18-year-old boy kills mother, sleeps with her corpse for money ritual

Eighteen-year old Akpobome Samuel, has confessed to killing his mother, Mrs. Gift Samuel, by strangulating her and also slept with her corpse for money making rituals, at Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, South-South Nigeria.

He was among two murder suspects and 84 others for various crimes paraded on Wednesday by the Edo State Police Command.

Other suspects were paraded for various crimes, such as cultism, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, murder and burglary.

The other murder suspect was 20-year old Odion Jimoh, who beheaded a man identified as Asuelimhen Atogwe, at Ayogwiri, in Edo north.

Akpobome, who confessed to his crime, said he acted on the instructions of the native doctor whom he contacted for money rituals.

He said the native doctor told him that after killing his mother, he should sleep with her corpse in order to get rich and that he willing complied with his instruction and killed her.

Akpobome, who said he worked in a sachet water packaging factory in Ologbo, said he was caught by his grandmother who came to knock at his door having waited patiently for the deceased to accompany her to church.

It was gathered that the grandmother caught the suspect in the act, while having sex with his mother.

He said he had only slept with the corpse once and that his grandmother raised the alarm that attracted the attention of the people around when she saw the lifeless body of his mother on the floor.

“The native doctor told me to kill my mother and sleep with her corpse, but he did not tell me the number of days to sleep with her. He told me to keep her dead body inside the room for two days but I was caught when I could no longer keep it.

“I did not know that my grandmother was sitting outside. She opened the door and sighted me with the corpse inside the room and raised the alarm that drew the attention of the public. My mother did not offend me. I killed her because of the money,” he said.

On his part, Odion Jimoh who beheaded his victim, said he did not know what came on him before he committed the murder.

“Honestly, the man did not do anything to me. I don’t know what came over me,” he said.

Police sources had it that the victim who worked as a carpenter, was contracted to work at a house where met the suspect weeding, and asked him why he was not at the community age-group festival.

It was gathered that the suspect, who was already high after smoking substance suspected to be marijuana, felt slighted and humiliated by the victim’s action, and went after him, hit him on the neck with a wooden object before beheading him with a cutlass.

The source added that the suspect was later arrested at an uncompleted building, after the man who contracted the victim raised the alarm when he discovered the lifeless body of the man and his head beside him. - PM News

Taraba crisis: 264 persons died in Mambilla Plateau – Ishaku

The Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, on Wednesday disclosed that 264 persons were confirmed to have been killed and property worth billions of naira destroyed during the 2017/2018 crisis on the Mambilla Plateau, Sadauna Local Government Area of the State.

Ishaku, who regretted the casualty figure, however, said: “The Assessment Committee which visited 53 communities in the area, discovered that 264 people were killed and not the over 1000 as reported by the media.”

He added that “209 residents were displaced, 19,464 cattle, 6071 sheep killed while a tea processing plant, among other valuable properties were burnt.”

The Governor gave the sum of N310 million to the victims. Relief materials were also donated to alleviate their sufferings.

“I am not here to compensate the victims of the crisis that occurred here on Mambila Plateau. Government does not have enough to compensate you on how much you lost, left alone the number of human beings that were killed.

“I am here to support you so that you can start living relatively better; to also encourage you to co-exist in harmony,” he said.

The Governor warned the people of Mambilla and Tarabans to “exercise restraint”, as he urged all to be law abiding and to always consult traditional rulers when there is confusion.

Ishaku also called on people of the area to reciprocate the good gesture offered to them by people of Cameroon when they hosted them during their difficulties, by accommodating them now that they (Cameroon citizens) are seeking refuge in Nigeria. - Daily Post

Emefiele: CBN working on non-interest development finance

Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says the bank is working on a non-interest development finance to increase financial inclusion in the country. 

The governor said this while delivering the keynote address at the 10th-anniversary conference of Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) in Lagos on Tuesday.

Emefiele, who spoke to the conference theme, “the Business Case for Financial Inclusion”, said over 850,000 smallholder farmers have also been brought into the financial system via the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the CBN.

“As of October 2018, over 850,000 smallholder farmers have been brought into the financial system through the programme. Similarly, we have licenced 25 mobile money operators,” the governor said.

The governor, who was represented by Nwanisobi Osita, deputy director, Development Finance Department of the CBN said the bank had set up the framework for the establishment of Payment Service Banks.

“Also the recently launched the framework for the establishment of payment service banks to facilitate and enhance digital payments in collaboration with micro small and medium enterprises,” he said.

He added that the bank was already working on the implementation of the MSME development fund, which will bring more people into the financial banking fold.

“Already we are working towards the creation of a non-interest window for the development financing interventions,” Emefiele added.

“The interest-free window will assimilate a large section of the population excluded due to their aversion for interest and interest-based products, into the financial system.”

He said the CBN has set a 2020 target to achieve 80 percent financial inclusion throughout Nigeria, stating that the southwest region of the country had crossed that threshold in 2018, with 82 percent inclusion.

Emefiele said the bank is working with telecommunications companies to drive financial inclusion in the country, especially in the northeast and northwest, where the numbers are still below 40 percent.

The event was chaired by Sarah Alade, former deputy governor of the CBN, and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). - TheCable

Ibadan DisCo loses N2.5bn Monthly to Vandalism – Official

The lbadan Electricity Distribution Company (lBEDC) said it lost N2.5 billion monthly to various cases of electrical installations vandalism in various parts of the state.

Mr Olu ljoshe, Chief Commercial Officer of lBEDC made this known on Wednesday in llorin during the inauguration of Ilorin Customers Complaints Forum office of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inauguration brought to 27 such NERC offices established in various parts of the country to serve electricity customers better.

Ijoshe regretted that several electrical installations in various parts of the country were being vandalised or stolen by some unidentified persons.

He said the situation, now at alarming rate, was responsible for the loss of about N2.5 billion monthly by the company and epileptic power supply in several parts of the country.

The officer expressed worry that several communities in some states of the Federation are in blackout for years following theft and vandalism of their transformers, cables and other electrical gadgets.

He appealed to electricity customers to always guide electrical installations in their domains jealously, against vandalism and theft.

He warned Nigerians using electricity without payment and those tampering with meters to desist from the act to improve the nation’s economy.

Ijoshe said the company was working round the clock toward ensuring that customers in Kwara were provided with pre- paid meters.

Speaking, the Commissioner, Consumer Affairs with NERC, Mr Moses Argue said the commission established the office for electricity providers and customers to solve various challenges.

He advised electricity customers in the state to make judicious use of the office for quick and positive response to their complaints.

NAN reports that the programme was attended by many electricity consumers across the 16 local government areas of the state including traditional rulers. - PM News

Drunk policeman in viral video dismissed

A police provost identified as Insp. Kadima Useni, attached to Police Mobile Force, Squadron 22 Base, Ikeja was on Wednesday dismissed by the force.
Lagos State Police Command’s Spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, confirming his dismissal, said that the policeman was apprehended following a viral video which showed him drunk at Dopemu area of Lagos.

“The attention of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, has been drawn to a video of Lagos policeman who got drunk at Akowonjo, Dopemu area of Lagos State.
“He, therefore, directed the state Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal, to fish out the erring policeman for appropriate disciplinary action.
“The policeman who was stupefied after guzzling large quantity of alcoholic beverage was located and apprehended today 07/11/2018 at Police Mobile Force Squadron 22 Base, Ikeja, where he served as the Command Provost.
“He was identified as Inspector Kadima Useni with appointment number 176219.
“During interrogation, the officer affirmed that he was the one in the video; he was therefore tried in orderly room and summarily dismissed to serve as a deterrent to others

“In the same vein, the CP warns against offering policemen alcoholic drinks while on duty by members of the public. He added that henceforth any policeman found drunk on duty will be visited with similar punishment,” Oti said.
Oti added that the CP also directed the officer in charge of the Command Provost Section to identify and shut all beer parlours within the police community in the state to prevent re-occurrence. - Daily Post

APC reacts to alleged detention of Oshiomhole by DSS over bribery

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said it is not aware of the detention and quizzing of its National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, by the Department of State Security, DSS.

The national spokesman of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, who described the report of Oshiomhole’s ordeal with the DSS as a rumour because the APC has not been officially informed about the matter, said this on Wednesday in a chat with DAILY POST.

It was learnt that Oshiomhole was grilled by the DSS operatives for nine hours after some APC governors alleged that he received bribes during the party’s primary elections across the country.

However, Issa-Onilu said Oshiomhole was the best person to confirm or deny the report.

He said, “We do not have any information on this rumour. More so, the Chairman is not around in the country to confirm or deny this.

“As soon as we have any relevant information, you’ll be updated.

Asked for Oshiomhole’s whereabouts, he said: “He (APC Chairman) travelled last night.”

Pressed further for information as to the National Chairman’s destination, Issa-Onilu maintained: “I do not have this information. I do know it’s a scheduled personal trip he could not make last week due to the November 2 deadline for the submission of candidates.”

Meanwhile, the senator representing Kogi West district, Dino Melaye, has mocked the APC over Oshiomhole’s reported questioning over alleged bribery.

The senator wrote on his Twitter handle: “Can it be true that Adams Oshiomhole has been the guest of SSS for 2days?

“A lot of confessions and revelations said to have been made over corruption associated with party tickets.

“APC is really fighting corruption. We will see how this will end. Nigerians are watching.” - Daily Post

Ondo youths seal NDDC office over abandoned projects

Some youths in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have protested what they described as continued “trend of abandoned projects” by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC in the state.

According to the youths, who stormed the NDDC office in the southern senatorial district area of the state, the commission, which was created to see to the needs of the oil rich riverine communities, had countless number of uncompleted projects littering the areas.

The youths, who were armed with placard bearing different inscriptions such as “NDDC Is A Scam, Govt has Failed Us,” “NDDC Is A Curse To Ilaje,” “Make Our Schools Affordable” among others, also described the commission as a curse to the communities.

Juliet Ehinmowo, who led the protest, said that there was need for the Federal Government to probe critically into the activities of NDDC in the Ilaje communities.

“The NDDC has been a curse to the people of Ilaje and not a blessing as our communities are at the brink of extinction.

“What the NDCC only do in Ilaje is to erect sign posts with the inscription of multiple billion naira contract and they have turned Ilaje to a dungeon by littering our land with so many ghost projects.

” When you see documentary on the media, you would notice that Ilaje community is no where to be found on list of completed projects.

“NDDC has not done any meaningfu project in Ilaje for years and our people are suffering. Our land is not good for farming and that is why we are into fishing.

“We are using this period to tell the FG to call the commission to order and let them come to our land and develop the community.

“We can’t continue to open our eyes and leave our land to be destroyed by the sea incursions and untoward attitude of the NDDC,” she added. - Daily Post

Military formation in Yobe under attack by Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists are reportedly attacking a military formation in Katarko village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.

A source who pleaded anonymity told DAILY POST that troops manning the village are currently in a gun battle with the attackers.

“There is an attack currently ongoing and there is an air support presently. We are waiting for further directive,” the source confirmed to DAILY POST correspondent. - Daily post

Land of injustice !! Odi/Zaki-Biam massacres: UN, ICC asked to probe Obasanjo, TY Danjuma

The Good Governance Advocacy Project, a Civil Society Organization has called on the United Nations and International Criminal Court, ICC, to investigate, prosecute and convict former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and erstwhile Minister of Defence, TY Danjuma, for their alleged involvement in war crimes and other offences against humanity that took place at various times between 1999 and 2007.

The group is calling on the international bodies to probe the duo for their involvement in killings that took place in Odi area of Bayelsa and Zaki Biam, Benue State over a decade ago.

Addressing newsmen on Tuesday, Patriot Danelson Momoh, National President of the group recalled that it was Dajuma’s regime as Defence Minister under the then President Olusegun Obasanjo that troops massacred innocent citizens of Zaki Biam community in Benue State.

It, therefore, called on Obasanjo and Danjuma to hand themselves to the ICC over the massacre of defenceless citizens in their communities.

He said, “Of note among these yesteryears’ men is former military chief, retired General Theophilus Yakubu (TY) Danjuma who of late has become synonymous with being an inciter of adherents of Christianity in the country to go to war with their neighbours under the guise of ethno-religious killings. He had in the past called on people to take up arms against their neighbours for which he was roundly censored by all well-meaning Nigerians. This does not however seem to have deterred him as he is back to lying bald-facedly.

“TY Danjuma purportedly issued a statement entitled “Choose your own Fulani with care,” in which he alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari is out to massacre the entire north central and southern parts of the so that he can repopulate the same areas with Fulani from other West African countries. While this irresponsible statement is condemnable in the strongest terms, the seeming saving grace is that Danjuma has eaten his words and distance himself from the dangerous utterance.

“We, however, want to place on record that it was not enough for him to distance himself from the offensive statement for several reasons. One, if he had not been in the business of making divisive utterances, mischief makers would not replicate his style of incitement to attempt doing damage to the country. He has, by the tradition he has created, made Nigeria into a land where ethnic hatred is now being treated as common place.

“We categorically state this because historically, it was Dajuma’s regime as Defence Minister under the then President Olusegun Obasanjo that troops were massacre innocent citizens of Zaki Biam community in Benue state. Much as the history of what happened in Zak Ibiam is being re-written to obscure the actual drivers of that pogrom, TY “Danjuma knows that the genocide that took place there was never about national security but was about protecting narrow interests that were not intended for the benefit of the larger population.

“He and Obasanjo remain the architect of the genocide in Zak Ibiam, which was not their only crime because they also jointly masterminded the scorched-earth pogrom at Odi. These actions were the foundation that sowed the seeds of discord amongst the various ethnic groups in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the Fifth Tor Tiv, Prof James Ayatse, has called on the Federal Government to compensate the people of Zaki Biam in Katsina-Ala Local Government Council area of the state for the 2001 military invasion that witnessed many killings. - Daily Post

CBN: Rice importation reduced in 2018 despite ‘political demand’

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the volume of rice imported into the country has declined drastically in 2018, according to figures from official sources.

NAN reports that Isaac Okorafor, director, corporate communications at CBN, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.

Okorafor said by September, Nigeria had imported 5,161 metric tonnes of rice from Thailand and 426 metric tonnes of rice from India as of July — amounting to less than 6,000 metric tonnes in 2018.

The CBN spokesman said this is against the 400,000 metric tonnes being bandied around due to “expected demand by politicians for election campaigns”.

He attributed the reduced imports to “concerted efforts” by the ministry of agriculture and rural development and the interventions of the CBN.

Okorafor said the ministry and the CBN had been collaborating to reduce the volume of rice importation through the “rice revolution”.

He explained that the apex bank had not allocated any foreign exchange for the importation of rice in 2018, adding that the imports from Thailand and India were done on “not-valid-for-forex basis”.

“The figures being bandied in certain quarters were based on unrealistic assumptions such as satellite mapping of farms, expected demand by politicians for election campaigns and expected losses from flooding,” the statement quoted Okorafor as saying.

“All of these led to unauthentic conclusions that the country had imported or could import 400,000 more metric tonnes.”

The CBN director also listed trade figures (including agricultural imports) for the second quarter of 2018 received from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The NBS data showed that the value of total imports dropped by 16.3 percent, from N2.51 billion in Q1 to N2.10 billion in Q2, making it -19.9 percent lower than the N2.63 billion recorded in Q1 2017.

“The report on the bureau’s site showed that the value of imported agricultural goods in the second quarter of 2018 (N224.52 billion) increased by 21.7 per cent from quarter one, (N184.49 billion) and lower by -3.14 per cent from quarter two, 2017 (N231.80 billion),” the statement read. - Thecable

Woman detained after making bomb threat at hospital

French police on Wednesday detained a woman at a hospital in Dunkirk after she made a bomb threat and sparked a security scare.

Police said in a statement that the woman made the threat after entering the hospital’s emergency care unit.

Hospital workers alerted the police, who sealed off the area and deployed a bomb-disposal team.

“The person is under police control,” the statement said.

Regional newspaper La Voix du Nord had reported that the woman was threatening to detonate a bomb.

Photos posted on the paper’s website showed police sealing off the area.

Police said a judicial investigation would have to determine the circumstances surrounding the threat.

Sources, however, said the woman was likely suffering from psychological problems. - PM News 

Spurs can progress in Champions League after PSV win - Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino still believes his Tottenham side can qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League after they scraped a vital victory over PSV Eindhoven at Wembley.

With Internazionale drawing against Barcelona in the other fixture in Group B, Spurs not only have to beat Inter in three weeks but will almost certainly need to achieve a better result than the Italian club in the final matchday – when Spurs travel to the Camp Nou.

“Anything can happen,” said Pochettino. “I think there are two games to play and if we are able to beat Inter we will be with them on seven points with one game to play. We would then be going to Barcelona to try to win the game.

“The belief is still there, now we must be focused on Saturday [when Spurs travel to Crystal Palace] and in this competition we must be focused on Inter. In Milan I think we played better than them and I think we can beat them.”

Pochettino said he was “so pleased” with his team after they came back to win late on but said that they should heed the warning of once again falling behind in the opening stages. Spurs have conceded early against Barcelona and Liverpool this season, and were 1-0 down before two minutes had been played against PSV.

“That was our fourth game in nine days and I am so pleased,” the manager added. “To concede again an early goal gave increased belief to the opponent. We created lots of chances, played well and dominated the game, but we could not score. Their keeper was fantastic but there was also a lack of clinical play in front of goal. In the end the team never gave up and we found our reward.”

Regarding the early goal, the manager said: “In the last few games it has happened a lot. But look, Barcelona conceded against Inter in the last minute. In football that can happen. We have to be focused from the beginning, be aggressive, don’t concede goals from corners. It’s important we do not concede a goal as cheap as we did today.”

If Spurs are to have a chance of qualifying they will surely have to raise their game. Asked if he thought his team need to improve against Inter, Pochettino said: “I always want more from the team. I think we need to improve. But I am also optimistic.” - The Guardian 

DSS grills Oshiomhole over APC primaries, asks him to resign

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Sunday, TheCable understands.

Oshiomhole was grilled by DSS operatives for nine hours after some APC governors alleged that he received bribes during the party’s primary elections across the country.

Sources told TheCable that the APC chairman was asked to resign during interrogation by the DSS.

But Oshiomhole resisted the pressure to resign, saying he would only do so if he loses the confidence of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The APC chairman told the DSS that the president was in the loop of every action he took during the party’s primaries.

“Adams Oshiomhole was arrested by the DSS, they didn’t show him any petition. It was alleged by some governors that he collected bribe during the primaries,” a source said.

“He was told to resign and he told DSS operatives that he will resign if he loses the confidence of the president. He said everything the party did, he (Buhari) was in the know.”

Another source said the president expressed shock at the governors’ move, saying he was not aware of the development.

“On Monday night Oshiomhole met with the president and briefed him on what happened and the president was shocked. The president said he did not know about it and promised to look into it,” the source said.

The APC primaries were marred by controversies. Elections in some states had to be repeated.

In Zamfara, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the party will not participate in the 2019 polls because it could not successfully conclude its primary before the deadline.

In Imo, the APC favoured the governorship candidacy of Hope Uzodimma, senator representing Imo west, over Uche Nwosu, son-in-law of Rochas Okorocha, governor the state.

Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun governor, fell out with the party’s national working committee (NWC) after it chose Dapo Abiodun as the state’s gubernatorial candidate. Abiodun Akinlade is Amosun’s preferred candidate.

A number of APC governors have expressed disappointment over the way the national leadership of the party had gone about the issues, hence the move against Oshiomhole. - TheCable