The Nation Newspaper

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  • Police exhume 10 bodies from shallow graves

    Benue State Police Command has confirmed that four suspects have been arrested in connection with 10 bodies found buried in a shallow graves in Benue community.

    On Wednesday, police detectives led a suspect to a thick forest in Agbatse village, Ushonho Local government area in Benue state and exhumed 10 bodies killed and hurriedly buried in shallow graves.

    The 30-year-old suspect told the police that he killed about 30 people, mostly Okada riders and buried them secretly.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Policeman killed as robbers attack bank in Ekiti

    The suspect said he was acting on a direction of juju man who prepared a charm for him and assured if he killed a certain number of people, he will have supernatural powers like wanted criminal gang leader Terwase Akwaza aka Gana.

    Police spokesperson Kate Anene confirmed the incident and said four suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime and would be paraded on Friday.

  • JUST IN: Policeman killed as robbers attack bank in Ekiti

    A police officer has been confirmed dead and many persons wounded in a bank robbery in Ise-Ekiti, the headquarters of Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state.

    The deceased was said to be a security official with a branch of Wema Bank located at the heart of the ancient town.

    The robbers, according to sources, stormed the bank around 2pm on Thursday with two vehicles through Ikere road.

    The multiple sources said the robbers forced their way into the banking hall with dynamite and carted away huge amount of money stacked in five ‘Ghana must go bag’

    Read Also: Seven dismissed soldiers held for robbery

    The source said the robbers were said to have shot sporadically into the air to scare those within the vicinity of the bank.

    Several staff of the bank and customers who came for transaction were said to have been attacked and injured.

    The Police Public Relations officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the incident, said the robbers attacked the bank with dynamite and gained entry into the banking hall.

    “I can confirm to you that a bank was robbed at Ise Ekiti this afternoon. And a policeman killed.

    “The robbers broke the security door with Explosive Material, precisely dynamite.

    “Our men are on their trail and we shall ensure that none of them escape.

    “Members of the public should go about their normal duties and be rest assured that we are ready to protect their lives and property at all times,” the police spokesmen stated.

  • You cannot waive your immunity for adjudication, Lawyer tells Osinbajo

    Dr Kayode Ajulo, a Constitutional Lawyer says Vice President Yemi Osinbajo cannot waive his constitutional immunity for adjudication of claims of libel and malicious falsehood against his person in the court

    Ajulo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja against the backdrop of an alleged falsehood peddled in a newspaper by Mr Timi Frank and Mr Katch Onanuju against Osinbajo.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that Osinbajo said he had instructed the commencement of a legal action against two individuals who put their names to the odious falsehood.

    Ajulo however said that the provisions of Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended frowns at it.

    According to him, the implication of the foregoing provision of the law is that the person holding the office does not have the right to waive the immunity.

    “Because any of such waivers is ineffective as the immunity is not that of the person holding the office but of that particular office he represents during the tenure of the office.

    Read Also: Yemi Osinbajo, ‘incestuous’ bullies and tumours

    The lawyer said that the position further found backing in the use of the word “shall” which was the operative word in the section which admitted no discretion whatsoever.

    He said that the immunity granted to Osinbaji prescribed an absolute prohibition on the courts from entertaining any proceedings and civil or criminal in respect of any claim or relief against him.

    According to him, no question of waiver of the relevant immunity by the incumbent of the office concerned or indeed by the courts may therefore arise.

    “The court has laid it down as a rule that the time a person spends in office will not be reckon with in the calculation of time for the purpose of statute of limitation,’’ he said.

    Ajulo said the immunity clause remained of great antiquity in Nigeria’s nascent constitutional law jurisprudence.

    He said that the vestige of the doctrine of immunity in favour of the occupier of offices had always been a consistent feature of each successive constitutions of Nigeria.

    Ajulo however said that the only option available to the vice president in his bid to waive his immunity was to resign, adding that “Nigeria is not yet tired of the services of Osinbajo’’.

    (NAN)

  • Rohr picks Azeez, Olayinka for Brazil game, as Omeruo, Abdullahi, Awaziem return

    Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has invited midfielder Ramon Azeez and forward Peter Olayinka into Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the Oct. 13 friendly with five-times world champions Brazil in Singapore on Sunday.

    Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), disclosed in a statement on Thursday that Rohr is also having defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Abdullahi Shehu and Chidozie Awaziem back from injury.

    “Otherwise, the squad is largely unchanged from the side that was forced to a 2-2 draw by Ukraine in Dnipro on Sept. 10,’’ he said.

    Olajire said goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Maduka Okoye were also retained in the squad.

    “But England-based Leon Balogun and Russia-based Bryan Idowu are however left out of those called up for the defence.’’

    The NFF spokesman said Azeez, a former under-20 national team captain now with Spanish La Liga side Granada was called up just as English side Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho was left out.

    “Girondins Bordeaux’s Joshua Maja will sit this one out, with his place taken by another new boy, Olayinka,’’ he said.

    Olajire disclosed further that England-based midfielder Wilfred Ndidi also returns after missing the Ukraine encounter with injury.

    “Alex Iwobi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Scotland-based Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, who scored on his debut against Ukraine, are all back in midfield, with Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu and Emmanuel Dennis all back in the frontline.

    “Substantive captain Ahmed Musa is still down with injury,’’ he added.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all invited players are expected to arrive in Singapore on Oct. 9.

    Read Also: Brazil good test for Super Eagles, says Rohr

     

    Nigeria and Brazil will face each other at the Singapore National Stadium at Kallang in Singapore on Oct. 13.

    The clash is coming 23 years after Nigeria, on their way to winning Africa’s first Olympic football gold medal, spanked Brazil 4-3 after extra time in the Atlanta Games’ semi-finals.

    The match was played at the Athens Stadium in the State of Georgia, U.S.

    THE INVITED PLAYERS

    Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC); Emil Maduka Okoye (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany)

    Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (CD Leganes, Spain); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)

    Midfielders: Alexander Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Anderson Esiti (PAOK Salonica, Greece); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ramon Azeez (Granada FC, Spain)

    Forwards: Victor Osimhen (Lille OSC, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Emmanuel Dennis (Club Brugge, Belgium); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic).

    (NAN)

  • France pays tribute to former president Jacques Chirac

    France’s National Assembly and Senate stood in silence on Thursday to mark the death of former president Jacques Chirac.

    Chirac, who ruled France from 1995 to 2007, “is now part of France’s history,” National Assembly president Richard Ferrand said in an official statement.

    The conservative Chirac was best known abroad for his staunch opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

    At home, perhaps his greatest legacy was his acknowledgement, for the first time, of the French state’s role in the wartime round-up and arrest of Jewish people to Nazi death camps.

    But he also knew many political setbacks, including the 2005 rejection by French voters of a proposed constitution for the EU.

    Later the same year, he suffered a minor stroke, and in the closing months of the year the country saw severe rioting by frustrated youths from minority backgrounds.

    In 2011, he received a two-year suspended sentence over allegations that, as mayor of Paris in the 1990s, he put party members on the city payroll without them actually working.

    Tributes to the former president came from left and right, with Ferrand also recalling his commitment to arts and the environment.

    Read Also: France’s inhumanity to Africans

    “Personally, I cannot forget the last message he addressed to us when he left power, in which he exhorted the French people never to compromise with extremism, racism, anti-
    Semitism, or the rejection of others,” Ferrand wrote.

    Interior Minister Christophe Castaner spoke of “the strong emotion that touches, at this moment, the French people.”

    European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was “devastated” to hear of the death of Chirac, whom he counted as a great friend, a spokeswoman said.

    The leader of the EU executive has “no words to express his grief,” according to commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva.

    Chirac, who suffered from severe memory problems, had disappeared from public life in recent years. His wife Bernadette, who survives him, has also faded from public view.

     

    (dpa/NAN)

  • I’ll waive my constitutional immunity to clear my name – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has declared his readiness to waive his constitutional immunity to “enable the most robust adjudication” of several baseless allegations, insinuation and falsehoods against his person and office.

    Prof. Osinbajo made the declaration in a tweet he personally authored on Wednesday afternoon.

    He said “In the past few days, a spate of reckless and malicious falsehoods have been peddled in the media against me by a group of malicious individuals.

    “The defamatory and misleading assertions invented by this clique had mostly been making the social media rounds anonymously.

    Read Also: Nobody must maltreat Osinbajo – Northern youths

    “I have today instructed the commencement of legal action against two individuals, one Timi Frank and another Katch Ononuju, who have put their names to these odious falsehoods.

    “I will waive my constitutional immunity to enable the most robust adjudication of these claims of libel and malicious falsehood.” he said

  • One dies as Police, cultists clash in Delta

    A yet- to -be identified man has reportedly died in a gun duel between policemen and suspected cultists at Express Junction in Udu council area of Delta state.

    The incident occurred on Tuesday evening.

    It was gathered that Policemen from Ovwian/Aladja Division had gone to the area to put an end to a clash among rival cult groups.

    However, a suspected cultists from one of the groups allegedly opened fire on the team of uniformed security men, leading to an exchange of bullets.

    Read Also: Police arraign lawyer for threatening to kill Kashamu

    It was learnt that one of the suspects was gunned down by the Police while others fled the scene.

    Delta Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke, confirmed the development.

    He said: “Cultists clashed with Police and one was shot dead. The person is a cultist.”

    Udu council boss, Hon. Jite Brown, had only last week announced the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew due to the incessant criminal activities threatening the peace and security in parts of the local government area.

  • FEC okays N310b for roads projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved three memos and a total of N310 billion for roads projects.

    The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

    He was with the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuba and the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande.

    According to him, FEC approved N79.82 billion for Ibadan-Ilesa-Ife road, N200.176 billion for roads linking second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha, and N29.654 billion for phase 2 of Kano-Katsina highway.

    He said “The ministry of works and housing presented three memoranda and they were approved by the council: construction of Ibadan -Ilesa-Ife Dual Carriage Way, they are connected to Oyo and Osun State at the cost of N79.829 billion.

    “Secondly, for the link-road that connects the second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha. The Asaba link-road was awarded to Julius Berger and the Onitsha link-road was awarded to RCC at the total cost of N200.176 billion.

    “So this completes essentially the access road that will link the Bridge in the short time. You might recall that these roads were under-designed when the bridge was awarded.

    “So it is this administration that completed the design and we now awarded them so that you can have a bring that has link-roads. This was awarded initially under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the bridge in 2010 administration.

    Read Also; Buhari consoles VON DG over wife’s loss

    “The third approval was for phase two of the Kano-Katsina High Way from the point known as Gidan-Mutum Daya all the way to where Katsina Steel Rolling Mill is. This is a 78KM stretch approved at the sum of N29.654 billion.

    “That road is a 152KM road linking Kano and Katsina road from Kano. It was a single length Highway until it was awarded in 2013 by the previous administration in phase 1.

    “So we inherited it and we have continued to execute it. The award was to then expand the road into a dual carriage highway way. That means we are constructing the existing one and building another new one. It was awarded for the first 70KM plus for the phase 1 we we have now done is to complete the award to the same contractor so that there is a uniformity of construction.” he said

    Nwajuba disclosed that contracts amounting to N1.833 billion were approved for his ministry under Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

    The first, he said, is N915 million for construction of Faculty of Environment at the University of Abuja.

    He said the second contract is N918 million for construction of Faculty of Education in the same university.

    “The memorandum approved was in respect TETFUND intervention programme in respect of University of Abuja. A key component of that was the award of contract at the sum of N915 million for the construction of the faculty of environment.

    “Another was also approved for he sum of N918 million for the award to build the faculty of education. Those are the two components arising from the special intervention programme that was awarded then in 2017. So we have to act to give effect to them so that they can proceed the delivery.”

  • Police exonerate reps member of rape allegation

    The Imo State Police Command on exonerated a member of the House of Representatives representing Ohaji/Egbema Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency, Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima of the rape allegation levelled against him by one Mrs. Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu.

    The Command dismissed Kamalu’s allegations against Hon. Uju as false and baseless.

    It stated this in a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Orlando Ikeokwu, which was obtained by The Nation.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the command has been drawn to the news making the rounds in some media, dailies and other social platform in which one Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu claimed that she was raped by one Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima and as such claimed she was unlawfully arrested, tortured and detained.

    “The command wish to state that on 6/5/2019 the command received a report of a case of advanced fee fraud, conspiracy, child trafficking, forgery and threat to life against one Nkeiru Cynthia Kamalu ‘f’ 40 years of Plot 4, Ademola Close By Ire-Akari Estate, Ago, Lagos State.

    Read Also; ‘Lawmaker raped me, promised to give me N20m if my husband divorced me’

    “The command arrested two suspects namely -(1) Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu ’f’ and (ii) Emeka Muoneka ’m’. Both of the suspects made confessional statements as to the offence committed. For the purpose of clarity, the said Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu ’f’ called Hon. Kingsley Uju Chima claiming to be pregnant for him and as such blackmailed him into sending her various sums of money. She later claimed to have given birth to twins and one died of which she sent him picture of a baby boy.

    However, in the course of the investigation, the following were discovered.

    “That she was never in Canada as she claimed.

    “That she forged Canadian visa which she snapped and sent to Hon. Kingsley Uju Chima to trick him into sending money.

    “That Emeka Muoneka ‘m’ took her to Nnewi in Anambra State where she bought a three-day old baby boy at the sum of N1,800,000.

    “That she installed a software in her phone in which she used to call Hon. Kingsley Uju Chia, to ensure that a foreign number appears whenever she calls.

    “That both Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu and Emeka Muoneka led operatives to Nnewi, Anambra State where they bought a three-day old baby, for the purpose of deceiving Hon. Kingsley Uju Chima and blackmail him into sending money to her.

    In view of the above findings, the command said she was charged to court for the offence, adding that there was no time she was victimized, torturer detained.

    Read Also: One dies as Police, cultists clash in Delta

    The command therefore urged members of the public to discharge the allegations as “they are false and baseless.”

    On September 11, 2019, Kamalu, a businesswoman, filed a fundamental rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/1458/19 alleging “intimidation, mounting surveillance and or illegal oral invitation threat of life and annihilation of property,” against the lawmaker.

    She alleged that she was raped by Chima, on August 9, 2015, while she was married to a United States-based doctor.

    “I lodged the case first at New Owerri Police Station wherein he influenced it and I wrote a Petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Force State Quarters, Abuja. The petition was assigned to Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia, Abia State.

    According to her, the police persuaded her to settle with the lawmaker and soon after, they resumed an incestuous relationship

    Mrs Kamalu claimed that afterwards, the lawmaker offered to pay her N20 million if she was divorced by her husband, Mr Gabriel Igbibi. Her husband subsequently left her and her new resumed relationship also failed, she said.

    She further alleged that the lawmaker caused her to be arrested in Lagos on 27th day of May, 2019 by SARS and that she was tortured and detained for seven days, after which she was arraigned on a fictitious N40 million theft charge.

  • Man ‘caught’ selling marijuana at NDLEA office

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday remanded a man, Ayobiojo Hammed, who was allegedly caught peddling marijuana at the Lagos Command of the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    Justice Sule Hassan kept Hammed, of 7, Moshalashi Street, Empire, Surulere, Lagos, in prison custody, following his plea of guilty to a one-count charge of unlawfully distributing 630 grammes of the narcotic drug.

    He adjourned till October 11 for review of the facts of the case and sentencing.

    Earlier, NDLEA prosecutor Fingere Dinneys alleged that Hammed was arrested on March 26, 2019, while distributing 630 grammes of the substance to some construction workers on the NDLEA’s premises, No. 4, Shaw Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    Read Also: NDLEA intercepts 238kg of cannabis in Edo

    The court heard that the defendant’s offence infringed Section 20(1)(a) of the NDLEA Act, 2004 and was punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same Act.

    Following Hammed’s plea, his counsel, C. W. Ezeonyeziaku, who stood in for Mrs. Susan Agu, did not oppose the prosecution’s remand application.

    The charge against the defendant marked FHC/L/198c/19, reads: “That you Ayobiojo Hammed, Male, Adult, of 7, Moshalashi Street, Empire Surulere, Lagos on or about 26th March, 2019, at 4, Shaw Road, Ikoyi, Lagos without lawful authority distributed 630 grammes of Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as Marijuana, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, LSD and Heroin and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 20(1)(a) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act 2004”.