Presidency says one Chibok girl chose to stay with her husband

One of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and who had the opportunity to be released on Saturday chose to stay with her husband, the spokesman for Nigeria’s president said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said officials originally had been negotiating for the release of 83 girls, but one said she wanted to remain.

“One of the girls refused to join the released girls,” Shehu told The Associated Press. “She said, ‘I am happy where I am. I have a husband.'”

The other young women, held for more than three years, are in Abuja with government officials who are supervising their re-entry into society.

The government has published a list of the girls’ names, and parents in Chibok, some 900 kilometers northeast of the capital, are slowly learning if their daughters were among those freed.

The girls were released in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders, a government official said Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Neither the government nor Boko Haram, which has links to the Islamic State group, gave details about the exchange.

The International Committee of the Red Cross helped negotiate the girls’ release along with the Swiss government.

Girls who escaped Boko Haram shortly after the 2014 mass kidnapping said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because they’d been radicalized by their captors, they said.

Human rights advocates also fear some of the girls have been used by Boko Haram to carry out suicide bombings as part of the group’s insurgency.

Thousands of people have been killed and about 1.6 million driven from their homes during the eight-year insurgency by Boko Haram. But it was the mass kidnapping of 276 girls in April 2014 that horrified the world and brought the extremist group international attention.

The first group of 21 Chibok girls was freed in October. They have been in government care for medical attention, trauma counseling and rehabilitation. Human rights groups have criticized the decision to keep them in custody in Abuja.

More than 110 Chibok schoolgirls remain missing.

A group of United Nations human rights experts on Tuesday called on Nigeria’s government to ensure the girls’ rehabilitation and reintegration, saying release was only a first step in their recovery.

“The government of Nigeria and other stakeholders must ensure that the services these girls need, including psycho-social and other health services and information on livelihood opportunities, as well as access to remedies, are available” said the group of special rapporteurs. “We hope these girls will be soon reunited with their loved ones.”

The group of experts also called on Nigeria and the international community not to forget about kidnap victims still held by Boko Haram, and to work toward their release.

Lionel Messi 'warns Barcelona off signing injury-prone Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus'

Lionel Messi has warned Barcelona off signing injury-prone Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus, according to reports in Spain.

The 27-year-old has endured another injury-hit term this season, playing in just 15 Bundesliga matches.

The Catalans have their eye on a crux of forward players, but Messi is 'not convinced' by Reus, report Don Balon.

American rapper; P Diddy denies sexual harassment allegations in lawsuit

American rapper, P Diddy is strenuously denying allegations that he sexually harassed his former chef.

The rapper's one-time personal chef Cindy Rueda has levied a string of serious accusations – sexual harassment, retaliation, refusal to pay for overtime work and defamation among them – in a suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Rueda claims that she was once required to serve a naked P Diddy – real name Sean Combs – a "post-coital meal", and that her complaints to the rapper's estate director Stacy Friend went unanswered.

The chef says she was eventually fired after accepting a watch from Combs's housekeeper, which she later learned was apparently the mogul's personal property. 

Rueda says she was told by Combs's team that he wouldn't press charges if she returned the watch and signed a nondisclosure agreement about her time working for him. While she says she did return the watch, she refused to sign Diddy's non-disclosure forms.

Her lawyers are now requesting damages for unpaid wages, punitive damages and the overtime pay that Rueda claims that she is owed as well as an injunction to prevent any future employees being considered 'exempt' from overtime pay.

Following the lawsuit's filing in an LA court, a spokesperson for P Diddy denied all of Cindy Rueda's allegations in a strongly-worded statement.

"This is a frivolous lawsuit by a disgruntled ex-employee who was fired for a cause," Combs's representative argued.

Manchester United included gigantic goal bonus in Zlatan Ibrahimovic's contract

Zlatan Ibrahimovic stands to lose up to £30million next year.

The Swede bagged 28 goals for Manchester United before seeing his Old Trafford career halted by a knee injury.

Now, the veteran striker's career with the Red Devils is effectively over, with United not set to take up a 12-month option on his one-year deal.
And according to the Spiegel magazine reporters who worked on the information released by Football Leaks, detailing the mammoth figures involved in his contract with United, Zlatan stands to lose a fortune due to injury.

Numbers in Ibrahimovic's highly-detailed, 36-page contract show that he has earned wages totalling £19.1million in his year at United - an astonishing £367,640 per week.

And the hitman's contract, put together by long-time agent Mino Raiola, also featured an astounding bonus structure.

The terms of the ex-Barcelona and PSG star's contract meant that he was due a bonus payment for every five goals notched during his debut campaign.

It's claimed his debut goal against Leicester notched a £235,000 payment, before goal No.6 - against Zorya Luhansk in the Europa League - earned another £395,000.

Further payments of £555,000, £715,000 and £851,000 came with goals 11, 16 and 21.
Had Ibrahimovic managed to reach 36 goals, he would have landed a final payment of £1.91million.

Ibrahimovic's knee injury, picked up on April 20, means he's unlikely to play again in 2017.

And it wrecked an automatic clause in his contract dictating that if he started 31 Premier League matches - or if United finished in the top three - he would automatically earn a new deal; he was injured having played 27, with seven league games remaining.

Bride forces bridesmaids to lose weight

When they agree to be bridesmaid for a friend or family member who's getting married, most people feel honoured to have been asked to play such an important role in one of the most momentous days of the bride's life.

So it would kind of dampen the sentiment if said bridesmaid proposal was followed up with a deal-breaking condition: you must lose weight before the wedding takes place.

But it turns out some brides actually do ask this of their bridal party, and they don't seem to have any shame about it, either. Like Ashley, a 30-year-old PR executive living in Brooklyn, who the New York Post reports has done exactly that ahead of her wedding.

Ashley is getting married this summer in New York, and in keeping with this worrying new trend, has requested her entire bridal party shed a few pounds before the big day. Her maid of honour, 29-year-old Sheena, has been tasked with losing 15 pounds by the time the wedding arrives. No mean feat; that's more than an entire stone in weight.

But for some reason, Sheena doesn't seem to have been completely insulted by the fact her best friend has only offered her such an integral role in the wedding along with the proviso that she change her body shape dramatically.

"Wedding photos are shared more now, so it’s important to look good," she told the NY Post.
And Ashley makes no bones about it; she wants dedication from her bridesmaids when it comes to the weight-losing cause. "I need everyone on board," she reportedly said - and that includes the one member of her bridal party who's recently given birth. "I want everyone to feel and look beautiful," she explained.

But then there's feeling beautiful by your own standards, and then there's looking beautiful by someone else's standards. Whose standards are we working with, here?

 Don't you invite people to your wedding because you love and care about them, and you want to share your happy day with them? If that's the case, it shouldn't make a damned bit of difference how miniscule your bridesmaids' waists look in the official photographs.

The NY Post adds that Ashley herself has lost 33 pounds - or two and a bit stone - in the run up to her wedding. Which is fair game; most brides want to look the best they can on their wedding day and many achieve this by adhering to a strict health and fitness plan. It just feels kind of, well, shallow to extend this to your bridal party, too.

As well as the weight loss request, Ashley is apparently enforcing a whole host of other rules to perfect her maids' appearances. Like a blanket ban on swimsuits with straps during her hen do in a bid to avoid unsightly tan lines on the big day. Jesus Christ.

And the ridiculous thing is, Ashley's not the only one. It's a trend that seems to be becoming more and more popular, and you can read about more brides who want minimal numbers on their bridesmaids' scales in the full NY Post article here.
I mean, each to their own. All I can say is I'm surprised any of these brides have got a single bridesmaid left at this rate.

Two killed as Lagos hoodlums clash over woman

Pandemonium ensued on Tuesday at the Iyana Ipaja end of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway as some hoodlums engaged themselves in a free-for-all during which two residents were reportedly killed.

Vehicles parked by the roadside were said to have been damaged, while some shops were looted by the rampaging hoodlums, who also dispossessed passersby of their personal effects.

PUNCH Metro learnt that an operative of the Rapid Response Squad sustained injuries.

It took the intervention of a combined team of the RRS and policemen from the surrounding divisions to bring the situation under control around 2am on Wednesday.

There are, however, two versions of what actually caused the fight.

Our correspondents learnt that a woman, dating two men from the Abule Oki and Alagba communities, caused a rivalry between her lovers, which eventually led to a fight between their followers.

Another version, however, said the fight was between two rival factions of tricycle riders union in Iyana Ipaja, some of which hired mercenaries from the Oshodi and Agege areas.

The Baale of Alagba, Olamileko Olatunji, told one of our correspondents on Wednesday that the fracas started on Monday when the two lovers from Alagba and Abule Oki engaged each other in a fight over the unnamed woman.

He said, “There is a woman who is dating two men in Alagba and Abule Oki. The two men fought on Monday. The case was, however, settled on Monday. The traditional ruler of Abule Oki and I resolved the matter.

“However, on Tuesday, another crisis erupted as hoodlums from Oshodi, Agege, and other places stormed Iyana Ipaja. Policemen from the Alabo division came to resolve the matter.”

The traditional ruler of Abule Oki, Adedayo Oki, denied that there was any rift between the two communities.

He said he did not know what caused the Tuesday fight, adding that the police had resolved the crisis.

A businessman, Agbasali Tochukwu, said his shop was vandalised, adding that he escaped being injured by a whisker,

“A lot of damages were done. They killed two people and injured a lot of others,” he added.

A trader, Faith Obaseki, said her office fan and other items were stolen from her shop.

A dealer in electronic products, Victor Ego, said three televisions were damaged in his shop.

However, a source said the fight was caused by tricycle riders who wanted to break away from the National Union of Road Transport Workers over ticketing.

He said, “The fight has been ongoing for a long time. It is between tricycle riders affiliated to the NURTW and those that wanted to break away.”

A police source noted that 20 suspects had been arrested.

He said, “Operatives of the RRS early on Wednesday arrested 20 youths over the fracas. The hoodlums smashed the head of an RRS officer and the rear windshield of his patrol car in Abule Oki.

“The suspects were arrested after almost two days of restiveness among rival gangs over dominance in the area.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said preliminary investigation showed the fight was caused by a woman, adding that only one person died.

 “Investigation revealed that fighting ensued over a girl, who resides in Abule-Oki. The girl went to a party at Elere, Agege, where she was molested.

“On getting back to her area, she told the youths, who  blocked the road and led a fight towards Elere, but the police stopped them. Investigation is on and those involved will be brought to book,” the CP said.

2 Nigerians shot dead in South Africa again

The Nigeria Union in South Africa said on Wednesday that two Nigerians were shot dead in Western Cape Province of that country.

Mr Mike Ibitoye, the Chairman of the Union`s chapter in the province, told newsmen on telephone from Cape Town, South Africa, that the Nigerians were shot by unidentified assailants.
“Mr Ernest Ughakwesili, 42, native of Nkpor, 

Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, was shot in a night club by gunmen at Strand Area of Cape Town on Sunday.
“The assailants escaped after the shooting and the victim died before being rushed to the hospital,” he said.

Ibitoye also said the second victim, Chimezie Oranusi, 26, from Oba town in Anambra State, was shot with a friend in a car at Delst area of Cape Town.

“The friend is a South African and is still in the hospital receiving treatment.
“The incidents have been reported to the police and the national secretariat of the union,” he said.
The chairman said that the motive behind the shootings had not been ascertained, adding that the police had commenced investigation.

The Secretary of the union, Mr Adetola Olubajo, said the national secretariat had received the report of the killings.
“We have received report about the killing of two Nigerians in Cape Town, Western Cape Province of South Africa.

“The union`s chapter in the province is handling the matter while the national body has reported the incident to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa.
“We urge Nigerians in South Africa to remain law abiding. We also appeal to the Federal Government to continue to protect the welfare of our people here,” he said.- PM

Two Gay Men Caught Having Sex In Indonesia To Be Caned 80

Two gay men who were caught having sex by a vigilante mob will be caned 80 times for breaking Sharia law in a strict Indonesian province. 

The pair, both in their early 20s, were found in bed together by a group of thugs who raided a boarding house in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh in late March.

Police later arrested the distressed couple, who said they were in a relationship and had had sex three times.

Prosecutor Gulmaini Wardani said they should receive 80 strokes of the cane for having homosexual sex - the first such punishment of a gay couple in the conservative province.

Wardani was speaking to journalists after a hearing at a special sharia court in Banda Aceh.

The hearing was closed to the public and the men's identities were not revealed due to the sensitivity of the case.

The father of one of the defendants, who requested anonymity, said he did not know his son was gay before he was caught.

'This is an ordeal for our family,' he said. 'After this problem is resolved, we will send him to an Islamic boarding school to be educated so he won't be deviant any more.'

The couple are believed to be the two men who were slapped by vigilantes who broke into their home and arrested them for having gay sex in a shocking video in March.

They were beaten and then taken to Wilayatul Hisbah, a Sharia police facility, after their arrest on March 28.

Fayose berates DSS over arrest, detention of Ifeanyi Ubah

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) arrest and detention of the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Ifeanyi Ubah, lamenting that “the DSS is becoming law unto itself and dragging Nigeria back to 1984 when Decree 2 was used by the National Security Organisation (NSO) to dump Nigerians in detention without trial under flimsy excuses.”

The governor, who described the DSS claim that it arrested and detained Ubah for inciting members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union to stop lifting petroleum products so as to cripple the economy and cause untold hardship to Nigerians as “nonsensical”, added that; “It is becoming obvious that if nothing is done to curb the lawlessness of the DSS, the agency will singlehandedly truncate democracy in the country.”

In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said arresting and detaining Ifeanyi Ubah for economic sabotage was a sad reminder of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s military regime.

He said under the State Security Act CAP. N 74 LFN, 2004, the responsibility of the DSS is majorly the prevention and detection within Nigeria of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria and the protection and preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria, noting that the service has abandoned its core duties.

“If Ubah is being held for allegedly inciting members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union to stop lifting petroleum products, one day and very soon too, members of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) will be sent to jail for going on strike to agitate for their welfare,” the governor said.

Governor Fayose, who said Nigerians did not vote for change to be hounded by the DSS as it is being done since the emergence of this All Progressives Congress (APC) government, noted that; “That’s the same way the DSS arrested the former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan, in February and detained him until two days ago, claiming that he constituted security risk and failed to cooperate with investigators.

“The other time too, this same DSS claimed that it uncovered plot by the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, to disrupt governance in strategic federal government agencies and one can begin to imagine if the DSS won’t one day accuse whoever that is perceived as opposing the APC-led government of coup plot.”

Speaking further, Governor Fayose said; “Nigerians should be reminded that I raised alarm when this regime of impunity started with the invasion of the Akwa-Ibom State government house and later the Ekiti State House of Assembly. I did say then that democracy in Nigeria was becoming unsafe in the hands of this APC government and that those keeping silent because of politics might also end up in the belly of the roaring lion that was threatening to consume our democracy.

“Those who ought to have joined in condemning the DSS impunity at that time kept silent for fear of the unknown.

“Now it is Ifeanyi Ubah that they have visited with their tyranny, who knows who will be next?

“Well-meaning Nigerians and the international community must therefore raise their voice in condemnation of this regime of tyranny being ran be the DSS.”

After 38 Years, 63-year-old Woman Delivers Baby In Jos

A 63-year-old woman, Margaret Davou, gave birth to a baby girl through reproductive technology in Jos, Plateau State, after 38 years of marriage.

Mrs. Davou, a native of Zawan in Jos South Local Government Area of the state, delivered the baby, her first through a Caesarean section at the GynaeVille Specialist Hospital, Jos, where she confessed she had achieved her life time dream of being a mother.

 Speaking with Vanguard in Jos yesterday, the proud mother said: “This is not my first trial. I have undergone many surgeries and have done the treatment in different hospitals outside Plateau State.

“This is the fourth time three times in other hospitals and I am grateful to God that at the first trial, since I came back to Jos, it is successful.”

She encouraged women who are “seeking the fruit of the womb to depend on God and seek medical help because I am not advocating anyone visiting or patronising herbalists.”

She also urged families of such women to give them the needed support rather than adding stress to their predicament.

The Director of the hospital, Dr. Kenneth Egwuda, who was elated at the success of the treatment, said, “God decided to favour this woman because based on her age, 62 at her first visit in this facility in 2016, many would have doubted the success of the treatment.

 “But because she looks strong and healthy for her age, we decided to take her as our patient. “I never worried about her age, but IVF is a game of chance and not 100 percent certain that you will get pregnant.

 “When she got pregnant, it never occurred to me that something fundamental or striking had happened until someone called my attention to it that this is the oldest reported woman in Africa to give birth at 63 with assisted reproductive technology and it happened here.”

Female Soldier Beats Policewoman To Coma In Lagos

A policewoman attached to Makinde Police Division, Oshodi area of Lagos, received the beating of her life yesterday after a female soldier engaged her in a fight around NAFDAC office. 

A police source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the police traffic warden was on official duty when she was assaulted by the military woman, saying “as we speak, the policewoman is in coma in an undisclosed hospital. 

  “The case of assault has been reported to Police Command Headquarters for further investigation.” 

Although nobody knew what exactly transpired between the women, an eyewitnesses said that there was an argument between the two female officers, who were both in uniforms, which later resulted to an outburst. 

Meanwhile, soldiers descended on Vanguard reporter, beat him up, tore his clothes and seized his phone as he tried to talk to the fighters and snap pictures of the incident. 

He dashed across the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, but the military men went after him, hitting him all over his body, until a courageous motorcyclist sped off with him.

Female ADC To Enugu Deputy Governor Shot Dead

Unknown gunmen have killed an aide to the Deputy Governor of Enugu State. The gunman struck on Tuesday night in the State capital, killing the aide-de-camp, ADC, to Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo.

Although details of the incident are not clear yet, the deputy governor’s aide, a Police Sergeant, who was identified as Hellen, was said to have been shot dead at Abakpa-Nike axis of Enugu metropolis at about 1 pm on her way to her residence after official duty.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amarizu, while confirming the incident said “It is a painful news.”

The PPRO added he was yet to establish exactly what really happened.

He said, “If you look at what happened, it is painful and sad to hear that aide to deputy governor was shot dead on her way back after daily activities. We can’t really say exactly what happened now but we are trying to find out.”

Nigerian Lady Runs Mad In Malaysia After S*x Runs

A Nigerian lady has allegedly ran mad after she was booked for s*x by a man suspected to be a Nigerian living in Malaysia. It was gathered that she ran made after the duo finished "business" and was seen walking the streets of the country with no clothes on. More photos...

The lady was later seen inside a restaurant opening her legs, touching herself before being dragged out of the place by the owner of the restaurant. She was later apprehended by the police. Sigh!

Lagos LG polls: No room for PDP win in any council – Tinubu

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not record any win in the forthcoming council polls in Lagos State.

Tinubu, a former governor of the state, said this while addressing hundreds of party faithful at the Lagos State APC Stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat at Acme Road, Ikeja.

The stakeholders’ forum was held in preparation for the July 22 council polls.

Tinubu regretted the loss of some national and state legislative seats to the PDP in the 2015 general elections.

“2015 election was the greatest battle of our time. In the last election, we lost more than three LGAs to our opponents, which is very unusual.

“We have asked our leaders in those local governments to examine what went wrong and work together to chart a new course to ensure the APC wins back those councils.

“PDP cannot have any share in these council elections,” Tinubu said.

The national leader commended party faithful for their support to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, saying that the governor had not disappointed the party and the people.

“We are grateful to you the people for your great support during the 2015 election. We have continued to hold Lagos in spite of strong opposition.

“Gov. Ambode has not let us down; he is doing a fantastic job in an environment where we have the economic challenges. He is doing it and he is doing very very well.

“He has a very good team. He is doing a great job and we are very proud of that,” he said.

Tinubu urged party leaders at the grassroots to shun bribery and favouritism, adding that quality leadership and merit should be upheld.

“Our leaders should be fair to the people at the grassroots; we cannot please all, but we can satisfy the majority. This politics is a give-and-take compromise.’’

According to him, the party will not use any of the current sole administrators in the forthcoming council poll.

“To appease some people, we asked the government to allow the Executive Secretaries to take over after the tenure of last council chairmen expired, instead of civil servants.

“That was why executive secretaries were chosen to pave way for politicians.

“When the term expired, we used sole administrators, but before we used them, we warned them that `when the elective position comes, you are not entitled to contest’.

“We agreed that time, we cannot change it overnight; executive secretaries, however, can contest.”

Tinubu, however, said 19 former council chairmen, except for one of them who is late, who only served single terms, would be given another chance in the coming elections.

He urged the party leaders to give consideration to youths and women in the sharing of positions.

The party leader also urged Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to increase security presence in Surulere area of the state to check violence.

According to him, his attention was drawn to some violence in the area, which gave cause for concern.

”I urge the people of Surulere to be patient and peaceful. We will all benefit from the party,” he said.

Also speaking, Ambode urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure APC victory in all the 57 councils.

Ambode said: “We are meeting on a very happy note. I am able to look back and say that that confidence you reposed in me to defeat the PDP candidate was not in vain.

“This coming local government election is all in your hands. My call to all members of our great party is to ensure that all the 57 councils are won by APC. We have begun a journey to make Lagos and Nigeria progressive’’.

Earlier in his opening remark, Mr Henry Ajomale, the Chairman, Lagos APC, said that the forum was organised to allow party faithful to interact with the leaders of the party.

Ajomale said that meeting was aimed at moving the party forward ahead of the forthcoming council polls.

NAN reports that hundreds of party faithful and leaders across the 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas were in attendance

Court orders Ex-Abuja Minister Bala Mohammed remanded in prison

A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, was on Wednesday remanded in the Kuje Maximum Prison over allegations of fraud.

Mr. Mohammed was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on a six-count charge for alleged abuse of office while he served as Minister of the FCT.

He was brought before a High Court of the FCT for his alleged involvement in the collection of gratification to the tune of N550 million, while in office as minister.

He is also accused of failing to declare properties belonging to him.

Mr. Mohammed pleaded not guilty to the charge.

After taking his plea, the application for bail was heard and the presiding judge, Abubakar Talba adjourned the matter till May 12 for ruling on the application for bail.

He ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody pending the determination of the bail application. - NAN

Police sergeant Kills Girlfriend, Commits Suicide

A police sergeant, identified as Kennedy has shot his girlfriend and killed himself, Tuesday, in Potiskum town, Potiskum local government area of Yobe State.

Daily Trust gathered that the incident happened around 11:45am inside the sergeants apartment located at old secretariat building, adjacent Potiskum police station.

The Police Commissioner, Yobe State command, Abdumaliki Sunmonu, confirmed that the incident happened in the Sergeant’s house.

He said the Sergeant was in the room with his girlfriend when the gunshots were heard.

“Later on, it was discovered that the sergeant shot his girlfriend, and shot himself. They were taken to hospital, the Sergeant was confirmed dead, while the girlfriend was in critical condition,” he said.

He said that the sergeant was alone with the girlfriend in the room when the incident happened so only preliminary investigation will revealed what actually transpired.

A Neighbor of the Sergeant told our correspondent that the deceased usually have problem with the girlfriend.

“They were having some issues these days, blaming the Margi lady of having extra affairs, but nobody suspected he will do something like that.” he said.

Couple sell six-year-old daughter for N400, 000 in Cross River

The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, Wednesday said they had arrested a couple for allegedly selling their six-year-old daughter for N400, 000.

He said the suspects were arrested at Ikom Local Government area on April 26 following a tip-off.

According to Inuwa, the couple sold the child to enable them offset their house rent and open up a small provision shop.

“On April 26, 2017, following a tip-off, our men arrested a couple, George-Sunday Udoh and his wife Victoria, for allegedly selling their daughter at the cost of N400,000.

“The suspects were arrested by our operatives attached to the Ikom division. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department here in Calabar and investigation is ongoing,’’ he said.

But the father of the child, who was paraded, denied the allegation.

“It is true that we don’t have money and things are very hard with me and my wife, but we did not sell our baby for N400, 000,’’ he said.

Ekiti council worker jailed for life for raping 15-year-old girl

An Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, has sentenced a local government worker, Ojo Ayodele, to life imprisonment for abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl.

Ayodele was accused of abducting the teenager in Ijero-Ekiti and taking her to a secret location in the town where he subjected her to continuous sexual assault for 21 days.

The victim was living with her stepmother after her father and mother divorced with the latter relocating to Port Harcourt.

The court was told how the victim left the house due to alleged maltreatment by her stepmother before meeting the convict who promised to take care of her.

A good Samaritan who saw blood stains on the victim’s cloth took her to Ijero Local Government Immigration Office to report the case.

Ayodele was arrested by immigration officers at the council secretariat where the victim identified him as her abductor before the matter was reported at Ijero Police Station.

Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde in her judgment found Ayodele guilty of rape and abduction as charged and sentenced him to life jail.

The Director of Public Prosecution, Gbemiga Adaramola, prosecuted the case on behalf of the State while the convict was represented by his counsel, Tosin Osundahunsi.

Ayodele was first arraigned on February 2, 2016, on a two-count of rape and abduction.

The prosecution called seven witnesses during the trial and tendered exhibits which included statements of the victim and the convict, as well as a medical report which established the rape, among others.

The convict did not call any witness apart from himself in the course of the trial

EFCC To Appeal Dismissal of N190m Fraud Charge against Oronsaye

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is to appeal the ruling today by Justice Olasumbo Olajumoke Goodluck of the FCT High Court, Abuja upholding a no-case submission by a former Head of Service (HoS) and former Chairman of Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force, PCFATF, Stephen Oronsaye on the 7-count charge of criminal breach of trust brought against him by the Commission.

Orosanye was alleged to have taken undue advantage of his office to receive N190million, part of a N240million grant for the committee by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and converted same to personal use.

The prosecution had after calling six witnesses closed its case setting the stage for Oronsaye to enter his defence.

Rather than enter his defence, Oronsaye, through his counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, on December 9, 2016 filed a no-case submission urging the court to strike out the charges on the grounds that they are defective and lacks essential elements required to prosecute the defendant.

Agabi stated that the prosecution neither specified the amount that was entrusted to the defendant, nor the mandate of the committee he chaired.

The learned silk contended that there was no proven offence by the prosecution to warrant the defendant to enter defence.

In his counter argument, the prosecuting counsel, Offem Uket, told the court that the prosecution had proved its case.

According to him, the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the defendant as to warrant his defence.

Uket believed that it was not right to bring up the issue of imperfection of charges at this stage, as it was against the provisions of Sections 220 and 221 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA), 2015.

He, therefore, urged the court to refuse the no-case submission by the defence.

Ruling on the application today, Justice Goodluck held that, “the prosecution has not put anything before the court to justify the charges for which the defendant is being tried”. He consequently, discharged the accused "of the 7-count charge against him”.

However, the Commission believes the trial judge erred in his ruling and will approach the appeal court to set aside the ruling.

Anger in Indonesia over jailed Christian governor

Hundreds of people gathered outside Jakarta’s city hall on Wednesday to voice support for the Indonesian capital’s Christian governor, who was jailed for two years for blasphemy.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday for remarks he made about the Koran that some Muslims deem blasphemous and was immediately sent to prison.

Thousands of his supporters flocked to the prison in eastern Jakarta overnight to demand his release.

Citing security concerns, authorities transferred Purnama to a police detention centre on the outskirts of the capital around midnight.

Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, said he would appeal the decision. Prosecutors had originally requested a one-year jail term, suspended for two years.

The crowd outside the city hall, mostly dressed in red, brought flowers and sang patriotic songs, led by famous Indonesian musician Addie MS.

Human rights group Amnesty International said that Purnama’s jailing would tarnish Indonesia’s reputation as a tolerant nation.

“This verdict demonstrates the inherent injustice of Indonesia’s blasphemy law, which should be repealed immediately,” said Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s director for South-east Asia and the Pacific.

Purnama lost a re-election bid in last month’s gubernatorial election to a Muslim candidate, Anies Baswedan.

During an official function in September, Purnama told local residents that his opponents had “lied” to them by saying the Koran prohibited them from voting for a non-Muslim governor.

A video of his speech became available online and led to hundreds of thousands of Muslims demanding his prosecution during rallies in the following months.

Purnama’s election rival, Baswedan, was backed by conservative Muslims who wanted Purnama jailed for the perceived insult to Islam.

Once the clear favourite for a second term, Purnama saw his poll numbers fall after the blasphemy accusations.

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, but Christians make up about 10 per cent of its 250 million people.

First Photo of Davido’s Newborn Daughter Hailey Veronica Adeleke

Nigerian musician, Davido and his Atlanta based babymama, Amanda, welcomed their child, a girl who he had already named Hailey Veronica Adeleke before her birth.  She was born yesterday and he’s excited about this as posted on social media.

Zimbabwe auctions cattle donated to AU by Mugabe

No fewer than 100 of the 300 cattle donated to the African Union (AU) by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe in 2016 have been sold through an auction as the continental body looks at various avenues to become self-sufficient.

During his tenure as AU chairperson in 2015, Mugabe pledged the cattle which he hoped would help the continental body extricate itself from the clutches of foreign funders who stand accused of using their financial muscle to compromise the sovereignty of African states.

Although the exact amount raised at the Tuesday auction was not disclosed, it is understood that the beasts sold at around 800 U.S. dollars each, according to state media.

Zimbabwe Minister of Foreign Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said Mugabe’s donation was a major contribution towards the AU becoming self-financing.

“This is an important contribution to the self-financing of the African Union Foundation. These efforts are going to continue,” he told the state-run Herald newspaper.

He said more auctions would be held to dispose of all the cattle ahead of Mugabe presenting the check to the AU heads of state summit in July.

During Mugabe’s tenure as AU chairperson, time-frames were established for the body to finance 100 per cent of its operations, at least 75 per cent of its programmes and at least 25 per cent of its peace-keeping missions within five years.

AU Foundation chief operating officer Dumisani Mngadi, who witnessed the auction, thanked Mugabe for the donation.

“For us it’s a call for all other African leaders, business people, people wherever you are to be able to contribute to the development of our African people,” he said.-  NAN

Another batch of 250 Nigerians in Libya to return home tomorrow

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Wednesday that another batch of 250 Nigerians would voluntarily return to the country from Libya on Thursday.

NEMA’s spokesman for South-West Zone, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, said in Lagos that the returnees were expected to arrive at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO)/Hajj Camp section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at about 3. 00 p.m.

More than 253 Nigerians had on April 25 voluntarily returned from Libya aboard a chartered Libya Airlines — Airbus A330-200 — with registration no. 5A-LAT.

The returnees comprise 102 males, 140 females and 11 children.

They were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

The returnees were received at the Hajj Camp of the airport by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

Also on ground to receive them were officials of NEMA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

NAN reports that hundreds of Nigerians have been forced out of Libya in recent times against the backdrop of hostile treatment meted out to blacks by Libyan citizens and the authorities.

Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had said that the Federal Government valued their lives, hence the partnership with IOM and NEMA to ensure their safe return.