32-year-old man, friend hacks Okada rider to death in Ondo

 

A middle-aged man has killed an Okada rider in Ondo State following a plan to snatch a motorcycle from his victim.

The 32-year-old culprit, Sunday Ayenutaju committed the crime at Omin-nla within Ore axis in Odigbo Local Government Area of the State.

Ayenitaju who conspired with his friend to commit the crime was arrested by men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, otherwise known as Amotekun.

Luck was said to have ran out of them after the duo killed the unidentified victim when the Amotekun operatives swooped on them.

With his friend escaping from the scene, Sunday told the corps that it was his friend who lured him into the evil act.

“My childhood friend, who is popularly known as ‘Akaba’ invited me to join him in snatching Okada in Ore. He told me he had been in the business for a very long time, and it’s lucrative. He showed me over 60 bikes he had acquired and asked me to join him. Although he has been inviting me for a very long time, I refused.”

Describing the incident as pathetic, the Commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye, urged everyone in the state to be security conscious, especially in this festive period.

- DAILY POST 

Boko Haram claims responsibility for military jet crash in Borno

 The Abubakar Shekau-led faction of Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a crash involving an alpha jet operated by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

The aircraft, NAF 475, went off the radar on Wednesday evening. 

The jet was on a mission to provide support for troops on the ground fighting Boko Haram insurgents.

Earlier on Friday, Edward Gabkwet, the NAF spokesperson, had said the whereabouts of the two flying officers piloting the jet was unknown.

“Intelligence report gathered by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) indicates that the Alpha Jet aircraft (NAF475) that went off the radar with 2 crew members on board on 31 March 2021 might have crashed,” he had said. 

He gave the names of the missing pilots as John Abolarinwa and Ebiakpo Chapele. 

He also added that extensive search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing by NAF surveillance aircraft, as well as air force special forces and Nigerian army troops on the ground.

In the video released by Boko Haram on Friday, suspected insurgents are seen engaging the jet, which appears to be flying at low range, in a gunfight. 

The insurgents are armed with machine guns, especially ones that seem to be anti-aircraft weapons.  

As soon as the jet crashes, the insurgents move towards the debris, and start removing components from the jet. 

The alpha jet is a highly-advanced aircraft built for close-air support combat capabilities.

NAF spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on the development. 

- THECABLE

Messi not like in 2005 but still ‘world’s best’ – Klopp tackles Southgate over Alexander-Arnold

 

Liverpool boss, Jürgen Klopp, has tackled the national team coach, Gareth Southgate over his decision to leave defender, Trent Alexander-Arnold out of England’s latest squad.

Klopp said he, “doesn’t understand,” why the Liverpool star was dropped from the recent World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.

Southgate’s decision suggested that the 22-year-old had fallen short of standard this season.

The coach had already been criticised by former internationals such as Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler, Peter Crouch and Ian Wright for his reluctance to find a place for the Liverpool star.

Alexander-Arnold is the current PFA Young Player of the Year and one of the stand-out full-backs in world football over the past three seasons.

He played significant roles in Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League titles.

Addressing the press ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Arsenal, Klopp was asked about Southgate’s decision and he said, “I didn’t understand it because Trent Alexander-Arnold was in the last two seasons at least, let me say the season before and the season before that, the stand-out right-back in world football. That is the truth and at an unbelievable young age.

“So that [form] cannot be the reason that he was not in the squad. If you compare Lionel Messi every year with his best season ever, then he is not performing now like he was performing in 2005 and 2006 maybe. But he is still the world’s best player.

“It is about how you want to play. That is the thing that Gareth has to make sure happens.”

- DAILY POST

How COVID-19 struck 17 UCH doctors dead

 

Dr Temitope Hussein, the President of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Chapter of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), has revealed how 17 doctors were killed by COVID-19 pandemic.

Hussein, who was justifying the association’s reasons for joining the nationwide strike of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, explained that the families of the deceased doctors were yet to benefit from the Death-in-Service Insurance Scheme.

According to him, the striking doctors were also protesting the non-payment of salaries of some of their members across the country and demanding for an upward review of hazard allowance, among others.

He decried the agony its members nationwide had been made to pass through for three months now without salaries, despite their uninterrupted service delivery to the nation.

Hussein said in spite of the three-month window given to the Federal Government to review the hazard allowance of health workers, the hazard allowance had remained at a paltry sum of five thousand naira monthly

He explained that the strike came on the heels of the expiration of the 60-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government on Jan. 25.

- PM N NEWS

Nigerian gets 34 years jail term for defrauding US charities, senior citizens

 Babatope Joseph Aderinoye, a Nigerian living in the US, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars from several people.

Aderinoye, 30, also scammed a charity based in Fort Worth, Texas, of $100,000.

According to Fox4news, his fraud scheme targeted senior citizens, a north Texas school district, and the Fort Worth charity which provides financial aid to families of terminally ill patients.

Kristina Robertson, founder of the charity, said her bank had noticed a suspicious email request for a transfer.

“I think he was just fishing and kind of seeing who he could catch,” she said.

“I think we were very naive at the time thinking that it would not happen to us even though we were taking what we thought were appropriate procedures. They weren’t enough.”

The FBI said Aderinoye stole more than $6.7 million from his victims and used fake passports to set up 13 fake businesses and 40 bank accounts.

Aderinoye and his accomplices were said to have encouraged their victims to wire money which they subsequently transferred to a Nigerian bank account.

He was said to have unsuccessfully attempted to steal money from a school district. The school thwarted his attempt and reported him to the authorities, which resulted in the FBI’s investigation.

Nicholas Ganjei, the acting US attorney, said the fraud committed by Aderinoye is a threat to the country’s financial system.

He said: “The types of fraud committed by Mr. Aderinoye and his co-conspirators not only have lasting ramifications for the affected victims but also threaten the integrity of our country’s financial systems.”

“While today’s sentence is a decisive victory for the victims of Mr. Aderinoye and his co-conspirators, the overall fight against cyber fraud continues.  EDTX will do everything in its power to bring other cybercriminals to justice, and to recover ill-gotten gains for those victimized.”

Apart from the 34-year jail sentence, Aderinoye was also ordered to pay $2 million.

- THECABLE

Customs intercept cannabis sativa with worth of N694m

 The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command (WMC), has intercepted cannabis sativa with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N694, 575, 000.

Comptroller Olugboyega Peters of the WMC made this known to newsmen on Friday in Lagos, NAN reports.

Olugboyega said that the command also intercepted other items such as rice and bales of clothing with a DPV of N687, 446 000, in the first quarter of 2021.

According to him, in 2020, the command seized over 10 tonnes of cannabis sativa (marijuana) valued at over a billion naira.

“Here we are today showcasing another feat of arrest of marijuana by officers and men of the command.

“On March 27, our operatives of Coastal and Harbour Patrol (Bar-Beach), on credible intelligence along Ibeche Beach on the high sea, accosted, intercepted and arrested two wooden boats laden with sacks suspected to contain marijuana (HS Code 0602.90 of Common External Tariff (CET).

“The goods together with the suspects were brought to WMC.

“Upon physical counting, it was found to be 147 sacks of marijuana with an average of 45kg per sack, giving an estimated total of 6,615kg with a DPV of N694, 575, 000.

“No amount of distraction will deter us from enforcing Federal Government’s fiscal policies; we will remain resolute no matter whose ox is gored.

“I urge the NDLEA to invite us during the destruction of this marijuana and a copy of certificate of destruction issued to the NCS for record keeping,” he said.

- DAILY POST

Lekki shooting: US’ report attempted to cover up brutal killings – Falana

 

Human rights activist, Femi Falana has accused the United States of attempting to cover up the brutal killings at the Lekki Tollgate during the #EndSARS protest last year.

The US had in its report faulted mass killings at the tollgate by the Nigerian army, saying that reports on the incident were contradictory.

Falana, in a statement on Friday said “The report has attempted to cover up the brutal killings at Lekki and other parts of Lagos from October 20-27, 2020. It is a very contradictory report.

“On the one hand the report claimed that the members of the security forces were enforcing curfew by firing into the air to disperse protesters at the toll gate. On the other hand the report stated that some protesters had turned violent after criminal elements infiltrated them and so the security forces forces fired protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.

“The report did not mention the detachment of the Nigerian army which perpetrated the mayhem. Do soldiers shoot into the air to enforce curfew in the United States?”

Falana said the media should stop treating Nigerians like colonial subjects by celebrating a foreign report that is subversive of the rule of law in Nigeria.

He added: “How can the United States Government be allowed to treat the proceedings before a properly constituted Judicial Panel of Inquiry so contemptuously? The report is prejudicial in every material particular.

“It should be ignored by the Judicial Panel as it is designed to preempt the evidence being adduced by the survivors of the barbaric attack. The report did not acknowledge that the Nigerian army which initially denied that soldiers were present at the Lekki toll gate later turned round to admit that they were there but fired only bland bullets.

“The Americans should update the report by explaining how casualties and amputees were recorded when the soldiers only shot into the air.

“Fortunately, more credible reports on the Lekki killings compiled by the progressive media outfits in Nigeria including The Punch, The News, Sahara reporters and Premium Times have been published. To their credit, these media bodies have published detailed stories on the killings.”

According to Falana, apart from the confirmation of the cold murder of two people by Governor Babajide Sanw-Olu of Lagos State, a senior surgeon from the Redington hospital has given evidence of the protesters that were treated for gun shot wounds.

“Is the United States Government not aware of the fact that some amputees who lost their legs as a result of the shooting have appeared before the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry?

“Following the dumping of scores of corpses from October 20-27, 2020 did the Lagos State Government not invite people whose family members were missing to identify the corpses at the Lagos State mortuaries? Did the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond ASCAB not disclose that there were 98 corpses dumped in the mortuaries?

”From the information at my disposal, three of those corpses have been traced to Lekki. I also know a lady who disclosed that her adopted son died of gunshots at Lekki toll gate. My law firm has taken up the case of a 28-year old lady who collapsed at Lekki with head injury and later died at a hospital in Lagos,” he added.

Falana stated that the names of the casualties and amputees would be revealed at the appropriate time, saying that even President Buhari told the meeting of former leaders that 69 people, including 51 civilians, 11 police officers and 7 soldiers had been killed in the unrest.

He said “The President did not say if the figures included the protesters allegedly killed by Nigerian army in Lagos. Did the United States report probe the breakdown of the official figures? So, why should I rely on the very unreliable report compiled in Washington on the genocidal attacks on unarmed protesters by soldiers from the Barracks who were illegally deployed by the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai?”

- PM NEWS