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Man remanded in prison for raping minor

An 18-year-old man, Isyaku Isyaku, on Wednesday appeared before a Plateau State High Court in Jos over alleged raping of a three year-old neighbour’s daughter.

The accused person, a resident of Naraguta village, Jos was charged with rape, an offence the prosecutor, Mrs. S. F. Dalyop, said contravened section 282(1), and punishable under section 283, of the Penal Code.

Isyaku has, however, denied the charge.

At the hearing of the case on Wednesday, Dalyop told the court that the accused committed the crime on Dec. 13, 2017, at Naraguta village.

“The accused, in a confessional statement, told the Police that he lured the girl into an uncompleted building and raped her.

“The accused also told investigators that the little girl was a neighbour’s daughter and was sitting in front of the family house when he lured her into following him into an uncompleted building.

“He further said that he placed the girl on his lap and had carnal knowledge of her, but ran out of luck when his brother caught him in the act.”

Dalyop further quoted the accused as saying that he was “just about to ejaculate” when his brother entered the building.

“The accused confessed that he ran away on sighting his brother but was apprehended by people that heard the brother screaming,” the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor told the court that a hospital examination had confirmed that the girl was actually defiled.

Dalyop said that if found guilty, the accused is liable to up to 21 years imprisonment.

The judge, Justice Nafisa Musa, adjourned the matter to March 2 for hearing and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

NAN

February 14, 2018
Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Zamfara

The Police Command in Zamfara has arrested three notorious kidnappers in the state, the Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Muhammad Shehu, has said.

Shehu said in a statement in Gusau on Wednesday that the arrested kidnappers had been on the wanted list of the command for several months.

“On Feb. 12, 2018 the command’s Special forces on operation bush combing (Sharan Daji) arrested two of the wanted notorious kidnappers in Wuya village in Anka Local Government Area of the state,” he said.

He said that the suspects were among those wanted in connection with criminal activities such as kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery and culpable homicide in Anka local government area.

According to him, the ongoing mop-up operation and raids are being extended to the hideouts with a view to making more arrests and recovery.

“On Feb. 13, 2018, the patrol team of the command, in bush combing along Dansadau/Birnin-Gwari road in Maru Local Government Area also arrested one suspect in possession of a locally made revolver gun with live ammunition for AK47 riffle.

“All the suspects are being interrogated by the command to get more leads that will assist the police in making more arrest and recovery.

“The suspects will be charged to court after investigation,” the police spokesman said.

NAN

February 14, 2018
FIRS seals two companies over N8bn tax debt in Delta, Edo

Officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service ( FIRS ) on Wednesday sealed two companies in Delta and Edo over N8 billion tax debt.

The Leader of the enforcement team, Mrs Anita Erinne, said the companies were sealed over failure to remit over N8 billion taxes payable to the Federal Government.

She said that one of the affected companies (name withheld), located in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta, was indebted to the tune of N121 million.

She also revealed that the other defaulting company in Edo owed the government N8.1 billion.

The team leader tendered separate “Warrant of Distraints’’ signed by the FIRS Chairman, Mr Babatunde Fowler, to the companies to justify the exercise.

According to her, Section 3 of FIRS (Establishment) Act, No.13 of 2007 and Section 44(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 empowers the FIRS to close any defaulting company.

“No member of staff or anybody should remove the FIRS seals until the companies paid their debts.

“Any attempt to do that, the company will be liable to a tune of N200,000 as a fine to the government,’’ she warned.

Erinne, however, advised companies to comply with the tax laws and remit their taxes promptly to avoid being sealed.

The FIRS in 2017 netted N3.2 trillion in 10 months, an amount that represented 79.35 per cent of its target for the year.

The Chairman of the Service, Mr Babatunde Fowler, then expressed readiness of his personnel to help Federal Government in blocking revenue leakages and increase collection of taxes payable to the government.

NAN

February 14, 2018
Over 250,000 PVCs uncollected in FCT – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on Wednesday said over 250, 000 Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs ) were yet to be collected by registered voters in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ).

Mrs Ndidi Okafor, Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Gender and Civil Society Liaison, INEC, FCT, made this known in Abuja that the rate of PVC collection in the area was low.

Okafor said that the uncollected PVCs were from the 2011, 2014, and 2016 voter registration by the commission in the territory.

She said, “we are appealing to Nigerians to please come and collect their PVCs; it is not just enough to come and register, you have to complete the process by collecting your card.

“We are doing a lot of partnerships with different organizations to create awareness on this; we go to churches and mosques to do advocacy and we even visit traditional rulers to help us talk to their subjects.

“However, the commission cannot do this alone; political parties have a strategic role to play, so we urge them to talk to their supporters to send down these messages to the grassroots.’’

Okafor appealed to Nigerians not to be discouraged by the long queue they met at voter registration centres, assuring that INEC was working out how to make the exercise hitch-free.

She urged Nigerians to be more patient with the process “because it is their right to register and vote’’.

“We need to be supportive of this process so that we can all register.

“The wisdom here is that no matter how long these queues are, they get cleared up early because not everyone there is for registration.

“Some people are just there to transfer their voter cards, while others are for corrections. So, ideally nobody is supposed to spend up to five minutes on the queue,’’ she explained.

Okafor said that the registration centres in the FCT had been increased from 22 to 32 and urged people to go and register.

She said that on April 27, 2017 when the exercise started, FCT had only six registration centres, but that due to stakeholders demanded, 16 new centres were added.

She added that 10 more centres were recently created, bringing the number to 32 for the six area councils in the territory.

Okafor said that INEC was also taking steps to increase the number of registration machines in the centres, especially in Abuja Municipal Area Council ( AMAC ), which had nine centres.

She said that 10 machines and the scanners had also been deployed at the centres.

NAN

February 14, 2018
LASUTH, Apollo Hospital inaugurate kidney centre

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital ( LASUTH ), Ikeja, on Wednesday, in Lagos inaugurated a Renal (Kidney) Transplantation Centre that would carry out kidney transplants for residents.

The Chief Medical Director ( CMD ), LASUTH, Prof. Adewale Oke, told newsmen that the programme was in collaboration with an Indian based hospital, Apollo Hospital.

Oke said, however, that LASUTH had since 2015 started renal transplant and had conducted five transplants with its indigenous doctors carrying out the surgeries.

“We are partnering with Apollo Hospital in order to improve on what we have.

“Our arrangement is such that they will come, work with us, look at our patients, advise, and if necessary we will be able to send some of our consultants and resident doctors to their hospital.

“This will enable the doctors work in the hospital’s (Apollo hospital) larger renal transplant centre and I think working with them is a bonus.

“We also want to create an opportunity to empower our doctors by improving their skills and there are two options;

“It is either we send our doctors there or bring the doctors here so that the skills can be transferred,’’ he said.

The CMD said that the aim of partnering with the Indian based hospital was to reduce medical tourism in the state and the country at large.

Oke said: “The beauty of reducing medical tourism is to ensure patients are treated here in an environment they are conversant with and among their relations.

“I am not saying we are going to do everything here.

“Patients that are identified to have special issues who we may not be able to tackle here, we may now ask the government or if they can afford it, take them to Apollo Hospital to have their surgeries done,’’

He said that LASUTH would also be extending partnership with Apollo Hospital in other specialties including Cardiovascular (heart) surgeries.

One of the visiting doctors, Dr Manoj Gumber, a Consultant Nephrologist, Apollo Hospital, said that renal transplant was the best form of renal replacement therapy.

Gumber said: “The government should understand that it is costly to do a dialysis programme, but it is cost-effective to support a renal transplant programme.

“No doubt, initially, the cost of the facility, exchanging ideas, and travelling may seem higher, but looking at three years down the line, the cost of transplant is definitely going to be low.

“As far as longivity, quality of life and cost are concerned, renal transplant is the best renal replacement therapy.’’

The Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Mr Olusegun Olulade, said the collaboration between LASUTH and Apollo Hospital would bring more development and enhance quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

“I appreciate both teams for this collaborative effort in order to exchange skills, knowledge and most importantly, saving lives through this programme.

“This programme will bring hope to Nigeria, and lives of people suffering from renal challenges,’’ Olulade said.

NAN

February 14, 2018
NiMet predicts dust haze, partly cloudy weather for Thursday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency ( NiMet ) has predicted dust haze weather conditions over the central States of the county on Thursday.

NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Wednesday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 28 to 40 and 12 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

It also predicted visibility range of two to five kilometres and localised visibility of less than or equal to 1000 metres over the central cities during the forecast period.

The agency predicted that the southern States would experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions over coastal cities in the morning and most parts of the inland cities during the forecast period.

It also predicted localised thunderstorms over coastal part of Ondo state, Ijebu-ode, Yenagoa, Port-Harcourt, Calabar and Eket with day and night temperatures of 31 to 38 and 20 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

According to NiMet, Northern States will experience dust haze conditions throughout the forecast period with visibility range of two to five kilometres and localised visibility of less than or equal to 1000 metres.

“Northern states are expected to have day and night temperatures in the range of 31 to 34 and 15 to 17 degrees Celsius respectively during the forecast period.

“Fresh dust has been raised over the source region in Republic of Chad with dust already in suspension.

“Dust haze conditions are expected over most part of the northern cities, while the inland cities are anticipated to experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions.

“Slim chances of localised thunderstorms are probable over some parts of the coastal cities within the next 24 hours,’’ NiMet predicted.

NAN

February 14, 2018
Enugu spends N40bn on road construction in two years

The Enugu State Commissioner for Works, Mr Greg Nnaji, says the state government has spent over N40 billion on road construction in the last two years.

Nnaji said this in Enugu on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.

He said that part of the money was invested on the construction and rehabilitation of over 240 kilometres of roads across the state.

The commissioner said some federal roads were also among the roads rehabilitated by the state government.

He said the state government tarred some roads in rural communities as well as areas that had never had asphalt roads.

The council, he said, also approved some landmark projects which would take off immediately with a view to completing them within the remaining construction window of the year.

Nnaji cited the construction of the Ogologoeji Ndiuno – Akpugo Road awarded at the cost of N292.6 million as one of the latest projects awarded for construction.

“I do not think the people of the area have seen an asphalt road before, especially children that were born 20 years ago.

“Also, Ituku as a community has never had a road until the ongoing project we are executing. Now, the council has considered extending that particular road further.

“Therefore, we got an approval for the extension of the Ituku Road construction project for N366. 7 million,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state government also awarded the construction of Eha- Amufu – Nkalagu Road in Isiuzo Local Government Area of the state.

Nnaji said that the federal road, which covered 8.8km on the Enugu State axis, had been in a state of disrepair for over 25 years.

“The council approved the rehabilitation of the road to suitably qualified contractors to ensure that it is done within the weather window available this year,” he said.

The commissioner further said that a bridge contract in Amechi Uno which began in 2017 but had some challenges, had now been re-awarded to reputable professionals.

“We have now awarded the contract to the 44 Brigade Engineers of the Nigerian Army whose engineering skills in the construction of Bailey Bridges have been tested.

“The 42-metre bridge is to be delivered within the next three months due to the imminent rainy season,” Nnaji said.

NAN

February 14, 2018
CBN spends N55bn to improve local food production

The Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ), says it has disbursed N55 billion to more than 250,000 farmers within two years of implementation of the Anchor Borrowers Programme ( ABP ).

The Acting-Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, Isaac Okorafor confirmed the figure on Wednesday in Abuja during a media briefing on the implementation of the programme.

The ABP was launched in Kebbi State on Nov. 17, 2015, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was designed to create economic linkages between farmers and processors, not only to ensure increased agricultural output of rice and wheat, but also close the gap between production and consumption.

Okorafor was accompanied to the briefing by the Special Adviser to the CBN Governor, Mr Olatunde Akande, and top executive of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria ( RIFAN ) led by its President, Alh. Aminu Gorongo.

Okorafor said that out of the N55 billion provided by the apex bank to farmers, 80 per cent of the amount, N44 billion was given to rice farmers alone.

He said the need to provide rice farmers adequate funding was to ensure self sufficiency in rice production and to also ensure that Nigeria becomes a net exporter of the product.

“It goes to underscore the effectiveness and efficiency that the CBN has put into this programme.

“We have assisted about 250,000 farmers across Nigeria to cultivate close to 300,000 hectares of farmlands and you can see the impact on the streets’’ he said.

In his remarks, the RIFAN president Gorongo said that the association was partnering with the CBN to increase rice production by two million tonnes in 2018.

He said under the new ABP partnership between the CBN and RIFAN, 200,000 farmers would be given fresh funds to plant rice in the dry season farming.

According to him, another 500,000 rice farmers would also be mobilised during the wet season farming.

Gorongo said that through the funding, the farmers would be able to employ a total of five million people to work on rice production value chain during the period.

He said so far, farmers in about 34 states were presently under the new ABP with RIFAN.

“We have started collaboration with the CBN to have a private sector driven ABP, which means that under this new agreement, the state governments are not involved.

“We have launched this programme to put this country on the right part, especially in the area of agri-business.’’

Also speaking, Akande, the Special Assistant to the CBN Governor on Development Finance, said the ABP had been digitised to keep account of the activities of all the farmers involved.

According to him, under the new agreement with RIFAN, each farmer’s identity, home address, farm location and other vital information has been captured and each farmer is given a biometric card.

He said the new system would help resolve the issue of delay in payments to farmers and also the recoupment of funds borrowed out by the CBN.

“We have successfully digitally mapped all the farmers that are participating in the projects. This makes the new programme reliable, accessible and verifiable.

“The digitisation will ensure that no farmer will collect payment and refuse to pay. So loan repayment is guaranteed.

“Also, in the new agreement, RIFAN will provide training, and ensure that whatever is given to the farmers are well utilised.

“Depending on the season and the crop which is being cultivated, each farmer will get a support of about N250, 000 per hectare,’’ he said.

NAN

February 14, 2018
SON confiscates fake products worth N300bn in 2017

Mr Ostia Aboloma, Director General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria ( SON ), says the organisation confiscated fake and sub-standard products worth N300 billion across the country in 2017.

Aboloma, who was represented by Mr Sunday Galadima, a director in the organisation, made this known on Wednesday while speaking at the opening of a One-Day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting in Yola.

According to him, the issue of fake and sub-standard products poses a grave danger to lives and economy of Nigeria.

“We have confiscated fake and sub-standard products worth over N300 billion across the country in 2017.

“The aim of this workshop is to educate stakeholders, both the public and private sectors, on the need to work together.

“The work of standardisation and quality assurance requires the involvement of all to ensure safety of lives and economy of our country”, he said.

Aboloma said that the organization had embarked on arraignment and trial of some suspects linked with the impounded goods in various courts across the country.

He noted that the organization has commenced the enforcement of its Act number 14 of 2015 to attain economic development .

He also explained that the organization had commenced intensive patrol and search of counterfeiters across the country.

He appealed to stakeholders to give the organization maximum support to ensure that only standard and quality products were allowed to be imported or produced in the country.

In his remarks, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, Commander, FRSC ,Yola, warned the general public to avoid using spare tyres known as ‘Tokunbo’ saying ” most accidents being recorded were linked to bursted tyres”

Adetunji said that the FRSC would give maximum support to SON to make Nigeria free of sub-standard tyres.

NAN

February 14, 2018
NAFDAC arraigns businessman for importation of fake drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control ( NAFDAC ), on Wednesday, charged a businessman, Ezeanwu Ifeanyi, before a Federal High Court Lagos, over alleged importation of fake drugs.

The accused was arraigned on a one count charge of dealing in fake drugs.

In the charge, the NAFDAC alleged that the accused was found in possession of a one by 40 feet container which harboured some restricted drugs including: Tramadol Hydrochloric tablets, Royal Tramadol, Ibamol tablets, Heogra tablets, and Diarrhea capsule.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

After his plea was taken, the prosecutor, Mr Umar Shamaki, sought for an adjournment, and urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody, pending trial.

However, the accused counsel, Mr Chinwobi Adiele, urged the court to order the prosecution to oblige him with the proof of evidence to enable him defend the accused.

Adiele, further told the court that the bail application of the accused was before the court, and service had been effected.

Responding, Shamaki informed the court that he was served the application in court today and that he needed time to respond to the application.

Consequently, Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari, adjourned the matter until March 16 for hearing and ruling on the bail application.

Rabiu-Shagari ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

The offence contravenes the provisions of section 1(a) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap. C34 Laws of the Federation, 2004

Section 3(1)[a] prescribes a fine not exceeding N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years, or more than fifteen years for the offence of importation of fake drugs.

NAN

February 14, 2018