Self-proclaimed pastor jailed 54 months for theft

An Igbosere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos Thursday, sentenced a self-proclaimed pastor, Abel Adewale Olukayode, to four years and six months imprisonment for stealing N984,450 from Wema Bank Plc.

Chief Magistrate A. T. Omoyele convicted Olukayode, 58, on a three-count charge of stealing.

The magistrate found that he transferred the sum in tranches of N22,550, N701,900 and N260,000 through WEMA Bank’s mobile application to his First Bank and Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) accounts.

She sentenced him to six months imprisonment on count one and two years each on counts two and three without an option of fine.

All sentences will run concurrently, meaning Olukayode, who claimed to be a clergyman with the Apostolic Church, will spend only two years in jail.

In the course of the trial, prosecuting Sergeant Cyriacus Osuji said the convict, of 26, Sadiku Ayinla Street, Odo-Kekere in Ikorodu, committed the offence between March 5 at about 4pm and March 6, at about 7am, in 2012, with the aid of his mobile phone.

He said: “The defendant, with the aid of his mobile phone with sim number 08034456771, stole N22, 550 through his Wema Bank account, property of WEMA Bank Plc.

“At the same time and place with the aid of his mobile banking application, he transferred N701,900 from WEMA Bank to his GTB Bank account and N260,000 to his First Bank account, property of WEMA Bank Plc”.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened sections 278(2) and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Olukayode pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.

But a witness from WEMA Bank testified that between March 4-6, 2012, the bank’s system malfunctioned and the convict, who had only N300 in a joint account he operated with his wife, took advantage of the situation to steal.

He stated that immediately Olukayode noticed the malfunction, he started buying airtime which accumulated to N22, 550 and thereafter transferred the other amounts to his GTB and First Bank accounts.

The court heard that Olukayode wasn’t the only one that took advantage of the situation, but he was one of a few, who when he was approached, refused to return the money.

When others, who took advantage of the situation, were approached, they admitted their offence and started repaying the money, the witness said.

But Kayode told the bank that he had been praying and asking God to provide for him to enable him build his own church and the money was God’s answer to his prayers. - The Nation

Biafra referendum : Intersociety releases photo, names of women arrested in Imo

The International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), has asked the Nigerian and Imo State Governments to discontinue, withdraw and discharge all the 10-count charges of treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit treasonable felony and terrorism levelled against over 100 women arrested during a pro Biafra protest.

Intersociety, in a statement signed by Board Chairman Emeka Umeagbalasi and Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law Programme, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq, accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of pushing Igbos to the wall.

“The incarcerated Mothers of Igbo Nation deserve apologies and reparative packages for their wrongful detention and being labeled “terrorists” and “felons” in Government’s panicky and draconian response to their use of “braziers as human rights kits” to protest Government’s sundry atrocities against their children and husbands,” it said.

“In line with the recent Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on unconstitutionality of the so called “Holden Charge”, we further call upon the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the AGF, as case may be, to issue a practice direction to all Magistrates in Nigeria to refrain from using their Courts to effect indiscriminate dumping of suspects in prison custodies especially in offences the said Magistrates and their Courts do not have jurisdiction to try,”

“Common sense and logic suffix that where a Magistrate Court cannot exercise jurisdiction over an offence before the Court, such zero jurisdiction must be exercised fully including non admittance of the arraignment of the suspects connected to the zero jurisdiction matter or by not allowing the charge sheet to be read in open Court. The arresting and detaining authorities coming to the Court with such zero jurisdiction matter should be sent out of the Court or ordered to take their detainees to the appropriate Courts (i.e. High Court) and charged them accordingly.

“Analysis done by Intersociety on their social and family backgrounds clearly shows that most of them are mothers of young children. Those under this category are between the ages of 22 and 45, numbering 80. Yet their incarceration and torture has attracted little or no attention locally and internationally.

“This is in spite of the fact that they did not commit any felony during their street protest, with no gun or rifle of any kind or IEDs found in their possession or from any of them; except flags and insignias and other faith objects such as bangles, chaplets, bibles, necklaces, sachets of water, etc. Still they were arrested, detained, tortured and labeled “terrorists” and “treasonable felons”; with the world maintaining inexplicable silence of congregated and aggregated proportion till date.

“It is recalled that the incarcerated Mothers of the Igbo Nation whose names are provided below had on 17th August 2018 embarked on peaceful street protest (guaranteed by Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution under rights to freedom of expression, assembly and movement) in Owerri, Imo State.

“The street protest was organised by the unarmed, defenseless and innocent women to express their deep displeasure over persecutory policies of the present central Government in Igbo Land including ceaseless killing in hundreds by the same Government of unarmed and defenseless pro Biafra activists and maiming of hundreds of others as well as planned “Army Python Dance 111” and non disclosure of the whereabouts of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and his royal parents, HRH, Eze Israel Okwu and Lolo Ugoeze Nnene Kanu who reportedly went missing following the military invasion of their Afara-ukwu Palace near, Umuahia on 14th September 2017.

“The police and other security agencies, on orders of the Government of Imo State and the Federal Government of Nigeria resorted to use of draconian methods by getting them rounded up and detained for three days at the State Police Command Headquarters in Owerri; from where they were arraigned at Owerri Magistrate Court, presided over Mrs. S.K. Kaduruma. The arraignment was with charge number: OW/430/2018: CP Imo State v Ijeoma Okorie (30yrs) & 111 ors. The Legal and Prosecution Department of the State Police Command represented by SP Thaddeus Okechukwu later read 10-count spurious charges of “treasonable felony”, “conspiracy to commit treasonable felony”, “terrorism”, among others.

“Despite efforts made by their team of lawyers led by Barr Ifeanyi Ejiofor to draw the judicial attention of the presiding Magistrate, Mrs. S.K. Kaduruma to the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to the effect that “a Magistrate Court that does not have jurisdiction to try an offense brought before her, cannot exercise same jurisdiction she does not have by remanding the alleged offenders of the offence to prison custody”, the presiding Magistrate ignored same, hiding under the same cover of “orders from above” and remanded the 112 Mothers to prison custody and adjourned till 3rd September 2018.

Intersociety, in the statement, identified most of the incarcerated women follows: Afoma Umoh Wisdom (64yrs), Virginia Akwufube (62yrs), Ezike Emmanuela (62yrs), Uzoma Oraka (62yrs), Charity Obioha (60yrs), Chinyere Nwachukwu (55yrs), Udeogu Margret (58yrs), Ratchel Okengwu (58yrs), Angelina Felix (55yrs), Monica Anaelechi (54yrs), Esther Osuji (52yrs), Florence Olewembu (52yrs), Nkechi Ekwedisika (52yrs), Kosarachukwu Udegbunam (51yrs), Josephine Ogolo (51yrs), Monica Nwaeleke (50yrs), Mabel Okoire (50yrs), Chika Njoku (50yrs), Grace Nkemakolam (50yrs), Paulina Awunezi (50yrs), Christiana Muonwuba (50yrs), Margret Eze (50yrs), Florence Egede (50yrs), Rose Osuchukwu (50yrs), Comfort Uti (50yrs), Nnedinma Onuoha (49yrs), Agatha Nwachukwu (49yrs).

Ijeoma Okorie (30yrs), Uloma Ejiogu (30yrs), Victoria Jacob (45yrs), Vivian Ozuruigbo (30yrs), Chinenye Imo (40yrs), Chinyere Egbulom (38yrs), Cynthia Onyebuchi (31yrs), Chigbata Chinyere (38yrs), Egesi Josephine (41yrs), Hope Eze (45yrs), Ikejiofor Amechi (44yrs), Nkeiru Ajagba (45yrs), Ngozi James (46yrs), Nnene Nweke (46yrs), Lucy Mary Kanu (21yrs), Irole Goodness (30yrs), Ogechi Okechukwu (30yrs), Tochukwu Eze (38yrs), Onyemaechi Ijezie (38yrs), Ginika Awuzie (39yrs), Vero Nnamani (30yrs), Nkwoagu Chinenye (22), Ijeoma Victoria Nnadozie (43yrs), Blessing Udeme (25yrs), Nnewuchi Obiageli (31yrs), Ngozi Onyenwugo (22yrs), Ruth Onwumere (45yrs), Nkeiruka Ohanebo (45yrs), Nzube Uwaigwe (22yrs), Eberechi Iheanacho (39yrs), Ego Nwafor (40yrs), Chinyere Eze (32yrs).

Adaku Inyama (45yrs), Ndidi Uchenna (45yrs), Nneka Kingsley (38yrs), Nkeiru Nwankwo (37yrs), Chinwendu David (38yrs), Juliet Nwaiwu (42yrs), Juliet Innocent Onwuka (40yrs), Chinyere Nwankwo (25yrs), Nkeiru Orji (34yrs), Joy Uwabunike (47yrs), Nnene Ibeneli (38yrs), Jane Isaac (25yrs), Kelechi Emmanuel (40yrs), Ngozi Nwajiaku (34yrs), Ugochi Okwum (32yrs), Ifeoma Emmanuel (42yrs), Nkeiru Onyegbari (35yrs), Eucharia Eke (42yrs), Ijeoma Onyedinefu (33yrs), Blessing Nnedede (26yrs), Iheanyichukwu Ogueri (35yrs), Ogochukwu Alaribe (35yrs), Uchechukwu Okoro (48yrs), Iheomachi Ejiaku (40yrs), Uchchukwu Ahamuefula (32yrs).

Evelyn Usulo (38yrs), Joy Chimezie (45yrs), Precious Ogbonna (40yrs), Obiageli Nwite (48yrs), Ginika Ndibe (20yrs), Chinelo Ugwueze (38yrs), Nwachukwu Blessing (22yrs), Rita Edet (29yrs), Nnenna Okorie (36yrs), Chinyere Eze (43yrs), Iwuneme Bibian (45yrs), Onuoha Ogechi (no age), Peculiar Nwachukwu (28yrs), Felicia Ike (42yrs), Obiageli Obumsolu (39yrs) Ugonne Godwin (45yrs), Kalunwoke Ekemiri (28yrs), Nwauwa Cecelia (44yrs), Igboka Ngozi, Angela Okeke, Blessing Aguama, Oguchim Chinedu and Mary Okorie (classified in their charge sheet as “adults” but possibly in their 70s). - Daily Post

Trump: Americans will be poor if I’m impeached

US President Donald Trump says American citizens will become “very poor” if he is removed from office.

He wondered why anyone would think of impeaching a president “who has done a great job”, adding the effect will also be felt on the US stock market.
Trump was speaking during an interview with Fox News on Thursday.
“I don’t know how you can impeach somebody who’s done a great job,” he said.

“If I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash. I think everybody would be very poor.
“Because without this thinking, you would see numbers that you wouldn’t believe in reverse. I got rid of regulations. The tax cut was a tremendous thing.”
Trump’s comment comes on the heels of speculation he could be impeached after Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, admitted in court to paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to influence the 2016 election.

Paul Manafort, his former campaign chief, has also been found guilty of eight out of 18 charges relating to financial crime.
Reacting to Manafort’s guilty plea, Trump said he felt “very sad” for his former campaign chair.
“This has nothing to do with Russian collusion… This is a witch-hunt and a disgrace,” the president said. - TheCable

Transfer news : Spurs failed with deadline day bid for Abraham

Chelsea rejected a late bid from Tottenham to sign Tammy Abraham on transfer deadline day earlier this month, Goal reports. 

Spurs had offered the Blues a fee of £25million for their academy graduate, but Chelsea responded with a firm no.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino had seen Abraham as an ideal candidate to deputise for Harry Kane, and according to Goal, the player himself was keen on a switch.

However, Chelsea had no interest in letting Abraham leave on a permanent deal, especially not to a direct and local rival, and instead are looking to send him out on loan again.

Abraham spent last season on loan with Swansea, scoring five goals in the Premier League, and spent the previous season with Bristol City where he scored 23 goals in 41 Championship appearances.

It is unclear whether Spurs will return with another offer for Abraham in January, but they will be forced to pay a premium price, with the 20-year still having four years on his current contract. - Read Sport

Nigeria is the sixth largest crude income earner in OPEC

Nigeria earned as much as N7.93 trillion ($26 billion) from oil exports between January and July this year, making it the sixth largest revenue earner among the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member nations.

This is according to the OPEC revenues fact sheet report, published by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Tuesday.

The report said that the 15-member producers’ group earned a total of N127.2 trillion ($417 billion) in the period under review.

Oil prices rose by a significant 2% on Wednesday to exceed the $74 mark, the highest recorded in the last two weeks.

Out of this, Nigeria accounted for 6.24% of the total net export revenue, making adjustments for inflation into consideration.

Saudi Arabia got the largest share with oil export earnings at N38.4 trillion ($126 billion), while Equatorial Guinea and Ecuador contributed the lowest at N915 billion ($3 billion) respectively.

Angola, Nigeria’s closest rival in Africa, also earned N6.41 trillion ($21 billion) in the first seven months of 2018.

Meanwhile, Brent crude, which is the international benchmark of crude oil, rose by $1.48 to $74.11 a barrel.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose by $1.49 to $67.33 a barrel.

According to loading schedules for August and September, thirty crude oil cargoes are still in the country awaiting buyers.

By October, Nigerian oil supply is projected to hit a three-month high with a total of 38 cargoes, derived from daily loadings averaging 1.12 million barrels.

The sufficient supply of West African crude cargoes has been limited by a slowdown in oil demand from Asia, having little to no effect on global oil prices. - TheCable

CBN unveils new guidelines for credit to agric, manufacturing

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plans to increase the flow of credit to the real sector of the economy to consolidate and sustain the nation’s economic recovery.

To this end, the apex bank on Thursday released new guidelines for its intervention in the sector.

Speaking on the guidelines, the CBN Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mr Isaac Okorafor, said that the bank intended to achieve this through the commercial banks.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at its meeting on July 23 and July 24 introduced revised guidelines for Accessing Real Sector Support Facility (RSSDF) through Cash Reserves Requirement (CRR) or Corporate Bonds (CBs).

Okorafor said that commercial banks would, henceforth, be incentivised to direct affordable, long-term bank credit to the real sector.

He said that priority sectors included the manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors considered by the CBN as employment and growth stimulating.

Okorafor said that Corporate/Triple-A rated companies would be encouraged to issue long-term Corporate Bonds (CBs), adding that a Corporate Bonds (CB) Funding Programme had been put in place.

The programme, according to him, involves investment by the CBN and the general public in CBs issued by corporate organizations subject to the intensified transparency requirements for participating corporates.

He said that the requirements would include publishing of an Information Memorandum on the bonds.

Okorafor said that the memorandum would spell out the details of the projects for which the funds were required together with terms and conditions.

He said that it would also indicate that the long-term projects were employment and growth stimulating.

Okorafor said that the apex bank had also put in place a programme under the Differentiated Cash Reserves Requirement (DCRR) Regime.

He said commercial banks interested in providing credit financing to greenfield (new) and brownfield (expansion) projects in the real sector could request four release of funds from their CRR.

This, he said, would help to finance projects subject to commercial banks’ providing verifiable evidence that the funds would be directed to the approved projects by the CBN.

Okorafor said that the tenor for the Differentiated CRR would be a minimum of seven years with a two-year moratorium.

For the Corporate Bonds (CBs) Programme, he said the tenor and the moratorium would be specified in the prospectus by the issuing corporate.

Okorafor said that the maximum facility would be N10 billion per project and the facilities would be administered at interest rate or charge of nine per cent per annum.

He advised stakeholders to comply with the guidelines.

Lagos pastor allegedly used ‘satanic oppression’ to rape woman

The police on Thursday arraigned a 32- year-old fake pastor in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly raping a woman.

The accused, Micheal Akpan, who resides at 17, Unity Close, Obawole, Iju, a suburb of Lagos is charged with one-count of rape.

The Prosecutor, Insp Raji Akeem told the court that the offence was committed on Aug. 17 at the accused’s residence.

Raji said, “The accused pretended to be a pastor and told the complainant, a 29- year-old, who was on her way to work, that he had powers to deliver her from satanic oppression.”

He told the court that the accused told the complainant to buy seven bottles of olive oil for cleansing and also told her to meet him in his house later that day.

On getting to the house, he said, the accused shut the door at her and raped her.

Raji added that the complainant reported the case at the police station and the accused was arrested.

The offence, he said contravened Section 260 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Jadesola Adeyemi-Ajayi, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adeyemi-Ajayi also ordered the accused to pay additional N20,000 as part of the bail condition.

She, however, adjourned the case until Oct. 10 for mention. - Daily Post

25-year-old woman dies in Ogun shrine, police arrest priest, father

The police in Ogun have arrested an Ayelala priest over the death of a 25-year-old woman, Idowu Ogunkoya at his shrine.

Also arrested was the victim’s father, Temitayo Ogunkoya, said to have taken her to the shrine to be delivered of witchcraft.

The incident occurred on Sunday at Ojuolota, Ijesha Road in Ago-Iwoye.

It was gathered that the priest, Lekan Olukolu was apprehended following a complaint at Ago-Iwoye Police Division by the deceased’s fiancée Lucky Oghenetega.

Ogunkoya, it was gathered, was taken to the shrine by her parents to be “delivered of witchcraft.”

Oghenetega, it was gathered, told the police that the priest shaved the deceased’s hair and gave her a liquid substance to drink.

“She slumped and died immediately after consuming the liquid substance,” Oghenetega stated.

According to police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), detectives were led to the shrine where the priest and the woman’s father, Temitayo Ogunkoya were arrested.

He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu has ordered that the case be transferred to homicide section, State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for proper investigation.

“The CP warned members of the public to desist from primitive and barbaric ways of dealing with matters, especially issues concerning human lives. The command will not tolerate such archaic practices, capable of terminating innocent people’s life unnecessarily.” - The Nation

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How FG can fund 2019 polls without n’assembly’s approval - Sagay

Itse Sagay, chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), says the federal government can invoke the doctrine of necessity to fund the 2019 elections if the national assembly fails to appropriate funds for that purpose.

President Muhammadu Buhari had asked the federal lawmakers to approve N242 billion for the polls shortly before they embarked on their annual recess on July 24.

Although they are expected to reconvene on September 25, the relevant committees have already began work on the president’s request.

In a statement on Wednesday, Sagay said if elections are not held, there will be a collapse of the country’s democracy.

“The failure or refusal by the national assembly to approve funds for the 2019 election will constitute a sabotage of our democracy, of which the constitution is the embodiment,” the statement read.

“If elections are not held, it will mean the collapse of our democracy, leading to chaos and anarchy. The question that arises is simple. Which is more critical to democracy and the survival of Nigeria: Is it (one) the power of the national assembly to approve budgets or (two) the survival of democracy and Nigeria itself?

“If the survival of democracy is more important and fundamental to Nigeria’s existence, then failure to approve the budget for elections will trigger the doctrine of necessity, thus compelling the funding of election without the approval of the national assembly.

“It is simply a question of the survival of democracy and the continued existence of Nigeria. The power of approval of budget is just a single item in the whole of the constitution.

“On the contrary, elections and democracy which they support, constitute what the whole constitution is about. Therefore, the overriding necessity and imperative of elections and democracy simply override the power of national assembly.

“If the national assembly refuses or fails to approve the budget for election, the doctrine of necessity will validate the provision of the funds without the national assembly’s approval.” - TheCable

Banks’ lending to private sector declines by N600.60b

The total loans granted by Nigerian banks to the private sector declined from N16 trillion in the first quarter of 2017 to N15.34 trillion in the second quarter of 2018, a difference of N600.60 billion.

A report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Selected Banking Sector Data: Sectorial Breakdown of Credit, ePayment Channels and Staff Strength (Q2 2018), revealed that credit to the private sector declined for six consecutive quarters.

A breakdown of the total N63.27 trillion credit provided in 2017 by banks to finance activities of the private sector shows that N16 trillion was provided in the first quarter.

The second, third and fourth quarters had N15.7 trillion, N15.83 trillion and N15.74 trillion, respectively.

According to the report, banks lent N15.6 trillion to the private sector in Q1 2018, while the total value of credit allocated by banks stood at N15.34 trillion as at Q2 2018.

Credit allocation to the Oil & Gas sector increased to N3.45 trillion in Q2 from

N3.42 trillion in Q1 2018, while finance to the Manufacturing sector dropped to N2.02 trillion from N2.07 trillion in Q1.

The money lent to the agriculture sector increased to N523.08 billion from N501.6 billion recorded in Q1, Power and Energy dropped to N416.34 billion from N426.5 billion while Mining and quarry also declined to N10.18 billion from N10. 461 billion in Q1.

While credit to Government increased to N1.47 trillion from N1.411 trillion, Trade/General Commerce decreased from N1.054 trillion to N1.044 trillion, Finance, Insurance and Capital Market also dropped to N991.22 billion from N999.491 billion.

Real Estate also declined to N744.56 billion from N784.228; Information Communication and Technology received N814.57 billion and Construction had N612.85 billion, as at the review period.

The Education sector received N71.8 billion, while Transportation and Storage and other Sectors received N304.4 billion and N361.7 billion, respectively.

Dr Frank Jacobs, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), said the Deposit Money Banks (DMB) had consistently showed unease to lend to the real sector of the economy.

“One of the greatest challenges facing the manufacturing sector in the country is lack of long-term financing and high interest rate.

“It is quite disturbing to us that the banks are not lending as much as we need because that is the only way to grow the economy,” he said.

Jacobs said the association would continue to engage the banks to bridge the funding gaps.

He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its plan to implement a special regime to make funds available to the manufacturing and agriculture sectors at nine per cent interest.

However, Jacobs reiterated that to spur economic growth, recovery and industrialisation, funds should be made available to the real sector at five per cent.

Director-General Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Muda Yusuf said more funds should be allocated to the private sector to enhance productivity, employment and economic growth.

“If lending is declining, it shows that there is a lot more work to be done. Some of the issues affecting private sector lending need to be revisited.

“When the economic environment is not too conducive, the risk of lending to the private sector increases,” he said. 

Nigerians ranked 8th most hardworking foreigners in US

Global business magazine, Bloomberg has ranked Nigerians working in the United States as the eighth most hardworking foreigners in that country.

In a 2018 report released yesterday, Nigerians scored 71.0 percent in the list of the hardest and most skilled immigrant groups in the US which was topped by Ghana with 75.2 percent.

Bulgaria and Kenya were ranked second and third with 74.2 percent and 73.4 percent respectively. Other African countries in the report’s top 10 are Ethiopia (4th), Egypt (5th), and Liberia (9th).

This makes Africans in general the most productive immigrants in the US ahead of those from Mexico and Central America, who constitute more than 70 percent of foreign nationals in that country.

Mexico is by far the most common country of origin, but the population of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. (both documented and undocumented) actually fell 6 percent from 2007 to 2015, according to the Pew Research Centre.

The numbers of Salvadorans, Hondurans and Guatemalans in the U.S. continued to grow.

“If we want more high-skilled, hardworking, English-speaking, ready-to-integrate immigrants, it looks like the most obvious place to find them is in African countries where English is widely spoken,” Bloomberg journalist Justin Fox, who came up with the report, said.

The report, developed from the 2016 US Census Bureau American Community Survey, ranked Nigeria 8th among the Most-Educated Immigrant Groups in the U.S.

Nigeria sandwiched between Australia (7th) and Malaysia (9th).

The report put the number of Nigerian legal immigrants in the U.S. at 262,603.

According to the report, Kenya, Nigeria, Nepal and Ghana have the highest number of citizens pursuing higher education in the US after Saudi Arabia.

Immigrants from Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana are near the top in both employment-population ratio and higher-education enrollment, it said. - Daily Post

Meet the police officer who breastfed baby on duty in Argentina and got promoted

A police officer in Argentina has been promoted after she comforted a crying baby by breastfeeding him.

Celeste Ayala was on duty at Sor María Ludovica children’s hospital near Buenos Aires when she heard the cries.

After speaking with hospital management, she breastfed the baby, who had recently been taken away from his mother, Buenos Aires provincial police told CNN.

News of Ayala’s compassionate deed spread after her colleague, Marcos Heredia, posted a picture on Facebook of her feeding the baby last week.

Heredia wrote: “I want to make public this great gesture of love that you made today with that baby, who you did not know, but for whom you did not hesitate to act like a mother. You did not care if he was dirty or smelly … Things like that are not seen every day.”

The post has been shared more than 100,000 times. The incident took place on 14 August, which coincidentally is the national day of the female officer in Argentina.

Ayala told the website Cronica: “I noticed that he was hungry, as he was putting his hand into his mouth, so I asked to hug him and breastfeed him.

“It was a sad moment, it broke my soul seeing him like this. Society should be sensitive to the issues affecting children; it cannot keep happening.”

Local media reported that the baby was one of six siblings who were malnourished.

Announcing Ayala’s promotion from officer to sergeant, Cristian Ritondo, the minister of security of Buenos Aires province, tweeted: “We wanted to thank you in person for that gesture of spontaneous love that managed to calm the baby’s cry. That’s the type of police we’re proud of, the police we want.”

The local fire department, for which Ayala volunteers, also praised her, saying “actions like this fill us with pride”. - The Guardian 

Group kicks against arrest of over 100 female supporters of Nnamdi Kanu

Igbo Ekunie Initiative, a socio-cultural Igbo organisation, has demanded the release of over 100 women recently arrested by security operatives in Owerri, Imo state.

The women were protesting the disappearance of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) when they were picked by the ecurity operative and subsequently charged to court.

Kanu has not been seen in public since IPOB had a clash with soldiers of the Nigerian army in Abia, last year.

In a statement on Wednesday, Tochukwu Ezeoke, the initiative’s president, condemned the arrest, describing it as “cowardly” and “primitive”.

“These innocent and unarmed women were within their rights under the Nigerian constitution, engaging in a peaceful demonstration and protest over the continued disappearance of Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement read.

“We are supposed to be in a practicing democracy and we cannot understand why the magistrate Mrs S.K. Durumba before whom the arrested women were charged in Owerri would refuse to discharge and acquit the women or at least grant them bail as prescribed under the law.

“We find it strange that an organization that goes to sleep when hundreds and even thousands are massacred across Nigeria by Fulani herdsmen can hurriedly embark on arresting and assaulting harmless and unarmed Igbo mothers.”

The group accused the security agencies of being partisan and serving the interest of a particular section of the country “whereas security agencies are constitutionally required to  serve all citizens.”

It called for the immediate and unconditional release of the women while “maximum compensation in monetary terms should be paid to them by the Nigerian authorities.” - TheCable

Osinbajo : With $94bn oil earnings in three years, PDP can’t beat us

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday pegged the total earning which accrued to the Nigerian government from oil sales in the past three years at $94 billion.

He, however, stated that in the four years preceding the All Progressive Congress, APC, administration, the government – then led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – earned about $393 billion in oil sales but made less impact on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians.

Osinbajo made this revelation during a town hall meeting in Bariga/Somolu LCDA in Lagos State, on Tuesday, as part of festivities marking the Eid-el-Kabir with Lagosians.

He said: “In the past four years of the previous administration, over $393 billion was earned in oil proceeds alone. In the past three years, we have earned $94 billion. Look at the difference.

“And the reasons are very straightforward. The price of oil was about half of what it used to be. But with the same $94 billion, we have been able to do far more.”

The vice president, who addressed a gathering comprising APC chieftains in the state, youth groups, state government officials and the LCDA Chairmen of Somolu and Bariga, noted that the administration’s National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) were geared towards improving the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.

“The president’s focus has always been on the common man. So, when we came, we decided on a few things to tackle youth unemployment. First, the N-Power programme to engage as many young people who are graduates as possible.

“We started with 200,000, and just this month, we have employed another 300,000. So, in our N-Power programme, we have 500,000 young graduates who are employed in the programme. Now every local government (area) in Nigeria has N-Power graduate,” he said.

“When we got into office, 24 states had not paid salaries for over six months and we ensured that these salaries were paid.

“And President Buhari said then, ‘Look, I have been a salary earner all my life, I have never done any business; the only thing I have ever done is government work, either as a soldier or in government. I cannot imagine how anybody can go to sleep as a governor without paying the salaries of his workers.’ So, we made sure that we paid salaries, and we have done so many other things.

“In investments, look at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; for almost 12 years, with all that money, it was never done. Now we have set about and we are doing it, we will complete it. Also, the Lagos-Kano railway project, so many of us know that we are moving towards Ibadan now. And we are going to complete it,” he added. - Daily Post