The first lady of Akwa Ibom, Patience Umo Eno, has died.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of the Wife of the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Her Excellency, Pastor Mrs Patience Umo Eno, following an illness,” a statement by Ini Ememobong, the commissioner information, said on Friday.

Governor Umo Eno thanked all those who stood by his wife when she was in the hospital, adding that further details of her burial would be made public.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called for urgent assistance for victims of the devastating floods that ravaged Maiduguri in Borno.

According to a statement, Mr Shettima made the appeal during an interaction with UN secretary-general António Guterres in New York.

Mr Shettima was welcomed to the UN building by the UN deputy secretary-general, Amina Mohammed.

The Vice-President emphasised the urgent need for relief efforts to address the devastating effects of climate change.

Mr Shettima, who acknowledged the efforts of the UN, called for increased support in stabilising the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.

He also stressed the need to implement enduring, coordinated relief plans for flood victims across Nigeria.

Mr Shettima regretted the devastating effects of floods and other climate-related challenges Nigerians are faced, stressing that enhanced coordinated relief plans were vital.

The vice-president also demanded more robust international assistance in tackling the challenges.

He highlighted the urgent need for action to mitigate the impacts of climate change and environmental threats on Nigerian citizens.

Mr Shettima assured the UN scribe of Nigeria’s commitment to regional stability, climate resilience and international cooperation and leadership.

Mr Guterres expressed his condolences on the recent losses in Nigeria, pledging increased support from the global body. He said that the UN stands ready to enhance its interventions and support for Nigeria.

He commended President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, stating that Nigeria is an indispensable ally in the UN’s bid for a peaceful Africa.

In a separate meeting, Mr Shettima engaged with Commonwealth secretary-general Patricia Scotland, describing the Commonwealth as a “family gathering that must be guarded jealously.”

Mr Shettima assured Scotland of Nigeria’s continued support and participation, stating, “Nigeria will play its equitable role in the Commonwealth’s draft declaration.”

He confirmed Nigeria’s attendance at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.

He praised Scotland’s leadership.

“We are proud of your dedication and success so far in office. You are a trailblazer and hence deserve all the support we can render to you.”

Days to Tunisia’s election, Ayachi Zammel, a presidential candidate, has been sentenced to six months in prison for using “fraudulent certificates.”

The Criminal Chamber of the Jendouba Court of First Instance sentenced Mr Zammel to six months in prison for “deliberately using a fraudulent certificate,” Tunisia’s TAP news agency reported Wednesday.

Mr Zammel was sentenced to 20 months in prison for falsifying popular endorsement documents to contest last week’s race.

However, Abdessattar Massoudi, Mr Zammel’s lawyer, dismissed Mr Zammel’s sentence as a plot to ruin his chances in the forthcoming election.

“It is another unjust ruling and a farce that clearly aims to weaken him in the election race, but we will defend his right to the last minute,” Mr Massoudi told Reuters.

Mr Zammel was arrested on September 2 over allegations that he falsified signatures gathered as a requirement to contest for the presidency. He was released four days later but rearrested over similar allegations.

This comes as Tunisia prepare for the presidential election on October 6.

Israel’s defence ministry said on Thursday it had secured an $8.7 billion aid package from the United States to support the country’s ongoing military efforts, including upgrading air defence systems.

The announcement came as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas hit out at Washington in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, accusing it of providing Israel with the “deadly weapons that it used to kill thousands of innocent civilians, children and women”.

The aid package comes at a time when Israel is fighting on two fronts, with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah fighters over the border in Lebanon.

“The package includes $3.5 billion for essential wartime procurement … and $5.2 billion designated for air defence systems, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and an advanced laser system,” the ministry said in a statement.

The deal was concluded after a series of high-level meetings between Israeli and US officials in Washington, the ministry said.

Some $3.5 billion had already been received “for critical acquisitions”, it said.

The additional $5.2 billion is intended to upgrade Israel’s air defence systems, it said.

“This substantial investment will significantly strengthen critical systems such as Iron Dome and David’s Sling while supporting the continued development of an advanced high-powered laser defence system currently in its later stages of development,” the ministry added.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon this week, which Lebanese authorities say have killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands.

Israeli forces have also been battling Hamas militants in Gaza since the Palestinian group attacked Israel on October 7.

That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, which include hostages killed in captivity.

Militants also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 41,534 people in Gaza, the majority of them women and children, according to figures provided by the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

The United Nations acknowledges the figures as reliable.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, is set to swear in 87 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Monday, September 30, 2024.

The Supreme Court’s Director of Information, Dr. Festus Akande, in a press statement made on Thursday, stated that the ceremony will take place in the main courtroom of the Supreme Court, marking the official start of the 2024/2025 legal year.

Justice Kekere-Ekun’s appointment as CJN was confirmed on Wednesday, September 25, by the Nigerian Senate, and this ceremony will mark her first official event of this kind in her new role.

The Supreme Court, which went on its annual vacation on July 22, resumed sessions on September 23.

The formal legal year ceremony is slated to commence at 10:00 AM in the main courtroom, with all stakeholders invited to participate in this significant event.

“In line with our age-old tradition, during the special court session, the Chief Justice of Nigeria will deliver a state-of-the-judiciary address, highlighting the performance of the Supreme Court in particular and the Nigerian judiciary in general during the 2023/2024 legal year,” the statement read.

Additionally, other prominent figures in the justice sector, including the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, will also present speeches regarding the current state of justice in the country.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, on July 2, released the names of a total of 98 lawyers to be considered for the conferment of the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

On July 30, the LPPC, at its 164th plenary session under the leadership of the immediate past CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, elevated 87 out of the 98 legal practitioners to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The SAN title is an honorific designation conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria with not less than ten years standing who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession, either as courtroom advocates or in legal academia

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has expressed its readiness to engage former Kogi governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in court over the fraud allegation of N8.2 billion against him.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, who said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, added that Bello must have his day in court.

Oyewale said that just like other indicted former ministers, ex-governors, several top government officials, captains of industries, internet fraudsters facing trial, Bello would not be an exemption.

According to him, attempts to frustrate the ongoing investigation and prosecution of the alleged fraud case would not work.

The EFCC spokesman further said the anti-graft agency was ready to provide all evidence to prove its case in court.

According to him, the commission remains committed to ensuring that the law takes its course in the money laundering charges already filed against Bello in Court.

”EFCC is eager to engage the former governor in the courtroom, where the avalanche of evidence so painstakingly assembled can be presented.

”Bello must have his day in court, no matter the recourse to blackmail, appeal to emotive public sympathy or acts of brigandage.

”The EFCC will continue with its no sacred cow policy, no matter whose ox is gored.The EFCC is not unaware of the fact that corruption fights back.

”Bello must have his day in court, no matter the recourse to blackmail, appeal to emotive public sympathy or acts of brigandage,” he said.

A five-month-old infant, two children and one adult on Monday lost their lives in a boat accident that occurred along Maiduguri Road, Borno State.

A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, on Tuesday, said that the incident happened around 4 pm.

According to Daso, the boat, carrying several passengers, was submerged by floodwaters, resulting in the death of the four victims.

He identified the deceased as Mallum Shettima, Maimuna Akura, Umira Bulama, and Yagana Kawu.

The PPRO explained that a report was received from a Good Samaritan at the Dikwa Divisional Police Headquarters regarding a distressing canoe accident that occurred on Monday, September 23, 2024, at about 1530hrs in the Bakassi community between Mafa and Dikwa, along Maiduguri Road, Borno State.

He further explained that the incident involved a canoe carrying passengers that was submerged in floodwaters, leading to the unfortunate loss of four female lives.

According to him, “The deceased victims, all from Bulabulin Ward, Dikwa, have been identified as Ya Mallum Shettima, an adult female from Marte LGA, Maimuna Akura, 10 years old, Umira Alhaji Bulama, six years old, and Yagana Bulama Kawu, five months old.”

The PPRO stated that upon receiving the report of the incident, police officers visited the scene, rescued the victims and transported them to a nearby hospital, where they were confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

He said the victims were promptly evacuated to the Dikwa General Hospital, where their deaths were confirmed by a medical doctor, saying that subsequently, the corpses were released to their respective families for burial under Islamic rites.

The PPRO, therefore, warned boat operators in the state of the need to abide by safety procedures, ensuring that passengers are provided with safety buoys and life jackets.

Daso advised that safety was crucial, as the state is still recovering from recent flooding that claimed several lives, stressing that following a recent tragic canoe accident in Dikwa that resulted in the loss of four lives, the command underscored the critical importance of implementing safety protocols to avert such calamities.

He stated that it has become mandatory for all canoe operators to ensure the availability of safety buoys and life jackets for all passengers, pointing out that the command’s utmost priority is the safety and security of all the residents of Borno State, especially during this challenging period.

The statement noted that the recent incidents of flooding have already led to the loss of lives, saying that it is imperative to avoid further casualties due to negligence.

The Senate has confirmed Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.

Her confirmation comes after hours of screening by Nigerian senators on Wednesday.

With the confirmation, Kekere-Ekun becomes the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria.

During her screening, Kekere-Ekun had vowed to sanitize Nigeria’s judiciary.

In August 2024, President Bola Tinubu swore in Kekere-Ekun as the second female CJN in an acting capacity.

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday described the reinstatement of Muhamamdu Sanusi ll as the Emir of Kano as one of the most important events in his life.

The former governor disclosed this during the Arewa Tech Fest in Kano, which had the Kano Emir in attendance.

El-Rufai said, “The reinstatement of his highness (Emir of Kano) is one of the most important events in my life and I want to congratulate you once again.”

Former governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State had dethroned Sanusi and enthroned Aminu Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano.

Ganduje named Bayero Emir of Kano while creating more Emirates in the state.

However, Governor Abba Yusuf dethroned Bayero and reinstated Sanusi as Emir of Kano.

Yusuf reinstated Sanusi following the repeal of the 2011 Kano Emirate Council law by the state Assembly.

Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has reiterated her commitment to sustaining the fight against Tuberculosis (TB) in the country.

She made this known at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) side event by Stop TB Partnership.

“Today, I bring a message of hope and determination. We have the tools, the knowledge, and the expertise to end TB and AMR by 2030. Addressing TB and AMR together is not just the smart way—it is the best and only way,” she stated.

The First Lady who decried the high burden of TB in Nigeria which is one of the highest in the world, pointed out that countless lives are affected, with about 125,000 lives lost.

“TB does not discriminate; it affects men, women, and children, cutting across all social and economic backgrounds, with the poor being the most vulnerable.

“As a Global and National Stop TB Champion, advocating for joint efforts on addressing TB and AMR is crucial.

“Tuberculosis is a disease that has plagued our communities for so long and the response to the disease has experienced AMR in all its dimensions. Despite substantial progress in the fight against TB, Drug-Resistant TB has been a challenge for decades and presently still remains a major cause for concern.

“Due to its airborne nature of spread, it is today a threat to global health security.

“Therefore, I call upon all stakeholders to develop innovative approaches to fight both TB and AMR in a strategic and integrated manner. Our methods must include preventing new infections, improving awareness, education on the dangers of Drug-Resistant TB, and promoting the appropriate use of antibiotics. We must also prioritize research in order to develop new tools, treatments and new vaccines that can outpace the evolving threat of AMR,” she said.

Earlier in her remarks, Executive Director Stop TB Partnership, Dr Lucica Ditiu urged all those present to build on each other’s strengths as individual countries to fight TB.

“We are struggling but we are still making significant impact with amazing results.”

The event which had in attendance wives of the Kwara and Imo State governors, Amb Dr. Olufolake Abdulrazaq and Barr. Chioma Uzodinma, Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate and ministers from other countries, had as its theme, ‘Breaking the Resistance: Fighting AMR and TB together for a Healthy Future’.

The Ogun State Police Command has apprehended one Alex Eziochukwu for allegedly murdering a 16-year-old Jamilu Lasisi in the Ibegba area of the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state.

PUNCH Online learnt on Wednesday that the suspect, Eziochukwu, was arrested following a tip-off received from an informant at about 4am on Wednesday.

The state command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed Eziochukwu’s arrest, said there was an argument between him and the deceased leading to a confrontation on Tuesday.

While the fight was ongoing, our correspondent learnt that the victim fell on the football pitch before he was declared dead after he was rushed down to the hospital for medical attention.

After the death of the teenager was confirmed by a doctor, the suspect was said to have absconded, leading the police to launch a manhunt, which subsequently led to his arrest on Wednesday morning.

Odutola said, “A phone call was received from one Tobi Olarewaju that his nephew, Jamiu Lasisi, 16 years old, of the same address, was playing football in the area alongside others.

“In the process, an argument ensued between him and one of the footballers; he fell down unconscious, and he was rushed to Owokoniran Hospital, GRA Sagamu, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor on duty.

“Following the report on Tuesday, a team of detectives was led to the scene, searching every nook and cranny of the area with a view to arresting the suspect, but all to no avail.”

She added that the evacuation of the corpse from the hospital to the mortuary was underway.

China said it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, firing it into the Pacific Ocean in a rare trial run that flexed its military might.

Beijing has stepped up its nuclear development in recent years, with the Pentagon last October warning China was developing its arsenal more quickly than the United States had anticipated.

China held more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023 and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030, it said.

On Wednesday, the Chinese military’s “Rocket Force launched an ICBM… carrying a dummy warhead to the high seas in the Pacific Ocean at 08:44 on September 25, and the missile fell into expected sea areas”, the defence ministry said in a statement.

An analyst told AFP that China has typically conducted such tests in its own airspace.

“This is extremely unusual and likely the first time in decades that we’ve seen a test like this,” said Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“(The test) likely speaks to China’s ongoing nuclear modernisation manifesting in new requirements for testing,” he added.

China’s defence ministry, however, called the firing a “routine arrangement in our annual training plan”.

“It is in line with international law and international practice and is not directed against any country or target,” it said.

The United States and China in November held rare talks on nuclear arms control, part of a bid to ease mistrust ahead of a summit between leaders Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

But in July, Beijing said it had suspended negotiations with the United States on nuclear non-proliferation and arms control in response to Washington’s weapons sales to Taiwan.

In an annual report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) listed China as having the world’s third-largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, after Russia and the United States.

This year, Beijing announced it would boost its defence budget – the world’s second-largest – by 7.2 per cent.

The boost comes as China increasingly squares off with the United States and its regional partners from the South China Sea to Taiwan.

This month, senior military officials from China and the United States held “in-depth” talks as part of a bid by the powers to avoid wider tensions escalating into conflict.

Since its first nuclear test in 1964, China has been content to maintain a comparatively modest arsenal and has maintained that it will never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict.

In recent years, under President Xi, it has begun a massive military modernisation drive that includes upgrading its nuclear weapons to not only deter foes but also be able to counter-attack.

But Beijing’s secretive Rocket Force, which carried out Wednesday’s test and oversees the country’s nuclear arsenal, has also been the target of an aggressive, wide-ranging anti-graft campaign.

In July, Beijing announced that Sun Jinming, the former chief of staff of the force, had been placed under investigation for corruption.

Its head, Li Yuchao, was replaced last July.

And Li Shangfu was ousted last year after only seven months as defence minister following a lengthy absence from public view.

Other disgraced generals include Wei Fenghe, who once headed the Rocket Force and who later became China’s defence minister from 2018 to 2023.

EFCC chair Ola Olukoyede says the commission will investigate crossdresser Idris ‘Bobrisky’ Okuneye’s claim of bribing agents with N15 million to drop money-laundering charges levelled against him earlier this year to lighten his sentence.

Mr Okuneye, an ex-convict who recently completed a six-month jail term, was charged to court in March for money laundering and naira abuse allegations, but as the case progressed, the money-laundering charge was dropped.

Social activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly called VeryDarkMan, said the withdrawal of the charge came with a price tag, specifically, N15 million.

Mr Otse leaked a WhatsApp phone call where a voice similar to Mr Okuneye’s admitted giving N15 million to EFCC operatives in exchange for dropping the money laundering charge, which, if pursued, would have attracted a stiffer penalty.

The voice explained that his award for ‘Best Dressed Female’ attracted the ire of his adversaries, who set him up using EFCC, a government commission that fights financial crimes.

The voice, which sounded like Bobrisky’s, further explained that he sought advice from the anti-corruption operatives on how to circumvent the weighty charge and was told to pay N15 million.

“So when they charged me to court, we had to beg them that if they want to remove the money laundering how much will they collect,” the voice said. “They said we should bring N15 million that they will remove the money laundering.”

The screenshot of the call, which had Bobrisky’s picture on the WhatsApp profile, alleged that he rallied his close friends to send the money to his brother’s account, which he then forwarded to some EFCC operatives.

The voice said that given he was under investigation with an active court case, his account had been frozen and, thus, inaccessible.

EFCC chair on Tuesday assured the allegations would be “immediately” investigated to determine the truth and invited Messrs Otse and Okuneye to the commission’s Lagos office.

“In a swift reaction, the EFCC’s boss has constituted a team of Investigators to critically look into the allegations,” EFCC’s spokesperson Dele Oyewale said in a statement on Tuesday. “To this end, the commission hereby invites both Okuneye and Otse to make themselves available at its Lagos Directorate to assist investigators unearth the alleged bribery.”

The statement added, “The EFCC wishes to assure the public that the allegations would be thoroughly investigated and the result of the findings made public accordingly.”

Former President Donald Trump was briefed Tuesday about “real and specific threats” from Iran to assassinate him.

Trump’s campaign said Iran’s aim to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate is part of the Islamic Republic’s efforts to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States.

Steven Cheung, Director, Trump Campaign Communications, made this known in a press release.

Cheung stated that intelligence officials have identified that continued and coordinated attacks against Trump have heightened in the past few months.

The Communications Director disclosed that law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference.

“Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump.

“He will let nothing stop him or get in his way to fight for the American people and to Make America Great Again,” Cheung said.

A man in South Korea has confessed to m*rdering his girlfriend and hiding her body in cement 16 years after she was reported as missing.

The man, who is in his 50s, told local police he hit the woman with a blunt object during an argument at his apartment in the southern city of Geoje. He then placed her de@d body into a suitcase, which he buried under a layer of bricks and cement on his balcony.

It remained there unnoticed until last month, August 2024, when a maintenance worker discovered it while drilling, local media reported.

South Korean man arrested 16 years after burying his girlfriend in cememt

The body, which had been partially preserved by the suitcase, was identified as the missing woman’s through fingerprint analysis.

An autopsy revealed that she had d!ed from blunt force trauma to the head.

The man, who police are calling Mr A, was not living in the apartment when the body was discovered but was quickly found and arrested.

He told police that he had been living with the woman for about five years in the studio apartment in Geoje, before an argument in October 2008 culminated in him hitting her with a blunt object. He then buried the suitcase containing her body under a layer of bricks and cement on a small third-floor balcony, which could only be accessed from one of the bedrooms.

Police say he carried on living in the apartment for another eight years before he was arrested on drugs charges in 2016.

Since then, the landlord of the apartment has left it empty, using it as storage space.

The woman – who was in her 30s at the time – was not reported missing by her family until three years after her de@th, the authorities said. They had reportedly lost touch with their daughter and, when they came to look for her in Geoje, they were told she had broken up with Mr A and left the city.

It was only this year when the owner of the building ordered some waterproofing work that the 16-year mystery could be solved.

Police say they are continuing with their investigations and are expected to charge the man with murd*r.

Chadian ambassador to Russia, Adam Bechir, on Tuesday said Russians detained in Chad, including sociologist Shugaley, will soon be released and handed over to Russian authorities.

On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow was taking all necessary measures to ensure the release of three Russian and one Belarusian citizens detained in Chad on September 19.

“I was told that an instruction had been issued, and they will be released and handed over to the Russian authorities,” the ambassador said.

The ambassador did not provide an exact date for when this would happen or if they had been charged with anything.

“In N’Djamena, the authorities of the Republic of Chad detained three Russian citizens, Shugaley M.A., Soueifan S. Hassan Ali, Tsarev E.I. and a citizen of Belarus Denisevich A.A.,” the Chadian ministry said in a statement on its website.

The Ministry said necessary steps for the speedy release of all detainees have also been taken, and to this end, the Russian side maintains close contact with the authorities in N’Djamena and the Chadian ambassador in Moscow.

The detention of Shugaley and Soueifan in Chad became known a day after their arrest. It was reported that they had been held at the airport in N’Djamena since September 19.

The Russian embassy in the country later clarified to Izvestia that the diplomatic mission had not received any official information on the situation from the local authorities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sought investments in his country’s beleaguered energy sector during his ongoing visit to the United States, addressing business representatives.

“The primary focus was on preparing Ukraine’s energy system for the winter,” Mr Zelensky posted on X on Tuesday morning.

As a result of the war damage caused by Russia, the country fears power outages again this winter.

Mr Zelensky proposed special incentives.

“This is a proposition from us. It is one of the points of our victory plan,” he said in a published video.

The meeting in New York was attended by representatives from energy, finance and insurance companies and the head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Samantha Power.

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion with Western support since February 2022.

Russia has damaged the Ukrainian energy system with massive airstrikes.

In the uproar that ensued, Kanu took over the proceedings, announced that he no longer had confidence in Justice Binta Nyako and demanded that she rescued himself immediately.

Although the federal government lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, objected to Kanu’s request, the Judge insisted on recusing herself.

Awomolo had argued that the order to open the trial was in line with a Supreme Court Judgment, Justice Binta Nyako said she would prefer another judge to handle the trial.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has recused herself from the trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu in the terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government.

DAILY POST reports that the Judge on Tuesday opted out of the trial following the outburst of Kanu that he had no confidence and trust in the judge.

In the middle of Tuesday’s proceedings, Kanu had jumped up from the dock and ordered his lawyer, Aloy Ejimako to sit down for him to address the court.

The judge subsequently recused herself and ordered that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho for reassignment to another judge.

Meanwhile, Kanu has been returned to the DSS custody.