‘Yahoo boy’ caught with sanitary pads, diapers, pants at DELSU female hostel

A 31-year-old suspected internet fraudster, otherwise known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ identified as Remember Salubi, was in the early hours of Tuesday caught by security agents around the Delta State University allegedly picking sanitary pads, diapers and female pants in one of the hotels.

The incident happened few weeks after a female student, Elozino Ogege of the institution was allegedly killed by suspected Yahoo boys and parts of her body removed.

It was gathered that the suspect was caught in the act in the early hours with female pants, sanitary pads, and diapers and was beaten to pulp by the security agents including angry mob despite his plea for mercy.

It was further gathered that the suspect confessed to the crime, saying that he was mandated by a native doctor to bring sanitary pads, diapers and female pants for rituals and get rich quickly.

He added that he had been involved in the act in the recent times through the help of some of the students on campus.

Angered by his confession, the angry mob was said to have assembled tyres and premium motor spirit (PMS) popularly called Petrol to set him on fire but for the intervention of the police men who were called to the scene and later took him away to the police station at Abraka police division

The police public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed that the suspect was arrested and he is currently being detained at Abraka police division, said investigation was ongoing.

He said, “The police are currently searching for the Yahoo boys across the state, and the police will do everything possible to bring them to book, the police have strategized to ensure these group fraudsters and ritualists are brought to book including other criminals.”

- Daily Post

No end in sight: FG, ASUU meeting deadlock again

The meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ended without any conclusion on Tuesday.

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President, while speaking with newsmen at the end of the closed door meeting in Abuja noted that negotiations were still ongoing.

He said both parties were yet to reach a concrete decision.

“For now, we have started to discuss. We are yet to reach any concrete decision. Once we have more information, we will make ourselves available to the press.
“The union will reconvene very soon to continue negotiations,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting held at the instance of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu was to find lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the university lecturers.

ASUU had on Nov. 4, embarked on an indefinite strike over poor funding of Nigerian universities and non-implementation of previous agreements by government.

Meanwhile, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr Danielson Akpan has urged both parties to have a common ground so that the universities can reopen.

He said they must put the interest of the country and Nigerian students above any other thing.

- PM News

‘Many killed’ as violence breaks out in Cross River communities

Many people have reportedly been killed in a fresh outbreak of violence in Baise local government area of Cross River state.

The crisis, which has been ongoing for many years, is between indigenes of Urugbam, Egbor, Ipene, and Abanwan communities in Baise.

A resident of one the communities, who pleaded anonymity, told TheCable that it is as a result of land dispute.

He alleged that a community sold plots of land to an individual without seeking the consent of neighbouring communities who have stake in the land.

“I need help. My village has been wiped out completely. As I am talking now, more than 100 people are shot, lying down and nobody to help them,” he said.

“I have called every place, nobody wants to hear me. Yesterday, they came and beheaded three people. Today, they have come with a power force, dressed with fake army uniform.

“My community and one community are having landed problem. One other man who came to buy the land from Anambra state is the root cause of everything. They call him Africa Stone. The land that belongs to three communities. Now the three communities in that place jointly contributed the palm trees there and continue to harvest the palms since 1992.

“Only for this year, one smaller community went and sold the land to African Stone. Now African stone begin to harvest and stop the rest of the communities from harvesting and begin to cause them misunderstanding. I went there to mediate in March and I got machete cut on my heads. I went there again in July and my car was shot at.

“We continue making efforts for government to intervene. Government came and said they ere fixing an inquiry. The deputy governor gave them one month to present the report. The report of the panel just came back Monday last week. It is that report that has instigated all the crisis. We were the owners of the land.

“The result of the panel, because the deputy governor called me and told me, is that the African Stone should vacate from that place. This man was hiring ammunition and mercenaries to kill innocent people.  They came and unleashed mayhem. Many people are in the bush.  Let the government do anything to rescue them.”

He called on the federal government and security agencies to intervene and prevent further destruction.

Another resident accused security agencies of failing to respond when they were reached.

“Almost 24hrs after the crisis was reported to the Nigerian Army HQ, the government of Cross River state, and police authority, yet no military/security response, presence or action,” he said in an email sent to TheCable.

“So far, countless people have been confirmed killed – some beheaded and their heads were taken away.

“Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army 14 Brigade in Ohafia, Abia state, is just about 10 minutes drive from the troubled location in Biase LGA of Cross River state, and I am sure they must have been hearing the gunshots going on there. Thousands of vulnerable aged men and women, children and others stranded and hiding in bushes and by the riversides urgently need help. This is really disappointing, to say the least.”

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has called for calm and restoration of peace in the affected communities.

“Our communities must be ready to live together in peace since no development can take place in an atmosphere of recurring violence,” Buhari said in a statement issued on his behalf by Garba Shehu, his spokesman.

He urged all stakeholders to cooperate and ensure that lasting peace returned to the affected areas.

-TheCable

Loan with little to show !! FG secures fresh $200m loan from AfDB to fund electrification project

The federal government has secured a $200 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund electrification projects in the country.

In a statement on Monday, the bank said its board of directors approved the sovereign loan to finance the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP).

While AfDB approved $150 million, the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), a $2 billion facility sponsored by the People’s Bank of China and administered by AfDB, approved a $50 million to co-finance the project.

According to the statement, the joint financing will support rural electrification efforts in Nigeria by facilitating private sector development and the rollout of off-grid solutions, as well as the installation of dedicated power systems for federal universities.

“The joint financing from the Bank and AGTF will support the Federal Government of Nigeria’s efforts to address critical energy access deficit in the country, and catalyze achievement of universal energy access by 2030 targets,” the statement read.

“The NEP, which will be implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), presents an innovative approach to address the energy access deficit by channeling private sector investments into commercially viable mini grid and off-grid solutions.”

Damilola Ogunbiyi, managing director of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), said the agency is pleased with the development.

“We are extremely pleased with the African Development Bank’s decision to support NEP. By supporting the electrification of unconnected and underserved communities, NEP will contribute materially to their economic development,” he said.

“Access to reliable, affordable and clean electricity will result in savings for households and businesses, which can be deployed to other uses. NEP will also train and employ thousands of Nigerians with particular focus on women and young people.”

In November, Akinwumi Adesina, president of AfDB, said he was ashamed of the country’s power generation despite the fact that the bank had invested over $200m in driving power generation and transmission in Nigeria.

- TheCable

NNPC: Why we gave pipeline surveillance contract to Oshiomole’s friend

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it couldn’t allow continued attacks on the Trans Forcados pipeline hence the security contract it awarded to Ocean Marine Solutions (OMS).

Ocean Marine Solutions is owned by Idahosa Okunbo, a Nigerian businessman, whom Adams Oshiomole, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), referred to as his friend in a 2016 letter to Ize Iyamu.

In a statement released on Tuesday by the corporation and signed by Ndu Ughamadu, its spokesman, NNPC said the contract is the result of a rigorous appraisal of OMS’s record of performance on the Bonny-Port Harcourt and Warri-Escravos crude evacuation lines.

Trans Forcados is an 87km pipeline with a capacity of 250,000 barrels.

“In 2018, we lost over 60 days of production due to incessant breaches on the TFP despite having a security contract in place,” the statement read.

“In terms of production numbers, this translates to over 11 million barrels of crude oil which on face value equates to over $800m in lost revenue to all the stakeholders in the matrix which includes: NNPC, its Joint Venture partners and the Nigerian Federation.”

Ughamadu said the contract would require that the company bear the cost of any damage to the pipeline, unlike the former contract where the company was exempted from repair costs.

NNPC said it lost 60 days of production under the new contract and spent $32 million on repairs and protection of the pipeline.

According to NNPC, OMS is obligated to engage youths from the community to execute the contract hence youths engaged under the old contract do not have to fear losing their jobs.

On the allegation of non-adherence to due process in the offer of the surveillance deal, NNPC explained that all federal government-approved procurement processes and procedures were followed to the letter.

In 2015, a memo from the Presidency had directed that ex-militants, led by Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), Mujaheedin Asari-Dokubo and Chief Bipobiri Ajube (aka Gen. Shoot-At-Sight) take over Nigerian waterways and oil pipeline protection from the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as from March 16.

Frederick Fasheun, deceased founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, and Gani Adams were also beneficiaries of the contract.

- TheCable

Family Planning Will Achieve Efficient Population Management -Prof. Osinbajo

The Nigerian Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that Family Planning will put a check on the current high-fertility rate and help achieve efficient population management.

According to him, investment in Family Planning (FP) has been proven to be smart, cost effective and life saving.

Osinbajo made this known at the fifth Nigerian Family Planning Conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

Represented by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, the vice president noted that one of the main issues identified in the demographic dividend roadmap was the need to evolve a nationwide FP programme which would eliminate the unmet needs for modern contraception.

According to him, the theme of the conference, investment, innovation and inclusiveness are very critical keys for unlocking the beneficial contributions of FP to Nigeria’s ambition of reaping the potential of demographic dividend.

Osinbajo also said that Nigeria’s optimal age structure would mean a combination of declining fertility and a simultaneous rise in the working age population, adding that the challenge is with the country’s current fertility rates.

He further said that the estimated 63 per cent of the total population was below 25 years of age with a significant segment of the population being sexually active.

He said “such needed education and guidance to wisely navigate the issues of sexuality as well as choice and contraception.

“We must see innovation in our approach to FP in the 21st century in a world driven by the internet and digital technologies.

“Innovation generally speaking has attained even greater significance and must apply to the ways in which we make and implement our family planning policies.

“And to make our efforts count, we must put greater emphasis on evidence based approaches to decisions we make as government, financial institutions and civil society organisations.

“If Nigeria’s prevailing annual population growth rate of 3.2 per cent persist, we will have an additional 68 million people by 2030 and making the nation the third most populous country in the world by 2050.’’

Osinbajo therefore said that achieving SDG and sustainable development by 2030 depended significantly on how well sexual and reproductive health rights of women and young people are patronised.

He noted that inclusion of young people in policies and deployment of resources would help in achieving the optimal goal.

He also urged the delegates to evolve innovative ideas in finding solutions to achieving Family Planning targets, NAN reports.

- PM News

Hoodlums sent to prison for removing police officer’s teeth

The police at the Ilasan Division, Lekki, Lagos have arrested eight suspected hoodlums for allegedly attacking two police officers with planks and stones and in the process forcefully removed three teeth from the mouth of one and injured the other on his right eyes.

The victims are Sgt Bello Oluwadare, whose three teeth were removed and Inspector Leonard Abe, who was injured on his right eye.

The victims, according to a police source were currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Lagos.

Police identified the arrested suspects as Adeniyi Adeniro 36; Godwin Ajako, 26; Olarenwaju Okedeji, 24; Baba Oba Folumo, 43 and Reuben Samuel.

Others included Rafiu Tajudeen, 33; Innocent Akawu, 28 and Ikechukwu James Agba, 33.

Police alleged that trouble started for the suspects on 27 November, 2018 on Alpha Beach Road, Lekki, Lagos when the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in-charge of Ilasan Division, CSP Onyinye Onwuamegbu received a distress call from concerned residents of Alpha beach Road that a male corpse was lying on the road in the area.

Following the report, the DPO dispatched the injured Police Officers to the scene to investigate how the corpse was dump along the road.

It was gathered that on reaching the place, the suspects trooped out from their hideout and descended on the police officers with planks and stones for daring to come to the place to investigate the source of the corpse and in the process removed three the teets of Oluwadare and injured Abe on his right eyes.

Police further alleged that the suspects also dispossessed Oluwadere of his Techno spark 2 Phone valued N37,000.00, Techno Phantom 6 Phone valued N52,000 while Abe lost one Camon Techno Phone valued N70,000 and cash sum of N14,000 to the suspects.

After investigation by Sgt Samuel Okereke and his team, all the suspects were charged before the Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on a six-count charge of assault, occasioning bodily harm.

Police counsel, Samuel Mishozunnu told the court that the accused attacked the two police officers on lawful duty with weapons and forcefully removed the three teeth of one of them and injured the other on his right eye for unjustifiable reasons.

Mishozunnu said the offences committed were punishable under sections 411, 245, 173, 174 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

All the accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime and Magistrate Y. O. Aro Lambo granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

Lambo adjourned the case till 11 January, 2019 for mention and ordered that all the defendants be remanded at Ikoyi prisons, Lagos till they perfected the bail conditions.

- PM News

EU bank to spend $1bn for youth empowerment to discourage irregular migration

African countries fighting the scourge of irregular migration and human trafficking are to benefit from European Union bank’s youth empowerment to the tune of $1 billion.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Ketil Karlsen, disclosed this on Tuesday in Benin, at the lunch of Managing Migration Through Development Programmes (MMDP), Coordination Matrix.

He commended the efforts of Governor Obaseki and President Muhammadu Buhari, which he said has seen Nigeria dropping​ to sixth position in countries providing irregular migrants to Europe.

Karlsen, however, warned that the EU would not fund any state operating in isolation without involving local stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, called for collaborative effort among stakeholders​ in curbing the scourge of irregular migration and human trafficking.

He assured that his government would create a platform for better collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders, avoid duplication of efforts and improve efficiency in migration management.

He said the state government had in the last one year, entered into collaboration with key partners which has significantly changed the narrative as regards the fight against the scourge.

“Since the lunch of Round Table Dialogue in Abuja in May this year, several partnership had been given birth to which have contributed to the success stories” Obaseki said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofffery Onyema, who was represented by Martin Eze, disclosed that ​over 8,000 Nigerian migrants trapped in Libyan prisons have been evacuated and returned home.

He said the resettlement of returnees waas at the heart of federal government’s intervention programme.

“More efforts need to be made in this direction, more so as thousands of migrants are still trapped in various Libyan migrant cells.

“There should be unrelenting efforts in sensitising our youths on the dangers inherent to irregular migrational all levels,” he said.

Onyeama appealed to foreign partners, especially countries in EU to smoothen their visa issuance process to make it easy eligible Nigerians who have genuine reasons​ to travel.

The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration, Mohammed Babatdede, was reprented at the even by the Comptroller, anti human trafficking section, Mrs. Sadat Hassan.

Hassan noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s​ initiatives have resulted in drastic reduction of cases of human trafficking.

- PM News

Man City extend lead, remain unbeaten

Manchester City extended their lead at the top of the English Premier League to five points with a 2-1 win at Watford thanks to the magic of Riyad Mahrez on Tuesday.

The home side had kept Manchester City at bay for most of the first half but Ben Foster’s goal was finally breached five minutes before the break.

A cross from Algerian Mahrez was edged past the goalkeeper by the chest of Leroy Sane.

Mahrez scored himself shortly after halftime by firing in with his devastating left foot from the middle of the area.

Manchester City were easing to another victory when Abdoulaye Doucoure bundled the ball home after a goal-line scramble five minutes from time to give Pep Guardiola’s side a nervy finish.

Watford, who have not won since October, pressed in vain for an equaliser as they suffered their third successive defeat.

Manchester City, still unbeaten in the league this season, lead the standings with 41 points ahead of Liverpool who visit Burnley on Wednesday looking to keep their own undefeated record intact.

- PM News

United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, on Tuesday called on Nigerians to give themselves credible elections in 2019 by avoiding acrimony and standing against electoral malpractices.

Symington made the call at the Peace and Security Network (PSN) Quarterly Roundtable with the theme, “Towards 2019 Elections in Nigeria: Securitisation of the Electoral Process and the Prevention of Violence’’.

He said that because there would be no election anywhere in the world in February, 2019, the attention of the entire globe would be on Nigeria and its citizens to provide credible polls.

According to him, only one thing will make the difference in 2019 and that is the ties that bind the people of Nigeria.

This, Symington explained, were ties of friendship, “of trust not of hate, but of love, not of desperation but of purpose; the ties growing ever stronger’’.

He said that during the life of a nation, there were moments such ties would be tested around elections, adding that it was now for the security forces and the government to resolve to work together.

“I stand for an idea of network, which is a network of Nigerians that will make elections succeed. It has to be a net, it has to be people and organisations linked to each other with strong bonds and purpose.

“Then, that net has actually got to work in every sphere and corner; it has to have people that are citizens woven together that represent government, electoral commissions, security services, federal, state, local officials.

“Secondly, it is more important in the world than Nigeria – the reason is that some people talk about the potential population of Nigeria which is already exploding.

“Now the question will be how to finance the energy and the opportunity of this extraordinary youthful population for the good of its entire people, its neighbours and the whole world,’’ he said.

The envoy advised security forces to act in a way that was true to their mandate and true to securing the country and not being partisan.

He also urged Nigerians to focus on doing good things together, saying something good that could bring about a new Nigeria because the world was watching and hopeful for violent-free elections.

On his part, Country Director, Mercy Corps, Mr Darius Radcliffe, said that the corps was working on integrating all its programming to address electoral violence.

Radcliffe said that the corps had partnered Nigeria toward achieving such goals.

He assured that the group would keep partnering at all levels for a better and greater Nigeria ahead of 2019 elections, and called for a collaborative effort of all citizens.

Mr Adeolu Adewumi, National Coordinator Peace and Security Network, said that the event was organised to brainstorm on the securitisation of the electoral process and the prevention of violence.

Adewumi said that the aim was also to know the strategic plans of the security agents ahead of 2019 elections since there were still insecurity in some regions of the country.

“We all are all witnesses to the fact that there is a resurgence of the insurgency in the North-East towards the 2015 elections; security agencies declared that they could not guarantee security during the election so it needed to be postponed.

“The question now is, are there signs that the 2019 elections will also be postponed? These are the questions we need to ask due to the recent attacks.’’

- Daily Post

Party Primaries: We have 396 court cases – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has disclosed that it has been joined in 396 cases arising from the just concluded political party primaries in the country.

INEC also said it has been slammed with fifty two petitions from those who are aggrieved against the Commission.

Chairman of INEC, Professor Yakubu Mahmoud who was represented by a Resident Electoral Commission, Festus Okoye made the disclosure at the NBA Conference held in Port Harcourt.

The INEC boss also said the Commission has been hounded with a barrage of Court orders that poses challenge to the Commission.

He, therefore, called on political parties to exhaust internal mechanisms to settle disputes before running to court.

According to Okoye, “The Commission has been joined in 396 cases rising from the conduct of the primary elections recently held in the country and other activities that fall under the INEC timetable.

- Daily Post 

2019 presidency: Your governors stealing public funds for campaigns – Sowore attacks APC, PDP

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has accused governors serving under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of stealing money from their states to fund 2019 campaigns.

Sowore also alleged that the main political parties have already spent beyond the threshold for presidential election during primaries.

Sowore made the allegation during his appearance on Channels Television political programme on Sunday.

“They have already spent a billion naira during primaries, or more.

“What they spent in Port Harcourt alone was $25 million in one day. All the Bureau de Change operators in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja all relocated to Port Harcourt.

“I am an investigative reporter before I came into this job of running for office and I can tell you that they are not allegations. They are proven, we have evidence of them doing it (and) they haven’t disputed them by the way.”

“You know that governors are stealing from their states to buy campaign vehicles; otherwise, let them tell us – the APC and PDP how they are raising funds for the election because none of them has done any funder raiser known to anybody since we started the election circle,” Sowore said.

He, thereafter, called for transparency on the part of the political parties and asked Nigerians to hold them to account.

On the other hand, Sowore explained that his campaign group was raising funds to finance his ambition of becoming president in 2019.

He further challenged other presidential candidates to come forward and explain to Nigerians how they have been raising funds for their campaigns.

- Daily Post

What Jonathan govt failed to do for Nigerians – Osinbajo

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has accused the past administration of Goodluck Jonathan of failing to plan for Nigeria’s future in spite of the fortunes it raked from crude oil sales and other revenue sources.

Osinbajo made the allegation on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the 5th National Family Planning Conference ongoing in Abuja.

The VP, who admitted that the current population growth of 3.2 per cent posed risks for the nation by 2030, explained that apart from the economic policies of the past government which were tilted to make lives comfortable for a minority of the people, the administration did not make adequate family planning commodities available to those who needed them.

His words: “In the absence of basic social safety nets, and pro-poor policymaking, tens of millions of our people were left stranded, observing the statistics of economic growth from a distance, completely untouched by it. The sad reality is that for most of our history as a country, periods of economic growth have somehow managed to leave out the majority of our population.

“Between 2011 and 2015 when Nigeria enjoyed some of the highest revenues in history, and overtook South Africa to become the largest economy in Africa, there was no commensurate impact in poverty alleviation and improvement of wellbeing.

“If Nigeria’s prevailing annual population growth rate 3.2 percent persists, we will have an additional 68 million people by 2030, and will be the third most populous country in the world by 2050,” he said.

- Daily Post