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  • Negotiation with bandits yielding results — Masari

    GOVERNOR Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Saturday replied critics who objected to his recent negotiation with bandits troubling the state, and said it was in the overall best interest of Katsina and other neighbouring states in the Northwest.

    He said the negotiation has now brought relative peace to the State with over 80% of people in captivity released.

    According to him, the next stage of peace restoration is the disarming of bandits and their commanders in the forests which border Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Niger states.

    The governor also shed light on the controversial RUGA scheme.

    He claimed that RUGA is not a Hausa-Fulani or Arabic word but the abbreviation of Rural Grazing Area used by the colonial masters.

    He said there is no alternative to RUGA if there must be an end to farmer-herder clashes.

    Masari spoke exclusively to The Nation.

    “The negotiation is yielding results,” he said of talks between him and the bandits.

    “Now I can say over 80% of people under captivity in Katsina State have been released. So, in terms of group kidnapping I can only remember that right now only 13 people that we are searching for.  We have only 13 people,

    “But in terms of massive attacks since we started, there was no single massive attack on any village or any community. By my account, about 57 people have been released by them, most of them women and young children. Among them even are nationals of Niger Republic.

    “So, for us it has brought relative peace. The next step is the issue of disarming the bandits and commanders in the forest that command 200, 300, 400 fighters, fully armed on motorbikes.

    “That’s how they operate and attack the villages. In most cases they go three to one on a motorcycle. They’ve reinforced their motorcycles and they are using tubeless tyres. They put something inside so that their tyres do not get punctured or breakdown.”

    Masari said the government will soon start reconciling released bandits with their neighbours for sustainable peace.

    Read Also: Dialogue: Masari frees six arrested bandits

    “They are ready to disarm but the first stage is about  the release of some of them that were not even convicted or even charged to court and by the time they release  all those people under their captivity, we will start reconciliation between them and their neighbours.

    “And then those in the forest. We’ll start talking about because if they keep the guns and other ammunition with them, they’ll eventually fight among themselves,” he added.

    Asked what accounted for banditry in the North-West, the governor quipped: “Lack of education. Failure of leadership for a very long time.”

    He said: “The first generation of Nigerian leaders, together with the colonialists created what we now call RUGA. RUGA is not a Fulani word, it is not a Hausa word, it is not an Arabic word, and it’s the English abbreviation for Rural Grazing Area.

    “So they had foresight, they knew that this roaming about by cattle would  not last so they created these rural grazing areas and brought Fulani,  provided windmill farms  and dams for water. All over the places, if you go to our area you’ll see the remnant of all these.

    “For us in Katsina, they created the dairy, and they were planting grass to feed cows even 40-50 years ago because they knew.

    “But subsequently after the discovery of oil, our leaders abandoned all these initiatives.

    “Then heavy encroachment due to population surge. Now,  we have climate change, which is  also adding its own weight”.

    Masari gave insights into why he negotiated with the bandits with peace in Katsina and other states as his ultimate goal.

    He said: “In 2016, we started amnesty programme for the bandits. That programme was officially launched in 2017. As a result of that, over 400 AK 47 and other assorted arms and ammunition were surrendered by then cattle rustlers and over 36,000 were returned to the owners apart from ruminants, donkeys, camels and horses.

    “It was a very successful programme and it lasted for about two years but because there was no similar programme in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states (that share borders with Kastina), our people became vulnerable. The forest area is contiguous to Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Niger. In fact, Katsina has the least of the forest areas when you compare all these four states.

    “So gradually all our leaders were killed by bandits from Zamfara and nothing of a similar nature was going on in Zamfara. The banditry escalated and affected Katsina. It diluted and destroyed what we had built.

    “Part of the arrangement we had with the herders was the construction of schools and clinics and immediately we moved in, we constructed 10 primary schools and 10 clinics. We have spent over N100 million to demarcate the cattle routes across the state. We established a permanent committee headed by a former director from the Ministry of Agriculture, who was a livestock specialist to demarcate the cattle routes, those for grazing and those for traveling.

    “All these things that we have done were severely affected by the spate of violence and this time it came with kidnapping, banditry, rape and so many forms of criminality that were not there in 2017.

    “We also realized that these are same people, neighbours killing neighbours, stealing from neighbours. Even the herder communities in the forest were not left out they were stealing among themselves, killing among themselves. And then in the towns, we have what we call volunteers who are not even vigilantes. These volunteers went about killing any Fulani man or Fulani woman they saw.

    When the new governor of Zamfara State came, he disbanded the 500 vigilantes in all the local governments, and declared that he’s willing to talk.

    “We said now we have a partner in Zamfara. When they started the amnesty in Zamfara, we also joined and engaged.

    “The bandits in Zamfara are the ones in Katsina, because from Kastina and Zamfara, you cannot even tell the difference.

    “All the camps except one, the bases of the bandits, are in Zamfara forest. So you can see the need. They said okay since they are the same people, instead of killing, let us engage them.

    “The Inspector-General of Police was in Katsina, all the Northwest governors were there, even the governor of Niger state was there, the governor of Taraba State was also there, the governor of Plateau State was there. We talked peace, and the bandits were also there except some few of their leaders who were afraid of what we were going to do.

    “From there, we agreed that every state will go and hold a similar meeting with the bandits, Fulani leadership, the farmers, the Ardos, the village heads and the mallams or imams. And this is what we did in Katsina.

  • One dead, seven arrested in Lagos cult war

    A suspected cultist Aliu Lamidi, 29, was on Saturday night stabbed to death after rival groups clashed at Chukwuma Hotel in Babashola Street, Itire, Lagos.

    The hotel and some vehicles parked around it were also set ablaze in the fight that commenced around 10:50pm.

    It was gathered that violence erupted after an altercation between rival cult groups in the hotel which led to the owner’s son stabbing Lamidi on the neck.

    Lamidi, a resident of Aboredhade Street, was said to have died at the hospital he was rushed to, a development that provoked his colleagues.

    Although the immediate cause of the altercation was unknown, The Nation reports that the Aiye and Eiye cult groups have been embroiled in age-long rivalry that has claimed many lives across the state.

    Angered by the killing of Lamidi, his members were said to have torched the hotel, vehicles and moved in droves to the home of the owner in a bid to kill anyone found.

    Wielding cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, the hoodlums were said to have threatened firefighters and policemen from Itire who got to the scene to put out the inferno.

    READ ALSO: Seven ‘killed’ in Ajah cult war

    It was gathered that the violence continued Sunday morning and extended to Oseni street which prompted the deployment of reinforcement from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Area Command led by Deputy Commission of Police (DCP) Tunji Disu.

    The police were said to have prevented the cultists from wreaking further havoc as they chased the hoodlums and eventually arrested eight of the culprits.

    Confirming the incident spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said security has been beefed up.

    He said the hotel’s owner’s son was currently at large, adding that investigation was ongoing and all suspects would be charged to court.

  • Tribunals dismiss election petitions against Ihedioha, Sule, Masari

    THE Imo, Nasarawa and Katsina Election Petitions Tribunals on Saturday dismissed all the petitions filed against the emergence of Governors Emeka Ihedioha (Imo), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and Aminu Masari (Katsina) as winners of the March polls in their states.

    The tribunals, in separate verdicts, said the petitions lacked merit and the complainants failed to prove their cases.

    All three petitions filed by the governorship candidates of the Action Alliance (Uche Nwosu); All Progressives Congress  (APC) (Hope Uzodinma ) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) (Ifeanyi Ararume),  against Ihedioha did not succeed.

    It was a unanimous decision by the tribunal.

    It was also a unanimous decision by the Nasarawa State Election Petitions Tribunal in throwing out the petition filed by Mr. David Ombugadu  of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of Gov. Sule in the March 9 Governorship polls.

    Delivering judgment Justice Abba Mohammed, Chairman of the Tribunal held that the PDP petition lacked merit.

    The tribunal said that the petitioner failed to prove the allegation of over voting, nonvoting and noncompliance with the electoral act.

    The tribunal also held that the petitioner failed to prove how collation of results was disrupted.

    “The burden of prove lay with the petitioner and he has failed to prove the allegations.

    Read Also: Tribunals uphold Delta, Abia, Taraba governors’ elections

    “The petitioner has failed to produce two sets of results (original and fake) to prove that the outcome was falsified in favour of APC candidate.

    “Hence he failed to prove that, we therefore, uphold the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the tribunal held.

    Ombugadu, a two term House of Representative member challenged the election over alleged unlawful declaration of Sule as winner of the poll.

    The PDP candidate had also claimed that the polls did not comply with provisions of the Electoral Act 2010.

    He had also alleged intimidation of voters, unlawful cancellation of votes and malpractice during the election.

    Sule polled 327, 229 votes to defeat Ombugadu of PDP who scored 184, 281 votes in the election.

    Tribunal declines request to sack Masari

    The Katsina State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in a two-to one split decision yesterday declined the request by the petitioners to void the return of Aminu Masari of the All Progressive Party (APC) as the winner of the last governorship election in Katsina State.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Senator Yakubu Lado, had, by their petition,  challenged Masari’s victory on the grounds that he falsified his age and academic qualifications in his credentials and affidavit submitted in the nomination form he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    They also argued that the governor was not qualified to stand for election and prayed the tribunal to, among others, void the declaration of Masari as the winner.

    The tribunal, in its majority judgment held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegation of substantial noncompliance to the electoral act in the conduct of the election.

    It also said Masari was qualified to contest the election for the office of governor and that the name “Aminu Bello Masari” is the same as “Aminu Masari.”

    It was further held, in the majority decision, that no law exists in the country that stipulates the number of names to be used in the filling of the INEC form for an election.

    But in her dissenting decision, tribunal chairman, Justice Hadiza Alijos, held in favour of the petitioners, allowed the petition and ordered that a fresh election be conducted in the state within 90 days.

    Justice Alijos, who was absent, had her dissenting judgment read by Justice A. B Omotoso, a member of three-man panel of the tribunal.

    She held that Masari was not qualified to contest the election because the name, “Aminu Masari” is different from “Aminu Bello Masari.

    The matter was highly contentious, forcing a change in the sitting venue of the state governorship election petition Tribunal from Katsina State to Abuja.

    On petitioners’ claim that Masari was not qualified, the tribunal held, in the majority decision, that the petitioners did not prove their case, adding that allegation made without proof can be denied.

    It also held that evidence of witnesses called by the petitioners from one to 50 is of no probative value since they confirmed that they gave their statements in Hausa language and the Hausa versions are not before the tribunal.

    The majority decision also held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegations as required by law and consequently dismissed their petition and affirmed the election of Governor Masari.

    The petitioners had claimed that Masari’s documentation with INEC which was tendered as exhibit to the tribunal showed that Masari and his father are 69 years old respectively.

    They also claimed that an affidavit, allegedly deposed to by Governor Masari’s father, Umaru Bello showed that while his son was given birth to on 29th May, 1950 which translates to 69 years in 2019, he (the father) was 51 years as at the time of the declaration on 9th August, 2001 which suggests that he is exactly 69 years in 2019, same age with his son.

    The petitioners also claimed that Masari provided conflicting dates of birth as shown on the primary school leaving certificate of Governor Masari which differs with that of the sworn declaration of age.

    He said, while the declaration of age showed that Masari was born in 1950, the primary certificate showed that he was born in 1951.

    Similarly, Senator Lado claimed that the same primary certificate in question belongs to one Aminu Bello; a Fulani by tribe while the respondent is known and addressed as Aminu Bello Masari, Hausa by tribe.

    In the same vein, Lado questioned a post graduate diploma presented to INEC by Governor Masari, noting that the certificate bears no logo or stamp of the institution, hence questionable.

  • Flood: 150 communities submerged in Kogi

    OVER 150 communities are said to have been ravaged by flood across nine local government areas of Kogi State.

    The Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Sanusi Yahaya, made this known in Lokoja, on Saturday at the state Emergency Operation Centre (EOC).

    He noted that the EOC had been activated as the state was already experiencing flood emergency as a result of river flooding.

    Yahaya, who doubles as the state coordinator, EOC, said out of nine local government areas along the banks of the rivers Niger and Benue, seven are severely affected.

    He listed the severely affected LGAs as: Ibaji, Kogi/Koton-Karfe, Lokoja, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Omala and Idah, saying over 90 percent of Ibaji communities have been submerged.

    “Particularly, majority of communities at Ibaji are under water, and many households have been affected and displaced.

    “As we speak, the water level has risen very high to about 10.60m today in Lokoja, from the report of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

    “In the last few days, many communities, settlements have been displaced as a result of flooding,’’ he stated.

    Read Also: Kogi Govt. set to inaugurate N4 billion Rice Mill

    He said that over 20 camps had been opened to accommodate flood victims.

    He advised residents of flood-prone and affected communities to relocate to safer places or move to the nearest camps opened by the state and local governments, to avoid loss of lives and properties.

    “With the activation of the state emergency centre, the state is collaborating with all the relevant stakeholders to make timely appropriate responses.

    “The state needs help. While we are working within the resources available to us, we need temporary shelter provision, food, non-food items and water, which the affected victims will need.”

    According to him, the number of households as at yesterday, around the Gadumo axis is 215, Ganaja 176, Galili 272 and Adankolo 246, all under Lokoja and Ajaokuta LGAs.

    He, however, noted that no human fatality had been recorded.

    He urged the federal government, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to come to the aid of the state.

    He also appealed to individuals, organisations and other relevant stakeholders to assist the state.

     

     

     

     

  • Look inwards, Obi advises Nigerian universities

    The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Peter Obi, has advised Nigerian universities to look inwards for the development of their various schools. Obi said this during a visit to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

    Sharing managerial experiences with some principal officers of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Igwe, and that of Awka, led by Prof Charles Esimone, Obi emphasised the need to work with dedicated men who understand that leadership is about service and embracing values that would encourage scholarship.

    Speaking further, Obi, by way of advice, challenged the leadership of institutions like the universities to study other successful universities worldwide, such as Harvard in the USA and Oxford in the UK, for factors that made for their successes and apply the same to their various institutions.

    Read Also: No nation can grow with election rigging – Peter Obi

    He said universities in Nigeria should seek alternative means of increasing their finances. “Alumni support and research are examples,” Obi said while quoting statistics to show that some universities in America and Europe, through effective alumni networking have billions in investment. “Frontline schools like Nsukka and Lagos can actually pioneer such efforts by diligently studying how the West does it”, Obi submitted.

    Obi contended that such effective use of alumni associations would stem what he called the “uninspiring dependence on moneybags to build structures and be given honorary degrees as if it has cash value.”

    Responding both vice chancellors thanked Obi for the visit and for his priceless advice which stemmed from his practical experiential pedigree.

  • Why 100% fruit juice is important in your diet

    The first step on the journey of wellness is a balance in our diet which is achievable by evaluating and taking advantage of readily available and affordable nutrient fillers. Experts have recommended the regular consumption of fruits as a key ingredient to providing important nutrients for overall health and wellness. Achieving the recommended goals of five fruit portion per day can be challenging and become hindered by availability, convenience, and affordability.

    This is what makes fruit juice a smart choice since it is a delicious and nutritious way to consume a range of exciting variants of whole fruits every day. 100% fruit juice has no added sugar, but contains only the naturally occurring sugars found in the fruit from which the juice is squeezed. When included as part of your healthy diet, 100% fruit juice can help meet recommended daily goals for fruit intake because it is a nutrient-dense drink that provides vitamins, minerals (folic acid, thiamine and magnesium) and beneficial plant nutrients like polyphenols. It is also vital to educate yourself on facts that will help you select a healthy product made from real fruit and not some concocted chemicals mixture.

    The first place to start is to go with time tested and trusted brands and whilst also paying attention to the nutrition facts on the label. Be careful to check that ‘100% fruit juice’ is clearly written on the packaging. In the Nigeria market, one well-known 100% fruit juice time tested and trusted brand is Chivita 100%. It is recommended for its supreme quality, purity and taste. In order to get real value for your money, always ensure that your fruit juice contains no preservatives or artificial colours.

    According to a nutritionist with Healthyliving International, Folakemi Adeyemi, consuming 100% fruit juices with no added sugar can reduce calories associated with added sugar without compromising quality nutrition. “Globally, products with added sugars have come under severe scrutiny because they are believed to provide what is mostly referred to as empty calories without adding nutritional benefits. The natural sugar in fruit juices come with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant. They are a convenient way to reach your daily fruit intake recommendations,” she stated.

    Fruit is a must-have for an everyday balanced diet, and 100% fruit juice is a convenient way to enjoy a portion of fruit when one fails to eat enough whole fruit and vegetables for healthy living. So, whether your favourite fruit is out of season or not readily available, you can reach out for convenience and healthy choice of your favourite fruit in 100% fruit juice.

  • Nigeria to earn fresh $6.35b in taxes, royalties

    The push by the Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to increase crude oil production and grow the nation’s revenue profile gained momentum with the closure of $875.75m alternative financing deal for the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) operated OML 65 through the Funding and Technical Services Agreement with CMES-OMS Petroleum Development Company (CPDC).

    A statement by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, explained that NNPC Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Umar Ajiya, disclosed that the project, which scope cuts across exploration, development, production and provision of facilities with incremental first oil targeted for Q4 2020, was estimated to have potential reserves of 800 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) with an ultimate recoverable reserve of 244 mmboe and cumulative production of 44mmboe from the Abura Main and Abura SE fields.

    Ajiya explained that over the project’s life, it was expected to generate over $6.35bn in taxes and royalties to the Federation to support Government’s medium to long term economic development agenda

    Speaking at the closing meeting with the financing partners in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Ajiya, described the contractor financing model as an innovative approach by NPDC to funding its operations in response to the challenging economic environment, saying the approach would fast-track the development of NPDCs under-developed assets.

    He informed that the project was expected to ramp up production at OML 65 from 900barrels per day to 60, 000 barrels per day with average production over field life at 40,000 barrels per day.

    Throwing more light on the financing strategy, the CFO explained that the package entailed comprehensive financing solution that addresses the complex issues involved in growing NPDC’s production, minimizes its cost of capital, and maximizes its value preservation, adding that it also strikes a balance between risk and reward which gives investors a rate of return that is commensurate with funding a brownfield project which has significant exploration risk.

    READ ALSO: Beware of impostors, NNPC cries out

    He said the expectation was that this collaboration between NPDC and CPDC would translate in real terms to the efficient execution of the scope of activities for the optimal development of the OML 65 Asset within cost and schedule, whilst maximizing value to all the stakeholders.

    He said it was projected that the collaboration would enhance operational and financial performance strictly guided by the pre-agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which remains critical for determining incentive payment due to CPDC.

    On CPDC’s right to provide technical services, the CFO listed the field of consideration in this regard to include: drilling and completion services; building capacity and technology transfer; generating employment opportunities for youths with attendant positive multiplier effect on the nation’s economy, among other considerations.

  • Wines fuelling kidney, heart diseases, says manufacturer

    Most Nigerians are suffering heart and kidney diseases for consuming wines and other alcoholic beverages made for extremely cold countries.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO) JAMEK Beverages James Iweh said many of the high priced brands were tested in German labs and found to be too harsh for persons resident in Nigeria.

    He stated this at the opening of a new distribution outlet along Ago Palace Way in Okota, Lagos at the weekend.

    Noting that JAMEK was in the business to serve Nigerians quality drinks, Iweh said it was not surprising his company was the sole importer of German brands including Dr. Zenzen and premiere producers of NAFDAC approved cocktail concentrates, wine quality wine and spirits.

    “Our wines are produced to soothe our weather because we make it in compliance with best recommendations. There are so many wines in Nigeria today that are too harsh because of the hot weather but if you drink JAMEK wine, you will see how smooth it is because it won’t gives you headache or heartburn.

    “Germany where we produce our wine is known for not compromising when it comes to quality. Our wines may not be the same price with other wines in the market but we are after the quality of the product and not the quantity.

    “Again whenever I want to produce any wine, I get sample of different wines and take it to Germany and we analyze it, I can tell you today that there are some spirits that people drink in Nigeria that are made for countries whose whether are cold. If I want to produce any spirit, I will make sure it won’t harm your health by giving you heartburn or work against your kidney,” he said.

    According to him, until the people understood the quality, texture and quantity of alcoholic beverages they should consume, they will continue to expose themselves to health hazards.

    Iweh, a discharged soldier, said his passion for winery made him leave the army, adding that he was in the business to deliver quality against most practitioners whose sole motives was profit.

    Noting that drugs and alcohol abuses were a global challenge, Iweh said they were driven by lack of self control by individuals who do not understand they should drink responsibly.

    “Alcohol is good for the body when you drink responsibly. It prevents brain disease and it blows away fats surrounding your heart. But when it is abused, it has damaging effect on the kidney. That is why at Jamek, we produce more of non-alcoholic fruit wines. Our fruit wine are fermented for 21 days to extract all traces of sugar as against the 17 days others do their,” he said.

    On how the company would check adulteration of its products, he said they were using top-notch technology and the double-cork approach.

    He said: “There is no way JAMEK wine will be imitated and we won’t know when we see it. I have an app in my phone and if I enter any wine store and scan a bottle of my product, I will see the barcode, otherwise, it is fake.

    Again, our products are very protected as the corks are doubled and it can never be faked in Nigeria.

    READ ALSO: Palm wine seller killed for demanding N3m compensation from daughter’s lover

    “I am the franchised owner of all my products because they are all NAFDAC rated and we do what we call Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), by inviting NAFDAC to be part of the production and that is why they also investigate the companies that produce for us.

    “JAMEK Cocktail is the first ever approved wine by NAFDAC in Nigeria. It is made up of mango and other fruits.

    When you talk about cocktails, you talk about content that is refined and concentrate not flavored. “Concentrate drink is different from flavored drink because it’s pure fruits and NAFDAC did not belief this and they told me they are going to prove whether the cocktail is fruit concentrate.

    “So in 2015, NAFDAC travelled to Germany to visit the company that produces it and there they saw mangoes and other fruits being brought in and produced fresh without adding any sweetener. That was when they approved the cocktail and gave us a number, making it the first cocktail that will ever be approved in Nigeria.

    “I am into wine business not just because of making money alone but also to produce what will be of great health benefits to human body as well as creating jobs for people,” he said.

  • ‘I stole two-month-old baby out of desperation to have male child’

    A 39-year-old lady, Mercy Momoh has been arrested by the operatives of Ekiti Police Command for allegedly stealing a two-month-old baby in Ado-Ekiti.

    Momoh, who hailed from Edo state, was arrested on Saturday at her residence located at Odo-Aremu area, along old governor’s office in the state capital.

    The baby was stolen from his mother, Mrs Funmilayo Sunday on Friday around 1pm at the State Secretariat.

    It was gathered that the suspect tricked the baby’s mother, Funmilayo Sunday, to follow her to the State Secretariat under the guise to help collect some relief materials being given by government to flood victims.

    The suspect, on getting there, sent the baby’s mother to help her procure recharge card but ran away with the baby before the arrival of the woman.

    The command spokesperson, Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the arrest to journalists on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti, said investigation is still on going to unravel the proper situation.

    He said: “It is confirmed that the woman who stole Two-Month-Old baby has been arrested by the operatives of the Ekiti Police Command.

    “The suspect is Mercy Momoh, a 39-yr-old lady from Edo State. She was apprehended through intelligence made available to the police and would be prosecuted after conclusion of investigation.

    “Investigation is still on going. More details will come to reveal what really transpired.

    “The Nigeria Police would no longer reveal to the public the means which they effect the arrest of criminals because criminals these days now always take advantage of such information.

    “And acting on that information on how they can be arrested they now devise other means of carrying-out their nefarious act without being arrested.

    “All I can tell you is that the woman that stole the infant baby has been arrested and investigation is still ongoing

    “We call on members of the public to be careful when dealing with strangers. The suspect was apparently nice to the victim, that was why she got the baby easily. Citizens should not be carried away by kind strangers”, Ikechukwu said.

    READ ALSO: Housewife remanded in prison for allegedly pouring hot water on 10-month-old baby

    But, a Police source who spoke on condition of anonymity with The Nation said the police were informed of the incident by the mother of the baby on the same day, at about 4.30pm.

    She disclosed that the police detectives immediately swung into action, and on a tip off, traced the suspect to her residence, where she was arrested around 11pm, on Saturday.

    According to her, the suspect confessed that she stole the baby because of her dire need of a male child.

    She claimed that due to her inability to bear a male child, her husband got married to another woman and may likely throw her out of the house”, he said.

    The source added that the Commissioner of police, Amba Asuquo, has directed that the matter to be thoroughly investigated without delay, and necessary action taken for justice to prevail in the case.

  • Keystone Bank promotes climate action, sustainability

    Keystone Bank Limited has committed to strategically align its business with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

    By signing the Principles for Responsible Banking, Keystone Bank joins a coalition of 130 banks worldwide, representing over $47 trillion in assets committing to taking on a crucial role in helping to achieve a sustainable future.

    Taking place at the start of the UN General Assembly, the official launch of the Principles for Responsible Banking marked the beginning of the most significant partnership to date between the global banking industry and the UN.

    “The UN Principles for Responsible Banking are a guide for the global banking industry to respond to, drive and benefit from a sustainable development economy.

    “The Principles create the accountability that can realize responsibility, and the ambition that can drive action,” said UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres at the launch event, attended by the 130 founding signatories and over 45 of their CEOs.

    Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen explained that a banking industry that plans for the risks associated with climate change and other environmental challenges cannot only drive the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies, it can benefit from it.

    “When the financial system shifts its capital away from resource-hungry, brown investments to those that back nature as solution, everybody wins in the long-term,” Anderson noted.

    Read Also: Keystone Bank rewards verve card holders with free petrol

    Executive Director Keystone Bank Limited, Yemi Odusanya, said the institution is convinced that only in an inclusive society founded on human dignity, equality and the sustainable use of natural resources can our clients, customers and businesses thrive.

    According to Odusanya: “By signing up to the Principles, we commit to “using our products, services and relationships to support and accelerate the fundamental changes in our economies and lifestyles necessary to achieve shared prosperity for both current and future generations.

    “The Principles for Responsible Banking are supported by a strong implementation and accountability framework.

    “By signing them, Keystone Bank commits to being transparent on both our positive and negative impact on people and planet. Keystone Bank will focus where it has the greatest impact – in its core business – and set, publish and implement ambitious targets to scale up positive and address any negative impacts in line with global and local goals.

    “Keystone Bank believes that business can and should be an effective steward of our planet as well as a force for good in society at the same time a generator of wealth for shareholders and stakeholders.

    “We recognise that the success of our business, and the sustainability and survival of our planet are tightly aligned with the Principles for Responsible Banking.

    “As industry leaders we are committed to implementing the Principles for Responsible Banking in our business and practices and to being an effective ambassador for these principles with others in our industry and beyond.”