Lagos orders Police to impound vehicles with covered number plate

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo – Olu has directed Rapid Response Squad (RRS) to impound vehicles with covered number plate in the state.

The directive, which was re – echoed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, has recorded the impoundment of six vehicles by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in different parts of the State.

Five of the vehicles have been transferred to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences. The sixth, a Mercedes Benz, ML 350 was intercepted and impounded in Victoria Island  by the officers of the squad around 9:30 p.m. yesterday.

The driver of the vehicle, one Adam Oluremi, 32, threatened and mobilized a military man to shoot the officers. The officers professionally de – escalated the crisis and successfully towed vehicle to RRS Headquarters.

Receiving briefing on the issue, Odumosu directed that the vehicle be impounded and the driver prosecuted, maintaining that nobody is above the law of the land.

Meanwhile, RRS Commander, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi has charged officers of the squad to be professional in the discharge of their responsibilities, maintaining that they be civil and firm in enforcing the law.

He urged the officers to be dedicated and not to give room for distractions while on duty.

Egbeyemi stated that law abiding Lagosians should look forward to a robust relationship, noting that, the squad would be uncompromising with criminals.

He added that criminal should either shape up with the laws of the State or relocate.

- PM NEWS

New COVID-19 infections still above 1,000 after all-time peak

 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Saturday confirmed 1,598 new COVID-19 infections in 23 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The spread of the infection has maintained an upswing averaging over 1,000 cases daily.

The country now has a total of 108,943 confirmed cases of which 85,327 have been discharged while 1,420 have died.

Jigawa (1) and Ekiti (7) recorded the least infections while Lagos (461) and the FCT (206) had the highest records.

The new cases represented a decrease of 269 over the past 24 hours — 1,867 cases were confirmed on January 17 — the highest daily toll since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Nigeria is expecting about 100,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine by the end of January.

But the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has expressed concerns that the country does not have the necessary facilities to store and transport the vaccines at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

- THECABLE

Bandits kidnap, kill Catholic Priest in Niger State

 

A Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Minna, Rev.Father John Gbakaan Yaji has allegedly been kidnapped and killed by bandits in Tufa village along Lambata-Lapai road in Niger State.

The Rev father Yaji was abducted on Friday night in Tufa village on his way back to his station after attending a church program alongside his fellow priests and killed by the bandits.

It was gathered that the late Priest was kidnapped along with his younger brother whose whereabouts is not yet known.

Reacting to the development when contacted, the state Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State, Rev. Matthias Echioda described the kidnap and killing of the late Priest as unfortunate and painful.

According to him, “these attacks are unfortunate and we should not base them as religious but we should all come together to put an end to Banditry. And I know God who answers prayers will deliver us from the hands of the wicked”.

However, efforts to get the reaction of the state Police Command failed as the Public Relations Officer, ASP. Wasiu Abiodun could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

- DAILY POST

David Ntekim Rex a Nigerian IT prodigy killed by robbers in Lagos

 

David Ntekim Rex, a Nigerian IT prodigy, has been fatally shot in Lagos by robbers. He was 22 years-old.

David, the second son of his parents, was attacked in Jibowu area of Lagos, around 8 p.m on Friday, as he was returning home.

Police were alerted after the attack, but they watched as David bled to death.

Even after he was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, doctors refused to take any action until they later pronounced him dead on arrival.

David’s cousin, Roy Mustang brought the shattering news to Twitter on Sunday, as he also informed that David was in the process of interning with Microsoft.

“He even had an interview with the South Africa office”, he revealed.

Before he was cut short by bandits, David in 2018, as a computer engineering student at the University of Lagos emerged second in the annual “Master the Mainframe” competition, organized by AngelHack, a global hackathon company and the IBM Z Academic Initiative.

He was then 19 years old.

The first position in the Middle East and African region went to 21 year old Salisu Ali of Bayero University in Kano.

The two Nigerians were also among the top 12 finalists globally.

Both students’ entries, according to the judges, showcased innovation and their clear understanding of software security and utility principles, two key attributes of mainframe systems.

The other 10 finalists were from Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Nepal and the USA.

The bandits have now ended David’s dream in the IT field.

Here is the tragic story of David as related by Roy Mustang:

My ‘auntie’ has three sons. She’s always crazy about them. The middle child, David, is the most promising. He’s a tech guy; very young, very brilliant. David was on his was home on Friday night when he was robbed, shot and killed around Jibowu. Please say a prayer for my aunt.

David got shot around 8 p.m. The police were called, David hadn’t died yet. The Nigerian police stood and watched as he gasped for air. They took pictures instead, and were more concerned with why he – a tech guy- was carrying a laptop. Nigeria failed you, David.

David wasn’t attended to by the doctors at LUTH. He was there till the family was convinced he couldn’t be alive because he had no pulse. The doctors refused to administer any test to see if he was alive.

The country failed David.
The doctors failed David.
The police failed David.
The system failed David.
Rest in peace David Ntekim-Rex

Roy Mustang posted later that david’s mum was still in shock on Sunday, up to the time he left her.

“I don’t think it has fully hit her what just happened. She’s still in shock”, he wrote.

The multiple tweets triggered outrage on Twitter, with many commenters attacking the attitude of police to gunshot victims and the indifference of doctors, who are expected to provide medicare.

Commenters condemned the Nigerian system that allowed David, a young man of promise to die and some were of the view that Nigeria is not the right place for any young man that nurses a brighter future.

Wrote Odanye Olawafemi: “Everyday I live and walk around with fear just because I don’t trust the system to save me when I’m in need.The Police will fail you! The Doctors and Nurses will fail you! The System will fail you!”

“For those of you that still believe in prayers!! your prayer point everyday should be “May Nigeria never happen to you. RIP David, this zoo of a country failed you”, wrote another Nigeria Kings Okey Okafor.

“We live in a Jungle for real”, said Ifeoma Alexander.

- PM NEWS

FG: NIN is mandatory for foreign diplomats

 

The federal government says the national identity number (NIN) is compulsory for diplomats who will be resident in the country for more than two years.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Adeluyi, technical assistant to Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, said an enrollment centre will be set up at the ministry of foreign affairs.

Adeluyi said the enrollment centre is being set up following a request by Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs.

“The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has approved the setting up of a National Identity Number (NIN) enrolment centre at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

“The desk will be set up by Tuesday, 19th of January, 2021. This enrolment centre will provide support for members of the Diplomatic Corps and will be managed by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, through the National Identity Management Commission.

“The centre is being set up based on the request of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in order to simplify the process for diplomats.

“The National Identity Number is mandatory for diplomats who will reside in Nigeria for a continuous period of two years or more.”

The technical assistant said it is mandatory for lawful residents in Nigeria to have NIN.

“It is also mandatory for all other lawful residents in the country as stated in Section 16 of the National Identity Management Commission Act 2007,” he said.

“The Law has made it mandatory for Nigerians and legal residents to obtain a NIN since 2007. However, compliance has been low, until recently.”

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had asked all telecommunication companies to disconnect SIM cards of all subscribers who have not integrated their national identity numbers with their phone lines by the end of January.

- THECABLE

Banditry: 17 persons abducted in Shiroro, Niger State

 

A total of 17 persons were said to have been kidnapped by armed bandits in three communities of Bassa/Kukoki wards in Shiroro local government area of Niger State.

They were allegedly abducted on Saturday night in Madagwa, Wongo and Marenje areas of the council.

DAILY POST gathered that the bandits attacked the three communities at different times that night.

Eyewitness accounts said five people were kidnapped each from Wongo and Marenje villages, as well as seven others from Madagwa.

Confirming the kidnap, the Co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths, Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki said the location of the victims is still unknown.

He stated, “This is so disheartening and unfortunate.
Kidnappings and other related criminal activities have become the order of the day in the entire Rafi and Shiroro local governments areas of Niger State. The locals have been left to their fate and this is very unfair to us.”

Meanwhile, another 20 persons from Duguru in Madaka ward of Rafi local government who were on their way to the community market were kidnapped, last Thursday by the bandits.

- DAILY POST

Police Sergeant arrested for robbery in Port Harcourt

 

A serving police sergeant,  Ibrahim Odege and one Sampson Odege have been arrested while carrying out robbery operation at Elekahia Housing Estate, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Sergeant Odege is attached to the Operations Department of the Rivers Police Command while his accomplice,  Inomoghe, 32 years old, hails from  Nembe, in Bayelsa State, but resides at Rumuokwrushi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

While confirming the incident, spokesperson of Rivers Police Command, SP Nnamdi Omoni said the suspects were arrested at about 10 p.m. on Saturday.

He said they were arrested by policeman who responded to a distress call at the Elekahia Housing Estate that two armed robbers who were robbing people and dispossessing them of their valuables.

“The timely arrival of the Police led to the arrest of  the two armed robbers who were later identified as Sergeant Ibrahim Odege attached to the Operations Department of the Rivers Police Command and one  Sampson Inomoghe ‘m’ 32yrs from Nembe in Bayelsa State, but resides at Rumuokwrushi in Obio/Akpor LGA.”

“The duo was arrested at the scene of crime with the following Exhibits: Three different Handsets belonging to their victims and one locally made Bareta Pistol. One of the Victims, Mrs Doris Elechi identified them as those that robbed her of her Tecno Handset, which is one of the exhibits recovered.

“At the Station, the suspects confessed to have carried out the robbery attacks among other revelations.

But our correspondent learnt from another source that the two suspects were actually arrested by security guards and residents of Elekahia Housing Estate with Sergeant Odege found with the Nigeria Police Force Identity card.

It was gathered that the suspects who were on a motorcycle had robbed two ladies of their phones and other valuables at about 10:30pm.

After this, they attempted to rob a man who raised an alarm which attracted attention of security men who immediately closed the gates to the estate while, some of the residents gave the robbers a hot chase.

The residents caught the suspects and discovered that one of them was putting on Police combat T- shirt and a Police ID card was found on him.

The suspects were later handed over to Elekahia Divisional Police headquarters.

The President of Elekahia Progressive Youth, Prince One Aholu, also confirmed to our correspondent on telephone that he got the report that the suspects were arrested during a robbery operation in the area by security guards who subsequently called in police officers from Elekahia Divisional Police Station in Port Harcourt to take them away.

The Youth President disclosed that one of the suspects was in possession of a Nigerian Police Identity card and that the two armed robbery suspects were armed.

But Aholu commended the Police for their swift response, while urging  youths in the community to remain calm as the matter is being investigated by the Police.

He urged the Police to pay more attention to Elekahia ring road and railway axis of Port Harcourt as the areas have become a den of criminals.

He alleged that many of the criminals use the railway and Ring road axis as operational base, while urging the security agencies to do everything possible to rid the spots of criminality.

- PM NEWS

Reps want school resumption postponed by three months

 The House of Reps has asked that school resumption in the country be postponed by three months to put in necessary safety measures in wake of the ravaging COVID-19 virus.

This is as the House faulted the Federal Government for approving that schools resume on Monday.

The House claims that officials did not consult the relevant committees of the National Assembly, contrary to their claim that all relevant stakeholders were consulted before arriving at January 18, 2021, resumption date.

Prof Julius Ihonvbere, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services revealed in an interview with The Punch.

He said he was not consulted and no member of the committee was carried along stating that they are not seen as part of important stakeholders.

“They did not consult us; at least in my committee, nobody from the ministry spoke to me. I have been in Abuja. And I am not sure that they spoke to any of my members. They just don’t see us as part of the critical stakeholders,” he said.

Previously, in a statement by the committee chairman objected to school resuming on Monday.

The statement was titled “School resumption: Are we truly prepared?”

Ihonvbere noted in the statement that the committee is concerned especially as infection rate hovers above 1,000 daily and schools are being reopened as schools were closed when infection rate was around 500 daily.

“We are particularly concerned that when the infection rates hovered around 500 and under, schools were closed; but now that it hovers well above 1,000 infections daily, schools are being reopened. Why are we rushing to reopen schools without adequate verifiable and sustainable arrangements to protect and secure our children?”

- PM NEWS

Obama, Bush’s pastor jailed 7 years for fraud

 

A Texas megachurch pastor and former spiritual adviser to Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush has been sentenced to six years in prison for bilking investors out of millions of dollars.

Kirbyjon H. Caldwell, 67, was sentenced Wednesday in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he and his co-defendant, Gregory A. Smith, were indicted in 2018.

Caldwell, who in March pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was the senior pastor of Houston’s Windsor Village United Methodist Church, which has about 14,000 members.

He was a spiritual adviser to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

According to federal prosecutors, Caldwell and Smith, a Shreveport-based investment adviser, used their clout and influence to persuade people to invest about $3.5 million in historical Chinese bonds.

The bonds were reportedly issued by the former Republic of China that lost power to the communist government in 1949.

The bonds aren’t recognized by China’s current government and have no investment value.

Caldwell “used his status as the pastor of a mega-church to help convince the many victim investors that they were making a legitimate investment.

Instead he took their hard-earned money from them and used it for his own personal gain,” Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook said in a statement.

Caldwell used about $900,000 he received from the scheme to maintain his lifestyle and pay down credit cards and mortgages, according to the Justice Department.

Caldwell has a master’s degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and had worked in the financial industry.

In November, Smith was also sentenced to six years in prison.

In a video posted on Facebook, Floyd LeBlanc, chairman of the Windsor Village Church Family Personnel Committee, said Caldwell has taken full responsibility and paid full restitution to all the victims.

LeBlanc said Caldwell has remained active within the church during his case, including helping with virtual ministry and weekly food distributions to families during the pandemic.

“Mr. Caldwell has apologised and asked forgiveness from the people harmed in this matter,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc also described Caldwell as a victim for choosing the wrong business partners.

“We’re very disappointed that Mr. Caldwell’s contributions to society and his extraordinary efforts to make every victim whole resulted in a sentence that is disappointing,” LeBlanc said.

Caldwell was set to report to federal prison on June 22.

*Source: AP

Nigeria records 1598 COVID-19 cases

 Nigeria on Saturday recorded one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight (1598) COVID-19 cases in the country.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the figure in a tweet on Saturday night.

Lagos, FCT, Plateau, Rivers, Kaduna and Anambra top the list with 461, 206, 197, 168, 116, 53 cases respectively.

Others were Kaduna-116, Anambra-53, Ogun-49,Ebonyi-47.

Edo-42, Sokoto-32, Imo-31, Katsina-31, Oyo-30, Akwa Ibom-27, Delta-16,Kano-16, Abia-15,Niger-15, Ondo-11, Bayelsa-10
Borno-9, Kebbi-8, Ekiti-7 and Jigawa-1

Nigeria has now recorded 108, 943 coronavirus cases and 1,420 deaths officially.

- DAILY POST

 

A customary court sitting in Mapom, Ibadan has dissolved a 15-year-old marriage between Olubunmi Faseyitan, a mother of two, and Kolawole, her husband, over suspicions of witchcraft.

Ademola Odunade, the court’s president, dissolved the marriage on Thursday after Faseyitan admitted she asked a witch doctor to “tie her husband spiritually” and “milk him dry.”

While delivering judgment, Odunade, said: “men and women intending to get married should seek God’s approval in their relationship before forging ahead.”

He noted that he dissolved the union in the interest of peace while granting custody of the children to Faseyitan.

The arbitrator also ordered Kolawole to pay N6,000 monthly for the children’s upkeep.

Speaking on the divorce, Faseyitan said: “I never wished death on my husband. All I wanted was to put him in bondage and make him sick until he serves his purpose.

”I only told the witch doctor so that people would be convinced that his second wife was responsible for the calamity that befell him.”

Her partner, who is a factory worker, sought the dissolution of the union on grounds that his wife does black magic.

He tendered the recorded conversation between his wife and the alleged witch doctor as exhibit before the court.

“I did everything possible to please her. It wasn’t enough. I abandoned home to her after she confessed to me,” he said.

- THECABLESTYLE

UNILAG debunks N50K charge for online classes

 

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has described as false reports that students are to pay N50,000 for online classes.

The university said the online lectures from 25 January are absolutely free and at no cost to the students.

“The Management of University of Lagos wishes to inform all students, parents, and the general public, that a notice on the internet purporting that returning students of the University of Lagos are to pay a sum of ₦50,000 for online lectures and examinations, is FALSE and should be disregarded.

“All students are to commence online lectures on Monday, January 25, 2021, at absolutely NO COST.

“In future, it is advised that our esteemed stakeholders and interested individuals kindly check the official University of Lagos website and official social media platforms for verified information about the University.”

- PM NEWS

Transfer: William Gallas reveals what Diego Costa will bring to Arsenal

 

Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender, William Gallas has spoken on ex-Chelsea striker Diego Costa joining Arsenal, adding that the player will bring ‘character’ to Mikel Arteta’s squad with his ability to spark his team-mates into action.

Costa terminated his contract at Atletico Madrid at the end of December 2020 and became a free agent.

The Spain International lasted 3 years at Chelsea scoring 52 goals. He was a nemesis of Arsenal during his stay in London.

The Brazilian-born striker helped the Blues to two Premier League titles but played only seven times at Atletico this season due to a combination of injuries and increased competition for the striking role at the club.

Costa is now available on a free transfer in January, and Gallas believes the Arteta’s side could benefit from the striker’s fiery nature.

“He would bring character to the squad,” Gallas told PlayOJO.

“He just wants to win games. If his team mate doesn’t play well, he will shout at them during the game and sometimes I think this is good.

“Sometimes, when I’m watching Arsenal, they don’t show any reaction when they concede, and someone like Costa will shout to the guys ‘Wake up!’ which can boost the players.

“If he comes to Arsenal, he will cause a lot of problems for defenders but it might also mean [Alexandre] Lacazette going on the bench again.”

- DAILY POST

Nwodo: Nigeria must restructure now to avoid boycott of 2023 elections

 

John Nwodo, former president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, says Nigeria must restructure to avoid a boycott of the 2023 elections.

Nwodo, a two-time minister, gave the warning at the 17th Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture organised by the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos, on Friday.

The event themed ‘The Constitutional History of Nigeria’s Dysfunction: Any pathway to indivisibility and common progress?’ was attended by Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno; Femi Falana, human rights lawyer; among others.

Nwodo said things worked better under the regional government system as the regions enjoyed sovereignty over their national resources while paying royalties and taxes to the federal government.

He warned that to prevent “the coming catastrophe”, Nigeria must restructure and divert attention to agriculture.

Nwodo added that the restructuring process must be concluded before the 2023 elections to avoid a boycott by some sections of the country.

“There was only one reason why things worked so well then. We had a regional system of government that allowed regions to enjoy sovereignty over their resources whilst paying royalties and taxes to the federal government. Our domestic security was independent and uncontrolled by the federal government,” he said.

“Suddenly, the army came to power and abrogated our constitution, turned us into a unitary state and imposed a unitary constitution on us. They seized our natural resources and donated them to the federal government to share without adequate respect for derivation.

“Nigeria must restructure and give its component units sovereignty over its natural resources provided they pay royalty or some form of taxes to the federal government to maintain federal responsibilities like external defence, foreign missions, customs and immigration.

“Emphasis must return to agriculture and education. Domestic security must remain in the hands of the federating units because living safe in Nigeria today is by luck. The secularity of the Nigerian state must be respected. These irreducible minimum conditions are not negotiable. If it does not happen, we will have no alternative but to go our separate ways.

“Processes to begin our restructuring as a nation must be concluded before the 2023 elections so as to avert a situation where sections of the country may boycott the elections and present the country with a constitutional force majeure.”

- THECABLE