The Nation Newspaper

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  • Man docked for theft of vehicle worth N4.5m

    Man docked for theft of vehicle worth N4.5m

    A 24-year-old man, Pakute Oseni, was on Monday docked before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, for allegedly stealing a vehicle worth N4.5million.

    Oseni of no fixed address was in court on charges of conspiracy and stealing.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Folake Ewe, told the court that Oseni and others now at large, allegedly conspired to steal the vehicle.

    Ewe said Oseni was alleged to have stolen one Lexus Jeep with registration number AGL 553 DX valued at N4.5million.

    She said, “The offences were committed on Jan. 23, 2016 at  8 p.m., at Alarere Area, along new Ife Road, Ibadan, where the car was parked.”

    Ewe said the offences were contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390 (9) (10A) of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State, 2,000.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the offences when they were read to him in court.

    The chief magistrate, Mrs Jejelola Ogunbona, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She, thereafter, adjourned the case until Jan.31, for hearing.

    Read Also: Man docked for theft of electrical cables

  • Oyo Police chief denies shooting female workers of IAR&T

    Oyo Police chief denies shooting female workers of IAR&T

    Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, says his men were not responsible for shooting of two female members of staff of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training ( IAR&T ), Ibadan.

    Odude made the clarification in a telephone interview in Ibadan.

    The police chief spoke on the reports that policemen drafted to quell students’ protest at the Federal College of Agriculture ( FCA ), Apata, Ibadan, shot two workers of the institute.

    In his comments, Prof. James Adediran, the Executive Director of IAR&T, insisted that two members of staff of the institute were shot by the policemen drafted to quell the students protest at the college.

    “In the process of shooting, two personnel of IAR&T who have nothing to do neither with the students nor the college were shot with live bullets,’’ he said.

    Students of the College of Agriculture had on Monday morning staged a protest over the closure of their school.

    Protesting students blocked the gates to the IAR&T preventing vehicles and people from gaining access into the institute which shares the same premises with college.

    This, however, caused a gridlock on Ibadan-Abeokuta Road at Apata.

    “A woman was shot in the abdomen while a young lady, an intern with us, was shot in the thigh.

    “Two of them are lying critically ill at the Emergency Department of UCH, Ibadan,’’ Adediran said.

    Also, Odude said that the students blocked the Ibadan-Abeokuta Road during the protest, attacked vehicles and threw stones at the police.

    He said that four policemen were wounded as a result of the stones thrown at them by the students.

    “Police fired teargas to push the students to the extreme and were able to arrest some of the students that threw the stones.

    “There was no gun shot,’’ Odude insisted.

    NAN

  • Court dissolves eight-year-old marriage over wife’s brutalisation

    Court dissolves eight-year-old marriage over wife’s brutalisation

    Alleged brutalisation of a woman by her husband attracted sanction by an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court sitting at Agodi, Ibadan, on Wednesday as the eight-year-old loveless marriage was dissolved.

    The union between Abayomi Idowu and his wife, Adekemi, was pronounced a nullity over complaints of brutality and lack of care by the estranged wife.

    Adekemi had approached the bar for the dissolution of her marriage on the grounds that her husband denied her access to the only child of the union and constant battering.

    “Idowu has failed to take care of me and the only child of the marriage.

    “He is not a responsible husband because I shouldered the responsibilities alone, I even feed and clothe him.

    “I managed to cope with him until he started beating me and would not hesitate to hit me with anything he sees.

    “So I packed out of his house when I realised that he wanted to kill me,” she told the court.

    “I urge the court to dissolve the marriage and order him (the man) to allow me access to my child.”

    Chief Mukaila Balogun, the President of the court, noted that the defendant was not in court to state his own side of the story in spite of several summonses.

    “The court has no choice than to uphold the request of the plaintiff (the wife),” he said, ordering the defendant to allow Adekemi access to her child.

    He directed the court’s registrar to send a copy of the judgment to the ex-husband.

    NAN

  • Tipper crushes four, injured 10 in Ibadan

    Tipper crushes four, injured 10 in Ibadan

    Four persons were crushed to death Saturday in Ibadan when a tipper truck conveying sharp sand reported suffered break failure along the Moniya-Iseyin road, Ibadan.

    At least ten persons also suffered varying degree of injuries while five motorcycles and three tricycles were destroyed beyond repair.

    The victims include, a motorcycle operator, a woman, an underage boy and a trader at the Moniya Butcher market, Ibadan.

    Sunday Nation gathered that while all the victims met their misfortune at the point of doing business, the underage boy was said to be on errand to purchase vegetables at the market.

    Save for the woman who died while being rushed to the hospital by members of the public who stormed the scene of the accident, the other victims died before the dust settled.

    The driver of the tipper was said to have escape from the scene of the incident unhurt.

    Sources around the scene of the incident told Sunday Nation that the casualty figure would have been higher if not for a member of the transport union unit at the Moniya garage, who saw the haphazard manner with which the truck was descending the hilly road and who immediately alerted people to scramble to safety.

    According to the source, the tipper driver was seen struggling to gain control of the truck which was suspected to have left a tipper garage within the Moniya axis with the load of sand, but the bad situation of the road did not help matters.

    Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, (Motorcycle), Moniya Garage Unit, Mr. Idris Oladoja described the incident as a sad development that could have been averted.

    Confirming the causality figure, Oladoja said the portholes on the road as well as its narrowness contributed to the number accident urging the government to come to the aid of the road users in the axis.

    His counterpart at the tricycle unit, Mr. Femi Adeniyi said he was the one who saw how the tipper was wavering in its movement while descending the hilly but rough road while it was about 200 metres away.

    He said despite his screaming and shouting that the motorcycles and tricycles parked by the side of the road be cleared, the noise from the environment and vehicular movement made it difficult for some people to get the message on time, after which the tipper swerved into the butcher market.

    Men of the police force from nearby Moniya Divisional headquarters and Ojoo were seen at the scene maintaining traffic flow and law and other.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Command, SP Adekunle Ajisebutu said two people were confirmed dead and their corpses deposited at the State Hospital, Mortuary, Ringroad, Ibadan for autopsy.

    The police spokesperson also added that the erring driver of the tipper has been arrested and the accident vehicle recovered to the station for VIO inspection.

    His response reads: “Two victims confirmed dead. Their corpses have been deposited at the State Hospital, Mortuary, Ring Road, Ibadan for autopsy.

    “The erring driver has been arrested, and the accident vehicle recovered to the station for VIO inspection. Investigation is ongoing”

  • Workers in Oyo higher institutions begin strike

    Workers in Oyo higher institutions begin strike

    Workers’ unions across Oyo State-owned tertiary institutions on Friday began an indefinite strike, demanding the payment of over 15 months salary arrears.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workers shut the gates to the institutions and staged peaceful protest round their various host communities.

    The affected institutions include Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH), The Ibarapa Polytechnic and The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

    Others are The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; The College of Education, Lanlate; and Emmanuel Alayande College of Education (EACOED), Oyo.

    Mr Adeniyi Azeez, the Chairman, Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions in all Oyo tertiary institutions, said the strike was inevitable, having explored all other avenues.

    “Our resolution is to embark on indefinite strike after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued to government at its meeting of Oct. 19 at Oke-Ogun Polytechnic,’’ he said.

    Azeez said that the strike was to actualise the payment of the 15 months salary arrears and the restoration of 100 per cent salary payment.

    “The last time we received full salary was December 2015. Since January 2016, we have been receiving 25 per cent salary, which we do call subvention.

    “The state government had since January 2016 reduced subvention to the institutions to 25 per cent, which also reduced the salary to 25 per cent,’’ he said.

    He said that they had lost several of their colleagues due to their inability to manage their health.

    According to him, in the last six years of the Ajimobi-led administration, OYSCATECH has not received any fund for infrastructural development.

    Mr Segun Aderounmu, the ASUP Chairman, Ibarapa Polytechnic, said that they would not return to work until government pays their 15 months salary arrears and 100 per cent subvention to the institution.

    He decried the deduction of 100 per cent tax by the government from the meager 25 per cent subvention to the institutions.

    “It is unfortunate that our members cannot feed, manage their health and pay school fees of their wards.

    “Internally Generated Revenue of the institution cannot be used to finance the institutions. We have told government about this.

    “We are ready for negotiation with government are considerate parents but we are bent on the restoration of 100 per cent salary payment,” Aderounmu said..

    Similarly, Dr Olatunde Ogundiran, the Chairman, College of Education Staff Union (COEASU), Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate lamented the insensitivity of government to their plight.

    Ogundiran also said that their members were going through too much hardship, and they had lost some due to inability to cater for their living.

    He said that the situation was as a result the non-payment of their salaries, vowing that the industrial action would be total until government heeds their demands.

    Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, however, told newsmen that government was working on the solution to the problem.

    “There is no problem that exists on this earth that does not have a solution, so, we are working on the solution.

    “I have met with the unions before and we have met with the heads of tertiary institutions and we are also meeting with the NLC on Tuesday.

    “We believe that a workable solution would be evolved to solve the current imbroglio. The strike will be called off very soon, once we solve the problem.

    “Life is always give and take. We will do some and they will also have to agree with the government to some extent,’’ he said.

    Olowofela said that there was no month the government did not give money, adding that the allegation of government owing 13 to 14 month salary was not true.

    “If they now lack capacity to meet the obligation, government will look at the possibilities.

    “For instance, when you look at the current expenditure as far as The Polytechnic Ibadan is concerned vis-a-vis the money government is charging, it implies that the state government is subsidizing each student to the tune of N200,000.

    “We will balance it out and things will work out,’’ he said.

     Posted in Education |

  • Accord Party deregisters Ladoja

    Accord Party deregisters Ladoja

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Accord Party, has directed its Oyo state chapter to deregister Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, from the party.

    Mr Innocent Igbokwe, the chairman, National Working Committee, South East, gave the order on Tuesday during an official visit of the NWC members to the state secretariat of the party at Aremo in Ibadan.

    Igbokwe who described the ex-governor’s exit from the party as a blessing, said it would also pave way for progress and true internal democracy in the party.

    ”Accord party was established in 2006 while Ladoja joined the party in 2010 to contest the state governorship election in 2011.

    ”Accord is a party, no single person can be powerful than the party.

    ”Accord was not funded or owned by Ladoja, so, his defection to another party is his constitutional right and has no significant effect on the party in Oyo or nationwide

    ”The national body of the party did not enjoy his stay since he joined.

    ”The NWC of the party has therefore, directed the state party secretariat to deregister Sen. Rasheed Ladoja’s name from the register of the party.

    ”Also all wards and local councils’ executive members that were sacked by Ladoja are hereby reinstated pending the conduct of another congress,” he said.

    He said that the NWC has also given approval to the list of state executive members submitted by Mrs Adebukola Ajaja, the new leader of Accord Party in the state.

    Igbokwe assured members in the state that internal democracy would be the hallmark of the party.

    He implored all members to support the new leadership and let the progress of the party be paramount in their dealings.

    NAN

  • N8bn currency scam: Court refuses bail to ailing accused

    N8bn currency scam: Court refuses bail to ailing accused

    A Federal High Court in Ibadan on Thursday refused the bail applications filed by the seven accused persons standing trial over alleged N8 billion currency scam.

    The accused are; Kolawole Babalola, Muniru Olaniran, Kayode Togun, Isiaq Akano, Festus Adeyemi, Akeem Oyebanji and Ayodele Alese.

    Justice Joyce Abdulmaleek in a ruling turned down the applications believing that the accused might jump bail and refuse to show up for trial.

    “I have previously refused similar bail application and I know that the only option left for the applicants is to appeal the decision of the court.

    “The accused persons have also failed to convince this court that their ailment was contagious even though they said that the medical facilities in the prison were not adequate to cater for their deteriorating health.

    “In exercising my discretionary power, I see the possibility of the accused persons jumping bail if granted bail.

    “Therefore, the application for bail is refused and dismissed accordingly,” she ruled.

    After the ruling, the judge adjourned the case till Nov. 21, for continuation of trial.

    Earlier, Mr R. O. Sadiq, counsel to all the applicants had tendered a bail application, citing deplorable health conditions of his clients as reason for the bail application.

    Sadiq had asked the court to consider various portions of the constitution as well as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) in her decision.

    Mr Adebisi Adeniyi, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ), hwever, opposed the bail application, saying the accused persons might jump bail.

    Adeniyi also reminded the court that it had rejected all previous bail applications tendered by the accused.

    Similarly, the court also turned the bail application tendered by one Esther Olunike-Afolabi in a sister case.

    Olunike-Afolabi was earlier convicted and jailed in the case when she opted for plea bargain arrangement with the EFCC.

    Due to her involvement in another case, she was produced in court, but her bail was rejected.

    Meanwhile, in another sister case, Mr Eddwin Ennah, a former Head of Currency Processing and Disposal Unit, Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) Ibadan office, who testified in the case, said he was shocked to see newspapers cut to the size of Naira notes in a box meant to contain N10 million.

    Testifying before Abdulmaleek, Ennah stated that the box was supposed to be containing N10 million made up of N500 notes all through, however, the box was interleaved with N100 notes and cut papers.

    “My lord, another terrible thing during that box inspection period was when our then Branch Controller asked us to cover up that discovery.

    “However, I disagreed with him.

    “The Branch Controller asked each of us to contribute certain amount to make up the loss sum in the box that was interleaved,” Ennah told the court.

    The witness further pointed out that election fraud was not the only avenue of great corruption in Nigeria, but also that several billions of Naira were usually lost to such exercise at the CBN.

    Babalola, Olaniran and Togun along with others have since 2015 been facing multiple charges bordering on conspiracy, conversion, forgery, recirculation of mutilated currencies and stealing of N8 billion at Ibadan office of CBN.

    NAN

  • Customs seizes harmful contraband in Ibadan

    Customs seizes harmful contraband in Ibadan

    The Oyo/Osun Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday seized expired and harmful imported bags of rice, bales of second-hand clothing materials and used tyres.

    Three persons, who were said to be behind the illicit trade, were arrested.

    One thousand, four hundred and forty bags of rice, with duty paid value (DPV) of N19,380,160, were also seized.

    Addressing reporters on activities of the command, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Mr. Elisha David Chikan, said the DPV of all items was N55,660,245.

    He said 14 vehicles, 30 bales and jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing and used tyres, with DPV of N25,703,875, N4,062,500 and N6,513,710 were seized.

    The area controller said three others were arrested in connection with the items.

    He said most of the seizures occurred on Oyo-Ibadan Road while the fairly used tokunbo vehicles were seized on Saki axis at Aleniboro in Atisbo Local Government Area of Oyo State.

    The area controller said all seizures occurred within three weeks.

    Chikan said: “Consequently, the eagle-eyed operatives of the command succeeded within the period in botching the illicit attempts of smugglers to ferry into the country assorted contraband, including foreign rice, bales of second-hand clothing materials, used tyres as well as tokunbo vehicles through the boundaries of this area command.

    “Specifically, we have been able to effect the following seizures.

    “Nissan Almera carrying 20 bags of (50 kg) foreign rice, DAF 45 truck with 800 pieces of used tyres, a Mazda bus with 50 bags of (50 kg) foreign rice, a Mazda bus with 30 bales and jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing materials, a Volvo tipper with 100 bags of (50 kg) foreign rice, a Mercedes Benz truck 911 with 200 bags of foreign rice, a truck with 420 bags of foreign rice, a Mazda bus with 50 bags of foreign rice and a Volvo trailer truck with 600 bags of foreign rice.”

    Other seized items paraded included a Mazda Premacy (tokunbo) car, a Toyota Camry (tokunbo) car, a Volkswagen Golf (tokunbo) car, a Nissan Serena (tokunbo) car and a Mitsubishi Lancer (tokunbo) car.

  • My husband is a lazy man, separate us: wife begs court

    My husband is a lazy man, separate us: wife begs court

    A Customary Court in Mapo, Ibadan, on Tuesday dissolved a 21 year-old marriage between one Ibrahim Tajudeen and his wife Idowu over laziness and irresponsibility.

    The President of the court Mr Ademola Odunade, who granted Idowu’s request for dissolution of the marriage, said a peaceful coexistence between hus band and wife was necessary in any marriage.

    “It is our duty as a court to ensure peace wherever there is trouble.

    “The union between Idowu and Ibrahim has ceased to be henceforth.

    “Custody of the three children produced by the union is awarded to Ibrahim,” Odunade said.

    Narrating her case, Idowu, a mother of three, told the court that Ibrahim was a lazy  and irresponsible man.

    “My lord, Ibrahim is so lazy to the extent that even when I took it upon myself to get him a job, he chose to be lazy.

    “I have tried times without number to ensure that he is productively engaged, but Ibrahim kept telling me that he is not strong.

    “Besides, he is so troublesome that I can no more cope with his troubles.

    “Worst still, I have been reduced to almost nothing because Ibrahim does not give the children and I any form of care. He neither clothes our nakedness nor does he provide for our food,
    we are just there.

    “I am principally responsible for the children’s education and other needs.”

    She said she was also responsible for the payment of the house rent since 2016.

    “There is no more love between us, please, separate us,” Idowu pleaded.

    However, Ibrahim denied all the allegations  against him and rejected the divorce suit.

    “My Lord, I have a well established car wash service and so it is not true that I am lazy.

    “I provide Idowu’s needs according to my capability.

    “I have been responsible for everything in the house and I will continue to perform my duty,” Ibrahim said. (NAN)

  • AD chieftain lauds President Buhari

    AD chieftain lauds President Buhari

    Mr Josiah Ogungbemi, a chieftain of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), has commended President Mohammadu Buhari over the sack of Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms.

    Ogungbemi gave the commendation in an interview  in Ibadan on Tuesday.

    According to him, the order for immediate disengagement of Maina would strengthen the confidence Nigerians had on Buhari’s ability to fight corruption.

    He, however, urged the president to ensure that all accomplices in the Maina’s reinstatement were sanctioned.

    ”Every patriotic Nigerian will be happy about the directive for the sack of Maina because it further proves that President Buhari means the ongoing anti-corruption crusade.

    ”The reinstatement of the former pension boss who had been declared wanted by the EFCC since 2015, clearly shows that some unpatriotic Nigerians are behind the scene,’’ he said

    Ogungbemi called on EFCC to do the needful on Maina’s case for other corrupt-minded public servants to turn a new leaf.

    Buhari, on Monday, ordered the immediate disengagement of Maina from the federal service.

    The president also demanded a full report of the circumstances of Maina’s reinstatement and posting to the Ministry of Interior.

    Maina, who was  appointed by the former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2010, was alleged to have connived with others to misappropriate N100 billion in 2012.

    He was subsequently arraigned in 2015 by the EFCC, after declaring him wanted.

    NAN