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  • NEMA donates relief materials to flood victims in Anambra

    NEMA donates relief materials to flood victims in Anambra

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has donated relief materials worth millions of Naira to flood disaster victims in some council areas of Anambra.

    The victims were those affected by the September 2017 flood which devastated five council areas of Anambra where farmlands and other means of livelihood were lost.

    The affected council areas were Anambra East, Anambra West, Awka North, Ayamelum and Ogbaru, which all fell
    within the agrarian belt of the state.

    NEMA’s South-East Zonal Coordinator, Mr Walson Brandon, handed over the relief materials at the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Warehouse in Awka on Tuesday.

    He gave the assurance that Federal Government would continue to be responsive to the plight of disaster victims in the zone.

    Brandon said “these materials can never replace the people’s losses during the flood disaster but serves as a way of cushioning the effect of the unfortunate incident.

    Read also: ‘ NEMA assists 5,623 disaster victims in Gombe’

    “NEMA will undertake several flood-risk reduction measures in the zone to reduce loss of lives and property.

    “There would be a lot of sensitisation and awareness programmes in affected communities to prepare residents against such occurrence.”

    The Anambra Governor, Mr Willie Obiano, represented by a Director in Government House, Dr Dan Ezeanwu, thanked the Federal Government for the gesture.

    He said that the government, through NEMA, had intervened in so many disasters and emergencies in the state.

    He appealed to stakeholders to ensure transparency in the distribution of the relief materials.

    Dr Paul Odenigbo, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, who formally received and gave an acknowledged letter detailing materials received, thanked Federal Government and NEMA for coming to the state’s assistance.

    Odenigbo noted that the relief materials would go a long way in cushioning the effects of the disaster on the affected persons.

    A representative of the affected persons, Chief Innocent Okeke, thanked government for the assistance.

    Okeke, who is a farmer at Aguleri Uno in Anambra East council area, assured that the people would make judicious use of the relief materials given them.

    The materials included 300 bags of 50kg rice; 200 bags of 100kg beans; 300 bags of garri; 200 cartons of tin tomato; 100 bags of sugar; 1,000 bags of salt; 100 kegs of vegetable oil; 100 kegs of palm oil and 200 cartons of powdered milk.

    Others were 300 cartons of 3-in-1 tea; 200 cartons of Milo; 200 cartons of bathing soap; 200 pieces of men’s wear; 200 mattresses; 1,000 blankets; among others.

    NAN

  • Doctor indicts two siblings of defrauding, raping undergraduate

    A medical doctor, Dr Alagbe Oyedeji, on Tuesday gave evidence indicting the two siblings — Bright Nwachukwu and Chijindu Nwachukwu — who are standing trial for raping and defrauding an undergraduate of the University of Lagos ( Unilag ).

    Newsmen reports that the brothers — Bright, 32, and Chijindu , 24 — are facing three-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretenses and rape at an Ikeja High Court.

    They allegedly committed the offences when they accosted the 21-year-old undergraduate (name withheld)on Feb. 12, 2016 on her way to the University for her medical clearance.

    Oyedeji, a self-proclaimed atheist, while being led in evidence by Mrs C. K Tunji-Carrena, the lead prosecution counsel, told the court that he worked at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital ( LASUTH ).

    “I work at the Department of Family Medicine and also as a consultant /examiner to Mirabel Centre.

    “My job entails examination, treatment and writing of reports or examination findings on victim of sexual assault.”

    The doctor told the court he was testifying on behalf of his colleague, who had initially conducted the medical examination but was no longer in the employ of LASUTH.

    READ ALSO: Man charged with alleged rape, impersonation

    ““I have a report from the Mirabel Centre dated Feb. 13, 2016 from a colleague of mine, Dr Sholaja,  who is no longer in the workforce of LASUTH, he has relocated outside Lagos.

    “Being an examiner and a colleague experienced in the day-to-day activities of the Mirabel Center, I’m here to interpret the examination findings,” he said.

    Giving details of the examination report, the doctor said:“The examination findings started from when the client entered into the examination room.

    “She was found to be quiet, willing to give information and she was alert as well as well-oriented about time and place.

    “The gross physical findings indicate that there are no significant injuries to her physical structure.

    “Significant findings on her genitalia indicate injuries, there was a focus of injury to the entrance of the urethra.

    “The hymen had injuries called lacerations and the posterior forcet had superficial lacerations.

    “The doctor came to the conclusion that this examination’s findings which are highlighted are consistent with the client’s claim that she had forceful penetration into her vagina.

    “The force in this case which she described happened to be the penis,” the doctor said.

    While being cross-examined by Mr Oganihu Nwosu, the defence counsel, the doctor admitted that the complainant never mentioned the names of the defendants as the alleged perpetrators of the rape.

    He also noted that the examination had also revealed that the complainant had a genital infection prior to the rape.

    “Part of the report said that there was a copious discharge on the client’s genitalia.

    “Analysis was not done on the discharge and it was observed that the client had a staphylococcus infection,” Oyedeji said.

    The complainant, a undergraduate from the Department of Biology Education, had on July 4, 2017 testified about how the siblings defrauded and raped her.

    According to her, she was accosted by Bright on her way to school and was “hypnotized” and as a result, followed him to a house located at No. 4, Odusanya St., Ijaiye-Ojokoro, Lagos, where she was raped by him.

    The UNILAG undergraduate alleged that in her hypnotic state she gave the men her ATM pin and N19,000 was fraudulently withdrawn from her account.

    She was allegedly further instructed by the duo to go home and steal cash and valuables belonging to her mother and bring to them.

    The plan was foiled when her mother noticed her daughter’s strange behaviour and called their pastor and also alerted the police.

    The offences contravened Sections 258, 312(3) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

    Justice Josephine Oyefeso adjourned the case until Feb. 19 for continuation of trial.

    NAN

  • Hemp plantation: NDLEA arrests 9 suspects in Gombe

    Hemp plantation: NDLEA arrests 9 suspects in Gombe

    National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) has arrested nine suspects in connection with a suspected Indian Hemp plantation in Kulani village in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.

    The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Aliyu Adole, disclosed  an interview in Gombe on Tuesday.

    Adole said the suspects reside in the village where the plantation, capable of producing large quantity of the hemp, was uncovered.

    He added that “the suspects have Indian hemp plantation capable of producing large quantity of the weed.

    “It is unfortunate that our youths are engaged in hemp farming instead of food or cash crops production.”

    Adole said the suspects were not selling the weed in the state alone, but were exporting part of it to neighbouring states of Adamawa and Taraba.

    The commander said the suspects would be prosecuted after investigation.

    Read Also:  NDLEA  seizes 19 sacks of India hemp in Osun, arrests suspect

    He explained that the command was looking at the possibility of establishing an area command in Tallase, headquarter of Balanga Local Government Area, to curb activities of farmers who engaged in Indian hemp cultivation.

    “We want to establish an office at the local government headquarters so that we will be able to monitor the activities of criminals who engaged in cultivation of the weed.

    “But our major constraint has to do with work force: we cannot perform effectively without adequate manpower, which is lacking at present.

    “Once the rainy season starts, you begin to see farms where the weed is planted: we do not want to give people the chance to engage in such illegal activity.”

    Adole appealed to government at all levels to assist the agency with logistics to enable its operatives to penetrate difficult terrain in the state.

    He warned people who were into hard drug business to stop or be made to face the consequences.

    NAN

  • Lagos donates 30 power bikes to security agencies

    Lagos donates 30 power bikes to security agencies

    The Lagos State Government on Tuesday donated 30 power bikes to some security agencies operating in the state.

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode said at the handing-over of the bikes at the Lagos House, Ikeja, that the gesture was in line with the government’s commitment to boost security and enhance safety of lives and property.

    He said the donation of the bikes was in fulfilment of his promise to prioritise the security of residents and ensure that no stone was left unturned to protect the people of the state.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, said security, being one of the tripods upon which his administration was built, would continue to be accorded its pride of place.

    The power bikes were funded by the Lagos State Lotteries Board and donated to the Police Command in the State.

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority ( LASTMA ) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency ( LASEMA ) were also beneficiaries.

    Read also: Lagos kits enforcement officers

    Ambode said the power bikes would enhance the job of the security agencies of securing lives and property of residents.

    Earlier, the Chairman, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr Oye Hassan-Odukale, commended Gov. Ambode for the donation, saying it came barely two months after he promised to procure more bikes for security agencies.

    Hassan-Odukale said that the bikes would go a long way in preventing crimes, enhancing security and ensuring residents’ safety.

    He expressed optimism that the equipment would be put into good use.

    Hassan-Odukale called on corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals to team up with the government to procure more equipment for security agencies in the overall interest of the people.

    Receiving the power bikes on behalf of security agencies, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, commended the State Government for the gesture.

    Edgal said the bikes would greatly help security personnel to pursue criminals, especially those operating in traffic.

    “Power bikes are essential for hot pursuits of criminals. Power bikes in line with the visibility clause in community policing also establishes police and other agencies’ visibilities on our streets and highways.

    “That is how important these power bikes are in fighting crime in Lagos and I want to assure the governor and the good people of Lagos that we will put the bikes to good use,’’ the police chief said.

    In their separate remarks, the General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Olawale Musa; General Manager, LASEMA, Mr Adeshina Tiamiyu and the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the State Police Command, ACP Olatunji Disu commended the state government’s initiative.

    They also expressed optimism that the bikes would help to prevent and to fight crime in emergency situations.

    NAN

  • Navy seizes stolen crude oil off Rivers coast

    Navy seizes stolen crude oil off Rivers coast

    The Nigerian Navy has seized huge quantity of petroleum product suspected to be crude oil off Rivers coast, a senior navy official has revealed.

    Commodore Samson Bura, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, paraded the vessel, MT Marina Express, and its crew members in Onne, Rivers on Tuesday.

    Bura said the vessel and its crew members had been on the Navy’s radar for suspicious behaviour over a period of time.

    “On January 20, at about 00:45 hours, we got information about a suspicious vessel in compromising position at St. Bartholomew River in Onne.

    “On gathering of this intelligence, we immediately deployed our gunboats and thereafter impounded the large vessel, MT Marina Express.

    “The vessel at the time of arrest had two all-male crew members of Nigerian nationality with an unspecified quantity of product suspected to be crude oil,” he said.

    Read also: Navy arrests 22 vessels in onslaught on maritime criminals

    Bura said the vessel had been of interest and that it was for the same reason the crew members allegedly switched off its automatic identification system to hide the illegality.

    “The vessel was then moved to its present position which is at Onne seaport for further processing (of the product).

    “Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the vessel did not have required documentation or approvals for the product or the position (location) it was found.

    “We are going to carry out volumetric analysis to know the exact quantity of the crude oil the vessel was carrying,” he assured.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learned that the vessel was transporting several metric tons of suspected crude oil at the time it was seized.

    Bura said the vessel would be handed over to relevant prosecuting agencies in line with the harmonised standard operating procedures for the arrest, detention, and prosecution of vessels.

    The commander said the navy was determined to rid the Niger Delta of sea robbery, piracy, illegal bunkering and oil theft and warned criminals against maritime crimes.

    Nigeria has been grappling with theft of its crude oil for several years which often times is smuggled abroad through the backwaters of the Gulf of Guinea.

    This has deprived the nation of billions of dollars and accounted for pollution of the Niger Delta mangrove despite a special military task force set up to tackle the menace.

    NAN

  • CP seeks media support to tame criminals in Sokoto

    CP seeks media support to tame criminals in Sokoto

    The new Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, Mr. Murtala Mani has solicited the support of the media in the task of taming criminal activities in the state.

    Mani said at an interactive session with newsmen on Tuesday in Sokoto that he would work closely with the media in generating public support to policing in the state.

    The commissioner stressed that security in the state is everybody’s business, and said the media should create awareness for residents to be security conscious and support security agencies with vital information to tame criminal activities.

    READ ALSO: Navy arrests 22 vessels in onslaught on maritime criminals

    “This meeting is the beginning of our journey to work together and bring offender to book.

    “The press is well known for its positive contribution to the development of the society, therefore, feel free to access me and raise any issues especially pertaining to security matters.

    “It is the responsibility of every citizen of the state to know that security is something of paramount importance that all hands must be in deck.

    “It is only when we are secured that we can go out to our places, Churches or Mosques, visit the market and attend to our daily activities.”

    NAN

  • CJN commiserates with family of late Justice Musdapher

    CJN commiserates with family of late Justice Musdapher

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria ( CJN ), Justice Walter Onnoghen, has condoled with the immediate family of former CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, who passed on early hours of Tuesday in a London hospital.

    Mr Awassam Bassey, Special Adviser on Media to the CJN, disclosed this in a telephone interview in Abuja.

    Bassey said the CJN had directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to officially send his (Onnoghen) condolences to the immediate family of the late jurist.

    “The CJN had visited the late Justice Musdapher while on admission in a London Hospital. He has described his death as painful and a lost to the judiciary,’’ Bassey said.

    Read also: Ex- CJN Dahiru Musdapher dies at 75

    Musdapher was appointed the Chief Justice of Nigeria in 2011.

    He did serve as Chief Judge of the Kano State Judiciary from 1979 to 1985, and a member of the Court of Appeal from 1985 until 2003.

    The late jurist retired from the bench five years ago on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.

    He hailed from Bani Ya’muusa clan in Babura town in Babura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

    NAN

  • Dambazau, heads of agencies meet over internal security challenges

    Dambazau, heads of agencies meet over internal security challenges

    The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, on Tuesday in Abuja, held a crucial closed-door meeting with heads of internal security agencies over the security challenges in the country.

    Speaking before the meeting, Dambazau expressed concern over the current security situation in the country.

    He said the meeting was a follow-up to a meeting with state governors two weeks ago over the violent conflicts  between farmers and headers in Benue and other places.

    “One of the issues that came up in the communiqué was the issue of the proliferation of small arms and drug trafficking and abuse.

    “We also found out that these two issues are triggers to the violence taking place in this country,“he said.

    He said without firearms and drugs, those perpetrating the violence would not have the courage to do so with such magnitude as seen.

    “Without the fire arms and drugs, those who partake in violence would not have the courage to carry out the kind of violence taking place  in this country,“he said.

    Read also: Senate summons Dambazau

    The minister said there was need to take urgent steps toward ensuring that the situation was dealt with accordingly.

    “As a follow-up I called for this meeting so that we can examine and analyse (the situation) to see how best we can deal with the situation,“ he said.

    He said according to the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament, there were approximately 500 million assorted fire arms in West Africa and out of this figure, 350 million (representing 70 per cent) are in Nigeria.

    He said a large consignment of weapons had been smuggled from North Africa (in particular Libya) as a consequence of crises in that country.

    “The situation is worsened by the insurgency in the North East because of the supply of weapons to the insurgents and terrorists there.

    “Likewise the supply of weapon to the militants  in the Niger Delta through exchange of stolen crude oil and supply by politicians to deal with their opponents,“he said.

    He added that the issues required action especially as the 2019 elections draws nearer.

    “It is very necessary for us to secure our country and of course a more challenging aspect of that which facilitate the smuggling of weapons, is our  porous borders  and this is a major challenge to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigeria Custom Service in particular but to all law enforcement agencies,“he said.

    He said the about 5,000 kilometres of the country’s borders were  porous, hence the need to secure the  country and its future.

    Dambazau added that with the amount of weapons and drugs coming into Nigeria, “if we don’t do something now I am afraid things would be worse than this.”

    He said the farmers/hearders conflicts, kidnapping, ethno-religious crises, terrorism, armed robbery, cultism and militancy all had something to do with weapons and drugs.

    “We cannot do this without the continued partnership with state governments and religious organisations,“he said.

    He said the meeting would come up with strategies on how best to  handle the problems.

    The meeting had in attendance representatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Directorate of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Customs Service, and the United Nations Development Programme, among others.

    A communiqué is expected at the end of the meeting.

    NAN

  • UN accuses Congo forces of targeting officials during deadly protests

    UN accuses Congo forces of targeting officials during deadly protests

    UN on Tuesday accused Congolese security agents of targeting its  during a violence that broke out during a protest on Sunday, Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

    Congolese security forces shot dead six people and wounded dozens more as they fired tear gas to disperse a protest in Kinshasa against President Joseph Kabila.

    Shamdasani said that 68 people were wounded and 121 arrested, and the UN had information about “a number of other killings” in protests elsewhere in the country.

    “One of those injured was a UN human rights monitor who was punched and kicked by security forces, in spite of wearing a blue UN vest with a human rights logo.

    “He is also working under the long-established UN mandate to observe demonstrations.

    “He was in the right place at the right time. He was there to monitor the protests and the conduct of the security forces in the context of the protests,” she said.

    She said after he was beaten up, the UN team came back to monitor the protest but military police fired tear gas to stop them doing their work.

    “They were targeted. “This is the UN we are talking about.

    “If security forces are going to be so brazen as to even attack the UN, then we are very concerned about the way they are going to be treating other protesters,” Shamdasani said.

    She said that the UN mission in Congo was taking up the incident with the authorities, and wanted an investigation into the killings.

    Read Also: Iran protests: Russia berates US for UN talks on ‘internal affair’

    “It is not our hope that they will investigate, it’s their obligation to investigate. It is the obligation of the government to ensure that security forces are handling protests in line with the law.”

    A Congo government spokesman was not immediately reachable to comment.

    Another UN official had said that Kabila’s refusal to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016 has triggered a series of street protests.

    He said that has also emboldened armed rebel groups, who are starting to coalesce in opposition.

    Shamdasani said Internet and SMS services had been suspended since on Saturday night, and tear gas was fired into and around churches in Kinshasa, Goma, Kisangani, Lubumbashi and Bukavu.

    She said there were heavy deployments of security forces around places of worship in Mbandaka, Beni, Mbuji-Mayi and Butembo.

    “The Catholic church is rallying people, mobilising people to stand up for their rights.

    “This is why you’ve seen that there are attacks against churches, tear gas being fired into churches, and people prevented from going in and in some cases prevented from coming out of churches after services.”

    NAN

  • Kaduna to spend N1.2bn on SDGs in 2018

    Kaduna to spend N1.2bn on SDGs in 2018

    Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission has earmarked N1.2 billion for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programmes in 2018.

    A document, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Tuesday, showed that the commission was allocated a total N3.19 billion, of which N2.76 billion is for capital expenditure and N439.48 for recurrent.

    It is expected that the N2.76 billion would be raised from grants, concessional multilateral loans and credit.

    A breakdown of the capital expenditure indicated that the commission would spend N53 million on SDGs summit and N100 million each on poverty mapping exercise and Kaduna leadership fellows.

    Read also: Kaduna Statistics Bureau to spend N152.97m on surveys

    Also, N45.4 million was earmarked for sector retreat and statewide performance review, N106.62 on review and expansion of monitoring and evaluation platform and N250 million on monitoring and impact evaluation study.

    Similarly, N9.98 million was allocated for the development and review of sector implementation result framework, and N162.6 million on the conduct and review of state and local government plans policy document.

    The document further stated that N11 million would be spent on books for e-library, N310 million on counterpart funding and N100 million as support to World Bank public sector governance reforms and development projects.

    It added that Kaduna Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP) was allocated N300 million and that N7.68 million would be spent on the update of Kaduna State in Perspective book.

    NAN