Man sent to prison for allegedly defiling two of his daughters

An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court has remanded a 37-year-old man, Suleman Usman for allegedly defiling two of his daughters.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Friday Mameh, told the court that Usman defiled his 8 and 5-year-old daughters at his No. 2, Balle St., Apapa, Lagos residence.

According to the prosecutor, the accused on several occasions had sexual intercourse with the two girls.

He said Usman’s wife caught him and reported the case at the Igbosere police station, which led to his arrest.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Sections 261 and 263 (1) (2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

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

After listening to the prosecutor, the Magistrate, Mrs M. F. Onamusi, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison.

She also ordered that the case file be duplicated and forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. - Daily Post

Nigerian airlines delayed 93 flights daily between January and June

Airlines operating in the country delayed an average of 106 flights every day between January and June 2018.

Muhtar Usman, director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), provided this information while speaking at an interactive forum with Aviation Agencies and Airlines’ Information Managers in Lagos.

He said 348 flights were cancelled for various reasons during the said period.

“The eight domestic airlines recorded a total of 16,880 delayed flights with 253 cancellations,” the NCAA DG said.

“Also, 33 airlines on the international routes recorded 2,443 delayed flights and cancelled 95 flights.

According to him, flights can be delayed or cancelled for safety and operational reasons, especially during adverse weather conditions, but they must be done in accordance with standard civil aviation regulations.

He said all airlines had been warned against incessant flight delays and cancellations.

The director-general said NCAA had begun the process of streamlining aviation charge, saying the charges are quite moderate when compared to other countries.

“There are some existing charges in other countries that are not applicable in Nigeria and this is not to overburden airlines,” he explained.

He said the goal of NCAA was to continue to collaborate with other agencies and stakeholders in order to create a robust aviation industry that could contribute more to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). - TheCable

16 miners kidnapped in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Police Command, on Wednesday said 16 miners have been kidnapped in Bogoma village of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area in the state.

The Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

Sabo said the 16 miners were abducted on Tuesday night when the truck they were travelling in was intercepted by armed bandits shortly after they left their mining site on their way home.

“The bandits kidnapped one Isa Tanimu and 15 others, all of the same village,” Sabo said.

He added that a team of the Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit are currently combing the area to rescue the miners and arrest the kidnappers.

Sabo described the incident as quite unfortunate, but assured that the command was doing its best to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

“We appeal to the general public to assist the police with useful information towards ensuring that the criminals are brought to book,” Police PPRO Sabo added. - Daily Post

PL News : Klopp confident in Fabinho

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has backed £44m man Fabinho to impress after naming him in the starting XI against Chelsea.

The Reds face Chelsea in the League Cup and Fabinho has been handed his first start of the season for the clash.

Fabinho joined Liverpool for £44m from AS Monaco in the summer, but Fabinho has been held back from starting before this game.

Speaking to Liverpool’s website, Klopp said this about Fabinho:

“I can imagine the eyes are now on him pretty much after the transfer in the summer and he didn’t play so far, but as normal as he can [play] would be the best way.”

“He cannot be settled, but it’s a good thing that Millie, Naby and Fabinho played together in this formation in pre-season. That was one reason for the line-up to make it a bit easier, but in the end we know he is a good footballer so it is not a proper test for him.”

“We hope he can immediately show how good he is.”

Fabinho will now be hoping to impress and prove that he has what it takes to force his way into Liverpool’s Premier League team. - Read Sport

Transfer News : Ramsey set to leave Arsenal on a free transfer

Arsenal are set to let midfielder Aaron Ramsey leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.

According to The Mirror, Arsenal have taken their contract offer off the table and are willing to let Ramsey leave for nothing.

Italian giants AC Milan have been linked with Ramsey and are said to be keen on the Welshman.

AC Milan may now to snatch Ramsey up on a cut-price deal to strengthen their squad in the second-half of the season.

The Italian club would also have the option of signing Ramsey on a pre-contract agreement, tying the deal up ahead of the summer on a free transfer.

Ramsey has made over 300 appearances at Arsenal over a vast number of years and has contributed to over 100 goals with his strikes and his assists.

The Welsh international scored for his country against Ireland last weekend. - Read Sport

Is there any hope !!! N’assembly’s 2017 budget ‘higher than those of 10 states’

Enough is Enough Nigeria (EIE), a civil society organisation, says the N125 billion budget of the national assembly in 2017 was higher than of those of 10 states in the country.

Adeolu Adekola, programme director of EIE, said this on Wednesday while addressing a press conference in Abuja.

Adekola said they wrote to the leadership of the national assembly and then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that the budget should be reduced to N52.5 billion but there was no acknowledgement or response.

He expressed surprise that the national assembly increased its budget by N14.5 billion in 2018.

“To further disdain the Nigerian people, the national assembly’s 2018 budget was increased by 14.5 billion to N139.5 billion. This seems to instutionalise the additional N10 billion that was released to the national assembly in 2017 by the former minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, making their total budget N135 billion,” the programme director said.

“Despite promises to ensure their budget is public as standard practise and several requests from campaign, the national assembly has refused to publish the details of their 2018 budget. It should be noted that the national assembly’s budget is a statutory transfer and not subject to the revenue performance of the country.

“The published 2017 budget was higher than the individual budgets of 10 states in Nigeria (Adamawa, with a population of 4.2 million citizens – N120.4 billion, Niger, with a population of 5.6 millions citizens – N116 billion, Anambra, with a population of 5.5 million citizens – N115.5 billion as examples).

“With senator Shehu Sani’s N13.5 million running costs disclosure,  questions need to be asked regarding what these monies are used for.”

Adekola frowned at the non-usage of electronic voting when the two houses of the national assembly voted on the amendment of constitution in July.

He added that the national assembly is a critical institution for the country’s democracy and it should serve not just a few people but all Nigerians. - TheCable

FEC approves N500m for EFCC to maintain new office

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N500 million for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the maintenance of its new office complex.

The EFCC recently moved into a new 10-storey permanent office at Jabi, Abuja.

Garba Shehu, the spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the end of the FEC meeting presided by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

He said the anti-graft agency also got the approval for the procurement of 700 computers, 100 laptops and 25 laser printers at about N459 million.

“Another memo for the purchase of 15 utility vehicles for the EFCC was also approved.

“They are expanding and need the vehicles for their operations. All the vehicles are from local assembly plants.

“ FEC approved the purchase of five water patrol boats for the Nigerian Ports Authority, Marina, Lagos.This is for coastline security,” he said. - Daily Post

Minimum wage : Labour directs workers to embark on warning strike Thursday

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed workers to embark on a nationwide warning strike from Thursday.

The strike is to press home the demand for a new minimum wage after talks with the federal government’s tripartite committee stalled.

The government was recently issued a 14-day ultimatum over the matter.

Peter Ozo-Eson, general secretary of NLC, issued a directive on the warning strike in a statement on Tuesday.

Labour directed all industrial unions in the country and state councils to begin the mobilisation of their members ahead of the strike.

The statement read: “This is to inform you that the organised labour shall commence a nationwide warning strike in respect of the non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage effective midnight of Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

“All industrial unions and all state councils are to commence mobilisation immediately for an effective strike action nationwide. A formal notification letter will be sent later in the day.”

Similarly, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also said the strike will proceed as scheduled following the expiration of the ultimatum.

Musa-Lawal Ozigi, TUC secretary-general, said the decision to embark on strike was sequel to the resolution of the central working committee (CWC) of TUC.

“Strike is hereby declared to commence from early hours of Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018,” Ozigi said. - TheCable

CBN: Nigeria may slip back into a recession

The monetary policy committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria says the economy’s exit from recession may be under threat.

While reading out the outcome of the two-day meeting of the committee to reporters on Tuesday, Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, said: “The Committee was concerned that the exit from recession may be under threat as the economy slowed to 1.95 and 1.50 per cent in Q1 and Q2 2018, respectively.

“The Committee noted that the slowdown emanated from the oil sector, with strong linkages to employment and growth in other key sectors of the economy.

“In this regard, the Committee urged government to take advantage of the current rising oil prices to rebuild fiscal buffers, strengthen government finances in the medium term and reverse the current trend of decline in output growth.

“The MPC also called on the fiscal authorities to intensify the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to stimulate economic activity, bridge the output gap and create employment.”

Other threats to the economy noted by the committee were “the potential impact of liquidity injection from election-related spending, and increase in FAAC distribution, which is rising in tandem with increase in oil receipt.”

The economy slipped into a recession in 2016 and exited in September 2017. - TheCable

Despite shootings, states return to familiar patterns

Shortly after last year's shooting massacre on the Las Vegas strip, Ohio Gov. John Kasich convened a working group to explore possible reforms to state gun laws.

A Republican, Kasich appointed panel members who supported the Second Amendment and came from across the political spectrum. Their work accelerated after the Valentine's Day slaughter at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

They eventually produced a legislative package that included what Kasich called "sensible changes that should keep people safer." The legislation was introduced by a Republican lawmaker in the GOP-dominated Legislature.

It went nowhere.

Among other objections, the Republican leadership raised constitutional concerns about a provision allowing courts to order that weapons be seized from individuals showing signs of violence.

"The way we put it together, the fact that you had people on both sides of the issue — I would have thought something would have happened," Kasich said. "But the negative voices come in unison and they come strongly."

The Ohio experience is not unusual.

An Associated Press review of all firearms-related legislation passed this year, encompassing the first full state legislative sessions since the Las Vegas attack, shows a decidedly mixed record. Gun control bills did pass in a number of states, but the year was not the national game-changer that gun-control advocates had hoped it could be.

Even in a year that included yet another mass school shooting and an unprecedented level of gun-control activism, state legislatures across the country fell back to largely predictable and partisan patterns.

"It's exactly what happened after Newtown: The anti-gun states became more anti-gun and the pro-gun states became more pro-gun," said Michael Hammond, the legislative counsel for Gun Owners of America, referring to the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 children and six educators.

The major exceptions were Florida and Vermont.

Both states have Republican governors and long traditions of gun ownership. Lawmakers passed sweeping legislation after the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 14 students and three staff members and after a foiled school shooting plot in Vermont days later.

The law signed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott banned bump stocks, raised the gun buying age to 21, imposed a three-day waiting period for purchases and authorized police to seek court orders seizing guns from individuals who are deemed threats to themselves and others. The latter provision has already been used hundreds of times.

But no other Republican-dominated state followed Florida's lead, the AP review found.

The Parkland shooting did slow momentum for additional gun rights bills in some Republican-led states, but others pushed forward with pro-gun policy agendas. They widened the definition of who can legally carry a weapon in public, allowed more concealed weapons in schools, churches and government buildings, and strengthened legal protections for people who claim they shot someone in self-defense.

In Tennessee, county commissioners were granted the ability to carry concealed handguns in their workplaces. Oklahoma approved a bill allowing permit holders to carry handguns while scouting. Nebraska lawmakers enacted a long-sought bill shielding all documents related to gun permits from the open records law.

In South Carolina, where a state senator was killed in the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, lawmakers rejected a simple bill requiring court clerks to enter convictions and restraining orders in a timely fashion to strip gun rights from people who have been disqualified from possessing firearms.

The most significant policy development, the review found, was the enactment of so-called "red flag laws" in eight states. Those laws allow police or relatives to seek court orders to seize guns from people who are showing signs of violence.

Five Republican governors signed those laws, which have been used to seize guns from hundreds of individuals already this year.

Supporters say the laws are proven to save lives, and they were a rallying cry amid reports that the suspected Parkland high school gunman, Nikolas Cruz, was deeply troubled yet allowed to own guns. Eight states also approved laws to ban bump stocks, the rapid-trigger devices that a gunman used as he shot hundreds of people at the music festival in Las Vegas, including 58 who were killed.

But often, the debate over public safety and the reach of the Second Amendment played out in statehouses with familiar results.

In Colorado, a state rocked by the 1999 Columbine High School and 2012 Aurora theater mass shootings, lawmakers in the divided Legislature refused to compromise.

The Democratic-controlled House passed bills to ban bump stocks and enact a red flag law that had the support of many police officers and prosecutors. But the Republican-controlled Senate quickly assigned those to a "kill" committee and defeated them.

"To me, the Second Amendment and individual rights demand the highest respect. That's the basis of where I come from," said Republican Sen. Tim Neville, one of the capitol's most ardent gun rights activists. - AP

PL News : Pundits give their verdict on Kante

Sky Sports pundits Paul Merson and Steve Sidwell Maurizio Sarri is utilising N’Golo Kante in the wrong manner and failing to get the best out of him, as reported by football.london.

Kante, considered one of the best defensive midfielders in world football, won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2015/16 and 2016/17, WITH lEICESTER City and then Chelsea.

He also went on to help France win the World Cup in Russia this summer, however Sarri opted to bring in Jorginho from Napoli during the summer and has favoured starting the Italian in that defensive midfield role for the Blues.

Kante has therefore been forced to play more on the right side of midfield in a more advanced role.

However Merson and Sidwell both believe that Kante’s talent is wasted in his new role.

Merson said:

“I don’t think it’s Kante’s position in a more advanced role.”

“He’s not going to get you five goals in a whole season and he’s probably not going to get five assists, it’s a bit of a waste of a position really.”

“Jorginho is a proper player, he’s always looking forward, his first thought it to pass forward, but to win two league titles with two different clubs just shows how good he [Kante] is.”

 Sidwell added:

“I don’t think the system suits Kante and I think he feels that as well. I know he’s got the legs, is a wiling runner and seems like a nice fella off the pitch and will just say ‘yeah ok I’ll do that for you’, but I think he’s best suited to sit in front of that back four, shoring everything up, doing everyone’s work and giving it to the [other] players to go and win the game.”

 Merson went on to offer some advice to Sarri when discussing the Blues’ chances of winning the Premier League this term.

“In the big games I think he’s got to play Kante right next to Jorginho. Those two have just got to sit in front of the back four because I don’t really trust the back four, especially in the big games.”

“Play them both in there in the big, big games then I think they’ll be all right.” - Read Sport

Arsenal can make top four - Charlie Nicholas

Former Arsenal player and Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas believes the Gunners could well finish inside the top-four of the Premier League this season, as per a report on Sky Sports.

Despite back-to-back defeats in their opening two games of the season against Manchester City and Chelsea, the Gunners have now secured four straight victories under Unai Emery as his side improve.

With Emery’s side currently sat sixth in the table, Nicholas believes that the Gunners are more than capable of pushing for a top four finish this season.

He said:

“At the moment I am pleased with the response from the first two defeats, everybody can see we have a real problem trying to adjust to the new manager’s policy defensively.”

“There is still that confusion between defence and attack that takes too long to get going. Saying that, Sunday’s win over Everton was a first clean sheet, a confidence builder.”

“My prediction at the start of the season was that Arsenal and Chelsea were going to be the two to miss out because there was too much toing and froing.”

“I think that gap has closed for them because Man United are average and Spurs are struggling a little bit”

“I don’t think they are good enough because defensively it is telling me the honest answer is no [they are not], but they are improving and the good news for me is – what I have said from day one – that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette can play in the same team because Aubameyang is not a natural number nine.”

“That is why it works better and they are starting to score a few goals and I am grateful for that. Until Arsenal adjust to this defensive set up – and let’s be honest at the weekend Petr Cech was man of the match, which tells you all you need to know – as it stands I am not expecting them to make the top four.”

“If the improvement gradually carries on, I don’t see Chelsea or Man United being so much better, and I am a little bit more hopeful than I was at the start of the season.”

 Aubameyang and Lacazette, who both got on the score-sheet against Everton on Sunday, have been at the centre of the Arsenal attack and are beginning to form a formidable partnership.

Nicholas spoke of the attacking duo’s importance to the Arsenal side.

“Massive, they are vital. When strikers score goals confidence is high, people trust them and you can feel it in the stadium now.”

“Aubameyang is better than Lacazette, but Lacazette is really good because he likes to get on the shoulder of people. If anybody notices with Arsenal, Lacazette’s touch and spin and link-up with Aubameyang – I think Cardiff is where they showed it best – they have that, this partnership and togetherness, and the feeling between the two of them.”

“Aubameyang feels a bit more comfortable with Lacazette in the team and playing slightly wider. I think it suits him better, he looks to be enjoying it more rather than waiting 15 minutes for a touch at number nine.”

“They have got a bit of a partnership here, it’s not Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke but it’s heading in the right direction and that is the most positive thing for the Gunners.” - Read Sport

Ronke Shonde: How husband murdered banker wife – Pathologist

A pathologist, Dr S.S. Soyele, told an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday that Ronke Shonde, the banker allegedly murdered by her dockworker husband, Lekan Shonde, had suffered severe brain injuries, which led to her death.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Soyele is a Medical Pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

He revealed the results of a post-mortem examination, conducted on Ronke, while being led in evidence by Mr Y. G. Oshoala, the lead State Prosecutor.

Soyele revealed that it was discovered during the autopsy that the deceased’s brain was heavy, swollen and filled with water and it was highly unlikely that the deceased inflicted the injuries on herself because of the multiplicity of injuries.

“The deceased died from respiratory failure, caused by cerebral edema (swollen brain), caused by a blunt force trauma to the brain,” he said.

“A bruise was found on her left jaw. During autopsy, it was also discovered that the deceased had black eyes (pupils) a tell-tale sign of brain injury

“We opened up the body and brought out all the organs. We also opened up the skull to bring out the brain. Blood collection was discovered in the skull, just beneath the skin.

“The deceased’s uterus was also brought out and there was no sign of conception. We took samples from the brain in order to determine the cause of death, which primarily was respiratory failure caused by trauma to the brain.”

Soyele, who revealed that he and his team had conducted over 1,000 autopsies, said that Ronke’s autopsy revealed that she had suffered past injuries to her brain.

“We took samples from the brain and discovered old haemorrhage (bleeding) in the brain, which suggest past trauma.” he added.

NAN reports that at the previous court proceedings on September 20, Ronke’s sister, Miss Bolatito Bewaji, had revealed during her testimony that Ronke had approached a lawyer to file for divorce on the day she was allegedly murdered by Lekan.

She also revealed to the court a history of domestic violence Ronke had endured from Lekan.

Bolatito, also a banker, said that Lekan was overly possessive of his wife, and would beat her frequently, leaving her with bruises.

“My sister even told me that her husband would lift her up and slam her against the wall, whenever they had an argument,” an emotional Bolatito had told the court.

Giving further insight into the couple’s troubled marriage; Bolatito had revealed that she had advised her sister several times to leave the marriage.

“I was not surprised when I got the call on that fateful day that her lifeless and bloodied body had been found because I knew with the way things were going, he would one day kill her,” she said.

NAN recalls that Shonde, who was arraigned on October 24, 2017 on a charge of murder, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution had alleged that Shonde committed the offence at 8.30 p.m. on May 5, 2016 at his residence at No. 3, Tiemo Close, Egbeda, near Lagos.

According to court documents, Shonde was involved in an altercation with his wife, which led to her death.

After Ronke’s death, the dockworker allegedly locked up the home and fled, leaving his spouse’s corpse in the living room.

The alleged crime scene was discovered by neighbours, who heard the cries of their two young children, struggling to “wake up” the lifeless body of their mother.

Shonde was said to have surrendered to the authorities five days later, after an extensive manhunt.

Justice Josephine Oyefeso adjourned the case untill October 24 for continuation of trial. -Daily Post 

Osun election: Tension as military replaces police for rerun

There is palpable tension in Osun ahead of the rerun election slated for Thursday, as hundreds of military personnel replace police to provide security during the exercise.

Our reporter on Wednesday morning observed heavy deployment of military men in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, and Ifon, in Orolu local government, while several other military vehicles were moving towards Ile-Ife.

A reliable security source told our reporter that the decision to change the security architecture of the state against the Thursday’s rerun election was mandated from the “top” to give some level of leverage to the ruling party.

DAILY POST reports that the rerun which was necessitated by the inconclusive gubernatorial election of Saturday was billed to take place in seven polling units at Osogbo, Orolu, Ife South, and Ife North local governments.

Meanwhile, there have been accusations and counter-accusations between the two leading parties in the contest, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

While the APC accused PDP of embarking on voters’ inducement by buying PVCs, the latter alleged that the ruling party was not only buying PVCs but criminally cloning it to manipulate electoral process to its advantage.

PDP also accused the APC government of victimising and threatening lives of some of its leaders, including a former ally of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who recently defected to PDP, Alhaji Fatai Diekola.

However, DAILY POST has gathered that both APC and PDP are in desperate scramble to lure over three thousand voters in the seven polling units with money, ranging from N50,000 to N100,000.- Daily Post