Buhari and his men carrying on like all is well with Nigeria - Fayose

Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti state governor, says it is worrisome that President Muhammadu Buhari and other members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are “acting like all is well with Nigeria”.

Speaking on the scarcity of fuel in the country, Fayose said it should be clear to Nigerians that Buhari lacks “the required capacity to perform”.

The governor wondered why Nigerians “cannot celebrate” the festive period uder a government that promised change.

“The ‘We don’t care’ attitude of the govt is even more worrisome. While Nigerians continue to suffer from the ineptitude of this APC government, it is more worrisome that the president and his men are carrying on as if all is well with the country,” Fayose wrote on Twitter.

“Obviously, I have been vindicated on my position that President Buhari lacked the required capacity to perform. By now, it should be clear to all Nigerians that President Buhari does not have anything to offer Nigerians other that sufferings and hardships.

“One of the many effects of the President’s lack of the required mental and intellectual capacity to tackle the nation’s economic problems is the collapse of several companies and loss of 3.67 million jobs in 2016 and another 4.07 million jobs in 2017.

“Today, under a govt that promised change, Nigerians cannot even celebrate Christmas and New Year in peace because of the fuel scarcity orchestrated by the Buhari’s government just to achieve its aim of hiking fuel price. Nigerians are now buying petrol for as high as N600 times.” - Cable Nigeria

Jungle republic !!! Nigerians queuing for fuel, presidency doing promo – Oby Ezekwesili condemns Buhari’s documentary

Oby Ezekwesili, convener of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, has berated the presidency over a TV documentary about President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ezekwesili described the 55-minute documentary put together by the Media and Publicity department of the State House as marketing promo for Buhari

She also faulted the presidency for coming up with such broadcast when Nigerians are struggling at fuel stations.

She wrote on Twitter: “Wawu. What a “perfect time” to unveil a personal marketing promo of President @MBuhari to his citizens who are mostly keeping vigil at fuel stations nationwide.

“Talk about evidence-based Dissonance by @AsoRock…SMH​

​Meanwhile, ​Nigerian presidency has lambasted Nigerians for attacking it over ​the film.

In a statement on Sunday, president spokesman, Femi Adesina, said those condemning the idea have no pastime and will complain about God if the “mistakenly” make heaven.- Daily Post

Police declare members of ‘Malaysian Boys’ gang wanted

The Police Command in Enugu State has declared members of the ‘Malaysian Boys’ gang wanted for alleged criminal activities.

The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Amaraizu said that the command had issued a warrant of arrest for all the members of “Malaysian Boys’’ gang.

He, however, urged members of the public to urgently furnish it with information that could lead to their arrest.

“They are advised in their own interest to report to the state Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (CIID) of the command in Enugu.

“They are Ikechukwu alias Master; Okoro Ifeanyi alias Bukar; Mathew; Marcel Ojike; Ogbobe Ajulu; Odumodu alias Asogwa, Mike also known as Anyi Anyi and Hyacinth Ugwu Julius.

“Others are John Okwelli; Anselem also known as Photo; Ikechukwu Aaron; Nnamdi Michael; Gabriel also known as Gabos as well as others known as Fela, Zero, Akwasa, Mmiri and Ratty.

“The command gathered that this group of fleeing suspected hoodlums and mischief-makers masquerading under the aegis of Malaysian Boys operating in their habitat at the dreaded Malaysian Forest, come out to unleash mayhem on residents of Nimbo community and its environs,’’ the statement reads.

The spokesman added that the police are already working with relevant stakeholders to fish out the suspects wherever they might be hiding within and outside the country. - Daily Post

Update : Why I killed my husband with N40 rat poison – 15-year-old Katsina housewife confesses

15-year-old Katsina housewife, Dausiya Abdulmumini, has confessed that she killed her husband, 27-year-old Saminu Usman with N40 rat poison.

Dausiya had last week, poisoned her husband, Usman and her half brother to death in Ungwar Dan Mayaki village, Bakori local government area of Katsina State.

She said she used the substance because she does not love him.
Dausiya Abdulmumini alongside other suspects arrested for various forms of crimes and criminal offence were paraded by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Besen Gwana at the police headquarters over the weekend.

Dausiya confessed to have murdered her husband, Usman, after adding poisoned substance in the dish she served him.
Her half brother, Muhammad Dasa also died after eating the left over poisoned meal.

However, her 23-year-old sister-in-law, Shafa’atu Usman, who ate three spoons of the dish, luckily survived the incident.

Dausiya said she committed the act because she was forced to marry Saminu whereas she was in love with someone else.

Face of fraudster !!! Jonathan’s ex-campaign chief forfeits 38 houses

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has traced 38 choice houses to a former Chairman of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olojeme.

Mrs Olojeme, Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Goodluck Campaign Organisation in 2015, is being investigated by the EFCC for alleged diversion of $48,485,127 from the accounts of the NSITF.

Of N62.3billion fraud discovered in NSITF, $48,485,127 is allegedly credited to Mrs. Olojeme.

The anti- graft agency has secured a court order to place the assets under interim forfeiture, pending Mrs. Olojeme’s trial.

Besides, EFCC has obtained a warrant from the court to detain the suspect for two weeks to complete the first round of the investigation and her arraignment.

Mrs. Olojeme, who is said to have taken ill, is at a private hospital in Abuja where EFCC detectives are keeping an eye on her.

EFCC detectives uncovered 40 houses, 38 of which are believed to be Mrs Olojeme’s.

Of the 38 houses, detectives rated the mansion at No. 51, Kainji Crescent in Maitama, as a “multi-billion naira piece with some foreign leaders occasionally staying there when they come visiting”.

The golden mansion was at the weekend sealed off by the EFCC.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “EFCC  recovered over 40 properties out of which 38 belong to the ex-NSITF chairman, including the property at No. 51, Kainji Crescent, off Lake Chad Crescent in Maitama District.

''The Kainji Crescent property is said to have housed some foreign leaders when they came visiting. It is a multi-billion naira mansion.

“We have invoked sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004, which empower the agency to apply the Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause.”

Section 28 of the EFCC Act reads: “Where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the Commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the Court.”

The EFCC source went on: “As I am talking to you, we have placed all the over 40 assets under interim forfeiture based on the approval of our application by the court. The assets will be temporarily forfeited until the end of the trial of all the affected suspects.”

“We have also secured a court order to detain her for two weeks in preparation for Dr. Ngozi Olojeme’s arraignment in connection with the alleged diversion of $48,485,127 from NSITF’s account. We have charges already prepared and we will be arraigning her soon.

“But she sought for medical attention in a private hospital for an undisclosed illness. We accorded her the right to seek medical aid and deployed in detectives and sentry guards to the hospital.”

The EFCC has already arraigned a former Managing Director of NSITF, Umar Munir Abubakar, and four others for alleged diversion of N18billion.

The others are Henry Ekhasomi Sambo, Adebayo Adebowale Aderibigbe, Chief Richard U. Uche and Aderemi Adegboyega.

The cash was said to be the Federal Government’s contribution to the take-off grants and Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

EFCC’s report on preliminary investigation said in part: “That through this process, Dr. Ngozi Olojeme, the then NSITF board chairman, has collected a total sum of $48,485,127 from Mr. Chuka Eze (her account officer at FBN), which cash he collected on her behalf being the dollar equivalent of monies paid to BDCs by NSITF contractors.

“She and others also diverted huge cash allocated for allowances of its staff and compensation to contributors. Detectives actually traced some of the NSITF funds in the personal accounts of Olojeme and the former MD, Umar Abubakar.

“For instance, Abubakar and others dishonestly converted to N18billion, being contribution from the Federal Government of Nigeria as take-off grants and Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) for MDAs.

“The said sum was diverted into personal accounts by an e-payment mandate jointly signed by Umar Munir Abubakar and Henry Ekhasomi Sambo.”

The report added: “It was discovered that the NSITF accounts in First Bank of Nigeria and other banks have witnessed a total turnover of over N62, 358,401,927 between 2012 and 2015 from the Employee Compensation Scheme contributions.

“That out of the N62bn, the Federal Government contributed N13,600,000,000 while the sum of N48,758,401,927.80 was contributed by the private sector. That there were several payments to individuals and companies from the NSITF bank accounts for purported contracts or consultancy services.

“That some individuals and companies that received these payments, in turn, transferred part of the monies directly to the NSITF officials while others transferred huge sums to bureau de change operators who changed them to dollars.'' - The Nation 

Crime does pay ??? Buhari paid 3m euros for release of Chibok girls

The federal government paid €3 million for the release of some Chibok schoolgirls who were in Boko Haram custody, according to Wall Street Journal.

In 2014, Boko Haram insurgents had kidnapped 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state.

Of the 276, 163 are now free: 57 fled in the early days after their abduction, three escaped later, and a Swiss-coached mediation secured 103.

Twenty-one of the 103 were freed on October 13, 2016, while the remaining 82 were freed on May 6 this year.

In a detailed report on the incident, WSJ said while €1 million was paid for the 21 first freed, additional €2 million accompanied the five Boko Haram commanders that were exchanged with the next batch: the 82 girls.

TheCable had earlier reported how the two million euros were reportedly paid.

Ahmad Salkida, a journalist known to have links with the sect, and Zannah Mustapha, a lawyer, were said to be key mediators involved in both deals.

After months of talks involving Salkida and Mustapha, a breakthrough was finally reached when in late 2016, both parties agreed on a plan concerning the girls’ freedom.

WSJ said: “The plan called for two exchanges. In the first one, Boko Haram would free 20 Chibok hostages in exchange for one million euros.

“If both sides were satisfied with the outcome, the rest of the girls who wanted to come home would be swapped in a second exchange in return for two million euros and five imprisoned Boko Haram commanders.”

“As Mustapha worked through the details and tried to maintain the confidence of both sides, the Nigerian government began the delicate process of finding prisoners Shekau would deem acceptable.

“Salkida was the man picked for the task. He began to crisscross Nigeria combing jails and interviewing inmates, looking for militants who fit the profile.”

The report added that while the deal began coming together, there were fears that President Muhammdu Buhari might not approve of it.

“The president was eager for a victory. He also loathed the idea of paying Boko Haram. No one knew if he would sign off,” it said.

“In the end, he approved the deal, with a condition: He insisted that any money that reached Boko Haram would be a step toward a comprehensive peace agreement.

“Since the insurgents collected their three million euros, some Nigerian officials say an army that had struggled to feed itself seems replenished.”

TheCable was not able to independently verify the claims concerning the payment.

When contacted, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s spokesman, neither confirmed nor denied the claims.

“Ask them to show the evidence,” Adesina told TheCable via a text message. - Cable Nigeria

23-year-old Man arrested for cutting girlfriend’s throat

Katsina state police command operatives on Saturday arrested one Abubakar Musa, 23, who cut the throat of his girlfriend, Aisha Dikkom.

The State Commissioner of Police, Benson Gwana, made this known to newsmen in Katsina while parading the suspect.

The police boss said that Musa confessed committing the crime because Aisha was planning to leave him and marry another person.

He said the suspect confessed to the police that he cut the throat of the victim with intention to kill her.

“The accused took his girlfriend on a motorbike to a bush in Kurfi Local Government Area from Charanchi Local Government Area where they were residing on December 21, 2017.

“He used a sharp knife to cut her throat at Tamowa Village in Kurfi LGA.

“When the suspect cut the throat of the lady, he left her in a pool of blood.

“The suspect left the victim believing that she was dead, but the victim was rescued by a good Samaritan who took her to General Hospital in Kurfi.

“The victim, who is responding to treatment, informed the police about the incident,” said the police commissioner.

Gwana recalled that the police traced the accused and arrested him at Sabon Gari area of Charachi LGA.

Tithe is an emotional blackmail Pastors use against church members - Femi Kuti

The  legendary Afrobeat icon, Femi Kuti, has berated Pastors over their stance on tithing.

The Afrobeat king said tithe is an emotional blackmail Pastors use against their followers.

Speaking with Punch, Femi said rather than give tithes to Pastors, people should give it to the poor and needy.

“I believe that you should give people whatever you want to give them personally. Go and help the poor and motherless babies’ home personally; why do you have to give it to your pastor?

“Don’t you think we have enough churches in the country? There are so many sick people in hospitals that need money, and if you help those people, you are doing God’s work.

“That is my belief. I have never paid tithe and I am not under a curse. My mother never gave to the church and she wasn’t under any curse.

“I know many people that don’t give to churches, and they are rich and well-to-do. If you say that people who don’t pay tithes are cursed, does it mean all the Muslim billionaires are cursed?

“There are also people that pay tithe, yet are terminally ill; does it mean they are cursed?

“That mathematics doesn’t work. This thing called tithe is emotional blackmail; they are using religion to blackmail people.

“They know we are good-hearted people. Why should you be giving money to the church? If the churches were building schools and hospitals that are free, it is still understandable.

“But the schools and hospitals that they build are so expensive that even their members cannot afford them. They use the money to buy jets, build lavish homes and take care of themselves. Majority of the people who are contributing the money are still poor.

“Only a few of them profit from the church. If the churches are truly doing God’s work, then they would build hospitals and all their members would be treated there for free.

“The money that these churches make does not tally with the little help that they render. Everybody knows these churches are businesses. If anybody needs to give (tithe), they should come and give me and I would pray for them.”

Suicide, social media, and a Japanese serial killer

Acting on a tipoff, Japanese police knocked on the one-bedroom apartment of Takahiro Shiraishi to inquire about the whereabouts of Aiko Tamura, who went missing a few days earlier in a suburb of Tokyo.

What the police found inside on October 31 was the habitat of a serial killer: a saw, rope, and dismembered body parts of nine people - including severed heads stored in cooler boxes.

Shiraishi - an unemployed 27-year old - had at one stage worked as a scout for female escorts. He lured the women to his apartment, all of whom he befriended on Twitter, with promises of suicide pacts.

The women, whose ages ranged from 15-25, had all expressed suicidal thoughts on the social media platform.              

Over a period of three months beginning last August, Shiraishi poured over messages from female users who expressed their willingness to die.

Shiraishi was able to exploit the fact that in Japan social media services, especially Twitter, are a space to talk about suicide - a subject that is still largely taboo.

Tell Twitter

Tatsuhito Hokujo - director of Befrienders Worldwide Osaka, a suicide prevention network - said people who call their hotline often feel isolated.

"They feel like they don't have anyone to talk with about their problems."

In such a situation, they might post "I want to die" on social media and look for someone who can sympathise and react to their intentions, Hokujo told Al Jazeera.

It was posts such as these that Shiraishi reacted to, encouraging and coaching his victims before killing them and, in some cases, sexually assaulting them.

Vickie Skorji, director of Lifeline, which is operated by Tell Japan - a suicide prevention network, said because social media is wide open it's also open to abuse.

"The very thing that's connecting them [users] with people is also the very thing that's putting them at risk," she said.

Xue Dou, a media psychologist at Ritsumeikan University in Osaka, said in Japanese culture identity is tightly regulated with regard to which group you are in - whether it's at work, school, or at home. Aspects of your personality and identity are revealed and altered in relation to these groups.

Dou noted in media interviews friends of Shiraishi's victims frequently said they were shocked to learn they were feeling suicidal.

"Most likely these women did not say anything about suicide in front of their friends, instead opting to comment on social media about wanting to die. Social media is somewhere you don't have to pretend," said Dou, adding that Twitter, which affords users anonymity, adds a layer of honesty.

For Eri, a 21-year-old part-time worker in Tokyo, Twitter doubles as her diary. She has several accounts but uses a closed network to reveal her true feelings. She has on occasions posted messages such as "Shinitai" (I want to die) and "I'm in pain."

"My diary-use Twitter is closed so I don't have to worry about people that I don't know who might judge me when I post negative things," Eri said.

Eri, who only gave her first name to protect her privacy, added she avoids revealing too much on her public accounts where she could easily connect with someone she doesn't know.

In the days following Shiraishi's arrest as police pieced together the identity of his victims, Twitter updated its rules forbidding the promotion or encouragement of suicide and self-harm.

However, as Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of Twitter, told Japan's public broadcaster NHK in a November interview, it would be unrealistic to remove all tweets expressing suicidal intentions. Instead Twitter will concentrate on promoting prevention suicide organisations.

Let's not talk about it

While Japan's suicide rate reached its lowest in 22 years in 2016, it is still the highest of the G7 group of rich countries. According to Japan's government, nearly 22,000 people took their lives last year.

Suicide is also the biggest cause of death for 10-19 year-olds, with a spike in suicides at the start of the school year in April and again in September after the summer holidays.

Talking about mental health is still a stigma in Japan, said Skorji. "That makes people that are struggling with these issues very isolated and they have less avenues to talk about them in a healthy environment."

It also makes people vulnerable.

"This population [of at-risk people] doesn't need to be vulnerable if we can all talk about mental health safely, particularly suicide," Skorji said.

She noted discussions about mental health in Japan are still in their infancy.

Skorji pointed to the efforts of the royal family in the United Kingdom, where Prince William and his brother Prince Harry have openly discussed their emotional and mental suffering following the sudden death of their mother as a way to promote mental health awareness and encourage others to talk. 

Source - Al Jazeera

Shocking !!! 'Cremated' man returns home to family's astonishment seven months later

A man who was mistakenly declared dead, has returned home to his family, seven months after they thought they had cremated him. 

After finding a corpse in a rented room in Bangkok, police in Thailand, told Sakorn Sachiwa's family that he had passed away from a digestive disease.

 But almost seven months on from that fateful May day, the 44-year-old walked into his home in the Non Khun district, more than 300 miles from the capital.

His stepbrother Charoen Lakdi, told the Bangkok Post said the family were "astounded".

As the family picked up his body, along with the death certificate dated 21 May, Mr Sachiwa's cousin, Nakornchai Pimklang, said he raised concerns with an official after noticing the corpse’s teeth appeared to be different to those belonging to his relative. Mr Sachiwa has two missing.

But he said they were told to take the body anyway.

The family held religious rituals for three days before cremating the body. The ashes were placed in a stupa – a Buddhist burial mound – near the family home.

When Mr Sachiwa returned, his cousins repeatedly touched him to ensure he was not a ghost, Mr Pimklang said.

Mr Sachiwa said he had been working on a fishing boat in the south of the country since January and his ID card had been stolen by a Burmese worker.

He now wants the official record changed.

The identity of the person who was cremated remains a mystery. - The Independent