SAD !! Kerosene explosion kills siblings, injures two others

Two sibblings have died while two others sustained severe burns as a result of two adulterated kerosene explosions in Umuebe village, Ezzamgbo community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The Nation reliably gathered that the victims purchased the adulterated kerosene from the same filling station at Ezzamgbo junction.

The explosions happened in two different locations in the area, it was learnt.

The names of the deceased children are Joy Ituma who is 6 years old and her 4 years old brother Joshua Ituma.

The two children and their uncle  were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA) were the two died.

34 years old Mrs Christiana Idenyi and 17 years old Uchenna Idoko, as n uncle of the kids are the other two victims.

Mrs Idenyi whose incident happened last Monday evening lamented that the explosion occurred immediately she struck the matches to light her lantern. She said it gave her serious burns which affected her two legs.

“I went to the filling station and bought the kerosene. I poured it into the lamp immediately I returned. So, immediately I struck the matches, it exploded. As you can see, my legs, hands, and other parts of my body were burnt”, Idenyi narrated.

The deceased persons’ uncle, Mr Chukwudi Idoko, who was deeply saddened by the incident, alleged that the kerosene was bought from the said filling station.

“When the schools went on holiday, my younger brother left Obobo village to my sister’s house to assist my sister. She trades on babies wears and her husband is a commercial bus driver.

“So, he is the one that takes care of the children. So, when they bought the kerosene, they poured it inside the lantern. So, immediately he struck the matches to light it, it exploded and everywhere went up in flames” he narrated.

Mrs Juliet Igwebuike who also lives in the building confirmed that she was at the scene of the incidence and gave her account thus:

“I was just coming back from church. I went inside to change when I started hearing shouts calling for help. I thought he was quarrelling with his sister. But the boy kept ‘shouting help oh!’ ‘It’s fire oh!’ So, I rushed out immediately. He was already outside the room trying to put out the fire on him.

“There was no way to enter the room. I checked the door net and it was locked. I checked the window, it was locked too. Later, the other man took courage and broke the door net that was locked. The boy had earlier broken the window glass and jump out.

“He kept screaming that his brother and sister were inside. One Calabar man in the house, my neighbour, went inside with courage. The other man also moved in also.

“I was standing at the window. They threw out the first child, a girl, from the window and I picked her and poured her water. Later they threw out the second child, a boy, and I also poured him water”, she narrated.

Police spokesman in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident.

She said that the filling station’s manager, Emmanuel Omiyi, and the kerosene pump attendant, Anayo Ayu, have been arrested for interrogation.

She said that some samples have been taken from the facility for laboratory test by experts in petroleum products.

Chief Consultant at the Burns and Plastic Surgery unit of Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), Dr Nnadozie Ugochukwu, said that the 4-year-old was 100 percent burnt.

“The 6-year-old was about 95 percent burnt; several degrees burn. The only thing that remained was a little part of her hairs. The 17-year-old boy sustained about 57 percent burns. And because they stayed so long inside that place, they had difficulty in breathing even by the time they came”, he added. - The Nation

Anambra couple declared wanted over abduction of 4-year old

A couple has been declared wanted by the Anambra State government following alleged abduction of a 4-year old girl in Umunya, Oyi local government area of the state.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, in a statement, said the suspect, one Elochukwu and wife, Chekwube, took the baby, Chisom Umekwe to unknown destination.

He said the incident was reported to the police by the mother of the baby, Nneka Umekwe.

“On the 23/08/2018 at about 1500hrs, one Nneka Umekwe of Ojobi village Umunya reported at Oyi division that on the 15/08/18 at about 1300hrs, one Elochukwu and Wife Chekwube, surname unknown of same address, took her daughter, Chisom Umekwe, to unknown destination and all efforts made to locate her proved abortive.

“She is fair in complexion, about 3ft tall, speaks Igbo language fluently and without tribal mark.

“She was also putting on white cloth and red slippers as at the time she was allegedly stolen.

While enjoining members of the public to be on the look out for the suspects or victim, Mohammed urged them to report to the nearest Police Station for prompt response if seen. - The Nation

Man pays $10,000 to ex-wife in coins

An Indonesian civil servant who owed his ex-wife a large alimony has paid back some $10,000 worth of missed payments -- in coins.

Dwi Susilarto arrived at court on Thursday hauling a dozen sacks filled with 153 million rupiah ($10,500) in small change, a hefty payment that weighed in at about 890 kilograms (1,960 pounds), his lawyer said.

A fight nearly broke out between the man and his ex-wife's lawyer, who refused to count the money transported in a wheelbarrow pushed by the 54-year-old and two friends.

Susilarto's lawyer denied that his client was trying to insult ex-wife Hermi Setyowati.

The man's low public service salary forced him to reach out to friends after the court in the town of Karanganyar in Central Java ordered him to pay back some nine years' worth of unpaid alimony, said the lawyer Sutarto, who goes by one name.

"I was honestly surprised too (at the payment), but my client said the money was donated by friends and family who gave most of it to him in coins," he told AFP on Friday.

"There was no intention to insult anyone -- that's all he has."

Setyowati, who eventually accepted the funds, wasn't buying her former husband's excuse.

"This is insulting -- it's like calling me poor," she was quoted by local media as saying.

The court ordered its staff to count the money. - AFP

Mob lynch, roast suspected motorcycle thief to death in Cross River

An angry mob has lynched and set fire on a motorcycle thief in Ikom Urban 1, Ikom local government area of Cross River State, killing him in the process.

An eyewitness, who gave his name as Cornelius, said the incident occurred by 4:30am and the suspect’s name was given as Emmanuel, from Akwa Ibom State, who lived and did business as an Okada (motorcycle) rider in Ikom local government area.

Another eyewitness, Bojor Okongor, said the victim was trying to forcefully snatch a motorcycle from the owner at gunpoint when he met his Waterloo.

“The Victim was a motorcyclist (Okada man) by profession, named Emmanuel, from Akwa Ibom, and a resident of the same neighbourhood where he was caught trying to forcefully snatch a motorcycle from the original owner with fire arm and a knife.

“But he was so unfortunate and he’s to pay with his life for all his atrocities. He was caught, beaten to pulp and immediately burnt to dead by the angry Youths.

“I condemn this in its totality. No matter what, we should stop taking lives we can’t give and also say no to crime.”

When contacted on phone on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Irene Ugbo confirmed the incident, and said the police had warned residents against taking laws into their hands.

According to her, “We’ve always told them not to indulge in Jungle Justice, because jungle justice is an offence by the law. Anybody being caught will be arrested and charged for murder.

“We’ve given this warning several times – it’s just that when these things happened, you know Police cannot be everywhere at the same time and before Police will move in there, this people might have taken the laws into their hands and the damage done already.

“So, what we preach and will continue to preach is that, anybody being caught would be arrested.”

Ms Ugbo promised to use the media and other stakeholders to sensitise the general public on the implications of jungle justice. - Daily Post

Many homeless as flood wreaks havoc in Kaduna

Torrential rain has rendered hundreds of people homeless in some suburbs in Kaduna state.

Many houses were submerged as a result of the downpour which started on Thursday evening and lasted till the early hours of Friday.

The communities worst hit by the disaster are Ungwa-Romi, Kigo road, Barnawa, Kudenda, Karatudu, Narayi, Ungwa- Rimi, Gonin-Gora, the Federal Cooperative School, Kawo, Ramat Road and Bachama Road.

The development made many people to take refuge in schools and and churches.

 The flood happened days after warning about a possible flooding by the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Kaduna state Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA).

The two agencies had issued flood alert to residents, especially those residing along the Kaduna river and those near waterways.

The agencies repeatedly announced the warning on local radio stations in the city.

In some of the affected areas, residents were seen parking their belongings to residences of friends or relatives in other neighbourhood.

Some of the residents said they did not hear the warnings.

Timothy Audu, a victim of the flooding in Romi area, said he and his family were already asleep when water started gushing into his house.

“It was around 11:30pm, I heard some noise and I wanted to find out what was the cause of the noise, but as I stepped out of the bed, I stepped into the water,” he said.

“I managed to eveacuted my family to a friend’s house. My house was completely submerged, we lost everything as we could carry anything.”

Another victim who simply identified himself as Bulus said “local government officials came here about four days ago to give us a telephone number that we should call if there is any incident of flooding.

“We have been calling them since yesterday and they are yet to come here.”

She said despite the warning about the flood, they could not leave because they had no where to go.

Lamenting the incident, Yohanna Samson said “Since the rain was falling continuously we were afraid and could not sleep well. We were awake when at about 12 am the water started coming into my house.

“When I came outside everywhere was covered by water. We did not sleep at all. We have been packing our load since. Yesterday I took some to my brother’s house. Now we are still packing.”

Ben Kure, executive secretary of SEMA, attributed the situation to the flooding of the Kaduna river as well as blockage of drainage and waterways by residents and called on them to contribute to environmental safety to avoid such disasters.

He said his agency was taken steps to provide temporary accommodations to those affected by the disaster.

“Before now we sent warning signals which we announced on radio stations on a daily basis. We also embarked on enlightenment campaigns on radio and TV on the the possibility flood and we told those living at river banks and water ways to vacate,” he said.

“In our interaction with some of those affected, they told us that the flood occured every year and “one is wont to ask why they are still living in those places and endangering their lives.

“We visited Kawo, Ramat Road, Anguwan Rimi, Kigo Road, Gonin Gora, Karatudu, Bachama Road.

“We are working on providing temporary aboard to those affected. In Karatudu, classrooms in the secondary and primary school in the area had been given to the victims.

“We intend to provide mattresses and blankets. We are trying to take a head count of those affected and begin to make quick response.” - TheCable

MultiChoice appeals court judgement against increased tariff

MultiChoice, the parent company of DSTV and GoTV, has appealed an interim court from the federal high court sitting in Abuja.

On August 23, Nnamdi Dimgba, justice of the court, had ruled that the South African company halt the increment of subscription rates to its cable television services till further notice.

The company had announced new rates for DSTV and GoTV effective from August 1, 2018.

The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) had filed a case against MultiChoice.

In a statement released on Friday, the company described the court order as an “affront to the free market economy “.

“On 23 August 2018, MultiChoice Nigeria received an interim court order dated 20 August from the federal high court regarding the price adjustment that we implemented on 1 August 2018,” the statement read.

“We believe that the order is an affront to the free market economy and we have now filed a Notice of Appeal and an application for stay of execution, pending the hearing of the Appeal. The CPC has been accordingly served with the requisite processes.”

MultiChoice said the new prices will be maintained.

“MultiChoice Nigeria will always operate within the ambit of the law and will continue with the authorities to ensure the best outcome for our customers. We remain committed to providing the best quality of entertainment and premium content at the best possible prices.” - TheCable

Save us from untimely death – Ekiti monarchs beg Fayose

Worried over last Monday’s stabbing to death of the monarch of Odo Oro Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of the state, Oba Gbadebo Ogunsakin and other traditional rulers in Ekiti State have pleaded passionately with the Ekiti state government to help them beef up security in their various palaces.

Acting under the aegies of “Majority Obas of Ekiti”, the category of obas, who are made up of Third Class rulers and others with lesser grades, gave the appeal when they paid sympathy visit to the town which had remained in mourning mood since the incident took place last week Monday.

DAILY POST reports that the rulers were led by the Olowa of Odo Owa Ekiti, Oba Ayomide Oyedeji, describing the way and manner their colleague was killed as shocking, unfortunate and worrisome.

According to them, the perpetrator of the crime would probably have not found it easy to carry out the crime if the palace had been fortified by armed security men, complimenting local guards.
Though they acnowledged that government had always accorded priority to their welfare and wellbeing, they believe that beefing up security in the palaces would be an added advantage, especially considering the unprecedented attack on the palace of the deceased king by his killer.

The traditional rulers also urged residents of the various communities to be security conscious and proactive by not leaving the job of watching over the palaces to security officials alone.

DAILY POST reports that the Odo Oro Ekiti community was thrown into mourning last Monday as a 40-year old suspect with a royal background, Omoniyi Ademola, who was initially said to be mental unstable, entered the palace unchallenged and stabbed the traditional ruler to death.

He has since been arrested and paraded by the state police command, as investigations continue.

The suspect, Omoniyi has owned up to the crime, though he said killing the Oba was done in error as he only retaliated when the deceased first attacked him, saying he never knew he would die in the process.

As of the time of filing this report, normal commercial activies in the town still remained at the lowest ebb as markets were shut as a mark of honour for the late Oba who ascended the throne in 1986, and described by many as well loved by his subjects. - Daily Post