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  • Rainstorm wrecks havoc in Omu-Aran, Kwara

    Not less than 50 houses had their roofs  blown off following a torrential rainstorm in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara, on Wednesday night.

    The rainfall, which first started on a peacefully around 7 pm, lasted for about three hours.

    It was later accompanied by heavy storm destroying roof tops, uprooting tree branches and damaging electricity poles and cables in the process.

    Some of the houses affected are those located along Taiwo road, Agan-Oru market and Okore, Ile-Nla Area in the town.

    Two elderly persons were said to have been injured by falling roofing sheets and planks during the rainfall and were immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital for treatment.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who went round to monitor the development on Thursday reports that some of the victims were seen salvaging their property from the affected houses.

    Other victims had already hired the services of carpenters to remove the damaged roofing sheets and planks in readiness for proper renovation.

    Some of the buildings also had their walls cracked or pulled down following the impact of the storm.

    Mr Abiodun Ogun, the Bussiness Manager, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Omu-Aran Bussiness Hub, reacting, said his men had swung into action in order to repair the affected poles and cables.

    “My men from the Fault Detection and Repair Section are already on the field and it is hoped that electricity supply will be restored very soon.

    “We are therefore appealing to our teeming customers for their understanding in this circumstance,’’ he said.

    Mr Adelodun Adewale, a victim of the rainstorm said that it was a divine intervention that his family escaped the impact of the falling roofing sheets and planks by whiskers.

    READ ALSO: 48 houses destroyed, 285 persons homeless in Plateau rainstorms

    “We had already retired to the bedroom when the rain first started normally.

    “After about two hours, the storm started and we decided to leave for the inner room and not quite five minutes later, the roof the building was blown off.

    “But we thank God that everyone in the house escaped unhurt.

    “Our appeal is to ask for assistance from all tiers of government, spirited groups and wealthy individuals in order alleviate our suffering,’’ he said.

    Mr Muyiwa Oladipo, the Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Area, during an on-the-spot assessment of the development, praised God that no life was lost during the incident.

    He commiserated with victims and promised to contact the relevant state government agencies for possible assistance.

  • Court orders Evans, 3 others to get legal representative by June 14

    Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court has ordered alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike alias Evans and three other defendants to ensure they have legal representation by June 14.

    Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba over the alleged kidnap of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, Mr Donatius Dunu.

    NAN reports that the six were arraigned on Aug. 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping. According to the prosecution, they allegedly kidnapped Dunu and collected 223,000 Euros (N100m) as ransom.Evans and his co-defendants had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

    At resumption of the trial on Thursday, proceeding was stalled due to the absence of defence counsel for Evans, Amadi, Uchechukwu and Ifeanyi.

    Following the development, Justice Oshodi mandated Evans and the three other defendants to ensure they have legal representation by June 14, the next adjourned date.

    The judge also directed that counsel from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) be in court on the next adjourned date to represent the defendants in case they failed to get counsel to represent them in court.

    “If on the next day, the defence counsel are not around, the courts will order the defendants to either represent themselves or the court invokes Section 233(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

    “The prosecution shall also notify the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) to be in court on the next adjourned date.
    “This case is adjourned to June 14 for the continuation of the evidence of PW4,” Justice Oshodi said.

    Earlier during proceedings, Mr Emmanuel Ochai, the defence counsel representing Aduba (sixth defendant), told the court that other kidnap trials involving Evans have been stalled in other courts for the same reason.

    “We were before your learned brother yesterday at the High Court in Igbosere and we had the same issue.

    “Due to the absence of the counsel to the first (Evans) and fourth (Ifeanyi) defendants here, the matter was stalled.

    “I really do not know why there is no legal representation but we as counsel to the sixth defendant (Aduba) are ready to proceed,” Ochai said.

    Read Also: Court gives Evans till May 17 to get lawyer 

    Mr A. A Uzokwu, the counsel to the fifth defendant (Nwachukwu), also told the court that they were ready to proceed but was handicapped because of the absence of the other defence counsel.

    “What is happening now is like they are like a stationary vehicle, some of us are behind and that stationary vehicle and because it is not moving, we cannot move,” he said.

    When asked why he had no legal representation Evans told the court “I did not communicate with him.

    Amadi, Uchechukwu and Ifeanyi also told the court that they had not communicated with their defence counsel.

    Reacting to the absence of the defence counsels for the first to fourth defendants, Mr Y.G Oshoala a Director in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) asked the court to appoint counsel for the defendants.

    “My Lord, yesterday we were before your learned brother Justice Akintoye at the Igbosere High Court.

    “The case was adjourned and that was the third adjournment granted by that court at the instance of the first defendant (Evans).

    “It is a game they are playing and I pray the court assist the state and invoke Section 233(3) of the ACJL which allows the court to appoint counsel for the defendants in these circumstances.

    “We brought our witness from out of jurisdiction or if the defendants so wish, they can defend themselves, it is their constitutional right,” Oshoala said.

    A policeman and the fourth prosecuting witness, Insp Idowu Haruna, was in court to testify in the proceedings that was eventually stalled.

  • I no longer love my husband – Housewife seeking divorce tells court

    A housewife, Aishatu Mohammed, on Thursday prayed a Sharia Court in Minna for the dissolution of her marriage, saying she has fallen out of love with her husband.

    Mohammed told the court that she no longer adores her husband, Tanimu, whom she has been married to for 10 years without a child.

    “My husband feeds and takes good care of me and does every other thing expected of a man but I don’t love him anymore.

    READ ALSO: My husband is a thief, fraudster – Divorce seeking wife

    “And that is why I am asking this honorable court to dissolve our marriage. Tanimu, however, said he still loved his wife and wouldn’t want them to go their separate ways.

    He prayed the court to give him some time to try and prevail on his wife to change her stance.

    The presiding judge, Ahmed Bima, advised the couple to patch things up, adding that marriage required patience and understanding.

    Bima adjourned the matter untill April 29 for report of settlement

  • ‘How I survived two Boko Haram bomb attacks in Maiduguri’

    A 22-year-old amputee, Yahuza Mohammad, said he survived two separate bomb attacks coordinated by Boko Haram suicide bombers at Muna Garage area of Maiduguri.

    Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the incidents occurred between 2017 and 2018.

    Recounting his ordeal, Mohammed who walks with the support of crutches, said the attack on March 26, 2017, changed his life when he was hit on the right leg by the shrapnel of the Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs), detonated by a teenage female suicide bomber.

    He narrated that his leg was badly damaged in the explosion which killed three persons and 17 others at Muna area of the metropolis.

    He said “Suspicious of her move, one of my colleagues stopped to interrogate her not noticing that she was concealing an IED on her chest. Consequently, she detonated the explosive.

    “I only woke and saw myself in the hospital with my left leg amputated.

    “The same scenario repeated itself when another bomber attacked us while we were resting outside due to the intensive heat.

    “I could still visualise how my friend Hudu, was questioning the girl when I heard a thunderous sound. I was lucky that I was laying down flat when she detonated the explosive, killing my three friends and injuring 45 others,” he said.

    Read Also: Boko Haram insurgents attack Damaturu

    He vowed to continue defending his community despite his disability.

    “What we are lacking is support. We are left to protect ourselves with bare hands. I normally go to the market to buy some commodities to sell in the community which enabled me to go round as part of my patrol strategy,” he said.

    Muhammed who dropped out of school appealed to the government to support him and other youth who volunteered to protect their communities, to return back to school.

    He also appealed to the state government to deploy more armed personnel to complement efforts of volunteers to protect communities across the state.

  • Suspected ritualists kill 50-yr-old woman in Ondo

    A 50-year old woman and indigene of Ikaram-Akoko in Akoko Northwest local government area of Ondo state simply called ‘Iya Dunsi’ who was a palm oil seller has been reportedly killed near her house at Odiolowo, Arigidi-Akoko by suspected ritualists.

    Sources said her two breasts were clinically removed.

    Her body was said to have been dropped about 100 metres to his house.

    Scores of passers-by and sympathisers were catching a glimpse of her naked corpse, while rope was tied in one of her legs.

    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO)for Okeagbe-Akoko, Ibitayo Adetanranmi, a Superintendent of Police(SP) confirmed the incident.

    Read Also: Woman faces N4.5m gold investment fraud charge

    He assured that the perpetrators of the heinous crime would be fished out.

    The Ikare Area Commander, Razak Rauf, an Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP) said criminals like ritualists would not be spared under his command.

    It would be recalled that three similar cases happened late last year at Ikare-Akoko involving women with their private parts and breasts removed.

    Another eight-year-old pupils of St. George’s Anglican Primary School Oke-agbe, headquarters of Akoko Northwest was also killed in similar circumstances.

  • Teenager, Tochukwu Ndukwe, wins SDGs Maths competition

    A teenager, Tochukwu Ndukwe, 13, from Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Leeja, Nsukka, Enugu State on Wednesday emerged the overall winner of the Nigerian Mathematics Queen Competition for 2018.

    Saibu Medina from FESTAC College, Lagos, took second position while Olayiwola Adedagun, FGGC, Ketu, Osun came third at the competition.

    115 female students of Junior Secondary School across the country participated in the Girls’ Mathematics Olympiad Competition, organised by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    At the ceremony, Prof. Stephen Onah, the director NMC said that the competition was aimed at encouraging and addressing the gap between males and females in the learning and teaching of Mathematics in the country.

    Onah said the maiden edition with the slogan ‘Leaving No One Behind’ of SDGs Mathematics Competition and Award ceremony for the crowning of Nigeria Mathematics Queen was geared towards achieving SDGs 4.

    ‘‘The Nigerian Girl Student has been placed in a disadvantaged position especially in the area of education which has relegated her in the general scheme of things.

    ‘‘Being a victim of discrimination and male chauvinism, the girl-child hardly could compete educationally with her male counterpart.

    ‘‘This attitude has badly affected the girl child’s education in the area of enrolment in school, performance in class and her quest to progress educationally.

    ‘‘The girl child’s low interest in Mathematics is a serious concern to NMC and it is on this note that we encourage and boost the interest of the girl-student in Mathematics,’’ he said.

    He added that one of the objectives of the competition was to stimulate enthusiasm in the learning of Mathematical Sciences among young Nigerian girls.

    On her part, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, called on teachers and parents to work harder towards improving the learning of Mathematics sciences.

    Orelope-Adefulire, who was represented by Dr Ify Nnamchi, called on relevant organisations to adequately fund the girl-child education to reduce street hawking among young girls in the country. (NAN)

  • Nigerian Helen Joseph ‘feared’ by American female boxers

    Nigerian-born female boxer, Helen Joseph, popularly known as “The Iron Lady” has challenged her counterparts in the United States to a fight, saying she is ready to knock out her competition.

    The former IBF champion in the featherweight division said during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Consul General in New York, Mr Benayaogha Okoyen, that she wanted to put Nigeria on the world female boxing map.

    Joseph, also nicknamed “The Princess of Africa” in her boxing world, had three different boxing titles: the WBF, IBF, GBU but she confessed her opponents were afraid to come out to fight her.

    She ranks among the top in the world of female boxing and has five weight classes – flyweight 115, bantamweight 118, superbantam 112, featherweight 116 and any other super featherweight 129.

    “In these categories, all these female boxers are running, they don’t want to fight me. When I was back in Africa, they were reigning all over the U.S. and they were unbeatable.

    “But ‘The Iron Lady’ has arrived and everybody has run away, nobody wants to fight. I mean I’m knocking on their doors and they don’t want to come out. What’s wrong with you girls?

    “So all these while you have been fighting cheap opponents, now that I have arrived, nobody wants to show face,” Joseph said.

    “But I will bring them out because they have what I need, they have all the titles that I desire.

    “I will keep collecting those titles from them and pack them because I know they will not take it from me.

    “I want that message to go out there and let them to know that I remain the ‘Iron Lady’, the ‘Princess of Africa’ and I fear nobody,” Joseph taunted her competition.

    Joseph awards are: the best fighter of the year 2015, the best fighter of the year 2012 and the best knockout of the year 2017.

    Read also: SIM boxing threatens telecoms industry

    According to her, however, there is the need to fight a world title on the Nigerian soil so as to put the name of her country on the world’s boxing map.

    “There is no world title in Nigeria right now in boxing. If they say all world titles should line up now, Nigeria is not among because there is no world title in Nigeria now.

    The Rivers State-born boxer said in the history of female boxing in West Africa, she was the first woman who had travelled to different countries and won three world titles.

    “I also won two awards in boxing and I have fought for two world titles in two countries that I’m sure I won because I knocked down all my opponents but they robbed me because I travelled to their countries.”

    Joseph shared her ultimate dream: “One support I want from my government is to promote my world title fight in Nigeria. I want to go back home. I want to fight in my own country.

    “I want my country to watch the kind of action and power God has given me. The fight I want Nigeria to sponsor for me is the World Boxing Organisation.

    “If I have a sponsorship, I’m supposed to fight on June 10 in New York City. Then I will go back to Nigeria to defend the title.

    “So that’s why I want my country to support me so I can fight my opponents on the Nigerian soil and take back what belongs to me.

    “I am proud of Nigeria and I love my country. Even when I was in Ghana, I used the Nigerian Passport and everyone asked me to change my passport to Ghana’s passport but I refused.

    “I know Ghana loves me and supported me a lot; Ghana is my second country,” she said.

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  • APC legal team set to defend Ganduje’s election victory — spokesman

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) legal team in Kano State on Wednesday expressed its readiness to defend the victory of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ganduje was declared winner of the March 23 supplementary election held in the state.

    Mr Ma”aruf Mohammed-Yakasai, A member and spokesman of the legal team, made the APC’s position known while addressing a news conference in Kano on Wednesday.

    He said the legal team found it necessary to explain its position in respect of the prayer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) granted by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to inspect election materials conducted in the state.

    “As a member of the legal team of the APC and spokesman of the Team, we received a copy of an order in respect of the permission granted to the PDP to inspect the election materials, which is in order.

    Read also: On APC’s near fall in Kano

    “The court served us with the copy of the order and as the court directed, we will be there to observe and be part of the process,” he said.

    According to him, the legal team is prepared to defend the victory of Ganduje before the Tribunal which began preliminary sitting on Tuesday.

    He stressed that the APC and Governor Ganduje were ready to defend the mandate given to them by the people of the state.

    According to him, the candidate of the PDP, Abba Kabir-Yusuf had no substance to pose any threat to the victory of Ganduje.

    NAN reports that the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Halima Shamaki had on Tuesday ordered INEC to allow PDP to inspect the election materials conducted for governorship election in the state. (NAN)

  • Abe: I knew Supreme Court would strike out my motion

    Nactional leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State Senator Magnus Abe is not surprised that the Supreme Court struck out his motion seeking to validate his faction’s primaries because the Court wrote him a letter before the election, explaining that it will hear the pre-election matter after the conclusion of 2019 elections.

    Abe, who spoke on a television programme, said the Supreme Court had premised its decision to hear the pre-election matter after the 2019 elections on a petition written by the Rotimi Amaechi faction, which challenged the integrity of the panel hearing the matter at the time.

    According to him, the Supreme Court letter which implied a judgment, said a new panel would be constituted after the elections had been concluded.

    Abe said he understood the implication of adjourning a pre-election matter till after the elections.

    Read also: Supreme Court refuses appeal by sacked Kwara APC exco

    The Supreme Court had repeatedly declared the primaries and congresses of Rivers State APC null and void on the Premise of the judgment of Justice Chinwendu Nwogu. It was on the premise of that judicial pronouncement that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) removed APC from the ballot for the general elections in Rivers State. The APC accepted its fate and declared an alliance with AAC during the elections.

    Abe said: “Because of the delay in hearing the matter, the Supreme Court actually wrote a letter to us, a week before the election, to say the matter could not be heard because the other faction had written a petition against the Judges.

    “Therefore, the Supreme Court had decided that the matter could only be heard after the elections, when a new panel had been constituted. As a lawyer, I read that to mean a judgment of the court as far as the issue was concerned. This was clearly a pre-election matter. The effectiveness of the pronouncement would have affected the party going into the election when the court wrote that letter; I saw it as a decision in itself.

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  • Lamido didn’t import fetish blind men for Bindow’s election, says royal family

    THE Modibbo Adama Descendants Liaison Office, a body of descendants of the founding Lamido of Adamawa, has dismissed claims that the incumbent Lamido, Muhammadu Musdafa, imported three blind men from Burkina Faso “to perform fetish” acts to win the March 9 governorship election for Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow.

    The group described the claim as a brazen and misguided form of hate speech by its author, Ibrahim Mustapha, otherwise called Baba 10, in an advertorial published in a newspaper.

    The Modibbo Adama Descendants Liaison Office said the “cock and bull story of the three blind men” was an obnoxious and unfounded claim intended to tarnish the image of the Lamido Adamawa and the traditional institution.

    The body also faulted the claim by Mustapha that the reigning Lamido was foisted on the emirate, asserting that the Lamido ascended the throne in March 2010, when a duly formed kingmakers committee selected him and was approved by the state government.

    Read also: 7 reasons why Bindow lost Adamawa’s gov poll

    The Adama Modibbo descendants, in a refutal signed by its liaison officer, Aminu Nyibango, said the claim and other allegations were calculated to insult the Lamido and desecrate the legacy of the founder of the throne.

    “Evidently, the euphoria of the author on the victory of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the recent governorship election in Adamawa State has provided a platform for him to launch another wave of blackmail and mischief in the media.

    “The author, who was defeated as a candidate of another political party for the seat of House of Representatives, hijacked the victory of the PDP candidate to vent his anger and frustration,” the group stated.

    The group demanded formal apology from the author of the controversial advertorial.