Lifestyle

Bayelsa police beef up security in banks, ATM points amid fears of attack by irate Nigerians

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The police command in Bayelsa has beefed up security in banks and Automated Teller Machines (ATM) points in the state to forestall any breach of the peace.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ben Okolo, charged divisional police officers, tactical commanders, and other operatives to closely monitor banks and ATM points in their areas to ensure banks dispensed money.

Asinim Butswat, the police public relations officer in the state, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Yenogoa, the state capital.

He said that the command understood the plight of the masses and was hopeful that the new measures introduced by the CBN would improve the circulation of the currency in the coming days.

The statement warned miscreants, under any guise, to desist from carrying out any unlawful assembly to unleash violence in the state.

Mr Asinim said the command would not allow any person or group of persons to truncate the relative peace being enjoyed in Bayelsa.

The command appealed to members of the public to remain calm and go about their lawful and legitimate businesses.

Entertainment, Lifestyle

South African rapper AKA shot dead

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South African rapper, Kiernan Forbes, popularly known as AKA, was shot dead last night and the second man who was gunned down with him has been identified as one of his best friends and former manager, Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane.

Tebello was standing outside Wish Restaurant with AKA and others when gunmen in two cars opened fire, killing both men and injuring another man said to be AKA’s bodyguard.

Tebello managed AKA many years ago before deciding on a new career path and becoming a chef.

The duo and others had flown into Durban on Friday, Feb 10th to celebrate AKA’s birthday and perform at a club when the tragic incident happened.

May their souls rest in peace.

Lifestyle

Man blames the devil after he was caught r@ping his underage stepdaughter

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A man identified as David Gaius has been arrested by the Adamawa State Police Command for allegedly r@ping his stepdaughter.

The man is now being probed by the police on the charge of raping the stepdaughter on three occasions.

Gaius, who resides in Unguwan Prison in the Dirma village of Dumne, Song Local Government Area, admitted committing the offence, according to the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje.

The man, narrating how he slept with the girl three times, blamed it on the devil. He said the devil deceived him into the act while he was drunk. He also admitted using a charm of attraction on the girl. He said he put the charm in the meat, which his victim and himself ate, to attract her.

He said he first r@ped the girl in 2020 when she was 14 years old while living in the same house with his wife and other children after the other members of the family had slept.

He added that when he did it the third time recently, his wife caught him red-handed, but that he lied to her that a native doctor asked him to r@pe a little girl.

He denied using a white handkerchief to clean his victim’s private part for ritual purposes as alleged by the girl, adding that he did not r@pe her for ritual purposes.

Lifestyle

Nigerians anticipate peaceful power transfer regardless of tension

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Some Nigerians on Saturday expressed optimism about a peaceful 2023 election and smooth power transfer to another administration.

A cross-section of Nigerians in Lagos said the electioneering campaign bar had been raised for people to vote for the best candidate in all elective positions.

Despite the constraining variables like the subsisting cashless policy and the artificial fuel scarcity, people are optimistic about a good transition in May.

Wale Adewale, a political scientist and a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), said Nigerians have become more politically conscious and enthused by fierce competition in the polity.

According to him, the campaigns across parties have been encouraging but lacked desirable agreement between the people, political parties, and candidates.

“Nigerians are patiently discarding those disturbing variables in the system with high hopes of attaining a better society after the election,” he said.

Gab Ireaku, director, Social Re-engineering Network, said hard times had awoken people from slumber to begin to pursue an improved system through the forthcoming election.

The social justice crusader described people’s participation in voting as one that confers legitimacy to the process.

Mr Ireaku dismissed any possibility of an election-induced fracas in the society, noting that Nigerians are tired of hard times and ready to overturn the nation’s misfortunes through the election.

Anglia Orji, a businesswoman at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, said everyone who wished to vote must have their voters’ card by now.She said the masses were ready to change the system that has held them disadvantaged.

She said, unlike previous elections, the coming polls would be devoid of violence; instead, there would be mass turnout.

The Lagos chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Stephen Adegbite, called on the faithful to present Nigeria’s election as a supplication to God for a smooth process.

Meanwhile, the electoral body has indicated its readiness to conduct the polls to ensure that Nigerians decide who leads them.

In the same vein, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Presidential Transition Council to oversee a smooth transition after the polls.

Lifestyle

Central Bank of Nigeria lists Money Bouquet As naira abuse

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The Central Bank of Nigeria has listed money bouquet as a form of Naira abuse.

This was made known in a flier shared via CBN’s Twitter handle on Friday with the caption

“ It is your civic duty to protect the Naira. Report Naira abuse today.”

Other forms of Naira abuse listed by the CBN includes; spraying, selling, squeezing, and defacing.

Lifestyle

Sanwo-Olu counsels ICAN on best practices

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The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria to ensure best practices to engender socio-economic growth in the country.

A statement indicated that the governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Temitope Hundogan, made this call during the 17th Western Zonal Accountants Conference of ICAN tagged “Oba 2023.”

The statement added that Sanwo-olu advised the institute not to relent in exposing its members and stakeholders to international best practices, noting that professionalism would help position the institute for the country’s economic, social, and political development.

It stated that the governor stressed the need for a synergy between the state and the institute in providing solutions to the myriad of economic challenges facing the nation.

He was quoted as saying, “I hope this conference, themed “Professional accountants, uncertain economy, and sustainable development will bring to light the importance of the accounting profession in improving the economy and enhancing development across the country.”

On his part, the chairman of the occasion, Egbetokun Samuel, said the event was designed to empower members of the institute with practical knowledge and skills to make them better in their professions and equip them with the right strategies to turn around the ailing economy.

Egbetokun hailed the state government for supporting the institution by creating an enabling environment for it to thrive.

Lifestyle

Federal Government shuts down all universities for elections

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President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime has ordered the closure of all tertiary institutions ahead of the February 25 and March 11 elections.

“In view of the foregoing and concerns expressed on the security of staff, students and properties of our respective institutions, the Honourable Minister of Education, Mal Adamu Adamu, has, following extensive consultations with the relevant security agencies, directed that all universities and Inter University Centres be shut down and academic activities be suspended between 22 February and 14 March, 2023,” said a letter issued by the National Universities Commission on February 3.

The universities were asked to shut down February 22 to March 14.Last month, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) asked Mr Buhari to temporarily shut down all tertiary institutions until after the February 25 and March 11 elections.

The association stressed that the shutdown would allow students to obtain their PVCs.

“The office of the NANS vice president (external affairs) calls on the federal government of Nigeria to immediately close all tertiary institutions temporarily to afford students the opportunity to collect their PVCs from their local government Areas and vote in the forthcoming elections,” NANS vice-president Akinteye Babatunde had stated.

Lifestyle

Court jails security guard for sleeping on duty

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An Area Court in Jos on Thursday sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment a security guard, Danjuma Abdullahi, who slept on duty resulting in the stealing of motorcycles.

The judge, Thomas Ajitise, sentenced Mr Abdullahi after he pleaded guilty to negligence of duty and prayed for leniency.

The judge gave the convict an option of a N100,000 fine.The prosecutor, Insp Ibrahim Gowkat, told the court that the case was reported at the C Division Police Station on January 3, by Messrs Musa Alhassan and Musa Ali.

Mr Gowkat said that the complainants asked the convict to watch over their motorcycles, but he slept off while on duty, paving the way for thieves to steal the two motorcycles.

Lifestyle

JAMB cancels registration of candidates over impersonation

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The registration of over 817 candidates for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations and Direct Entry examinations has been cancelled by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board over alleged impersonation.

The decision was made after JAMB authorities uncovered the strange use of biometrics during the registration process.Registrar of the examination body, Professor Ishaq Oloyede said some registration officers in the affected 178 Computer-Based Test centres added their fingerprints to complete the registration process for the candidates.

The 817 affected students will be given another opportunity to re-register for the exam with the centres bearing the cost. Ishaq said;

“For the students who allowed other people to add their fingers to their registration procedure, we found that some of them were only naive, because you will hear them saying my finger was hot, and the man added his own. And you allowed him to add his own?

“Some of them did it deliberately for impersonation, but we can’t identify those who are genuine from those who are not genuine. We will cancel all of them, all the registrations, and we will ask them to re-register.

“The centres involved, we have just met with them, and they all confessed, nobody is disputing it, even students that were telling lies, they know we have the technology that won’t allow any lie to be accommodated.

“On their own (the CBT centres owners), they suggested the solution. We will cancel the registrations of those people concerned and we will send a message to them to go back to the very centres where they were registered and the CBT centres will pay to the board the cost of registration of the candidates.

“By adding his or her finger to your registration, it means he or her can change all your particulars when you are not there. You know your finger is what is used to identify you. The person can change your examination centre like say from Lagos to Ibadan, and on the exam day you won’t be able to write the exam.

“That is why we put in place a device that will throw up any strange finger that is not yours and that is why we were able to identify them.”

Entertainment, Lifestyle

I love Portable’s Interview- Rapper Olamide

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Rapper Olamide has reacted to a recent interview by singer Portable.

Olamide, who featured in Portable’s Zazu hit song, tweeted on Tuesday, “I love zazu’s interviews. You de whine?”

In Portable’s recent interview with YouTuber Timi Agbaje, the Zazu crooner stated that he will win the Grammy Awards.

Lifestyle

NiDCOM condemns massacre of 16 Nigerians in Burkina Faso

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has condemned the massacre of 16 Nigerians travelling in Burkina Faso as unjustifiable, callous and criminal.

NiDCOM chairwoman Abike Dabiri-Erewa condemned the killing in a statement on Tuesday.

The NiDCOM chair called on the Burkinabe authorities to fish out the perpetrators and prosecute them.

Ms Dabiri-Erewa, who reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari‘s resolve to ensure “appropriate sanction” through diplomacy to those involved in the wicked killing, said it was a condemnable and barbaric act.

The NIDCOM boss joined others in condoling the families and friends of the deceased and prayed for the safety of other stranded Nigerians in the country.

“To those who were unjustifiably killed, especially as they were on spiritual pilgrimage, may Allah accept them into His martyrdom and quicken the pace of recovery of those injured survivors,” she prayed.

According to the statement, some Muslim pilgrims, including 16 Nigerians, were allegedly shot and killed by Burkinabe soldiers on patrol.

At a news conference on Sunday in Abuja, the Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya of Nigeria revealed that 16 of its members were shot dead by the Burkinabe soldiers.

They were reportedly on their way to the home country of their leader, Sheikhul-Islam Ibrahim Niasse, in Senegal, when they were killed.

The national secretary of the Islamic group, Sayyidi Yahaya, said the Ansariddeen members were “randomly selected and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality” after being stopped by the Burkinabe soldiers.

Lifestyle

Fuel scarcity, long queues will end soon in western zone-IPMAN

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The Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), western zone, has assured Nigerians that fuel scarcity would soon end.

Dele Tajudeen, IPMAN zonal chairman (western zone), gave the assurance on Tuesday in Ibadan.

“We just rose from a meeting with the authority concerned and we had a very useful discussion with the authority. One, we have to address the issue of availability and cycle. We appeal to people to bear with us, as the scarcity will fizzle out gradually,” said the IPMAN zonal chair.

“By the special grace of God, by next week, we will start to see changes and the queues will disappear.”

Mr Tajudeen said there was no directive stopping its members from continuing with their operations, pointing out that the speculation on shutting down of filling stations was not from the association.

He was reacting to the speculations making the rounds that IPMAN had directed its members to stop operations and shut down their filling stations to protest the fuel price hike.

According to him, IPMAN has units and zones, and its South-West zone comprises Lagos, Sapele, Ibadan, Ore, Ilorin and Mosimi depots. He stated that the depots in the zone had not been directed to shut down operations.

Mr Tajudeen added that the directive from the Maiduguri depot did not affect IPMAN members in other parts of Nigeria, particularly in the South-West region.

“As far as we are concerned, as the zonal chairman, I have authority of other chairmen in the zone. We are not closing our stations. The letter you are seeing is from Maiduguri; look at the letter very well. It emanated from Maiduguri and has nothing to do with the South-West,” Mr Tajudeen explained.

Lifestyle

Federal Government tells NLC to ensure implementation of Employees Compensation Act

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The federal government has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress to ensure employers implement the Employees Compensation Act (ECA).

Labour minister Chris Ngige stated this at the 13th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the NLC in Abuja on Tuesday.

“The major work I want the next NLC administration to do is the implementation of the Employee Compensation Act and the Pension Reform Act (PRA). The Pension Commission Act makes it mandatory that the employees in any organisation must get two insurance covers for their workers,” the labour minister explained.

“That is one group life insurance for a person in case of when the person dies. Second, the Employee Compensation Act that replaces the old workers’ compensation act.”

Mr Ngige added;

“This makes sure all workers are insured against accidents, infirmity, disease that occurs in the course of discharge of their duty.”

The minister said state governments were not paying attention to ECA and that no government implemented the ECA of 2010, though it was a national law.

The minister stressed that some corporations in the public service tried to implement the act by engaging private insurance companies to do what they call accident insurance for workers.

He said they did this because they did not want to pay for any fatalities, but they liked to gather the premium.

“Therefore, the next NLC leadership, if you love the workers and if you love your consistency, you must press for the employee compensation act to be universal,” Mr Ngige explained.

“You must have universal coverage for workers in the states. If you slip on this right, you have not done your workers well.”

Lifestyle

Fire guts Akure filling station

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The Optimal Filling Station located on Aule Road in Akure caught fire on Monday.

The fire, which destroyed the administrative block of the gas station and dispensing pumps, was put out by the fire service.

The Federal Fire Service’s spokesman Ayodele Ajulo, attributed the fire to heat in the underground tank.

Mr Ajulo advised filling stations to be careful while offloading fuel from tankers into underground tanks, especially during extreme heat.

“We always tell people to be extremely cautious during this period. The hot weather makes it easy for fire to erupt from anything inflammable,” he stated.

“It is important for people, especially filling station operators, to take all necessary precautions and also have enough fire extinguishers around in case of any emergency.”

He commended residents for cooperating with firefighters in putting out the fire.

Lifestyle

NIS hands over Libya-bound teenage victims of trafficking to NAPTIP

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has handed over to NAPTIP three victims from Ondo arrested in Kebbi while allegedly on their way to Libya.

The three victims, two orphans of age 18 and 15 and a girl of 17 years, were traveling alone when they were arrested by immigration officers in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi.

The Comptroller of the NIS in the state, Mrs Rabi Bashir-Nuhu, made this known while addressing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

“It is a pity that in spite of our calls, talks and advice to parents on looking after their wards, they still don’t listen.

“The girls were intercepted at Yauri border patrol on 15 February as they were travelling from Ondo to Sokoto unaccompanied and alone.

“The officers became suspicious of them as they are being trafficked out to work in Libya. Some of them will be enslaved and mishandled.

“They said a pastor prayed for them and made them to fast for seven days so that their journey will be successful.

“That means, the pastor has a hand in their trafficking. They have number of their contact if they reach Sokoto, including the pastor’s contact.

“We have to apply Pact 10 and 11 of Immigration Act 2015, receive them and hand them over to NAPTIP,” she said.

The comptroller assured that NIS would not allow dubious persons profiting from human trafficking to pass its net in the state.In their responses, one of the victims said she and her sister were orphans schooling at Baptist Higher School in Ondo State.

“Our pastor in Muranu Agba Church arranged our traveling to Libya and we have his contact and contacts of those that we will call as soon as we reach Sokoto.

“We are going to Libya to do work in order to earn a means of livelihood,” she said.Receiving the victims, Head of Operation of NAPTIP in the state, Sadiq Atiku, said the agency would undertake thorough investigation of the matter.

“We thank NIS for making our job easier and we are going to investigate thoroughly.

“We have so far successfully arraigned some of the suspected traffickers who hav connections with previous victims of trafficking as handed over to us by NIS,” he said.

Mr Atiku commended NIS for collaborating with the agency to eradicate human trafficking in the country.

Lifestyle

Security guards jailed for stealing water tank

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The Dei-Dei Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja, on Monday, sentenced three security guards, Dauda Ibrahim, Musa Hussani, and Hassan Saleh, to nine months’ imprisonment each for stealing a Geepee water tank.

Messrs Ibrahim, 40, Hussani, 30, and Saleh, 30, all security guards of Shagari Quarters, Dei-Dei, Abuja, pleaded guilty to a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy and theft but begged the court for leniency.

The judge, Saminu Suleiman, gave the convicts an option of N20,000 fine each.Mr Sulieman also ordered the convict to pay N50,000 to compensate the tank’s owner.

The prosecutor, Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the complainant, Rabiu Bello, reported the matter at the Dei-Dei Police Station on January 26.

Mr Ogada said on the same date, the convicts criminally conspired and went into a compound in Shagari Quarters, Dei-Dei, belonging to Halima Ibrahim of Gwarinpe.

He said the convicts dishonestly trespassed into the compound and stole a Geepee water storage tank, worth N200,000, and an angle iron, valued at N200,000, and ran away, but were later caught and handed over to the police for proper investigation.

The prosecutor said during the investigation, the convicts made a confessional statement, and the tank was recovered.

Lifestyle, Politics

Police arrest Yoruba Nation agitators ahead of planned Lagos protest

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The police command in Lagos has arrested Yoruba Nation agitators planning to protest in the Alausa area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Sunday on his verified Twitter handle.

“Earlier today, a number of Yoruba Nation agitators commenced setting up camp at Alausa, planned to be used as the base to launch a massive protest. Camp was promptly dislodged while agitators were arrested. Investigation continues at State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID),” he said.

Mr Hundeyin stressed that the state would not tolerate lawlessness, recalling that protests had, in the past, destroyed properties.

“Protests that started with this format in Lagos always snowballed into infringement of the rights of others, destruction of property and difficult-to-manage situations,” Mr Hundeyin explained.

“At Lagos state police command, we put crime statistics to use.”

He said section 4 of the Police Act 2020 stated that the police should maintain public safety, law and order and protect all persons’ lives and property in Nigeria.

Business, Lifestyle

Nigerian Central Bank Deceived Buhari Into Supporting Naira Redesign But Its Ulterior Motive Is To Stop Elections From Holding –Oshiomhole

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The former National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has faulted the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), insisting that the nation’s apex bank cannot govern the country by decree.

He described the policy as senseless, adding that he believes the apex bank led by Godwin Emefiele deceived President Muhammadu Buhari into agreeing to support it.

This Governor has broken no new grounds because we have changed currencies before, and I daresay check the records when General Muhammadu Buhari changed colours of naira when he did in his first coming as military head of state.

“He did not forbid the banks from paying people in new notes. He did not impose restrictions as to how much you can withdraw provided it is your lawful money.

To assume that every Nigerian is corrupt; that the motor mechanic is corrupt and this policy is meant to check corruption. The CBN is not part of institutions charged with the responsibility of ensuring free, fair and credible elections.

“That is not in the Act establishing CBN. So, when I heard argument that seems to criminalise and in a sense blackmail the political elite as though they are responsible.

In fact, I got angry and I said if corruption is at the heart of CBN challenge, how do they explain that you Seun, because you are one of the most popular TV programme, and so you were to import a camera, you can get a dollar at N440 to the dollar; and your cameraman who knows nobody, he wants to pay for his child’s school fees, he has to go to Wuse market to buy the same dollar at N740. If that is not corruption, what is it?

“So I think what Nasir El-Rufai was saying is that – if you have pockets of riots and protests and because our armed forces whether the police, obviously the army is not trained for that to manage discontent, mass uprising you may end up with a situation where you were unable to conduct election. So, it is not only APC that will lose, everybody will lose.

“Do you notice that even Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of PDP appealed for extension? Citizens shouldn’t beg the government to extend the value of their legitimately earned money because in a democracy, don’t forget that what distinguishes democracy from dictatorship is popular participation, a sense of ownership of public policy. And so it is not enough, we can’t be governed by decrees.

“If the president cannot govern by decree, nobody in Nigeria should govern by decree. We must be governed by our constitution, we have parliament.”

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