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  • Ohanaeze to investigate ownership of oil blocks in Niger Delta

    Apex pan Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it would investigate the ownership of all Oil blocks in Niger Delta with a view to ensuring that no part of the country dominates the sector.

    It said it would also collect data on all positions and their distributions in all federal ministries, agencies and parastatals with a view to ensuring fair distribution to all parts of the country.

    The deputy publicity secretary of the group, Chuks Ibegbu who signed a statement on behalf of the group advised the Federal Character Commission to ensure fair representation of all sections of the country in the country’s commonwealth without sacrificing merit.

    The group lauded the recent court ruling for a uniform cut off point in tertiary schools and federal government colleges admission.

    Ohaneaze regretted that the unjust disparity hitherto has wrought unfair hardship on students seeking admission to federal institutions from the South East in particular and the South in general.

    On the issue of Senate Presidency or Speakership of the Federal House now raging on, Ohanaeze noted that what Ndigbo needed most is restructuring of Nigeria and not who occupies what position which only benefits the occupant as in the past.

    “We are not much interested in positions now but what our people, the common Igbo masses will benefit from the country in its entirety,” the group insisted.

    It noted that Ohanaeze leadership will meet very soon to take stock of the last elections and react appropriately, warning anybody purporting to speak on the issue on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to desist from doing so.

  • Police rescue kidnapped monarch in Edo

    The Edo Command of the Nigerian Police Force has confirmed the rescue of Enogie Godwin Aigbe, the abducted Monarch of Ukhiri Community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the State.

    DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Thursday.

    Nwabuzor said that the monarch was rescued by officers of the Anti- kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit of the command, led by SP Balogun Richard, who acted on intelligence report.

    Read Also: Three killed in robbers, police battle at Ojo

    He said the monarch was rescued Wednesday night at about 10: 00 p.m. at Upper Sakponba axis of the area.

    NAN reports that Aigbe was abducted by unknown gunmen last Saturday in his palace.

    NAN also reports that the abductors were said to have contacted the family and demanded for a ransom to be paid in foreign currency.

    Nwabuzor, however, said that no ransom was paid before the monarch was rescued.

  • 20 parties to INEC: withhold Iheodioha’s Certificate of Return

    Twenty political parties on Wednesday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the Certificate of Return of the Imo state governor-elect Emeka Ihedioha.

    They strongly contended the declaration Ihedioha, who was the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate as governor-elect, was not in tandem with the provisions of Constitution.

    At a press conference in Owerri, the state capital, the governorship candidate of Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Jerry Iheanacho, who spoke on behalf of others, said they had individually decided to challenge the outcome of the governorship election at the election Petitions Tribunal.

    Iheanacho noted that the declaration of Ihedioha as the winner of the election was “a rape of our Constitution”.

    The governorship candidate said: “It is not about Ihedioha but it is about what the Constitution says. From the results as announced by INEC, the PDP candidate didn’t meet the constitutional requirement to have been declared the governor elect.

    “He did not get the needed spread and we have decided to pursue this injustice up to the Supreme Court.

    “He did not get the required 25 percent of two-third of the LGAs.”

    Chinedu Ukadike of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) said the declaration of Ihedioha as the governor-elect was in contrast with the electoral guidelines presented to them by INEC.

    He vowed to petition the electoral umpire at the Tribunal even as he alleged that the declaration of a governor elect was done to undermine the constitution.

  • Abuja Disco promises uninterrupted power supply in Niger

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has pledged to supply 12 hours uninterrupted electricity to Minna and its environs.

    The action is part of agreement reached between the state government and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company which took place at company’s Headquarters in Abuja.

    Speaking after the meeting, the Deputy Governor of Niger state and Chairman of the Committee on Constant and Quality electricity, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso said he hoped AEDC will abide by the nine point agreements reached at the meeting.

    According to him, the 12 hours uninterrupted electricity would be for two months and would be reviewed afterwards.

    The Deputy Governor added that a special committee would be set up to monitor the implementation of the supply by the company.

    He then urged the youths in the state to remain patient with government’s effort to give them the best dividends of democracy.

    Ketso also said that the era of estimated billing would soon be over as pre-paid meters would soon be distributed to customers.

    The nine points agreements reached at the meeting include supply of 12 hours electricity, communicating and informing customers on bottlenecks faced by the company, enhanced relationship between the state government and the company among others.

  • NLC applauds NASS’ approval of N30,000 new minimum wage

    The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), Gombe State Council, has applauded the National Assembly’s speedy passage the bill proposing N30,000 as new national minimum wage.

    The Senate had on Tuesday approved N30,000 as the new national minimum wage, after its ad-hoc committee on new minimum wage submitted its report.

    Mr Haruna Kamara, the state’s NLC Chairman, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Wednesday.

    He said that the gesture by the lawmakers was a testimony to their high level of patriotism and commitment to the well-being of workers.

    He added that such patriotism and commitment could lead to the desired improvement in the living standard of workers.

    “I want to most sincerely thank and commend the national assembly for the honour done to Nigerian workers which will bring the desired change in terms of improving the living condition of workers generally.

    “We are highly elated with the high level of humility and patriotism exhibited by the national assembly.

    “By their act, the deal has been done and sealed for transmission to the president for ascent.

    “We must also give credit to labour leaders and Mr Ayuba Wabba, for putting the mechanism in place for the change that the Nigerian worker will be grateful happened at a time like this,’’ he said.

    The Gombe NLC chairman debunked speculations that the speedy passage of the bill had anything to do with the just concluded elections.

    “The lawmakers have realised that workers are the engine room for development.

    “The approval of the new wage for workers by the lawmakers shows that they see workers as the most effective tool for change and as major players in driving the economic development of the country,’’ he said.

    Kamara who expressed confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari’s disposition to sign the bill into law soon, said: “ I believe that President Buhari is committed to improving the welfare of workers and pensioners nationwide.

    “Mr President has shown on several occasions his commitment to workers’ well-being.

    “So I believe he will demonstrate that same commitment and high level patriotism by signing the bill into law.”

    On whether governors will pay the new wage, Kamara said: “When Mr President ascents to the bill, the governors will have no choice but to pay. We will ensure that the N30,000 is implemented nation-wide.

    NAN reports that Buhari had on Nov. 27, 2017 inaugurated the National Minimum Wage Committee headed by Amal Pepple, with a mandate to recommend a new minimum wage for workers.

    On Nov. 6, 2018, the panel submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari and in it, recommended N30,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the country.

     

  • Tricyclist rapes teenager, threatens to kill dad for involving police

    The police in Lagos have arrested a 20-year-old tricyclist John Babalola for allegedly raping a teenager (names withheld).

    Babalola was arrested on March 15 by the Family Support Unit (FSU) at Iju Ishaga Division.

    It was gathered that following the suspect’s arrest, his friends had taken to threatening the survivor and her father.
    According to the Child Protection Network (CPN), the teenager was raped while her mother was terminally ill and the woman passed on Tuesday morning.

    CPN said Babalola’s friends have mobilised to threaten the girl’s father that they will kill him or chase him out of the area.

    “The perpetrator ran away after the act but later surrendered himself at the Iju Police Division where he was detained. We understand that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) was doing her best to ensure justice.

    “The survivor’s mother passed on today (Tuesday) and despite the family was in mourning, the perpetrator’s friends have mobilised to threaten the girl’s father that they’ll kill him or chase him out of the area.

    “A quick intervention is needed to keep the survivor and her family safe and to ensure that justice is served,” said the group.

    Confirming the incident, police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the case was under investigation, adding that the police would also investigate alleged threats to the survivor, her father by the suspect and his friends.

  • UPDATED: Buhari, Service Chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with Service Chiefs and heads of security agencies at the presidential villa, Abuja.

    The meeting, which held for about three hours, started around 11am.

    The security chiefs were expected to brief the President on security situation in the country including the recent killings in Kaduna State.

    The meeting might have also dwelt on the supplementary elections in some states, which were declared inconclusive.

    But none of the security chiefs briefed State House correspondents on the actual discussions at the meeting.

    When the meeting ended, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, declined to speak on the accusation leveled against the Army by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of meddlesomeness in Rivers State elections.

    Asked to react to the allegation, Buratai referred journalists to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, saying, “The IG will speak.”

    But the IGP also declined comment when approached.

    He simply said there would be no official briefing.

    Recall that INEC had condemned what it described as the role played by some soldiers and armed gangs in Rivers State, which it said led to the disruption of the electoral process.

    The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the action which took place during the March 9 election was an attempt to subvert the will of the people.

    The commission based its allegation on part of the submissions made by its fact-finding committee which assessed the situation in Rivers State.

    At the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ibas, and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar.

    Also present were the National Security Adviser, Major Gen. Babagana Monguno, Director of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Abubakar, the Director General, Department of Security Service, DSS, Yusuf Bichi, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence and the Minister of Defence, Brigadier Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali.

  • Brave children stop robbers/kidnappers

    Two children have demonstrated bravado by stopping two armed robbers and kidnappers who attempted to make away with their father’s car.

    The two children locked the car steering with the robbers, which made the car to hit a wall and somersaulted.

    It was gathered the father of the children simply identified as Doctor had parked to drop his children at the Brother Pius Nursery and Primary School along Akenzua Street off Airport road in Bénin City when the two robbers asked him to step out of the car.

    The man stepped out and the two robbers/kidnappers entered the car and drove off with the children inside.

    Sources said children engaged the robbers/kidnappers inside the car and it veered off the road and hit a wall of a building before it somersaulted.

    The two robbers managed to escape while sympathisers rescued the children currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    Edo police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the incident, said one of the robbers was pushed out of the vehicle by the children.

    DSP Nwabuzor said the two suspects escaped and that the children did not sustain any injury.

    He said efforts are on to arrest the fleeing robbers.

  • ‘How ex-UNILAG student raped undergraduate, stole her underwear’

    A prosecution witness, Insp Nkem Ejelonu, on Tuesday told the Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja how John Otema, a former student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), allegedly raped a female undergraduate of the institution and stole her underwear.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ejelonu, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in the case, gave the testimony while giving evidence during the trial of Otema who is charged with three counts of rape and assault occasioning harm.

    Otema is accused of raping two students of the institution.

    Ejelonu, who is attached to the Adeniji Adele Police Station and has 20 years experience in the Nigerian Police Force, said that following the allegation of underwear theft by Student X (name withheld), she executed a search warrant to find the missing clothing.

    Led in evidence by the state prosecutor, Mrs Arinola Momoh-Ayokanbi, Ejelonu said: “Student X said the defendant left with her pant, bra and handkerchief after he raped her in his car.

    “I went to the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court to sign a search warrant on Feb. 6, 2018, we went to the defendant’s house at No. 6, Adeleye St., Bariga Lagos to execute the search warrant, the items were not found.

    “We found only kitchen knives and on Feb. 7, 2018, the case was charged to court.

    “I had earlier visited the scene of the incident which is the area of Distance Learning Institute (DLI) of UNILAG, to check if I could find the pant, bra and handkerchief but I could not find anything, hence the search of his house,” she said.

    Earlier in her evidence, Ejelonu narrated how the police was alerted about the rapes by UNILAG officials.

    “On Feb. 5, 2018, two officers from Alausa came to our office that they received a distress call from UNILAG that they needed our support.

    “The then Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ayodele Onujose, detailed myself and Sgt. Osasua, we went to UNILAG and saw the school counsellor and we went to the security cell and we saw the two girls who were about 19-years-old,” she said.

    The IPO also told the court how the first complainant, Student X was allegedly raped by the defendant.

    “On Jan. 17, 2018, the defendant offered to give her a ride in his car on campus, he took her to DLI, had sexual intercourse with her and took away her pant, bra and handkerchief,” she said.

    Ejelonu also told the court how another complainant, Student Y (name withheld), was allegedly raped by Otema.

    She said: “Student Y said sometime in 2018 she saw the defendant on campus and they went to the canteen to buy food, the defendant went to the bank and gave her back N2, 000 for the meal.

    “Then both of them became friends, she told the defendant that she already had a boyfriend but he said that they should be friends with benefits.

    “Student Y said she demanded for a laptop and the defendant gave her N20,000 and promised that he would give her N30,000 later.

    “On Jan. 30, 2018, the defendant picked her up and took her to his house and wanted to sleep with her and she demanded for N100,000. The money was not given to her.

    “He had sex with her, during that period her boyfriend called her, the defendant dropped her off on campus at 11.30pm.”

    While being cross-examined by Mr Fred Onyeka, Otema’s defence counsel, the IPO revealed that the defendant’s car was still in police custody.

    “One of the complainants said he had sex with her in the vehicle, the vehicle is with the exhibit keeper at the Adeniji Police Station,” she said.

    NAN reports that during Ejelonu’s evidence-in-chief, the IPO’s report was rejected as an exhibit by the court based on Onyeka’s objection that the prosecution did not include it in their proof of evidence.

    Following the rejection of the report by the court, Momoh-Ayokanbi, the state prosecutor had asked the court to declare the police officer a hostile witness on the ground that she was in communication with the defence.

  • APC Reps North Central caucus demands Speaker’s seat

    The North Central geo-political zone caucus of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in the House of Representatives has urged leadership of the party to cede the position of the Speaker in the 9th Assembly to the zone.

    The caucus said the zone is deserving of the position because it not only contributed hugely to the victory of the party at the general elections but its peculiar location and challenges made it expedient that it be considered for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    John Dyegh (Benue), flanked by other lawmakers from the zone at a press conference on Tuesday, said since the Northwest and Southwest zones have produced the President and the Vice President respectively, fairness demands other zones be considered for the positions of principal officers of the House.

    The caucus said: “We want to acknowledge the supremacy of our party, the APC in addressing the issue of zoning of positions in an equitable, just and fair manner that will foster unity and cordial relations among members of our party and our colleagues from the other political divides.

    “We are confident of the ability and capacity of the national leadership of the APC to do right to all in order to advance national cohesion, balance of power and federal character.

    “It is in this regard that we humbly wish to appeal to our great party, the APC, to strongly consider the North Central geo-political zone for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th assembly. Our position is based on the following reasons:

    “Zoning the position of speaker to the North Central will satisfy and advance the cause of equity since the North-west and South-west already have the presidency and vice presidency respectively.

    “We note apart from the North West and North East, the North Central zone delivered handsomely for the party in the general elections and as such needs to be rewarded for the hard work and loyalty.

    “The need to ensure balance and spread between and among the six geo-political zones has made it imperative to give prime consideration to the North Central zone to produce the position of speaker.

    “Being the zone with delicate and peculiar location and challenges within the Federation, it is of utmost importance to carry us along in the hierarchy of power distribution in the country as this will in no small measure, help in stabilising the polity.

    “It is not by coincidence that the Nigerian constitution enshrines federal character in the distribution of offices and leadership positions in the country. Section 14(4) of the constitution speaks eloquently to this fact.

    “The North Central geopolitical zone would feel a sense of belonging if it is allowed to produce the speaker in the next assembly.”

    They added: “While we believe the reasons advanced above are very cogent and persuasive enough, we reiterate that our call for the North Central to produce the next speaker of the House is an appeal to the sense of justice, fairness and equity of our great party.

    “We are mindful of the fact that events that surrounded the emergence of leaders of previous assemblies can provide amble guide for our great party to avoid past pitfalls and engender harmony, peace and stability in the House of Representatives as partners in progress with the executive”.