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A 22-year old man identified only as Uchechukwu had been accused of  molesting a 10-year-old girl at Olokoro Village in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State. The suspect, said to be a graduate of History from Abia State University, was accused of luring the underaged girl with a promise of a pair of slippers. Narrating her ordeal, the girl said, “Uncle Uchechukwu came to our house when my Daddy went out and took me to his house to give me a new pair of slippers he said he bought for me. “On getting to the house, he started touching me. He was doing that until some people came and saw us.” The girl’s father said it was a group of youths in the village who caught the suspect in the act. He said, “Uchechukwu came to my house on Friday morning to tell me about certain business he needed both of us to execute. “We scheduled a meeting for 2pm in his workshop where he makes furniture, for further discussions on the said business because I ...

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has condemned the violence, in which two senators, Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi, were targeted. The violence occurred at the premises of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Kaduna. Earlier on Sunday, hoodlums had disrupted a press conference held by the two senators, Messrs Sani (Kaduna Central) and Hunkuyi (Kaduna North); and injured at least one journalist working for Liberty TV/Radio, in the violence that ensued. According to witnesses, including journalists, the hoodlums numbering over 100 were wielding dangerous weapons and overpowered police officers to unleash the violence. “Having been briefed on the situation, the governor expressed sympathy with the NUJ and the persons that were harassed by the hoodlums,” said a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, Sunday afternoon. “The governor directed that the security agencies should investigate and take necessary action against the h...

Members of the House of Representatives are enraged after the lawmakers could not take delivery of exotic cars worth about N6.1bn as official vehicles for the 360-member House. Every four years, lawmakers get exotic official vehicles, better known as “utility or committee” cars, though the cars are more like the personal property of the legislators. Investigations showed that after using personal cars to work or go on oversight duties for over two years, lawmakers had told the leadership of the House that they had had “enough of suffering.” About 223 of the 360 members of the house were “freshers” who first came to the National Assembly in 2015. The new members are said to be most pained as they have had to fuel personal cars for work since June, 2015. In the days preceding the annual recess of the members on Thursday last week, it was learnt that the members had begun to demand explanations from the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara. However, the blame was ...

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, have arrested a 59-year old fish farmer, Chukwuani Columbus Christopher, with 25kg of ephedrine. The farmer was arrested aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight while on his way to Johannesburg, South Africa, through Addis Ababa. A statement by Mr. Michel Ofoyeju, NDLEA spokesman, said officials of the agency got a tip-off that the suspect had the illicit drug in his luggage after he had already beaten the screening machines at the airport.   “The suspect was arrested, following a tip-off, after he had already gone through screening. When the substance was detected, it was tested and found to be positive for ephedrine. Already, an investigation has commenced into the case since the arrest," said Mr. Ambrose Umoru, NDLEA Commander at MAKIA. Christopher, who is based in Enugu, stated that he took to drug smuggling in order to expand his f...

To pass the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill, senators received kickbacks in form of job slots and cash reward from the promoters of the proposed paramilitary organization. Scores of senators received at least seven employment slots each to back the bill, which was passed to, amongst other things, create the Nigerian Peace Corps as the country’s newest law enforcement agency. Some of the lawmakers considered key to the passage of the law got as much as 500 slots, our findings show. Other senators received cash rewards for their acquiescence, multiple senators, including those who benefited The bribery scheme became so brazen that some senators who were members of the committees that worked on the bill pointedly accused each other of being bought by the Peace Corps. But the leadership of the Senate quickly weighed in, made peace amongst the feuding senators and hushed up the case, consequently saving the upper chamber from another major embarrassment, our sources...

The Nigerian Army is to deploy 230 personnel, including 19 officers and 211 soldiers to Liberia, Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai has said. Speaking in Kaduna at the end of a four-week intensive training on leadership and peacekeeping for the personnel, Mr. Buratai charged them to shun acts that could tarnish Nigeria’s image. “You must observe human rights, and respect the cultural and religious sensitives of Liberians,” he said. The army chief said since 1960, Nigeria has deployed over 20, 000 troops to 40 peacekeeping missions in Africa and across the world. Earlier the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre, Jaji was renamed Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, in recognition of his commitment to peacekeeping efforts and excellent service. The centre was established in 2004 by Agwai as a Wing when he was the Chief of Army Staff. Speaking, Mr. Agwai noted that peacekeeping was gradually becoming an intra-country issue with th...

Fresh facts have emerged on how the release of the six Igbonla Model College students was secured on Friday at Ajamkpa in Ese-Odo Local Government of Ondo State. It was gathered that the governments of Ondo, Ogun, Delta and Lagos states began negotiations with the kidnappers 10 days ago when information came out that the students were kept at the creeks in the riverine communities of Ondo State. The students, Peter Jonah, Isiaq Rahmon, Adebayo George, Judah Agbausi, Pelumi Philips and Farouq Yusuf, were kidnapped from their state-owned school on May 25. The Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, who is also from the area, was said to have led the negotiations with the militants, on behalf of the Lagos State Government. “I know the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi who is from the waterside area met with some leaders in the area and a negotiation was made,” a source at the Ondo State Government House, said. He said Mr. Agboola made several contacts with the mi...

Businessman Innocent Chukwuma and his company, Innoson Nig Limited, have filed a fresh lawsuit against Guaranty Trust Bank PLC in the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, claiming N400 billion damages for injury to their reputation, moral character, credibility, office, vocation and trade. They are also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining GT Bank from further defaming them. The lawsuit, which was filed by Mr.  Chukwuma’s counsel, Joseph Mbadugha, is sequel to a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in favour of Innoson Nigeria Ltd. in Appeal No: SC/694/2014 between GTB and Innoson. In that judgment, delivered on May 12, 2017, the Supreme Court dismissed GT Bank’s application. Innoson had prevailed in various lawsuits against GT Bank. On July 29, 2011, the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division, through a garnishee order absolute, ordered the bank to pay N2,048,737,443.6K (Two Billion, Forty-Eight Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thou...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said it has handed over hundreds of snakes, frogs, and lizards, allegedly imported illegally into the country by an unnamed importer, to the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service Agency (NAQSA). Making the disclosure Thursday in Calabar, the Customs Public Relation Officer for the Cross River and Akwa Ibom States Customs Area Command, Mr. Mohammed Awalu, said the animals which were imported from Cameroon, were handed over to the agency for analysis and further investigations. Awalu told journalists that the 400 snakes, 200 frogs and 100 gecko lizards handed over to NAQSA were of different species. He said the animals were packed into three cartoons, loaded into a container and shipped into the Calabar, Cross River State Waterways through a vessel, MV Flesh. He said two persons were arrested in connection with the illegal importation and had been handed over to NAQSA for further questioning. He said the customs service was yet to ascer...

Angry youths in Igarra in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, last Friday reportedly razed down a hotel belonging to man popularly known as Don One (Onesi Obende-Okauru) over the killing of a middle-aged woman in the locality. The deceased was said to have joined other women on a peaceful march round the town over what they termed strange happenings in the community and to also pray for protection for those that would participate in the yearly Aba festival. It was gathered that there have been increased cases of criminal activities relating to rituals and sudden ostentatious lifestyles of some young persons whose sources of livelihood were questionable. Against this backdrop, it was learnt that women of the town had through the town crier instructed that all men in the community should retire to their houses on the fixed date by 8 pm as those of them that have passed menopause were expected to lead the procession naked while others were to accompany them clothed. The...

More than three months after the Senate confirmed the nominations of Professor Stephen Ocheni (Kogi) and Suleiman Hassan (Gombe) as ministers-designate, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo Wednesday swore them in at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chambers in the State House, Abuja, without assigning them portfolios. After swearing in the ministers, Osinbajo had announced that portfolios would be assigned to them “shortly”. After the meeting, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, also echoed Osinbajo stating that the new ministers would be assigned portfolios “shortly”. However, THISDAY learnt late Wednesday that Osinbajo’s decision not to assign the new ministers portfolios was deliberate, as the acting president was only acting on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari who was said to have instructed him to only swear them in without assigning them portfolios. It was learnt from a senior presidency source that when Osinbajo visited the president ...

At least nine soldiers and a civilian were killed after Boko Haram members kidnapped Nigerian oil workers who were on an oil exploration mission in the Lake Chad basin. The Nigerian Army, in a statement by its spokesperson, Sani Usman, confirmed the casualty. Mr. Usman, a brigadier general, also said the kidnapped oil workers, who were recruited by the state oil firm, NNPC, had been rescued.  “So far, they (troops) have rescued all the NNPC staff and recovered the corpses of the officer, 8 soldiers and a civilian who have been deposited at the 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital.” Mr. Usman said without giving the total number of rescued NNPC officials. A local government chairperson in Borno had earlier told journalists that seven people were rescued by the soldiers. The council chairman of Magumeri Local Government Area, Zanna Modu, informed journalists via a phone interview that the rescue was effected on Wednesday after a heated gun battle between soldiers and mem...

he Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi, has described the rate of the recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari as a miracle. Umahi, who is one of the seven governors that visited the President in London on Wednesday night, told one of our correspondents on the telephone from London, that he and his colleagues were surprised with the level of his (President) recovery. Apart from Umahi, others governors in the entourage  are  Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom);  Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Samuel Ortom (Benue); Umar Ganduje (Kano); and Kashim Shettima (Borno). Six of the  governors were chosen based on the six geo-political zones in the country while the governor of Zamfara State was picked because of his position as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum. Umahi, who was one of the two governors from the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, said that it was difficult for members of the opposition to believe what they were being to...

Votes for money is a major problem with our electioneering process. From party primaries to conventions and elections proper, it’s the same story. Once we are able to resolve this issue, then we will be on our way to real development. Be certain though that it may take us another decade or two to achieve this feat. Politicians naturally want power and some are willing to get it at all cost. Naturally, Men like short cuts and this is compounded by the age we live in. Paying for votes, as a short cut to power, frees the candidate from the stress of doing too much work and removes the burden of making promises that may never be fulfilled.  One doesn’t require any ideology, no need for long nights reading or preparing speeches or future plans. It is therefore very attractive especially when there is a free fund. Even when the fund isn’t free, there is the chance of recouping once investment almost a hundred times especially since no/vague promises were made to t...

Copied Elder statesman and chieftain of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has stated that Nigerian may cease to exist after 2019. According to him, Nigeria may fail to exist if its leaders fail to embrace the call for restructuring. He told Punch that it is obvious that the word ‘restructuring’ irritates northern elites except for few of them like Atiku Abubakar, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), Col. Umar, etc who have been clamouring for it. “Of course, without restructuring, there might be no Nigeria. It’s as clear as that. I often say that the word restructuring came into our political lexicon after the military coup. Why? When the military came, they suspended the constitution and then created one-line government. “When they wanted us to return to civilian regime, they didn’t want us to have it under that constitution. In 1993, Abacha made that fraudulent document (constitution), he died and Abdulsalami A...

NEWS NUGGET- What PDP will do to members who defected to Mega Party – Makarfi Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has said that members who defected from the party, will not benefit from the ‘no victor, no vanquished’ policy declared after the Supreme Court judgement. Makarfi was speaking against the background of the defection of some PDP members in the South West to the Mega Party. He said such misbehaviour should not be covered by the no victor no vanquished policy. “No victory, no vanquished applies only to all the happenings before the Supreme Court ruling, that no individual will be punished for merely disagreeing, or not seeing eye to eye with one another before the matter was settled,” Makarfi explained. South West supporters of sacked National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sherif and Senator Buruji Kashamu (PDP-Ogun East) have explained why theydefected to the Mega Party o...

*Gunmen abduct, detain former Rangers’ Coach, Amakapabo* *I Paid A Bribe Naija | Breaking News & News Updates* *Mercedes-Benz takes luxury to construction site with first pick-up* _The X-Class, which automaker’s first venture into the pick-up truck market, offers a_... *Read more:* http://ipaidabribenaija.com/mercedes-benz-takes-luxury-construction-site-first-pick/ *Governors’ forum raises panel to consider state police* _ “The Department of State Services (DSS) has noted, with dismay and total condemnation, the_... *Read more:* http://ipaidabribenaija.com/governors-forum-raises-panel-consider-state-police/ *Gunmen abduct, detain former Rangers’ Coach, Amakapabo* _A source close to the coach said Amakapabo was surprised by Rangers’ attitude to_... *Read more:* http://ipaidabribenaija.com/gunmen-abduct-detain-former-rangers-coach-amakapabo/ *Senate confirms eight, rejects three INEC commissioners* _This was sequel to the report from th...

Confirmed Autopsy. Stephen Keshi died of cardiac arrest. Please read this tips from a  Cardiologist. It takes you just 2mins. 1. Let’s say it’s 7.25pm and you’re going home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. 2. You’re really tired, upset and frustrated. 3. Suddenly you start experiencing SEVERE PAIN IN YOUR CHEST that starts to drag out into your arm and up in to your jaw. Yet you are about 3 km from the hospital nearest to your location. 4. Unfortunately you don’t know if you’ll be able to make it that far. 5. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy who taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself. 6 HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE? Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. 7. However, these victims can help themselves...

I decided to read a copy of the National Grazing Reserve Council Bill and I was surprised at what I saw. The Bill creates a council to be chaired by a Chairman to be appointed by the president. The council shall have the power to take your land anywhere the land is located in the country and then pay you compensation. Your land, when taken, shall be assigned to herdsmen who shall use your land for grazing purposes. They shall bring cows to the land and you shall lose the land permanently to those Fulani cattlemen. If you feel that the council was not right to take your land, you can go to court but before you go to court, you must first of all notify the federal attorney general of your intention to sue the council. Apart from notifying, you must get the consent and authority of the Federal Attorney General before you can sue. So that means that if the Attorney General refuses to give his consent to the suit, you have lost your land forever to the herdsmen. And this law, when pas...

Chief Obafemi Awolowo would have been 108 years old today but he died 30years ago, in his bedroom, without any disease or sickness whatsoever. Of all his contemporaries, his death was the best. He was the first Premier of Western Region and the best developer of the region till the time of this post!!!!! He was a unique Premier. While he was the Premier, Western Region comprised of today's SW and Bendel(Edo and Delta States). The manifesto of Action Group became Herculean to achieve in the minds all except that of Awolowo. Free Education, Free Health services, development of infrastructures etc. Even with scarcity of funds, Awolowo achieved all and even more than he promised like building of University of Ife now named after him, Liberty Stadium, WNTV first Television Station in Africa and France and now called Nta Ibadan after taken over by Federal government. Cocoa farmers were very lucky in his time, they were the high and mighty then. Awolowo did not bother ...

Corruption: US to seize $140m from Nigerian oil executives ADEKUNLE  14 JUL 2017 US officials said Friday they plan to confiscate $144 million in corruption-tainted assets of Nigerian oil executives found in the United States including an $80 million yacht the “Galactica Star.” The yacht and a $50 million condominium overlooking New York’s famed Central Park were among the riches tied to dirty contracts awarded by Nigeria’s former oil minister between 2011 and 2015, the US Justice Department said statement. “The United States is not a safe haven for the proceeds of corruption,” acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco said. “Corrupt foreign officials and business executives should make no mistake: if illicit funds are within the reach of the United States, we will seek to forfeit them and to return them to the victims from whom they were stolen.” The assets were purchased using proceeds of oil sector contracts awarded by Nigeria’s former minister for petroleum resou...