Again, another Nigerian stabbed, nearly set ablaze in South Africa

The Nigerian Community in South Africa said a member, identified as Desmond, was stabbed and almost set ablaze during a xenophobic attack in Rustenberg, North-West Province area.

Mr Adetola Olubajo, the President of Nigerian Union, South Africa, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

He said, “Desmond is a Nigerian hair piece hawker in Rustenberg, North West Province of South Africa.”

“He was attacked on Feb. 14 and sustained multiple injuries. He was rescued when he was about to be set ablaze after being wet with petrol,” Olunajo said.

He added, “Nigerians and their families told us that the situation is very dangerous and that their lives are not safe.

“They also alleged that some group of people were abducting Nigerians and requesting money to bail themselves.

“A Nigerian who couldn’t pay was murdered last month. This same group also looted businesses of foreign nationals, Nigerians in particular.’’

Olubajo noted that there was need for the mission and government to intervene in the matter to avoid further loss of lives and properties of Nigerians.

“There is need for the Nigerian government to engage with its counterpart in South Africa. It’s not correct that those who were attacked and killed are criminals.

“Such statements are misinformation and misleading,’’ he said. - Daily Post

JAMB scandal : Another official blames Boko Haram for missing N.6m

It was revelations galore at the just concluded sitting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) administrative panel on financial management as officials sought to defend their handling of public funds.

Nine officials  of the board, including one from Benue where a ‘mystery snake’  allegedly  swallowed N36million cash, were probed  and subsequently  indicted by the administrative panel.

Another JAMB official in Yobe State told the panel that  he could not lay his hands on tellers, receipts and invoices of over N600, 000 put in his care following  an attack by the terror sect, Boko Haram.

Yet another official from the Kogi office of JAMB said he gave  out  the N7million in his care as loans to his colleagues who were in need of money to settle personal problems.

He confessed  that he was also a beneficiary of the ‘loans.’

But the panel was not amused by the defence put on by the officials.

All nine were indicted for stealing JAMB funds. The panel thus recommended that they be sacked and the recommendation was forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Education which oversees JAMB.

The stolen fund was part of the payment made by candidates for  registration of scratch cards.

Some of the indicted officials are JAMB state coordinators.

Sources said that, “The nine officials would have been sacked outright but for civil service rules that stipulate that such matters should go through due process.

”All of them are under interdiction. They have appeared before a disciplinary committee. A report has been written to the higher authority. If that report is approved, they will be dismissed and handed to the security agencies.

“EFCC will prosecute them. They have even appeared before the EFCC before. In the course of their investigation they have files with the EFCC which  arrested and investigated them.”

Chief spokesman for JAMB, Dr.Fabian Benjamin, confirmed the development.

He said: “All the necessary disciplinary procedures have been concluded and the report has been  forwarded to higher authorities for further action.

“Very soon, we will get a report from there.”

Apart from Benue, Kogi and Yobe state offices of JAMB, other offices probed by the administrative panel were Edo where N31m was allegedly mismanaged, Nasarawa (N26m),Kano (20m), Plateau (N15m), Ondo (N1.34m), and Gombe  (N10m).

The Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, announced last December that the board remitted N7.8 billion to Federal Government coffers from 2016 University and Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), an improvement on the paltry N3million per annum that it used to remit in previous years. - The Nation

Real Madrid 'not interested' in signing Pogba

Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has claimed that Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba isn’t on the radar of Spanish giants Real Madrid, as reported by Sky Sports.

Pogba has had a tough few weeks after being dropped in the game against Huddersfield Town and was taken off early against Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United which sparked talk he had fallen out with Jose Mourinho.

The Frenchman hasn’t quite been at his best of late and has dipped out of form throughout the season but the respected journalist Guillem Balague is confident that the player will remain at the club.

Pogba has featured in 23 games in all competitions and has endured a tough time having been out injured and suspended meaning he hasn’t played as much as he would have liked.

Pogba reportedly wants to play in a more advanced role after struggling to create much in an attacking sense in recent weeks.

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Balague spoke about the situation.

“When reports like that emerge, don’t be surprised that reports claiming Real Madrid want him soon follow. But they don’t, they do not have the money to finance such a deal after they buy their main targets this summer. Perhaps more importantly, Real president Florentino Perez does not view him as a target.” - Read Sport

Not in ur life time !! U better !! I’d commit suicide if there’s no hope for Nigeria - OBJ

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo says he would commit suicide if he discovers that there is no hope for Nigeria.

He said this while speaking at the Ijaw National Academy (INA), Kaiama, Kolokuma-Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa state.

Seriake Dickson, the governor, had invited the former president to inaugurate some projects.

Among the projects were the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital, the Bayelsa Drug Mart and the Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre.

Obasanjo told the pupils not to give up on Nigeria. He stated the collective efforts of different generations in keeping the country together.

“If I believe that Nigeria has no hope, I will find a way of committing suicide immediately. Then what am I living for? I am an incurable optimist about Nigeria. Nigeria has hope,” he said.

“There are many things that we should have done that we have not done as we should have done them. There is no doubt about that. But that doesn’t mean that Nigeria has no hope. Hope is what drives human beings.

“If you are a person without hope, you are a person without life. How can I therefore say Nigeria has no hope? Nigeria has hope. And you are part of the hope of Nigeria. The question you have asked me is a very sensible question and that means with you asking me that type of question it heightens my own conviction that Nigeria has hope.

“My generation or the generation before me gave us independence. It doesn’t matter what you think about them. My generation fought for the unity of this country and laid the foundation of democracy.

“Then people of governor Dickson generation should be able to say they built on our foundation. That is how a nation continues to make progress. The governor is doing wonderfully well. Anybody coming after him will do something else. The person will not start building the INA from the scratch. The academy has already been established.

“In spite of our difficulties; I came back from Rome last night. Our ambassador there, who was a kind man, he was in the navy; he told me that his major problem is that there are 1,600 Nigerians in Italian prisons. That is a problem.

“But we shouldn’t because of that say there is no hope for Nigeria? No. I will say we have a problem that we have to address and if we don’t address it we are postponing the evil day. That doesn’t mean that Nigeria has no hope.

“Nigeria has great hope because of you; great hope because of what the governor is doing and great hope because I will not keep my mouth shut when I see anything wrong in Nigeria.”

Obasanjo also said he had no regrets for the actions he took while in power.

“With the knowledge, resources and facilities that I had, was there anything that I did not do? No,” he said.

“If I had more resources, then I think I would have done differently, but with what I had and the resources at my disposal, I would say no, I did all that is humanly possible when I was president. I was not perfect, only God is.

“Also bear in mind that people you work with will make sure you don’t see certain things. Some of them will do everything. What is important is that you should not have a regret. I do not have a regret when I was in government or in any leadership position I have held. No regret.” - Cable Nigeria

Manchester United will sign a midfielder - Jose Mourinho

Man United are looking to sign a midfielder in the off-season as a replacement for Michael Carrick, manager Mourinho revealed.

Veteran Englishman Carrick, 36, will retire at the end of the season before taking up a role on United's coaching staff.

Paul Pogba, whose performances have been scrutinised in recent weeks, arrived in Mourinho's first season in charge, while Nemanja Matic was lured away from Chelsea before the 2017-18 campaign.

And Mourinho reiterated his desire to sign another midfielder to ease the pressure on Pogba amid links with the likes of Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Nice star Jean Michael Seri.

"We need to sign a midfield player because we are going to lose Michael Carrick," Mourinho said before Saturday's FA Cup clash at Huddersfield Town.

"Of course, we need balance in the team. I told you that one or two months ago when we were speaking about the market. When some of you keep saying that we are going to buy that striker, that winger, that left winger, that right winger, I told you two months ago.

"You can accuse me of many, many things, but you cannot say that I lied to you. When I don't want to say things, I don't say. But I don't take you in other directions.

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"When I told you a couple of months ago that we don't want to sign any striker or any winger and, yes, we are looking and we are going to try to sign a midfield player, I told you that two months ago." - Goal

I killed four persons for ex-NURTW boss,Akanni Olohunwa, suspect alleges

Suspected serial assassin, Ade Williams alias Ade Lawyer who was arrested by the police yesterday said  apart from killing four people at different occasions for former National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman in Lagos, Akanni Olohunwa, he was also paid by traditional rulers to assassinate their rivals or perceived enemies.

According to the suspect, Olohunwa contracted him to kill a former Idumota branch Chairman of NURTW, Azeez Lawal alias Kunle Poly on January 23.

Williams said: “I have killed four people for Olohunwa. I also killed for one Kazeem Eletu and Olumegbon. I have known him since he was NURTW chairman in Lagos. I have done a lot of jobs (assassinations) for him. I killed two people for him during the clash between himself and Musiliu Akinsanya (MC).

“He was the one who asked me to eliminate Kunle Ploy. He said Kunle Poly betrayed him and blocked the returns he used to receive as ex-chairman.

“Olohunwa told me that he brought Kunle Poly into NURTW and that he expected him to be loyal. Instead, Kunle Poly blocked the money he was supposed to be receiving from NURTW Abule Egba office.

“So, he said he did not want to see Kunle Poly again and asked me to meet him somewhere so that we would discuss how to carry out the assassination.

“I told him I was not mobile and couldn’t meet him where he wanted and he drove to Igbosere to meet with me where I was.

“He called me on phone and I went to his car. That was where we discussed the attack on Kunle Poly. After discussing, he then gave me N500,000 as advance payment for the job and promised to pay the remaining N1, 000, 000 after the job was done.

“He told me to keep the operation a secret. That he didn’t want anyone to know about it and that was why he came to me personally. We were supposed to attack Kunle Poly on January 22 but we moved it to the next day because it was not convenient.

“Then, on January 23, we missed the target and killed Kunle Poly’s assistant, Ganiyu Ayinla instead. I called Olohunwa to brief him on the development.

“But instead of giving us the balance, he started avoiding my calls. So, I later called him with my private line, he picked and said he didn’t want to talk to anyone for the time being.

“I told him to pay my balance. I was surprised when he sent his brother to give me a Toyota Camry car and I told his brother I didn’t need the car but wanted his Hyundai jeep which he brought to me.

“His brother who brought the jeep said Olohunwa promised to balance me after which he would collect the car. The vehicle has been with me for about three weeks now.”

However, Olohunwa denied the allegation, adding that Williams threatened to kill him and his family members if he did not give him money.

He said the N500,000 he gave Williams was so that the suspect would leave him alone, adding that it was one of his boys who suggested he sent the money because Williams was “troublesome.”

Olohunwa said: “Ade Lawyer called me one time I was travelling to Ede, Osun State and said he had accident along Lagos- Ibadan Expressway. He was disturbing my boy that they should tell me to do something for him.

“I did not do anything for him and travelled to England. While abroad he was sending threat massages to me. He said if I failed to give him money, he would kill me and my family members.

“When I came back, I called one of my boys to explain what was happening and he advised that we should give him something because he was a troublesome person. That was how I gave that my boy N500,000 to give him so as to rest.”

Continuing, the former NURTW boss denied giving his car to Williams, insisting that it was his brother who did it.

He said: “I did not send my brother to give him my car. I was sleeping when my son and one of my brothers came to wake me up that brother Skoda had given my car to Williams.

“Immediately my brother gave him my car, I was looking for who to contact so as to retrieve it. That was how I knew Williams feared someone called Abija. I called that person and he told me to be patient, that he would get the vehicle back.

“I was afraid when he threatened to kill me and my family. I was scared because I know he was a killer. He shot dead nine people who were going to Lagos Island from Ajah. He also killed NURTW Oyingbo Chairman. So, I knew he was not joking when he threatened me and my family and I needed to get him off my back.”

Parading the suspects, Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said the confessions of those earlier apprehended led to their arrest.

Edgal said: “Following the murder of Ganiyu Ayinla on January 23, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris mandated the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Technical Support Unit  (TIU) to fish out the culprits.

“Adeola Williams was arrested and he confessed that Rafiu Olohunwa Akanni former chairman of NURTW contracted him with the sum of N1.5m to assassinate Kunle Poly. “One AK47 rifle with number 3501357, two empty magazines and a black Hyundai Santa fe Jeep with registration number EKY741DL seized from Olohunwa were recovered from Williams.”

Edgal said investigation was ongoing and efforts to arrest other fleeing suspects in top gear. - The Nation

Babangida, Obasanjo ‘stupid’ for asking Buhari not to seek re-election – Balarabe Musa

Balarabe Musa, former Governor of Kaduna State, has lambasted ex-Presidents, Ibrahim Babangida and Olusegun Obasanjo over their separate statements advising President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.

The former Kaduna State governor, who described statements by both ex-leaders as “stupid,” stressed that “nobody should be deceived.”

He maintained that both leaders never performed better than Buhari when they were in power.

Musa made the remark while responding to a question from The Sun.

According to Musa, “That is stupid. Nobody should be deceived. They have not performed better than Buhari. In what way have any of them performed better than Buhari? In fact, you can say Buhari is less exposed to so many things like corruption and so on.

“In the case of PRP, when we supported Buhari right from 2003 when he showed his interest in the presidency, we made it quite clear that of all the people that wanted to rule Nigeria, Buhari was the least risk, we didn’t say he is the most suitable.

“We said he is the least risk, because the level of his courage and credibility was higher than those who were contesting with him. I dare tell you, even today, if you look at those who want to contest with him, almost all of them came from the North.

“Take any of them, who among them can you say is credibly better than Buhari, better in performance than Buhari? This is Nigeria’s tragedy. There is no doubt, Buhari has failed, but those contesting power with him are more likely to fail than him. This is the trouble.

“So we have the task of bringing somebody who can perform better than Buhari. But it is not that easy, because of the leading role of moneybag politics. So how do we get somebody that will perform better than Buhari. I am not campaigning for Buhari. I have never campaigned for him. But this is the truth because we must attach quality to our judgment.” - Daily Post