Meet 3 Brave Boys Who Saved A Suicidal Man Few Seconds To His Death (DETAILS)

The three brave schoolboys pictured above have been hailed as heroes after managing to stop a man from hanging himself from a high bridge.

The boys, Devonte Cafferkey-Wilson, Sami Farah and Shaun Young, all of Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, did not hesitate when they spotted the troubled 21-year-old man on the wrong side of the bridge’s safety barrier with a rope round his neck and preparing to jump.

Aged 13, 14, and 12 at the time, the trio rushed to the barrier and managed to grab the man’s legs through the railings while Shaun ran to get a woman, Joanne Stammer, 47, who was passing by, to come and help.

She joined the other boys putting her arms through the barrier and round the man’s waist to pull him back.

Then James Higlett, 39, also of Waltham Cross, arrived at the scene and helped the others to hold the man who was struggling to get free until police and the fire service arrived to get him to safety.

The incident took place in September last year, and now the rescue heroes have all been awarded Royal Humane Society Certificates of Commendation.

They were given the awards following a recommendation from Hertfordshire Police who have said the man would certainly have died but for the swift action taken by the brave boys.

Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society added his personal praise he announced the awards at the Society’s London headquarters he said: “There is no doubt that without the quick thinking and action of the three boys the man would have jumped and would have died.

“They were the right people in the right place at the right time and showed tremendous presence of mind in acting as they did particularly bearing in mind their ages.

“All too often these days we hear stories about misdeeds by youngsters.

“If ever there was a story to balance up the bad ones this is it. These three excelled themselves.

“Their parents, their schools and everyone else should be incredibly proud of them.

“The two adults also played a major role in this harrowing incident and just like the boys, richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”

Source: The Sun UK

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Head Teacher Demoted To Classroom Teacher… see his offence

Mr. Obongho Linus Ikpi, the Head teacher of Obanjom Memorial Primary School, Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, has been demoted to a classroom teacher.

His demotion was ordered by the Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (CR-SUBEB) for payslip forgery.

Daily Post reports that the payslip was purportedly forged to enable the suspect access computer allocation from the Head of Service.

“SUBEB checked records and discovered that the alleged deduction in the payslip was not recorded there. Upon further interrogation, Ikpi confessed to having forged the payslip,” a source said.

Confirming the forgery, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr Stephen Odey who expressed disappointment over the incident said, “This man came to my payroll unit with this payslip claiming that some money was deducted from his salary for Computer and when he went to Head of service to collect the computer, they told him to come here for refunds because the money he was claiming wasn’t remitted to them from SUBEB.”

Odey said the demotion of the suspect was to serve as deterrent to others.

“To serve as a deterrent, we have decided to demote and suspend him while investigations continue. We have directed that the Executive Secretary should inform the deputy to take over as head teacher with immediate effect”, Odey said.

Warning Teachers to desist from all forms of criminality, Odey said the eagle eye of the Board was upon them.

“We are setting an eagle eye on teachers because from what he told us, we believe strongly that others have either attempted to do this or are doing this”, he said.

In his confessional Statement, Ikpi said, “I doctored pay advice for the month of January 2018 with an amount of three thousand six hundred and ninety-five naira for collection of computer equipment from Head of Service. The act was discovered by SUBEB payroll staff”.

He however appealed to the Board for forgiveness.

“I am pleading that I should be forgiven for such obnoxious behaviour. It will never happen again,” he appealed.

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90-Year-Old Man Sends Heartbreaking Message To Buhari From Benue State IDP Camp

This is certainly not the best of times for the aged and elderly in communities mindlessly invaded and sacked ceaselessly by herdsmen in Logo and Guma local government areas of Benue state.

It started from January 1 when the state was thrown into a quagmire and bloodletting of highly imperious and far reaching proportion.

According to Vanguard, these group of persons popularly referred to as the bastion of wisdom who constitute over 20 percent of the over 170,000 persons displaced by the incursions of herdsmen in close to 50 Benue communities affected by the crisis, were forced out of their ancestral homes by the devastating bloodbath that has left the entire state in despair.

These senior citizens who have seen the better part of their sojourn on earth live a life of the weak and fragile and deserve to be treated with care.

Regrettably, since January 1 when the bloody killings in the communities of Guma and Local government areas of the state started, these group of persons who, given their status, are in dare need of sustained medicare and support have been forced into a life of abject misery in eight camps of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs. The camps were created in by the Benue state government to cater for the need of victims of the crisis.

Several of them in their state of fragility who spoke to Saturday Vanguard were yet to come to terms with what has befallen them and their children in a pogrom that has created a huge humanitarian crisis in the state.

They collectively held that the invasion of their communities by herdsmen who wantonly killed their children, raped their wives and daughters and razed their homes, farmland and food barns was the most dehumanizing encounter ever experienced in their entire life time.

The heartrending stories of these seniour citizens who recounted how they escaped the butchery of marauding herdsmen even after loosing their children and loved ones to the crisis have brought to the fore the urgent need to have them relocate quickly to their ancestral homes to live in peace before their due time to bid the earth farewell.

In all the camps visited, it’s same mind-burgling tale of despair, hopelessness, anguish, extreme haplessness and distress by these group of persons who deserve much better befitting reverence for a people of their ages.

Narrating his ordeal to Vanguard, 80 year old Athanasius Gida said he narrowly escaped alive from his ancestral home at Tse-Agbe Guma local government area, few days ago with his four children, five grandchildren and two wives when armed herdsmen sneaked into the community at night shooting sporadically and razing buildings and huts in the village.

“When they came, my children and grandchildren carried me and their mother on their backs while my younger wife ran with her children.

“We ran for close to two hours all through the night until we got to a safe area when it was almost morning and we luckily made it to this already overflowing camp.

“Since arriving here, my family and I sleep outside because the camp is already housing more than its capacity and we are yet to get a sleep space.

“In this camp we have only 16 toilets for these thousands of people, so most of us defecate in the open including our children with its attendant health hazards.

“Though we get food to eat but the truth is that the condition here is not what I desire at this age when I’m supposed to be in my house till my time to meet my creator.

“I am pleading with the federal government to direct the military to chase away the herdsmen who have taken over our communities so that we can all return to our homes.

“The state government is doing so much to help us but we heard that Governor Samuel Ortom has no control over the military and can do little when it comes to giving directives to the soldiers posted to the state to help us.

“If that is not done and quickly too, I’m afraid many of us including our children may die in this camp. I pray that this crisis does not lead us to that point”

On his part, 90 year old Damsa Utur who spoke as he fought back tears, said herdsmen slaughtered his 50 year old son Shior at his farm early January when they struck at Tse-Ukpam village.

According to him, “it was few days into the new year, when herdsmen came to our village in the morning when most of our people had gone to the farm.

“They came shooting sporadically and living anything or person they saw they shot or butchered with their knives. My son was one of those they killed he was in the farm that morning with his children. While my grandchildren escaped, my son was no so lucky. They caught up with him and beheaded him.

“When we all managed to escape I later realized that my son was killed with several others they caught. My world was almost coming to an end but I summoned courage and ensured that I retrieved his corpse and gave him the burial he deserved.

“I had thought that my first son would bury me because I’m almost at my exit point, but herdsmen took him away when I needed him most.

“I am a helpless man but God is my source of strength. I am only begging President Muhammadu Buhari to come to our aid by availing us some form of compensation. Our homes and farms have been destroyed and our communities have been taken over by herdsmen.

“All we desire now is to go back to our villages. We cannot continue to live like this. I want to return to my village with my family so that my children and grandchildren can go back to school and also engage in farming because this place is obviously not convenient for anyone despite the effort of state government and other groups who help us in the camp.”

“You can also see that my wife of over 60 years is disabled and staying here is not helping her condition no matter the assistance we get for daily survival.” the nonagenarian said as he fought back tears.

On her part, 68 year old widow, Mbafan Kwagh who said she escaped miraculously with her 12 children and grandchildren from Torkula village recalled her ordeal stressing that she survived with her children through the mercy of God.

“I cannot understand how we were able to make it alive to Daudu when herdsmen stormed our village in their numbers very late in the night in the first few days into the new year.

“I was able to run with the help of my children and grandchildren and we trekked several kilometers to Daudu. It was as if a war was going on because the sporadic gunshots were coming from everywhere and I noticed that farmland, houses and huts were on fire.

“When I could not understand the strange occurrence coupled with the shout of help I heard from the distance, I immediately woke my children and we all started running leaving all our belongings and food behind.

“We have lived in this camp since that time but we are tired of staying here because all my grandchildren can no loner go to school and we cannot access our farms.

“We heard that soldiers have been sent to ensure peace in our villages but since their coming, those who tried to get to the villages were killed so it means that we cannot go back until the soldiers chase away the killer herdsmen who are currently occupying our communities.

“Today we are in pains and hunger because we can no longer take care of needs of our children and we cannot also support our family the way we used to do. We certainly cannot continue to live on the government and donors. How long can we carry on like this?

“Please tell the federal government to arrest all those who are behind the killings in our villages. It is only when that is done that we will be convinced that the government in Abuja has no hand in the trauma we are going through in Benue.”

As for 84 year old Pa James Igbaa who looked sick and frail though moved around with the aid of a stick, said he was yet to reach members of his family since the crisis.

“I am yet to reach many of my family members but some of our relatives told me that some of them were sighted in the camps at Daudu.

“I am tired of living here in the camp, I cannot continue like this, living on the help and assistance from the state government and various groups when even at my age I still go to my farm from where I make good money to give my children and family members the support and assistance they desire.

“Tell the federal government that we are disappointed in them. Why can’t they stop these herdsmen from coming to attack Benue? Why can’t the federal government give us reason to believe that we are still part of Nigeria?

“They claimed they have sent soldiers to our villages so that we can go back home but all those who tried to enter their villages never made it back to the camp. They were either killed or chased away by herdsmen.

“This is not the Nigeria I was born into. Today some people have come to take over our land and the federal government is turning a blind eye as if we don’t have a government. But I know that God will give Benue Justice in no distant time.”

It is the same narrative for the aged victims who are currently taking refuge in the eight IDPs camps in Logo and Guma local government areas since since January 1.

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No PVC, No Communion – Pastor Tells Church Members

Pastor Philip Igbinijesu of The Word Assembly has declared that any member of his church without a Permanent Voters Card (PVC) will not be allowed to partake in the church’s communion. 

The cleric made the declaration in a short video uploaded on YouTube on Friday, March 30. He said those who do not have voters card should sit down when other members are taking the communion in church.

Pastor Igbinijesu said Peter Obi became governor of Anambra state after a Catholic archbishop issued a similar instruction in the state.

He said those talking and praying for Nigeria but had no PVC’s were doing so in vain.

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High Ranking Traditional Ruler In Delta Sentenced To Death

The embattled Unuevworo (community head) of Ekpan, Uvwie Council Area of Delta State, Chief Newton Agbofodo, has been sentenced to death.

Agbofodoh, one of the highest ranking chiefs of Uvwie Kingdom, was arrested on June 17, 2016, and was later arraigned in court for crimes bordering on murder.

He was sentenced by the Delta State High Court 4, in Asaba, after being found guilty of all four count charges preferred against him. He was sentenced to death by hanging.

Charges preferred against him were conspiracy to commit murder, the substantial offence of murder, conspiracy to commit attempted murder and an attempted murder.

The Nation reports that he was alleged to have been linked to series of killings within Ekpan and its environs, including the murder of one Edigbe Ikpesa sometime in Oc­tober 2012. He was also implicated in the Delta Mall robbery/wanton de­struction in January, 2016.

Efforts to get some leaders of the community, including the chairman of the Ekpan Community Development Committee, Innocent Adjenughure-Akpotedja, to comment were unsuccessful.

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Beautiful Promises In The Bible To Bless You

The Bible is full of promises. According to Bible Gateway, 5,467 promises to be exact. And every one of those promises are for believers. All the promises have been fulfilled.

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ which means ‘Yes’ ascends to God for his glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT)

This means all 5,467 are done, complete in Christ. Unfortunately, very few of us believe and access said promises. Why?

It is easy to blame the devil, yet I believe many promises are left unfulfilled because we are ignorant. We neglect to embrace the promises of God as though our life depends on it.

Jesus said the truth you know will set you free (John 8:32).

The following promises are truths you should know;

1. You are righteous. 
“For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17 NLT)

The first promise to fully embrace is your righteousness in Christ. No matter what you did in the past, you are righteous today if you believe in the Son.

2. You are a new creation. 
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

Repent today before it’s too late. As the righteousness of God in Christ, you are a new creation. You were a sinner. You were full of sinful desires, but that is the old you. Now you are righteous and desire righteousness. You were weak but now you are strong. Your life is brand new.

3. You are protected. 
“For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.” (Psalm 91:3 NLT)

God promises protection. In an uncertain world, you have the certainty of God’s protection from every trap, every temptation, every deadly disease, and everything that may threaten your life.

4. You can have complete healing.
“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 NLT)

When sick people were brought to Jesus, He healed them all. The Lord’s heart for humanity has not changed. Jesus desires to heal all. If you are sick anywhere in your body – eyes, digestion, mental illness, blood condition, cancer, any ailment – embrace the promise of total healing because of the wounds of Jesus.

5. You will not be condemned. 
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 NLT)

The devil is the accuser. He will condemn you and bring up past mistakes and sin. He is quick to remind you of where you missed it. But there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Repent today and be saved.

6. You cannot be separated from God’s love. 
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Do you ever feel unloved? Unworthy? Your Heavenly Father never sees you that way. Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God. If you live right you will enjoy his love. It is ever reaching for you.

7. You are blessed. 
“You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.” (Deuteronomy 28:2-6 NLT)

There’s a whole bunch of promises in Deuteronomy 28. The promises are based on obedience to the law of God. As New Covenant believers, the promises of Deuteronomy 28 are available to you and me because of Jesus’ obedience to the law. Because He fulfilled the law completely, I have access to every promise of Deuteronomy 28 and am free of every curse. Your children are blessed, your career is blessed, your household are blessed, and wherever you go is blessed. Repent and accept Jesus truly as your Lord and Saviour.

8. You will be victorious. 
“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 NLT)

No matter what you are going through, no matter how hard things may seem, overwhelming victory is yours. Victory will happen. Persevere through the storm.

9. Jesus is coming soon. 
“He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

Embrace the promise Jesus is coming soon. May it put urgency in your life. May it remind you to share the love of Jesus with all you meet. May you look forward to the day in great anticipation when you see Your Savior face to face.

Prayer… 

Father, I choose to fully embrace your promises for me. I believe them and act upon them. I will not allow the devil’s voice to speak loudest in my life. The promises of Your Word drown him out. I receive Your righteousness, protection, health, blessings, love, victory and freedom. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

[written by Sarah Coleman]

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PHOTO: Lagos Most Wanted Cultist Arrested By Police

The most wanted cultist in Lagos, Kanmi (a.k.a Father ) has been arrested by the state Police Command. Father was declared wanted by the police after he was recently released from the prison.

He was reportedly feared by cult groups within Mushin, Itire, Lawanson and Ilasamaja areas of the state.

It was further gathered that,

while he was in detention, cult activities and war reduced, but as soon as he was released, there was a marked escalation of rival cult wars.

Following the cult war that started after his released, Commissioner of Police Imohimi Edgal ordered Police detectives to fish out Father and his alleged killer gang members.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Chike Oti, said: “Based on credible intelligence available to us that some cultists led by Kanmi alias Father were planning to strike in Ilasamaja community on March 29, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, directed the Divisional Police Officer of Ilasamaja, SP. Oriyomi Oluwasanmi Titilayo to bring to an end the reign of the bloodthirsty cult henchman who had been terrorising that community for a long time now and had become worse since he came back from the prison.

“True to type, at exactly 5 pm, Kanmi, whose trademarks were sorrow, tears and blood, arrived the community with his gang unknown to him that his rank had been infiltrated by the underground operatives of the Command.”

The DPO’s team, already on standby for him and his gang, sighted Kanmi at Hassan Street, Ilasamaja with two of his criminal associates in a fight with a young man suspected to be a member of a rival confraternity. Kanmi had lifted his matchet to cut his rival before he was challenged by the police team.

“He immediately took to his heels and was pursued and arrested by the police. He was frisked and a locally-made pistol loaded with two cartridges was recovered from him. Also arrested was one Alami Samuel, 22, an associate of Kanmi.”

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police has warned those who belong to nefarious clandestine societies to renounce their membership or risk arrest and prosecution.

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After 27yrs of Marriage, 57yrs Old Nigerian Woman Gives Birth To Twins

A Nigerian woman who has been married for 27 years became a mother after she gives birth to twins at 57 years of age. 

Interestingly, this happened 7 years after reaching her menopause stage. We celebrate with her!

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Dino Melaye Talks Tough: "APC Not Different From PDP…Nearing Its Grave"

The Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye has declared that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is moving towards failure in 2019 if it fails to resolve ongoing crisis.

“There are many crises in APC, let the truth be told. Everybody is sabotaging one another. Something should be done, otherwise, the funeral trumpet may be blown on APC.”

Speaking on BBC Hausa, Melaye said, “I have to say the truth. There are problems in this party. Look at how senator Misau was taken to court, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki was also taken to court, then you said we should not tell the truth?

“I am not afraid to tell the truth on anybody, whether on Buhari, Saraki, or even my father. I have to speak against injustice. APC and PDP patronize the same market.”

He further stated that his recall process was a handiwork of Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, stressing that he would only return to his constituency when his tenure expires on May 20, 2019.

“Are you asking me about my recall process? I will only return to my constituency on May 20, 2019 because I enjoy massive love from my constituents. The matter is also at Supreme Court.

“This is all a handiwork of Yahaya Bello, just because I advised him to pay salary arrears to Kogi State workers. You are all aware how his government, despite receiving two trenches of Paris Club refund fund, failed to pay salary for several months.

“We can recall how a worker committed suicide for lack of salary. Hunger and poverty don’t know any political party. So, for telling him this, that is why he is witch-hunting me.

“This man is not working in Kogi State. You cannot show even one Kilometre road constructed by his administration, and he said we should not tell the truth. I must tell the truth even if I would be killed”.

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How I Was Forced To Sleep Among Dead Bodies – Nigerian Tells Shocking Story

Imasuen Richie was one of the youngmen who left Nigeria for Libya in 2016 with a view to finally land in Europe in search of greener pastures. But sadly, he found himself inside the Libyan prison after he was sold as a slave…

It was in that situation that he met CNN crew who came into the prison where he narrated his ordeal and that of other Nigerians in prison. Just last month, the CNN crew visited Edo state to do a report on Human Trafficking and also spoke to Richie.

Richie who is now working in a barbing saloon to make ends meet as well as assist his mother and younger ones narrated his experience in Libya to Vanguard. He also spoke about the curse placed by the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11 on human traffickers. Excerpts:

 

Can you tell us why you decided to leave Nigeria in the first place? 

I left Nigeria in July 2016. I was actually heading to Europe but when I got to Libya, the person I paid money to did not deliver it to the driver who took me there. So the driver had to sell us into slavery in order to recover his money. I spent eight months in that camp which was like hell. They always beat up the men who could not provide them with money while our girls were forced into prostitution. I spent about one year and six months before I came back. My mother who did not have anything had to go and borrow N200,000 which I paid before I bought myself out of slavery. So it was a sad experience.

 

I decided to travel because When I was growing up, It was only my mother who was taking care of me. My father was never there for us, I believe all he did was to bring me to this world. Only my Mum was doing everything and I knew that the stress was too much for her. So I thought about traveling to go and make money to help my family. Things were hard for us, it was difficult to feed or even go to school. I just felt I should leave so as to help. I never planned to return this way because I had a mission. But I am still grateful to God for making it possible for me to come back alive.

 

Prison experience 

I was in prison before I went to the deportation camp. In the prison, I was maltreated and fed only once a day. I was in that Giran prison suffering and   I was forced to even sleep with dead bodies. I thought I was going to die there but a miracle happened. In fact, it was even a Nigerian girl who saved me. When she was set free from the prison she insisted she would leave with her husband. She claimed that I was married to her, I did not even know until they came to me and pointed at me whether I was the one and I said yes. That was how I was released. From there they took us to the deportation camp.

 

You said you were sold into slavery in Libya, how did it happen? 

The slave business in Libya was being masterminded by our fellow Nigerians. I even saw one Nigerian man who sold his own cousin into slavery. When someone had been sold to a particular camp, that person would have to call his relations in Nigeria to send money in order to be free from slavery. In my own case, they bought me for N110,000 and they asked me to pay N200,000 to secure my release. It is a big business for Nigerians who are into it there but It is a crime against God and humanity. They are wicked people.

 

Did you try to cross the Mediterranean sea 

Yes I tried crossing, in fact I was in the camp near the sea before the Libyan militias stormed the place and arrested all of us. They took some of us to prison while some escaped.

 

What is your reaction to the curse placed on human traffickers by the Oba of Benin? 

I believe that the Oba´s curse will help because I am aware that the girls always took oath before they were sponsored abroad. Almost all the girls I met in Libya told me how they took oath before they came. I am very happy with the curse because Nigerians over there were wicked to their fellow citizens. From what I have heard, the Oba´s curse will check their wickedness. But we also have some of these girls who on their own wanted to travel out to help their families. Some of them were also from poor homes and they had seen people who traveled abroad and made money through prostitution. So the idea was that instead of embarking on prostitution here in Nigeria it would be better to go abroad where more money would be made. It was not all of them who were forced to go, some voluntarily asked the traffickers   and it was only when they got there that they would see that it was not easy paying back such amount of money demanded by the women traffickers.

 

So what have you been doing since you came back? 

I have been working at a barbing salon and at the end of the day I split the money into three and give the owner of the shop two parts while I take one part. That is what I use to assist my mother and younger ones. I was 20 years old when I traveled. I want Nigerian leaders to emulate Pastor TB Joshua who has been helping most of us. I met him severally and he has been of great help to me and my family. When we went there initially with my group, he gave us N1.6 which we shared. And apart from that he still picked three of us aside and gave me additional N200,000 and   that was the money I used to clear the debt owed by my mother which she sent to me when I bought myself out of slavery in Libya.

 

I want to appeal to government to create jobs although it will be difficult to stop people from traveling because even if you learn a trade you will need electricity to work and it is not there. But if government can make electricity available, jobs will be created here and people will prefer to stay here than traveling out of the country. In Libya we had 24 hours power supply. If not for the crisis in Libya, I would prefer to work in Libya than working here in Nigeria. If for instance I barb for six hours in Libya I would make at least N10,000. But if I work in Nigeria for a whole day, I can never make such amount of money. Even if I make the money here it will be used to buy diesel or fuel to power the generator.

 

I will also like to commend Edo state government. I was trained on entrepreneurship but I am still waiting for the government to now empower us. I appeal to government to do what they promised us.

 

Why can’t you further your education?

I wrote WAEC before I traveled but I have not collected the result. Honestly I would have loved to further my education but when I look at the situation in the family, my younger ones are there and no body is there to take care of them, so I had to sacrifice myself to assist them. If I decide to go to school now, I will be using the money I make to solve my school problem while my mother and my younger ones will be suffering.

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Rich Man Murdered By Assassins Paid By His Own Wife

A woman and the assassins she paid for a heartless job have been arrested for the murder of her husband who was executed in cold blood. Why are some people like this?

Police in the south of Thailand have announced the arrest of five people in the murder of Krabi municipal engineer Montree Upla aka “Tik”, 57.

Montree was shot on the Thung Yai to Lamthap road in Nakorn Sri Thammarat on February 21st. He was on his way to see his minor wife with whom he had two children aged 1 and 3. She is a hairdresser in the local market.

Montree was shot multiple times with several guns and was found dead at the scene.

Acting on warrants police arrested his wife Nichaphat Aolakneua, 54, a resident of Ao Lak and four others. One man remains at large.

Police say that the wife ordered the killing after the husband filed for divorce. 

The man has assets worth 10 million baht, said Thai Rath.

All the suspects deny charges of premeditated murder.

Source: Thai Rath

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Christian Dapchi Girl Leah Sharibu Escaped From Boko Haram But Ended In Wrong Hands

Leah Sharibu, the only student of Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, still in Boko Haram custody, reportedly made an unsuccessful attempt to escape.

The insurgents abducted 110 students on February 19 and released them a month later, with the exception of Sharibu and five students who died in captivity.

They reportedly held Sharibu back for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

The Cable reports that some of Sharibu’s schoolmates said while in custody, she had sneaked away with two other girls — but was unfortunate to walk into the wrong arms.

“We thought she was just going round the corner, but she sneaked out along with Maryam and Amira (the other two classmates),” Aisha Ibiwa, one of the girls, told UK Guardian.

They were said to have walked for three days in the course of their escape from the insurgents. A family they met for help on how to return home to Dapchi rather facilitated their return to the insurgents.

Hajara Adamu, another of Leah’s friends, recalled: “The Fulani man (from the family) said to them, ‘so you are the missing girls that we’ve heard about on the radio.’ He gave them a jerrycan filled with cow’s milk and brought them back.”

“Leah and her group weren’t flogged. They [Boko Haram] said it was because they had suffered a lot while trying to escape.”

Adamu said she had also tried to escape but suffered same fate as Sharibu.

She added that the insurgents laughed at them for attempting to escape, mocking them that “we wanted to go back to the land of unbelievers.”

While in custody, the girls recalled that one of the Boko Haram leaders whom they knew as “the Khalifa” came to see them every week.

During those visits, he was said to have told them they would not stay for too long in custody.

“We don’t have any issue with you – our issue is with the government,” he had told them, according to Adamu. “They’ve taken our men. Don’t worry, you’ll all go home soon.”

“He’d take off his balaclava and say: ‘You shouldn’t go back to Nigeria. It’s a country of sinners and unbelievers. When you go back, convince your parents to come back here to the Islamic caliphate with you’.”

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My Patients Make Advances To Me – Nigerian Psychiatrist Doctor

Dr. Ogonnaya Ndupu is a medical consultant passionate about mental and behavioural health with a focus on preventive, advocacy as well as treatment. She tells The Punch’s Ademola Olonilua about her career and family life…

Out of all the branches in the medical field, why did you choose to specialise in mental health? On several occasions, people have asked me this same question, I get this question from my relatives, patients and even their relatives as well as to why I chose this path. Many years ago when I was in the medical school, I noticed that I had this strange attraction to people that had mental health challenges. Initially, it started with a fear which the general population actually have towards people with mental health disturbances but it also made me more curious. Over time, I was privileged to be with doctors who managed these patients and I got to see a patient transform from being hostile to being loveable. For me, I realised that these people actually need love instead of being stigmatised. They needed people to understand them. Mental health is one of the most highly stigmatised conditions globally especially in this part of the world. Instead of us to stigmatise these people, they need to be understood and helped. The more I got involved the more I got to understand them and found out that I must have been called to help them because I have the passion for the job. I wanted to do more and nurse them to recovery and over the years, that is what has kept me in this part of mental health. I need to do more, to reach out to as many people as I can as regards their mental health and well-being.

How did you overcome the fear you had for people with mental health disturbance? 
The more I spent time with these people, I understood how to relate with them better. It is no fault of theirs to be in that emotional state; it was based on their experience, suspecting people’s actions. For some people when you are suspicious of others, you begin to have this self-defence mechanism to protect yourself. Most times people would interpret that as hostility. It was not till I had fully delved into this field that I realised that it is just a function of their state of mind at that point in time. The more I understood it, the less the fear I had. I learnt of better ways to approach them instead of avoiding them like other people would. If you are calm enough to hear them out, then you are likely to gain their trust and you would get a lot out of them and this would assist you in helping them.

How do you handle hostile patients? 
Most people with mental health issues are not hostile; I would probably say that one third of them are hostile and at the point where you get the history of a client being hostile or has exhibited any form of hostility, which may be from verbal aggression or physical aggression, everything you do in the presence of that client is important ranging from your posture to your look and the way you talk to the person. You may have your hands behind your back and he would feel there is something you are hiding. You would not want to respond to the person with a harsh tone if his voice is raised at you. You would have to be calm and hear him out. Most times, what they want to see is someone that understands their own point of view rather than taking sides with their relatives at that point. This would only make them get angry, so, it starts with a conversation. Be as civil as you can be. That is the first approach. After you must have done all this and it has failed, every method you know by the books to calm this person down has failed, depending on the circumstance; you may let him be for a while. Sometimes when he finds out that you are not listening to him anymore because he is too agitated, he cools off. If he fails to do that and you find out that verbal aggression is tilting toward physical aggression, then you may need some external help like physical or chemical restrains as the need may be, not forgetting that in the course of managing this client, it is important as a mental health professional you ensure that the person is safe. He is not a risk to himself or the people around him.

In the course of your career, have you had any terrible experience in the hands of hostile clients? 
I am sure if you ask any psychiatrist out there or anyone working in the mental health sector, they would tell you that they have all had their bad days if they have been in the profession for a long while. The least of them has been verbal aggression, they use all kinds of abusive words on me but I know that I am there to help them and most time we do not listen to what they say at that point in time because we know that it is not the true person speaking, he just needs help to come out of that state.

Yes, I have had some form of aggression from some clients. I have had a client strike me on the face; I mean she gave me a ‘hot’ slap in the process of talking to her. Afterwards, she wrote me an apology letter when she was a lot calmer. She said that she was just agitated. I also had another client who once spat on my face but the family kept pleading on the client’s behalf. That is what we call occupational hazards. There are a lot of risks involved in what we do particularly when you are a female. It happens but as much as possible, we try to minimise them.

Is it right to say that the profession is more challenging for women? 
Yes, I think it is more challenging but overtime, women have been able to push that gender barrier and you would find out that more women are coming into the mental health field. The reason is because of the perception people have about the profession. I have had relatives sit with me and ask me what I am doing in this field because they think it should be a man’s job. They think of the risk of violence and they believe women are so fragile they may not be able to handle the stress of the job. Over time, the job has only made me stronger. Some years ago, I was in charge of a male drug rehabilitation centre. For about two years, I decided how these people were managed till recovery so you can imagine me in the midst of men. Also, if there is drug use, the risk of violence is higher and you would see all sorts of things. At the end of the day, we were best of friends and they came to respect me.

But don’t you also face stigmatisation being a psychiatrist? 
Yes, we do even among colleagues. The stigma is in multiple stages; there is the stigma the clients face, there is the stigma the family faces and there is also the stigma the doctor faces among colleagues and members of the society and it is because people do not know a lot about mental health. There was a time I was at an event and we were asked to introduce ourselves; I stood up and introduced myself as a psychiatrist and people looked at me in a funny way. Some even asked if there were psychiatrists in Nigeria and I had to laugh but I replied in the affirmative.

I think that there is this lame perception that people have and they say that it only takes an unstable person to understand an unstable person. Some people also say that after treating people with mental health challenges for a long period of time, you would also begin to lose your mind but it is not true. I have not lost my mind in any way and unless I tell you that I am a psychiatrist, you would think that I am a regular doctor.

Do you get remarks like you look too fashionable or beautiful to be in this field? 
I hear it a lot, sadly from relatives of my clients but I do not think that because I am a psychiatrist, I need to look shabby or unkempt, that is sending a wrong message. Do not forget that being in this field also helps me because I am more knowledgeable about how to manage my mental health. I do not need to break down like the clients I am managing. If people tell me that ‘what is a beautiful woman like you doing in this field?’ I tell them that it is to treat their relatives. Whatever you do, you should still be able to stick to your identity and look good at every point in time even when you work in the field. Regardless of the way I look, when there is work to be done, I do it.

Do you get love advances from your patients? 
Yes, I do.

How do you handle that situation? 
I have a polite way of telling them and letting them know that I am not interested and as much as possible it is important to let them know that the rejection has nothing to do with their mental state. It is so easy for that to be misunderstood. They may think it is because they have a psychiatric issue but you let them know that it has nothing to do with that. Also, in the professional ethics, there are lines you don’t cross. There is a professional ethic that states that as long as you remain my patient, there is no other relationship we can have. So if you understand what our ethics are, you would stick to that; but you have to communicate it nicely to the person.

When do you take time off work? 
I try as much as possible to make out time for myself. When I want to relax, I spend time with my family; my husband and children. We go on family vacations, cinemas, other fun places. There is what we call the stress that comes with the job; it is a bit difficult for you to be a good mental health professional and not get involved emotionally with your clients. You begin to feel what your clients feel and you cannot help but worry about them. Even after you have discharged these patients, you are still concerned about them. You can imagine the number of clients I worry about. It takes a toll on you over time, so it is extremely important for you to maintain your well-being and you can only do this if you can stay off work for a while and have some rest. As much as possible, I try to make my weekend free unless I have emergencies. I use my weekend to relax and I would head to the spa for a massage treatment or hang out with my husband and kids.

Your job is 24hours; how has your husband been coping? 
Sometimes we are home late at night and I receive a call about a patient and from the conversation, I know the case is bad so I have to leave home that late. He knows that I would need to see the patient that night. Because of the confidentiality of what we do, I do not discuss my patients with him but he has an idea and he is worried about me. He had been a very supportive husband as regards my career and he is always concerned about what I do but I know that in his mind, he still nurses the fear as regards my safety. Each time I tell him that I need to see a patient or I have an intervention because a patient has broken down, all he says most time is, ‘please be careful, just be careful.’ He worries about me a lot.

Did he meet you on the job? 
Yes, he met me during the early years of my training.

How did he feel wooing a psychiatrist? 
He had his reservations. He met me in this profession but I think the way he felt about me was a lot stronger than whatever his reservations were about the profession. By association and hanging out with me, over time, it helped to demystify his perception of mental health. I have made him see that there is no big deal in this profession. He knows a lot about it now. There are even times that he refers people to me.

How did you meet your husband? 
We met through a friend. It is a long story but I don’t think I want to talk about it.

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How Can You Release Only 6 Names After Making So Much Noise About Looters?

The APC-led Federal Government has come under serious criticism for releasing the names of just six ‘looters’ after years of disturbing Nigerians with story of so called looters.

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere; a Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed; and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, among others, came down heavily on the Government over the release of a looters’ list containing just six names.

They described the list as laughable while accusing the government and the APC of spreading propaganda and lies.

The Federal Government on Friday made good its promise to release to Nigerians the list containing names of alleged treasury looters.

The list which was released by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos, on Friday, identified the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus; former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh; and the Chairman of DAAR Communications, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, as some of the people who looted the treasury.

Also on the list were the names of Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, a former Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan; a cousin of former President Jonathan, Robert Azibaola; and an unnamed former PDP Financial Secretary.

In July 2017, the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the Federal Government would publish the names of treasury looters intermittently after it must have met some conditions.

This was after a Federal High Court in Lagos gave a ruling compelling the Federal Government to “immediately release to Nigerians information about the names of high-ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered and the circumstances under which funds were recovered, as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.”

The Federal Government, through The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had on June 4, 2016, disclosed that it had recovered cash sums of N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, £3,508,355.46 and €11,250, among others, between May 29, 2015, and May 25, 2016.

Twenty-two months after, the information minister released a list with just six names.

The information minister said, “The PDP has challenged us to name the looters under their watch. They said they did not loot the treasury. Well, I am sure they know that the treasury was looted dry under their watch. Yet they decided to grandstand. This shows the hollowness of their apology to Nigerians.

“Let’s just give them a teaser with this list: PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus, (on the 19th of February, 2015, he took N200m only from the office of the then National Security Adviser); the then PDP Financial Secretary (on the 24th of October, 2014, he took N600m only from the office of the then NSA); the then National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh, (on trial for collecting N1.4bn from the office of the then NSA.

“Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communications, (on trial for taking N2.1bn from the office of the then NSA); former SSA to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, (on trial over N830m kept in accounts of four different companies); former President Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola, (on Thursday, a Federal High Court ruled that he has a case to answer for collecting $40m from the office of the then NSA.)”

Mohammed, who stated that the list was just a tip of the iceberg, said, “We did not make these cases up. Many of these cases are in court and the records are available. Some of the people on this list are seeking plea bargain, and that is a fact.

“We insist that Nigeria was looted blind under the watch of the PDP, and that the starting point in tendering an apology is for them to return the loot. It’s like a robber admitting to stealing your car and apologising, but then saying he will keep the car anyway. It doesn’t work that way.”

The information minister said, “The PDP is a hypocrite. And that reminds me of what English writer, William Hazlitt, said, ‘’The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.’’

He vowed that the APC-led Federal Government would not stop talking about the massive looting under the PDP.

“They brought Nigeria to this sorry pass. We are now looking around for loans to build infrastructure, and they ask us not to talk about it. We will talk about it.”

Nigerians react
But the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, accused the Federal Government of spreading propaganda and playing politics with the matter, even though, he said it would be good for Nigeria to get to a point where people found to have stolen public funds were named and shamed.

“We should get to a point where we should have a culture of naming and shaming of those who pilfer funds but what Mohammed and the government are doing is very funny. They have been talking about fighting corruption and recovering money, so after three years, it is only six names they could bring out. And even then by our law, an accused person is presumed innocent until found guilty. For now, you can call them alleged looters, not looters because the court has yet to convict them.”

Odumakin also noted that none of the politicians in the current government or those who defected from other parties to the APC and have been accused of corruption was on the list.

He said, “All they are doing is just playing cheap politics with their so-called anti-corruption war; the truth is that there is no war going on anywhere. It is just propaganda. And a minister of the government should not be engaged in this type of shenanigan. The APC can be playing this kind of politics but it is too low for the government to be playing this kind of politics.”

Also, a Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, described the APC’s short list of names of alleged looters as an “anticlimax” after about three years of talking about fighting corruption and looting of public funds.

He said, “I think Mohammed, his party and the President are guilty of the lies that they have been telling Nigerians. If indeed all the noise that has been made concerns only about five people, then something is wrong and I am certainly disappointed. So you are telling me that for the three years that you have been talking about corruption and promising to release the names of looters, you have been talking about only five people.

“If indeed they only had evidence that there are about five people who are responsible for our economic woes, then that to me sounds like a monumental anti-climax. There are quite a number of people who I believe are thieves and there is a substantial and overwhelming evidence against them and I believe the money they stole is known to people in the Presidency, the government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. If they cannot recover the money, then forget about Nigeria, it is finished. And I don’t believe Lai Mohammed because he has lied so many times and if his own idea of politics is to abuse his position and lie to the people, then we are in a very serious trouble because the whole thing is cynical, untrue and you begin to wonder who is to be believed because this government is not believable.”

Similarly, the President, Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. Eric Omare, described the government’s action as “ridiculous and childish.”

“This is because, under the laws of this country, anybody that is accused of committing an offence is presumed to be innocent until the person is found guilty by the court of law. So when you say somebody is a looter, it is a pronouncement that the person is guilty.

“And none of the names on the list has been convicted. Even this week, Azibaola was cleared of most of the charges against him by the court. So how could you release the name of that person as a looter? So it simply shows that the anti-corruption war of Buhari’s government is failing and so, it’s just struggling to save its face. It didn’t meet the expectation of Nigerians and that list should be dismissed with a wave of the hand; it doesn’t make sense.”

Also, the President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Malachy Ugwummadu, described the list as an insult on the intelligence of Nigerians.

He said if the Federal Government was serious about total anti-corruption war, it should also “look inwards” and name ex-PDP chieftains who were now in the APC.

Furthermore, he said conviction and prosecution of looters were the real proof of any anti-corruption fight.

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Dino Melaye Saga: Police Re-Arrest 5 Out of 6 Escapee Criminals

The police has re-arrested five out of the six suspected criminals who escaped from Police custody in Lokoja, Kogi State on Wednesday.

The suspects were linked to the Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye. 

Two of the alleged criminals, Kabiru Saidu, a.k.a Osama (31) and Nuhu Salisu (25 ) aka small, were first arrested on January 19 at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State and they confessed to being hired by Mr. Melaye to cause mayhem in the state.

Osama, who, according to the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, confessed that he had been working as a political thug for Alhaji Mohammed Audu who later introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye is the only suspect still on the run.

Osama told the Police that he met Melaye at Airport road, Abuja inside the Senator Melaye’s car in the month of December 2017.

“The suspect further confessed that Sen. Dino Melaye told him that they should start working for him as his political thugs and they should recruit and train other thugs to work for him in preparation for the 2019 general elections to enable him (Dino Melaye) challenge his political opponents.

However, following the escape of the suspects from custody, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, ordered the removal of the State commissioner of police, Ali Janga.

Sources in the Police, however confirmed to SR that five out of the six suspects have been re-arrested.

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Female Student Shot On Her Birthday Was Killed Over Cult Saga?

The police have confirmed that the killing of a female final year student of the Imo State University, Owerri, Miss Kelechi Ibe, at her 23rd birthday party was related to cultism.

Ibe, who was expected to graduate in August was shot dead in Owerri, the state capital last Thursday by gunmen while she was partying with friends on her birthday anniversary. What happened?

The killing of the Banking and Finance undergraduate, which took place on the ever-busy Douglas road, left residents devastated and in a state of panic.

Southern City News learnt that while at the party, some gunman pointed a gun at her, pulled the trigger, which led to her instant death.

The President of her department, Victor Adiele, said that the department was in a mourning mood, describing her death as a painful loss.

He said, “It was a black Thursday for the entire students of Banking and Finance of Imo State University, Owerri.

“With tears of agony and bitterness, the entire students mourn the death of our beloved colleague, course mate, friend, sister, Kelechi Assumpta Ibe, popularly known as Kay cee.

“She was a final year student of our department. She was to graduate in August this year. She was killed on her 23rd birthday celebration. It is very unfortunate.”

Speaking to The Punch, the State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, maintained that the killing of the female final year student was cult-related.

Ezike disclosed that preliminary investigation by the command revealed that issues relating to cultism led to the death of Ibe at her birthday party.

The CP disclosed that he had therefore instructed the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Police Command to take over the investigation process of the murder case from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Command.

Ezike said, “The killing of the female final year student was cult-related. I have therefore instructed the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Command to take over the matter from the State CID.

“This is because the Anti-Cultism Unit possesses the professional wherewithal than the State CID in issues relating to cultism. We are closing in on the suspects and we will soon round them up. Cultism is destroying our society and our universities.

“Parents and guardians must keep telling their children to denounce cultism. As a Command, we are working hard to make sure that issues of cultism and killings are permanently put to rest in Imo State.”

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Fear Buhari’s Government, Obasanjo’s coalition tells Nigerians

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked Nigerians to be wary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government as it has corrupted security agencies ahead of the 2019 general elections.

It said the statement by a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), that the military was colluding with unscrupulous individuals should not be dismissed.

The spokesman for the CNM, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, said this while responding to allegations by heads of security agencies that there was a plot by some groups to disrupt the 2019 general elections.

The Directors-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Lawal Daura; and National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ahmed Rufa’I as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, had raised the alarm over the plans by some groups to disrupt the processes leading to the 2019 elections.

The plan, according to them, was for the groups to create a stalemate during the elections.

However, Osuntokun told Punch that the security heads were acting out the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, “It all sounds funny to me. I don’t know any group that meets that description but why would anyone want to disrupt the 2019 elections? The only people that would want to disrupt the elections are the APC which has sensed its imminent defeat.

“If what Gen. Danjuma said is true whereby our protectors have become murderers, then it means they are the ones that should be feared. They are the ones that should be suspected.

“If you can extrapolate from what Gen. Danjuma said, that means Nigerians are at the mercy of the government or the army that is colluding. The people we should fear are (those in ) the government.”

Osuntokun said it was unfortunate that the heads of security agencies were serving a ‘conspiratorial parochial agenda’ as they were protecting the President’s ethnic base.

He added, “Where is the need to reserve the command of the Nigerian military and security services exclusively for the ethno-religious base of the President if it is not to serve a conspiratorial parochial agenda?

“The only group that fits this description of a fictitious fifth columnist agenda is the government itself.”

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Killings: We’ve Lost Confidence In FG’s Security – Taraba Govt

Following the incessant killings by alleged rampaging Herdsmen, the Taraba State Government has said that it has lost confidence in the Federal Government’s security apparatus in the state, particularly the military.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bala Abu, who stated this in an interview with The Punch, said that the state had not regained its confidence in the military in the state.

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, had through his Spokesman, Col. Tukur Gusau, told The Punch on Monday that Nigerians had been coming to report soldiers, who were accused of misconduct.

He said that such soldiers were undergoing disciplinary procedures, but stated that there was no complaint from Taraba.

But the state government on Tuesday said that the Federal Government was aware of security threats and soldiers’ misconduct in the state.

The state government cited instances where the Federal Government was informed about the security breach and soldiers’ misconduct.

In their separate reactions on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence and the Nigerian Army insisted that they had not received any letter from the Taraba State Government.

When contacted on Friday, the media aide to the state governor insisted that the state had lost confidence in the military in Taraba.

Abu stated, “As of now, the state is relatively at peace. Even with the relative peace in Taraba, we do not have confidence in the military that is there. We have lost confidence in the military and we have not regained it.

“We do not have confidence in the Federal Government’s security apparatus in Taraba. People are being disarmed. They are discriminatory in the way they are doing it. They invade people’s homes to seize machetes and kitchen knives and leave Fulani herdsmen that go about with AK 47.”

Abu had told The Punch on Tuesday that the state Governor, Darius Isaku, had in a letter, dated January 30, 2018, to the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), complained about the attitude of the Commanding Officer of 93 Battalion, Takum, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Gambari.

He alleged that soldiers always looked the other way when the herdsmen militia killed people.

It was gathered on Friday that the state government in the last one year had written at least eight letters to the Federal Government on security threats and soldiers’ misconduct in the state.

It was learnt that the governor had on May 15, 2017, in a letter to the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, raised the alarm about criminal elements in parts of Donga and Bali local government areas.

Findings also showed that the governor in a February 14, 2017 letter, written to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, called for the establishment of a mobile police squadron in Takum.

It was also gathered that the governor on August 11, 2017, wrote the Office of the National Security Adviser complaining about the conduct of the commanding officer in Takum.

It was learnt that only the NSA and the vice-president replied the letters to them, out of the eight written to the Federal Government.

A source stated, “The killings are not being done by the Fulani we know. They are being carried out by the Fulani militias, who were being sponsored by the elite.”

When contacted, an aide in the Office of the National Security Adviser, said the ONSA could not comment on the phone, asking the correspondent to check back on Tuesday.

He said, “You may wait till Tuesday. The ONSA does not respond to inquiries on the telephone. The Special Assistant on Media will be briefed first and he can then get back to you.”

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CURSE: Women Who Use Edo Ladies For Pros-titution In Panic

Pimps and influential women who traffic girls from Edo State to Europe, America and other parts of the world, otherwise known as madams, are now said to be jittery about the curse placed recently by the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II on human traffickers and those who aid them.

The Oba did not only place a curse on those who paint the state in a bad light through the trafficking of girls from the state, he also forced the native doctors who aid the traffickers by administering oaths on the girls to “enslave” them to their madams, as the case may be, to reverse the oaths administered on the girls.

The pimps and madams concerned are now jittery and are said to be in disarray over the curse placed upon them…

The Nation reports that the turn of events is said to be due to the importance attached to the curses from the Benin monarch and their efficacy. There are antecedents. An age-long myth subsists about the efficacy of curses that proceed from the mouth of a ruler of the Benin Kingdom. It is widely believed that such curses do not go unfulfilled once the target is guilty of the sin for which he or she is charged.

And the Oba’s curse is no respecter of age or status. The story is also told of Ikoka, a community in Ovia South West Local Government Area, which remains yet a remote village in spite of the fact that it serves as a host to one of the largest rubber plantations in the country.

It is said that Ikoka village and its people were cursed by Oba Ewuakpe in the 14th Century after the people asked him to work when he asked them for food. The curse he placed on the community, according to historians, is that only their women would experience progress, while houses built in the village would collapse as they are being built and their roads would turn bushy as they are being cleared.

Today, Ikoka is tucked away inside the rubber plantation without an access road to the community. To get to the village, one has to navigate through the rubber plantation. Thus, it is believed that the village is still under the curse of the late Oba.

Residents of Iguomon community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area recently cried out that they were dying from strange ailments because of a curse placed on the community by Oba Erediauwa. Inhabitants of the community had to besiege the Oba’s palace to beg that the curse be revoked in order to save them from further calamity.

Pa Roland Ugiagbe Okhuorabo, the man who was supposed to be installed as the next Odionwere (the traditional ruler of the community), was quoted as saying that he would not present himself to be installed until the curse is revoked.

The foregoing are pointers to how much the inhabitants of Benin Kingdom hold the Oba’s words in awe. The people see him as God’s representative on earth. All the deities in the land belong to him and consequently are under his directives. His words are law across the state because almost all the traditional rulers in the state and some communities in neighbouring states are princes from the palace.

But besides the Oba, Edo residents are known to fear curses from any juju. For example, when fire gutted the Oba’s market in Benin in 2004, many of the traders came in the morning and found that some thieves had used the fire outbreak as a cover to loot their shops. Adun promptly summoned Aiyelala worshippers who held a procession round the market, warning whoever had stolen the goods to return them. By the following day, the thieves had returned the goods and placed them at different locations in the market.

The jitters that followed the curses recently proclaimed by Oba Ewuare II on the individuals responsible for the trafficking of ladies from the Benin would be better understood in the foregoing context.

Recent reports indicate that things are no longer at ease in the camps of pimps, madams and native doctors responsible for trafficking young ladies from Edo state to sleep with men for money in foreign lands. Many madams responsible for trafficking are said to have been in shock on account of the curses the Oba proclaimed at a ceremony attended by priests from various shrines in the state.

Some ancient juju and several others known as esusumahi were brought out as instruments for the invocation of the curses.

At the said occasion, the Oba also performed rites that were meant to set trafficked victims free from the various oaths they have been made to swear at various shrines in the state or elsewhere. The Oba also warned native doctors in the kingdom to return whatever items they had collected from the trafficked girls.

In invoking the curses, the Oba said: 

“From today, we end all the oaths and it will not affect those placed on the oaths. Anybody that walks on Edo land and eats the food cooked with salt and oil will die if they continue to do things that will bring shame to the land.

“The juju will kill those who want to henceforth engage in human trafficking. Even those who go to other places to perform juju will also die. Native doctors should not force girls again, and they should return the things they collected from the girls.” 

News of the Oba’s action reportedly spread across Europe like wild fire. Checks conducted by The Nation indicated that the ‘madams’ were shocked at the pronouncements. The Oba’s curse created a huge war in Europe between traffickers known as madams and their girls.

The girls are expected to pay as much as €35,000 depending on how much the madam spent to take them to Europe. According to a source in Italy, “the madams are not happy even though some immediately released their girls after the Oba’s curse. The Oba’s curse came as a shock to them. They said there was no warning or signs that such a thing would happen. They said the Oba should have given them some time to free the girls themselves. 

“It is difficult for the madams to take any extra step to recover their money, because as you know, our people fear curses more than death. But some madams are saying the Oba did not mention anything like money. They said the Oba only removed the oath they took before coming. 

“But some madams said they are not from Benin. The madams don’t have anything to tell the native doctors again because the Oba has already placed a curse and warned the native doctors not to back them.”

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I Helped PDP Rig Elections – Ex-Deputy Senate President Mantu confesses

A chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last night sparked a fresh controversy in the polity.

Former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, confessed on television that he helped his party rig elections in the past.

“I don’t have to go and change election (results) but when you provide money, you give money to INEC boys that if they see any chance they should favour you, you provide money to the security (personnel),” he said on Channels Television’ Hard Copy.

“I tell you it’s not necessarily when I am contesting election but when my party sponsors a candidate, I will like that candidate to win election.”

Mantu who represented Plateau State in the Senate between 1999 and 2007 pronounced himself a born again politician in 2017.

He was elected on the platform of the PDP.

He agreed ‘wholeheartedly’ with PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secundus, on the recent public apology he tendered on the party’s mistakes when it was in power between 1999 and 2015.

He said: “We have failed the people through our ways and politics. It is time for us to ensure that we do not allow the wrong people to lead the people and the nation.

“As politicians, we have committed sins against the people, by encouraging the things that we should not have encouraged.

“God has totally blessed our country Nigeria with abundant human and natural resources but we have failed to utilize these to improve the quality of lives of the people.”

Asked why he thought Secundus’ apology was in order, Mantu said: “there is the need for Nigerian politicians to apologize for all the sins we have committed against the people.

“That is because we have shortchanged the people.”

He recalled how, in the PDP, names of candidates who won elections were deleted and replaced with other names.

“Winners names were crossed out and replaced with names of those who did not win. It is bad because we imposed those who did not win on the people,” he said.

“It is true that we (PDP) ruled with impunity.”

He asked other PDP members to also become “born again, remorse and repentant.

“We must meet the expectations of the people. It is not about changing from one party to another. It is about changing our heart. It is about changing our attitudes. Let us sit down and reflect on the bad leadership that we have given to Nigerians these past years and change. Nigeria is supposed to lead Africa but we have failed.”

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Ambode to Buhari: Why Lagos Deserves Special Status

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday evening urged President Muhammadu Buhari to seriously consider the possibility of granting Lagos a Special Status to enable it sustain its position as the driver of the nation’s economic growth.

Ambode, who spoke at a State Dinner in honour of President Buhari at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, as part of activities to commemorate his two-day official visit to the State, expressed concerns that;

26 years after the Federal Capital was relocated from Lagos to Abuja, the State has been left to strive for development without much Federal support.

The Nation reports that governor said despite the strategic position the State plays in the nation’s economy, there was still much untapped potentials and opportunities for economic, social and cultural growth in the State, which he said his administration was doing its best to explore by strategically focusing on improving the ease of doing business, entertainment, sports and tourism.

He, however, said that for these potentials to be realised, the State requires Federal Support, adding that several attempts by some eminent personalities to push for a Special Status for Lagos as well as a bill seeking to accord the State same was turned down by the Senate.

“Mr President, it has become glaring that Lagos State cannot achieve this alone. Mr. President, 26 years after the Federal Capital was relocated from Lagos to Abuja, the State has been left without much Federal support.

“Your Excellency, despite all these, Lagos State needs more and Lagosians deserve more. Eminent Nigerians have called on the Federal Government to grant our State a Special Status. I recall that a bill seeking to accord it a Special Status has been rejected three times in the Senate. Lagos deserves a Special Status if we want the State to continue to serve as the major driver of the nation’s economy,” Governor Ambode said.

Thanking President Buhari for magnanimously yielding the State’s request to reconstruct the Oshodi International Airport Road into a 10-lane world-class road and transform the Presidential Lodge Marina into a monument and cultural legacy, Governor Ambode also seized the occasion to request the President to cede the ownership and management of the National Stadium, Surulere and the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu to the State Government to enable it revive them for the benefit of all.

“Mr. President your word has been your bond as far as your promises to Lagos State are concerned. You approved the reconstruction of the Oshodi to Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road into a 10-lane world-class road that will be ready by the end of this year. You gladly released for our kind use, your Presidential Lodge in Marina because you believe in our vision to transform the lodge into a monument and cultural legacy as part of the Onikan-Marina cultural and architectural regeneration.

“In addition, as part of our drive to use entertainment and sports to drive tourism and economic growth, we again ask of Your Excellency to consider ceding the ownership and management of the National Stadium Surulere and the National Arts Theatre Iganmu to Lagos State. These two edifices have been left to decay and our government is in the best position to revive these assets and make them viable again for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“This is not too much to ask but we are reassured that our President is a listening father who understands the yearnings of Lagosians. We are confident that he would listen and respond positively to the demands of about one-eighth of the nation’s population resident in Lagos,” Governor Ambode said.

Speaking on Friday after conducting President Buhari round the Eko Atlantic City (EAC) which is a multi-billion dollar project expected to accommodate over 150,000 people who would reside there and another 250,000 who would work and commute within the city on a daily basis, Governor Ambode said the project was a practical example of how the private sector could partner with government to boost the economy.

He recalled that the project, which was conceived and initiated during the tenure of former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was a brilliant engineering display which had saved the whole of Victoria Island from ocean surge and other threats.

“This project has actually saved the whole of Victoria Island and is standing on over 750 square kilometres bigger than Victoria Island itself when it is eventually completed. This is just an example of what the private sector can really do to the Nigerian economy and that is why we have made it possible that Mr President should take a practical tour of how we can really move the Nigerian economy when we partner with the private sector,” Governor Ambode said.

Responding, President Buhari commended the initiators of the EAC, saying he was extremely impressed with the potentials of the project, which according to him, would create jobs and boost Nigeria’s economy.

“I have just gone round to see the Eko Atlantic City. I’m impressed with the potentiality of this project and the amount of jobs and positive effect which this project is capable of having on the economy.

“I’m really grateful for those who agreed to invest so much in our country to get a secured area for operations capable of handling big businesses and investments throughout Africa,” the President said.

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