Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

Members of Makuntiri community in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State, on Friday gave reasons for chasing away health workers drafted to conduct polio immunization in the community.

The angry community members who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that they took the action to draw government attention to their plight.

According to them, the road leading to the community is in terrible condition while the bridge linking them to other areas had collapsed.

Malam Ahmad Ubale, a resident, said they had done all that was necessary to notify government about the state of the road leading to the community, to no avail.

“To show you that we have been left out, people hardly come to visit our community until polio periods; so this time we have to chase the workers away.

“We did that because government has given priority to immunization more than anything else, so our rejecting it is to draw government officials attention to our condition,” Ubale said.

Another resident, Malam Mudi Bala, expressed concern over the collapse of economic activities in the community as people hardly visit to transact businesses because of the collapsed bridge.

“You have seen it yourself,  the community isn’t easily accessible especially with vehicles. Whenever we go out of the community, it’s always difficult coming back.

“Our people suffer from other ailments and we are expected to take them to the hospitals which are far from here; how do we cope with the situation,” he said.

Bala, however, appealed to the government for prompt intervention to improve their living condition, saying they were not asking for too much.

NAN reports that the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Health, Alhaji Usman Bala, later led the immunization team back to the community and got the children immunized.

He noted the grievances of the community but warned the residents to desist, henceforth, from injecting politics into health related issues.

NAN reports that Bunkure Local Government had targeted about 62,000 children below the age of five for immunization in the just concluded August Immunization Plus Days. (NAN)

The Enugu State Police Command on Friday paraded the suspected killers of two Catholic priests of Enugu Diocese as another escaped assassination by unidentified gunmen.

Reverend Fr. Paul Offu and Fr. Clement Ugwu were killed on August 1 and March 14, 2019 respectively by suspected gunmen.

While Fr. Offu was killed by Fulani Herdsmen on August 1, 2019 along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu Local Government Area of the state, Rev.  Fr. Ugwu Parish priest of St. Mark Catholic Church, Obinofia Ndiuno in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the State was kidnapped and killed on March 14, 2019.

The police also paraded the suspected kidnappers of the traditional ruler of Obom-Agbogugu, Awgu Local Government Area of state, Igwe Sunday Orji and his wife who were kidnapped on Sunday August 3, 2019 along Enugu – Port-Harcourt Expressway.

Meanwhile, barely two weeks Fr. Offu was killed another Priest, Rev. Fr. Chimezie Ani was attacked and escaped by whiskers on Thursday along Ugwuomu road after Caritas University.

The gunmen who was said to have been chasing another vehicle when Fr. Ani’s car ran into them, had his vehicle pelted with bullets and windscreen shattered.

Fr. Ani who spoke to reporters thanked God for his mercy and protection that he was able to escape unhurt from the assailants.

Read Also: Police parade 49 for alleged robbery, cultism

According to him: “the attack happened after Caritas University towards Ugwuomu that I ran into them firing at the SUV in my opposite direction but miraculous I drove on my reverse for a very long distance before turning.”

Confirming the incident to Saturday Punch, the Director communications, Enugu Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Achi said, “yes the incident happened along Ugwuomu road as you heard. We are very grateful to God that he was not harmed, he was able to navigate on reverse to a safe distance.”

The Police Commissioner, Suleiman Balarabe who paraded the suspected killers of the priests alongside other 30 suspects, who were arrested for various criminal offences said that the command has devised measures to protect Catholic priests from such incident in the future.

He said that one Ibrahim Adamu 25yrs from Taraba state and Idris Tobe 28yrs were arrested in connection with the killing of Fr. Offu while three other suspects are still at large.

The Commissioner also said that one Idris Umaru was arrested for the kidnap and murder of Secretary of Uzo-Uwani local government area, who killed in March 2019.

On the kidnap of Igwe Sunday Orji and his wife the Commissioner said that three suspects, “Garba Basulugu, Mohammed Lagu and Mojunpan Duna were arrested in connection”.

While fielding questions from journalists, Balarabe promised that those who attacked Fr. Ani would soon be arrested as his men were already after the hoodlums.

Kano State Police Command has arrested 216 suspected criminals, allegedly involved in robbery, kidnapping, car snatching, currency counterfeiting and drug dealings.

The Police Commissioner in Kano, Alhaji Iliyasu Ahmed who paraded the suspects on Friday, said the suspects were arrested within the Sallah period.

The commissioner said the arrest was made mostly by personnel of Operation Puff Adder.

Ahmed said nine of the suspects were arrested over armed robbery and 16 for kidnapping.

He said that two kidnapped victims were rescued by the police.

The commissioner added that 34 thugs locally known as ‘Yandaba’, were also arrested in various locations with dangerous weapons during the Sallah period.

Read Also:Police parade 49 for alleged robbery, cultism

According to him, 51 other suspects were arrested at different criminal hideouts where large quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp and other intoxicating substances were recovered.

“This is in addition to tracking one suspect at his hideout in Warawa Local Government Area after allegedly stabbing one other person to death,” he said.

He added that the command had also swooped on five suspected fraudsters and high profile scammers on land matters and that N400,000 and four motor vehicles were recovered from them.

According to Ahmed, another five suspects were also arrested for counterfeiting local and foreign currencies.

He however stated that operation Puff Adder which was recording tremendous success would be sustained throughout the state, until all non repentant criminals were arrested and brought to justice.

The commissioner commended law abiding members of the general public for their cooperation during the just concluded Sallah festivities which ended peacefully.

(NAN)

Police in Enugu State has arraigned the traditional ruler of Obeagu Ugwuaji, Awkunanaw Autonomous Community of the state, Igwe Christopher Nyia for alleged attempted kidnapping among other charges.

Nyia, 60, was arraigned before an Enugu South Magistrates Court presided over by Mr A. P. C. Amalu on four count charges allegedly committed with others at large in November, 2014.

He was said to have conspired to commit misdemeanor to wit: malicious damage/unlawful detention, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Sect. 517 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nyia was said to have willfully and unlawfully destroyed the house of one Hillary Okoye valued at N1.6 million and committed an offence punishable under sect. 451 of the same law.

He was said to have also unlawfully detained one Chinaza Agah against her will and, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Sect. 365 of the Criminal Code Act.

Read Also: Kidnapped college provost regains freedom in Benue – Police

The last charge was that the monarch attempted to kidnap one Chinaza Agah and, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Sect. 86 (1) of the Criminal Code Act.

When the charges were read, the monarch pleaded not guilty and elected for summary trial.

The defense counsel, Prof. Osita Ogbu applied for the quashing of the charges against his client on grounds that the case had earlier been heard and dismissed by an Enugu Magistrates Court in 2016.

Ogbu said the case was dismissed due to lack of diligent prosecution.

The counsel, who tendered the certified copies of the proceedings, said it was surprising that the prosecution would bring up the matter again.

The defense counsel also said the laws on the basis of which his client was arraigned, did not apply to Enugu State.

He said the law was a creation of the National Assembly adding that the body had no constitutional powers to make laws for an offence applicable to Enugu state.

Ogbu said that criminalisation was a residual matter under the 1999 Constitution and amended except in treasonable felony.

He said his client was charged under the criminal code applicable in Abuja, adding that Enugu State had its own Criminal Procedure Law.

“The powers to enact general criminal laws are incidental which is not applicable here. These offences are under the legislative powers of the state assembly,” he said.

He said that under Sect. 36 (12) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, “a person could only be brought to the court for an offence prescribed by a valid law.

“We urge the court to quash the charges and discharge the accused person as he is not charged under any valid law,” he said.

Ogbu however, applied for the bail of his client should the court find no valid reason to quash the charges.

He said that the monarch was conscientiously attending court proceedings even when the prosecution was not attending prior to the initial dismissal of the case in 2016.

However, the prosecution counsel, Mr D. T. Abi opposed the bail application on the grounds that the allegations were heinous.

Abi however, told the court that the case was not dismissed on its merits but on technical grounds.

He said that under the circumstance, the police have the powers to re-arrest and bring the accused back to the court.

He said the charges were applicable to the state as the NASS had the powers to make laws for good governance of all parts of the country.

Abi prayed the court to discountenance the submissions of the defense counsel and deny bail.

However, Amalu granted the accused bail for N1 million and one surety in like sum.

The matter was adjourned until Sept. 2 for hearing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that members of Obeagu Ugwuaji Awkunanaw Autonomous Community had earlier trooped out en mass in solidarity with their monarch. (NAN)

An Ado-Ekiti High Court has sentenced a former cashier with Fidelity Bank, Ado Branch, Michael Ihinolurinjon to ten 10 imprisonment for stealing customers’ deposit.

Ihinolurinjon was on Thursday, found guilty of a two-count charge of stealing money from the bank’s vault and diverting customers’ deposits of a criminal case filed against by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.

Justice Abiodun Adesodun in her judgement said Ihinolurinjon stands guilty and accordingly convicted to serve a prison of 10 years with a fine options of N100, 000 on each of the counts.

The convict was also ordered to pay a sum of seven million naira as restitution to Fidelity Bank Plc, being the petitioner in the case.

The bank had written a petition to the EFCC alleging that while still a staffer, Ihinolurinjon stole the sum of N8,891,000 (Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety-One Thousand Naira) from its vault, and also failed to remit a total of N7,251,600 (Seven Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-One, Six Hundred Naira) he collected from customers to the bank’s account.

The bank also accused Ihinolurinjon of absconding from duty ‘upon sighting one of the customers whose cash he had fraudulently diverted’.

Following the petition, the Commission went into investigation after which the accused was originally charged with obtaining through false pretence in a one-count charge filed in 2017.

The charge was later amended to a two-count, bordering on stealing, upon which he was re-arraigned on June 24, 2019.

“Our preliminary review showed that Michael fraudulently diverted the sums of N8,891,000 and N7,251,600.00 of the branch vault and customers’ cash respectively. The cash deposit of N7,251,600 received by Michael from various customers between 1/9/16 and 19/9/16 were neither posted to their respective accounts nor the cash accounted for,” the bank stated in its petitioned dated October 17, 2016.

The offence, according to the EFCC prosecuting counsel Abdulrasheed Suleman, contravenes Section 390 (g) of the Criminal Code Laws Cap 16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

He called nine witnesses to testify against the convicts.