.

    Edgal said: “The technical crew of the command, RRS, travelled to Wasimi in Ogun State, where the suspect was located and arrested him. The stolen phone with his sim card already inserted was recovered from him.

    “Upon careful examination of the phone, it was discovered that the suspect was discussing the possibility of escaping out of the country with one of his friends.”

    Edgal said RRS operatives posted on Eko Bridge arrested Oyahere.

    “The officers noticed he was trying to hide an object in his trousers’ pocket. Before you could say jack, he began to walk away pretending to be mentally unstable.

    “The team arrested and searched him and a black plastic toy pistol, which is a perfect prototype of a Berretta pistol, was recovered from him.

    “The public should be vigilant because not all persons who appear to be mad may be actually mad.”

  • Dad killed as gang attacks family of three

    •Widow, six-month-old baby injured

    • Five suspects held

    A Man  died yesterday of injuries sustained during an attack on his family at Lajo in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos.

    The late Shakiru’s widow and six-month-old baby were injured in the attack.

    The alarm raised by Shakiru’s neighbour attracted other residents, who surrounded the area in search of the suspects.

    According to a resident, the family was attacked by two men, who entered their home by smashing a window.

    The resident told The Nation that the community’s elders  notified the local vigilantes and the victims were rushed to the hospital.

    He said: “The attack occurred around 3am. The man’s name is Shakiru but he’s popularly called Shakur. The two gang members attacked his family. They were rushed to the hospital but we later heard the man died.

    “His wife and child are in the hospital. We could not sleep anymore.  People were shouting Badoo,  Badoo and that was how everyone came out to hunt them.

    “They were two men. One of them fled into a thick bush. The other one was not lucky as he was caught. People descended on him and asked him to mention the names of their sponsors.

    “He started talking. He mentioned one … But when angry youths went to look for the man, he had fled. They wanted to lynch the suspect but the police came to the scene and said they were called by the Baale to take the suspect.

    “The police took him away. The mob injured the suspect on the leg. There was tension in the area.”

    Police spokesman Chike Oti, a Superintendent (SP) said: “We are aware of the situation. We intervened and were able to make some arrests. It was not a Badoo killing. Already, we have raided the home of one of the persons mentioned but he has fled.”

    “The Lagos State Police Command hereby acknowledges the above incident which took place on Saturday at about 2:30am  at Abule Osorun, Ibeshe, Ipakodo, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

    “Sequel to the above, the command wishes to state that the joint Police/Community Vigilante Services earlier set up by the Commissioner of  Police, Edgal Imohimi, and a team of policemen from Ipakodo Division, rose to the occasion by moving swiftly to the scene of crime, rescued the victims and rushed them to General Hospital, Ikorodu.

    “Unfortunately one of the victims, Mr Shakiru Yekini, died later. It is also important to note that one of the suspects was arrested at the scene and his confession has led to the arrest of four other suspects who took part in the crime.

    “Investigation is in full swing and further developments on this and other events would be disclosed by the Commissioner of Police in his next press briefing later on in the week.”

  • Dad ‘impregnates’ daughter, 10

    Dad ‘impregnates’ daughter, 10

    An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday granted N500,000 bail to a man, Kenneth Abuya, who allegedly impregnated his 10-year-old daughter.

    Chief Magistrate B.O. Osunsanmi also directed that Abuya should produce two sureties in the like sum.

    She ordered that the sureties must be property owners in Lagos State and should have evidence of tax payment.

    Osunsanmi said  she needed advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before going on with the case.

    The magistrate adjourned to February 2.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abuya, who lives in Egbeda, Lagos, is standing trial on a count charge of defilement.

    The prosecutor, Mr Simeon Imhonwa, said the accused regularly had sexual intercourse with the minor at his residence.

    “The accused forcefully had carnal knowledge of his child on November 29 at his residence and threatened to kill her if she should tell anyone about the crime,’’ Imhonwa said.

    “The accused had been defiling the girl before he was apprehended.

    “The victim’s mother reported the case to the police after their daughter narrated her ordeal,” he added.

    The offence contravenes  Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

  • How a five-hour punishment I received from dad changed my life’

    How a five-hour punishment I received from dad changed my life’

    Rev. Sunday Oludare Matilukuro is the Primate of First African Church Mission (FACM). A former lecturer who had also worked with Rank Xerox and NCR Nigeria, a technology-based ompany, spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about his journey into gospel work, his childhood experiences and the debate concerning polygamy in the African Church

    At what point did you decide to take up the job of a primate?

    There is tenure for the office of the primate. The maximum you can spend is 10 years. We had been using the title of Archbishop. The first primate was to retire last year, and there was a need for a successor. Since I was already a bishop, I qualified to vie for the office. I indicated my intention along two other archbishops. By divine providence, I went through screening and election and I came first. Last year, precisely October 2, I was presented as the Primate of The First African Church.

    How has it been as a primate?

    It has not been easy. But with God, nothing is impossible. Our church has gone through seven years of trials and travails. For seven years, the church was in crisis. There was serious crisis all over the nation. But to the glory of the Almighty alone, we were able to resolve the crisis. In February 2016, we came out of the crisis and the change of baton process started. Having gone through crisis for seven years, you will know naturally that it would be anything goes. That was exactly what happened. So, before I came in, I knew it was going to be tough. But I was prepared. By the grace of God, we have surmounted the storm.

    Would you let us into the details of the crisis?

    My brother, I won’t want to go into the details of things that happened. You know that in the house of God, the devil is always around. That was why Jesus Christ prayed that prayer in John 17: “This one thing I ask of you that they may be one.” One thing the devil is always looking for is how to disorganise and disintegrate. That was what happened. A small issue that would have been resolved amicably exploded and became a national issue. You know the beginning of war is what you know; nobody knows the end of it. And when it comes to a church like this, a religious organisation where freedom of association is seriously allowed, anybody can come up and do what he or she pleases. It is not easy or almost impossible for a court to resolve religious crisis. I won’t want to go into details of who and who or what led into it. But we’ve reviewed the laity headship. This church started 14 August, 1891, and it started with clergy headship. Sometimes in between, clergy headship was truncated and we went into laity headship. We had the spiritual father but the real people presiding over the church were the laymen, which was not the design of God. We were like that for 100 years before we said no and came on to clergy headship. And you know when you have gone through such for a long time, change is inevitable. Change is not easy. Some people still believe in this and that, and those that emerged could not manage the emergence, and it led to crisis.

    Is it a full time job or a part-time one?

    It is completely a full time job. Once you become a bishop, you cannot work anywhere again. That is the rule here. That is the procedure. As a bishop, you are in a full time employment.

    What is your area of specialisation, I mean your background?

    I have been in the church all this while. I started as a choir boy at age 5. I became a lay reader, lay preacher and pastor. I had worked as a banker. I did banking and had AIB. I read Business Administration up to M.Sc level. I had taught in a tertiary institution. I’ve worked at both Rank Zerox and NCR Nigeria, both multinational companies. But along the line, the urge was there until I found myself going into seminary and bible school before going into the ministry. Along the line, I came in as a part time minister. I was still doing secular jobs here and there, running business here and there until it got to the climax that I could not resist this full time ministerial job.

    You had a good career working with a multinational company, but you abandoned that luxury to work in the vineyard of God. What could have been the attraction?

    You see, if you have a calling, you will just see yourself getting closer and closer. It was like a child’s play. If somebody had told me five years before I became a minister of God, I would have doubted it, because I was comfortable where I was working. For me to have worked in a multinational company like NCR Nigeria, you know that I must be comfortable. But the call was too much on me, such that at the end of the day, I had to quit what I was doing. If you have the calling, it is natural. If you have a calling, you have to do it. If you don’t do it, you might find yourself in a disturbing situation. So it was the love for the things of God, the zeal for it, and above all, the calling that drove me into it, and today, here I am.

    Do you sometimes feel like going back into your secular job considering the flamboyance and perks of the job, especially banking?

    Let me tell you something: the Orthodox Church, which we were part of originally, the focus was on the salvation of souls. But when the new generation churches started coming, they started looking at prosperity and all that. Because you are saved does not mean you cannot prosper. But the ultimate is salvation, and that is where we stand. We have millionaires, we have multi-millionaires in our church. But be that as it may, as a servant of God, you are compelled to employ moderation. If you are not moderate, you will be selling yourself and not Christ. You will be projecting yourself and not Christ. Yes, we have ministerial ethics. You need to be neat. You neat to be okay. You don’t have to be seen as a pauper or wretched. But be that as it may, you don’t need to be flamboyant. Christ was not flamboyant. He was a simple person to the extent that they could not even identify him among his disciples. Judas had to reveal who Christ was among his disciples. That is our approach. Fathers of faith in the ecumenical order were like that. You see what is happening now. I’m not out to criticise or condemn men of God, but I’m telling you the scripture. There should be moderation in everything. That is our aim and that is what we preach. I will not go back. I will remain with God. As a matter of fact, I reached the peak. I have a definite assignment. If I go back, I’m finished. What I’m I going to tell God? I’m carrying the whole load of the church now. I’m responsible for so many souls now. What am I going to tell the One who has called me? It is not my business; somebody put me there. I am only standing in for the owner of the church, and the owner of the church said ‘I will build my church’. He is using me as a person to build the church. So, if I withdraw, I’m finished. I know it and I cannot quit.

    How did your wife react to your decision to go into full time ministry?

    She had no choice. I came from a Christian home. My father too was once a teacher. He was once a layman in the church. For so many years, he was a worker with the railways, and at the end of the day, he also came into the ministry. My father was ordained in the church. My wife also came from a Christian home. Her parents were leaders in a white garment church. By the time we were married, she met me doing the work of God and she keyed into it. I have been so much overwhelmed by the work of God right from my youthful days, and I have no regrets about it.

    You’ve lived all your life in the church and you appear to be a gentle man. Tell me a particular incident in your life you will never forget while growing up

    Let me tell you frankly, I was very rascally when I was growing up. The only thing I would want to run away from stealing. But in terms of being rascally, I was. I had very few friends who were not as strong as I was. There were times they would come and call me and I would go and fight. I could lay an ambush. I could fight anywhere. If there is something I would not forget easily, it is my father. God used my father to really mould me. I committed an offence one day and my father punished me as if he was not my father. He punished me as if I was a condemned criminal, and that was the turnaround in my life. I was already in secondary school then, but he punished me from 12 mid-night to about 5 am. By the time I came out of it, God ministered to me and I became a simple person.

    Before First African Church was founded, it transited from the Anglican to African Church, then First African Church…

    (Cuts in) Majority of the founders of the church which was initially called United Native African Church (UNA) metamorphosed into First African Church in 1984. Most of the founders came out of the Anglican Church. Only one or two came from another denomination. What brought them out of the Anglican? Well, a few of them had more than one wife. It was in the colonial era, and they were people of substance who had influence and money and they were being treated as third class citizens where they were. The white people were the ones that were really in control. Some of them really wanted to worship God, singing, drumming and clapping, but that was not allowed in those days. So, they came out and they were charged to court by the colonial masters. The natives won the case in court with Psalm 150 which talks about praising God. Since then, UNA came into existence in 1891 and it happened to be the first church founded by indigenous Africans. There were nine founders.

    What is your attitude to polygamy and the attitude of the church?

    Polygamy? Before now, the church did not preach polygamy but it tolerated it. But today, the church does not tolerate polygamy. Today, you cannot be a minister in the First African Mission if you are a polygamist. Before, yes. But now, no. In essence, when we’re solemnizing marriage in the church, we emphasise during counseling and the solemnization ceremony that you cannot divorce, you cannot marry another person. If you go to Genesis 2:18, God perfected the institution when he saw that Adam was living alone and He said that it is not good for a man to live alone, I will make for you a help mate. If God saw the need for two, three or four, he would have made available 2 or 3 for Adam. He gave him only one and he said the two came together and they became one. We do not tolerate polygamy in First African Mission. No.

    How then do you handle the issue of members with more than one wife?

    We do not send people away from church because they are polygamists. Mark my word, the bible is so clear if you go to the book of Timothy. If a man desires the office of a bishop, that one is so direct; you must be a man with one wife. There is hardly any church you will see today that you will not find polygamists. Even those who say they don’t practise or tolerate it, there is hardly any you will not find polygamists. But if a servant of God is a polygamist, that is highly questionable. Don’t forget that we are in the world, we are not of the world. Therefore, we must apply wisdom of God when we are in the world. If you want to preach and you want people to do what is operational in Paradise, you are likely to incur the wrath of the law. I cannot go to anybody and say you cannot marry more than one wife. If I say if you want to be a member of my church, you cannot marry more than one wife, yes I can say so. But tell me the church where you will not find one member that has more than one wife. They may not showcase it, but they practise it. There is a saying in Yoruba that it is what happens outside that will teach a child how to behave. You don’t need anybody to tell you. If you want to practise polygamy this day, continue. When you see the problems of polygamy, nobody will teach you. Our grandfathers, great grandfathers were polygamists, but how many of us now are polygamists?

    The tendency in many churches today is to break away and establish new ones because of people’s desire to become shepherds. How do you react to this?

    Let me be frank with you, there is no denomination in heaven, and our Lord Jesus Christ says when the end is near, many will be led astray. Many will come out and claim to be doing so many things in my name. I do not subscribe to the idea of you breaking from one church to establish another church. Where you are, why can’t you make an impact there? Why can’t you stay there and preach the gospel? People hear from telephone and they say they’ve heard from God. People hear the horn of vehicles on the highway and they will say God has told them to plant a church somewhere.

  • My dad rewarded teachers with money for flogging me -OCS Inventory boss Kaka

    My dad rewarded teachers with money for flogging me -OCS Inventory boss Kaka

    As the son of Senator Sefiu Adegbenga Kaka, a two-term Senator and former Ogun State deputy governor, Hamzat Ayotunde Kaka certainly enjoys a privileged background. An accountant by profession, Ayotunde Kaka had studied Agriculture Economics at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State and later obtained a master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. He worked in the UK for a while before returning to Nigeria where he is at present a partner at OCS Inventory and Professional Services, an accounting consultancy firm. He is also a Director of Solace Farm limited. He spoke with PAUL UKPABIO on his growing-up experiences and his relationship with a father that has spent most of his life as a public office holder.

    What was it like growing up under the tutelage of Senator Adegbenga Kaka?

    I have to start by saying a very big thank you to my parents for the kind of upbringing I got while I was growing up. It surprises me the way and manner they channeled their energy into training us. You will understand what I mean when you have a very strict father and your mother is a teacher. Then you will understand the kind of training we went through. It was a very tough one.

    Does that mean the cane was always around in the house?

    Well, I was a bit naughty as a growing child. But I thank God for the kind of training I got from my dad and my mum. I thank God for what it has done for me today. Growing up was tough. In those days, once you did something wrong, you were beaten for your mischief. You could even get beaten for crying. But these days, the case is different. In a situation where a kid goes to school and a teacher raises the cane to beat him, if the kid goes home to report, the next day, the parent storms the school and probably gets the teacher arrested or even beaten up! These are some of the things destroying good morals among our youths today. When I was in school, if I got beaten by any teacher, my father paid the teacher for beating me.

    My father used to encourage my teachers to beat me anytime I was naughty. That was the kind of upbringing I got, and that is the kind of parents I have. I thank God for them and I thank God for what their being strict has done to me and the kind of personality their training has made of me.

    If you were asked to describe your father, what would you say?

    Of course he is a public figure. But he is someone I hold in very high esteem. Mr. Adegbenga Kaka, in a few words, is a blessing to humanity. If you know what I mean, you will tolerate my opinion about him. This is somebody that has been a two-time commissioner in Ogun State, a former Deputy Governor and a senator. He believes so much in humanity. He believes so much in the youth. If you go across his constituency in Ogun East, you will come across so many schools, so many projects being built by him. I am not supposed to mention this, but personally, I discovered that even 14 to 15 months after he left office as a senator representing Ogun East Senatorial Zone, he was still completing outstanding projects and commissioning schools. This is something that touches my heart and makes me happy. If the privileged class of our society can have as much passion as my father has for the youth, maybe our environment would be a better place for the youth and the next generation. So, in a word, I will describe him as a blessing to humanity.

    What are his philosophies that worked for you?

    Actually, I learnt a lot from him. I learnt honesty. I learnt hard work. What you don’t work for, you don’t get. So, by and large, considering the situation in our environment today, I think honesty is the most valuable virtue I got from him. I mean it is very hard these days to come across honest people in the business and work environment and everywhere else. You find that almost everybody is dishonest. So, honesty is the most valuable virtue I got from my dad. And as you know, honesty is a very scarce commodity today.

    Dad is a tough man whose principle was ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’. He never spared the rod. And today, with benefit of hindsight, I would say I am grateful for it. My mum is a teacher by profession. She is a bit on the reserved side. She is a bit soft like mothers are generally. She played an important role in my life. I will call her a pillar of support. She is always there. Whatever I wish for, she is always willing to let me have, even at her own detriment. So, she has really been a great mother to me. I thank God for her life.

    What are your thoughts about Nigeria today?

    Well, in those days when I was a child, it was during the military era, so we could not see the situation of the country politically. But right now, the beauty of evolution is that one can see clearly what it means to be in a free democratic atmosphere. However, one can say the situation is getting worse or more disheartening. The more one dispensation takes over from the other, the more you find it difficult to get honest people or find honesty. I mean now the governor of a state can promise to give certain political dividends only to get there and fail to deliver. I think that saddens people of my age. That is the saddest part of our political evolution.

    We have a democracy that can hardly deliver verbatim. So I think the electorate should begin to look before choosing. We all have a collective destiny. We are talking about the future of your own children and every other thing associated with it from quality and affordable education to quality and affordable health care, good and durable roads, not roads that will break after six months; great welfare packages that will guarantee a good living condition for the populace. These days, our people are ready to cast their votes for anybody who can offer them N1,000 or even N500. I mean that is quite ridiculous. It is what is killing our society today. How are you going to survive on such mundane gift for four years or eight years?

    Will you be going into politics like your dad?

    If our politics can be tailored after the politics of the western world, maybe I will love to play a role and use my wealth of knowledge to make changes and make the society a better place to live. But the political scene as it is right now is not encouraging. You talk about politics of money, politics of godfatherism. That is not too encouraging. It is only God that can shape the destiny of a man. I don’t know what God has in stock for me as I speak to you today, but for now, I am concentrating on my business and my family.

    Do you have a role model?

    If you ask any young man that question, I think your first role model will be your parent. From your childhood, you already have one. Your parents are your first role model until you begin to see other people’s lives, depending on what you want to become in the future. Youths of today must first see their parents as their role models before anyone else. Then, probably if you want to play football, you must start seeing the likes of Messi and Ronaldo as model or mentor. My father is my role model. I really admire him. I admire his courage, his honesty and his service to humanity and the entire society.

    What do you dislike about him?

    There is no human being without his or her own shortcomings. He as a person has his own shortcomings. But by and large, it is hard for me to find anything I really don’t like about him. My father is my role model and mentor.

    Which book has influenced your life the most?

    I have read quite a lot of books and it is pretty hard for me to point to one as my favourite. I read any magazine, newspaper or book I lay my hands on. If not to gain a new knowledge, then to entertainment myself. So, reading books is part of me, but I don’t think my inspiration came from books. My inspiration comes from God and from within me.

    What does your normal day look like?

    I wake up very early and say my prayers and step out for work. I leave the house very early in the morning. My schedules are not too direct. I go to my office if I have to keep an appointment with a client. And some days, I visit the farm if I have to. So, I can’t say my days are predictable. Sometimes it’s in straight usual directions, sometimes triangular and sometimes neither of both.

    Where is your favourite holiday spot?

    Well, I have been to a couple of countries in Africa, Europe and even America but home remains home. There are lots of holiday spots across the country, in Badagry and in Calabar. These days, I don’t encourage going abroad for our holidays. These are part of things government should do to boost our economy. Our tourism sector is not in good shape. I want to beg government to make our various tourist attraction centres across Nigeria more attractive for people to go for holiday rather than flying out all the time, especially in a season when dollar is very expensive. We must encourage ourselves to look inward for our holiday spots.

    You got married about two years ago. How would you describe your wife?

    My wife, Opeyemi Fausiyyat Kaka, is a wonderful lady. She has been very supportive, patient, calm and loving. I thank God for making our paths cross. I pray we continue to enjoy good relationship in love and in good health.

    What does success mean to you?

    Good success is in diligence and intelligence. I think both of them go together. If you are intelligent and you are not diligent, your intelligence comes to nothing. And if you are diligent without intelligence, you might just see that finally, you are migrating to the wrong direction. So, I think neither of the two can be isolated from success.

    Let’s talk about your fashion and style, what kind of clothes appeal to you?

    Well, fashion to me is not an important item, aspect or way of life. I believe in what is comfortable. You know the kind of youths we have today, particularly the ladies. You see them in hilly shoes when they are actually not comfortable in those shoes. You see men wearing thick fabrics under the sun. Fashion should be about comfort. So comfort decides my fashion and style.

    As an entrepreneur, how would you describe leadership?

    It is usually said that leadership is inborn. But I think leadership is much of genotype and the environment. Yes, you might be born with a strong gene, but my pain is that the youth of these days are a bit laid back. But we can also call it a general phenomenon due to the environment we find ourselves. The environment seems not to be too encouraging and you find out that the youths are a bit laid back. They don’t aspire and work hard towards achieving their dreams. Most of them dream alright, but I don’t think they dream in the right direction. They want to have material wealth without having to go through the channel of hard work. But I believe people like Mark Zulgerberk, the Facebook founder, and other inspiring youth leaders around the world should be a good inspiration to us youths. The youths in our clime need to draw inspiration from them. Yes, we have found ourselves in a very disheartening situation, but I will still say we can dream out of our challenges. So in my own definition, I think leadership is inborn, but we should strive towards achieving success by working hard.

    Why did you major in Agriculture in school?

    I cannot run away from Agriculture because I was born into agriculture. I am a farmer by birth. I grew up in the business of farming. My father is a farmer. I studied Agricultural-Economics from Olabisi Onabanjo University. I knew at some point I was going to go into farming. I had my master’s degree in management and at some point, I felt if I could have a degree in Agricultural Economics and one in Business Management, then I should be able to add Accounting to it. So, I decided to add Accounting to it. So I am a chartered accountant and I run my own accounting firm as well.

    That means we still have youths who are still interested in farming?

    Well, it is sad to find that youths are not interested in farming today. But agriculture along with ICT seems to be one of the few ways out now. But youths now see farming as a dirty job. Instead, they prefer the non-existing white collar jobs. But the energy in the youths can be properly invested in farming. Having said that, I need to add that we need good government policies, agricultural infrastructure and incentives to encourage more people to go into farming, particular the youths. We have reached the point where everyone must be encouraged to plant yam, grow pepper, vegetables and other farm produce at the back of our homes. That is the way to go now instead of waking up in the morning and running to the lotto joint.

    So how do you combine farming and accounting?

    Well, it depends on the angle you are looking at. Like I said, I did Agricultural Economics as my first degree. I had my second degree in Business Management. So, when you look at the economic aspect of the Agro-business and you look at management as a social science, you will discover that adding accounting to it is not out of the picture. I think it is a very nice combination.

    For relaxation, what do you enjoy doing?

    I love football. That is my greatest hobby and I am a great fan of one of the prominent clubs on the European Premier league.

  • Dad: I’ll sacrifice my ambition for my daughter’s freedom’

    Dad: I’ll sacrifice my ambition for my daughter’s freedom’

    It has been harrowing moments for the All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship candidate in Ward C1B of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Mr Bode Adeosun, whose 19-year-old daughter, Bukola, was kidnapped on Tuesday by gunmen.

    Forty-eight hours after the incident, sympathisers continued to throng his Palmgrove, Lagos home.

    Adeosun may have acceded to the kidnappers’ demand to relinquish his ambition as precondition for his daughter’s freedom. When The Nation visited his 6 Shyllon Street, Palmgrove home yesterday, his campaign banners in front of the building, had been removed.

    The politician said he was ready to sacrifice his ambition for his daughter’s freedom. “My daughter’s life is precious to me than anything; not even politics,” he said.

    Adeosun’s wife, Aminat, 42, was inconsolable. She was surrounded by sympathisers, who did not allow her to speak to our reporter. She is said to be hypertensive.

    Wondering why his family should be subjected to trauma over what he described as “inconsequential political position”, Adeosun pleaded with the kidnappers not to hurt his daughter for something she is not involved in.

    “I have not had 30-minute sleep since Tuesday,” the politician told The Nation in the midst of sympathisers.

    Adeosun placed his arms on his head as he recalled his daughter’s last moment with the family.

    He said: “She was with her mother and siblings when I left for a meeting in the evening on Tuesday. I was returning home around 10pm when I got a call that Bukola was missing. I did not suspect it could be a case of kidnapping until I received a call from the abductors at midnight, saying my daughter was in their custody.

    “On Wednesday, my daughter’s abductors called me again with a hidden number, asking me to withdraw from the councillorship race. They said they gave me 48 hours to transmit a letter of withdrawal to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). I heard my daughter screaming in the background.”

    The Nation learnt that the politician got the councillorship ticket after his fourth try. He started to aspire for the position in 2002. His first chance was bungled by a mysterious fire that razed his former apartment on 8, Shyllon Street, Palmgrove.

    Adeosun contested the last APC primaries with six others. On whether he suspected anyone, the politician said he did not quarrel with anyone after the primaries. He said he reached out to others after his victory, adding that there was no threat from any quarter before his daughter’s abduction.

    Adeosun described his daughter as “brilliant and cool-headed”, saying the family was expecting Bukola to gain admission into the Lagos State University (LASU). She is secretary of Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Ilupeju. She turns 20 today.

  • Police parade dad, son, six others over killing of APC chief

    Police parade dad, son, six others over killing of APC chief

    The Police in Ondo State yesterday paraded a 45-year-old palm winner tapper, Francis Bekewei, his 22- year-old son, David, and six other, for complicity in the kidnap and murder of APC chieftain Olumide Odimayo.

    Odimayo was kidnapped on Thursday last week by armed men who stormed his Igbotu residence in Ese Odo Local Government Area.

    He was found dead on Monday at the bank of the river by youths during the search for the foreign returnee APC chief.

    Police Commissioner Hilda Ibifuro Harrison, who paraded the eight suspects, said they were arrested with a10 mobile telephone handsets, 1 AK 49 rifle and 21 rounds of live ammunition.

    He said detectives were joined by local vigilantes in Igbotu to arrest the suspects.

    She said Odimayo’s body, found in the creeks of Ajagba had been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

    She assured that efforts were on to arrest fleeing members of the gang stressing that the suspects would be charged to court after completion of investigation.

    One of the suspects, David, who was found with the AK49 rifle, told reporters they collectively planned the kidnap for ransom and expressed regrets that Odimayo died in the river they dropped him while being chased by local vigilante.

  • How Evans derailed, by dad, kinsman

    How Evans derailed, by dad, kinsman

    IN the sleepy village of Inyaba in Akamili area of Nnewi town, Anambra State, the arrest of kidnap kingpin, Chukwudi Dumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans has brought shame to his family and kinsmen. His father, Stephen Onwuamadike, who relocated to the community after his business empire collapsed in 1985 after he was defrauded, battles poverty. The fair-complexioned Onwuamadike told The Nation that since he suffered a reversal of fortune about 32 years ago, he had gone through the pains and agony of suffering without any form of help from anywhere.

    The only thing sustaining him for now, he disclosed, is a small poultry business in his compound. Narrating his son’s upbringing to The Nation in his residence tucked behind Immanuel Anglican Church, Evans’ father said he was the youngest millionaire in Nnewi before his business misfortune. He said people like Innocent Chukwuma (Innoson group) were using their pick-up vans to pick goods from his warehouse located inside his compound, where he was storing motor-spare parts back in the days. “I used to go to Japan, Singapore, Germany, London, Korea among other countries to import generating sets and motorcycle spare parts. I found myself in this condition in 1985 when I was duped by 419ners(fraudsters) from Aba in Port Harcourt.

    “I built this house in 1984; by that time, this my son Chukwudi (aka – Evans) was only three years old. I took them to many places to give them the good things of life. The problem of that boy started with his mother in 1986 when I started having problems with her and she was junketing from pillar to post. “Chukwudi my son was enrolled in good schools from nursery to secondary.

    I put him in Merchant of Light Boys High school in Oba Before then, he had gone through Summit Nursery School to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Primary School in Awka. I removed him from those schools when I noticed that the mother was visiting him because I did not want her to infect him with bad spirit” He said his wife Chinwe, 50, left his house in 1986 leaving her four children behind, with his mother, Margret Onwuamadike, 78. He explained further that Evans’ mother later came back to his house two years later.

    He said that when his son left Oba Boys Secondary school (Merchant of Light) after two years, he did all he could to persuade him to further his studies to no avail. He said: “My son (Evans) insisted that he would trade in spare parts and I made arrangement with Cosmas Maduka, through his elder brother, to take him to Lagos, but the boy later rejected the plan, not knowing that he was being negatively teleguided. “But in 1998, I left Nnewi for Lagos and I was living at Ikotun and started worshipping at T.B Joshua’s church, Synagogue, and when the boy came to me, I gave him money to go back to Nnewi after he found his way to Lagos where he said he had started learning a trade “So, in 2005 again, he called me that he wanted to marry and I asked him how manage, because I was aware that he was not doing anything tangible, but he told me not to bother, that he needed my presence, which I obliged him.

    “Chukwudi Onwuamadike who is being paraded as a kidnapper is my first son; there are other 10 of my children; eight boys and three girls, they were to be 12 but one died. “After his marriage in 2005, he moved back to Lagos with the wife and since 11 years, my brother, I will tell you that I don’t know his whereabouts. “The only person who can tell you in and out of his movement, his connections and his dealings is his mother (Chinwe) because they are always discussing on phone and he does not call me.

    “Anytime he wanted to call me, he would hide his phone number or any time his mother would be around, he would instruct his mother to give me her phone for me to answer. “I met him in 2006 when I went for prayers at TB Joshua’s church (in Lagos). the last time I set my eyes on him was in 2012 during the birthday party of Prophet T.B Joshua in Lagos and I asked him what he was doing, he told me he was dealing in drugs. “My son was a nice young man before he came under strange influences.”

    However, he said if Evans was released, he would be the happiest father. According to him, “he is still my son, blood is thicker than water. Since I was told about this incident on Monday by some people, I have not been sleeping and I have refused to allow my old mother to know about it because she would die immediately;” Stephen Onwumadike narrated. Also speaking with The Nation, the Obi of Akamili, 81- year-old Edwin Oduonye, who could not stomach what he called the insult brought on them by their son, slumped on his seat and started crying like a baby. It took the reporter some minutes to calm him down, but he managed to clean his eyes and told The Nation that the boy was nice when he was growing up.

    The old man popularly known as (Nnanyelugo), said his late wife was the younger sister to the wife of the late Onwuamadike. “He was a good boy when he was a child, but I believe that he derailed when he started mixing with bad groups. “This is painful because the boy in question is from my domain and Nnewi at large. Our people are not known for something like this; they are hardworking people. “I have never seen such a thing before, only God can adjudicate on an issue like this.

    The present condition has not only put his family in confusion but the entire Nnewi clan. Whether dead or alive, he has brought shame to our people,” Oduonye said. Also, 38-year-old Ezenwa Oduonye, who resides in Guinea, told The Nation that the arrest of Evans was a shocking news to them. He said when he knew Chukwudi (aka- Evans), he was learning spare parts in Lagos, adding that they had never communicated on phone or seen each other in the last nine years. Another community leader in the village Chinaedum Obanye told The Nation that what the man did in Lagos was a taboo in Nnewi kingdom. He said the people of Nnewi were not known for things like kidnapping or armed robbery, adding: “Whatever you sow, you shall reap”.