The Nation Newspaper

Tag: News Agency of Nigeria

  • Customer stabs tailor over ‘shoddy’ job

    Customer stabs tailor over ‘shoddy’ job

    A 30-year-old man, Idris Olaniyan, who allegedly stabbed a tailor, Usman Mohammed, with a broken bottle on the forehead for failing to adjust his clothes to his satisfaction, was on Thursday arraigned in Lagos.

    Olaniyan, a resident of Ayodele Street, Mafoluku in Oshodi area of Lagos, is facing a charge of assault at an Ikeja Magistrates’
    Court.

    Sgt. Rosemary Ehemegbe, the prosecutor, told the court that the accused, who entered a ‘not-guilty’ plea, committed
    the offence on May 3 at No. 5 Ayodele St., Mafafoluku, Oshodi.

    Ehemegbe alleged that the accused had stabbed Mohammed after beating him.

    “After beating him, the accused stabbed him with a broken bottle on the forehead.”

    According to her, Olaniyan gave some clothes to the complainant to adjust for him and was not satisfied with the job done.

    “Instead of giving the clothes to the tailor amend again, he started abusing him.

    “When the complainant did not answer, Olaniyan assaulted Mohammed by beating and stabbing him with a broken bottle
    on the forehead,” she said.

    The offence contravened Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes a seven-year jail term for assault occasioning harm.

    The Magistrate, Mrs E. Kubeinje, granted the accused bail in the sum N50, 000 with one surety in like sum and adjourned
    the case until June 7 for mention.

     

  • Nine inmates regain freedom in Gombe

    Nine prisoners  in Gombe  on Thursday regained freedom following the intervention of the Criminal Justice Committee headed by the State Chief Judge, Justice Hakila Heman.

    Announcing the release in Gombe, Heman said that cases of more than 600 prisoners were reviewed by the committee and nine of them released.

    He noted that some of the released inmates were unlawfully detained while the others had stayed longer than they should.

    The judge added that many cases were awaiting investigation by the police, and urged the police to expedite action on them.

    Heman said that the exercise would be regular as part of efforts to decongest prisons.

    In his remarks, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu, the state Comptroller of Prisons, said that Gombe Prisons was accommodating over 1,000 inmates at the moment as against its capacity of 379.

    Adamu, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Haruna Lawrence, attributed the prison congestion to delayed advice by the state directorate of public prosecutions as well as lack of jurisdiction of some courts to entertain some cases.

    The Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in charge of Gombe Prisons, Mr Mohammed Abba, said that the prisons had1,040 inmates including 140 undergoing trial, 61 awaiting trial and 228 convicted, out of which 22 were sentenced to death.

    Abba said that no inmate was granted pardon in the prison in the last three years.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the release was witnessed by the police, lawyers,  magistrates, area and high court judges and rights activists.

  • Trader faces theft of friend’s N6m charge

    A 40-year-old trader, Adesina Adefoyekun, who allegedly stole N600,000 being part of the proceeds from the sale of his friend’s van, was on Thursday in Lagos granted N600,000 bail on the orders of an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    The Magistrate, Mr T.O. Shomade , who gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties as part of the bail conditions.

    Shomade said the sureties must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The accused pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge of stealing and breach of peace.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Raji Akeem told the court that the accused, who resides at Thomas Salako Street, Ogba in Ikeja, committed the offences sometime in November 2016 at Odunsanmi Street, Ogba.

    Akeem said the complainant, Mr Taiwo Akinwale, had kept his van at the accused’s place before he travelled and told him not to sell it.

    “But by the time the complainant came back, the accused had sold the van and converted the proceeds to personal use.

    “Akinwale, who claimed that his van was worth N1.85 million, demanded the proceeds from Adefoyekun, but he could only produce N1. 25 million.”

     

    He noted that the offenses contravened the provisions of Sections 168 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (Revised)

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 prescribes a three-year jail term for stealing.

    The case was adjourned until May 22 for mention.

     

  • I denied my husband sex because I could not withstand cigarette’s odour, wife tells court

    I denied my husband sex because I could not withstand cigarette’s odour, wife tells court

    A 44-year-old wife, Modupe Alegbeleye, on Thursday told an Ikole-Ekiti Customary Court in Ekiti that she denied her husband, Ebenezer Alegbeleye, sex because of the cigarette odour from him.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Modupe said this while replying to a statement by her husband that she denied him sex for three months.

    According to her, my husband likes smoking cigarettes but I do not like its odour.

    “So, whenever he smoked and demanded sex; I was always turning down his demand as I hated cigarette’s odour.

    “Although, I knew that my husband was a cigarette smoker before we started our relationship, I was always advising him to stop it.

    “I was also praying so that he would quit it, but to no avail.

    “That is why, sometimes, I would ask him to take his bath before making love to me.

    “1 also denied him sex because I did not want more children based on the experience I had when I was to give birth to our second child.

    “I lost the baby due to lack of proper care for the baby and me from my husband,’’ the woman said.

    The husband, however, told the court that he needed more children because he was the only child of his mother.

    “I am the only child of my mother. When my wife gave birth to our only son 10, years ago, I told her she would bear me more children.

    “But my wife said no; and she has been denying me any romantic advances I make to her,” Alegbeleye said.

    He told the court that peace would reign between them without separation, “If my wife will change her attitude and agree to bear me more children.

    “She will also agree to take proper care of me by cooking my meals, which she had denied me for long.”

    The court’s president, Mrs Yemisi Ojo, adjourned the case until May 22 for judgment after all efforts made to reconcile them proved unsuccessful.

  • FIFA may sanction Italian FA over handling of Muntari treatment

    FIFA may sanction Italian FA over handling of Muntari treatment

    FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura on Tuesday said Italian football authorities are likely to face disciplinary action over the treatment of Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari.

    Thirty-two-year-old Muntari was sent off after leaving the field claiming he was racially abused during a Serie A game.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that he was initially banned for one game but had this overturned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

    “We have a committee in charge of monitoring this and the committee will take action,” Muntari said in an interview.

    “What matters is that the committee has to act and the sooner the better.

    “I have my personal feelings on anybody that is treated like he has been treated, on the pitch and off the pitch, but I’m not here for my personal matters.

    “I’m here to make sure that FIFA takes, through the committee, the appropriate action for any single discriminatory action.”

    On Tuesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he would speak to the ex-Portsmouth player.

    Muntari had expressed the belief that FIFA and its European equivalent UEFA were not taking racism issues seriously.

    “We will work together,’’ said Infantino, who also said he intends to talk to the head of FIGC, Carlo Tavecchio.

    NAN reports that the world football governing body was criticised for disbanding its anti-racism task force in September, with the organisation defended this decision at the time.

    Samoura had said then that it had fulfilled the “mandate’’ for which it was set up in 2013 — which was to provide recommendations for a “strong programme’’ to tackle racism.

    A number of these recommendations have been put into action.

    These include the introduction of an Anti-Discrimination Monitoring System to assess 850 high-risk matches for potential discriminatory incidents during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and friendlies.

    Samoura who spoke ahead of this week’s FIFA Congress meeting in Bahrain is toeing a different line to that of Infantino.

    “I don’t have to call people anytime they have been victim of an abuse.

    “We’ve been regularly publicising the action of the committee on every action that relates to racism, homophobic chants and any kind of discrimination.

    “We have monitoring too on anti-discrimination. We have heavy sanctions every time we have been receiving reports.’’

     

  • Rainstorm destroys flour processing mill, buildings in Katsina State

    Rainstorm has destroyed properties and equipment worth N30 million at Abarka maize flour processing mill in Kankara Local Govertnment Area of Katsina State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the storm which occurred on Monday also affected buildings in Mabai village of the area.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that the village clinic and several residential buildings were also destroyed.

    Inspecting the affected areas on Tuesday, the acting chairman of Kankara local government area, Alhaji Bishir Maikano-Mashi, said the incident was devastating.

    Maikano-Mashi said that council staff had been deployed to compile the number of structures and persons affected by the disaster.

    He said that the council would forward its report to relevant government agencies for necessary assistance for the victims.

    The chairman cautioned people against indiscriminate waste disposal and building on water ways.

    He also urged people to plant trees to minimize effect of global warming.

    Speaking on the damage in the factory, the proprietor of Albarka Maize Flour processing mill, Alhaji Dauda Danlami, said the whole of his factory building, machines and products were affected.

    Danlami valued the loss to about N40 million, adding that about 130 direct workers and auxiliary staff were now rendered idle.

    He said that the stoppage of production might subject the workers and customers to hardship as they live in rural settlement and many depended on daily job for their family upkeep while most customers rely on processed flour for consumption.

    He appealed to Federal and Katsina state governments to assist him in view of his commitment to creat employment and promote food security.

    Representative of District Head, Alhaji Lawal Aliyu-Saulawa, sympathized with the victims and commended Maikano-Mashi for the visit as well as pledge to support the victims.

    Aliyu-Saulawa urged people to engaged in massive tree planting and desist from indiscriminate tree felling as the actions contributed to environmental hazards

     

  • Police probe death of female student at UI

    Police probe death of female student at UI

    The Oyo State Police Command has commenced investigation into  the death of  Miss  Deborah Effiong,  a 100-level Law student at  the University of Ibadan.

    The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, made this known in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ibadan.

    Odude said police investigation into the incident followed the report by the university’s authority.

    He gave an assurance that the outcome of the investigation would be made public as soon as it was completed.

    The University of Ibadan had on Wednesday issued a statement through its Director of Public Communication, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, announcing the death of Effiong.

    Oladejo expressed the regret of the university management over the sudden death of the student at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

    “Her sudden death, however, remains a mystery and it is in the light of this that the University Management wishes to state that the cause(s) of her death are still being investigated by the appropriate authorities.

    “Her parents had been duly contacted by the relevant key officers of the University on the loss.

    “It is pertinent to state that by the tradition of the Queen Elizabeth II Hall where she was a resident, an event tagged “Fresher’s/Finalists’ Week’’ was organized by the Hall’s Executive Committee.

    “The first day being Monday, 01 May, 2017 featured ‘’Health Day’’ in the morning and ‘’Movie Show’’ at 7.00pm.

    “Her colleagues reported that the deceased was seen at the Hall Cafeteria, the venue of the Movie Show and it was reported that her ‘’normal self’’ was seen at about 8.40 pm.

    “Thereafter, she received a telephone call from a fellow; she left the venue of the movie show to meet the caller.

    “The fellow had been identified after her death by the Campus Security Service,’’ Oladejo said.

    He further explained that on getting back to the venue of the movie show, her colleagues stated that she suddenly became hyperactive and developed a strange attitude.

    Oladejo added that her colleagues said  Effiong danced abnormally and excessively in the cafeteria after the meeting.

    “It was further revealed that she left the venue of the movie show and, thereafter, there was a bang, which her colleagues explained, she jumped from a dangerous position in the Hall.

    “She was later found by her colleagues in a seemingly helpless condition in the precinct of the Hall and immediately, she was rushed to the university’s health centre by her colleagues and porters on duty.

    “She was later referred to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for further medical attention where all efforts to save her life proved abortive,’’ Oladejo said.

    Effiong was said to have died overnight at the tertiary health institution.

     

  • Meningitis kills eight in Katsina

    Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) has killed not less than eight people at Tsabu village in Mai’adua Local Government Area of Katsina State, an official has said.

    Alhaji Nasiru Mani, the Director of Primary Health Care of the council, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Mai’adua on Thursday.

    Mani said the outbreak of the deadly disease was discovered in the last two days following a report from the community.

    He said that 16 cases were recorded out of which eight people lost their lives.

    According to him, the remaining patients have been admitted at the Mai’adua and Daura general hospitals for proper medical attention.

    “We (LGC) had since deployed a surveillance team to the area to address the situation,’’ said the director.

    He said the combined efforts of state and local government medical teams have succeeded in addressing the problem.

    “I called on our people to avail themselves for the ongoing vaccination against such diseases to curb further spread of the disease.

    “We have designated centres at our rural clinics where people are being immunised or vaccinated against such diseases,” he said.

    Mani commended the role of Medicines San Frontiers (MSF) or doctors without borders for their efforts in addressing the outbreak.

    He called on the people of the area to adhere to the safety measures of sleeping inside ventilated rooms, houses and environs.

    Besides, the director advised residents to report suspicious cases and visit nearby health centres over any symptom.

     

  • 2017 Okpekpe Race: Olamide hopes for better outing

    Oluwaseun Olamide, who came second in the Nigerian category at the 4th Okpekpe International 10km Road Race, says she will better her performance to win the female category prize in the competition.

    Olamide told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that her target was to be among the first eight athletes in the international category.

    “My coming to Okpekpe this year is to be among the first eight in the international category. I also have the objective of upping my performance in other events I will attend this year.

    “I was among the first 10 in the international category last year and second Nigerian; so, I intend to improve on that record this time,’’ she said.

    Olamide is a gold medalist at the 2016 Ibadan/Splash FM Integrity marathon, and also, a gold medalist in the Nigerian category, 2016 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

    The only International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) approved Road Race in Africa is scheduled for May 13 in Edo.

    Athletes for the event are being expected from Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Bahrain, Germany, Turkey, Morocco, Burundi and host, Nigeria.

    NAN reports that technological innovations such as mobile application, line-tracking and transponders have been introduced into this year’s competition.

     

  • FIFA World Rankings: Nigeria remains 40th

    FIFA World Rankings: Nigeria remains 40th

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles have remained on the 40th spot with 726 points in the May FIFA World Rankings released on Thursday.

    According to the rankings table on the website of the world football governing body, Nigeria remained unmoved from the spot it occupied in the April rankings.

    The position has also left Nigeria on the 5th spot in the continent behind Egypt, Senegal, Cameroon and Burkina Faso respectively.

    The Super Eagles Media officer, Toyin Ibitoye, reacting to the rankings said it was a reflection of what happened in the month under review.

    “The ranking have come again and the Super Eagles were ranked 40th in the World and 5th in Africa, the same position we were as at the last ranking.

    “I think it is nothing to worry about. In the month reviewed, nothing happened and there were no friendly games and no official games.

    “The new FIFA ranking is a reflection of what happened during the month, but we will continue to do what we are doing to work and prepare the team.

    “We are ready for the challenges coming up. Next month will be very busy for us; we will be going to camp for training.

    Ibitoye said that the Eagles would concentrate more on the task ahead which were qualifiers for the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    “We will concentrate on preparing for the crucial game against Bafana Bafana of South Africa. This will be the qualifiers towards the 2018 Nations Cup.

    “But last month’s assessment by FIFA is justifiable because it has been a quiet month for the teams in international front,’’ he said.

    On the global scene, it was a quiet month on the international front with only seven games played.

    The top 20 places remained static following April, with a one-place drop for Slovakia (24) into accounting for the only movement inside the leading 73 nations.

    Bolivia (73, plus 1) brought about that small ripple of motion, but outside the top 100 there were some notable changes.

    A pair of wins for Madagascar (111, plus 9) over Malawi (114, minus 14) saw them claim the titles of the month’s biggest movers up and down the table respectively.

    Also, South Sudan (146, plus 8) is not far behind after similarly twice seeing off Somalia (206, unchanged).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on June 1, 2017. (