The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lying

  • Woman burns daughter with iron for lying

    The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old woman, Ayo Sheriff, for allegedly burning her daughter, Aishat Sheriff, 16, with a pressing iron.

    The incident occurred at Ijora-Badia.

    It was gathered that the mother was furious after she realised her daughter had lied she was keeping N250 that was meant for Aishat’s boss.

    According to the police, Aishat, an apprentice auxiliary nurse, was given N500 by her boss to give someone N200 on her way home, use N50 as transport fare and return N250 the following day.

    The teenager, who’s also a secondary school pupil, failed to handover the balance to her boss and when asked, she lied that her mother was with the money.

    Unknown to Aishat, her boss called her mother and the latter was shocked and denied having the money.

    She was said to have plugged an electric iron on her daughter’s right limbs as soon as she got home for disgracing the family.

    The Nation gathered that the victim’s Guardian and Counsellor in school noticed the burnt injuries on her body the following day in school, questioned her and she opened up.

    Thereafter, the counsellor, it was learnt notified the orphanage and the police, who moved to the woman’s house and took the victim and her siblings away.

    According to police spokesman, Chike Oti, a Superintendent (SP), the victim and her younger sisters have been taken to Chosen Orphanage Home, at Gastya Estate, Ijora-Badia.

    He said: “The incident happened on April 24. The girl and her two younger siblings are being sheltered in Chosen Child Orphanage Home.

    “The Commissioner of Police (CP) was miffed at the sight of the horrible wounds inflicted on a child by her mother. He therefore called on parents to correct their children in love. He said the rate at which cases of domestic violence was increasing was a source of concern to the command.

    “The Gender Section of the Command, headed by Mrs Adejoke Cole, a Superintendent (SP) had concluded investigation into the case and would charge the suspect to Ikeja Magistrates’ Court today.”

  • UK visa applicant jailed three years for lying

    An Ikeja Special Offences Court yesterday sentenced a United Kingdom (UK) visa applicant, Kolawole Viyon, to three years’ imprisonment for lying about his marital status.

    Justice Mojisola Dada, however, gave him a N300,000 fine option.

    Viyon was convicted on the strength of the terms of his plea bargain with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    “The terms of the plea bargain agreement are adopted as the sentence of this court and the judgment thereof.

    “He is hereby sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or the fine imposed,” the judge said.

    Justice Dada said if the fine was not paid within 24 hours, “Viyon will have to mandatorily serve his prison term.”

    His counsel, Ms Hannah Adeyemi, told the court that he was ready to pay the fine immediately.

    ICPC through its counsel, Mr. Gogodoye West, said the defendant committed the offence  with Olaronke Akerele on December 13, 2016, at the ICPC Lagos Zonal Office.

    He said some British High Commission officials in 2016 handed over Viyon and his accomplice, now at large, to the ICPC, for giving false information in their visa application forms.

    West told the court that “in his extra-judicial statement volunteered under caution before Mrs. Nkem Ezenwa, an investigating officer with the ICPC, Viyon made a false statement that Olaronke Akerele was his third and legally married wife.

    “Viyon told Ezenwa and Mr Kenneth Agba, another investigating officer of the ICPC that the wedding between himself and Akerele was conducted by an Imam under Islamic law.

    “The defendant said the marriage was evidenced by a certificate of marriage with number JUN/LB/0000064 dated January 9, 2016 and issued by the Jama-at-ul-Islamiyya of Nigeria.

    “Viyon also lied that he signed the certificate of marriage and that the ceremony was conducted at 108, Tokunboh Street, Lagos Island,” the prosecutor said.

    West said investigation showed that Viyon and Akerele were not married, nor do they have a marriage certificate from Jama-at-ul-Islamiyya of Nigeria.

    At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, Viyon pleaded guilty to an amended three-count charge of knowingly making statements which are false.

    Before his plea bargain was taking, the prosecution applied for the withdrawal of the charge against Akerele, who is at large.

    “The application for withdrawal has become necessary since she has been on the run and we have been unable to apprehend her,” the prosecutor said.

     

  • Who is lying?

    What actually happened at Nkpogu junction, Trans Amadi Industrial Area, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on November 11 when the convoys of two powerful persons clashed?  The most important actors, Governor Nyeson Wike and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, gave conflicting accounts and interpretations of what happened.

    This is how Wike presented the incident: “I escaped assassination.” This is the picture Amaechi painted: “Governor’s security pulled guns on me.”

    The police contradicted these claims.  A report said: “Briefing reporters on the outcome of the probe ordered by Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris, Commissioner of Police Zaki Ahmed dismissed as untrue the allegations by the duo that there were attempts on their lives… Ahmed said: “I have to clear the air on allegations and counter-allegations making the rounds of alleged assassination plot by two notable figures in the country…”

    The story became even more puzzling when the state government through Commissioner for Information Emmanuel Okah accused the police of lying. He said: “The Rivers State Government has rejected and dismissed the Nigeria Police report on the convoy attack on the Governor of Rivers State by the Minister of Transport, saying the biased report is a sad development for the police force that has chosen to disgrace itself.”

    Okah followed with serious allegations that should be taken seriously.  According to him, “The Police did not investigate the matter, but acted a script written for it by the Commander of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Mr. Akin Fakorede, who is a bosom friend and hatchet man of the Minister of Transport and the APC.” He added: “From the totality of the statement of the Police in Rivers State, it is very obvious that plans and strategies have reached advanced stages to eliminate the Governor of Rivers State; the incident of last Saturday is a manifestation of the plans of the police.”

    If Wike is lying, and Amaechi is lying, and the police are lying, then who will tell the public the truth?  The truth is that the incident that produced the lies shouldn’t have been allowed to happen. It is true that there is no love lost between Wike and Amaechi. It is also true that the two men are taking their conflict too far by allowing things to degenerate to the point where the public doesn’t know who to believe and what to believe. This is bad for their image.

  • Tagbo: Davido quizzed for ‘lying’

    Tagbo: Davido quizzed for ‘lying’

    …As autopsy reveals friend died of asphyxia

    Music artiste, David Adeleke, aka Davido is under fire for lying to the police that he did not know how his deceased friend, Tagbo Umeike, got to the Lagos General Hospital’s premise.

    Acting Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal, Wednesday, told reporters that Close Circuit Television  (CCTV) footages from the hospital proved that Umeike was brought in dead (BID) by Davido’s escort driver, Tunde Usutu and two of his (Davido) friends, Agbeje Olaoye and Idris Busari.

    He said the men abandoned the deceased inside his ash Toyota Camry LSD378EL on the instruction of Davido.

    According to Edgal, Davido, his friends and the escort driver were being questioned by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Lion Building.

    He said: “On October 3, at about 9:20am, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of General Hospital Lagos, Oparanti Moshood, alerted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Lion Building that an unidentified male was brought in dead (BID) in an Ash Toyota Camry Saloon car marked LSD378EL by two unidentified males.

    “From the international passport found in the deceased’s car, the DPO gave his identity as Tagbo Umeike. Immediately after, one Caroline Danjuma, an actress and the victim’s fiancee, published on her Instagram page that her boyfriend died in the company of one David Adeleke, alias Davido and friends.

    “To be objective and verify facts, I called for a pre-investigation meeting in my conference room. In attendance were all parties including family, friends of the deceased; those of Davido; Caroline Danjuma; the DPO and investigating officers.

    “The meeting confirmed that the deceased Tagbo Umeike on that day met and had drinks with friends at Shisha Bar amongst whom was Davido. The bar tender confirmed the deceased had as much as 40 tots of Tequila and exhibited signs of drunkenness.

    The CCTV footage also confirmed this.

    “Davido had told the police he had left Shisha Bar for DNA Night Club in Victoria Island without the deceased and was only informed by mutual friends of his death while he was at DNA.

    “However, investigation revealed that Davido’s white Toyota Hilux escort driver, Tunde Usutu, accompanied by one Agbeje Olaoye and one Idris Busari, both Davido’s friends, took the deceased to the General Hospital Lagos and abandoned him in his vehicle on the instruction of Davido.

    “The CCTV footage at the hospital picked the escort vehicle and the entire activity. The vehicle was recovered from Davido’s residence at 7, Awoshika Street, Lekki Phase 1.

    “This completely debunks Davido’s claim that he did not know how the deceased got to the General Hospital. The interim autopsy report stated that the victim died of Asphyxia.”

    On the cause of death of two other Davido’s friends who were found dead inside a BMW car marked KJA631AY on October 7 at Banana Island, Edgal said the autopsy had not been concluded.

    He said: “A case of sudden and unnatural death (SUD) was reported on October 7, at about 8pm by the CSO Banana Island, Ikoyi, to the DPO Ikoyi that two persons namely, Olugbemi Abiodun and Chime Amechina of Flat Bill, Ocean Parade, were found dead inside one white BMW Saloon car marked KJA631AY, at underground garage in the estate.

    “Police operatives raced to the scene where the bodies of the victims were taken to LASUTH, Ikeja for joint medical examination to determine cause of death.

    “Victims were found motionless and were confirmed dead by a medical doctor. Further search into the vehicle revealed that wrapped substances suspected to be weeds were recovered and might have been used by the victims.

    “Liquid substances were observed on their mouths and nostrils. From investigation by policemen at the scene, there were no visible marks on their bodies. The result of the autopsy is still being awaited. The pathologist said there was need for further findings before conclusions could be drawn on the cause of death.”

    The singer has responded to the invitation, as he was seen at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, in the company of his lawyer.

  • When lying becomes a vocation…

    When lying becomes a vocation…

    Ayn Rand was a Russian-born American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She gave the world one of the most truthful and popular quotes when she said,

    “People think that a liar gains a victory over his victim. What I’ve learned is that a lie is an act of self-abdication, because one surrenders one’s reality to the person to whom one lies, making that person one’s master, condemning oneself from then on to faking the sort of reality that person’s view requires to be faked…The man who lies to the world, is the world’s slave from then on…There are no white lies, there is only the blackest of destruction, and a white lie is the blackest of all.”

    Rand’s statement was aptly corroborated by

    Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, a German philosopher, cultural critic, poet, and Latin and Greek schools thus,

    “I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”

    The above quotes draw us to the nagging reality about telling lies. When an individual or group elects to make lying an art and a vocation, the consequences of such a decision is that the immediate community of the liar(s) is endangered. Not everyone has the time to go an extra mile to dig the veracity of a statement made by a habitual liar.

    The current situation in Benue State paints the above picture succinctly. Since May 29 last year, the now opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has deployed its propaganda machinery to lie to the good people of the state. Their object in the felonious trade is no other than the Samuel Ortom administration. No day passes without one lie or the other being told against the Ortom administration. From the laughable allegations of bailout funds diversion to the ridiculous claims that officials of the present administration are building and buying structures in choice locations of the country, the PDP propaganda team has used the social media to swear, wait a minute, in whose name? (certainly not that of God) that the current government is not leading well. But on each occasion I check, I do not see their claims backed by evidence/verifiable facts.

    But Benue people are no fools. The people know the truth. The good people of Benue know who received over one trillion naira between 2007 and 2015 and spent without appropriation, a whopping sum of N219 billion while over N151 billion went missing from the state coffers making the Justice Elizabeth Kpojime Judicial Commission of Inquiry to recommend that 52 individuals and 10 corporate bodies be made to vomit N107 billion and further investigation be carried out into additional N44 billion.

    Benue people are much aware that the Ortom administration has not taken fresh loans as the opposition claims. The people know that the recent funds of N10 billion and N5.5 billion which came to the state in the last few weeks are the same loans the State House of Assembly approved last year which we publicised. The government could not access the loans until now. So any claim that the government of Benue State has taken fresh loans is pure mischief.

    The opposition has tried without success to hoodwink the people into believing that the N28 billion the present administration received late last year to clear the backlog of salaries which the immediate past Government of Gabriel Suswam refused to pay is bailout, in other words, free cash from the Federal Government. But the truth is that the money is not a grant. It is a loan and the Benue State Government has already started paying back the loan. Just imagine what the N28 billion could have done for Benue if it were not for payment of salary backlog. That money can change any sector of the economy for the better. But it is not to be in Benue as the funds have been used for the payment of salaries owed workers. Fair enough, isn’t it?

    The Ortom administration has refused to be weighed down by the barrage of lies told daily by the opposition. The Governor and his team are moving on as hope rises in the horizon for the people of the state.

    Already, Governor Ortom has approved the construction 12 roads in different parts of the state nine of which were awarded by former Governor Gabriel Suswam but the projects were abandoned and the contract money gleefully shared by members of that administration. The affected contractors have been mobilised back to site and work is set to be completed on those roads this year.

    Here are the road projects:

    1. Zaki Biam – Afia – Gbeji road 46.52km
    2. Taraku – Naka – Agagbe road 61km
    3. Oju – Obussa – Utonkon road 52.00km
    4. Otukpo – Utonkon – Igumale road 55.61km
    5. Oshigbudu – Ogbaji road 10km
    6. Igbor – Ikpa – Wannune road 36.732k
    7. Vandeikya – Kotiyough – Adikpo road 32.00km
    8. Ge – Ikyobo – Agbeede – Amua – Anshagba road 37km
    9. Tordonga – Zaki Biam with spur to Tsewuaze – Tiza – Shila road 45.14km

    Below are the new road contracts so far awarded by the Ortom administration while it constructs the ones listed above which were awarded during the last administration but were abandoned and the money found its way into private pockets:

    1. Daudu – Gbajimba road
    2. Makurdi Outer Ring road (Mobile Police road) Mobile Barracks –  Adeke – Welfare Quarters – Yaikyo – Apir road 24km
    3. Origbo – Imande – Akpur – Gbajimba road 40. 397km

    As we speak, the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board is advertising in various national newspapers calling for tenders for the construction and rehabilitation of over 700 primary schools – 4th quarter 2011 to 4th quarter 2015. Similarly, there will be conduct of geophysical survey/drilling of boreholes, construction and supply of teachers’ tables and chairs, procurement and installation of computers/portal construction in primary and junior secondary schools across the state.

    Water is now running through taps in Katsina-Ala and Otukpo as a result of deliberate efforts by the Ortom administration to complete the abandoned water projects. Recently, the office of the Special Adviser, Development Cooperation, SDGs and NEPAD, Dr. Magdalyne Dura, publicly opened bids for the construction of primary health facilities in the 23 local government areas of the state.

    Governor Samuel Ortom believes that Benue people deserve good services and he is committed to completing any abandoned project which can bring smiles to the faces of the people while embarking on new ones.

    On Wednesday, the 10th of February, the Benue State Government signed an agreement with Torra KFT for the completion of the Wannune Tomato Factory which is aimed at creating hundreds of jobs for the people. The same approach is being applied to other comatose state-owned industries.

    Already, the training and retraining of thousands of teachers has been in the state.

    Governor Ortom has refused to be weighed down by the numerous challenges he faced following the numerous pitfalls the immediate past administration set for him. One of the traps was that the present administration did not only meet an empty treasury, it actually met a deficit treasury.

    We have published many times other achievements of the Ortom administration in the last 9 months so I wouldn’t go into the full long list now but perhaps one needs to take a quick look at some of the things the Ortom administration has done in a few months despite the daunting challenges it has faced within the same period:

    – Trimming of Government size from the previous 17 Commissioners to 13 and advisers from 28 to 18. This is to reduce the cost of governance, a significant departure from the prevalence of waste witnessed during the last dispensation.

    – Resolution of disputes with unions a few days after taking over and the resumption of Benue State University (BSU) from strike.

    -Payment of accreditation requirements of College of Health Sciences and BSU Teaching Hospital leading to granting of accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria after 12 years.

    – Rehabilitation of School of Nursing and Midwifery for re-accreditation.

    – Immediate commencement of payment of full salaries at state and local Government levels after the workers had not received their wages for a period of several months.

    The Government also paid minimum wage to primary school teachers in the state.

    – Promotion of peace between farmers and herdsmen as well as deepening inter-state peace building efforts.

    – Introduction and prosecution of Amnesty Programme which led to the recovery of over 400 arms, thousands of ammunition while over 700 youths embraced the amnesty and surrendered their weapons. The initiative has brought peace to various parts of the state.

    – Setting up of Judicial Commission of Inquiry into funds which accrued to state and how they were utilised between 2007 and 2015 as well as the Administrative Commission of Inquiry into the sale and lease of government property within the same period. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry submitted its report recently and indicted 52 individuals and 10 corporate bodies who are to refund over N107 billion to the coffers of the state. A white paper has already been issued on the Kpojime Commission’s report.

    – Collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA for the establishment of Benue State Information Technology Development Agency, BITDA

    – Partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology and the Rockefeller Foundation for training of 1,500 unemployed youths from the 23 local government areas of the state on how to access online jobs.

    – Re-engagement with Development Partners, UN, UNHCR, UNFPA, World Bank, IFAD, USAID for the provision of Education, Health services etc.

    – Signing of MOU with Chinese, German and American investors on infrastructure.

    – Release of funds for construction and equipping of laboratory at the Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev, and rehabilitation of Agric Training centres in Mbatie and Otobi.

    The Ortom administration has also taken proactive steps to boost the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR of the state by introducing the Point of Sale (POS) machines which is already helping in plugging leakages and increasing the revenue base of the state. It is the first time that this is happening in Benue State. As I write, the monthly IGR of Benue State is well above N500 million.

    Today, citizens of Benue can proudly name figures which have accrued to the state as income because, for the first time, a Governor has decided to be transparent. Even primary school pupils now know how much Benue has as and how much is being spent. Governor Ortom has included labour unions like NLC, TUC and NUT for the first time, as part of the joint account committee and they know precisely what comes to the state and how it is disbursed.

    The people know that the lies peddled against the Ortom administration are merely what they are – lies!

    The opposition in Benue State can help deepen our democracy better if they engage the present administration on issues. That’s how it is done elsewhere.

    Akase is Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor.

  • The lying president

    The lying president

    SIR: Obviously, whoever can tell 10 lies is a liar. But, I will limit myself to 10 huge lies of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ). Firstly, he has denied saying he would not seek reelection, having told the whole world he would not. Secondly, he lied during his presidential campaign in 2011, saying of himself: “I have no shoes” even while the whole world saw he was wearing shoes.

    Thirdly, he lied in December 2011 that he would eradicate Boko Haram by June 2012. Fourthly, he lied in January 2012 that he increased fuel price to improve infrastructure with particular reference to electricity, while indeed he had spent our reserves on his presidential campaigns and the country was broke. Nigeria’s electricity is worse than GEJ met it.

    Fifthly, after stopping Mama Sarah Jubril from meeting Boko Haram’s representatives, GEJ lied that Boko Haram was an invisible organisation, and so nobody could dialogue with it. Sixthly, GEJ lied that he was not informed that the Army would stop the election, while he is the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, and the Army was not known to be anarchical.

    Seventhly, GEJ has been lying that his government is not as corrupt as claimed by his detractors while indeed Nigeria loses billions of naira/dollar on daily basis to misappropriations.

    Eighthly, GEJ lies whenever he protects corrupt officials. Ninthly, GEJ lied that Nigeria’s electricity would stabilise after he might have privatised it, while he knew the conditions on ground would not make it happen.

    Tenthly, GEJ is lying through his ministers on the national television (NTA) that he has transformed Nigeria’s infrastructure nationwide.

    Yes, one might have problem with General Muhammadu Buhari but if the option is between him and GEJ, he should be availed the benefit of the doubt since GEJ has exhausted his own benefit of doubt. GEJ has mortgaged Nigeria’s future and should not continue to rule us.

     

    • Pius Oyeniran Abioje, PhD, University of Ilorin.
  • My girlfriend is a two-timing, lying person, yet I want her in my life

    My girlfriend is a two-timing, lying person, yet I want her in my life

    Dear ma, my girlfriend whom I have been dating for the past three years broke up with me early this year. When I insisted that she should tell me the reason she lied to me that her family is not in support of the relationship, which I found out is not true. She also told a lot of lies against me to her friend which she said were her reasons for breaking up with me. One of the reasons she gave was that I’m not capable of taking care of a woman, that if she gets married to me when things are tough I would send her back to her parents because I once asked her when I was duped to get some money from her mum so that I could fend for myself. The most unfortunate thing is that this girl is not schooling at the moment she was once in school but expelled because of exam malpractices and when it happened she lied to me that someone implicated her which I later found out to be a lie. I still forgave her because of the love I had for her. I later on sought admission for her so that she would go back to school through my uncle but she didn’t meet up with the university’s cutoff marks for the course she was applying for. It was during that time that we broke up. Ma, sorry to say that this girl wasn’t sincere to me when we were dating. She was dating her two of her former boyfriends whom she dated before me, yet I was patient with her and I always talk to her in a calm voice so that she will understand that what she was doing is not right till when we finally broke up. It hurts me so bad that after showing her so much love we still broke up. Recently she called and apologised to me about what happened and she confessed that she wasn’t sincere to me though I was sincere with her and I showed her real love. She said I’m the kind of man that she would ever wish to be with but it is not possible. When I asked her the reason why she said that, she has been posting me till today. Nowadays she always calls me and we talk and crack some jokes but inside me I still love her and I want her back to me but I don’t want to openly tell her that she should come back to me. Now what I should I do? I need your advice please. – Danaka.

    Dear Danaka,

    We all know what we see in the people we love, so I cannot question you for loving somebody who has done everything in this world to dishonour you. She has lied against you, she has cheated and she continues to make you feel like a fool, yet you love her and want her back after she left you. It’s obvious that with her, you have nothing like pride; just emotions, so set your shyness aside and tell her you want her back.

    One thing I’ll like you to know is that if she comes back to you without you giving her the chance to be penitent, she will continue to sleep with other men without feeling guilty; after all, you knew about her hot pants and still asked her to come back. Don’t expect her to go back to school if she’s not ready and if and when she does go back, don’t expect her to be clean. If she’s set in her ways, you may just have to put up with her the way she is since you have been blinded by love.

    But if I were you, I’d ignore her for a while and let her realise her mistakes and turn a new leaf. Love is worth waiting for when you’re sure it will come to you without much complications.