The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Family

  • Autocrash claims family of 7, one other in Enugu – Police

    The Police Command in Enugu have confirmed the death of a family of seven in an autocrash which occurred at Ugwu-Onyeama on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway on Sunday morning.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, said it occurred at about 8 a.m on the Enugu axis of the expressway.

    Amaraizu said the accident involved a Toyota Camry with registration number CM960FKJ and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number ENU75YY, belonging to a mass transit company.

    He said that the two vehicles that were on top speed collided in one lane of the expressway.

    According to him, seven passengers in the Toyota car who are members of the same family and one other from the bus lost their lives in the accident.

    The police spokesperson said that their bodies had been deposited in the mortuary of the Enugu State University of Teaching Hopsital, (ESUTH), Parklane.

    He said four others sustained injuries in the crash and were receiving medical attention at the same hospital while investigation into the incident had commenced. (NAN)

  • Family of five, friend die mysteriously in Ogun

    A family of five died in mysterious circumstances on Wednesday night at Old Aiyepe road in Sagamu area of Ogun State.

    The family included father, mother, three children and a family friend.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the family newly moved from their rented apartment into their own property but died the first night in the house.

    The house was suspected to have been fumigated with “killer chemical”.

    One of the sympathisers, who accompanied the bodies to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) in Sagamu, said the owner of the house, a borehole driller, just spent a night in the new house.

    The sympathiser, who identified himself simply as Tony, said the neighbours perceived a foul odour yesterday, which attracted them to the house.

    According to him, neighbours raised the alarm, which attracted the attention of the police.

    The remains of the deceased have been taken to the mortuary at OOUTH.

    Hundreds of sympathisers besieged the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital, wailing uncontrollably over the incident.

    Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the command would get to the root of the matter.

    Oyeyemi said investigation into the matter had begun to unravel the mystery behind the deaths.

  • Asake’s burial: Family axes CAN from plans, rites

    •We want everyone involved, says younger brother

    The family of the late General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Musa Asake, has rejected offers of assistance from the apex Christian body on burial plans for the Kaduna-born preacher.

    Asake, 68, died on May 11 after a brief illness in Abuja.

    Our correspondent confirmed the family had already communicated the rejection of assistance to CAN.

    In a letter dated May 23 signed by the deceased’s son based in the United States of America Aminchi Musa Asake, the family declared unequivocally to the apex Christian body “we do not need your assistance.”

    Titled Letter of information, the document obtained exclusively by our correspondent reads: “I received your letter dated May 22. I want to thank CAN for reaching out to my family and wanting to commiserate with us on the passing of my father.

    “You have been so generous as to offer assistance with the planning of his burial, even planning a service of songs and commendation service.

    “But at this point, I must ask CAN to stop. We do not need your assistance.

    “The family has taken an independent decision that we will be solely responsible for the burial of our father, Late Rev Musa Asake.

    “We have already set up an independent committee and will proceed accordingly with our plans. Thank you.”

    It was gathered the letter might not unconnected with firm beliefs among family members that Asake was badly treated and frustrated by CAN leadership.

    One of them, who spoke with our correspondent on strict anonymity, confided that the deceased was constantly under pressure and fear following an alleged power play in the body.

    The family source said: “We cannot allow CAN leaders to shed crocodile tears during his funerals because many of them frustrated him so much in his last days on earth.

    “For example, we have SMS records of the President threatening to sack him and not pay his salary up to 24 hours before he died.

    “Such persons will come to the funeral to pay tributes when in their hearts they know they made living hell for our father. So, we will rather do the funeral as a family than allow his detractors to gloat over his corpse.”

    This feeling, according to family sources, was further reinforced when a delegation of CAN visited the deceased’s residence hours after his demise, asking for keys to his office at the Christian Centre, Abuja.

    “Our father died on Friday and the same day, CAN asked some officials to commiserate with us. Can you believe they asked us to deliver the keys to his office?

    “They want to take over the office when his body had not even settled down in the morgue. It is obvious they don’t mean well at all,” another family source stated.

    It was further gathered that another delegation of CAN visited the deceased’s residence last Tuesday with Asake’s widow refusing to receive them.

    The delegation was eventually received by a male relation who was reportedly handed an envelope, which he initially rejected.

    After many pleas, the relation received the envelope, which contained only N50, 000 to “support burial plans.”

    It was learnt the delegation also offered to buy the casket for the deceased, a suggestion that was immediately rejected by the family.

    The funeral committee set up by the family is headed by immediate Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrimage Commission(NCPC), John Kennedy with Rev Albert Uko as secretary and Pastor Bosun Emmanuel as Publicity Secretary.

    A statement by the committee stated an interdenominational Service of Songs holds on June 5 at Abuja by 4pm at the National Christian Centre while another Service of Songs is slated for June 7 at Kafanchan Stadium.

    The funeral holds on June 8 at Kafanchan Stadium by 10am while the interment is at Ungwa Rimi, his ancestral home.

    But CAN also has a committee headed by Bishop Stephen Adegbite, the National Director for National Issues.

    It stated a Service of Songs for the deceased holds on June 6 at the National Centre by 5pm.

    The commendation service is slated for June 7 by 9am.

    The wake is for Kafanchan Stadium same day while the funeral service on June 8 by 10am at Kaduna.

    Contacted Adegbite told our correspondent on phone two committees would meet tomorrow to “harmonise” things.

    The deceased’s younger brother, Jonathan, a former House of Representatives member also confirmed the harmonisation meeting to our correspondent.

    On whether he is aware of the letter from Asake’s eldest son, Jonathan asked our correspondent to discountenance it, fuelling speculations the family might be divided on the communication from Aminchi.

    “What I can tell you is that the family wants as many different components and interest groups accommodated so we are meeting on Monday to harmonise positions.

    “There is nothing like parallel committees. We want everybody involved because he was a public figure.”

  • Asake’s burial: Family axes CAN from plans, rites

    •We want everyone involved-younger brother

    The family of late General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Musa Asake, has rejected offers of assistance from the apex Christian body on burial plans for the Kaduna-born preacher.

    Asake, 68, died on May 11 after a brief illness in Abuja.

    Our correspondent confirmed the family had already communicated the rejection of assistance to CAN.

    In a letter dated May 23 signed by the deceased’s son based in the United States of America, Aminchi Musa Asake, the family declared unequivocally to the apex Christian body “we do not need your assistance.”

    Titled Letter of information, the document obtained exclusively by our correspondent reads: “I received your letter dated May 22. I want to thank CAN for reaching out to my family and wanting to commiserate with us on the passing of my father.

    “You have been so generous as to offer assistance with the planning of his burial, even planning a service of songs and commendation service.

    “But at this point, I must ask CAN to stop. We do not need your assistance.

    “The family has taken an independent decision that we will be solely responsible for the burial of our father, Late Rev Musa Asake.

    “We have already set up an independent committee and will proceed accordingly with our plans. Thank you.”

    It was be gathered the letter might not unconnected with firm beliefs among family members that Asake was badly treated and frustrated by CAN leadership.

    One of them, who spoke with our correspondent on strict anonymity, confided that the deceased was constantly under pressure and fear following an alleged power play in the body.

    The family source said: “We cannot allow CAN leaders to shed crocodile tears during his funeral because many of them frustrated him so much in his last days on earth.

    “For example, we have SMS records of the President threatening to sack him and not pay his salary up to 24 hours before he died.

    “Such persons will come to the funeral to pay tributes when in their hearts they know they made living hell for our father. So, we will rather do the funeral as a family than allow his detractors to gloat over his corpse.”

    This feeling, according to family sources, was further reinforced when a delegation of CAN visited the deceased’s residence hours after his demise, asking for keys to his office at the Christian Centre, Abuja.

    “Our father died on Friday and the same day, CAN asked some officials to commiserate with us. Can you believe they asked us to deliver the keys to his office?

    “They want to take over the office when his body had not even settled down in the morgue. It is obvious they don’t mean well at all,” another family source stated.

    It was further gathered that another delegation of CAN visited the deceased’s residence last Tuesday with Asake’s widow refusing to receive them.

    The delegation was eventually received by a male relation who was reportedly handed an envelope, which he initially rejected.

    After many pleas, the relation received the envelope, which contained only N50, 000 to “support burial plans.”

    It was learnt the delegation also offered to buy the casket for the deceased, a suggestion that was immediately rejected by the family.

    The funeral committee set up by the family is headed by immediate Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrimage Commission (NCPC), John Kennedy with Rev Albert Uko as secretary and Pastor Bosun Emmanuel as Publicity Secretary.

    A statement by the committee stated an interdenominational Service of Songs holds on June 5 in Abuja by 4pm at the National Christian Centre, while another Service of Songs is slated for June 7 at Kafanchan Stadium.

    The funeral holds on June 8 at Kafanchan Stadium by 10am while the interment is at Ungwa Rimi, his ancestral home.

    But CAN also has a committee headed by Bishop Stephen Adegbite, the National Director for National Issues.

    It stated a Service of Songs for the deceased holds on June 6 at the National Centre by 5pm.

    The commendation service is slated for June 7 by 9am.

    The wake is for Kafanchan Stadium same day while the funeral service is on June 8 by 10am in Kaduna.

    When contacted, Adegbite told our correspondent on phone the two committees would meet tomorrow to “harmonise” things.

    The deceased’s younger brother, Jonathan, a former House of Representatives member also confirmed the harmonisation meeting to our correspondent.

    On whether he is aware of the letter from Asake’s eldest son, Jonathan asked our correspondent to discountenance it, fueling speculations the family might be divided on the communication from Aminchi.

    “What I can tell you is that the family wants as many different components and interest groups accommodated so we are meeting on Monday to harmonise positions.

    “There is nothing like parallel committees. We want everybody involved because he was a public figure.”

     

  • ‘Ladoja, family, friends blew N1.9b shares proceeds’

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday heard that a former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja allegedly did not remit N1.9billion realised from the sale of the state’s shares.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told the court that the money allegedly went to Ladoja, his family and friends and was not refunded.

    An EFCC investigator, Abubakar Madaki, testifying in Ladoja’s trial, alleged that the former governor unilaterally gave instructions in 2007 that the shares be sold.

    He said the shares, worth N6.6billion, were sold without the state executive council’s resolution.

    According to the investigator, Ladoja engaged Fountain Securities as a portfolio manager to sell the shares at a discounted rate, adding that the shares were acquired by McLace Securities.

    “In the course of our investigation, about N500million was recovered from McLace Security, Fountain Securities and other stockbrokers.

    “The balance could not be recovered because some of those who purchased the shares were not even stockbrokers as highlighted by the report of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

    “Part of the proceeds was used to offset the four cars given to the first accused (Ladoja), which he confirmed. That too, the first accused has not refunded the value of the cars neither did his family members and associates refund what was given to them; all these were part of the proceeds.”

     

     

     

  • Ladoja, family, friends blew N1.9b shares proceeds, says EFCC

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday heard that a former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja allegedly did not remit N1.9 billion realised from the sale of the state’s shares when he was in office.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told the court that the money allegedly went to Ladoja, his family and friends and was not refunded.

    An EFCC investigator, Abubakar Madaki, who testified in Ladoja’s trial, accused the former governor of unilaterally giving instructions in 2007 that the shares be sold at discounted rates.

    He said the shares, worth N6.6 billion, were sold at discounted rates without the State Executive Council’s (Exco’s) resolution.

    According to the investigator, Ladoja engaged Fountain Securities as a portfolio manager to sell the shares at a discounted rate, adding that the shares were acquired by McLace Securities.

    “In the course of our investigation, about N500 million was recovered from McLace Security, Fountain Securities and other stockbrokers.

    “The balance could not be recovered because some of those who purchased the shares were not even stockbrokers, as highlighted by the report of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

    “Part of the proceeds was used to offset the (cost of) four cars given to the first accused (Ladoja), which he confirmed. Also, the first accused has not refunded the value of the cars, neither did his family members and associates refund what was given to them; all these were part of the proceeds.

    “I can name the cars for clarity. There is a jeep; there is a bus and there are two cars, out of the cars supplied to members of the House of Assembly loyal to the first accused when he was governor.

    “All these were paid for with the proceeds of the shares. The first accused confirmed this in his statement; he promised to make a refund then but as at today, he has not done so.”

    Ladoja is on trial for alleged N4.7 billion fraud involving state funds.

    EFCC charged him along with his Commissioner for Finance, Waheed Akanbi.

    Prosecuting lawyer Olufemi Olabisi said Madaki tendered the letter allegedly written by Ladoja to approve the shares’ sale, which was admitted in evidence.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned the matter till May 30 and 31.

     

  • Family wins land case

    Justice Ugochukwu Anthony Ogakwu, of Court of Appeal, Igbosere in Lagos, has declared the Langbasa family the rightful owner of a land situated at Eti-Osa Local Government Area.

    In his judgment, Ogakwu averred that the land, which has been a subject of dispute between the Langbasa and Elejigbo families belong to the former.

    He awarded N50,000 to Langbasa family, as damages incurred by the Elejigbo family for trespassing the land.

    The judge granted an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the Elejigbo family from further trespassing the land or claiming any portion of the land.

    He said the appellants, members of Langbasa family, are entitled to N200,000 as cost, besides dismissing counterclaims of the respondents.

  • Family decries trespass of land

    The Edunjobi-Ogundare family has said its right to its property on the Ocean View Estate, Ogombo, Lagos is being violated.

    Addressing reporters in Lagos, the family spokesperson Isiaka Ibrahim-Ogundare accused Col. Hameed Ali (retd) of ordering the demolition of the family house on the two plots of land.

    He added that the matter was before High Court No 44 Lands Division, Epe, which order parties in the dispute to maintain status quo, but Ali fenced the family out of the property.

    He said: “On March 27, 2018 after we left the police station, the lawyer who wrote a letter to us to vacate the land, came with along with solders to our house and instructed us to vacate the land.

    “We told them we cant. On the same day, some unknown person started fencing our property round with the aid of heavily armed soldiers.

    “We got an order of injunction against Hameed Ali and other unknown person on April 11, 2018, but police officers from SARS as well as offers from Zone two have been threatening us.”

    The solicitor to the Edunjobi-Ogundare family, Tope Fadahunsi Michell Solicitors said his client right to his legitimate property was violated.

    “This matter is before a competent court that says parties involved should maintain status quo ante, but the army General has refused, going ahead to fence the place. My client is now facing unmitigated suffering.

    Responding to the allegation, the lawyer to Ali, Abulrahman Adegoke said the matter was in court and would not comment on it.

    He said: “The land latter you are talking about is in court and I will not say anything beyond that. And if they want me to react, they know my office and can come there.”

  • Family seeks help to ward off land grabbers

    The Adeyoruwa family of Agunloye-Idiorogbo in Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos, is seeking the state government’s assistance to keep ‘trespassers’ off its land.

    The family’s patriarch, Chief Ishau Kolawole Ogunlana, said despite four judgments of the Ikorodu High Court which affirmed it as the owner, land grabbers had relentlessly attempted to seize the land.

    Ogunlana, 88, said the intervention of the Special Task Force on Land Grabbers had not deterredthe land grabbers.

    Nevertheless, he commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the State House of Assembly, for enacting the Lagos State Property Protection Law 2016.

    Ogunlana said: “Since the law was signed by Governor Ambode, the activities of the land grabbers in the state, especially, in Ikorodu and Igbogbo reduced to the nearest minimum.

    “But recently, these so called land grabbers have returned in full force. They are currently occupying our land at Agunloye-Idiorogbo, in Igbogbo and selling same. We have reported the case to Task Force on Land Grabbers.”

    According to him, after his complaint, the land grabbers influenced his arrest and that of some of his family members.

    He said: “Despite being the customary owner of the land in question, which was also established by court judgments, I was remanded in prison custody on trumped up allegations of murder for over three months.

    “I was applying medication to my eyes, when these land grabbers and some police came to bundle me into a vehicle on the allegation that I killed someone, on April 23, 2016. I was taken to court on June 7, 2016, on a fictitious allegation, only to be discharged on September 6, 2016, following a Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) advice which cleared me of the allegations.

    “The suit numbers of the cases are IKD/16/2006, between Ogunlana and others against Bolowotan Kuti; IKD/87/2006 Kolawole Ogunlana, Raimi Elegberu against Oba J. O. Fatola, Akin Alagbala Folami and Ganiu Elegberun Akilo and others, and IKD/2/2007 between Chief Ganiu Onabanjo and others against Ishau Kolawole Ogunlana.

    “The cases were decided in our favour by Justice H. A. O. Abiru (now of the Court of Appeal).

    “Also, Justice A. O Williams, in a suit marker IKD/71/2010, decided in our favour the suit between Chief Kolawole Ogunlana and members of Adeyoruwa family against Ladele Olugbode, and others.

    “Despite all these judgments, which we have presented to the Task Force, we are still being harassed”.

  • Buhari commiserates with family of first Village Headmaster, Ted Mukoro

    Buhari commiserates with family of first Village Headmaster, Ted Mukoro

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with family and friends of the first actor to play the role of the Village Headmaster, Ted Mukoro, who passed on Wednesday at the age of 89.

    President Buhari sends condolences to the entire Nollywood family and the advertising community over the loss of the renowned thespian, advertiser and voice talent who spent all his life promoting effective communication, good entertainment and healthy community relations.

    As one of the pioneers of radio drama at the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNBS) and Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), the President commended the late Mukoro for contributing to the development of theatre in Nigeria, and sustaining his interest in acting even in old age by participating in Nollywood movies.

    President Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, affirmed that the advertising industry in Nigeria benefitted from the copywriting skills and structuring of attractive narratives by the late actor, who also mentored many younger Nigerians.

    The President prayed that the almighty God will accept the soul of the departed, and comfort the family he left behind.