Buhari is a part time President — Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, says President Muhammadu Buhari has now become a part-time and ceremonial President who is only seen during the Friday Jumat service at the Presidential Villa.

He made this known through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said it was necessary for Nigerians to be properly informed about the well-being of their President.

The Governor, who said Buhari, like any old man, was susceptible to illness, said the President would do well to go and take proper care of his health and allow the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, to constitutionally act as the President.

“But it is doubtful if those cabals that are obviously running their own Presidency within President Buhari’s Presidency will allow him to take a long vacation, probably outside Nigeria to take care of himself,” Fayose said.

He accused some close allies of the President of deliberately shielding him and preventing him from attending to his health so as to continue to run the government on the basis of “Mr President has directed” even when the President did not direct anything.

Nigerian Army Discovers Arms & Ammunitions In Southern Kaduna

The recently launched Operation HARBIN KUNAMA II by the Nigerian Army in Southern part of Kaduna State which will cover some forests in Bauchi, Kano and Plateau States has started to yield the desired result as troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army recover large cache of arms and ammunition in southern part of Kaduna State on Saturday 22nd April 2017. The discovery was made when troops embarked on cordon and search of Gwaska, Dangoma, Angwan Far and Bakin Kogi general area of Southern Kaduna State.



During the operation, the troops recovered 73 Dane Guns, 4 Locally Made Rifles, 1 Locally Made Machine Gun and 1 Locally Made Pistol. Others include 260 Cartridges, 14 rounds of 7.62mm Ammunition, 63 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 1 Locally made Small Machine Gun Magazine, a pair of worn out military boot and some quantities of assorted Improvised Ammunition and Pyrotechnics hidden in dug out pits.
While efforts are on going to track down the owners of the arms and ammunition, it is imperative to state the good people of the area have been very supportive and cooperate fully with the military which led to this unprecedented findings.
Similarly, in Sector 1 of the Operation which covers Kano State, troops in conjunction with other security agencies are carrying out operations in suspected armed bandits camps in Falgore forest. The operation is ongoing.

Nigerian man arrested for duping American banks of over $100,000 using fake identities

A Nigerian man who allegedly duped a number of banks out of more than $100,000 faced a federal judge last Friday, April 21, after being arrested on April 10 by agents from the Department of Homeland Security and charged on four federal criminal charges.

Opeyemi Abdulahi Orekan, resident of Rhode Island was involved in an organized fraud ring that used fake passports from Nigeria and Ghana and fraudulent identities to defraud a number of banks out of tens of thousands of dollars. The federal government is charging him with bank fraud, passport fraud, identity theft and access device fraud.

Investigators say Orekan used nine different identities, including a number of passports from Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana, to open bank accounts at a number of bank branches including Bank of America, Webster Bank and Santander to deposit counterfeit checks and then withdraw bank funds. Counterfeit checks from NRG Residential Solar Solutions, the Viking Corporation and Bosch were deposited into accounts, according to the affidavit.

Orekan would then allegedly send the funds to an individual in Nigeria. The transactions occurred at a number of bank branches in Johnston, Lincoln, Pawtucket, Providence and Warwick. Bank America reported nearly $37,000 in losses from at least one of the accounts and another $26,000 from another one of Orekan’s accounts. Santander reported a near $20,000 loss in connection with Orekan.

He also allegedly used fake identities to open accounts at TD Bank, Wells Fargo and Chase Bank.

"Orekan has been engaged in lengthy pattern of fraud that has been perpetuated across at least 10 different financial institutions," says Keith Holleran, a special agent with the Dept. of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Providence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Vilker told the court that investigators have gathered a number of records and evidence including passports that were found in a ceiling crawl space which, he said, has made their case stronger. A bag filled with passports was also found in an old, rolled-up carpet found by the property manager of one of the apartments where Orekan resided. That's when the property manager contacted the FBI.
Forensic tests of the passports determined that two Republic of Nigeria passports were altered and two Republic of Ghana passports were counterfeit. Four additional US admission stamps, machine readable visas adn two Ghana drivers licenses were also tested and determined to be counterfeit.

"He has a contact in Africa that is sending him these passports," Vilker told Magistrate Judge Patricia Sullivan during a hearing on Friday, as two of Orekan’s supporters sat behind him. “ICE tells me he can absolutely flee the country.”

Attorney John F. Cicilline, who is representing Orekan (who is currently being detained), asked Magistrate Judge Patricia Sullivan to release Orekan as has ties to a number of family members in Rhode Island and is not a flight risk. He asked the judge to possibly release Orekan with conditions such as electronic monitoring.

The judge denied Cicilline’s request saying electronic monitoring isn’t a full proof tool adding that the evidence against Orekan is strong and that the investigation shows it’s become even stronger.

“The defendant has significant ties to a different country…the affidavit mentions a substantial amount of passports that have passed muster at a number of banks…wiring of tens of thousands to the defendant’s mother in Nigeria,” Sullivan said.

“Finally, and very significant, the defendant had contact with law enforcement in November 2016, was released and continued the behavior and then charged in January 2017, released and again continued the behavior,” Sullivan added.

"Now facing federal charges knitting together what is now unlike instances in November and January, a very substantial charge exposing him to a period of incarceration and risk of deportation." - NBC News

Actress Halimar Abubakar Undergoes Successful Fibroid Removal Operation in India

“I had it,” said the actress, in a post shared on her Instagram where she told her fans that the operation was successful. See her message below....

US Court Convicts 25-Year-Old Nigerian For Wire Fraud

A United States Federal court has convicted a Nigerian, Wiseman Oputa, who set up a number of bank accounts with bogus passports over a year, in which he managed to steal at least $500,000 through wire fraud and Internet scams.

The court convicted Oputa of one count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas announced.

Wiseman Oputa, 25, pleaded guilty to opening bank accounts in the area surrounding Houston, using counterfeit passports.

Once the accounts were created, Oputa and his associates conducted a number of Internet scams from romance schemes to hacking into company email accounts to make their phishing efforts appear more real.

The victims sent at least a total of $500,000 to these bank accounts via checks and wire transfers, which Oputa and his associates controlled.

He would then use the bogus passports to withdraw the money from the accounts.

Oputa is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6 and faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential maximum fine of $250,000.

Here is the full statement by US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas:

A 25-year-old Nigerian man who was residing in Houston has pleaded guilty to perpetuating a wire fraud scheme involving various Internet scams, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.

Wiseman Oputa pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, until Jan. 25, 2017, Oputa used counterfeit passports to open bank accounts in the greater Houston area. The passports contained photographs of Oputa but had different names and identification information. He then worked with others to lure victims into sending money into these bank accounts. These funds were obtained through a variety of internet scams, including business email compromise, romance schemes and unauthorized intrusions into company email accounts. Checks or wire transfers were then sent from the company’s accounts payable to accounts Oputa or others controlled. Oputa would then use the counterfeit passports to retrieve the fraudulently obtained funds.

In one instance in December 2016, Oputa opened an account at Regions Bank with a counterfeit Ghanaian passport as identification. Shortly thereafter the account received a wire transfer of $40,000 from a victim who had been told to send money for taxes on money he had won in Spain. USAA Bank identified the fraudulent and was able to recall the wire.

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett accepted the guilty plea and has set sentencing for July 6, 2017. At that time, Oputa faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation along with Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service and the Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady is prosecuting the case. - PM

Wiseman Oputa was convicted of wire fraud in Houston, USPM News

Boy, 12, stopped 14 hours into drive across Australia

© Other Broken Hill, Australia

Police in Australia have stopped a 12-year-old boy attempting to drive across the country - 14 hours into his epic journey.

The young boy was stopped and picked up in the mining city of Broken Hill, more than 1,000km (621 miles) from his starting point.

Though he had apparently driven across the entire state of New South Wales on his own.

"Checks revealed the driver to be a 12-year-old boy (who) was travelling from Kendall NSW on his way to Perth," said state police.

A police spokesperson said he was stopped after officers spotted the bumper dragging along the ground.

"Officers from Broken Hill Highway Patrol stopped a motor vehicle on the Barrier Highway due to defects which made the vehicle hazardous," said the police statement.

Investigation into the case is on going, police added.

Jonathan’s kinsman in trouble over $289m released to NIA

A former boss of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) may have some questions to answer from the Presidential Investigative Panel on the $289 million allegedly withdrawn from the company’s accounts ostensibly for national security.

NAPIMS is a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The investigative panel, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, is currently probing the $43.4million haul made recently from the Orborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, and the N200m curious contract awarded by the Presidential Initiative on the North-East.

The erstwhile NAPIMS boss, said to be a kinsman of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was in charge of the company when the huge withdrawal was made during the last political dispensation.

The Ikoyi cash is believed to be part of the leftover of the NAPIMS funds.

But he won’t be the only to face the panel.

The committee said yesterday that it will invite “all relevant officials and private individuals who may be connected to both cases.”

For now, it is unlikely that Dr. Jonathan will be summoned by the committee, contrary to widespread speculations.

Media reports had suggested that Jonathan gave the go ahead for the release of the $289 million to the NIA and other security agencies from the account of NAPIMS.

It was also gathered yesterday that there will be no soft handling of anyone implicated in the $43.4million haul and the N200m contract award.

Two top government officials – Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke – were sent home last Wednesday over their suspected involvement in the matters.

President Muhammadu Buhari is understood to have told the investigative panel not to spare the rod or give soft landing to anyone found wanting.

Buhari demanded a thorough job no matter whose ox is gored.

The panel announced yesterday that its assignment will take place behind closed doors to avoid speculations and distractions.

Sources told The Nation that Buhari’s instruction to the Osinbajo Committee is straight forward.

“The President directed that there should be no cover up for anybody no matter how highly placed. He said there will be no soft landing for the suspended officials or any official or anyone closer to him who is involved,” a highly placed source said.

“And Buhari demonstrated this on Wednesday when the affected officials were suspended. Before the announcement was made, SGF Babachir Lawal earlier wanted to see him but he sent a message to him to go and see the Vice President.

“As a matter of fact, he had expected that one of the two suspended officials would have resigned given overwhelming public opprobrium on the allegations against him but he refused. “The President then decided that he cannot be bearing the burden of anyone.

“So, this committee is not the Kangaroo type or a soft landing panel to save anybody.”

The committee yesterday shed light on its mode of operation.

It said its sessions will be closed to the public to avoid speculations and distractions.

The committee made the clarifications through a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President (Office of the Vice President), Mr. Laolu Akande.

It said: “The Presidential Committee ordered earlier this week by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe certain allegations against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir Lawal, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Mr. Ayo Oke has commenced its work in earnest.

“President Buhari on Wednesday established the three-man panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, with Attorney-General & Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami and National Security Adviser, Rtd Major General Babagana Monguno as members, to investigate allegations of legal and due process violations made against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF and the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) in a residential apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos.

“In the discharge of its work, the panel is expected to invite all relevant officials and private individuals who may be connected to both cases.

“It will also obtain and scrutinize documents that may throw some light on the issues raised in both cases. All its proceedings will however be in closed sessions to avoid speculations, allow for full disclosure and enhance the pace of proceedings.

“The panel which is expected to submit its report to the President at the expiration of the 14-day deadline, will conduct its work with utmost diligence and without fear or favour.”

Investigation confirmed last night that ex-President Jonathan might not be summoned by the Osinbajo Panel.

On the alleged huge withdrawal of funds from the account of NAPIMS  termed Special Intervention Funds for the NIA,the source said: “”Since Jonathan’s kinsman was in charge of NAPIMS, it was convenient for the former administration to withdraw some funds from the account of the agency.

LOL! Oyinbo woman praying before eating Eba & Egusi with a bottle of Stout

A lady from Denmark, Ellen Baby got Nigerians and others talking about a pic of herself praying as she was about to down a plate of Eba and Egusi, and 'step it down' with a bottle of stout.

The lady revealed that she loves African delicacies. See hilarious reaction......

Apostle Suleman : The Reason Stephanie Otobo, Keyamo are after me

A statement signed by Phrank Shaibu, the communications manager to the controversial prophet, said Pastor Suleman never promised to marry Stephanie at any point in time.




Shaibu said Stephanie was arrested by operatives acting on a tip off that she had repeatedly tried to blackmail the fiery preacher by demanding N500 million from him.

It was also gathered that the singer threatened to expose a purported relationship between her and the preacher.

But in his reaction, Shaibu said, a letter by Stephanie’s lawyer Festus Keyamo is misleading.
“Unknown to Keyamo, the police was alerted following several attempts by the said lady to blackmail Apostle Suleiman.

The police also recorded her conversations making the frivolous demand. The high-point of the drama was her attempt to withdraw money paid into her account at the instance of the police. The lawyer should know that his client was arrested by the police with abundance of evidence confirming that she is indeed a serial blackmailer,” Shaibu said.

He said it was however, pertinent to note that such a transaction could not have taken place without any iota of evidence.

He said Stephanie is a self-confessed striptease at a popular night club in Canada who came to Apostle Suleman to seek for help like many people.

Shaibu said the singer had pretentiously called to embrace Christ and confessed to needing financial assistance.

“Does Keyamo or his serial blackmailing client have pictures of the visit by Apostle Suleiman or his representatives to her parents? In any case, how could such a relationship have existed when Apostle and the said lady have never met physically?

How could he have made a promise of a house and a lifestyle comparable to what she has in Canada when he has never been to her house or seen her physically as to have an idea of her living standards?” Shaibu asked.

He also said that Keyamo must have been misled or excited by the prospects of getting a whopping N500 million from the matter.

He said he beleives that why both letters were written and sent to Apostle Suleiman.

“If Keyamo was not misled or excited by the prospects of a jackpot of N500 million and or an opportunity to save his already dwindling career in law practice from total caput by latching on the popularity of Apostle Suleman vide this tendentiously devilish plot and skewed romantic fantasy, then we may as well demand an evaluation of his mental state along with his client who was obviously on the verge of delusion before she was arrested.

It’s either one of the options stated above or he is trying to engage in a proxy war on behalf of some unknown agents who had become irritated by Apostle’s stand on national issues. His inference to the latter incident in Keyamo’s letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) confirms this benign thought,” he said.

He further urged the lawyer to drop such attack and focus instead on defending his client in court adding that all attempts to impugn the integrity of Apostle Suleman or the Omega Fire Ministries would fall like a pack of cards.

“We are not surprised that this serial blackmailer decided to join forces with a serial divorcee, who has had five children from four failed marriages to make this phantom claim. But we dare to ask; Is a serial blackmailer and or a serial divorcee capable of understanding the sanctity of the institution called marriage?

The nature of their mental torpidity is understandable and we invite more recondite and decent persons to read in between the lines and separate the wheat from the chaff, he said.

“In this well coordinated plot to pull down Apostle Suleman at all costs, the lines of Reuben Abati will suffice ; “lies have become standard stuff, mischief a major commodity, and indecency a character flaw. ”

If Keyamo and his Canada-returnee client think they can capitalize on the famed generosity of Apostle Suleman to extort N500 million through this plot, they sure have missed it as shall have our day in court,” Shaibu added

N42m Tithe Is Chicken Feed - Bishop Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah in this interview with Tobi Aworinde spoke on the controversial N42m tithe paid by a man into a church account saying it is only chicken feed.

When asked how  he felt about the payment of N42m by a man as tithe to a church in Benue State, he said;

"This is chicken feed compared to what contractors and businessmen and women are paying to corrupt church men, who are largely partners in crime and claim to be praying for rich people. So, it is important to check and cross-check your facts. You should educate us by telling us what really happened now that the right hand knows what the left is doing".

Cultism : 16 University Students arrested, charged to court

The Imo state police command on Friday charged 16 undergraduates of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri and Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, respectively for an alleged involvement in cult related activities in the state. 

 

In a statement on Saturday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, stated that;

“In a renewed onslaught against the menace of cultism in Imo State, operatives of the state police command on April 14, 2017, arrested over 16 suspected cultists in a bush in Ihiagwa in the Owerri West Local Government Area. They are members of the Neo black movement of Africa confraternity. The suspects have been charged to court, accordingly.”

 

Enwerem alleged that the suspects were members of a cult group known as Neo black movement of Africa confraternity. He claimed that three live cartridges and expended SMG ammunition were recovered from the undergraduates. 

 

Nigerian singers, Davido and Ice Prince Fight Rough in Warri

Last night, an event (Delta Alive) organised by Shina Peller (owner of Quilox night club) went down in Warri. The show had Davido, Lil Kesh, Ice Prince, CDQ and others as headliners.

According to an inside source, trouble started from the airport when Davido was picked up in a G-Wagon while Ice Prince was picked up with a saloon car.

The gesture infuriated Ice Prince and he let the organisers know he wasn't pleased. Davido got to hear of his complains and was angry too.

Then the issue escalated during the concert when Ice Prince was made to perform before Lil Kesh, a move that's seen as an insult to the bigger artiste.

Ice Prince made it an issue back stage and Davido who had been boiling from the car complaint and obviously a close friend of Lil Kesh jumped in defence of Kesh and things got messy.

Our source said, 'when they got back to the hotel, Davido was really pissed so much that he went to Ice Prince's door and started shouting and banging on the door before they calmed him down. When they were coming back to Lagos, they had to move them to the airport separately and put them in separate lounges at the airport because they were still boiling at each other'.

There’s also news that the fight backstage led to the destruction of equipment but newsmen could not verify that information at the moment as effort to reach all parties involved has been futile so far.

Actor, Emeka Ike Opens His NOLLYWOOD TV Station In Abuja

Popular Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has taken a bold step despite distractions from marital issues. He shared pictures of himself and others touring his new TV station which he just completed.

He shared the photos via his page and wrote: 

"On a tour of my new TV station... NOLLYWOOD TV, coming on STARTIMES n TSTV Abuja, with sen dino melaye... something they cant stop, is booting. Ngugi watiogo."

Whistle-Blowers Policy : EFCC Recovered N17bn

The federal Government agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has recovered at least N17bn since the Federal Government introduced the whistle-blower policy on December 20, 2016.

Giving a breakdown of the recoveries, acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, said,
EFCC had recovered N521,815,000, $53,272,747, £122,890, and €547,730. According to a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Magu stated this at the 2017 Association of the National Accountants of Nigeria Week/Award Day, in Abuja on Saturday.

The EFCC boss said, “Apart from several other recoveries running into several billions of naira, the recent whistle-blower policy, has led to the recovery by EFCC of N521,815,000, $53,272,747, £122,890, and €547,730.”

The agency also revealed that it recorded 62 convictions in the first quarter of the year.

Native Doctor Kills Client After Collecting 400,000 From Him For Money Rituals

 Osun State Police Command have arrested a 34yrs old herbalist, Saheed Adekunle, for allegedly killing a vulcaniser, Oderinde Sunday after allegedly collecting the sum of N400,000 from the deceased for ritual money making.

Sunday was said to have approached Adekunle for rituals that would enable him become wealthy and the herbalist had billed him the sum of N4000,000, for the services, which he paid.

The deceased, who paid the herbalist the money since January, had waited till March without experiencing any sign of prosperity.

Against this backdrop, the deceased sought for a refund of the money he paid.

But Adekunle reneged on his promise, which resulted in a fight between him and the deceased.

Adekunle, in the ensuing fight allegedly picked up a stone and smashed the deceased on his head.

Not done with his bleeding client, the man was said to have taken a cable, with which he strangled Sunday to death.

On noticing that Sunday was dead, the suspect was said to have put his remains in a big bag and dumped it on Ibokun Road at OSBC area of the town.

Speaking with Tribune after his arrest, the herbalist confessed to the killing the deceased, saying his action was to stop him from asking him for the money he collected.
He said, “I prepare herbal concoctions and I travel to states to sell to clients. I learnt tailoring as a vocation.

“A vulcaniser, Sunday, came to me in December 2016 and told me that he wanted me to help him do charm to make him wealthy. I advised him to do something that would boost his business, but he insisted on money-making charm. So I told him that there was no problem, asking him to bring money to carry out the process. I didn’t know how to do such a charm; I only wanted to deceive him.

“Sunday told me that he had a piece of land that he would sell. After he sold the land, he brought N400,000 to me on Monday, March 6 and also came with someone, insisting that I signed a paper to indicate that I collected money from him.

“Two days after, on Wednesday, March 8, Sunday picked a quarrel with me that I had not prepared the charm. I said I would give him a charm to boost his business, but he did not agree. By then, I had already spent part of the money.

“We started fighting and I stepped outside my room, picked a heavy stone and hit Sunday on the head with it. He was backing me so he didn’t see me with the stone. He fell down, covered in his blood. I picked a wire and strangled him on the neck, after which I put his body in a big ‘Ghana-must-go’ bag that I had at home.

“I went to borrow a motorcycle from a neighbour on the pretext that I wanted to go out with it. I dragged the bag out and sought the assistance of a passerby to put it on the motorcycle because it was heavy. I tied the bag to the bike with a rope and took it to the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) Road where I dropped it at about 10.30a.m.

“I returned the bike to the owner and went to barb my hair. Unknown to me, some people noticed blood dripping from the bag when I was going with it and had gone round the neighbourhood, discussing it.

“As I returned from barber’s shop, a huge mob which had gathered descended on me, beating me and asking about what I put in the bag. I told them it was an animal I used to make sacrifice, but they didn’t listen to me. They forcefully broke my door and demanded to know what I kept in the room. They were about setting me ablaze when I was rescued by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

“I was taken to the civil defence office, but was released to my father because of the level of injury inflicted on me by the mob. The officials asked him (my father) to bring me back the following Monday after I must have been treated. My father asked me severally to tell him what was in the bag, but I told him it was an animal.

“On Friday, March 10, policemen from Oke Bale Police Station came to my father and asked him to bring me to the station. When we got there, they started interrogating me and I confessed that I was the one who killed Sunday. The police had earlier recovered the body in the bag and had deposited it in the mortuary.

“It was after my arrest that I realised the gravity of my action. I have never done such a thing in my life. I believe it was the devil that used me. I know what I did was bad but I want to plead with the government to forgive me. I will never do such a thing again. My father started raining abuses on me when I confessed that it was actually a human I killed and put his body in a bag.”

Reacting to the incident, the Police Commissioner, Olafimihan Adeoye, directed that the suspect be transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Osogbo, for further investigations.

Gov Bello Wants To Assassinate Me – Dino Melaye

The controversial Senator, Dino Melaye on Saturday, accused the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, of plotting to assassinate him for fighting for the state’s workers and pensioners.

Dino, while addressing women of Kogi West senatorial district, on a peaceful protest at Aiyetoro-Gbede, noted that workers and pensioners in the state were suffering and dying, following the non-payment of 15-month salaries and pensions by the governor.

The tough-talking senator said,

“Yahaya Bello collected N20bn from the Federal Government as bailout fund. Still, he refused to settle workers. He also collected N11bn from the Paris Club fund. Still, he refused to pay workers and pensioners.

“Children can no longer go to school. Tenants can no longer pay their house rent. Enough is enough, the people of Kogi State are tired of this government.

“The advent of Yahaya Bello as governor and Taofiq Isa as local government administrator in the political history of Kogi State has brought this unfortunate socio-political paradigm shift.”

Reacting swiftly through his Director -General, Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Bello said he did not believe Melaye could make such a statement adding that the senator’s supporters, who he described as “largely ignorant about security matters,” might be the ones behind the allegations.

I Told God I Wanted Twins, And I Got 5 Instead - Mother Of Quintuplets

An Abuja-based civil servant, Mrs. Oluwakemi Uduehi, who gave birth to quintuplets (five babies) at the National Hospital, Abuja last week, shares her labour experience with Punch's Friday Olokor.

What is your name and age?

My name is Oluwakemi Uduehi. I am 30 years old.

Where do you work?  

I work with the National Population Commission.

What position are you in your family?  

I am the third child.

When did you marry?  I got married in 2015.

How did you meet your husband?  We met at the University of Ilorin where we both studied Computer Science. We were in the same class.

When did you discover you were pregnant?  It was in the first trimester.

Did you at anytime know you would give birth to more than one child at a time?  Yes, because I asked God for twins. I prayed and when it was time, I didn’t rush it. I told God when I wanted to get pregnant. It’s just like when one goes to a camp in a church and the pastor asks one to make a prayer request. I prayed to have a set of twins, rest for a while and later have the rest of my children.

What was your experience like in the last month of your pregnancy?  It was eight months actually because nobody can carry such pregnancy for nine months. Anything God does, He doesn’t add sorrow. Though it was stressful but with the help of God, I didn’t have any complication. I could move freely to wherever I wanted, except when my time of delivery drew near.

Did you do any scan? I wasn’t expecting pregnancy and I didn’t experience vomiting or any other form of early morning sickness. But I was having abdominal pains. I thus decided to come to the hospital because I don’t use any drugs without doctor’s prescription. That is the kind of person my husband is. When they told me in the hospital that it was morning sickness, I said I wasn’t sick but they insisted I should run a test. It was the test that revealed that I was pregnant. I did not know that I was until after the test. It was when I started ante-natal that we ran the scan.

It was in the second trimester that I knew I would have quintuplets.

How did your husband react to your delivery of five babies at once?  He was happy because even when I asked for the sex of the babies, the scan didn’t show it. When I asked that we should run another scan, he said ‘for what? You don’t need it. I have handed everything to God.’ It was that day that we believed that the babies were five. We thought it might not be so because scan can give anything. I only believed they could be twins because that was what I asked from God.

What is the sex of the babies? They are all beautiful girls.

What names did you give them?  They all have three names each; Yoruba, Esan and English names. They are Oluwanifemi, Oluwafemifayo, Oluwafifehanmi, Oluwaferanmi, Oluwafirefunmi. We also call them Ainose, Esose, Osejade, Obehi, Omose, which are their Esan names.

Their English names are Grace, Peace, Blessing, Goodness and Mercy. God showed me how much He loves me and my family.

Did you have a normal delivery?  No, it was through Caesarian Section. The National Hospital prepared my mind for it.

What plans have you and your husband put in place to cater for them considering the numerous needs of children and the country’s economic situation?  
The truth is that God has been faithful since we got married. If you get to our house today, you will understand. I have not for once thought about what they will eat because I know God is there for them. Whenever He does anything, He always does something extra to back it up. I have not for once worried myself because God does what pleases Him. Before I put to bed, He has been faithful and He can send what He wants to take care of them. We don’t know how but we believe in Him. As a Christian or a Muslim, one must always leave all situations to God to handle.

How has it been taking care of them? If anyone of them cries, I call her name and tell her I am coming. I think she listens because she will keep quiet immediately. But since I am still in the hospital, the nurses have been assisting. I do my best and God has been helping us.

How do you feel now? I am getting better. I will soon leave the hospital. I should be discharged this week hopefully.

How did your parents react to the news of the quintuplets?  They were happy to be grandparents of five children.

What is your advice to women who also want to have children?  They should look unto God and trust Him. They should tell God what they want. Even doctors often say that they only treat but only God heals. If God says it is time, it is time even when one is not ready for it. I was not in haste to have children. I wanted to enjoy my husband first before the children start coming.

What fertility drug did you take?  I hate drugs. Even when I came to the National Hospital, they asked me what drugs I reacted to and I said I did not take any drugs. I would not know which drugs I might have reacted to because I don’t take drugs except if I am feeling very ill.

How do you feel being the mother of quintuplets?  I am happy because even when they told me, I just looked at myself. I asked myself if it was possible because I can still carry myself to wherever I want. When they came out, they were fine and beautiful. It is the blessing of God and my case is different.

How many more children do you want to have?  Before we got married, I told my husband that after having twins, I want only one child more.

Are you going to breastfeed them for six months?  I will try my best since I am not going anywhere. It is just to eat and sleep. Thank God we have mothers and sisters that will come and do the job. I believe God will see us through.

Is there a case of multiple births in your family and your husband’s?  Yes, there are twins in both families. My father is a twin. In my husband’s family, they have people who have given birth to twins about two or three times.

Former Osun state Governor, Senator Isiaka Adeleke Is Dead

Former Osun state Governor and a serving senator, Isiaka Adeleke has died. The three-term Senator currently representing Osun West Senatorial district having won the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in 2015. Mr. Adeleke died today at Bikets Hospital in Oshogbo the Osun state capital after suffering a heart attack according to family sources.

He was 62 years.