The Nation Newspaper

Tag: hits

  • ‘Reckless’ truck driver hits pedestrian in Ogudu

    A truck driver, Ismaila Oyebanji, 31, was yesterday arraigned in an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court for allegedly driving recklessly and hitting a pedestrian, causing him severe injuries.

    Oyebanji, 31, was alleged to have hit the pedestrian with his truck marked FST202XC and ran away.

    The accused is facing a three-count charge of reckless driving and driving without a driver’s licence.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Lucky Ihiehie told the court that the accused on August 26 at about 4:40 p.m. along Ogudu Road by Garafi Street Junction at Ogudu, Lagos, drove his vehicle recklessly.

    He said the accused hit Lucky Yohanna, who was walking along the road and caused him severe injury.

    The prosecutor said that in a bid to escape, the accused caused serious damages to a car that was parked along the road.

    Ihihie said the accused immediately ran away with his vehicle but was chased and caught at Oworonshoki Expressway in Ifako, Lagos by the owner of the car.

    Magistrate E. Kubeinje granted the accused N100, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    Kubeinje adjourned the matter till October 2.

  • Gula hits stage Sept. 30

    Gula hits stage Sept. 30

    H ow reformed are the prisons? Can an inmate leave the prison reformed? Why do  the youth constitute the majority of prisoners?

    These were some of the questions former President Olusegun Obasanjo provided answers to during a briefing in Lagos, on the forthcoming stage play Gula that chronicles part of his prison experiences in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, during Gen. Sani Abacha’s reign of terror.

    According to Obasanjo, who condemned the state of prisons, said the deplorable condition of the prisons makes any ex-inmate to be hardened instead of being repentant, noting that prisons were yet to play the expected roles of punishing, correcting, reforming and rehabilitating inmates.

    He said the prisons were mostly populated  by youths who are in their 20s and 30s. He called on families and concerned bodies, including religious organisations, to pay more attention to the youth as they are the pillars of society.

    The performance of Gula, which is produced by Ashvault Ltd and Declassical Arts and Entertainment, and directed by Mr. Kenneth Uphopho, will hold at the Arena Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos from Saturday to October 8.

    Its Executive Producer, Tunde Oduwole, said  the play brings to the public some of the activities Obasanjo engaged in prison, adding that one of the persons he met, though a hardened criminal, has become a cleric. He noted that the play tells the story of how the former president, in Yola Prison, met and interacted with Baba Ali, the head of a ruthless criminal gang in the North and parts of Cameroun.

    Oduwole said: “While Chief Obasanjo’s life was hanging in the balance, between life and death, rather than allow fear, depression, self-pity or loneliness to engulf him, he took responsibility to understand why the prison was full of young people.”

    According to him, to find answers to this question, Obasanjo interviewed a few inmates and met Baba Ali, whose interview was most engaging and intriguing.

    Ali, the son of a Christian missionary, had answers to the many questions of, ‘who is to blame for juvenile delinquency and criminality.’ The play tells the story of how Baba Ali, who should be a worthy example to emulate, turned out to be a ruthless armed robber and an assassin.

    Oduwole said Gula hopes to speak on the state of the prisons, the need to make them reform homes for juveniles, rehabilitation and re-integration plans for ex-convicts, apart from also highlighting family planning among the less privileged using drama, dance and music to reach the souls of the audience. “Gula is a true-life story that has been in the making for decades. This is a story of courage, hope, taking responsibility and of second chances,” he added.

  • Succession crisis hits NDLEA as senior officers reject acting chair

    Succession crisis hits NDLEA as senior officers reject acting chair

    A leadership crisis is brewing at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), following the exit of Ahmadu Giade, who spent 10 years as the agency’s chairman/chief executive.

    Some concerned NDLEA officers have, in a petition, rejected the appointment of the agency’s secretary, Mrs. Roli Bode-George, as acting chairman/chief executive.

    They said Mrs. Bode-George’s appointment “is unacceptable because she is “not an employee of the NDLEA”.

    The aggrieved senior officers noted that the situation “is breeding disaffection” in the 25-year old agency, urging “President Muhammadu Buhari to consider the appointment of one of the directors of NDLEA as the chairman/chief executive”.

    “It is interesting to know that both the chairman/chief executive and the secretary of the agency are appointed by the President and Commander-in-Chief in what has been described as two key political appointees on consolidated salary. In view of the end of the tenure of Giade and vociferous clamour for a staff of the agency to take over leadership, it has become necessary to clarify who members of staff of the agency are,” the officers wrote.

    In the petition, titled: “Who Succeeds Ahmadu Giade in NDLEA After Ten Years in the Saddle”, the officers explained that the staff of the agency were those defined in Section 5(5) and (6) of the NDLEA Act, which spelt out terms and conditions of service of officers.

    “It is obvious from the above provisions that the chairman/chief executive and the agency secretary are not staff since their appointments are not in accordance with the terms and conditions of the service of the agency.

    “Thus, the clamour for a staff of the agency to take over the top job clearly excludes the secretary of the agency. This is more so, given the fact that Mrs. Roli Bode George, was appointed in October, 2014, as secretary without any law enforcement background,” the petition stated.

    They insisted that precedents in other national agencies showed that the NDLEA secretary was not in a suitable position to take over as the chairman/chief executive.

    “When Nuhu Ribadu was removed as the EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, then director of Operations, was appointed as acting chairman.

    ‘’When Mrs. Farida Waziri was also removed as EFCC chairman, the director of Operation was again made to act as chairman pending appointment of a substantive chairman. On all these occasions, the EFCC also has a secretary,” it added.

    However, when contacted, the NDLEA spokesperson, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said Giade’s decision to hand over to Mrs. Bode-George was in accordance with the law.

    He added that the petition was unfounded, and without any basis in law.

    “There is nothing wrong about handing over to the director-general. Ordinarily, the President should appoint the next chairman/chief executive, but since that has not been done yet, the DG is the next to the chairman in terms of hierarchy and is also the secretary to the board,” Ofoyeju said.

  • 55 killed, 100 injured as Boko Haram hits Maiduguri, Yola mosques

    55 killed, 100 injured as Boko Haram hits Maiduguri, Yola mosques

    Terror sect, BokoHaram, yesterday  let loose  its suicide bombers  on worshippers  in Maiduguri and Yola, leaving at least 55 people dead  in both attacks.

    Twenty-eight  worshippers were feared killed during the  Fajr (early morning prayer)  in a mosque at  Jiddari Polo area of  the Borno State capital. Time was 5 am.

    Umar Sani, a civilian vigilante assisting the military in the counter-insurgency, and local resident Musa Sheriff both told AFP there were two blasts at the mosque.

    “I was involved in the evacuation. We counted 28 dead bodies apart from the two bombers, who were identifiable by the mutilation of their bodies,” said Sani.

    “Over 20 other people were injured.”

    Abdulkadir Ibrahim, spokesman  for  the National Relief Agency, put the death toll at six.He said 17 others were injured.

    Hospital sources put the death toll at 19.

    A  member of the local vigilance group  who took part in the evacuation of the dead said  there appeared to be only one suicide bomber though “we all heard two explosions.”

    Sani and Sheriff said two other people were arrested and handed over to the military for questioning after they were seen apparently celebrating following the blasts.

    The two men were “standing from afar, hugging each other like a celebration, chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest)”, said Sani.

    “To them it was a mission accomplished,” added Sheriff.

    Nine hours later , another  suicide bomber detonated  an Improvised Explosive Device (IED at  the Jambutu Hajj camp mosque in Yola soon after the Imam finished his sermon.

    State Police Commissioner  Gabriel Adaji said eight worshippers were killed.

    Other sources put the death toll  at 27.

    One volunteer at the scene, who helped in the rescue effort but asked not to be identified, said: “This mosque is newly  built and this was the first Jumat in it.

    “While worshippers had risen for the prayers to start after the sermon by the imam, there was a huge blast in the premises.”

    NEMA’s coordinator in the Adamawa state capital, Sa’ad Bello said  116 people were being treated for injuries at two hospitals in the city.

    Most of the injured were in a stable condition, with injuries ranging from fractures and burns to cuts from the blast, he added.

    Yola has been seen as a relatively safe haven from the Boko Haram insurgency, which has ravaged the northeast for the last six years.

    But fears were heightened after an explosive device went off at a camp for displaced people to the south of the city last month, killing seven people and injuring 20 more.

    Boko Haram’s suicide bombers  also attacked worshippers at mosques in Maiduguri  last week.

    Overall,Maiduguri has been hit six times this month alone by Boko Haram insurgents.

    Its fighters also attacked targets in Abuja and Kogi State recently.

    This week, the  police warned that the group was now building bombs within electronic devices like tablets, phones, and laptops, then leaving them for unsuspecting Nigerians to pick up.

    The police  issued the warning after the arraignment on Thursday of five suspects connected with a double bombing in Nigeria’s capital that killed 18 people on Oct. 2.

    The defendants were charged with conspiracy and acts of terrorism  at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    The case  was adjourned until a further hearing on November 17.

  • Seven killed as suicide bomber hits Borno mosque again

    Seven killed as suicide bomber hits Borno mosque again

    Less than 24 hours after a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Maiduguri and killed 42 worshippers, another bombing occurred in the Borno State ca[pital city yesterday, leving seven people dead.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed yesterday that death of the seven people resulted from an early morning attack on a mosque at Molai, a settlement on the outskirts of Maiduguri, by three female suicide bombers.

    The attack also left 17 people injured.

    The spokesman of NEMA in the North East, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said in a short SMS he sent to our correspondent: “At Umarari Bayan Waya, at some minutes past 5 am today (yesterday), the suicide attack was carried out by three female suicide bombers.

    “Seventeen casualties were taken to specialist hospital, seven deaths including the suicide bombers,” Abdulkadir informed.

    In his account, the village Head of Molai , Alhaji Balama Bako, said the female bombers walked confidently into the mosque at about 5.30 am and detonated the IEDs, killing seven, including the three of them.

    Gov. Kashim Shettima with the Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, went on a sympathy visit to Molai community and other parts of the metropolis to visits the victims of terror.

    No fewer than 42 worshippers were killed Thursday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in another mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city.

    All the people in the mosque were said to have died.

  • BoI’s facility for creative industry hits N2b

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) has unveiled plans to enable members of the Nigerian Creative Industry  access its facilities.

    This is coming as the bank’s intervention to the sector hits N2 billion.

    Seven projects are currently accessing BoI’s facilities and another 10 are at various stages of getting loans approval.

    During a visit at the weekend to the set of a film by award-winning movie maker, Kunle Afolayan, Boi’s Managing Director Rasheed Olaoluwa noted that the bank had restructured its operations to improve public access to its services.

    The bank chief said the peculiarity of each sector was being considered for loan disbursements.

    According to him, the BoI has relaxed its criteria to aid access to the facilities as viable distribution channels are being financed to aid loan repayment and mitigate default among stakeholders.

    Olaoluwa said BoI, in line with its mandate, had developed a special product, tagged: “BoI NollyFund”, under which Nigeria’s leading movie producers would get financial support to produce international quality films and screen them through various platforms of movie distribution in Nigeria and abroad.

    He said: “To support this process and ensure that only commercially viable scripts with good story-lines benefit from the scheme, the bank did set up a NollyFund Implementation Advisory Group to advise the institution on loan approval to the creative industry.

    “The group’s mandate is to critically review all the film scripts and associated budgets submitted to BoI by movie producers and make technical recommendations to BoI management for final credit appraisal and subsequent approval, in line with the bank’s credit policy.

    “The visit to Kunle Afolayan’s set for the production of his new movie, The C.E.O, is part of the bank’s activities in assessing the utilisation of the facility approved for a project. It is the same way when we visit factories to see how funds are utilised.

    “NollyFund had an initial programme limit of N1.0 billion and a single obligor limit of N50 million for individual loans. However, over N2 billion has been accessed so far by the industry. Afolayan is the first person to access the fund, while others are underway.”

    Afolayan hailed the bank for improving access to its facility, adding that the project would not have started without funding from the bank.

    He said: “The BoI initiative for the creative industry should be encouraged…”

  • As Ayade hits the ground running

    In “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe’s epic novel published in 1958, which has been translated into 52 languages and which is being taught in almost all secondary schools and universities across the world, it is observed that “ a chick which will grow into a cock, would be spotted before ever it hatches”. To all intents and purposes, the saying that “the morning shows the day”, cannot be more apt than in the enormous political sagacity and astute leadership being displayed by the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Benedict Ayade. On his first working day in office, Monday June 1, Senator Ayade was reported to have locked out workers who thought that it was still business as usual and thus could wake up from their homes at any time of the day and still walk into their offices, even at mid-day and get their full monthly salary. As a governor who resumes work before 8am daily, Ayade has demonstrated leadership by example and has changed workers’ orientation and rekindled in them the zeal to be more productive knowing full well that productivity remains the basis for economic growth in any given society. At a time of popular discontent in the state with the conduct of the party’s primaries which resulted in his emergence as its flag bearer in the 2015 governorship election, Ayade is set to enunciate a new governing philosophy and a new set of ideas that can make a reinvented public sector once again into a catalyst for the greatness of the state.

    Just under two weeks after his inauguration as governor, Ayade has shown that he was prepared for the job and that he had studied and appreciated all the challenges the state is faced with before stepping in. He has lined up programmes that, if implemented to the letter, would move the largely agrarian Niger Delta state to its pride of place among successful states in Nigeria even without oil. At a time when the Calabar/Ikom Road has become a death trap, when transiting from any other part of the state to its capital or vice versa has become a nightmare with several man-hours being lost to embarrassing craters and potholes, the governor has okayed plans to commence the construction of another road, this time a 240 kilometre dual carriage super highway with complete internet facility, from Calabar to Obudu. According to the ebullient governor, this road, which will reduce the journey from Calabar to Obudu, currently five hours, to just about two hours and reduce incessant carnage on the existing road would be flagged off by President Muhammadu Buhari very soon and construction work will start immediately.

    Again, it would be recalled that Calabar the capital of Cross River State was the first political capital of Nigeria. This became possible because the early European missionaries who came into the interior coast of West Africa discovered our territories through water. Yet it is very unfortunate that almost 200 years since the exploration and more than 50 years after their departure, the Calabar port is as shallow and as dry as a swimming pool in a living home. This is attributable to the failure of the Federal Government to dredge the Calabar River to the Atlantic Ocean. Over the years, internal wrangling between the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Federal Inland Water Ways has resulted in failure of government to develop the water ways and a lull in economic activities along the coastal axis especially in the Niger Delta. The non-functionality of the Tinapa International Business Resort in Calabar is also as a result of this politics and the lopsided federal structure. Ayade, aware of what the state stands to gain if the Calabar Port functions optimally, has announced that his government will flag off the construction of the Calabar Deep Seaport come October. This would encourage and promote export trade from the state and bring about expansion of business and economic activities across the state. Given the proximity of the state to other states in Nigeria such as Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Benue and even Taraba, a functional seaport in Calabar will open up Cross River State to a lot of businesses especially now that it is no longer an oil producing state due to the ceding of its 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission RAMFC since 2008. Lagos remains the richest state in Nigeria today not because of oil but because of its deep seaports.

    Another landmark action taken by Ayade since his assumption of office as governor is his investment in the psychology of workers in the state. Before he came into the saddle, workers were owed a month salary arrears; and each time it is paid, another would still be hanging. This situation which was brought about by the dwindling revenue of the state government almost caused a friction between the government of Senator Liyel Imoke and organized Labour. Upon assumption of office, Ayade introduced a fresh initiative to tackle the problem. He invited all stakeholders including banks operating in the state to a brainstorming session to proffer solution to the problem and came up with the resolution that henceforth, workers would get their salaries on the 25th of every month. He has paid the salary for the month of May to pave way for the new order and has thus motivated workers in the state to put in their best and support his new vision for the state. While working on the morale of workers as the factor of production that creates wealth in any given economy, Ayade has begun the rehabilitation of the dangerous street boys who are threatening the peace and comfort of the tourism-driven state. Over 20 of these boys have been given out to willing parents for adoption. The dynamism and intellectual reasoning that Ayade has brought to bear on government business just within two weeks of his ascension to the exalted throne is legendary.

    For those who had been to Cross River State from the administration of Donald Duke to the last months of the Imoke years, it was indisputable that Calabar was the cleanest state capital in Nigeria. The story is told of how a United States-based Nigerian from Enugu State visited Calabar during the 2013 annual Calabar Carnival and Christmas Festival. Within just two weeks of his stay in Cross River State, having been treated to the traditional hospitality of the people, the palatable cuisines and, above all, the environment, topography and landscaping, the young man went back to California to pick his wife and two kids to Calabar where they have now made their permanent place of abode. But, ironically, in the dying days of the Imoke administration, due to an altercation between some government officials and contractors handling the environmental sanitation of the Calabar metropolis, the metropolitan city became an eyesore a few months to the 2015 general elections. Heaps of refuse became familiar sight all over Calabar. All this is now history. Calabar has gone back to its clean status as Ayade personally supervises the evacuation of refuse. Everywhere, the governor is seen giving instructions or directives to people to carry out one assignment or the other while he implements some himself.

    Senator Ayade, a renowned professor of Microbiology could not have manifested such populist ethos from the blues. At the Seventh Senate where he represented Cross River North Senatorial District, until recently when he stepped aside to contest the governorship primaries of his state, Ayade was one of the most active voices. As a parliamentarian who was at home with the condition of his people, his contributions to debates and sponsorship of bills were always proofs of his undying love for the poor and downtrodden in Nigeria. Whatever action he undertook in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly was always a direct reflection of his compassion and feelings for the man in the street. Before he left the Senate in which he was inaugurated on June 6, 2011 as a greenhorn, Ayade’s prodigious output of bills was overwhelming. He took over from Senator Gregory Ngaji as a first timer but his doggedness and resilience coupled with hard work and a consuming love for his people saw him sponsoring bills even more than several old hands known as experienced dark horses.

    • Amor, a journalist and public policy analyst, lives in Abuja.

     

  • Nwakamma hits record 44 Points

    Nwakamma hits record 44 Points

    Back to back league runners up, Dolphins basketball club of Lagos set the indoor sports hall of the Ilorin township stadium alight on Friday  by setting a new Zenith Bank Female Basketball league record of 127 points, in their  127-33 win over Zamfara Babes.

    The FIBA Africa Zone 3 champions were powered by point guard Amaka Nwakamma who set a record for points made in a game, this season with 42points, shooting over 50% from the field and 60% from the freethrow line. Dimunitive guard Tokunbo Olaosebikan and  Juliet Currency both  combined for 38 points in the commanding performance  over  the Zamfara Babes.

    Amaka Nwakamma after the victory said the victory was bold statement from Dolphins  to Zamfara and other teams.

    “ I heard the Zamfara Babes made some unguarded comments about us after we met in Abuja, so we decided to show them how ruthless we  can be. This is also a statement to all other teams that we are ready to win the championship this year”.

    Concerning her record breaking scoring feat, Amaka said it is a product of team work.

    “ My performance was impressive but I want to thank my team mates  for creating the room for me to express myself offensively”.

    Dolphins continue to sit top of the Group B with 22 points and a perfect 11 wins from 11 games from the first phase in Abuja.

  • 20 die as suicide bomber hits Saudi mosque

    20 die as suicide bomber hits Saudi mosque

    An Islamic State group suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia yesterday , killing and wounding several people in an assault that threatens to fan sectarian tensions.

    The bomber struck during the Jumat  in Eastern Province, where assailants linked to the Sunni extremist IS killed seven members of the minority Shiite community in November.

    The interior ministry said a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the mosque in Kudeih, in the Shiite-majority city of Qatif, the official SPA news agency reported.

    “An individual detonated a bomb he was wearing under his clothes during Friday prayers at Ali Ibn Abi Taleb mosque in Kudeih in Qatif,” the ministry spokesman said in a statement.

    He said several people were killed and wounded, without giving a breakdown.

    Shiite activists and witnesses gave conflicting tolls, with one saying four worshippers were killed and others speaking of 22 dead.

    IS said it was behind the attack, the first time the group has officially claimed an attack in Saudi Arabia, and vowed “dark days ahead” for Shiites until militants “chase them from the Arabian Peninsula”.

    IS considers Shiites as heretics.

    A statement published online said “soldiers of the Caliphate” were behind the attack by Abu Amer al-Najdi who “detonated an explosives belt” in the mosque.

    The United States condemned the bombing, but White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was not immediately able to confirm it was the work of IS.

    Shiite Iran demanded that the perpetrators be found and punished, and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah said it holds the Saudi authorities “totally responsible” for the bombing.

  • Smartphone penetration in Nigeria hits 30%

    Global leader in personal computer (PCs, Lenovo, has said smartphone penetration in the country has reached 30 per cent mark, adding that there are still more rooms for growth in the smartphone segment considering the population of the country and huge youth population.

    Its Executive Director, Mobile Business Group, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Shashank Sharma, who spoke during the unveiling of three smartphones into the market, said Nigeria remains strategic to the firm in its African operations.

    He said: “Nigeria is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally. With about 30 per cent smartphone penetration, the country represents huge growth potential for Lenovo.

    “In the past one year, Lenovo has made strong progress with its Nigerian consumers. We consider the region as a principal destination for investment, even as we continue to record robust growth in sales.  Sustaining a solid in-country presence is very important to us from both social and economic standpoints. We will continue to expand our business and invest heavily in this market.”

    “We are building on the strong relationships that we have with Nigerians by meeting their demand for smartphones with first-class design, smarter features and improved functionality, with special focus on our latest range of mobile devices. Our continued organic growth and expansion puts us in a great position to maintain our momentum.  We have tremendous balance between our core business, especially a profitable PC business, and growth engines in tablets, enterprise, ecosystem and smartphones.  We expect to continue to build on these strong results.”

    At the event, the firm unveiled its new entrants into the market; the Lenovo P70 with an epic 4000mAh battery which can lasts up to three days, the Lenovo S90, a perfect selfie companion with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and front light emitting diode (LED) flash and the ergonomically designed Lenovo S60 that showcases users’ fun and social sides.

    The dual-SIM 4G LTE Lenovo P70 smartphone packs an epic 4000mAh battery that could last up to three days for an always-on life. It comes with a 5-inch display, high definition resolution of 720×1280 pixels, a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, Mediatek MT6752 64-bit chip, 2 GB of RAM as well as 16 GB of internal memory which can be expanded to up to 32 GB using the device’s microSD card slot. The P70 also features a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera. The device is powered by the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.

    Also powered by Android’s 4.4 KitKat operating system,  the dual-SIM 4G LTE Lenovo S90 smartphone comes  with a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8916 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad Core processor, a five-inch Super AMOLED high definition display, a 13-megapixel rear auto-focus with LED Flash and PureCel Sensor as well as a front eight-megapixel fixed-focus with LED Flash and back-illuminated (BSI) Sensor. It boasts 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory

    On its part, the dual-SIM and light (128 gram) Lenovo S60 4G LTE smartphone comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel f2.2 wide-angle selfie camera, 2GB RAM, 8GB ROM and 32GB of expandable storage for a large library. Photos, videos, and web content can be viewed in vibrant high definition on the device’s crisp five-inch high definition screen. The combination of an Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and a  superb Qualcomm  Snapdragon 1.2GHz 64-bit Quad Core processor ensures that  the Lenovo S60 is primed to provide users with unlimited fun.