Police : Three Nigerians arrested for trafficking 35 pregnant women, newborn babies

The Nigeria Police Force, on Friday, paraded three members of a syndicate that specialised in buying and selling of newborn babies within and outside Nigeria.

The suspects are: Emmanuel Chigozie Elesuwa, 44; Chioma David, 33 and Chief Lilian Nma Achumba, 52 (Owner of Nma Charity Home in Aba, Abia State).

Parading the suspects, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Abuja, CSP Aremu Adeniran, said 35 pregnant girls/women, six children and one newborn baby were rescued at the Nma Charity and Rehabilitation Centre, Umunkpeyi.

He told newsmen in the state that on the 20th of July, 2018, the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Immigration Service, while on patrol, at the Idi-Iroko Border Post in Ogun State, intercepted the three suspects in possession of two newborn babies.

“The case was handed over to the anti-human trafficking and women/children protection unit of the Force for discrete investigation.

“Investigation revealed that the suspects are notorious criminals that deal in buying and selling of babies and children within and outside Nigeria.

“They admitted and confessed that they have been in operation for over 10 years. They further confessed that the 2 babies found in their possession were bought at the rate of N350k from Chief Lilian Nma Achumba.

“They also revealed that they were on their way to Benin Republic to sell the two newborn babies to their partners for N700k each,” he said.

He added that Achumba’s purpose of establishing the Orphanage Home was to harvest babies for sale and that she also operated other branches in Port-Harcourt and some other parts of the country. - Daily Post

Remains of retired Maj.-Gen. Alkali buried in Abuja

The remains of late Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali, which was found by a team of Nigerian Army on Search and Rescue Operation, was buried at Gudu Cemetery in Abuja on Saturday.

The burial, which was concluded at around 3 p.m., was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, former Military Administrator of Lagos, Retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa and former Minister of Works and Housing, Alhaji Sunusi Dagash.

The funeral prayer, which was led by the Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Dr Kabir Mohammad, amid tears, was attended by Muslims from within and outside the Federal Capital territory.

Mohammed commended the Nigerian Army for ensuring thorough search which led to recovery of the body of the deceased, described as a “national hero.”

The chief Imam described the situation surrounding the demise of Alkali as “very unfortunate: it is very unfortunate that Alkali died this way.

“However, we thank Allah that his body had been recovered.

“Even though it took weeks to trace the whereabouts of late Alkali’s corpse, we thank Allah, we thank the Federal Government and we thank the army for the dedication to find his body, so that he can be buried according to Islamic rites.”

He called on the Federal Government to look into the security situation in the country, stressing that “every Nigerian has the right to live or pass through any part of the country without being harassed or intimidated by anybody or group of people.

“This is a fundamental human and constitutional right of everybody, irrespective of tribe or religious affiliation.”

He noted that Allah did not create one particular tribe or religion to live or claim ownership of any part of the country, adding that tribe or religious differences should never be a reason for crisis in the country.

The late Senior Army officer was declared missing since Sept. 3, 2018

The Military directed the Garrison Commander, 3 Division, Rukuba Barrack in Plateau to find the missing general and bring him dead or alive and if anything had happened to him, the garrison should find those responsible for it.

On Sept. 29, 2018, the Nigerian Army recovered Akali’s vehicle and his personal effects were seen and after further investigation, a shallow grave was discovered in which the general was initially buried.

Eventually, the remains of the officer was found in an abandoned well in a bush at Guchwet village in Shen Du District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. - PM News

Okorocha’s in-law: Oshiomhole frustrating my ambition yet he made his son a lawmaker in Edo

Uche Nwosu, son-in-law of Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo state, has accused Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of opposing his governorship ambition.

He said this while reacting  to the decision of the national working committee (NWC) of the ruling party to recognise Hope Uzodinma as the governorship candidate in the state.

Nwosu alleged that Oshiomhole was opposed to his governorship bid because his father-in-law picked up the senatorial ticket of Imo west.

He said Okorocha’s senatorial ambition ought not affect his own ambition since Oshiomhole influenced the emergence of his son as a lawmaker in Edo state and is still holding the chairmanship position.

He spoke with reporters in Owerri, Imo state capital.

“We are disappointed over Oshiomole’s action, his statements and antics did not give hope to young people who hitherto had always looked up to him,” he said.

“He is saying that Okorocha’s senatorial ambition scuttled my governorship bid… After all Oshiomole’s son is a member of the Edo state house of assembly, who he nominated and he is the chairman of the party.

“He is a man that is supposed to speak rightly and not deceive the people on air. I saw him on the television when he was talking from both sides of his mouth. It is a pity that APC could have such a man as its national chairman.”

Nwosu said it is unfortunate that Oshiomhole is the chairman of APC at a time when the party ought to “concentrate on winning the general election instead of being entangled in intra-party crisis”.

He insisted that he remains the authentic candidate of the party, saying his candidacy cannot be truncated by the national chairman or any other person.

“My mandate is still intact, I still remain the candidate of the APC, I am very much shocked with the national chairman who is speaking from the both sides of his mouth as a man of that age I thought he would have been upright,” he said.

“I am shocked that a man who has attained that age and who we should look up to as our role model has become somebody who many of us can no longer see as a role model again. I am shocked at the attitude of the national chairman which does not give hope to young people that mostly look up to him for years.

“I will not leave APC, I still remain the authentic candidate of that party, I still have a valid court order restraining the party from submitting any other name and also restraining INEC from accepting any other name other than my name and the matter is in court.

“So if they go anywhere and got another court order without knowing that there is a subsisting court order, then that must have been done in error.

“So the fact remains that I am the candidate of APC, it is just for a while and I will take up my mandate, I don’t have in mind to leave the mandate I already have for another party. My candidacy is secured and cannot be truncated by the national chairman or any other person.” - Thecable

Beckham : No Crisis in Real Madrid

Former England captain David Beckham does not think Real Madrid is going through anything as significant as a “crisis”.

The former midfielder said he was confident his former club would soon emerge from their current run of poor form.

An already disappointing start to the new season for the Spanish giants hit a new low last weekend when they suffered a 5-1 humiliation at the hands of arch-rivals FC Barcelona.

That saw coach Julen Lopetegui shown the door and caretaker Santiago Solari installed and charged with reviving the ailing European champions.

They are currently ninth in Spanish La Liga and without a league win since Sept. 22.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a crisis,” Beckham told reporters in Bangkok where he was hosting a youth football clinic.

“When you’ve been so successful and you have a couple of games that you don’t play well, or a few games, people start talking about it. But they’ll be fine.”

Beckham played for four years at Real Madrid from 2003 to 2007, winning the league title with the club in his final season as one of the Galacticos.

Real Madrid won a record-extending 13th European title under Beckham’s former team mate Zinedine Zidane last season, before the Frenchman decided to step down and was replaced by Lopetegui.

“Real Madrid is going through a certain change,” Beckham said. “I think all big teams go through difficult times.”

European clubs like Real Madrid still dominate world football to a large extent and Beckham said “getting Asian clubs up to anywhere near the same level will take many years of hard work.

“I think it’s grass roots, academy systems and coaches — getting the right coaches and starting the kids from a very young age and they can go on to be professional athletes and professional footballers,” said the 43-year-old, now the co-owner of the Inter Miami club in the U.S.

“That’s where it all begins, the structure of academy systems and having the right coaches. Then things can be successful. But it takes time, you have to be patient.”Former England captain David Beckham does not think Real Madrid is going through anything as significant as a “crisis”.

The former midfielder said he was confident his former club would soon emerge from their current run of poor form.

An already disappointing start to the new season for the Spanish giants hit a new low last weekend when they suffered a 5-1 humiliation at the hands of arch-rivals FC Barcelona.

That saw coach Julen Lopetegui shown the door and caretaker Santiago Solari installed and charged with reviving the ailing European champions.

They are currently ninth in Spanish La Liga and without a league win since Sept. 22.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a crisis,” Beckham told reporters in Bangkok where he was hosting a youth football clinic.

“When you’ve been so successful and you have a couple of games that you don’t play well, or a few games, people start talking about it. But they’ll be fine.”

Beckham played for four years at Real Madrid from 2003 to 2007, winning the league title with the club in his final season as one of the Galacticos.

Real Madrid won a record-extending 13th European title under Beckham’s former team mate Zinedine Zidane last season, before the Frenchman decided to step down and was replaced by Lopetegui.

“Real Madrid is going through a certain change,” Beckham said. “I think all big teams go through difficult times.”

European clubs like Real Madrid still dominate world football to a large extent and Beckham said “getting Asian clubs up to anywhere near the same level will take many years of hard work.

“I think it’s grass roots, academy systems and coaches — getting the right coaches and starting the kids from a very young age and they can go on to be professional athletes and professional footballers,” said the 43-year-old, now the co-owner of the Inter Miami club in the U.S.

“That’s where it all begins, the structure of academy systems and having the right coaches. Then things can be successful. But it takes time, you have to be patient.”Former England captain David Beckham does not think Real Madrid is going through anything as significant as a “crisis”.

The former midfielder said he was confident his former club would soon emerge from their current run of poor form.

An already disappointing start to the new season for the Spanish giants hit a new low last weekend when they suffered a 5-1 humiliation at the hands of arch-rivals FC Barcelona.

That saw coach Julen Lopetegui shown the door and caretaker Santiago Solari installed and charged with reviving the ailing European champions.

They are currently ninth in Spanish La Liga and without a league win since Sept. 22.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a crisis,” Beckham told reporters in Bangkok where he was hosting a youth football clinic.

“When you’ve been so successful and you have a couple of games that you don’t play well, or a few games, people start talking about it. But they’ll be fine.”

Beckham played for four years at Real Madrid from 2003 to 2007, winning the league title with the club in his final season as one of the Galacticos.

Real Madrid won a record-extending 13th European title under Beckham’s former team mate Zinedine Zidane last season, before the Frenchman decided to step down and was replaced by Lopetegui.

“Real Madrid is going through a certain change,” Beckham said. “I think all big teams go through difficult times.”

European clubs like Real Madrid still dominate world football to a large extent and Beckham said “getting Asian clubs up to anywhere near the same level will take many years of hard work.

“I think it’s grass roots, academy systems and coaches — getting the right coaches and starting the kids from a very young age and they can go on to be professional athletes and professional footballers,” said the 43-year-old, now the co-owner of the Inter Miami club in the U.S.

“That’s where it all begins, the structure of academy systems and having the right coaches. Then things can be successful. But it takes time, you have to be patient.” - PM News

Nigerians scramble for Ghanaian “Garri” at Lagos Trade Fair

Some Nigerians were seen on queue scrambling for “Garri” that was Made in Ghana at the ongoing Lagos International Trade Fair.

The product, which was neatly packaged in 125 grammes sachet and labeled “Crispy Gari Mix’’, was on display at the Ghana stand at the Fair.

The product was mixed with groundnut and sugar and was being sold for N170 per 125g at the Ghana stand.

Many Nigerians were seen waiting patiently for their turns to buy and taste the Garri packed in attractive blue and white sachets.

The Commodity Manager, Mr Ernest Boateng, said he was highly impressed with the sale within two days of showcasing the product in Nigeria.

“I am surprised at the high patronage between yesterday and today, amongst other product we brought for sale, this one sells more,’’ he said.

Mr Oshodi Tunde, one of the buyers who was seen eating the product directly from the pack, advised Nigerians to copy the innovative idea.

“Nigerians should make use of this idea by packaging Garri with sugar and groundnut for sale too.

“We should stop looking for white collar jobs and try to do something meaningful with our country’s resources,’’ he said. - PM News

Billionaire ‘kidnapper’, Evans was praying to God for forgiveness after his arrest – Police tell court

A police Inspector, Idowu Haruna, has told a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere that billionaire kidnap suspect, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, prayed to God for forgiveness after his arrest last year.
Haruna told the Justice Akintoye Adedayo-led court that the suspected kidnapper was remorseful after his arrest in Magodo area of the state last year.

Speaking during yesterday’s trial, the police Inspector, who is the seventh prosecution witness, told the court that he was a member of the Inspector-General of Police intelligent Response team that arrested Evans.

He alleged that, “The only thing Evans kept saying was that may God forgive him for his sins because he had kidnapped and killed.”

The prosecution witness disclosed that he was the officer assigned to record Evans’ statement.

Against this backdrop, Haruna said he at the time asked Evans if he had a lawyer to guide him during the process.

Speaking while being led in evidence by the state’s Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Titilayo Shitta-Bey, Haruna disclosed that Evans was not tortured but volunteered his statement at about 10 am, “in a very conducive environment.”

Haruna said: “He said he didn’t have any lawyer and that he doesn’t go near lawyers because of what he does.”

After listening to his testimony, Justice Adedayo adjourned the matter till November 16, for continuation of trial. - Daily Post

Kogi govt still doesn’t know state’s wage bill despite two years of screening workers – NLC

The Kogi State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Onuh Edoka, says it is unfortunate that the state government is still not sure of its actual monthly wage bill, after over two years of a screening exercise that is still ongoing.

Edoka, who spoke on Saturday, said, “the state government does not know what the state wage bill looks like and are not too sure of the activities of those preparing her wage bill, and now wants to use the table payment to ascertain the true figures.

” The Kogi state government is only using the table payment to investigate those preparing the salaries of workers, when it discovered that the wage bill couldn’t have gone up even after a tortuous screening exercise that brought hardship on the workers”.

Edoka said it is a common knowledge that salaries are no longer prepared by accountants in ministries and parastatals, but rather by the accountant-general and auditor-general, who pay from a single source from government house in Lokoja.

In his words, “It was clearly an argument of labour at the discussion table that the N2.8billion figures as monthly wage bill of government was on the high side after two years of screening that saw many people lose their jobs, with several others cleared and yet to be returned on the pay roll.

” While at the discussion table, labour engaged the government that what it inherited from the immediate past administration was N2.6billion as monthly wage bill. We expressed our reservations on why the wage bill would still be going up, yet with many workers no longer on the payroll.

“Labour never made suggestions for table payment but rather it only challenged the bogus wage bill of the state which it felt unrealistic.

” When we met at the discussion table, the government through it financial management team said they will pay three and four months salaries to core ministries and tertiary institutions respectively.

” We now asked what was the total implication of the amount they want to pay from the money received by the government. They now said the total amount to be paid was N9.7billion, with the state monthly wage bill standing at N2.8billion.

” We now told them that the monthly figure was outrageous most especially that it inherited N2.6billion from past administration. We wondered why the wage bill is this high when several persons have lost job, and others are still not on the payroll since the screening began over two years ago.”

The NLC chairman, however, urged those who are defrauding the state using the Kogi State wage bill, to have a rethink, warning that such practices was only joepadizing the future of Kogites and the people. - Daily Post

Odumegwu Ojukwu’s first son, Sylvester dead

Sylvester Debe Ojukwu, the first son of the Biafra warlord, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, is dead, Tribune reports.

He reportedly died on Friday night after  spending a short time at the hospital.

He passed on at the age of 62. - Daily Post

Shocking ! Woman kills husband, three kids; commits suicide

A woman late last night allegedly killed her husband, three children and also took her own life in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

DAILY POST gathered that the sad incident occured at their residence on Vandeikya Street in the state capital.

A source said the ugly incident may have been as a result of a misunderstanding between the couple.

It was gathered that the windshields of the vehicle belonging to her husband was also smashed.

Until his death, the husband, Nicholas Adetsav was an administrative staff of the local government service commission.

Several calls to the Benue State Police PRO, ASP Moses Yamu were not picked as at the time of filing this report. - Daily Post

CBN injects $337.16m, 56.17m CNY into SMIS

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday said it injected 337.16 million dollars in the retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) in its first intervention in the inter-bank foreign market for November.

A statement issued in Abuja by Isaac Okorafor, the bank’s Director of Corporate Communications, noted that the amount was in addition to 56.17million Chinese Yuan (CNY) in the spot and short tenored forwards segment of the market.

Okorafor stated that the intervention was for requests in the agriculture and raw materials sectors.

He added that “the Chinese Yuan, on the other hand, was for Renminbi denominated Letters of Credit.”

The director stated that the market had continued to enjoy stability owing to the regular interventions by the bank, adding that it had also guaranteed stable exchange rate for the Naira.

He assured that the CBN remained committed to ensuring that all the sectors of the forex market continued to enjoy access to the needed foreign exchange.

The CBN had on Tuesday intervened in the wholesale segment of the inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market to the tune of 210 million dollars.

Meanwhile, one dollar is exchanged for N362 at the Bureau de Change (BDC) segment of the foreign exchange market, while the Chinese Yuan exchanged for N54. -PM News

Imo APC crisis: How I was offered private Jet, $2m to rig primary election – Gulak

The Chairman of the Imo State governorship primaries of the party which produced Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governorship candidate of the party, Ahmed Gulak, has revealed that he rejected to be flown on private jet and $2m as bribe to rig the primaries.

Gulak stated this when he addressed reporters in Abuja, adding that even though the offer was so tempting, he rejected it in order to do the right thing.

According to him, he had to persuade the parties that he was going to do the needful and conduct a free and fair primary.

He said he was happy because the party had vindicated him by insisted on the outcome of the primaries his panel held.

”Naturally, even before I went to Imo State, I was offered a private jet to take me to Imo state but I refused because I didn’t want to be compromised.

”I refused the private jet and even the tempting offer made to me, very tempting, we are talking about two million dollars here, which I refused.

”Although, I tried to persuade them that I was going to do what is needful, free and fair primaries. Every stakeholder must be involved.

”Immediately we landed at the airport, that was where the problem started. They wanted to kidnap every member and only God knows where they wanted to take us to, which I refused.

”And to say the least, I pity the Imo people but they have to take their destiny in their own hands and elect who they feel will represent them well. I am not from Imo state but I am a Nigerian.

”There is equality and there is equity. Some of our governors, I am sorry to say this, they take state resources as their personal resources and we know that power is transient.

After four or eight years you are out of power and the system will get you.

”But having said that, I am happy that the party has vindicated me and I know it is the best decision for the people of Imo state.” - Daily Post

Minimum wage meeting continues on Sunday, says Ngige

Chris Ngige, minister of labour, says conciliation on the national minimum wage will continue on Sunday despite the court injunction restraining organised labour from embarking on strike.

On Friday, the National Industrial Court had ordered the organised labour not to go ahead with the nationwide strike scheduled for November 6
Sanusi Kado, a judge, gave the order in a ruling on an ex parte application moved on behalf of the federal government by Dayo Apata, solicitor-general of the federation and permanent secretary, ministry of justice.
“The conciliation meeting involving the Organised Labour, the Organised Private Sector and Government scheduled for Sunday, November 4 at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by 6pm is still on course and will hold,’’ he said in a statement.

Ngige said this will be followed by another meeting of the national tripartite minimum wage committee meeting on Monday, November 5 at the same venue.
The minister appealed to all tripartite members to attend the meetings in the interest of the nation and finding a solution to the minimum wage impasse.

While labour demanded an upward review of the minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000, the federal government proposed N24,000 while governors suggested N22,500.
Labour rejected the proposals and, accusing the government of not showing any sign of seriousness to resolve the workers’ welfare. - Thecable

Better !! Two global banks close Nigerian offices

Global banking giant HSBC and UBS, a Swiss private bank, have closed their representative offices in Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced this in a report on Friday. The report did not state why the banks closed shop.

UBS opened its doors in Nigeria in mid-2014 to “connect prospective clients with its offshore centers in Switzerland, the UK, Dubai and Singapore, where dedicated client advisers offer personalised service and full access to the bank’s vast global resources”.

The apex bank revealed that foreign direct investment in Nigeria fell to N379.84 billion in the first six months of 2018, compared to N532.63 billion recorded in 2017.

In July, HSBC predicted that a victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 would have a negative effect on the economy.

In its response, the presidency asked the bank to return stolen assets allegedly hidden in its coffers.

However, in its projections for the second half of the year, higher oil prices and production would serve as gains but rising foreign debt and uncertainty surrounding the 2019 general election would be a drawback.

The CBN also said three lenders — which were not named  — failed to meet their minimum liquidity ratio of 30 percent.

It added that non-performing loans dropped from 15 percent in 2017 to 12.4 percent as of June 2018, adding that this was still a long way above its five percent threshold. - Thecable