Ritual !! EDO : 21-year-old boy strangles mother to death, makes love to her corpse

In a bid to get rich, a 21-year-old boy has reportedly killed his mother and had multiple sex with her corpse in Edo State.

The bizarre incident occurred in their rented apartment at 8B Market road, Ologbo in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State on Monday, October 29, this year.

The suspect, Samuel Emobor Oghenekporboro, allegedly strangled his 58-year-old mother, Mrs Christiana Ighoyivwi, and had sex with her lifeless body with the expectation that money would gush out in the process.

The victim’s mother, Mrs Maria Gabriel, reportedly discovered the ugly incident when she went to her daughter’s residence about 6 a.m. to invite her to a nearby church for morning prayer, Sun reports.

The old woman was said to have knocked repeatedly on her daughter’s door without getting any response.

This prompted her to peep through an opening in the window when she saw the lifeless body of her daughter and raised the alarm.

Consequently, the son, Samuel, was said to have swiftly opened the door and attempted to escape but was held by neighbours who handed him over to the police at Ologbo.

Police investigators recovered semen-stained pants belonging to the suspect and his late mother from the room as exhibits.

Confirming the incident, spokesman for the Edo State Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said investigation was ongoing, adding that the suspect would be arraigned soon. - Daily Post

It’s less likely for Buhari to be defeated in 2019, says US institute

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) says it is less likely for President Muhammadu Buhari to be defeated in the 2019 election.

The organaisation said this in a report it released on the forthcoming general election.

USIP said the report is based on its interactions with Nigerians from different sectors.

The report, which analysed the chances of violence marring the elections, is contrary to two recent predictions by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research unit of The Economist Magazine, that the incumbent government will be unseated next year.

USIP said though many Nigerians feel that the current administration has not met their expectations, this is not likely to cost the All Progressives Congress (APC) government its hold on power.

“Many Nigerians feel their hopes have not been met. Some respondents suggest the electorate is sufficiently disappointed that voter apathy will be greater in 2019 than in 2015, with the unifying narrative of change that helped elect the APC in 2015 much less compelling as a factor in mobilizing the electorate, and perceptions that another defeat of the presidential incumbent is less likely to happen in 2019,” the report read.

Comparing the 2015 elections to the forthcoming one, the report said there is a greater chance of the occurrence of election violence, listing Adamawa, Anambra, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Plateau, Rivers as the eight of 36 states with greater risks of election violence.

While it stated that it is up to the combined efforts of political parties, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to curb violence in the election, it said the greater work lies with the electoral body.

“Important shifts in Nigeria’s political and security context have occurred since the 2015 elections, presenting both evolving, and new, risks to the 2019 elections,” it read.

“Of all the state’s institutions, most respondents felt that peaceful elections in 2019 are contingent on the performance of Nigeria’s INEC.

“Given the relative success of the 2015 elections, they felt that INEC ought to be able to deliver credible elections again in 2019. They feared, however, that any regression from the level of performance achieved in 2015 could lead to violence because some would view the failings not as a result of incompetence but as deliberate attempts to frustrate the will of the voters.

“INEC should at least match the standards it set in 2015, and any regression could set the stage for violence.”

The report further said despite the projections of violence, “there are signs of hope”.

“Yet, while the potential for election violence exists, there are signs of hope. Some states have developed successful election conflict-mitigation practices. In the short amount of time remaining, INEC and the police should undertake a number of key reforms,” it said.

“ The United States, along with other international supporters of the electoral process, should also intensify their efforts to reinforce the work of these key Nigerian institutions.

“Beyond institutional support, rather than apply a conventional approach to electoral violence mitigation, donor programming should adapt to Nigeria’s current context, political shifts, and opportunities, and be sufficiently flexible to respond to the risks distinct in each of Nigeria’s states.

“In advance of the election, international diplomatic efforts to preempt electoral violence need to be intensified. Regional and international actors should convey their expectations that political parties effectively address their internal disputes, and be ready to put on notice politicians responsible for escalating these disputes.” - Thecable

There is no state in Nigeria without ongoing FG project- Osinbajo

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday restated that the Federal Government had achieved a lot in all sectors of human development and democratic process.

Osinbajo spoke at the 2017/2018 Barewa Old Boys Association annual lecture in Sokoto.

The vice president said that Policians had nothing to show for the lesson of the failure of the past administrations in the country as it happened.

“There is a lot of impunity that have been defined to public office in Nigeria, especially grand corruption which had been sanctioned under the present administration.

“I said grand corruption because our society had a problem of extended corruption affecting all government institutions and today has never been the case.

“Nigeria had in the past faced so much challenges of corruption in public offices with a lot of government money being stolen by individuals which the present administration blocked such instances,” he said.

Osinbajo added that the present administration under leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari had recorded tremendous success in the areas of security, agriculture, judiciary, legislature, among others.

“There is not a single state in Nigeria that is not undergoing a measure of FG project under the ministry of power, works and Housing.

“More so, clearly we have not done all we want to see, but if we are to ask our brothers and sisters from the North-East of what Boko-Haram seize 14 local government in their state, you will agree with me that they have seen some change.

“If we are to ask the farmers enjoying the credit and support by the FG programmes and getting a more suitable supply of fertilizer, perhaps they may say that they have seen some change.

“The over 500,000 graduates which have been employed under N-power programme, which is direct government employment, have been training in various fields to be useful for themselves.

“Also traders who are getting direct credit from the government to support their small scale businesses, they may say that we have seen some change,” he said.

The vice president further restated that the relationship between the executive and the National Assembly remained in good condition, as the executive had never stepped in to the affairs of legislative conduct.

“There had never been any attempt under the present administration to stamp the legislature as was experienced in the past administration.

“Moreover, Nigeria had five Senate Presidents between 1999 and 2007, which is very easy to forget. All of this and many more took place in very recent history.

“So, you will agree with me that a lot had changed at least with regard to political understanding,” Osibanjo added.

Earlier, the Emir of Gummi, Justice Lawal Gummi, presented a paper with a title “The challenges of Democracy to Judiciary: The Nigerian Perspectives.”

“We are yet to cultivate the right attitude that is needed to stabilise the process for our advance in democracy.

“The stunted growth that we are presently witnessing in our democracy is as a result of lack of discipline and non adherence to the basic tenets of democracy by our successive governments, over the years,” he said.

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, commended the vice president for attending the event and the organizers for the choice of the state. - PM News 

Saraki’s claim on education false, fraudulent – KMC

Kwara Must Change (KMC), a pro Democracy group in Kwara State, has described claims by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, that he introduced model reforms in education during tenure as state governor as ‘false and fraudulent’. 

The group, in a statement sent to DAILY POST by its spokesman, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, on Sunday, recounted some of the weaknesses in the education space reportedly witnessed under Saraki’s watch as boss of the Kwara State government for eight years.

Last Friday, Saraki applauded the federal government for sharing his decade-old vision for education reform, which he claimed was initiated to resuscitate public education in Kwara State.

He then went on to call on other states across the nation to study and emulate the Kwara State model, while also commending his successor, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, for sustaining the model.

Reacting, Kwara Must Change said: “It was surprising to read with utmost dismay, the fraudulent claim by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki over the state of education in Kwara State in which he claimed that he initiated a policy to advance education in the state.

“He was said to have applauded the federal government for sharing his decade-old vision for education reform, which he claimed was initiated to resuscitate public education in Kwara State.

“Kwara Must Change viewed this claim as the greatest fraud of the 21st century. Apart from the fact that this claim is out rightly false, we find it difficult to understand why a man who destroyed our education and dragged it 20 years backward would feel so confident to tell an obvious lie before the public, to an extent that he is laying claim to a none existing policy with zero effect in Kwara State.

“Let it be clear that, in Saraki’s 8 years tenure as governor of Kwara State, he didn’t not build single school; neither did he do anything reasonable to improve the education system.

“This explains why we have student’s learning under tree in Kwara State today and certainly, this is not something to be proud of or something to recommend to others, as no reasonable government would be willing to copy a system that is aimed at taking us back to the Stone Age.

The group observed that due to the negligence of the government, reputable schools that have produced a lot of important personalities in Kwara State have become the options for poor and vulnerable Kwarans, who cannot afford to pay the fees of private schools.

It also called on the state government to declare a state of emergency in its education sector.

“It is a shame that, while civil society organizations in the state are calling for the declaration of state of emergency in Kwara State education sector, Mr Saraki is busy claiming none existing glory for imaginary policy he claimed to have initiated,” the statement added. - Daily Post

Previous governments were corrupt – Osinbajo

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday restated that the Federal Government had achieved a lot in all sectors of human development and democratic process.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osinbajo spoke at the 2017/2018 Barewa Old Boys Association annual lecture in Sokoto.

“There is a lot of impunity that have been defined to public office in Nigeria, especially grand corruption which had been sanctioned under the present administration.
“I said grand corruption because our society had a problem of extended corruption affecting all government institutions and today has never been the case.

“Nigeria had in the past faced so much challenges of corruption in public offices with a lot of government money being stolen by individuals which the present administration blocked such instances,” he said.
Osinbajo added that the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari had recorded tremendous success in the areas of security, agriculture, judiciary, legislature, among others.

“There is not a single state in Nigeria that is not undergoing a measure of FG project under the ministry of power, works and Housing.
“More so, clearly we have not done all we want to see, but if we are to ask our brothers and sisters from the North-East of what Boko-Haram seize 14 local government in their state, you will agree with me that they have seen some change.

“If we are to ask the farmers enjoying the credit and support by the FG programmes and getting a more suitable supply of fertilizer, perhaps they may say that they have seen some change.
“The over 500,000 graduates which have been employed under N-power programme, which is direct government employment, have been training in various fields to be useful for themselves.

“Also traders who are getting direct credit from the government to support their small scale businesses, they may say that we have seen some change,” he said.

The vice president further restated that the relationship between the executive and the National Assembly remained cordial, as the executive had never stepped into the affairs of legislative conduct.

“There had never been any attempt under the present administration to stamp the legislature as was experienced in the past administration.
“Moreover, Nigeria had five Senate Presidents between 1999 and 2007, which is very easy to forget. All of this and many more took place in very recent history.

“So, you will agree with me that a lot had changed at least with regard to political understanding,” Osinbajo added. - Daily Post

Ganduje: Pressure mounts on Buhari

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to order anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations of bribery against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.

Ganduje had on Friday denied collecting any form of bribe from contractors.

But, the organization said if there were relevant and sufficient admissible evidences, Ganduje should face prosecution at the expiration of his tenure as governor.

The letter signed by SERAP Senior Legal Adviser, Ms Bamisope Adeyanju, noted: “Given the history of corruption in Nigeria, especially unresolved allegations of grand corruption against many state governors, your government cannot and should not look the other way regarding the allegations against Mr. Ganduje. Any allegations of bribery and abuse of power in any state of Nigeria is of concern to every Nigerian, and should therefore, be of concern to your government.

“The obligations of your government to combat corruption in Nigeria extend to all the three tiers of government, namely, the federal government, state government and local government. Although primarily a matter of concern for Kano State, the allegations of bribery against Mr Ganduje have assumed such a proportion as to become a matter of concern to the federation as a whole, and therefore, to your government.

“Taking the recommended steps would help to enhance your government’s fight against corruption and contribute hugely to promoting the public interest, the interest of justice as well as prevent any abuse of the legal process. Any failure and/or refusal to act would undermine the goal of your government’s anti-corruption fight and tacitly serve to encourage persistent allegations of corruption among many state governors to continue with almost absolute impunity.

“SERAP is concerned that growing allegations of corruption including bribery against many state governors have not been investigated and that several of the governors involved are getting away with their alleged crimes.

“We note that while a governor may enjoy immunity from arrest and prosecution, he does not enjoy immunity from investigation. Any criminal allegation against a sitting governor including Mr. Ganduje can and should be investigated pending the time the governor leaves office and loses immunity. The findings of such investigation can also be the basis for initiating impeachment proceedings against the governor.” - Daily Post

Iran sanctions kick in, bringing biggest oil disruption in years

Midnight on Sunday will mark a dividing line in the world of oil. Beyond that point, anyone unloading a tanker from Iran risks the full wrath of the U.S. government.

The Middle East’s third-biggest oil producer has already seen many buyers flee, with sales tumbling 37 percent since President Donald Trump announced that he’d reimpose sanctions. Once those restrictions formally kick in on Nov. 5, the overall supply disruption could become the biggest since Libya erupted in civil war at the start of the decade.

There are signs the impact will be mitigated, as some buyers look set to win partial exemptions while other producers -- particularly Saudi Arabia -- pump more to fill the gap. Still, there are doubts about their capacity to do so and the global nature of the oil market means nobody is fully insulated. Even U.S. drivers, whose engines haven’t seen a drop of Iranian crude for decades, have felt pain at the pump.

U.S. oil futures climbed to a four-year high near $77 a barrel last month on growing concerns there could be a shortage as sanctions bite deeper. While those fears have eased along with prices in recent weeks, significant risks remain.

“Iran’s oil exports are falling rapidly, and perhaps more and more in the weeks to come,” Fatih Birol, executive director at the International Energy Agency, said in a Bloomberg television interview.

The Trump administration has sent mixed signals, swerving between saying it’ll send Iranian oil exports to “zero” and dangling waivers that could allow some to keep buying. A senior administration official said this week that the U.S. has agreed to let eight countries -- including Japan, India and South Korea -- keep buying Iranian oil, but only temporarily.

While analysts don’t expect a complete halt, there’s a growing consensus that Trump’s tough stance means crude exports will plunge further than during a previous round of sanctions under Barack Obama’s administration in 2012. Back then they were sliced in half to 1 million barrels a day, according to the IEA, which advises industrialized countries on energy policy.

This time, 1.1 million barrels a day has already been cut from Iran’s shipments -- a combination of crude and a light oil called condensate that was spared from curbs in 2012, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The corresponding drop in production has been smaller as some of that output went into storage. That takes total exports to about 1.76 million barrels a day in October -- more than is pumped from the North Sea.

“A large part of the impact has not happened yet,” said Mike Wittner, head of oil market research at Societe Generale SA. “Price-wise, there’s still some upward pressure to come -- possibly a big wave of upward pressure. Things are going to tighten up.”

Europe Retreat

After Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions, European governments vowed to do their utmost to preserve the agreement and find ways to continue trading. That hasn’t stopped the region’s intake of Iranian crude from wilting. Companies like Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell Plc have halted purchases because the risk of being frozen out of the U.S. financial system is simply too great.

While the Trump administration’s goal remains to choke off revenue to Iran’s economy, some waivers are being granted in exchange for continued import cuts so as not to drive up oil prices, according to an official who asked not to be identified before Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announces the number of exemptions later on Friday.

 China -- the leading importer of Iranian crude -- is still in discussions with the U.S. on terms, but is among the eight countries permitted to keep buying Iranian oil, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Iran says it’s confident sales will hold above 1 million barrels a day. Indeed, with U.S. gasoline prices still relatively high and midterm elections just days away, Trump has some incentive to soften his offensive.

India’s Importance

India, the second-largest buyer, has scaled back its intake while indicating it won’t cease completely. According to Asian officials with knowledge of the matter, the country agreed the outline of an exemption -- known as a waiver -- that would allow continued imports of some Iranian crude. No final decision has been made on whether waivers will be granted or the volumes permitted, the officials said.

“That’s the key now -- the levels India is importing,” said Ehsan Khoman, head of Middle East and North Africa research and strategy at MUFG Bank Ltd. in Dubai.

South Korea has reached a similar agreement, the Asian officials said. Other countries are also seeking waivers, though U.S. officials warn such arrangements will be “few and far between.”

With gasoline prices still relatively high and midterm elections just days away, Trump has some incentive to soften his offensive. U.S. government officials acknowledge that waivers are being considered. For its part, Iran says it’s confident sales will hold above 1 million barrels a day.

“The U.S. will take its foot off the gas on sanctions and ease pressure in getting to zero right at the start in order to not cause a rise in oil prices in the lead up to elections,” said Robin Mills, head of Dubai-based consultant Qamar Energy. “Then they will pick up pressure towards the end of the year to cut Iran’s sales.”

The impact of the sanctions has already been cushioned by other oil producers, notably some of Iran’s counterparts in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Saudi Arabia already increased production by 780,000 barrels a day since April, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The extent to which the kingdom can keep this up in the coming months depends on how many idle oil fields it’s able to tap. The IEA sees Saudi Arabia having about 1.3 million barrels a day of spare capacity. Others such as Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq could potentially squeeze out a little more as well.

If the U.S. does follow through on its strongest threats, choking off Iranian supplies entirely, that spare capacity could be completely exhausted, leaving almost nothing left to cover unexpected disruptions in other trouble spots.

“If there’s almost no cushion left and something happens in Libya or Nigeria then you’re stuck,” said Societe Generale’s Wittner. “That’s where the market could see a big price reaction.” - Bloomberg