The Ogun State Police Command is trailing one Joseph Nwakpe and others for alleged theft and diversion of Knorr seasoning goods worth N40.6m.

PUNCH Metro learnt from a police source that Nwakpe and others had been contracted by a transport manager at Lap Global Resource identified as Pedro Okanlawon to deliver 2,085 cases of Knorr seasoning from Agbara to Onitsha and Port Harcourt.

According to the source, the truck conveying the products was a customised coloured Mercedes Benz with Registration Number 3364N244722 and Engine Number 3364N244722, bearing “Never give up” and “Ifeomachukwu” as inscriptions at the front view.

Okanlawon, a Lagos-based transport manager, was said to have made several attempts to reach Nwakpe and others through the phone to find out about their movement.

But when all efforts to know the whereabouts of the fleeing suspects failed, the victim filed a petition against them at a police station in Agbara.

It was gathered that following an investigation by the police, the driver of the truck, identified as Danladi Suleiman of the Ayetoro area of Agbara/Badagry Expressway, was arrested on September 5, 2023.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident, noted that though the arrested suspect had since confessed to the crime, further investigation was ongoing.

The death toll from devastating floods that struck eastern Libya could reach 20,000 in Derna alone, the mayor said.

“We expect a very big number of victims. It can reach 18,000 to 20,000 deaths based on the destroyed districts in Derna,” Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said.

Mr Al-Ghaithi said the city was suffering a humanitarian disaster due to the massive floods that followed a heavy storm in eastern Libya on Sunday.

Two dams in the mountains above Derna collapsed.

While rescue workers and relatives continue to search for survivors, about 10,000 people were reported missing, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The flooding in eastern Libya has also left more than 30,000 people homeless, according to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration, particularly in Derna.

Two rival governments are vying for power in oil-rich Libya, plagued by unrest in recent years.One is based in the east, and the other in the capital, Tripoli, in the west.

Diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the ongoing civil war have failed

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) announced a total collapse of the electricity supply system at 12:40 a.m. on Thursday across the South-East.

The situation was confirmed in a statement issued by EEDC’s spokesman, Emeka Ezeh, in Enugu.

The EEDC statement said the situation had resulted in the loss of supply currently being experienced across the network.

“Due to this development, all our interface Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) stations are out of supply. We are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.

“We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo,” EEDC explained.

The death toll from Storm Daniel, an “extreme weather event,” that caused the Sunday Libya flooding stands at 6,000, CNN has reported.

Saadeddin Wakil, the health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli, one of two rival governments operating in the country, said, “The death toll rose to over 6,000 people as of Wednesday morning local time.”

The agency reports that mortuaries are full in hospitals that remain out of service despite the desperate need to treat survivors of the disaster, according to staff.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday said his government was ready to provide all essential support to the Libyan people hit by the devastating floods that followed the Mediterranean storm Daniel on Sunday.

“Nigeria is ready to provide all necessary support to assist the Libyan people in overcoming this harrowing tragedy,” read a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Wednesday.

In a separate report, the BBC reported that there have been desperate calls for more humanitarian support as victims lie wrapped in body bags and others have been buried in mass graves.

“The sea is constantly dumping dozens of bodies,” Hisham Chkiouat, a minister in Libya’s eastern administration, said, according to the BBC.

“In Egypt, the government buried 87 Egyptian victims who died in Libya, according to the country’s emigration ministry.

“Around 10,000 more are missing, potentially either swept out to sea or buried beneath rubble that’s strewn throughout the city, once home to over 100,000 people, authorities say,” the agency added.

The United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration in Libya stated that more than 30,000 people have been displaced by the flooding in Derna.

The significant damage to infrastructure in the region has made some stricken regions inaccessible to humanitarian groups.

Only two out of the seven entry points to Derna are now available.

Emergency teams are searching through piles of debris for survivors and bodies as officials attempt to honour Islamic beliefs that the dead should receive burial rites within three days.

President Tinubu extended his profound condolences to the government and people of Libya in the aftermath of the flooding.

He commiserated with all families who have lost loved ones in what he described as a “monumental disaster.” He sent his best wishes for a speedy recovery to all injured during the tragic incident.

The Nigerian leader assured the Libyan people of Nigeria’s “unwavering solidarity and goodwill during these trying times,” adding that “this disheartening loss of lives, homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure remains a shared grief that further unites the people of both nations.”

Multi-award-winning artiste David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, paid tribute to the late singer Mohbad during his Timeless concert in Manchester, London, on Wednesday.

Displaying a photo of MohBad on stage, the ‘Unavailable’ crooner noted some artistes go through hard times as well but never let that stop them from doing their job.

“As we come on stage to perform for you guys, you might not know what we artistes go through. We are human beings too.

“It takes a lot for us to come out to perform and deliver but we do that because we love you.

“I want to give a special shout-out to my brother, I know you are in heaven watching down. Tonight we gonna turn out for you,” he said.

MohBad passed away on Tuesday, September 12.

The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Wednesday, announced adjustments to the fees that students of the institution will be required to pay for the upcoming academic session.

This decision, according to a communique released by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, was taken by the Senate at its emergency meeting held yesterday, Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

Olarewaju said, “Those in the Faculties of Arts, Law and Humanities, the ‘freshers’ will pay N151,200 while returning students of the same faculties will pay N89,200.”

Returning students in the faculties were paying N20,100 before the increase while Faculties of Technology and Science paid N28,100. Also, the Faculty of Pharmacy students paid N31,100 per session.

Olanrewaju added that “in the Faculties of Technology and Science, the new students will pay N163,200” while returning students are to pay the sum of N101,200.

He added that the newly admitted students into the Faculty in the College of Health Sciences, and Faculty of Pharmacy are to pay N190,200 while returning students pay N128,200.

“The management, therefore, wishes the students resounding success in their academic programmes. The above adjustable fees are just for an academic session,” he added.

It was said that on March 24, 2023, that the leadership of the Students’ Union Government of the university said it was holding a crucial meeting, following a new “professional fee” purportedly introduced at the university’s College of Health Sciences by the administrators.

It was gathered that the college management at a colloquium announced a N100,000 professional fee to be paid by the students beginning from the next session.

The Students Union leaders in a statement by the President, Secretary-General, and Public Relations Officer, Olayiwola Festus; Odewale Damilare and Ogunperi Taofeek respectively, stated the union was holding an “emergency meeting.”

“This evening, it was brought to the attention of the leadership of the Union that there is an increment of N100,000 tagged ‘medical professional fees’ in the College of Health Sciences of the University.

“In order to address this issue properly and tackle the increment, and for the benefit of students, the Central Executive Council is holding an emergency meeting immediately,” the statement said.

In 2018, medical students at the college unanimously rejected the introduction of an N85,000 professional training fee.

The Nigeria Police on Wednesday declared one Gift David Okpara aka 2 Baba, wanted over the murder of the late Ahoada Divisional Police Officer, Bako Angbashim, in Rivers State.

This was contained in a post shared on the official X account of the Rivers State Command on Wednesday.

Okpara, according to the post, is wanted for “conspiracy, cultism and murder of SP Bako Angbashim.”

“The Nigeria Police Force has declared one Gift David Opara aka (2baba) wanted for the below offences, 101 million naira bounty has been placed on him by the Rivers State Gov and The NPF. Give us info and cash out from us,” the post caption read.

Angbashim was ambushed and killed in Odumude community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state on Friday night.

The Ekiti State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has adjourned the case of a 24-year-old man, Isiaka Yinusa, who allegedly impersonated a member of the Nigeria Police Force, to October 3 for hearing.

Magistrate Olatomiwa Daramola granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N50,000 in the like sum and must swear to an affidavit of means.

During proceedings in court on Wednesday, the police prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, accused the defendant of parading himself as a policeman.

The charge read, “The defendant, on 10th September, 2023 around 11:35 a.m, at Ifaki Ekiti in Ido Ekiti Magisterial District, did intent to be taken to be a member of the Nigerian Police Force, have in possession police shoulder flap and also conduct himself in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace in a public place.”

Adejare, said, “The offences are punishable under Sections 90(b) and 181(1)(d) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.”The prosecutor told the court that he would assemble his witnesses on the next adjourned date.

When the charge was read and interpreted to the defendant, he claimed to understand the charge but pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the defendant, Aduni Olanipekun, prayed the court to admit her client to bail in liberal terms, saying, “I am ready to provide a substantial surety for the defendant.”

A medical doctor, Harvey Olufunmilayo, has expressed his opinion on why an autopsy should be carried out after the demise of any individual.

This is coming after the death of a Nigerian artiste, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji, who was buried on Wednesday.

Olufunmilayo, who via his X handle gave an exposition resulting from the singer’s death, said, “An autopsy will not bring back the dead. What an autopsy, however, does is that it provides answers to burning questions like ‘what exactly killed this person?’, ‘Was this person murdered?’, ‘Could it be an undiagnosed unknown medical condition that killed this person?’, ‘How did this person die?’

“It helps the family get clarity on what killed their loved one; it also helps immediate and sometimes extended family members take better health steps to prevent similar unfortunate fate repeat itself, especially if the cause of death is an inheritable disease that can be treated or managed.”

Olufunmilayo had also posted earlier on Tuesday, saying, “If Mohbad had an infection, was given an injection then he passed out and never woke up, especially if he was normally healthy prior to that point, then this will count as a sudden unexpected death in a young person.”

And if those reports of him having an infection are accurate then an autopsy must be mandated and executed to clarify objectively and conclusively the cause of death.

“Because if truly he had an ‘infection’ and was given an ‘injection’, there are very important questions that beg for urgent answers.”

“This is a ‘suspicious unexpected death’ that deserves a full comprehensive autopsy and analysis of all the events that happened in the last 24hours,” he added.

The Delta State Police Command rescued four victims on Tuesday, who were kidnapped while on transit along Abraka-Eku expressway by Orerokpe Bridge.

This was disclosed in a statement on the Command’s official X handle on Wednesday.

The statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP. Edafe Bright, revealed that the kidnap victims were rescued based on an intelligence report recieved at the Orerokpe Division on Monday.

It added that the kidnappers, who were demanding a N10m ransom, were trailed by the police in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army and members of the Oreorokpe community vigilantes, fled after sighting the rescue team.

Consequently, all the kidnapped victims were rescued and taken to the hospital where they were treated, discharged, and have since been reunited with their families.

Efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects are ongoing.

An old video of singer Bella Shmurda discussing the late MohBad’s mental health issues has resurfaced.

Shmurda in the interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo in January, disclosed that Mohbad was suicidal.

According to Shmurda, the late singer dealt with depression stemming from the end of his contract with Marlian Music owned by popular artiste, Naira Marley.

Shmurda said, “I do not want to say this but I will. I and Mohbad were in an apartment when he suddenly said he felt like jumping from the floor we were on, downstairs all because of the issues he was having with his label.

“It was his girlfriend who came to alert us that he was at the edge of his window and was about to jump to his death.

“Anything that will make anyone attempt to take their own life is extreme and when it does happen, these people will join the many tweeting RIP.”

Mohbad’s death was announced on Tuesday evening.

The federal government is advocating improved surgical procedures as part of efforts to improve the delivery of quality healthcare services in the country.

Health minister Ali Pate made the call at the annual meeting of the National Institute of Health Research Global Surgery Unit (NIHR GSU) on Tuesday in Lagos.

The NIHR GSU meeting is an international event that provides a platform for leading experts, researchers and practitioners in global surgery to discuss and chart ways for improved surgical care.

Mr Pate said improved surgical procedures would reposition the health sector of Nigeria to be efficient in its services.

He said the institute, through its various contributions in the medical sector, particularly as the platform for facilitating the largest collaboration in surgery across the globe, is critical to helping Nigeria attain the feat.

According to the minister, Nigeria, as a member of the global hub funded by the UK NIHR, has recorded giant strides in line with its objectives and has performed well as led by Ademuyiwa Adesoji.

He assured the institute of government’s support in its discharge of duties, saying President Bola Tinubu’s government prioritises research as critical to facilitating development in the healthcare industry.

Mohbad’s long-time partner, Omowunmi, is grieving.Twenty-seven-year-old Promise Oladimeji Aloba, aka Mohbad, died on Tuesday under controversial circumstances.

“Liam is just five months today. Where do I start from?” she wrote, sharing throwback photos of their time together on Instagram.

She reflected on the uniqueness of their love story, emphasising the hardships they endured to reach the point they did before Mohbad’s untimely demise.

“Our love story was a different one. We fought really hard to be here. Ahhhhh, I don’t wish this type of pain on anyone,” she said.Omowunmi lamented that she would now have to carry the load of two persons.

“We had so many pains. Two responsibilities have now become one. You were my ride or die. I tried my best to make you stay Ileriouluwa. Ahhhhh, I repeat, I don’t wish this type of pain on anyone,” said Mohbad’s baby mama.She added, “Somebody should help me. I can’t do this alone.”

“It was with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Promise Oladimeji Aloba PK/A Mohbad(Imole) today, the September 12th of September 2023,” said a statement posted on X.

It added, “Mohbad was a light until, the very end, and as we mourn the brightness he carried, the family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time. Imole is finally at peace.”

Meanwhile, Rapper MI Abaga and Olamide, including Mohbad’s estranged boss Naira Marley, and others, have expressed their condolences.

The director-general of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari, has urged governors of the 19 northern states to prioritise youth development through skills acquisition programmes.

Mr Ari made the call on Tuesday in Dutse during the signing of a memorandum of understanding on youth empowerment training with the Jigawa government.

According to Mr Ari, the ITF and Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) must partner on youth training programmes to make them self-reliant and check restiveness and social vices in the region.

He, therefore, urged Governor Umar Namadi to champion the campaign at the forum.

“On my way here, the NNDC group managing director called me on how the NGF will come in so that we can take away poverty in northern states. This is glaring us in the face, and if nothing is done, we will be sitting on a time bomb. So, your Excellency, at your meeting (NGF), we appeal to you to see how we can come together to rescue the situation,” stated the ITF chief.

Mr Namadi promised to be the ITF’s ambassador at the NGF, adding that “it is high time that governors realised the role of the fund in dealing with social problems.”

Mr Namadi, who identified youth unemployment as one of his major problems, added that it was the government’s responsibility to take care of the youth.

“I think it is high time we as governors realised the importance of ITF in terms of dealing with social problems in Nigeria. And of the major problems I faced during my campaign was the number of youths that always came out to welcome us wherever we went,” said the Jigawa governor.

Mr Namadi added, “It gave me a lot of concern and sometimes trauma because these guys (youths), we must take care of them, and if we don’t do so then like you just said we’re sitting on time bomb. It has come as a responsibility for all of us to take care of our youths.”

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says 13 states and 50 communities, mainly up North, will likely witness heavy rainfall that may lead to flooding between September 13 and 17.

NEMA Lagos territorial coordinator Ibrahim Farinloye disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

The states include Kano (Sumaila and Kunchi), Kebbi (Argungu), Katsina (Bindawa, Jibia, Kaita, and Katsina), Niger (Kontagora, Mashegu, and New Bussa), Kwara (Kosubosu), Zamfara (Kaura Namoda and Shinkafi) and Bauchi (Bajoga, Darazo, Kirfi, Azare, Jama ‘are, Itas, Misau), Taraba (Bali, Donga, Lau, Serti, Mutum-Biyu, Yorro) and Borno (Briyel, Biu, Dikwa, Kukawa).

Others are Adamawa (Ganye, Mubi, Demsa, Jimeta, Mayo Belwa, Numan, Shelleng, Song), Yobe (Dapchi, Gashua, Geidam, Kanamma, Machina, Potiskum), Gombe (Nafada and Jigawa, with Dutse, Gumel, Gwaram, and Miga).

NEMA added that due to the rise in the water levels of Rivers Benue and Niger, nearby communities up to Bayelsa were advised to take precautionary measures in the coming days.

The Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria has faulted the federal ministry of agriculture and rural development for its exclusion in launching a five-year rolling plan on Irish potatoes.

POFAN national president Daniel Okafor expressed displeasure on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Okafor said despite the effort by POFAN to reposition potato status in the country, the ministry was yet to recognise its effort, adding that such an attitude was discouraging and unpleasant to members.

“It beats my imagination that all the efforts we made to reposition potato status, including running a training programme free in Plateau and other states, is not recognized. Not even POFAN chairman in Plateau was invited to the launch of the programme. POFAN is not contacted in any of the programmes across the states,” stated Mr Okafor.

He added, “Recall that it was our organisation that brought the issue of Irish potato in Plateau to the federal ministry of agriculture. We collaborated with the Netherlands and pursued it until they expressed interest. Who then are the farmers they discovered to work with.”

However, Mr Okafor said there seemed to be some undertones by excluding the association, adding that POFAN had played a pivotal role in ensuring the sustainability of Irish potatoes in the country.

“I am complaining because you know the role my organisation played. That’s what we get from these people after suffering for them with an open mind. It’s a disaster and a pity that POFAN was not carried along,” explained Mr Okafor.

“This is the same ministry we presented a proposal penultimate week in a meeting we had with them just before the launch.”

He accused the ministry of sidelining POFAN in its programme.

“We shall soon come out in a different way to protest it. It’s becoming unbecoming,” Mr Okafor stated.

Nigerian Afrobeats star Mohbad passed away on Tuesday, his associate and musician Olamide said in a statement.

Mohbad, aged only 27 with offstage name Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, first rose to prominence as part of Naira Marley’s “Marlian Records” label.

His tunes and unique style quickly garnered him a devoted following.

The cause and details surrounding his death have not been sufficiently understood at the time of filing this story. Notable among his chart-topping tracks are “Ponmo,” “Feel Good,” and the sensational “KPK (Ko Por Ke),” a collaboration with Rexxie. This particular track earned him three nominations at The Headies Awards in 2022, showcasing his undeniable talent.

However, just two years ago, Mohbad made a significant decision, parting ways with Marlian Records in 2022.

This decision came on the heels of a public dispute between Mohbad and his former label boss, Naira Marley.

The young artist accused Naira Marley of domestic violence, alleging that he had been physically assaulted on the orders of his former mentor.

This acrimonious split was precipitated by Mohbad’s choice to hire a different manager to oversee his music and business affairs.

The young artist’s journey was also marred by legal troubles. In February 2022, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended Mohbad, along with fellow musician Zinoleesky and four others.

The arrest was made following the discovery of hard drugs, including MDMA and cannabis, in their residence in the upscale Lekki area of Lagos.

The arrest itself was surrounded by controversy, as viral videos on social media depicted NDLEA operatives forcefully entering the musicians’ home in the early hours of a Thursday morning.

Witnesses claimed that the arrest occurred without search warrants, and they alleged mistreatment of the Marlian singers during the operation.

Shocking scenes of NDLEA officers using clubs and firing warning shots into the air as they herded the musicians into waiting trucks were widely circulated.

No fewer than 5,200 people have been killed and 10,000 others currently missing in the floods caused by a huge storm that burst two dams in the North African country of Libya on Tuesday.

“Bodies are lying everywhere – in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings,” Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the administration that controls the east, told Reuters by phone shortly after visiting Derna.

The disaster caused by Storm Daniel occurred in Derna, a coastal city in Eastern Libya of around 125,000 inhabitants on Tuesday – videos showed buildings and cars swept away and almost a quarter of the city erased.

The interior ministry of eastern Libya’s administration says the death toll could rise in the coming days as many are still unaccounted for. It admitted that aid agencies have so far provided lower figures.

“I am deeply concerned by the deadly flood emergency unfolding in Libya. Our thoughts are with the affected people. Emergency teams are being mobilized to help on the ground,” United Nations relief chief Martin Griffiths said via a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, aid has been arriving from Turkey, whose president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has voiced support and solidarity in the aftermath of the disaster.

Turkey sent three flights to Benghazi carting 168 rescuers, two search and rescue vehicles, and two rescue boats.

Alongside that, 170 tents, 600 blankets, 400 food boxes, 20 generators, 1,000 raincoats, 500 boots and 500 flashlights, will also be provided for Libya.

Divided across two lines with capitals of the two rival governments based in Tripoli and Sirte, respectively, they have both declared three days of mourning in a rare show of solidarity.

Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has urged Bulletin Construction Company to reconstruct the collapsed road at Afia Nsit community in Eket Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Uno Uno, the state’s commissioner for environment and mineral resources stated this when he spoke with newsmen in Eket, headquarters of Eket LGA on Tuesday.

The road collapsed on Sept. 8 due to erosion.

Mr Uno said the company had moved to the affected site and work had commenced work in earnest on the road.

“Following an order from the governor, the State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources has mobilised Bulletin Construction Company to move to the affected site to commence work on the Idung Eniang and Afia Nsit road in Eket,” Mr Uno said.

He said that a portion of Ediam and Afia Nsit road were washed off by erosion, thereby blocking off residents of Idung Eniang villages from gaining access to Eket main town.

The commissioner expressed appreciation to the council secretariat and residents of the affected communities for their conduct since the incident occurred.

“I thank Eket LG authorities for quick response and timely report of the incident,” he said.

Mr Uno said that the collapsed road was a major access to many other villages and towns within Eket LGA and as such, the collapse would affect economic and social activities within the affected communities.

Earlier, Richy Udoka, the chairman of Eket environmental protection and waste management committee thanked the state government for quick intervention.

Mr Udoka advised that a proper embankment be constructed along the waterways to avoid reoccurrence of the situation.

He observed that lack of embankment was a major cause of the water overflow.

He said that the flood was caused by some illegal waste collectors who did not want to use the government-approved dump site and decided to empty their waste into the waterways and drainages.

Mr Udoka warned both motorists and pedestrians to avoid the danger zones for now until the remedial work was completed.

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad have arrested a car wash attendant, identified as Mohammed, after he absconded with a Toyota Camry handed over to him for cleaning in Isheri, Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement published on X by the Lagos State Police Command.

The statement signed by the Command’s Public Relation Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, revealed that Mohammed, who was employed three days before the incident, removed the number plate of the car and discarded all identities linking the car to its owner.

The statement added that the matter would be charged to court immediately investigation is concluded.