Lagos Pastor allegedly defrauds woman of N1m

A 40 -year-old Pastor, John Apeh, on Tuesday in Lagos appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding a woman of N1 million.

The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on March 28 at Anifowose, Ikeja, Lagos.

He said that the defendant unlawfully obtained N1million from Mrs Funke Tola with the pretense of using the money to help her offset her debt.

Ayorinde said that the complainant had some “money issues” with her business partner and was arrested.

He said that the complainant wrote an undertaken to pay part of the money to her business partner.

“The complainant was sick the day she was to pay the first payment.

“She transferred the money on agreement to the defendant, who is her friend and pastor, to help her deliver it to her business partner at the station.

“After the defendant received the bank alert, he disappeared and all efforts made to retrieve the money failed,” he said.

The prosecutor said that the defendant was later arrested and handed over to the police.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Apeh, who resides at Ipaja, Lagos, pleaded not guilty to two counts of stealing and obtaining money under false pretenses.

Magistrate B.O Osunsanmi admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Osinsanmi ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and must show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

She adjourned the case until July 3 for mention.

- DAILY POST

Daddy Freeze attacks Apostle Suleman for buying Private Jet

The Private Jet acquired by the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, is causing ripples as controversial founder of Free Nation movement, Daddy Freeze has attacked the Edo born preacher.

Suleman recently acquired a private jet to aid his gospel ministry.  This was disclosed by the Omega Fire Ministries International, Dubai branch on its Facebook page.

The church, after posting several pictures of the jet on Facebook, congratulated Suleman for the new jet, which it said was for the propagation of the gospel of Christ to all nations.

It said: “Join us as we congratulate our Father, the Restoration Apostle, God’s General, God’s own Oracle, A dispensation of our time, The Lion Of Africa, Apostle Johnson Suleman on his brand new private jet for the propagation of the Gospel of Christ to Nations of the World with his undiluted word of power, signs, wonders, deliverance, healing & restoration and the Prophetic.

“He has paid his dues. As you rejoice with him, whatever you are believing God for shall manifest in a hurry! Daddy Sir, you belong to the air, keep soaring.”

Reacting to the report of Suleman acquiring a private jet, Freeze challenged the preacher to name the number of poor people in his ministry he had helped.

He said helping the poor was better than buying a private jet.

“Apostle Johnson Suleman, I heard you just bought a private jet.

“Please, how many poor people in your church are you helping? I need a response, thank you,” he said.

But Reno Omokri, a follower of Daddy Freeze disagreed with him, saying that “this question is not borne out of good faith. I know Apostle Suleman personally. I also put you in touch with him privately. If you truly want to know the answer to that question, you can contact him privately to find out whether he actually bought a private jet, and  What he does for the poor.

“This is grandstanding and playing to the gallery. Apostle Suleman has done so many charitable works but he does not like publicising them and I support him for it. The Bible says “when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”-Matthew 6:3. He has helped me raise money for Leah Sharibu’s mother when she was in need, but it is wrong of me to even say that publicly. I regret what you have done with this post and I am not one to backbite. I say it to you before your face.”

- PM NEWS

Ritualists kill hunchback woman, pay son N7m

Detectives from Ondo State Police Command are on the trail of suspected ritualists who killed a 60-year-old woman with hunchback. The police are also on the trail of the woman’s son, who colluded with the kidnappers after being paid N7million.

The woman identified as Mrs. Rukayat Abodunde, was abducted by two gunmen who came to her home in Ayetoro Street in Ondo town, pretending to have come to buy fish from her, according to The Nation.

The abduction happened around 10 p.m, the paper said, without indicating the actual date of the incident.

The report said the suspected kidnappers reappeared few days after the abduction of the woman to demand refund of N7m from his son, after they discovered that the hunchback was not natural, but caused by an accident.

The woman appeared to have been killed and the son is also on the run.

Police spokesman, Femi Joseph, a Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed the incident.

He added that the two suspected kidnappers invaded the home of the victim and whisked her away.

According to him, “the incident was reported at the police station by one Omotola Oseyemi and detectives swung into action to ensure the release of the abducted woman.

“They interrogated the people in the area but members of the family were not showing enough interest in the disappearance of the woman.”

The police spokesman said the case was still being investigated to unravel those behind the dastardly act.

- DAILY POST

Former Brazilian striker murdered

Ex-Brazilian international, Valdiram Caetano de Morais has reportedly been found dead in the streets of Santana area of Sao Paulo, Brazil over the weekend.

Marca reports that three men were arrested over Valdiram’s murder, even as one of them has since been released because of lack of evidence of his participation in the ex-striker’s death.

The report claimed that the other two remain in police custody as Valdiram’s body underwent an autopsy with the Institute of Legal Medicine.

The report also claimed that an investigation into Valdiram’s death is ongoing.

Valdiram played alongside Brazil legend, Romario during their time at Vasco da Gama.

He signed for the Rio de Janeiro side in 2006 and scored 14 goals in 32 games.

The 36-year-old had been battling alcoholism and drug addiction for over 10 years.

- DAILY POST

180-year future debt: BudgIT asks Ayade to terminate superhighway project

BudgIT, a civic organisation, has asked the Cross River state government to halt its “controversial” superhighway project over “undue financial hazard”.

In a statement, Shakir Akorede, communications associate, BudgIT accused Ben Ayade, governor of the state, of planning to defraud the people with a project that is “overly ambitious and almost a misplaced priority”.

Quoting a report, the organisation said Cross River government had transmitted a letter to the house of assembly to approve modalities for the repayment through irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO) for N300 million per month for a period of 180 years.

BudgIT said it is financially myopic for the state to pursue the project, especially with its approved budget not reflecting the realities of its total revenue uptake.

“For the umpteenth time, BudgIT is blowing alarm over this attempt to hold public resources to ransom,” the statement read.

“Suspecting an obstinate intention of the Ayade government to defraud the people of Cross River, we deem the project overly ambitious, superfluous and almost a misplaced priority especially – besides its viability to investors – when there has been hardly any explanation on ‘infallible plans’ to upscale the state revenue and clear cumulative debts let alone fix the human and environmental costs of the project.

“With a budget estimate of N648 billion, the 275km Superhighway fails all tests of fiscal sustainability and proper procurement process, as the state government has unacceptably failed to name the investors, four years down the drain.

“Cross River has the 4th largest external debt among Nigerian states all thanks to its obsession with phantom projects without federal government institutional support. As of December 31, 2018, the state’s domestic debt stood at N167.96 billion, according to the Debt Management Office of Nigeria (DMO).

“In the whole of 2017, Cross River was only able to generate total revenue of N41.6 billion, with its internally generated revenue accounting for 34.58% – N18.1bn. Yet, the government has come up with a proposed budget of N1.4 trillion for the 2019 fiscal year.

“The state government claims that investors will make returns on their investment through collected toll fees from vehicles and trucks that ply the highway, evacuating the proposed Bakassi deep sea port. Our analysis has, however, showed that it will take over 100 years for the funds to be recouped.”

BudgIT advised the state government to focus its funds on viable and more financially realistic projects such as information technology hubs, renewable energy facilities.

- THECABLE

ISIS claims responsibility for Sri Lanka bombings

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings which led to deaths of 310 persons in Sri Lanka.

Suicide bombers struck in churches and hotels in the country on Easter Sunday.

In a statement carried by the extremist group’s mouthpiece Amaq, the group said it targetted Christians and Sri Lanka citizens.

“Those, who carried out the attack that targeted the citizens of the coalition and Christians in Sri Lanka the day before yesterday were Islamic State fighters,” Amaq reported on Tuesday.

The statement referred to the US-led coalition, which has been fighting the extremist group in Iraq and Syria since it took over large areas in the two countries in 2014.

The death toll from multiple suicide attacks at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka over the Easter weekend rose to 321 on Tuesday, the national day of mourning for the victims.

Police said that the increase was due to more people succumbing to injuries.

The bombings in Sri Lanka were intended as retaliation for last month’s attack against Muslims in Christchurch, according to initial investigations by the Sri Lankan government, the deputy defence minister said.

“We believe [the massacre] was carried out by an extreme Islamist group as a reprisal to the Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand,” Ruwan Wijewardene, minister for defence, in a statement to parliament.

“This group is known to have links to an organisation named National Thowheed Jamath. We should take immediate steps to ban any such organisation that have links to extremist elements.”

Wijewardene’s comments came as security forces and police searched the capital for a lorry and a van fitted with explosives identified by police in an intelligence report.

“The search is in progress, but nothing suspicious has been found so far,” a police officer said.

Police checked several motorcycles, cars, unattended parcels and other locations.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in Geneva that 45 children were killed and dozens were injured in the suicide attacks.

“No child should experience such a heartbreaking situation and no parents should lose their child forever under such horrible circumstances,” UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac said.

Three minutes of silence were observed as more funerals of those killed in Sunday’s attacks took place.

Black and white flags were also raised in most towns as symbols of mourning. The country has been under a state of emergency since late Monday.

High security was being maintained in Colombo and in Negombo, 35 kilometres bombings north of the capital, where a mass burial took place close to a church where more than 110 people were killed.

The state of emergency gives security forces special powers, including the right to search and arrest individuals.

- THECABLE

Gruesome attack of Police Officers in Cross Rivers State (PHOTOS)

Three policemen have been attacked and wounded seriously by hoodlums in Cross River State while investigating incidence of car theft.


- PM NEWS

Man sets self ablaze in Ebonyi

The police in Ebonyi on Monday rushed a 37-year-old man to the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, for treatment after he allegedly set himself ablaze.

The man, identified as Chinedu Nweze, allegedly set himself ablaze beside a classroom block at St. Patrick’s Primary School, Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki.

He was said to have tied his legs and wet himself with petrol before committing the act.

It was gathered that Nweze, who hails from Umuogharu, Ezza North Local Government Area of the state, had complained to his neighbours of frustration and inability to feed himself, a day before the incident.

Ebonyi Police Command Spokesperson, Mrs Lovett Odah, told NAN that the command was investigating the incident to ascertain whether it was a suicide attempt or not.

“The command dispatched an ambulance to the scene of the incident and took the man to hospital after it received a distress call from a member of the public.

“Police are currently carrying out investigation into the incident but for now we have very sketchy information about the incident and cannot confirm if the act was a suicide attempt or not,” Odah said.

According to her, the man is now recuperating at the hospital

- PM NEWS

Trump to make state visit to UK in June

President Donald Trump has accepted Queen Elizabeth’s invitation to make a state visit to Britain in June, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.

Trump and his wife Melania will make the trip from June 3 to June 5, the palace said, adding that further details would be announced in due course.

Trump will hold a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street and the trip also coincides with events to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings during World War Two.

“The UK and U.S. have a deep and enduring partnership that is rooted in our common history and shared interests,” May said in a statement.

“The State Visit is an opportunity to strengthen our already close relationship in areas such as trade, investment, security and defense, and to discuss how we can build on these ties in the years ahead.”

The Trumps met the queen for tea at Windsor Castle on their last trip to Britain in July, which was not deemed a state visit.

Similarly, Trump and his wife will travel to France on June 6, where Trump will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

- PM NEWS

How internet users in Nigeria can be protected from cybercrime – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stressed the need for the over 114 million internet users in the country to show interests in getting constant enlightenment to ensure proper protection against cybercrime.

The Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, Mrs Felicia Onwuegbuchulam stated on Sunday that there was need for awareness programmes where consumers were informed on the dangers of cybercrimes.

Onwuegbuchulam said that such programmes would ensure that internet users learnt and observed skills through which they could be protected while on the internet.

She said, in a statement, that the commission recently held the 47th edition of its monthly Consumer Town Hall Meeting (CTM) in Abia, where it discussed cyberspace issues.

According to her, cyber space covers everything consumers do online or with computing devices, including mobile phones, tablets and personal computers.

“The internet touches almost all aspects of human lives.

“There is, therefore, need for the consumers to show interests in getting constant enlightenment and be conscious of fraudulent tendencies by some internet users while online.

“As at February this year, there are over 114 million internet users in the country, with over 63 million of them accessing broadband services on 3G and 4G networks.

“The need to constantly educate is further underscored by the large numbers of Nigerians online, with even more to come online.

“The commission is intensifying efforts towards implementing its various initiatives aimed at deepening connectivity across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

“As access to internet increases, the dimension of cyber-criminal activities is also becoming more sophisticated,’’ she said.

Onwuegbuchulam urged consumers to take the skills learnt through consumer engagement programmes very seriously and apply them, in order to be safe on the cyberspace.

The director said that the liberalisation of the telecommunications industry in 2001 led to an unprecedented growth in the usage and dependence on internet-based solutions, services and applications.

According to her, as the internet is being used for legitimate, positive engagements, some individuals also use it for criminal activities in the cyberspace.

She, however, said that aside the continuous monthly consumer enlightenment programmes, the commission had also initiated a process to establish an Internet Industry Code of Practice for Internet Service.

”The Internet Code is a regulatory intervention that will help to secure the country’s cyber space against imminent threats from cyber attackers.

“It will also address such issues as online child protection, privacy and data protection, contents, among others,’’ Onwuegbuchulam said.

- PM NEWS

I’m proud of my father, Anini’s son declares after 32 years

Osayi Lawrence Lawson, the son of notorious armed robber who is popularly known as Anini, has finally replied those who labeled him as ‘someone who may be like his dad’, after he went public with his identity and background.

Recall that Anini was executed alongside his gang members in 1987.

In a viral video, Osayi said he has finally decided to speak out after three decades of silence because of people’s opinion about him for many years.

Osayi said anytime he goes out, people always pointed him out as ‘look at Anini’s son. That is Anini’s son.’

He boasted that he is not hiding his identity and that he is proud of his father.

Osayi who wore black and carried dreadlocks, said he wanted to use the video to clarify some things about his late father.

He lampooned Nollywood producers over the video of ‘Anini’ saying many things in the video were untrue.

He said: “His name is not Nomayankpon as stated in the movie. Anini is not an alias but my grandfather’s name. If I am walking, people always pointed me out saying ‘see Anini pikin.’ I was somewhere yesterday and people were saying many things about Anini.

“I am not hiding my identity. I have used that name to take the Nigeria government to court for years. I am proud of my father. If the way he runs things is not okay by you, that is your opinion but he is my father.

“We are two brothers. The other one is called Osaro. There is no need for people to be pointing out at me. My grandmother is still alive. I will release the true story of Anini by this month end. There is nothing real in that drama about Anini.”

However replying critics over the controversy his video generated, he wrote; “Am cool and calm very very different from what you think, ask those that really know me. All sons are not always like their father”

- PM NEWS