Jungle republic : SARS Officers Shoot, Kidnap Lagos Trader

The family of Eche Israel, an electronic dealer at the Alaba International Market, Ojo, have become apprehensive after he was allegedly shot by some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the Mile 2 area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the 30-year-old trader had finished from work around 6 pm on Friday and was heading home on a motorcycle when he was stopped by the officers.

During an exchange that allegedly ensued, the victim was said to have queried the officers for stopping him and asked the motorcycle rider to move on.

He was subsequently shot in the waist.

The officers were alleged to have shot continuously into the air to scare away residents, who had thronged the scene.

He was allegedly put in the boot of the car the SARS men brought and driven away.

A cousin of the victim, Mary Israel, said a family friend, who witnessed the shooting, called the attention of the family to the incident.

She said they had been to different police stations in the state, including the SARS office at Ikeja, adding that Eche’s whereabouts had remained unknown.

She said, “He deals in electronics in Alaba market. He had finished the day’s work and was going to his house at Ajegunle around 6 pm on Friday when the officers asked him to stop. They parked a red vehicle beside the road."

“They found a Samsung phone on him and some money. The man questioning him was not in uniform, so he argued with him and asked why he was being questioned. The policeman held him by the trousers when he asked his motorcycle rider to move on."

“They shot him in the waist. The motorcycle rider fled. He was thrown into the boot of the vehicle and the policemen drove off."

“They didn’t find anything incriminating on him. He is not a robber or a thief. He has his business and a family. He is a responsible man.”

Another family member, Blessing Israel, said the policemen were identified with their police-crested AK-47 guns, adding that one of the men also flashed his ID card at residents when they tried to mob them.

“We have been to SARS Ikeja, Mile 2 Police Station and the Federal SARS at Alagbon. We just returned from the Adeniji Adele Police Station. They all said there was no suspect named Eche Israel with waist injury in their cells. Where else can we go? There has been no word about him since last Friday,” she added.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said he would get back to our correspondent, but had yet to do so as of press time. - Punch

PL news :No room for Mkhitaryan - Jose Mourinho

Mourinho said Henrikh Mkhitaryan's absence from his recent Manchester United squads is because other players are more deserving.

The player has failed to make Mourinho's 18-man squad for seven of United's last eight games, with his only recent outing coming as a substitute against Brighton on November 25.

He said his wide range of midfield and attacking options means there is always going to be fierce competition for places on the bench as much as a place in his starting XI.

"I can only have six [outfield] players on the bench and I try to have some balance on the bench," Mourinho said.

"[Against Bournemouth] I had two defenders and [Daley] Blind who can play in different areas. I had Ashley Young to cover all of the wing and the wing-back position.

"I had [Ander] Herrera as a midfield player, Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] as a striker and Marcus [Rashford] as a second striker and winger.

"I played [Anthony] Martial, [Juan] Mata and [Jesse] Lingard in the team. To have Micki (Mkhitaryan) means that I don't have one of them and, in this moment, I believe the other ones they deserve [the chance to play]." 

29-year-old Driving instructor allegedly rapes, kills corps member in Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command, has arrested a 29-year-old driving instructor, for allegedly raping and killing a National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member, serving in Abeokuta, Modupe Taiyese.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Iliyasu, told journalists at the scene of the crime in Abule Ayo area on Thursday that the suspect had confessed to the crime.

Iliyasu said prior to the arrest of the suspect, the Coordinator of the NYSC in the state, John Okon, had complained to the command about a missing corps member in the state.

He said, “We went for a powerful technical screening of fact left behind by the last person she contacted, who is the suspect; we are able to arrest him.

“We are able to uncover this nefarious act and he led us to this place and confessed.

“Technically, the information led to one person, an indigene of Uromi in Edo, who was teaching this innocent corps member, Taiyese Modupe, how to drive a car.

“The man tactically and deceitfully convinced her on Saturday evening that her driving permit was ready.

“She decided to answer his call and he cleverly and deceitfully apprehended the lady and brought her down to this forest where he had a forceful and unlawful carnal knowledge of her. Thereafter, he strangled her to death.”

The CP also said the police tracked the suspect, following some passport photographs found at the scene of the crime.

“The passport photographs of the suspect were found at the scene of the incident which is a remarkable evidence of crime,” he said.

Ikoyi whistleblower travels out of Nigeria after ‘receiving part payment’

The whistleblower who helped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recover some monies in an Ikoyi apartment in Lagos has reportedly been paid part of his commission.

According to PUNCH, Yakubu Galadima, the whistleblower’s lawyer, confirmed the development on Wednesday.

The monies which included $43m, N23.2m and £27,800 (N13bn) were discovered in the apartment on April 12, 2017.

The whistleblower is due to get N421m reward from the recovered funds, according to the whistleblowing policy.

The man was also said to have travelled out of the country “less than 24 hours” after receiving part of the reward.

“My client confirmed to me that he had received a credit alert from the federal government. He travelled out of the country this morning (Wednesday morning),” he was quoted to have said.

While praising the federal government for finally honouring its agreement, he was also quoted to have said his client has not been paid in full, but that the government had promised to pay him the balance next year.

Galadima added: “He has been paid the first instalment but there were many tax deductions.

“Yes, we are happy. I will give you more details later but I can confirm now that he has received some money.”

Long after the court ruling ordering the forfeiture of the discovered funds to the federal government, there was public outcry when it was learnt that the man has not been paid the commission.

Itse Sagay, chairman of the presidential advisory committee on anti-corruption (PACAC), later rose to the defence of the government when he said the man “may run mental” if given such huge sum of money.

“What I gathered from my inquiry is that the man is not sufficiently stable to receive such a huge sum of money. He is like someone who will almost run mental when he gets the money and will use it in an irresponsible manner, attracting not only undesirable people but even danger to himself,” he had said.

At least three persons had laid claim to the commission not long after the monies were recovered.

But Galadima reportedly said the payment of the money to his client shows he is the authentic whistleblower. - Cable Nigeria

Another 387 Nigerians return from Libya

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), yesterday received over 387 Nigerian returnees from Libya at the Cargo Wing of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

They returnees touched down at the MMIA at about 11:25 p.m. on Tuesday and were arrived Lagos State with Nouvelair Airline Airbus A320 with the registration number TS-INA.

Other Agencies that joined NEMA in receiving the returnees included National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Police Force.

Speaking to journalists after the exercise, the Zonal Coordinator, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, urged other state governments to take the bull by the horn in coming up with rehabilitation and reintegration incentives for the returnees in addition to what is being provided at national and international levels.

“The first batch of returnees was made up of 52 adults female, two female children and two female infants and 86 adults male, making a total of 142 Returnees.

“The total numbers of 387 returnees were accommodated in hotels on Tuesday night for them to continue their journey to their different destinations subsequently,” Yakubu said.

Security guard dragged to court for stealing church equipment worth N760,000

A 42-year-old security man in Lagos, identified as Ifeanyi Ileka, was yesterday dragged to an Apapa Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing equipment worth N760,000.

Ileka allegedly stole a mixer, 3 amplifiers and a piano totaling N760, 000 from Winner’s Life Ministry Church, Peter Street, Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos.

The accused, a resident of Ajegunle area of Apapa, Lagos, is facing a three-count charge of stealing, burglary and threatening violence.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Olusegun Kokoye, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Nov. 7 at Winner’s Life Ministry Church, Peter Street, Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos.

He said the accused broke into the church and stole the musical instruments belonging to Winner’s Life Ministry Church.

Kokoye said that the accused was caught by Mr Chigozie Orisakwe who saw him trying to escape with the instruments.

The prosecutor also said that when Orisakwe confronted the accused over the matter, Ileka claimed that he stole the instruments because the church had not paid his salary for several months.

Kokoye said that when Orisakwe tried to stop the accused from going away with the items, he threatened to stab him with knife.

The prosecutor said it was at this juncture that the church reported the case to the police and the accused was arrested.

He said the offence contravene Sections 56, 287 and 308 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Section 308 prescribes seven-year jail for burglary while Section 287 stipulates three years imprisonment for stealing, if convicted.

The Senior Magistrate, Mr M.A Etti, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum.

He adjourned the case until December 29 for hearing.

Pictured : Couple jailed for plotting UK terror attack

One couple who used a life-like dummy and a combat knife to plot a UK terror attack have been jailed.

Madihah Taheer, 22, encouraged Ummar Mirza by telling him before they were married that “I want you to kill ppl for me. I have a list”.

In messages to each other, Mirza, 21, said he wanted to stab someone 27 times, to which Taheer replied that “sounds so satisfying”.

Mirza admitted one count of preparing terrorist acts between January and March this year.

Two counts of possessing information useful to a terrorist were left on file at Woolwich Crown Court.

Sentencing him to 16 years in jail with an extended licence period of five years, Judge Christopher Kinch QC said: “You had moved a long way down the road of preparation of a terrorist act of the lone wolf type.”

Taheer denied any involvement but was found guilty of the preparation of terrorist acts between February 12 and March 30 this year, through buying the knife.

She was jailed for 10 years with an extended period of one year.

Also sentenced was Zainub Mirza, Mirza’s sister, who shared Islamic State propaganda with the couple on social media.

The 24-year-old, of Eastfield Road, Birmingham, earlier pleaded guilty to five counts of disseminating terrorist publications, which she had sent to her brother between January 10 and 23 this year.

Zainub was also sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.  

These 8 jobs will make you more likely to get divorced

Obviously there are many reasons couples decide to divorce, and some researchers reckon it could even be in your genes. Regardless, being a divorcee is something you should never be ashamed of. But apparently, the job you or your partner does can also make a split more likely.

Nathan Yau, a statistician, looked into recent divorce data to figure out which careers came with a higher divorce rate. According to Women's Health US, he used U.S. Census Bureau's Five Year American Community Survey, and was able to pick out eight trends relating to divorced couples' jobs.

1. Gaming managers

With a 52.9% divorce rate, gaming managers were the most likely to split. We're talking people who work face-to-face with customers in casinos and game rooms. Bear in mind, a lot of booze and chatting is involved in this occupation...

2. Bar staff

I guess the environment in a bar is pretty similar to the above, so it's kind of no surprise that bartending had a divorce rate of 52.7%.

3. Gaming services workers

Similar to number 1, gaming service workers have a 50.7% divorce rate, according to Yau.

4. Cabin crew

Flight attendants were found to have a divorce rate of 50.5%. Guess hours-upon-hours in the air gives you a fair bit of time to meet new people...

5 and 6. Construction

Rolling machine setters, operators and tenders in particular were found to have a 50.1% divorce rate. While 46.9% of marriages where one partner's occupation fell under 'extruding and drawing machine setters, operators and tenders' ended in divorce.

 7. Switchboard operators

So, 49.7% was the divorce rate for those lovely, helpful people who put you through the right person. Are they potentially chatting people up before dialling them in?

8. Telemarketers

This particular occupation must have a high pressure level, right? Being constantly hung up on and shouted at must really take its toll. The divorce rate for telemarketers was 49.7%.

Splitting the divorce rates into 'occupation category', Yau said, 'Those in transportation and material moving, such as flight attendants and bus drivers, tend to have higher divorce rates. Those in architecture and engineering tend to have lower divorce rates.'

He also found those on higher salaries tended to have lower divorce rates, but was keen to point out that salary wasn't a 'cause' for divorce. - Prima UK 

Tory Brexit rebels inflict major defeat on Theresa May

Theresa May’s government has suffered a humiliating defeat in the House of Commons after MPs backed an amendment to her flagship Brexit bill, limiting the powers it will grant to ministers.

As the prime minister prepares to travel to Brussels to meet her fellow EU leaders on Thursday, the former attorney general Dominic Grieve appeared to have won the support of more than a dozen Tory rebels for “amendment seven”, promising MPs a decisive vote on the Brexit deal before Britain leaves.

MPs waved their order papers as the result of the crucial vote was read out, revealing that the government had been defeated by 309 votes to 305.

A series of last-minute concessions by the Brexit secretary, David Davis, and his fellow Brexit minister Dominic Raab, and an intensive campaign by Conservative whips, failed to win over rebels.

Davis tabled a written statement on Wednesday morning, promising MPs a vote on the final Brexit deal, before Britain leaves in March 2019.

“The government has committed to hold a vote on the final deal in parliament as soon as possible after the negotiations have concluded. This vote will take the form of a resolution in both houses of parliament and will cover both the withdrawal agreement and the terms for our future relationship,” the statement said.

But the rebels were unmoved, warning that they were concerned about the scope of the so-called Henry VIII powers granted to ministers in the withdrawal bill, allowing ministers to change the law without full parliamentary scrutiny.

Just minutes before the vote was due, Raab said the government would table its own amendment later in the bill’s passage through the parliament, to put into law the idea of a meaningful vote on the final deal.

Grieve insisted: “It’s too late.” But the last-minute concession appeared to have bought over some Conservatives. George Freeman, the former chair of the prime minister’s No 10 policy unit, suggested during the debate he was minded to rebel, but in the end abstained. Similarly, Paul Masterton another potential rebel, abstained.

In a passionate half-hour long speech earlier in the debate, Grieve warned that the bill as it stood would unleash “a form of constitutional chaos”.

He said he had sought to engage with ministers to find a compromise, but without success: “The blunt reality is, and I’m sorry to have to say this to the house, I’ve been left in the lurch, as a backbench member trying to improve this legislation.”

During an eight-hour debate in the Commons, Tory MPs repeatedly clashed in a series of spiky exchanges.

Grieve was backed by longstanding Conservative rebels, including Antoinette Sandbach and Anna Soubry.

Another unexpected backer of the amendment was Charlie Elphicke, the MP for Dover who is currently suspended from the Conservative whip over sexual harassment allegations. Elphicke said voters had backed Brexit partly because they wanted to support “the rule of law”.

Soubry said: “There comes a time when you have to set aside party differences and even party loyalty and you have to be true to what you believe in, and perhaps that time is now.”

Raab urged Grieve to withdraw his amendment, but Grieve insisted he was determined to push it to a vote.

Tory whips spent the day pressing backbenchers to reject the Grieve amendment, and several of them were called into No 10 in a last-minute attempt to persuade them to change their minds.

Relations with the “mutineers”, as they were dubbed by the Daily Telegraph, have deteriorated so much that some were even threatened with legal action if they made false public remarks about the activities of the government’s whips.

At least one potential rebel was warned by the chief whip, Julian Smith, that they could be sued if they made defamatory comments about the whips’ activities.

Another backbencher described the approach of the whips, who are responsible for party discipline, as “bullying junior MPs”. - The Guardian

PL news : Newcastle to be sold for £300m by the end of the week

Mike Ashley is on the verge of selling Newcastle United, with a deal reportedly set to be completed by the end of the week.

The Sports Direct owner is expected to hand the club over to Amanda Staveley and her group of backers for a fee of around £300million.

According to several sources, the deal has made significant process over the past week and will be completed by the end of the week, providing a huge boost for manager Rafa Benitez.

The takeover would help the Spaniard in his hopes of securing new players in January, while it will also be welcome news for supporters of the club.

After the parties were locked in talks for six weeks, Ashley has reportedly finally agreed a package to sell the club, having met Staveley at his favourite London curry restaurant last week.

Ashley has been at the helm for ten years, enduring a mixed tenure including two relegations and two promotions. - 365