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  • 15 die, 42 injured in road crashes in Niger

    Fifteen persons have been confirmed dead after a trailer conveying cattle overturned, owing to over-speeding on Minna-Bida road.

    Forty-two others were injured when another trailer carrying tomatoes and pepper overturned on Bida-Mokwa road.

    The two incidents, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), occurred on Sunday afternoon.

    The remains of the deceased were taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Bida.

    Apart from over-speeding, no one can ascertain the cause of the first accident, which claimed 15 lives – including the driver.

    Head of Clinical Services of FMC, Bida  Dr. Adedeji Olugbenga Adekanye confirmed that 10 dead bodies were brought to the hospital from the accident spot.

    He, however, said no one gave him details of how the accident occurred.

    Adekanye added that the remains of the deceased were deposited at the morgue.

    Read Also: Two Nigerians stabbed to death in South Africa

    Five others, who were brought alive, later died due to the severity of their injuries.

    The second accident, in which 42 persons were injured, occurred when the driver lost control in an attempt to negotiate a bend around Gbadafu community after Vida town.

    The trailer, which was overloaded with people apart from the farm produce, overturned as the driver tried to gain back control of the vehicle.

    Speaking to reporters in Minna, the NSEMA Director, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, who also confirmed the crashes, said the victims were from Katsina and Zamfara states.

    He said the majority of the injured persons are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (Bida).

    According to him, 13 people are on admission at the Umaru Ndayako General Hospital in Vida and others were taken to a private hospital within the town.

    NSEMA Director General said the agency has reached out to relations of some of the deceased.

  • Doctor’s death: Five more suspects arrested

    Five more persons have been arrested by the police over the killing of a doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, last Friday.

    A  House Officer at LUTH, Dr. Stephen Urueye was stabbed to death a day after his convocation.

    Urueye was among the students who graduated at the 50th convocation of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) last Wednesday.

    Police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), told The Nation last night that five more suspects had been arrested.

    This brings to seven the suspects arrested in connection with the doctor’s death.

    Read also: OUTRAGE AS HOODLUMS KILL LUTH DOCTOR 24 HOURS AFTER GRADUATION

    Urueye, it was learnt, received alert of his first salary as house officer the day he was stabbed by the robbers.

    He was stabbed in front of the Sickle Cell Centre, near the teaching hospital’s gate, Idi-Araba, Mushin by robbers.

    With blood gushing out from his thigh, he ran into the LUTH compound where he was taken to the Accident and Emergency Centre (A&E).

    He was later transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

    There, his fellow house officers and senior doctors battled all through the night to save him, but he died around 3:43am.

  • Balogun shifts focus to All African Games

    Nigeria’s fast-rising wrestling sensation, Sunmisola Balogun has turned her attention to the forthcoming 2019 All Africa Games after winning gold medal at the just concluded Senior African Wrestling Championship held in Tunisia.

    The Ondo state born athlete defeated Amina Ibrahim of Egypt, Amel Hammiche of Algeria in the first and second round, defeated Nour Jeljeli of Tunisia in the semi-final, before defeating Yvette Zie of Burkina Faso in the final of the 65kg to claim gold medal in her first senior category fight outside Nigeria.

    In a chat with NationSport, Balogun, who won gold medals at the 2018 Africa Youth Games (AYG) in Algiers and the 2018 National Sports Festival in Abuja, said she went to Tunisia determined to win a medal.

    The 17-year-old is now looking forward to make the country proud at the 12th All African Games scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco from 19 August to 31 August 2019.

    “When I was preparing for the African Wrestling Championship in Tunisia, I never thought I will compete at the senior category. But when I heard that I am going to compete at the Senior 65kg, I was a little bit panic. However, I said to myself ‘yes the time has come to prove myself that I can do it’. A lot of people encouraged me, especially my team mates, the Ondo State wrestlers. I promised myself to give out all my best, even more that 100 percent to perform well. My final against Yvette Zie of Burkina Faso was a very tough one and I won by 1-0. I never gave up one one point in about six minute on mat. I returned the glory to God almighty and those who still believe in me. I never dreamed about success, I worked for it. We just have to rest a little before resuming reaining ahead of other competitions. You know the All African Games is fast approaching too.”

    Balogun thanked the Nigeria Wrestling Federation for supporting and encouraging the young wrestlers.

    “I want to express my appreciation to the federation especially my coach, Purity Akuh who has continued to push us to success. He kept encouraging us during competitions by saying we have come here not to play but put in our best by more than 100 percent,” Balogun told NationSport.

  • Lasisi wants more titles after becoming WBC Int’l champion

    NIGERIAN boxer, Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (13-0, 8 KO) has set his sights on winning more titles after claiming the vacant WBC International Super-Flyweight crown at the Emirate Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    The ‘Lucky Boy’ defeated Nicaragua’s Ricardo Blandon (10-2, 6 KO) on scores of 114-111 across the board to become the first black from Africa that will ever fight and win WBC title in Dubai.

    In a chat with NationSports, Lasisi gave credit to Randon for stretching the fight till the last round.

    “Its amazing winning this WBC International title belt because I have been dreaming this day long time ago, but Alhamdulilah, Allah made it happen against Randon.

    “Ricardo Blandon is a tough fighter as I was said it before, that our plan was towards Lara before he pulled out in last minute. Then started working on Ricardo style and my plan was to knock him out but he very strong and tough fighter. I knocked him down in round 10, thinking he will not get up, but he got up and finished the 12 rounds with me.

    “He did not knock me down in round four, he only pushed me back and I complained to the referee. I was surprised the referee was making count for me. I didn’t believe what the referee did to me and fans at the hall also complained about the incident but I put myself back on the track.

    “This belt mean a lot for me, I am the first black from Africa that will ever fight WBC title in Dubai because I believe in my dream and hard work. Now, there is no looking back. I am ready to bring glory and honour to my fatherland my winning more titles.

    “I want to thank all my fans all over the world for believing in me. I want to thank MKT Global and Round 10 Boxing Club, they came together and they made it happen. I am happy to fight under the card. My appreciation also goes to my sponsor Top8 and Angelsyrup,” Lasisi told NationSport.

    Lasisi, who had vowed to knockout his opponent in round 7, however, met a stiffer opposition in the determined Blandon as he was forced to go 12 rounds for the first time in his career, barely three months after going a previous career-long 10 rounds in his most recent contest last December in Ghana, where he defeated Mchanja Yohana of Tanzania to win the WBC International Silver Super Flyweight title.

    The 28-year old Dubai based boxer was dropped in the third round on a right hand, but for the most part he was able to outbox the Nicaraguan. He also returned the favor in the 10th round, putting Blandon on the canvas.

    There was also a point deduction in round four, with Lasisi losing a point due to a clash of heads in the 12 round clash, which headlined the “Fight DXB Uncovered Show” packaged by Round 10 Boxing Club in association with international boxing powerhouse MTK Global.

  • Imposed National Assembly leadership will fail, says Dogara

    Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday said that the leadership of the ninth National Assembly should be allowed to emerge from elected parliamentarians.

    Dogara said that any leadership that is forced on the National Assembly will fail.

    The Speaker spoke in Abuja at the ongoing induction of Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect of the ninth National Assembly.

    He noted that a situation where “leadership is forced and literally driven down the throat of elected members had never endured in the National Assembly.”

    He advised Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect to look out for those who have thrown themselves into the race to see who will aggregate their aspirations better.

    The least legislators could afford in the National Assembly, he said, is crisis on account of the leadership selection process.

    Insisting that “I hope we will learn from history”, Dogara noted that leadership imposed on the National Assembly has never worked.

    Dogara said, “Well, I guess that it is not a subject matter you may want just to offer an advice on because we are all parliamentarians those that have been elected, we will be here for four years to serve the people. Leadership is always some thing that emerges from people.

    “Some of us that have been a bit old in the field, we know how that is done. My advice is that we stay calm to understand the people going in for these positions of leadership in the National Assembly.

    “At the end of the day we are praying that we have those leaders who will be able to sustain what we have done in the Eight Assembly or even surpass what we have done. We don’t want leadership that will take us back.

    “We have made a lot of mileage and we hope that we will be able to get the kind of leadership that will build on the achievements of this Assembly which is unparalleled in our legislative history.

    “I will advise members to actually look out for those who have thrown themselves into the race to see who is it that will aggregate their aspirations better and then will be able to surpass the record of this Assembly.

    On the role of party in the emergence of leadership at the National Assembly he said “Well, I’m not here to dictate to parties, the parties have their manifestoes, the way to do their businesses but one thing I have said and if you followed the business during this induction, it is always better to allow the leadership to emerge from the people.

    “Where leadership has been forced upon the people, the history in the National Assembly, and in fact, the history of Nigeria, it has never endured.

    “The least we could afford in the National Assembly is crisis on account of the leadership selection process.

    “So who ever a party is sponsoring and supporting, they should make sure they have the backing of the legislature so that they (legislators) accept it because they own the process and they own the leadership.

    “That way, it will be good but in a situation it is forced, literally driven down the throat, in most cases it doesn’t augur well. Even in the Senate it doesn’t augur well. In the House of Representatives too, it doesn’t augur well too.

    “You are journalists, you should be able to dig into the archive and you will be able to find specific cases.”

    On the sweeping powers of a Nigerian president and the way the president could be disciplined if need be, Dogara noted that unless Section 143 of the Constitution is amended, it is practically impossible to successfully impeach a Nigerian President.

    He said “When people talk about the impeachment of the president, I just laugh because I know with Section 143 of the Constitution, it is not possible to actively activate impeachment of the president.”

    He said that the onus lies on members of the National Assembly to make the parliament strong in the interest of the people.

    Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume in his comment, said that the National Assembly is drifting and has been privatized to some extent.

    He noted that when positions have been zoned, members of the zones should be allowed to choose among themselves.

    Ndume also said that a situation where the presiding officer rules out a member who has contribution to make should be reconsidered.

    Dogara laughed and noted that since Ndume is running for the Senate President, if he gets it he will know where the shoe pinches.

    Dogara said, “If you become the Senate President, you will like to exercise such power because I know you very well. Certain unwritten rules are applied by the presiding officer to stabilize the chamber.

    “If a member raises point of order, the presiding officer may even tell him to approach the chair.”

     

  • Superb Hazard double hands Chelsea 2-0 win over West Ham

    Eden Hazard’s stunning individual performance earned Chelsea a 2-0 win over West Ham United which hoisted them into third spot in the English Premier League (EPL) on Monday.

    The Belgian wizard tormented West Ham throughout at Stamford Bridge and scored both goals to move Chelsea above Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for a top-four finish.

    Hazard danced through West Ham’s defence in the 24th minute to put Maurizio Sarri’s side in front, and Gonzalo Higuain should have buried the visitors before half-time.

    Read also: Chelsea to Fenerbahce: Raise your bid on Moses or forget permanent deal

    West Ham improved after the break and Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson both had good chances to equalise, but Hazard sealed the points in the 90th minute with a clinical finish.

    A third successive victory means Chelsea have 66 points from 33 games, while Tottenham and Arsenal have 64 and 63 points respectively having played a game less.

    West Ham are 11th with 42 points from 33 games.(NAN)

  • Bandits kill 20 in Kaduna

    Twenty persons have been reported killed in a fresh attack by unknown gunmen in Angwan Aku community,  Kajuru Local Government Area,  Kaduna State.

    A resident said the attack was launched at about 7am on Monday by gunmen, allegedly dressed in military uniform and armed with AK47 rifles, machetes and sticks.

    They stormed the village, shooting sporadically, he said.

    The Nation learnt that several others were injured in the attack.

    The source said: “The attackers stormed the village and they were shooting indiscriminately and everybody started running into the bush. They were pursuing us as we ran. Some people were killed in the bush.

    “Some of them were wearing military uniforms with bulletproof vests… I saw them from where I was hiding.”

    The source, who pleaded not to be named for “security reasons”,  said the police arrived in the village in eight Hilux vans after the bandits had run into the bush.

    “The police came in eight Hilux vehicles, but instead of pursuing the bandits who ran into the bush, they just turned back,” he said.

    According to him, there had been speculations last week of the attacks.

    “We had thought that the government would have taken the speculations seriously and be proactive, but they didn’t take it seriously and this led to the killing of more of our people. It is rather very unfortunate,” he added.

    A former President of the Adara Development Association (ADA), Danladi Yarima, confirmed the attack in a telephone interview, describing it as “unfortunate”.

    Read Also: Police kill three bandits in fresh Kaduna village attack

    He blamed it on the government’s handling of the security situation in the state.

    The incessant killings in Kajuru communities stared on February 10 when some herdsmen allegedly attacked Anguwan Barde, an Adara community, at night and killed 11 residents.

    The Adara were alleged to have embarked on reprisal attacks.

    Yarima, a lawyer, had in a recent statement said that about 4,000 people had been sacked from their homes following the destruction of properties by bandits.

    Yakubu Sabo, spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command could not be reached for comment last night.  The messages sent to him on the telephone and on the Police/Media WhatsApp platform were not replied.

  • Death penalty not in African culture, says Pete Ouko

    Pete Ouko, a Kenyan and a leading campaigner against capital punishment, decries its continued application in many jurisdictions.

    How did you find yourself in prison and on death row?

    In 1998 my wife was found murdered in front of a police station. I got word and I went to the police station to be told what had happened and I got locked up; my in-laws said I should be locked up. I was in the police station for 30 days, the law did not allow for that. I was not taken to court; because of course there was no evidence (to use) to take me to court. After 30 days I wrote a letter to the Attorney-General and to the law enforcement officers that the law says I should be in court within 14 days if at all there’s anything against me, but I’ve been here for 31 days and there’s nothing, so, I want to be taken to court to be released. So, they took me to court. I went to court, there was still nothing, and so I was taken to a remand home for about three weeks, still there was nothing. The judge (then) said I had to be taken back to police custody. So I went back to the police station and I had to stay there for another one month. So basically I spent sixty days at the police station.

    Anyway I did my case in 1999 all the way to 2001 when I got convicted; the judge who convicted me just passed on the other day. But before then he had been sacked. He was the first to be sacked for corruption in Kenya. There was a radical surgery in the judiciary in 2003 by President Mwai Kibaki. The radical surgery led to the sacking and resignation of all the corrupt judges who were on board. My presiding judge lost his job at that point. But I went on appeal, I had my appeal completion, but when I came to judgment, I was told the judgment could not be read. I was (eventually) sentenced to death. I joined the death row in 2001. Basically I was on death row for eight years, between 2001 and 2009, but in 2009 was commuted to life. So from 2009 to 2016 when I left I was serving life imprisonment.

    When your sentence was commuted to life imprisonment was it after an appeal?

    No, the president just used his prerogative and commuted all death sentences. In 2003, President Kibabki commuted many death sentences of those who had been there for long to life imprisonment. Then in 2009 he again commuted the others. In the first instance in 2003 I think he commuted 4000 and in 2009 he commuted 3000.

    After your sentencing what happened?

    After the sentencing I then wrote a letter to the president, I told him even though I don’t agree with the decision of the court, as a law abiding person I respect it, but I need to be home because my children were going to graduate. The letter was up scaled and it reached him. So, in October 2016 I left the prison.

    And up till now nobody knows who killed your wife?

    I don’t want to go into that because we have the matter in court and it is sub judice.

    From your experience, is there any hope for the abolition of the death penalty in Africa?

    I don’t think the death penalty is an African concept. I think the death penalty was imposed on Africa by people who had already abolished it in their own countries. The African way of solving conflicts and some of the most heinous crimes was sitting under a tree and restitution was made. You look through all the African cultures they didn’t have the death penalty. In fact some of those who committed the most grievous crimes would be ostracised and told never to come to that community again.

  • My visit to Osinbajo not on Senate President, says Ndume

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday held talks with former Senate Leader Ali Ndume at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Details of their meeting were not made public but the Borno senator dismissed speculations that he was at the State House over his aspiration to become the next Senate President.

    Ndume had declared his intention to run for the number three highest political office in the land despite the endorsement of the Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan for the position in the Ninth Senate by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    After his parley with the vice president, the senator declined to speak on camera with State House reporters.

    When asked by reporters whether he would step down, he asked rhetorically “me?”  He refused to speak further on his ambition.

    He, however, said that he was still holding consultation.

    “This is not the time to talk now because I am still holding consultation,” he stated.

    In a chat with The Nation, Ndume explained that his visit to the Presidential Villa had to do with humanitarian issues in Borno State.

    Ndume said: “My visit to the vice president has nothing to do with my ambition.  I did not discuss any political issue with him.

    “The vice president has been deeply concerned on the challenges in Borno State.  I normally get in touch with him because of humanitarian issues in our state. This was what I went to discuss with him.

    “I did not talk about my aspiration to be the next President of the Senate and the vice president also didn’t raise it.”

    Borno governor pays solidarity visit to Lawan

    Read Also: Breaking: Osinbajo, Ndume meet in Aso Rock

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima paid a solidarity visit to the Senate Leader, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who who has signaled interest to become the next Senate President.

    The visit dispelled insinuations that the governor hurriedly left for Saudi Arabia to avoid receiving Lawan last Saturday.

    According to a source, the governor’s visit boosted the morale of Lawan’s camp because one of the aspirants for the office, Sen. Ali Ndume also hails from the Northeast state.

    The source said: “The governor, who is also a Senator-elect, was at the campaign secretariat of Lawan to show some solidarity.

    “Lawan and leaders in his campaign group went for a wedding on Saturday in Maiduguri but the governor was alleged to have sneaked out of the state to Saudi Arabia in order not to receive the team.

    “But the governor dispelled rumours of shunning Lawan. His presence changed the mood at our campaign secretariat.

    “We were happy that the governor has demonstrated that he is true party leader. This is a plus for us because one of the contestants, Sen. Ali Ndume is from Borno State.

    “So far, Lawan has met virtually all the senators across party lines. We are making substantial progress.”

  • Xenophobia: Two Nigerians stabbed to death in South Africa

    The death toll of Nigerians killed in South Africa has continued to rise with another two being the latest victims in ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreigners in that country.

    It was learnt that the latest victims – Bonny Iwuoha and Goziem Akpenyi – were stabbed to death during xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg and Cape Town on April 5 and April 6.

    The Assistant Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Union in South Africa (NUSA), Odefa Ikele, confirmed the killings in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from Johannesburg on Monday.

    Ikele said: “The Nigerian community lost two citizens to gruesome murders over the weekend. Mr Bonny Iwuoha, 48, from Ihitte/Uboma in Imo State, was stabbed to death at about 11:45pm on April 6, in Johannesburg South.

    “We gathered that his assailants followed him from 152 Hay Street Turffontein, and thereafter, stabbed and killed him in front of his gate at Turf Road, Turffontein.

    “The killing was witnessed by Mr Izochukwu Nwokocha, also known as, Nwa Father,” he said.

    Ikele said the killing had been reported and a case of murder opened at Booysens Police Station in Johannesburg South.

    He said that another Nigerian, Goziem Akpenyi, also lost his life in similar circumstance on April 5.

    Read Also: Xenophobia at South African Embassy

    The NUSA spokesman said: “Akpenyi was allegedly stabbed to death by three unknown coloured South African men after an argument with the deceased.

    “The incident took place at Bellville Stadium parking lot in Cape Town at about 1 p.m. on Friday, April 5.

    “These latest killings add to four other Nigerians who were shot dead in March. Three of the victims were murdered in Sunnyside, Pretoria and one in Balfour Park, Johannesburg.”

    Ikele said that NUSA was concerned over the incessant killings of Nigerians and worried that the perpetrators had not been brought to book.

    According to him, the arrest and prosecution of the culprits by the South African Police would put to a stop the daily killings of Nigerians.

    “We call on the Nigerian Government to impress on their South African counterpart that the killings have to be investigated and the culprits prosecuted,” he appealed.