I remarried because my wife starved me of sex – Pastor

One pastor, Olusola Opoola, on Tuesday told a Grade ‘C’ Customary Court , Ibadan that he married another wife because he needed to satisfy his sexual urge.

Opoola, a 45-year-old man accused of snatching his second wife from an evangelist said he remarried after his wife persistently denied him of sex.

He told the court, ”My lord, it is unfortunate that I married another wife because it is morally and spiritually wrong to marry more than one wife.

”My wife pushed me to it, I have endured too long and I do not want to commit adultery. I agree to a divorce because she never appreciated all what I have done for her, ’’ he said.

His enstranged wife, Adeola, 36, begged the court for divorce, accusing her husband of abandoning her and the four children of the marriage because of his new wife.

She also denied the allegation of refusing him sex.

”He is the one that says I am old and should give another woman a chance,He makes life more difficult for me since he married the lady.

”I pray the court to separate us so that I can live comfortably,’’ she said.

The president of the court, Chief Ramoh Olafenwa, in his ruling dissolved the marriage and gave the custody of the four children to the plaintiff.

The court president instructed the respondent to pay N12,000 monthly for the upkeep of the children, education and other bills.

Terrorism : Fulani herdsmen attack NNPC officials, kill one in Benue

Armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have attacked and killed an official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC at Tse Torkula, Benue State.

The deceased was working on the petroleum pipeline with his colleagues in the area.

According to Vanguard, the NNPC officials were busy working on the pipeline between Benue and Nasarawa state when they came under heavy fire from the armed men.

The Benue state Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the incident, said the attack could be regarded as the handiwork of bandits operating in the said area.

Some of the officials were also injured and hospitalized.

Terrorist group !!! Fulani herdsmen sack Benue community, steal foodstuffs, farm produce

Fulani herdsmen, yesterday morning, reportedly attacked the ancestral home of the immediate past paramount ruler of Tiv tribe, late Ochivirigh Akawe Torkula, in Tse-Torkula, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attack left scores injured, including a mining investor in the community.

It was gathered that the invaders also razed some houses in the community, carting away foodstuffs and farm produce.

A resident of the community, who witnessed the attack said, “Herdsmen stormed Tse-Torkula village very early this morning (yesterday). Though we have no record of deaths, several persons were injured in the attack. The entire village has been deserted.”

Confirming the attack while hosting members of Universal Peace Federation of Nigeria, Governor Samuel Ortom lamented that despite efforts to stem the attack in some parts of the state, herdsmen were bent on occupying parts of Benue State.

Governor Ortom said: “As we speak, the home of the late Tor Tiv, has been attacked and many people were injured and taken to the hospital.

“Among them is an investor, who came for mining in Torkula. How will development come to such a place with such attacks?”

Meanwhile, several calls to the state Police PRO, Moses Yamu did not go through.. - Daily Post

‘You’ve outlived your usefulness’ — ex-senate president writes Obasanjo

Former Senate President Ameh Ebute has written a letter to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying the former number one citizen has outlived his usefulness on the national scene.

Ebute presided over the senate during the end of the third republic.

In the letter titled, ‘Re: The Way Out: A Clarion Call For Coalition for Nigeria Movement’, Ebute lampooned Obasanjo for resorting to letter writing to his predecessors rather than seeking audience with them.

He said such action smack of mischief.

The former senator, who briefed journalists in Abuja on the content of his letter on Tuesday, said he had cautioned Obasanjo when he wrote former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“In the current instance too, you have reeled out a torrent of subsisting problems and perceived deficiencies of the Buhari presidency very hypocritically and in utmost contempt for the office and personality of President Buhari. It is all in veiled pursuit of your secret agenda for the absolute ruination and destruction of Nigeria, a foundation faultily laid by you between 1999 and 2007, when you served as President of the country” he said.

“The issues of poverty, insecurity, poor economic management as trumpeted in your letter have existed with Nigeria and aggravated under your reign as president. Precisely, poverty, hunger and disease are cardinal components of the Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs), which you claim to be spearheading efforts in the guise of ‘Zero Hunger’ initiative; but gave no attention to it when you wielded power at Aso Rock.

“This is the pretense and deception that have become your trademark and uprooted or alienated you from Nigerians.

“No one is surprised that you disparaged President Buhari’s efforts in curbing the monster of corruption and insurgency, which flourished under your administration and could not be tamed, with the reserved commendation by declaring that

“it is not yet uhuru!” You display the lack of capacity to wholeheartedly appreciate the efforts of other leaders. Rather you preferred to flaunt the African spread of your Presidential Library, which Nigerians have severally and collectively accused you of corruptly funding it.

“It is quite funny the failure to acknowledge that the EFCC under Buhari has unprecedentedly recovered looted public funds in assets and cash, trillions of naira never before known to the history of Nigeria’s anti-graft war. Today, you frequently accuse your former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as very corrupt, but could recover and publish any kobo you recovered from him back to national treasury. The foundation for the dubious sale of national public assets like NITEL, PHCN etc was laid by you.”

“The seeds of Boko Haram insurgency was sown under your administration in Borno and exploded, soon after you were forced to relinquish power after the failure of the infamous third term bid.  The subsequent leaders you imposed on Nigeria could not handle the problem, until President Buhari came on board. As clever and astute as you claim in leadership, you had no solution to the puzzle of militancy in the Niger Delta or the communal clashes that plagued most communities in Nigeria.” - Cable Nigeria

Transfer news : Barcelona sign Arsenal youngster Marcus McGuane

McGuane has joined Barcelona from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club have confirmed.

The 18-year-old has completed a medical in Spain and signed a five-year contract that includes a release clause of €25 million.

McGuane’s deal will keep him in Catalonia for three seasons, plus two option years.

The midfielder, who had been at Arsenal since the age of six, made his first two senior appearances under manager Arsene Wenger in Europa League group-stage matches against BATE and Red Star Belgrade this season.

McGuane, an England youth international, will join Barca's B team with a view to earning a spot in the first-team squad in future.

"We would like to thank Marcus for his contribution and wish him well at Barcelona," Arsenal said in a statement.

"The transfer is subject to the completion of regulatory processes." - Goal

PL news : Pep Guardiola defends huge City spending as Mahrez rumours emerge

Guardiola has defended Manchester City's huge spending since he took charge in the wake of the club-record deal for Aymeric Laporte.

The centre-back signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Premier League leaders after they activated his buy-out clause at Athletic Bilbao, which was valued at close to £57 million.

Laporte's arrival takes City's spending to close to £448m in the 19 months in which Guardiola has been manager, with roughly £206.25m of that investment being made on defenders.

Guardiola says he can accept criticism regarding City's spending but insists it is necessary to improve the quality of his entire squad.

"Some clubs spend £300m on two players, we spent it on six players," he told a news conference on Tuesday. "Last summer, we had six or seven out of contract and decided to sign six or seven more.

"You need to spend to stay at the same high level. Maybe one day we'll spend £200m on a player. It's up to the club how to spend their money; we decided to do it now. We might sign one or two in the summer.

"The inflation of the market, every player costs a lot. We spend the money on six or seven players while others do it on one or two. We accept criticism."

 There could yet be further business done before the transfer window closes on Wednesday, with Goal reporting City have launched an audacious £60 million move to sign Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City to provide cover for Leroy Sane, who is expected to miss up to seven weeks with an ankle injury.

Liberia : President George Weah Takes Salary Cut

President George Weah of Liberia pledged to cut his salary by 25 percent in a nationwide address in which he warned of tough times ahead for a “broke” country.

“The state of the economy that my administration inherited leaves a lot to do and to be decided,” the former international soccer star said in an address apparently aimed at lowering high expectations following his election victory at the end of last year to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The president of Liberia earns about $100,000 yearly, meaning that Weah will relinquish about $25,000.

“Our economy is broken; our government is broke. Our currency is in free fall; inflation is rising,” Weah said.

“Unemployment is at an unprecedented high and our foreign reserves are at an all-time low."

Weah had promised a crackdown on endemic corruption as he was sworn in a week ago to the cheers of thousands of exuberant supporters crammed into a stadium in the capital, Monrovia.

But since winning the poll, the award-winning former AC Milan and Paris St Germain striker have been at pains to show just how daunting he understands the task ahead to be.

“In view of the very rapidly deteriorating situation of the economy, I am informing you today, with immediate effect, that I will reduce my salary and benefits by 25 percent,” Weah said, pledging the savings to a development fund for Liberia.

The announcement of a pay cut for himself is likely to go down well on a continent long used to officials in high office awarding themselves fabulous pay raises and perks.

Liberia suffered civil wars from 1989-2003 that killed hundreds of thousands of people. Then, as it was recovering in the past decade, it was hit by low prices for its chief exports, iron ore and rubber, and a 2014-16 Ebola outbreak.

Africa’s oldest republic was established by freed slaves from the United States and declared independent in 1847. As a quirk of that history only “people of color” are constitutionally allowed to become Liberian and only Liberians can own property.

Weah described these clauses as “unnecessary, racist and inappropriate” for a Liberia in the 21st century. He said he would push to allow all races to apply for Liberian citizenship and for foreigners to be allowed to own property.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Johnson Sirleaf, barred from running again, was applauded for shoring up peace but criticized for failing to tackle graft or do much to spread economic gain beyond her elite circle to millions living in poverty.

Despite his avowedly grim outlook on the economy, Weah pledged a $3 billion coastal road project that would link the capital to its remote southeast.

“This is going to be very challenging,” he said.

“But I am convinced that with the assistance of friendly governments and institutions this can be achieved before the end of my tenure.” - PM News

This govt is failing in its ‘most basic’ duty - Falana

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says the government is failing in its “most basic” duty of protecting citizens.

The lawyer said this while reacting to a claim by Amnesty International that the deployment of soldiers in various communities had resulted in “excessive use of force, unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions.”
Osai Ojigho, country director of the organisation, had said that at least 35 Nigerians were killed during air strikes launched by the military on villages beset by communal violence.

While condemning the reported killings, Falana said combating violence and crime “must not put security before human rights”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Falana urged the security agencies and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the respect for human rights and the rule of law in security operations across the country.

“The government is failing in its most basic duty of protecting citizens and ensuring the rule of law,” he said.
“I am very concerned that these killings may go unpunished, as law enforcement and security agencies are rarely held accountable for serious human rights violations.

“To prevent further killings and violence, the authorities must investigate these latest allegations and bring anyone responsible to justice.”
Falana said failing to put in place appropriate law enforcement measures to prevent such killings as well as investigate and punish perpetrators, is a sign that the federal government has “neither respected, nor met their national and international legal obligations, including to exercise due diligence to protect human rights.”

He said: “The government’s failure on internal security is also a serious breach of the government’s human rights obligations and commitments, including under the Nigerian constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

“The government must truly make security and safety of those who live in Nigeria a public policy priority by tackling the root cause of violence and crime.
“Victims of violence and crimes must also have effective access to legal and health services, and should have access to an effective remedy, including reparation.” - Cable Nigeria

Kenyan opposition leader swears himself in as ‘president’

Ralia Odinga, Kenyan opposition leader, has sworn himself in as an alternative president.

Odinga supporters attended the ceremony which held in Nairobi, the country’s capital.

Security was tight in Nairobi as government shut down independent TV stations to prevent the programme from being aired.

On Monday, Linus Kaikai, chairman of the Kenya Editors Guild, said senior editors had been summoned by the authorities and warned not to cover the event or risk being shut down.

Odinga, 72, was delighted when President Uhuru Kenyatta second-term victory was annulled while he refused to take part in the election re-run, claiming the government planned to rig the vote.

Kenyatta won with 98 percent.

Odinga postponed a previous effort to swear himself in but his party had insisted that Tuesday’s event will take place.

“We intend to hold a peaceful event, in total compliance with the constitution and the law,” read a statement from the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition.

“We nonetheless wish to put the Jubilee (party) administration on notice that we will accomplish our mission come hell or high water.” - Cable Nigeria

Fulani herdsman stabs NURTW member to death in Ondo

A commercial driver, Victor Ajisafe, has been reportedly stabbed to death by a suspected Fulani herdsman in Akure, Ondo State over a minor squabble.

Ajisafe, 34, was until his gruesome murder a prominent member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.

The suspect, whose name could not be ascertained before going to press, allegedly took to his heel after committing the crime.

Eyewitness account said: “It was one of the Fulani’s friends, named Usman Olaniyi that told the killer in his native language that Victor was abusing him. This annoyed the Fulani who drew his sword from the sheath.

“He started pursuing him around the garage and when he caught up with him, without hesitating, stabbed him viciously in the neck.”

Wife of the deceased, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ajisafe said she could not fathom why her husband was “gruesomely murdered by the unknown Fulani man.”

Mrs. Ajisafe told newsmen that, “It was my husband’s brother who informed me that one Fulani man stabbed my husband in the neck and was rushed to the hospital. When I got there, my in-laws and friends did not allow me to see him despite all my efforts.

“They later took me back home in their car under the guise that we should get money to take proper care of him. It was then they took me to my mother’s shop at Road Block that they broke the news that he was dead.”

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Ondo Police Command, Mr. Femi Joseph, who confirmed the death of the commercial driver, noted that one Usman had been arrested while his friend, the killer, was still at large.

Joseph said that Usman, who fuelled the crisis would be charged to court if his friend could not be found. - Daily Post

Jungle republic : House of Reps bemoan lack of street lights in Abuja, say city in perpetual darkness

The House of Representatives, has decried what it described as “perpetual darkness” on major roads and streets within the metropolis of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at night, owing to inadequate street lights.

To this end, the House urged the Minister of FCT, Bello Mohammed, to “urgently provide street lights in all major roads, streets, under the bridges and roundabouts within Abuja metropolis”, in addition to provisions of signposts and traffic lights.

Resolution of the House was sequel to a motion moved by Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye (Kosofe federal constituency of Lagos State), which was extensively debated upon by members.

While leading the debate, Agunsoye argued that, “the prevalence of darkness on the roads and streets in the FCT creates avenues for men of the underworld to perpetrate crimes, touting and intimidation of unsuspecting citizens and also makes the city less receptive and attractive to residents and visitors”.

He said, “despite the prevailing darkness almost everywhere in the FCT at night, there is hardly any presence of either stationery or patrol police vans along the very dangerous stretch of roads and under the bridges and roundabouts”.

Agunsoye made reference to states like Lagos and Anambra which had to power street lights with standby generators at night, should there be power outage.

Speakers after speakers, the House acknowledged the need for proper policing of the dark points within the metropolis and called on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately deploy more police officers and vans to major roads and strategic areas in the FCT.

NOUN : 430 prisoners to become degree holders

About 430 prisoners across the country are pursuing various degree programmes at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

The prisoners were allowed to enroll for the university education as part of new reforms being implemented by the Federal Government to make life out of prison meaningful for the ex-convicts.

National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS) Mr. Francis Enebore revealed this in Abuja at a media briefing on the forthcoming Public Presentation of Survey Reports on the Nigerian Prisons.

Enebore said that the Open University was gracious in admitting the prisoners to make them better citizens of the nation, adding that well meaning Nigerians, religious and corporate bodies had been assisting the ex-convicts in providing for their educational needs.

The spokesman added that prisoners are now fully engaged in the production of food for themselves and the country in the new farm settlement schemes established in some states of the federation.

His words: “In the education sector, I am pleased to announce that 430 of our prisoners are running various degree courses at the National Open University of Nigeria.

“At the same time, 951 others have been set free by the Nigerian Prison Services due to the intervention of the National Stakeholders which paid various fines imposed on them by various courts as conditions for their freedom”.

“In the agriculture, massive revolution is going on with prisoners now engaging in full scale commercial farming.

“At the moment, we have our farm settlement in Kaduna where the Prisoners have produced huge quantities of beans; in Bauchi where rice had been produced and Edo where our farm settlement is involved in the production of palm oil”.

“The new prison reform is aimed at making the prisoners to produce food crops and grains for their own consumption as well as the nation at large”.

Security guard kills, burns retired Major in Edo

A retired military officer identified as Major Afisatu Ajuya has been killed and her body set ablaze alongside her apartment.

The crime was on committed on Sunday by a security guard she employed.

It was gathered that the security guard whose identity was yet to be ascertained as at press invited eight other persons to join him to commit the crime.

Witnesses said the suspects also made away with some of their victim’s belongings.

They said the gang broke into the apartment of the retired Army Officer in the early hours of Sunday, strangled and set her ablaze before making away with items like electric fan, luggage jewelries and phones.

As at press time, the suspects have been transferred to the State Police headquarters and some of the items recovered from them.

Confirming the story, State Police Commissioner, Babatunde Kokumo, said it was a case robbery, arson and murder.

Kokumo said the suspects killed their victim and set fire on the place to make it look like the victim died from the fire incident. - The Nation

Amnesty: Herdsmen getting away with murder… they’ve killed 168 people this year alone

Amnesty International says clashes between farmers and herdsmen have resulted in at least 168 deaths in 2018 alone.

In a statement on Monday, Osai Ojigho, country director of the organisation, called on the government to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

“The Nigerian authorities’ response to communal violence is totally inadequate, too slow and ineffective, and in some cases unlawful,” Ojigho said.

“Clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Ondo and Kaduna have resulted in 168 deaths in January 2018 alone.

“Hundreds of people lost their lives last year, and the government is still not doing enough to protect communities from these violent clashes. Worse, the killers are getting away with murder.”

She said in 2017, 549 deaths were recorded across 14 states while thousands were displaced.

“In 2017, clashes between nomadic herdsmen and local farmers resulted in at least 549 deaths and thousands displaced across Enugu, Benue, Taraba, Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Cross Rivers, Adamawa, Katsina, Delta and Ekiti states,” she said.

“The government must totally overturn its response to these deadly clashes to avoid this crisis getting out of control. They need to investigate and bring suspects to justice.”

She also said the military is currently performing operations in 30 states of the country.

Ojigho said the frequent deployment of the military to communities with clashes undermines the efficacy of the police.

She said in most cases, the military employs “excessive and unlawful force,” often leading to the loss of innocent lives and destruction of property.

Ojigho cited an incident in December 2017, when a fighter jet had fired warning shots in an Adamawa village to prevent reprisals between the villagers and herdsmen.

“The frequent deployment of soldiers has resulted in many cases of excessive use of force, unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions throughout the country,” the statement read.

“The Nigerian military is currently performing security operations in 30 out of Nigeria’s 36 states and the federal capital territory, often taking over routine policing duties.

“The government’s reliance on the military for help in handling what should be public order situations has also seriously undermined the role of the Nigerian police.

“In some cases where the Nigerian security agencies did respond to communal violence, they used excessive or unlawful force resulting in even more deaths and destruction.

“On 4 December 2017, Nigeria’s air force sent fighter jets to fire rockets at villages as a “warning” to deter spiralling communal violence, as hundreds of herdsmen attacked at least five villages in Adamawa state to avenge the massacre of up to 51 members of their community, mostly children, the previous month in Kikan.

“An Amnesty International team visited the villages in the aftermath of the air raids and gathered witness testimony from residents who described being attacked by a fighter jet and a military helicopter as they attempted to flee.

“Launching air raids is not a legitimate law enforcement method by anyone’s standard. Such reckless use of deadly force is unlawful, outrageous and lays bare the Nigerian military’s shocking disregard for the lives of those it supposedly exists to protect.

“This is unlawful and excessive force on a catastrophic scale. It is yet another tragic example where Nigeria’s armed forces are found applying deadly military tactics to law enforcement situations.

“As the herdsmen shot people and torched homes, and the air raid resulted in fire, it was not possible to establish how much of the death and destruction was a direct result of the air attacks or attributable to the attack by herdsmen.

“Houses started burning. Children started running for their lives. Mothers packed up their children and escaped with them. We men were unable to fight back and we started running too. This jet burnt our houses and properties to ashes.

“In some villages, the rocket attacks happened at the same time as the herders raids, while in other villages the air force arrived shortly afterwards, witnesses told Amnesty International.

“Locals in each village also provided Amnesty International with lists of the dead, which totalled 86 names.

“The Nigerian authorities must investigate these attacks and, where these investigations indicate criminal responsibility, prosecute those responsible and bring them to justice.” - Cable Nigeria