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Tag: Jos

  • Atiku condoles with families of supporters involved in accident

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condoled with family members of those who lost their lives on Saturday road accident after his rally in  Jos.

    He expressed the condolence in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Mr Paul Ibe, on Sunday in Abuja.

    Abubakar said that he received with sadness report of the loss of Mrs Christy Dungtou and Mr Donatus Morkwap, members of one of his support groups, in a road accident on their way to Shendam after the Jos rally.

    Mrs Dungtou died at the scene of the accident while Morkwap passed away as he was being conveyed to General Hospital, Barkin-Ladi.

    Mr Kwalmi Julius, one of the injured whose condition is critical is receiving treatment at the Plateau Hospital, Jos, while the other two had been referred to Shendam.

    The statement revealed that the Atiku Presidential Campaign is in liaison with an official of the support group who has confirmed that the corpses of the deceased have been deposited at the mortuary in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau.

    Abubakar expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased even as he prayed for the speedy recovery of those still in hospital.

    The former Vice President has also directed his campaign organisation to spare no resource in ensuring that those still in hospital receive the best of medical care.

    He has also instructed that the Campaign takes care of the burial cost of the deceased.

    Abubakar acknowledged the efforts and sacrifices of thousands of his support groups and millions of their members in his avowed commitment to get Nigeria working again for the good of all.

    He assured that their sacrifices would not be in vain.

    NAN

  • Man to die by hanging for killing stepmother

    A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old man, Binfa Lamde, to death by hanging for killing his stepmother.

    Justice A. I  Ashoms, who handed down the judgment, declared that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Lamde killed the woman.

    “Going by the facts before this court, you, Binfa Lamde, mercilessly took the life of your stepmother, Mrs. Kum Zwade, in cold blood.

    “This sentence is mandatory; the law states that any person convicted of murder shall be punished with death by hanging.

    “The sentence of this court upon you is that you will be hanged until you are dead,’’ Ashoms declared.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convict was first arraigned on July 14, 2014, charged with culpable homicide, contrary to section 221 of the Penal Code, and punishable with death upon conviction.

    Lamde was said to have committed the crime on April 10, 2014, when he used a machete to hack his stepmother to death.

    Read Also: Court remands pupil for allegedly killing schoolmate

    Lamde, a resident of Ngwak village, Langtang North, in his confessional statement to the Police, said that he was at home on the said date when he heard his step sister, one Chakwai Zamde, screaming in her room.

    “I ran to her and she told me she was not feeling fine. We took her to the hospital, but after several checks, we were told that nothing was medically wrong with her.

    “We later took her to a native doctor, but her health condition kept deteriorating. My stepmother later confessed that she had `tied’ the sick girl through witchcraft.

    “We asked her to `untie’ the girl, but she refused. My son was equally sick at that time and I felt she was also responsible. So, when my step sister died, I got very angry.

    “I went into her (late stepmother)’s room, while she was sleeping, and used a machete to stab her all over her head and she died instantly,’’ the Police quoted Lamde as saying in the statement.

    Counsel to the convict, Mr David Adudu, while speaking with newsmen after the judgment, said that the capital punishment handed down on the convict was right as he was found guilty of the crime.

    Adudu, however, said that he would study the judgement and appeal the death penalty.

  • Man appears in court for theft

    A 56-year-old man, Samuel Chung, on Wednesday, appeared before an Upper Area Court in Kabong, Jos for alleged theft of a vehicle; Mitsubishi canter.

    Chung, a resident of Kwang Village in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau, is facing a four-count charge of breach of trust, theft, misappropriation and cheating.

    According to the Police Prosecutor, Ezekiel Galadima, the victim, Mr Gyang Dakwak of No.1 Du way Rayfield Jos, reported the case at the A Division Police Station on Nov. 22.

    Galadima told the court that the accused was employed as a chief mason by the victim and was given a Mitsubishi canter valued N1.8 million.

    Read Also: Man, 30, in court over alleged theft of government bicycle

    He said that the accused sold the vehicle for one million naira without the consent of the owner and used the money for his personal needs.

    The prosecutor added that the offence contravened Sections 312, 287, 309 and 322 of the Penal Code.The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The judge, Mr Nanlang Dashe, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with a surety in like sum.

    Dashe said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and submit his driver’s licence or permanent voter card to the court.

    He, however, adjourned the case until Nov. 30 for mention.

    NAN

  • Tailor jailed for stealing woman’s hand bag

    A Kabong Upper Area Court in Jos on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old tailor, Emmanuel Yakubu, to one year imprisonment for stealing a woman’s hand bag.

    The Judge, Nanlang Dashe, who did not give Yakubu a fine option, also ordered him to pay N39,700 to the owner of the bag.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Ezekiel Galadima, had told the court that the case was reported at the Police Area Command Office, Jos on Nov. 17, 2018, by Ishaya Joshua, a Police officer and leader of a Police patrol team.

    Galadima told the court that the accused, who is a resident of Jenta-Mangoro in Jos, was arrested while in possession of a hand bag belonging to one Naomi Sunday.

    Read Also: Seven jailed for rape in Akwa Ibom

    The prosecutor alleged that the accused person conspired with two others, now at large, to snatch the hand bag.

    “The bag contained a cell phone valued at N38,000 and N1,700 cash, but as at the time of recovery, it was empty,” Galadima further stated.

    He said that the offence was contrary to sections 97 and 287 of the penal code law.

    On arraignment, the accused pleaded guilty as charged, and begged the court for leniency.

    NAN

  • Court jails businessman for raping eight-year old girl

    An Upper Area Court III, Kasuwan Nama in Jos, on Friday, sentenced a 61-year-old businessman Isaac Phillip to three years in prison for raping an eight-year-old girl.

    The judge, Yahaya Mohammed, sentenced Phillip, did not give him an option to pay a fine, said it would serve as a deterrent to others who would want to indulge in such crime.

    Read Also:Court jails driver one year for stealing auto parts

    Mohammed also ordered the convict to pay N20, 000 as compensation to the victim’s family to enable them pay  her  hospital bills.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Ibrahim Gukwat told the court that the case was reported by one Favour Emmanuel of Mado Tudun-wada who is the vitim’s mother in Oct.9 and was transferred from “A” Divisional Headquarters Jos to Legal Department Jos for prosecution.

    Gukwat told the court that the accused lured the girl into his house and raped her.

    On arraignment, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.

    Gukwat said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 283 of the Penal Code law of Northern Nigeria.

    NAN

  • Suspected killers of General Alkali arraigned in Jos

    Nineteen persons suspected to have played direct or indirect roles in the killing General Idris Mohammed Alkali were on Monday arraigned before Plateau State High Court Jos on two count charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.
    The 19 suspects included 17 teenagers, a village head and a woman.
    The suspects were said to have conspired to attack and killed late General Alkali on the 3rd of September while traveling from Abuja en route Jos to Bauchi.
    Prosecution counsel, Barr Emmanuel Achoba moved the application for ex-parte and same was granted by the court. There after, the charges were read out to the accused and they all pleaded not guilty.
    The prosecution counsel then asked for an adjournment to enable them bring witnesses to prove the case and further requested that the accused be remanded in prison custody.
    The court granted the prayers and adjourned the matter to 10th December, 2018 for hearing.
    The presiding judge, Justice Daniel Longji after adjourning the case ordered the suspects to be remanded in prison custody until the case come up for hearing on 10th December next month.
    Counsel to the accused Barr. Gyang Zi who did not raise any objection to the court order said, “the accused persons had made their first appearance in court as they have pleaded not guilty, that is exactly what transpired during the first appearance in court today.”
    “But now that the suspects have been arraigned and have been remanded, I can now have access to them and prepare for the case proper and for their bail at the next hearing. We can’t proceed further than this because I don’t have access to them before now”

  • Police foil bank robbery attempt , kill two in Nasarawa

    The Nasarawa State Police Command on Thursday said it foiled a bank robbery attempt by a four-man gang, following a gun battle with the suspects in Lafia.

    SP Kennedy Idirisu, Spokesman for the command, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.

    He said that policemen on duty at a branch of Diamond bank on Jos Road, Lafia, got a tip-off about the robbery on Wednesday, and engaged the gang in a gun battle at 10a.m. in front of the bank.

    Idirisu said that the gang drove in in two vehicles, both with Lagos registration number – a Toyota Lexus marked EKY 282 DP and Toyota Corolla marked FST 411 FH.

    He said that the police arrested one of the suspects, and two died while receiving treatment at the Dalhatu Araf Hopital, Lafia.

    Read Also: Refuse: Lagos Assembly orders PSP operators back to work

    According to the spokesman, a suspect escaped with bullet wounds.

    “Our investigation revealed that the gang trailed a staff of the General Hospital Nasarawa Eggon, from the bank in Lafia, where he withdrew N250, 000.

    “They followed him to Nasarawa Eggon, took the money, and returned to Jos Road, where there are clusters of banks, to carry out another operation, not knowing that they were being trailed.

    “The police swooped on them and arrested one of the suspects driving the Toyota Corolla, while the others in Toyota Lexus opened fire in an attempt to escape.

    “The jeep and two of the suspects were arrested on Shendam Road while the driver escaped with bullet wounds,” Idirisu said.

    He said that the arrested suspect confessed to the crime, adding that items recovered from the vehicles included the stolen N250, 000, a master key and a wallet containing N31, 000.

    Similarly, Idirisu said that the police arrested three other robbery suspects on the same day at Nasarawa LGA for allegedly robbing a couple at Gunki Village.

    He said that the robbery took place on Tuesday.

    According to him, the police recovered two locally-fabricated pistols, two live cartridges and valuables of the victims from the suspects.

  • Abuse of painkillers can cause kidney failure – expert

    Dr Zumnan Gimba, a consultant in the University Teaching Hospital Jos (JUTH) on Tuesday said abuse of painkiller, strong antibiotics and self medication could cause kidney failure.

    Gimba, a Nephrologist made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos.

    Nephrology is a branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of diseases of the kidneys.

    He said that indiscriminate intake of drugs such as painkillers and strong antibiotics could damage the kidney and eventually lead to kidney failure.

    He warned people who indulged in such act to desist from it, adding that such abuses were highly detrimental to health.

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    According to him, if diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are not properly managed, it can also lead to the damage of kidney.

    “People who are in a habit of taking excessive salt and certain herbal concoctions can induce damage to the kidney,’’ he said.

    Gimba, however, advised individuals with family history of kidney diseases to ensure that they had regular kidney function tests as the disease could also be hereditary.

    He also urged people to inculcate the habit of ensuring that they check their blood sugar level and blood pressure always.

    “My advised to people is that they should ensure they eat healthy food and take only prescribed drugs as directed by medical expert,’’ Gimba.

  • Jang congratulates Atiku, pledges total support

    Former Plateau governor, Sen. Jonah Jang, has congratulated Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for picking the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 general elections.

    Jang, who also contested alongside Atiku and 10 others, said in a statement issued on Monday in Jos that the victory was well-deserved and he would support the party’s candidate to win in 2019.

    Our reporter reported that  Atiku polled 1,532 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Aminu Tambuwal, who had 693 votes at the party’s elective convention held in Port- Harcourt.

    Read Also:Bindow embraces Buhari as Atiku’s victory divides Adamawa

    “On behalf of my campaign team and teeming supporters, I hereby congratulate Atiku Abubakar for a deserved victory and accept in totality the outcome of the Primary Elections.

    “As a loyal member and responsible stakeholder of our party, I hereby pledge to support and work for the actualisation of the anticipated Atiku Abubakar presidency; a presidency which I strongly believe will have answers to the multifaceted problems confounding the current occupant of Aso Rock, ” Jang said.

    The former governor urged Atiku to pay special attention to the challenges confronting the people of Middle Belt, particularly the countless killing of innocent citizens by ” faceless” gunmen, when he becomes president.

    He advised the candidate to make the security and welfare of the middle belters his top priority.

    Jang commended the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee and the Dr Ifeanyi Okowa-led Convention committee for organising a hitch-free and transparent convention.

  • Teachers’ Day: NUT holds special prayers for end to Plateau killings

    The Plateau Chapter of the National Union of Teachers ( NUT ) on Friday held a special prayer session for intercession to end killings in the state.

    Speaking at the event to mark the 2018 World Teachers’ Day on Friday in Jos, Mr Ayuba Gana, the NUT Chairman in Plateau said the state was marking the day solemnly because of the spate of killings.

    Gana said the prayer was to seek God’s intervention in the security challenges in the state which had destroyed lives and property and threatened access to quality education for children.

    “We are praying against the killings because it threatens the future of our children.

    “They cannot go to school in this situation; this is a concern to us and should be to every member of the society

    “ We have lost many teachers and school children in these killings; we do not want our situation to be like that of Borno where many schools have been abandoned because of security challenges.

    “The prayer session is also is to seek for wisdom and grace for teachers to discharge their duties diligently irrespective of the challenges they are facing,’’ he said.

    He said the prayer was further geared towards seeking improvement in their welfare alleging that they were last promoted in 2016 even though many teachers were currently due for promotion.

    “ Many teachers are stagnated in their current positions, our annual increment has been irregular and many retired teachers are yet to receive their entitlements and are suffering ill health.

    “We are still receiving half salary since the approval of the N18, 000 minimum wage and in many rural schools, there are inadequate teachers “ he said.

    Read Also: Teachers get Dec. 2019 deadline to get professional licence

    Gana said the theme for the 2018 celebration, ‘’the Right to Education means the Right to a Qualified Teacher’’ was apt as it showed the importance of teachers in improving access to quality education.

    One of the teachers, Mr Bashir Isah stressed the need for sponsors of attacks in the state to be exposed just as the people must endeavour to live in peace.

    Mrs Martha Ibrahim on her part, prayed for improved welfare for teachers and better enabling environment for teaching and learning.

    Over 100 primary school teachers across the 17 local government areas in Plateau converged on the NUT secretariat for the special prayer session.

    NAN reports that World Teachers Day is marked annually on Oct. 5 to highlight the contributions of teachers to ensure a better society while seeking better welfare for them.