The Nation Newspaper

Tag: News Agency of Nigeria

  • Woman charged with stealing clothing materials

    A 40-year-old woman, Oloyede Sola, who allegedly burgled the shop of one Glory Emmanuel and stole clothing materials valued at N54, 000 was on Tuesday docked at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    The accused, whose address was not given, is facing a charge of stealing.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Eruada Victor, told the court that the accused committed the offence on March 22 in Makinde Street, Alausa, Ikeja.
    Eruada said the accused broke into the shop of the complainant and stole 20 yards of ‘Atiku’ type of fabrics   valued at N20, 000 and seven bundles of ‘Ankara’ fabrics valued at N34, 000
    “She was caught by the vigilance group in the area with the items and the cutlass she used to damage the door of the shop,” he said.

    The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 285 stipulates a three-year jail term for offenders.
    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The magistrate, Mrs G.O. Anifowoshe, granted the accused bail in the sum of N20, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Anifowoshe adjourned the case until April 26 for mention.

     

  • Man arraigned for beating ex-wife to pulp

    A 42-year-old man, Semiu Abiodun, who allegedly beat his estranged wife to a pulp over her property, was on Tuesday brought before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Abiodun is being tried for a two-count charge of assault and breach of peace.

    According to the prosecutor, Insp. Philip Osijiale, the accused had on April 1 at Idumota on Lagos Island assaulted his wife, Oluwakemi, in her shop.

    “The accused went to his wife’s shop at Idumota to explain what happened to the jeep and truck she kept in his custody before their separation.

    “In the process, the accused assaulted the complainant by beating her black and blue and also damaged one of her eyes.”

    The prosecutor said the mother of five was the bread winner of the family, but was separated from the husband as a result of constant battering.

    He alleged that the accused took advantage of the complainant’s absence in the house to sell her property.

    “Abiodun sold his wife’s jeep and truck and when she asked him to return the vehicles and some other property in his custody, he turned violent.

    “It was other traders at the market that came to her rescue when they heard her crying for help.

    “The accused was arrested while the complainant was rushed to the hospital.

    “She is still receiving treatment in the hospital,” he told the court.

    The offences contravened Sections 166 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 166 stipulates three months imprisonment or N45, 000 fine or both, while Section 171 provides a three-year jail term for assault occasioning harm.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

    The Magistrate, Mr Omolaja Kazeem, granted the accused N20, 0a00 bails with two sureties in the like sum and adjourned the case until April 28 for trial.

     

  • 489 arrested for street begging in Kano

    The Kano State Hisbah Board said it had arrested 489 beggars in February and March for allegedly violating the law banning street begging in the state.

    Malam Musa Tsangaya, Head of the Anti-begging Unit of the board, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano that 192 of those arrested were children while 228 were adults.

    “Our men arrested the street beggars around France Road, Dangi Junction, Lugard Road, Murtala Mohammed Way and Magwan Junction violating the law banning street begging in Kano metropolis.

    “Out of the 489 beggars, 314 were adults, both male and female, while 175 were children who engaged in begging by the road side and in the premises of major businesses,” Tsangaya said.

    He stated that 300 of the arrested beggars hailed from Kano city, while 237 were from Jigawa, Katsina and Kaduna.

    According to him, the remaining nine are from Cameroon and Niger Republic.

    Tsangaya said some of them had been charged to court, while four of them suffer mental disorder.

  • NGO trains 300 Traditional Birth Attendants in Kaduna

    A Kaduna-based Non-Governmental Organization, Womanhood Foundation, said on Tuesday it had trained over 300 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) in Kaduna State, as part of efforts to ensure safe motherhood.

    The Coordinator of the Foundation, Hajiya Maryam Abubakar said in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the beneficiaries were mostly from communities without health facilities.

    Abubakar said the aim was to empower the TBOs to go back to their communities and offer help to pregnant women before, during and after delivery.

    She urged the state government to support those trained with necessary kits to enhance their skills and support to women at the community level.

    “When we train the women, government should assist them with birth kits, to enable them assist other women in their various communities,” she said.

    Abubakar stressed that the foundation also render support to orphans, children, divorcees and single mothers, to cope with the vicissitudes of life.

    “Most times we pay their WEAC fees and also assist in offsetting hospital bills for pregnant women,” she said.

    According to her, the foundation also train women in entrepreneurship and facilitate admission for some of them to study health related courses.

    On maternal health, Abubakar explained that the foundation offers free antenatal care services and drugs to women.

    “We have our hospital, the Womanhood Clinic and Maternity Home, which assists pregnant women free,” the coordinator added.

    She said the organization also carry out sensitization programs for women on the danger signs of pregnancy, labor and delivery, ” so that when they see these signs they can rush to the hospital.”

    Abubakar urged husbands to allow their wives visit health facilities for antenatal care, to safeguard their lives and that of the unborn child.

     

  • GEF/SGP spends $30,000 on project in Cross River

    The Global Facility/Small Grant Programme (GEF/SGP) says it has spent $30,000 U.S. dollars on the execution of a project in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River.

    Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, National Coordinator of GEF/SGP, said this on Tuesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Olubamise said that Peace Point Action (PPA), an NGO, handled the execution of the project at the creek beach of the community, while United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and GEF/SGP funded the project.

    She said that the project was aimed at training the community on how to build its capacity in initiating sustainable livelihood alternatives and reduce the pressure on the forest.

    “The project focused specifically on women and youths, including the physically-challenged in the community.

    “The project will reduce mangrove forest loss through sustainable income generating activities such as the establishment of snail farms.

    “The community is primarily reliant upon wood logging, fishing and small-scale farming as its major source of livelihood.

    “Due to logging and clearing of farmland, most forests are being encroached; thus contributing immensely to the problems of climate change in the community,” she said.

    The coordinator said that through the project, 100 community members had been trained on how to construct fuel efficient wood stoves, so as to serve as an alternative source of livelihood.

    Olubamise said that the project would build the capacity of the community to support ongoing efforts to curtail deforestation.

    She said that the project had also empowered the community on forest conservation, while boosting their commitment toward the sustainable management of the mangrove forest.

    According to her, the GEF/SGP serves as a financial mechanism for several multilateral environmental conventions that cover most global environmental issues.

     

    She said that the focus of GEF/SGP includes accelerating action against biodiversity loss, climate change, deforestation, degradation of international water bodies, land degradation and chemical pollution.

  • Nasarawa to close unregistered private schools

     

    The Nasarawa State Government says he will shut private schools discovered to be operating without its approval.
    The Commissioner for Education, Mr Tijjani Ahmed, disclosed this on Monday to the correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.
    Ahmed said the unregistered schools were discovered following a census conducted recently by the ministry.

    He added that the names of the affected schools would soon be made public.
    The commissioner also noted that some schools were operating within un-conducive environments where there were no spaces for pupils to recreate and others in uncompleted buildings.
    “All defaulting private schools that are yet to pay their yearly fees must do so before the end of April to avoid sanctions.
    “It is no longer going to be business-as-usual where some people will short-change government by not paying the charges due to it.
    “Proprietors of private schools should strictly adhere to the guidelines for the establishment and operation of such ventures as stipulated by the state government.
    “The ministry has already circulated a notice to owners of all the private schools in the state informing them of an upward review of the registration fees for new schools and renewal fees for existing ones.
    “We give all private schools up to April 30th to update their records and those operating illegally should come to the ministry for proper documentation and payment or face sanctions,” he said.
    Ahmed said that the ministry had constituted a taskforce to go round to enforce the directive.

     

  • NSCDC secures conviction of 18 persons accused of downloading films

    The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Kano State Command, has secured the conviction of 18 persons accused of downloading and sending Hausa films in Kano.

    The command’s Public Relations officer, Mr Ibrahim Idris, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Monday.

    Idris said the convicts were arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Kano on Friday, April 7, after they were arrested around Dakata in Ungoggo Local Government Area of the state.

    He said the arrest followed a complaint by some members of Hausa Film Makers Association.

    “The convicts were accused of downloading and sending of Hausa films, an act that contravenes a section of Kano State Censorship Board laws 2001.

    “When the one-count charge piracy was read to them, they all pleaded guilty and the Chief Magistrate, Sanusi Usman, thereafter sentenced them to 45 days imprisonment or to pay an option of fine of N12, 000 each,”Idris said.

  • PCN can regulate sales, dispensing of veterinary drugs – Registrar

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) says it can regulate the sale and dispensing of veterinary drugs, vaccines and animal life (biological) as part of its statutory mandate.

    The Council’s Registrar, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    Mohammed said that ensuring sanity and standard was part of its mandate to regulate the practice of pharmacy in all ramifications in the country.

    NAN recalls that the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 24 gave a judgment that the provisions of the Animal Diseases (Control) Act did not impinge on the PCN’s powers in respect to registration of premises where animal drugs are kept.

    The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) had sued the council, challenging its powers to regulate and control pharmacy education, training and practice in all aspects.

    The association had also argued that the mandate of the PCN should be restricted to manufacturing, distribution, sale and dispensing of human drugs.

    NVMA further maintained that the veterinary surgeons should have the authority and rights to handle, sell and dispense veterinary drugs, vaccines and animal biologicals.

     

     

  • Stolen Cables: Electricity Consumers in FESTAC Town beg EKEDC for replacement

    Electricity consumers in FESTAC Town on Monday appealed to Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) to replace the cables stolen by unknown vandals from the area on March 18.

    The consumers, who live on 5th Avenue (L and J Close), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that for the past nine days, they had been in darkness.

    They said the stolen cables supplied power to the area.

    Mrs Josephine Okolie, said that she was not pleased with the EKEDC because since the case was reported to them, they were just visiting the scene of the incident.

    Okolie said that in the meantime, the outage had affected both economic and domestic activities.

    “When we discovered that the power supply to the close was out, we checked and discovered that the darkness was due to cable theft by unknown vandals.

    “We reported to the company’s district office with the hope that the case will be treated immediately but unfortunately we are still in darkness till now.

    “We are appealing to the company to replace the cable and restore power supply to the area,’’ she said.

    Mr Sanya Babalola, a landlord at L close, said it was annoying to see their neighbours having regular power supply while they were in perpetual darkness due to the stolen cable.

    Babalola said that the consumers in the two closes were ready to cooperate with the EKEDC officials to ensure that the problem is fixed, adding that the situation was unbearable.

    Mrs Funmilayo Akinfenwa, owner of a hairdressing salon, said she had lost most of her customers due to the outage.

    “The outage is contributing to the hardship that the residents are passing through.

    “We urge the company to accelerate the replacement of the stolen cable so that power can be restored,’’ she said.

    When contacted, Mr Godwin Idemudia, the General Manager, Corporate Communication of EKEDC, assured the residents that the cable would be replaced as soon as possible.

    Idemudia apologised for the company’s tardiness in responding to the situation, saying that he had been unaware of it.

    He urged consumers to always protect the company’s equipment within their communities because it cost a lot of money to replace stolen cables and vandalised transformers.

    Idemudia added that the money spent on such would have been used to procure equipment for improvement of supply to consumers.

  • LG workers in Kwara protest unpaid salaries

    Thousands of workers in the 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State on Tuesday embarked on mass protest over unpaid salary arrears.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest took place at the headquarters of the 16 local governments in the state, in llorin, the state capital.

    The protesters, led by leaders of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), took to the streets of Ilorin from the local council offices and moved to other streets condemning the non-payment of their salaries.

    Some of them including nursing mothers, carried placards with various inscriptions and chanted solidarity songs.

    Mr Afolabi Abayomi, the Secretary of NULGE in kwara, told NAN that the protest was justifiable. He said the protest, taking place in all the 16 local councils, was a result of unpaid salaries for seven months.

    Abayomi said the unpaid salaries had been creating untold hardships to the workers and their relatives.

    Efforts to speak with the Chairman for the llorin West Local Government Council, Alhaji Tajudeen Zulu-Oloje, on the protest proved futile.