Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell earned West Ham their second successive home win against Manchester United, who remain without a league win on their travels since February.
Yarmolenko opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time, sending a low finish past David de Gea following patient build-up play involving Mark Noble and Felipe Anderson.
Cresswell sealed all three points for the Hammers in the second half with a superb free-kick into the top right-hand corner.
Chances were at a premium in a cagey first half at London Stadium, with Noble’s deflected effort from Pablo Fornals’ free-kick the closest either team came to a breakthrough before Yarmolenko’s strike.
Juan Mata should have levelled for the visitors two minutes into the second half but failed to hit the target after connecting well with Andreas Pereira’s low cross.
The result lifts West Ham above the Red Devils in the table, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remain three points off the top four.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed concern over what it called influx into the Southeast by unidentified faces.
It raised the alarm on Sunday in a statement signed by its chairman in the Southeast, Bishop Dr. Goddy Okafor and the Secretary, Dr. S.C Nwokolo.
The Christian body, which restated its opposition to the controversial RUGA programme, said such strange faces should be made to leave the zone.
According to the group, “all the people without identity, who are flooding the zone should be stopped by immigration and other law enforcement agencies.
“Also, suspected foreign herders and the killer herdsmen are asked to leave the zone immediately. Most of such foreign and killer herders have been identified in some parts of the zone.”
While commending the Southeast Governors for steps taken so far towards addressing activities of killer herdsmen, it said community policing policy already initiated should be strengthened.
CAN, however, observed with dismay that “the local government chairmen, traditional rulers, President-Generals, (PGs) and councilors are living in the urban areas, thereby abandoning the villagers to their fate.
“We condemn such habit and ask them to start operating from their villages. Let them come back and be the gatekeepers in their villages.”
It maintained its stand that “RUGA should be totally abolished. To this effect, we condemn the inciting statements made by the President of Miyyeti Allah, asking for RUGA in all the States, else there won’t be peace in the country.
“CAN is calling for his arrest, as comments credited to him has always been inciting. Let him be tried by a competent court of law.”
A 30-year old man, Godstime Ogechi, who specialises in robbing prostitutes in Ugbiyoko, Egor local government area, has been arrested by men of the Edo State Police Command.
Ogechi is a one-man gang that uses a rod-like gun to rob call girls on the pretext of paying them to spend the night with him.
When he takes them to a dark street, he would bring out the rod and the girls thinking that it is a gun would give him their phones and money including the one he paid them.
Luck ran out on him when one of his victims ran away when they got to a dark street at Ugbiyoko area and when Ogechi went back to collect the money he paid her for the night, some girls recognised him which led to his arrest.
Speaking to newsmen when he was paraded at the police headquarters, Ogechi said he has lost count of the number of girls he has robbed.
According to him, “I don’t have any gang. I operate along Ekenwan road. I pick street girls at night and rob them. I will chat with them and tell them I want to take them for day break. When we get to a dark corner, I will bring out this thing like a gun and threaten them.
“They will give me their phones. I cannot remember the number of girls I have robbed. I was caught when one of the girls ran away after I have paid her. I went back to the spot I picked her from and demanded for my money, where she raised alarm.”
The Lawmaker representing Ikere-Ekiti constituency II at the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Tunde Idowu, has reiterated his desire to improve the welfare of his constituents.
Idowu, stated this while presenting cash gifts to 60 Widows during an empowerment programme on Sunday in his situation office in Ikere-Ekiti.
He said the programme was meant to complement the efforts of Governor Fayemi and his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi at improving the welfare of the widows through empowerment.
The lawmaker who is also the Chairman, House committee on Environment, explained that the gesture was borne out of the need to alleviate part of the challenges facing the widows.
“The vision to empower widows was borne out of my passion to support the struggle of our First lady, Ekiti State Governor’s wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi to deliver women and children from long time captivity of maltreatment, abuse, relegation and stigmatization”.
“My mother is a widow. I lost my father in 1998 when I was in 200 level at University of Ilorin.
“I came back home due to financial constraints. My mother and I had to do casual jobs to ensure that I go back to school. I know what it takes to be a widow.
“So this event was in fulfillment of the promise made during my electioneering campaigns
“The honourable position I’m occupying today is a result of the trust and confidence (you have) in me to represent you effectively at the helm of affairs in our counstituency. I’m indebted to you all for the gesture. This is just my little way of sincere appreciation to you all,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the cash gifts, promising to extend the largesse to youths and the aged in the constituency.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Esther Owoyemi and Madam Rachael Olorunfemi, thanked the lawmaker for the cash gifts with a promise to spend it judiciously.
Aggrieved ex-militant leaders at the weekend appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the management of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), coordinated by Prof. Charles Dokubo, following alleged incompetence.
The first phase ex-militant leaders insisted that the President should replace Dokubo to enable unbiased investigations into massive fraudulent diversion of funds meant for training and empowerment of ex-militants leveled against his administration.
The former creek commanders said they would no longer condone any malfeasance in the amnesty scheme and demanded that the programme should henceforth be run by a person with knowledge of the region’s problems and demands of ex-militants.
The ex-militants in a statement signed by their National Public Relations Officer, Godsgift Ayabowe, said their rising tension and anger against the current management of the scheme might puncture the peace in the region.
They said: “We are tired of the huge fraud that has threatened the peace we fought for in the Niger Delta. If the current management is not sacked, the rise in production of crude oil may be a thing of the past. This current management does not know how to handle security, which the amnesty office is meant to do.
“It is even more shameful to the people of the Niger Delta that the management has reduced the amnesty office and the budgeted funds to ridicule with women fighting over ex-militant welfare fund.
“Dokubo should be reassigned to the university environment and not the amnesty office. He does not understand what the amnesty office is meant to do. We are are angry and our boys may go out of control.
“Why can’t Dokubo emulate the zero tolerance to corruption style of President Buhari? Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh who despite understanding the security aspect of the Amnesty office was sacked due to alleged corruption, who is Dokubo that can not be sacked?
“Instead of performance,he is busy using Amnesty resources to sponsor media campaigns against the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and High Chief Government Ekpemupolo also known as Tompolo.
“We want him sacked and be replaced by someone who was involved in the Niger Delta struggle and understand the problems of the youths of the region.”
The ex-militant leaders said some of their members, who served on the Investigative Panel set up by Dokubo to look into the massive looting at the Amnesty Vocational Centre in Kaima, Bayelsa State were dismissed following some discoveries.
At least two people have been killed and many others, including a soldier, wounded following attack on two villages in Numan Local Government Areas of Adamawa State by gunmen.
Local sources, who attributed the attacks to herdsmen, said the attackers laid siege on Shaforon and Kodumti villages around 1:00am on Sunday, visiting mayhem on households.
The Principal Medical Officer of Numan General Hospital, Dr. Nuhu Tari, confirmed two deaths among the victims taken there.
39-year-old Mercy Momoh has been arrested by operatives of Ekiti Police Command for allegedly stealing a two-month-old baby in Ado-Ekiti.
Momoh, who hails 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 she returned.
The command spokesperson, Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the arrest to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, said investigation was 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.
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 at about 4.30pm on the same day.
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.
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.
Pastor Ken Akinmade of Christ Church, London, UK has declared that there are concerted efforts by some people in power to bring down Vice President Yemi Osinbajo but such plans will fail.
On Sunday, he said some of the people working frantically to drag the name and integrity of the Vice President in the mud are even members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akinmade explained that they are deploying resources from within and without to fight the Vice President, stressing that Nigerians must pray for the well being of Osinbajo.
He said he saw some politicians gathering and in their midst were some journalists too in a vision planning how they will disgrace the Vice President and ridicule him in the eyes on Nigerians using fake news.
“The Bible is very clear. Gather they shall gather but if their gathering is not of the Lord Almighty it will be destroyed and scattered. I enjoin all Nigerians to pray for the Vice President.
The cleric said the story of the Vice President is not different from those of Mordecai and Daniel in the Bible who evil people schemed against but eventually fell for their own plot.
He urged Nigerians to be wary of any negative report or stories in the media about the Vice President.
“In the vision, I heard a voice saying where is their proof, where is their evidence, where is their proof.”
“It was then I realised that there was no proof or evidence against him, it was then I saw that they had only gathered against God’s chosen to do him evil and in that instance I began to pray in the spirit.”
He warned the Vice President to be careful of those around him and those who are his friends especially politically and spiritually.
He also warned him to be careful of some people from the Southwest.
“His biggest enemies are those from the South, mainly the Southwest. Those who he might think are his brothers and sisters are among those who have ganged up against him.
“They have seen his glory and they are trying everything humanly possible but they forget that man is not God.
He urged Nigerians to pray for the Vice President noting that the will of God cannot be truncated at all.
“I do not know the Vice President personally but this is what I have to say to him, Sir, be very prayerful. You are a sheep in the midst of wolves,” he stated.
The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, on Sunday in Katsina commended Governor Aminu Bello Masari, for his courageous steps in taking the war against banditry and insecurity in the state to the strongholds of the bandits and dialoguing with them in other to extract peace and other concessions from them
The President of the Association, Mr. Danielson Akpan, who addressed a press conference at the NUJ secretariat in Katsina, told newsmen that they have been in the state for 4 days to inspect projects executed by the present administration in the state and from what they have seen during the tour of the three senatorial districts in the state, the state is peaceful and secured
He said’’ I want to state quite frankly, we have visited the three senatorial districts in the state, we didn’t notice pandemonium, and from what we have seen during this visit, there is peace now in the state and considering the way he has reached out to the bandits, peace has returned to Katsina state’’
The NANS leader further state in his interim report that the association also inspected projects covering the Education, health, youth empowerment, Roads and Rural Infrastructure and security and that their interim reports so far indicated that the governor has lived up to the expectations of the people
He further disclosed that the state government has delivered frontally, the expectations of the people from the little resources available to it.
He said ’’NANS is pleased with the focus of the state Government on addressing underdevelopment, provision of needed critical infrastructure such as good roads, classroom furniture, interfacing with bandits through dialogue and several interventions in other areas’’
The Association had prior to the press briefing visited the Secretary to the State Government Dr Mustapha Inuwa, who while welcoming them on behalf of governor Masari urged them to be objective in their reports of what they have seen during their visit, and to partner the state government in the delivery of their political promises made to the people during electioneering
He said ’’This Government is very passionate about youth’s employment, empowering them with skills and training and supporting them financially to promote self-reliance’’
Three children have allegedly died in the recent flooding that ravaged communities, including Polobubo (Teskelewu) in Warri North council area of Delta state.
The children, a girl and two boys, belonging to two families, were identified as Annabel, Gift and Praise-God.
They were said to be two, four and near five years old.
The bereaved parents told newsmen ,who visited the community at the weekend, that they lost their children to the flood.
They had reportedly stepped out to play, somehow fell in the swelling waters and were washed away only to be discovered dead later.
Mr David Suku, who lost two of his children, Gift and Praise-God, to the disaster within two months said: “The water was too much, so as the child fell into the water nobody was around. Before we could find him, he was already dead.
Water being pumped out of the flooded First Baptist Church, Miyen Primary School on the right
“The last flood, one died, this one another one has died, if there is anything government can do for us, they should do it. Losing a second child to the flood is too much for me.”
His wife, Doris Suku, in tears and narrating how it happened said: “I was at home when the child went out to play. I thought he was at my brother’s wife’s place. I didn’t see him, so I went to ask them.
“They said he had returned home and I told them, no I haven’t seen him. We looked for him. It was in the morning, we saw him already dead.”
The father of another family, Mr Enoch Kane, recalled the tragic day he lost his daughter.
“She died on August 16. I lost my daughter to the flood. She walked to the backyard, unknowing to me and fell into the the water.
“We looked for her, only to find her in the water, already dead. She was two years old and wasn’t used to swimming.”
However, the community has called on the federal government to urgently direct Chevron Nigeria Limited to dredge the inland waterways, while bemoaning the loss of lives to the flood.
The people- bearing placards with inscriptions such as “no farm, no food because of flood. Government help us; government come to our aid, flood has damaged our properties; flood has damaged all our church instruments,” charged government at all levels as well as the international community to intervene.
Secretary General of Polobubo national council, Mr. Midwest Kukuru, described the development as “agonizing, harrowing and disturbing,” further accusing Chevron of being responsible for the flood disaster.
He explained that the river in the community used to be a “very deep fresh water habitat until few years after the advent of oil companies, particularly Chevron.
“We began to have these problems. This problem is caused by Chevron as a result of the canal that was dug into the Atlantic Ocean.
“The silts from the ocean come through the canal and are deposited in this river. During dry season this river is less than one meter.
“Because it is silted, when the rain falls the water has nowhere to go than to begin to overflow the banks, go into houses and begin to cause problems. This in a nutshell is the cause of it.
“We are appealing to the governments, local, state, federal and even the world, to prevail on Chevron to open up this our river for us.
The supposed jetty point submerged in the flood
“First of all, block that canal that they dug to the Atlantic ocean, then dig the whole of this river. Get it to the normal depth that it was before.
“Then, there are areas they need to fill with sand for this community to relocate to because we have study reports that say that the whole of the community is sitting below sea level.”
The Nation also visited the community’s Cottage Hospital, where the medical director of health facility, Dr. Terry Itimi, said patients had to be moved from the wards and the theatre rendered “not functional”.
“With the way the water is going, sometimes, it is up to knee level in the hospital. Two days ago, we had an emergency surgery for a woman, but due to the unhygienic state of the facility, we couldn’t carry that out. There are other cases we have to refer to urban areas which is very far from here,” the doctor said.
The community’s primary school, Miyen Primary School, was not spared in the onslaught.
Ateacher, Alice Gbalubi, lamented the ordeal that teachers and learners have been subjected to since resumption.
She said: “As you can see, the school is flooded with water. We have resumed but the pupils learn on water.
“They stand because we don’t have chairs as you can see. Before the close of the school, many get colds, fever and vomit.
“Even teachers cannot dress properly because of the water. We don’t wear shoes but walk barefooted.
“Most times, their (pupils) books fall on water and get destroyed. We want government and Chevron to come to our aid.”
Women and youths with different placards in the flooded church.
Pastor of First Baptist Church from where water was being pumped out of at the time of visit, Rev. Kenneth Toruwei, disclosed that the church lost most of its instruments to the ravaging flood and pointed out that a jetty in front of the church building had been submerged in the water.
An elderly man, Patrick Gagha also decried the loss of the once mangrove woods, which he said had “all been driven away by the salt water invasion.”
