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Tag: David Lawal

  • Top rules for sophisticated guys

    Top rules for sophisticated guys

    1. Your belt should match your shoes.

    2. If you are wearing a black suit, wear black shoes.

    3. If you are wearing gray, blue, tan or a combination thereof, please use brown shoes.

    4. Get a haircut regularly. Don’t wait until everyone around you knows you need one.

    5. Never go out without a wristwatch.

    6- If you want a thinner and smarter look, go for vertical-striped shirts.

    7- You should have at least three suits in your wardrobe.

    8- Your tie should cover your collar button down to your top trouser button. Anything longer or shorter makes you look awkward or like a village headmaster.

    9- Have at least one pair of dress shoes.

    10- Wear slippers only at home and the beach. Never leave your house with slippers, not even to see someone off.

    11- If you want to use a tie, use it properly. Avoid wearing a tie with an untucked shirt or wearing a tucked shirt with a slightly loosened tie.

    12- Never match blazers with dress trousers.

    13- Do not leave your house with wrinkled clothes, it doesn’t speak good of you no matter the explanation you have for it.

    14- Match your belt to your belt loops. Don’t wear a thin dress belt with trousers that have big belt loops.

    15- Always have an elegant pen with you. It helps you look sophisticated and ready.

    16- Have lots of white shirts because white shirts make you look like a boss.

    17- Wear simple t-shirts without a photo or write-up on it. They make you look, mature, simple but sophisticated.

    18- Your trousers are too short if you can see your socks as you walk. Your trousers should end just at the top of your shoes.

  • Ten reasons Saraki was acquitted by CCT

    Ten reasons Saraki was acquitted by CCT

    The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was on Wednesday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) cleared of the false assets declaration charge preferred against him.

    Below are the major reasons the Code of Conduct Tribunal acquitted the Senate President.

    Upholding Saraki’s “no-case submission”, the tribunal made up of two men, the Chairman and a member said:

    1. The prosecution failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on it under the law.
    2. The CCT Chairman Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar said the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against Saraki to warrant his being called to defend himself.
    3. Umar faulted the evidence of the third prosecution witness, Samuel Madojemu (Head of Investigation at the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB) that he received oral instructions to join a team from other agencies to investigate Saraki.
    4. He said Madojemu was unhelpful to the prosecution when he (Madojemu) claimed that all information in the affidavit in support of the 18-count charge was based on information supplied to him by an undisclosed team of investigators.
    5. Umar said what the EFCC tendered before the tribunal was more of a product of  intelligence gathering than of conventional investigation.
    6. It is wrong of the investigators not to have invited the defendant to make a statement so that the truth can be unearthed.
    7. Agwadza noted that while the prosecution alleged that Saraki was earning salary from the Kwara State government even as a Senator, it (prosecution) failed to call the state’s Accountant-General to prove that allegation.
    8. The prosecution failed to produce material evidence including the defendant’s statement and the original copies of his assets declaration forms.
    9. In criminal prosecution, he said, the onus was on the prosecution to prove its case, adding that where it fails in that duty, the defence could not be called to prove its innocence.
    10. The prosecution, he said, failed to call vital witnesses to “effectively link the defendant to the offences charged”.

    The CCT noted that the evidence was so discredited, unreliable that no reasonable court will attach probate value to them.

    He said the team referred to by Madojemu comprising operatives of the EFCC, DSS and CCB is unknown to law, adding that the team has no constitutional or statutory backing to have done what it did.

    The tribunal’s sole member, Williams Atedze Agwadza.

    “My humble conclusion is that the defendant in this case has no case to answer and he is accordingly discharged and acquitted,” Agwadza said.

  • Google to train 6,000 African journalists in digital journalism

    Google to train 6,000 African journalists in digital journalism

    Google Africa has announced its support for a Digital Journalism initiative that will see 6,000 African journalists trained in data journalism skills till the end of February 2018.

    Google News Lab and the World Bank are working with Code For Africa to empower journalists in Africa by giving them the necessary support to better understand the Web and how to use the tools available to them online.

    The Code For Africa Digital Journalism initiative will take place over the next 9 months (to February 2018) and see 6 000 journalists trained in 12 major African cities – Abuja, Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Casablanca, Dakar, Freetown, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, and Yaounde.

    Code For Africa is a data journalism and civic technology initiative operating across Africa that trains and supports journalists and civic activists to better understand and use web tools for news reporting and storytelling.

    Training will take place in three formats.

    • Beginning June 15, in-person training sessions will be held in the cities mentioned above. In each city, we will conduct training in 3 newsrooms and training will be held twice a month for the duration of the initiative.

    • Beginning August, a massive open online course (MOOC) will be made freely available online, covering a range of web concepts and practices for digital journalists.

    • We will also hold monthly study group meetups in collaboration with Hacks/Hackers to provide more focused, in-person instruction. Monthly meetings will take place in Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

    Commenting on the initiative, Daniel Sieberg, Head of Training & Development at Google News Lab said: “The web and digital tools present an interesting array of options for journalists, but learning how to use these tools can be a daunting task for many media people. While the global news industry faces a knowledge challenge with regards to digital tools, Africa, by virtue of its non-digital education systems, faces even greater odds in the battle for digital integration in news and storytelling. In Nigeria for instance, only a few of the journalism institutions offer training programs that focus on Web tools, and many top news organisations lose out on stories due to their inability to utilise newer and more engaging digital techniques.”

    In 2016, Google announced its commitment to train one million African youth within one year to help them create and find jobs via the Web. “With the Digital Journalism initiative we want to contribute to the growth of Africa’s news and media ecosystem by training present and future practitioners on how to employ existing tools to tell stories, and support them to create locally-relevant tools that will reshape how Africans consume news,” he added.
    interested journalists can learn more and register for the training at www.academy.codeforafrica.org.

  • Airtel touching lives builds ultra-modern apartment for fire victim

    Airtel touching lives builds ultra-modern apartment for fire victim

    • Fulfils pledge to touching lives Season 3 beneficiary

    Airtel Nigeria has built and donated an ultra-modern, fully air-conditioned 2-bedroom apartment to the family of Mr Aina in Araromi Community at Gan-un at Magboro area of Ogun State.

    The apartment was commissioned on Wednesday in a mild celebration led by the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, to mark the conclusion of the Airtel Touching Lives Season 3.

    The Aina family, which was one of the several grantees that appeared in the philanthropy series, had been struck by severe vicissitudes of life and had lost three children in a shattering fire accident that also consumed their abode as well as all their material possessions in October 2016.

    The Airtel helmsman who led a team of Airtel executives comprising the Director of Corporate Communications & CSR, Emeka Oparah, to commission and hand-over the well-finished apartment to the Aina family.

    Speaking during the brief ceremony, Ogunsanya expressed heartfelt condolences to Mr and Mrs Aina over the loss of their children while commending them for demonstrating courage, resilience and hope amid overwhelming challenges.

    L-R, Airtel Touching Lives Season 3 beneficiary, Mrs. Abosede Aina; son, Olukorede Aina; Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya; Touching Lives 3 beneficiary, Mr. Oluwasegun Aina; Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel, Emeka Oparah; nominator of the Aina family for Touching Lives Season 3, Pastor Rasaki Lasisi during the handover of keys of the newly built apartment to the Aina family at Magboro, Ogun State on Wednesday.

    “While we can do little about the past, there is so much we can do about the present and our future. And that is why we decided to step in to help this good family to rebuild their future. I must say the future of the Aina family is very bright and I encourage everyone to walk with them in getting the best out of the future,” Ogunsanya said.

    He also stated that Airtel is committed to empowering the underprivileged to realise their dreams, noting that through the Airtel Touching Lives platform, Airtel has directly impacted hundreds of people and households just as it has positively impacted the lives of many Nigerians.

    Today is for the Aina family. Indeed, I am excited to handover this 2-bedroom apartment to the Ainas, as we pray that God Almighty continues to reside with them, strengthen and enable them find peace in it. With this gesture, we believe that their journey to recovery from the unpleasant experience will be easy, smooth and much better – Mr Ogunsanya.

    Through the Airtel Touching Lives programme, however, the Aina’s have been able to pick up their lives with renewed optimism.

    “Things had become extremely hopeless for us,” said Mrs Abosede Aina, recalling the numerous inauspicious events that she, her husband and surviving child, Korede, had to endure. “But we cannot thank Airtel enough for coming into our lives, for helping us, and for showing us hope again.”

    Expressing similar sentiments, Mr Olusegun Aina thanked God and Airtel Nigeria for coming to the aid of his family. “Airtel has lifted a huge burden off me; they have walked with me in this very difficult journey, always comforting me and I cannot thank them enough,” he said.

    Friends, family members as well as well-wishers in the quiet neighbourhood joined to felicitate with the Aina family during the commissioning ceremony.

  • Nokia 3310 from worst to best mobile phone

    Nokia 3310 from worst to best mobile phone

    The classic mobile phone name, Nokia 3310, has been brought back to life by Finnish start-up HMD Global.

    The company is busy working on a number of new Android devices that will challenge the dominance of the iPhone, but in the meantime, it is keeping fans of the Nokia name satisfied by selling a reworked version of the 17-year-old design classic.

    It is unfortunate that Nokia 3310 lovers should not expect anything modern or flashy because users can get data on this phone but only at 2.5G – a far cry from the speedy 4G that smartphones love to use.

    Similarly, it is not a touchscreen phone as everything is controlled by a four-way direction pad – and don’t expect an on-screen keyboard, you’re back to typing out the letters by pressing the number 7 four times.

    However, HMD Global has succeeded in maintaining the winning power of the 17-year-old classic mobile phone, its ability to maintain a long stand-by time and an indestructible body.

    Interestingly, the reworked version of Nokia 3310 is able to keep up to a month of standby time and 22 hours of talk time before you have to recharge the phone.

    The Nokia 3310 (L) and Nokia 6 are seen in an office in London, Britain February 24, 2017.

    In addition, it has the classic Nokia ringtone and it plays Snake but a bit more modest with the newly installed colourful screen.

    Running the Series 30+ operating system means it can run older Java based games and apps.

    You also have Opera’s web browser, which strips out all the videos and flashy layout of the modern web to show you just the text. It is yet to stream YouTube.

    There are times when you don’t want to be carrying an over N200,000 smartphone with you, the about N20,000 classic phone comes handy when traveling to a place you doubt the availability of Power Supply.

    Please note that HMD Global didn’t rework the Nokia 3310 to replace your smartphone but to compliment it when it comes to long stand-by time as well as indestructible body build.

  • Aregbesola swears in Commissioners, Special advisers

    Aregbesola swears in Commissioners, Special advisers

    ‎The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Tuesday swore-in his 39 member executive council.

    The Executive Council comprises of Commissioners and Special Advisers, thus inaugurating the team that would accompany the Governor in what he called “our home run.”

    On the list of the commissioners are an Associate Professor of Economics, Olalekan Dauda Yinusa; a Doctor of Law, Ajibola Basiru and a former Senator, Mudasiru Hussain.

    The Governor announced that he as well as his deputy, Iyaafin Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, were dropping their portfolios in Works and Infrastructure and Education respectively for new entrants into the cabinet to allow for more effective policy coordinations and supervisions.

    The Governor at the inauguration at the parking lot of Bola Ige House in Osogbo‎ stated that the inauguration was long overdue, but for dire constraint of funds.

    Aregbesola stressed that Osun was not insulated from the financial challenges that the country had during the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration in Nigeria.

    He held that Osun was receiving negative monthly allocations from the Federation Account during the period, saying ‎what hit Nigeria during this period was the equivalent of economic natural disaster and Osun was not alone.

    According to him, “I congratulate all the appointees for being considered worthy of service to the government and people of our dear state and for scaling the hurdle of screening.

    Many of you served in the first term; the rest are fresh hands. Of course, this is long overdue. It should have come up immediately after my inauguration on November 27, 2014. As you all know, we were hamstrung by dire constraint – principally financial.

    “Our second term coincided with the onset of a national economic disaster. The first on account of a purported daily theft of 650,000 barrels of crude oil under the watch of the immediate past PDP national government. This is curious and improbable.

    “We must note that 650,000 barrels of crude oil is the equivalent of 65 supertankers each laden with over 300,000 metric tonnes of crude oil. By the way, a supertanker is about 450 metres long, the equivalent of four and a half football fields.

    “Indeed, 27 states and the Federal Government were unable to pay salaries of workers. It might interest us to know that the government of Goodluck Jonathan‎, according to his Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had to borrow N476 billion from commercial banks to be able to pay salaries in the last four months of his administration,” Aregbesola told the gathering.

    The Governor further stated that his government has responsibilities to three broad categories, the most important of which is the commitment to the generality of the people of the state whose mandate he swore an oath to exercise faithfully.

    He also added that state workers whom his administration has a contractual obligation to pay at the end of every month, and the political class who made it possible to campaign, contest and win elections will be carried along in his administration.

    ‎He said: “What we have done during the special time occasioned by the emergency period we faced was to play a delicate balancing act between the three categories.Painfully, we came to an understanding with the workers on a realistic schedule of payment.

    “We also continued with our programmes and critical social intervention albeit on a reduced scale.

    “Lastly, we have a good understanding of the political class on the need for them to make the sacrifice as we defer appointments and cabinet formation.

    “Our traducers, rather than reasonably comprehend the situation went to town to harp on the non-composition of the cabinet but in the process expose their own ignorance.

    “They thought by doing this, they would discredit us. However, right thinking people started asking them what business they have got with the formation or non-formation of an APC government cabinet”. The Governor emphasised.

    The Governor spiced his one hour plus speech with intermittent musical renditions which enlivened the event.

    Speaking on behalf of newly sworn-in cabinet members, the new Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Surajudeen Ajibola Bashir, described the delay in the constitution of the cabinet by Mr Governor as a sign of courage and commitment to good governance.He said  Aregbesola had exhibited

    He said Aregbesola had exhibited a high sense of commitment to raise the bar of governance in the last six years of his administration, saying this had reflected in the general well-being of the citizens.

    The new Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice said the new cabinet would leave no stone unturned at ensuring unflinching support and cooperation with the present administration in the state.

     Ajibola assured the people of the state of the readiness of the new cabinet to consolidate on the legacies built by Aregbesola-led administration in the last six years.

    “With this delay, it shows the courage, commitment and doggedness of this administration in managing the limited resources.

    “Though this would have been done with the economic prowess of Mr. Governor in meeting the demands and needs of the people of the state, it was delayed.

    “So, the formation of this cabinet shows the commitment and courage of this government despite the economic recession.

    “It also shows the doggedness and commitment of the present administration led by Governor Aregbesola to weather the storm.

    “But the remaining 18 months to the expiration of this administration is enough to galvanise development.

     “I urge my colleagues to rally round our governor to move the state forward.”

  • UOSSM launches ‘Syria solar’ initiative

    UOSSM launches ‘Syria solar’ initiative

    UOSSM launches the ‘Syria Solar’ Initiative on May 29, 2017, after 10 weeks of installation and months of testing and monitoring. The 480-panel pilot project is the first of its kind in Syria and was designed to stabilize electricity in hospitals in Syria.

    UOSSM installed 480 solar photovoltaic panels with a capacity of 127 kWp DC power, 288 batteries capable of storing 720kWh of power, and advanced data control systems. After six years of conflict, major sections of the electrical grid in Syria were destroyed making hospitals dependent on diesel generators. Frequent shortages of diesel jeopardized patient lives and skyrocketed the price of diesel fuel.

    The project is expected to save over 7,000 liters of diesel per month on average. This amounts to approximately 20-30% of the monthly energy cost of the hospital. The system can fully power the ICU, operating rooms and emergency departments during diesel outages. With the success of the pilot project, plans are drafted to deploy solar systems in five more vulnerable medical facilities in Syria. UOSSM is currently soliciting funding partners for upcoming ‘funding ready’ projects.

    Renewable energy for those critical facilities will increase the resilience of the health system in Syria, empower local communities, and help terminate the vicious cycle of the diesel-based war economy.
    “We believe that this type of projects brings hope. Solar energy is a democratizing force, that has the capacity to empower institutions and communities in very positive ways.

    Syria is in one of the best regions globally to harvest solar energy and needs to be leveraged. During the project implementation; restructuring the hospital electrical network, and working through the winter to deploy the technically complex system, were our greatest challenges. The goal now is to empower the health system by scaling the solar project to at least five other critical hospitals. Our dream is to see every medical facility in Syria running on clean, sustainable energy.” Said Tarek Makdissi, Project Director- UOSSM Syria Solar Initiative.

    “In our department, we have a total of 6 incubators. Electricity is critical for the functioning of these incubators. Electricity must be available continuously without shutdown or cut-offs. Even if the electricity was to shut down for half an hour, it can cause severe problems. Children in incubators need a constant temperature.” Said Mohamad Dirbas, UOSSM Neonatal Nurse.

    “This project is a symbol of hope for the Syrian people. We wanted to show the world that Syrians still believe in a brighter future and embrace positivity and progress. The majority of the electrical infrastructure in Syria was either bombed, dismantled or destroyed.

    Hospitals depend on diesel generators and are vulnerable to outages and price surges. Incubators, respirators, and other life-saving equipment need stable access to power. Many patients have died from simple power outages. The solar project was desperately needed. I am overjoyed that the project is running at full capacity and saving lives. Said Dr. Anas Al Kassem, Chairman of UOSSM- Canada and War Surgeon.

  • GeNs@gtbank.com: Fraudulent bank alert to be careful of

    GeNs@gtbank.com: Fraudulent bank alert to be careful of

    Fraudsters have taken another turn in the game of defrauding innocent but unsuspecting Nigerians of their hard earned currencies by sending transaction messages and demanding a follow-up within 24Hours.

    If you have an account with Guaranty Trust Bank (at least the ones concerned so far) this message is for you. Beyond GTB, this is pertinent to everyone who saves money or other valuables in the bank.

    Recently, fraudsters have grown even smarter by using disguised email name like GeNs@gtbank.com, udirect@ubagroup.com, diamondbank@diamondbank.com to send initiated debit transaction from the victim’s account and further ask for other details.

    Some customers of GTBank have fallen victim of this fraudulent message. In fact, other people who do not bank with GTB, like a colleague who got his message from mny@inetlab.net under the disguise of GeNs@gtbank.com, also received the message.

    Concerned banks so far, include, Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank, GTBank, UBA and StanbicIBTC

    Read the experience of an individual who fell victim below:

    This happened to me OluwaDamilola Ayomi Olatunbosun (ayomiessentials) a few hours ago (now weeks). I got an email from GTB (my one and only bank) some hours ago that I was debited 14,500 for a bulletin I subscribed for, the email further read I should click a link to oblige and another link below to decline, I clicked on the link to decline cos the mail read it will be assumed that I agreed to the terms and conditions if I don’t respond to the mail in 12hrs…

    I clicked on the link to decline the offer since I don’t want my 14,500 to be debited for some magazine I didn’t subscribe for (note that I got these same email last week and I got tried calling GTBank customer service that day, I gave up after wasting about 600naira worth of airtime, I felt the need to respond when if got the message today again)….

    Lo and behold the link took me to my Internet banking page, it requested that I enter my log in details which I did…the page requested I answer my test question which I did 1st then entered my 6 digits token code which Is usually requested when doing online banking.

    Almost immediately I filled the form, the page kept loading and I was hoping I’d see a page where I’ll click the Decline button or something then the worse thing happened…. I got an alert that all the money in my account has been debited. They left only the kobo for me this happened to me less than 2hrs ago.

    I went to the nearest GTBank and I was told that my account was hacked.
    The debit alert I got showed that I recharged with all the money in my account.
    Lo and behold I was given the number that was recharged at the bank 08170003208 (I was told at the bank that I used my money to recharge that number thinking it’s mine, I wonder if wanted to call heaven or hell that I will recharge that much of money on recharge)All my money is gone and nothing can be done about it, I’m sharing these with you all so u won’t fall a victim.Please be careful.
    Note that the mail came from opokonwa@gmail.com under the disguise of GeNs@gtbank.com

    A fraudulent alert from a supposed UBA alert system reads:

    ‘Dear Customer,

    Thank you for succesfully SUBSCRIBING for the U-Direct monthly Bulletins.

    We are processing to debit your account with the sum of 16,450 NGN as our monthly charge for the subscription as per our terms and conditions.

    If you are not aware of this subscription and Wish to Cancel this, kindly follow our website below to unsubscribe.

    Note: To Unsubscribe, A mobile code will be sent to your registered mobile number to Cancel After Security Validation

    https://www.ubadirect.com/Login.jsp/unsubscribe/portal/rBanking/axisebanking/AxisRetailLogin/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOKNAzxMjIwNjLwsQp0MD

    Things You Must Know

    1. After 24hrs you cannot cancel subscription and Debit will be processed on your account.

    2. If you have been successfully debited, you will receive your ticket number by mail after 24hrs.

    A fraudulent alert from a supposed Diamond Bank alert system reads:

    However, the banks have not been silent on this issue as it continued to notify its customers of possible scams and how to avoid being defrauded. One of such is from GTBank saying:

    Dear Customer,
     

    Scam Alert

    This is a reminder that you should never disclose your account or card details to anyone or enter your personal banking details on a website that is sent as a link in an SMS, Email, Online or any Social Media Platform. Exit any page immediately if you are asked to enter your account, card or internet login details.
     

    GTBank, its staff or agents will never call or send you an email asking for your account details, PIN, Card or other Personal Bank details in exchange for monetary or material reward.
     
    You can help us stop these types of scams by following any of the simple steps below:
     
    • Fake Online Flyers: take a screenshot that clearly shows the link (website address) and send it to us by email at complaints@gtbank.com so that we can work to block the site.
       
    • Scam Calls, SMS, and Emails: Report the phone number to GTConnect (see numbers below) and forward such emails to complaints@gtbank.com
     
    Thank you for choosing Guaranty Trust Bank plc.
    As observed with all analysed scam alerts from the above mentioned disguised Bank email addresses, the fraudsters attempt to create an emergency for you to which a delay might cost you some money. Kindly note, that silence to this message might be very important as it allows you think properly but swiftly notify your bank.
    Similarly, demand the contact number of your Account Manager from your nearest bank branch to be able to monitor your account on the go.
    Whatever the case might be with your initiated transactions or fraudulent attempts, vigilance is paramount. Be careful of your kind of response in order not to
  • Lagos: MMM, Hope Givers empower pupils of FOA school

    Lagos: MMM, Hope Givers empower pupils of FOA school

    Mavrodi Mondial Movement (MMM), in conjunction with Hope Givers Humanitarian Services, an NGO, under an initiative tagged: Welcome Back To School empowered pupils of FOA Primary School 2, Okokomaiko, Lagos, recently when they donated bags and stationery to needy students.

    Speaking, an official of Hope Givers Saheed Tai said that the objective was all about empowering the kids so that they will have a sense of belonging which will translate into a better learning environment.

    Said the official: “My name is Saheed, I am a representative of Hope Givers, an NGO into humanitarian services. We are here today at FOA Primary School under a programme tagged: Welcome Back To School which is sponsored by MMM.

    RELATED: MMM rehabilitates school, donates food items, beds

    “A lot of the students here are in dire need of critical educational materials so the aim is to donate school bags, exercise books, sandals and stationary among other items to needy students so that they can have a sense of belonging. What we do is to identify areas people are in need and once we do that we contact corporate platforms for sponsorship.

    Officials of MMM pose with the headmistress of FOA Primary School Udensi

    “For this case, we contacted MMM for sponsorship since they are a humanitarian platform and they responded. We told them we had identified a school in our community that is in need hence we have provided all these for the betterment of the pupils today.”

    Addressing the students, MMM representative, Amaka Benson said that MMM is a charity platform that believes in empowering the needy, taking care of the sick and also runs skills acquisition centres: “Today we were brought here by Hope Givers Humanitarian Services and we are saying welcome back to school. Today you are going back home with brand new school bags, school sandals and stationary as MMM in conjunction with Hope Givers is welcoming you all back to school.

    “MMM is a charity platform and we are known for putting smiles on people’s faces. Carry on with your learning so that you can do better and strive to achieve your dreams because you are the leaders of tomorrow.”

    Responding, Mrs Udensi, Head Mistress of the school thanked the officials of MMM and Hope Givers. She said: “Thanks for remembering our children whose parents could not provide for them. May God bless you and replenish your pockets.”

  • Sad Police encounter: ‘I am not proud to be a Nigerian right now’

    Sad Police encounter: ‘I am not proud to be a Nigerian right now’

    Like a Facebook user, many Nigerians weep every day so bitterly for “a lawless country like ours, citizens are not in any way save in the hands of this disguised rogues claiming to be personnel of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)” without forgetting the regular Police personnel on the streets.

    This Facebook user was responding to the painful account of another Facebook user, Baggy Baggz, a Nigerian based in Pretoria, South Africa, in the hands of the men of SARS during a visit to Delta State, Nigeria.

    “With the outcome of everyday daylight brutalities and robbery from the high ups of this organisation to the helpless populace is too much. I dislike the so-called devil in carnets call police with passion, so sorry my brother man in narrating such ugly incident and thank God for what has happened,’ the User said in his comment.

    His account (edited for typo errors) below:

    At this moment I AM NOT PROUD TO BE A NIGERIAN, and we all are not anywhere near being safe with any of these so-called “law enforcement”. Please my experience below;

    I’m Damilola Adeyanju. On 13/04/2017 a couple of my friends and I travelled to Warri, Delta state for a family friend’s wedding to hold on the 15/04/2017. We decided to stay for some extra days after the wedding to have a feel of Delta state since we hardly leave Lagos normally, and so we left for Lagos on 18/04/2017.

     

    That fateful morning around 6:00 a.m, we (6 of us) got to Greener Line Park and chattered a 7 seater bus. At about 7:45 a.m we took off, got to Sapele express by 8:30 thereabout, we got stopped by SARS officials for stop and search. We all came down and were searched. They then proceeded to our bags where they found a laptop belonging to one of us. They asked for the receipt and the owner told them he’s had it for years and doesn’t have it on him after which they grabbed his phone from him.

    Getting to me, I also had my laptop and they requested for the receipt as well, I said I don’t have it on me, then he (SARS guy) called one of his colleagues to take the laptop to their patrol pickup truck and told us to go stand by the truck.

    TRENDING: Owoseni to DPOs: Leave Lagos if you like bribe

    Another Greener Line bus was stopped and they alighted 4 other guys from it, told them to walk towards us and we all get into the back of the truck. We asked why and the SARS pilot shouted ‘obey before complain’. So they got in and drove us away. Bystanders quickly told the Greener Line drivers and the rest of my friends to go after us, because the so-called SARS people could take us to a bush and probably shoot us and go with our belongings.

    Fortunately, my phone was silent and undetected, so my friends were able to reach me and I quietly told them we were still on the same express. The drivers sped up and caught up with us. After driving for about 15mins, we eventually got to a police station (OKUOVO).

    The got us out of the truck, walked us into the station, pushed us forcefully behind the counter and told us to sit on the floor. While all these was happening we still didn’t know our offence. The next thing we saw was them bringing out statement forms and called one of the other 4 guys to the front, stripped him off his shirt and was told to sit on the floor. The officer started asking the guy questions and writing the statement for the guy, and at some point started whipping him with wire.

     

    The guy’s back tore and started bleeding from the beating. Out of fear and pain, the guy was saying different stories. I was just sitting on the floor looking at my friend like “o boy I no go take this beating oh, we go die here today if e touch me with that wire.”

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    Next thing the guy was cuffed and brought back behind the counter. I quickly sent my mom a text message to send me the Commissioner of Police for Lagos state’s number. She called and asked why, I stylishly picked and told her what was up. She panicked and I had to cut the call, she eventually sent the number but unfortunately, myself and my friend were next.

    My friend was told to sit on the floor I was told to stand, it was two different officers interrogating us, the statement form was brought out and the officer insisted on writing my friend’s statement. My friend refused but was threatened so he had no choice but to sit back on the floor because they were armed. So I quickly grabbed the pen from the other officer that I was going to write mine myself.

    I was asked for my profession and all and I wrote it all down. I’m an Aqua-scaper (construction of aquariums and landscaping). They started asking who could identify my business and I should write the names of my clients, I’m like that has got nothing to do with what’s going on here… They asked for proof of my work I told them I have pictures on my phone showed them, even told them I just came back to Nigeria for this wedding that I’m undergoing a course in South Africa and I showed them proof and he was like they should cuff me, that I’m a cultist and my friend is a kidnapper.

    Long story short, we got handcuffed until my friends (the bride’s) mum came to our rescue. The cuffs were later taken off but then they said we were in possession of stolen phones and laptops that they won’t be given back to us until we provide the receipts. I got angry and told him I will provide the receipt on the spot if he can provide that of his phone and he said I was very stupid to question an officer. My friend’s mum cried and begged but fell on deaf ears.

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    I had sneaked the number my mum sent on a piece of paper and passed it to my friends outside. The “SARS” officials eventually drove off with the other cuffed boys still with our laptops and phones. I called the commissioner and he spoke to an officer of that police station (OKUOVO station) and the officer said he doesn’t know the officers that arrested us before he too ran away from the station on his okada, so it was just us left in an empty police station.

    We waited till about 6:00 p.m and eventually had to leave cos it was getting dark in the middle of nowhere. We went back to Warri.

    On 19/04/2017, at about 6:05 a.m we were back at the Greener Line park to get the bus to take us back to the OKUOVO police station, on getting there it was empty. We decided to head to the same spot we were stopped and eventually got to find them there looking for more preys.

    I got out of the bus, called the Assistant Commissioner of Police and approached BISHOP (that’s the only info I could get of him), the leader of the “SARS gang”. He said he didn’t want to talk to anybody and I delivered the message to the Commissioner. He heard me say that, grabbed the phone from me and cut the call. He slammed the phone on my chest and started pushing and kicking me, that I should leave.

    While walking away he came towards my back and hit me at the back of my head, as I turned to face him he began slapping me for no reason. At that point I had enough of it, I got angry and raised my hands in self-defense to block the hits then I remembered he had a gun and just walked away.

    They eventually got some more innocent people to prey on and drove them to another police station (MOSOGAR) in Delta state. We drove behind them, on getting there I didn’t come down from the bus, my friends and the manager of Greener Line went in with them. They were asked to pay N80,000 before our phones and laptops were returned to us.

    I do understand that in life, bad things happen sometimes. What I don’t understand, however, is why as a citizen of this country, I experienced this not at the hands of robbers or thugs, but at the hands of uniformed policemen who my tax cloth and buy arms for.

    I am sad, and do hope that perhaps somebody reading this somewhere will recognise these guys and help identify them, not for revenge, but so other unsuspecting helpless citizens don’t get to experience such too at the hands of their supposed policemen “friends”.

    Besides the above account, The Nation wishes to inform our esteemed readers that the Nigeria Police is trying hard to rid the Force of several bad eggs in the system. In this effort, the Police introduced the Complaint Unit which has been very active and helpful in the fight against corrupt practices in the Force.

    In the case of any immediate complaint, send a tweet to @PoliceNG_PCRRU. Simply Provide full details of occurrence, include When/What/Where/Who/Whom/How