Saturday
Justin Bieber seen with a mystery girl in London.
Tinubu, PDP and the Road to 2019 - by Dele Momodu.
Fellow Nigerians, you must be wondering what this title is all about. Please, calm down, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, one of Nigeria’s iconic politicians, is not about to dump his party, APC, for PDP, the party he fought hard with others to sack from power just last year.The reason for bringing PDP into this article which largely concerns the Tinubu conundrum is very simple and straight-forward. PDP has suffered calamities upon catastrophes since General Muhammadu Buhari sacked President Goodluck Jonathan from office. It is hard to imagine, or believe, that a party that held Nigeria by the jugular for 16 solid years could attain meltdown so soon and almost disappear into oblivion.
One would have expected PDP, despite its electoral misfortune, to provide a formidable opposition to APC and keep President Buhari on his toes but that has not been the case. APC has wasted no time in sending PDP to an early grave by throwing poisonous darts at it from every angle.
The war against corruption has been a most veritable weapon with stupendous impact used by APC to scatter most of the PDP apparatchik to the winds. The strategy was to weaken them by showcasing the humongous corruption that was perpetrated and perpetuated during their reign. The PDP brand was thus obliterated in a jiffy. Many of their bigwigs confessed to nefarious and horrendous crimes of looting and brigandage. They coughed up or vomited incredible sums of cash.
All entreaties and shouts of a vengeful witch-hunt against President Buhari fell on deaf ears. The more they screamed the more they were horse-whipped into submission and made to weep bitterly.
As if that was not bad enough, PDP engaged itself in a war of attrition and became a house divided against itself. It was only a matter of time before it crumbled like the proverbial cookie does. Today, PDP has become its own worst enemy with the brickbats being thrown at one another by members of what used to be touted as the biggest political party in Africa. How are the mighty fallen!
The aim of my piece this week is to attempt what I did in 2014 when I wrote a permutative article titled ‘In Search of Mathematicians’. That was how I predicted a win for Buhari when many pundits still doubted such possibility. I intend to do so again in this column by painting a picture of what to expect in 2019. If you think that year is still far away, perish the thought.
The battle for the next Nigerian Presidential election started as soon as the last one was lost and won. The hurly-burly of the elections had not yet settled down when the potential gladiators picked up their gauntlets in readiness for the next combat.
The ruling party APC has suffered its own casualties as a result of its self-immolating wars of anticipation. What do I mean? The new men of power are already thinking ahead and wondering who may be too ambitious within their own fold. Any of such recalcitrant and ambitious rebels must be cut down to size, no matter his or her contribution to past victory and glory. Without mincing words, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is the first victim and he has suffered massive collateral damage on account of suspicion. APC itself has suffered almost fatally in the process. The only thing holding it together for now is the fact that it is the party in power and thus presumably has limitless opportunities to distribute largesse to the army of party operatives and their cronies.
By this time next year, as this government enters its third year in power, reality would begin to set in and President Buhari will begin to discover and see original animals in human skin.
I foresee and predict a re-alignment of political forces from 2017. President Buhari will be encouraged and persuaded to run a second term by those who are currently profiting from his government. It is only normal and it is their legitimate right. Nothing stops the President from seeking a re-election within our Constitution. The only snag is that many politicians are going to gang up against him because they see him as an outsider in politics who has benefitted from their massive support but in return has been messing things up for them.
If the President remains stoically stubborn and refuses to play ball with politicians, he would have to fight dirty to win his ticket. It seems to me that he would have to do everything to retain the loyalty of one man by all means, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is almost impossible for any candidate to become President of Nigeria without the overwhelming support of the Yoruba and their current generalissimo, Tinubu, in particular.
Tinubu derives his stranglehold on power from his iron grip on Lagos. Lagos is a microcosm of Nigeria. Whoever controls Lagos owns the commercial nerve-centre of Nigeria, just like the California of America. Tinubu has been very lucky in that his anointed candidates, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, have been very cerebrally successful. The current Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, is already set, after just one year in office, to surpass all expectations.
According to impeccable sources, Buhari may therefore be forced to risk and pick Tinubu as his running-mate if push comes to shove. Tinubu’s protégé, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, is the current Vice President, who comes with intimidating credentials but may not have enough political muscle to deliver enough votes to the kitty. The dilemma for Buhari is whether he should buck the trend set by his predecessors, starting from Shehu Shagari, and jettison his Vice President, especially when a cordial and mutually respectful relationship exists between them. In addition, Osinbajo has been doing exceedingly well and he is seen as one of the few shining lights of this Administration.
There is also the fact that Prof Osinbajo is a highly regarded and esteemed senior Christian figure and the President has needed him to silence those detractors that consider him an Islamic fundamentalist.
However, I believe that the controversy that could ensue from a potentially volatile Muslim/Muslim ticket may have been fixed substantially. Firstly, there is a precedent set by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola the acclaimed winner of the 1993 elections who picked a fellow Muslim, Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe, as his running-mate and still won in Nigeria’s freest and fairest election to date. Secondly, though Tinubu is a devout Muslim, his beloved wife is a hard-core Christian and a top-notch member of the same Redeemed Christian Church of God as the Vice President. Thirdly, there is the fact that Tinubu supported a Christian, Akinwunmi Ambode, as his anointed candidate for Governor of Lagos State, a deft move calculated to pacify those who may wish to foment religious crisis and conflagration then and in the future.
Tinubu is believed by many to have served Nigeria meritoriously and selflessly by suppressing his own personal ambition for that of others and it is believed that the kingmaker deserves a chunky reward the next time around if he so desires. He is acknowledged as being one of the most knowledgeable leaders in Nigeria today and a lot of people feel that his background in business and politics could bail Nigeria out of the economic quagmire of the moment. He is known to be a practical politician who knows how to make the world better for most people.
If the hawks succeed in getting Buhari to snub Tinubu because of his perceived threat to the President himself, the APC may split like PDP did before the collapse of the Jonathan Presidency.
One potential candidate is hovering in the wings and that is the Turaki of Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who has never hidden the fact that he wants the Presidency by all means. My next permutation is that the former Vice President and Tinubu who are two of the three most powerful and influential politicians in APC today (the third is Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki with his firm control of the Senate) may combine forces to thwart a Buhari re-election bid. They have been old allies since the time of Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. If they join forces, it may therefore spell doom for those seeking the re-election of President Buhari.
After the seeming lull in the Buhari-Tinubu love, it seems the recent appointments given to some of Tinubu’s acolytes appear designed to assuage his feeling. But would this be sufficient to bury the combustive ambition of a man who believes he still has so much to give to his country?
The third option which also involves Tinubu in the mix is one on which for a variety of reasons Buhari chooses not to run again. Without doubt, there are several other forces contending for power in case Buhari decides not to seek re-election. In this category, Tinubu’s name still features prominently. No one can deny the ability of Tinubu to transform Nigeria the way he did in Lagos. It is presumed that Buhari may generously want to pay Tinubu back for the support he gave him. He may also want to leave a lasting legacy and shed the toga of an ethnic jingoist by handing over to a Southerner. If this happens, I foresee the visionary Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, a core Buhari loyalist, becoming Tinubu’s running-mate, notwithstanding that this is another Muslim/Muslim ticket. Many APC loyalists believe this combination may fly.
There is a fourth option and this is coming from the direction of PDP. The theory here is that PDP can still spring a surprise on Buhari and pay him back in his own coin. The PDP apologists believe the North has lost more under Buhari despite allocating many political appointments to the region. They are of the opinion that former President Jonathan did more for them and gave them access and respect than their own man Buhari who they accuse of being standoffish. This is the reason that many Northerners, apart from his kinsmen in the South South, have become the biggest promoter of PDP.
In case you think Jonathan is dead and buried politically, perish the thought! He still holds the biggest ace in PDP. In fact, many in PDP today see him as their best candidate in 2019 because some of his transformation agenda are beginning to come to fruition. They are hoping and banking on Buhari becoming so unpopular that Jonathan would be sorely missed by Nigerians who would practically beg him to come back.
The rising profile and the promotion of Jonathan in the international community is part of that systematic way of re-polishing, repackaging, redefining and preparing him for a return to power. Every attempt to smear him with a tar brush would be rebuffed by his die-hard loyalists who see Buhari as someone trying to kill any future role for Jonathan as Nigerian President. They are totally committed to ensuring that Jonathan is well protected between now and next year when serious politicking would have reached a crescendo again. The hope is that as a former civilian President, he can bounce back to power like President Mathieu Kerekou did in Benin Republic, when he returned in 1996 after quitting in 1991.
Who knows tomorrow?
Buhari has not disappointed Nigerians- Ex president Obasanjo says.
“So far Buhari has not disappointed us. I trust him. He will not fail Nigerians. I know he will overcome the challenges the country is currently facing” he said
Photos:Desmond Elliot surprises a homeless woman with a well furnished apartment.
"So I rehabilitated this bore hole a few months ago, and the woman in this picture apparently is homeless and lives there at that spot, she bought a generator to power the bore hole (she washes clothes for a living). Boy was I impressed? So I decided to give her a little surprise. She got a clean, fresh, room apartment with a television,gotv,fan, matress and chair ..a place to retire to after a days work. Congrats to her".
Kim K and her kids enjoy time in the pool during Mexican getaway.
Ebonyi state gov suspends commissioner.
I was paid N6,000 to kidnap my sister - suspect.
His gang members were said to have raped the maid and almost raped his elder sister, but left her because she was pregnant.
In his confession, Damilola, who claimed he knew about the robbery but was not part of it said, “I was not part of the robbery operation. I am not the gang leader. I operate a barbing saloon in front of my sister’s building. One of those who attacked and robbed my sister and in-law is my customer. My barbing shop is in the same building where my sister lives, but I do not live there.
“I could not speak out because they informed me of their intentions. They came around 9p.m. But I closed my barbing saloon at about 7p.m that day. I was arrested because the people that came to rob my sister and her husband implicated me,” Damilola added.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspect alongside others at the state police command, Ikeja, said the police is on the trail of a fleeing member of the gang and that the ones arrested were helping the police in their investigation."
FlatTummyTea Nigeria Signs Flavour as a Brand Ambassador.
FlatTummyTea with moringa is packed with natural ingredients like moringa, oolong tea and cassia seeds to ensure losing belly fat is stress-free and effective! With every cup, the journey to flatter and sexier abs just got easy!
Rio Olympics: Germany beat Sweden in women's Olympic football final.
Germany won women's Olympic football gold for the first time with a 2-1 victory over Sweden in the final in Rio.
Dzsenifer Marozsan put Germany ahead at the Maracana with a curling finish, and Sweden's Linda Sembrant gifted them a second by scoring an own goal after Marozsan's free-kick hit a post.
Stina Blackstenius pulled a goal back from Kosovare Asslani's low cross.
Germany face Brazil in the men's final on Saturday at 21:30 BST.
Canada secured women's bronze by beating Brazil 2-1 in Sao Paulo.
The women's football event has been held at only six Olympics, and this was Germany's fourth medal after they won bronze in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Sweden reached the final after penalty shootout victories over the United States and Brazil in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
Described as a "bunch of cowards" by USA goalkeeper Hope Solo, Sweden's silver was their first Olympic women's football medal.
RACISM: Mikel Obi deletes Twitter account.
Nigerian-born Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi today deleted his profile from the social networking site, Twitter less than 24 hours after his mistake helped cost the Blues victory in the opening match of their Champions League defence against Juventus.
Chelsea originally insisted it was entirely coincidental that Mikel, who insisted he was entirely unaware of any rasict abuse, had decided to delete the 'Mikel12Official' account he set up this summer. However, the club admitted that they have informed the police after being made aware of the developments.
A statement read: "We've been made aware of racist tweets targeted at Mikel which are totally unacceptable, disgusting and abhorrent.
Mikel refused to hide from his mistake after Wednesday night's 2-2 Group E draw against Juve.
The 25-year-old gave the ball away 10 minutes from time before he and his team-mates failed to prevent Claudio Marchisio playing Fabio Quagliarella into space for the equaliser.
Mikel said afterwards: "If I want to make up an excuse, I can. But, for me, I gave the ball away. I put my hands up, we move on.
"I'm sorry about the mistake, but there are no excuses."
Ifeanyi Ubah C.E.O Capital Oil and Gas / Ifeanyi Ubah Football Club (FC) sign partnership with West Ham United.
Officials of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) team, IfeanyiUbah FC, have signed a partnership deal with English Premier League club, West Ham United.
This partnership, will see IfeanyiUbah FC wear West Ham replica jerseys from next season.
A statement from the English club read: “West Ham United are delighted to announce the Club’s first ever official partnership in Africa, following the signing of a long-term agreement with Capital Oil and Gas Ind. Ltd, the principal investor in the Nigerian Professional Football League outfit, FC Ifeanyi Ubah.
“Capital Oil and Gas, a company of strategic national importance in Nigeria stands out as a leading player in the downstream subsector of Nigeria’s Petroleum industry and the fastest growing indigenous Oil and Gas company in the West African sub region with a vision to become Africa’s first choice provider of energy solutions through innovation, strategic partnership and clientele value added service delivery.
“The partnership will provide Capital Oil and Gas with a range of rights to promote the business through the football club, driving visibility and awareness as well as focusing on B2B interaction through the use of hospitality at the Hammers’ iconic new home.
“Based in Nnewi, Anambra State, and currently competing in the Nigerian Professional Football League, FC Ifeanyi Ubah are to become the Hammers’ Official Nigerian Football Club Partner.
The long-term agreement will also see the two football clubs join forces on a number of football-related projects led by FC Ifeanyi Ubah, from best-practice coaching initiatives to establishing grass roots football programmes in Nigeria, all with a view to improving the standard of football across the region.
West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: “This ground-breaking partnership serves to further emphasize our growing international profile, bringing the famous West Ham United name to Africa for the first time in a partnership context.
“The popularity of Premier League football in West Africa has been well documented and it is testament to the Club’s success, on and off the pitch, that we are now considered one of the most high profile and attractive clubs in the region.
“We are looking forward to working alongside FC Ifeanyi Ubah and building a strong legacy in Nigerian football inspired by West Ham United.”
Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, owner of FC Ifeanyi Ubah and Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas, added: “We are extremely excited to have signed a partnership with West Ham United and are excited by the prospect of what we can achieve together. This is going to be a massive turnaround for FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Nigerian football and African football by extension.
“West Ham were our first choice of all of the Premier League clubs given the club’s rich history, unrivalled reputation for developing talent which we strongly believe will help boost FC Ifeanyi Ubah academy and of course the fantastic new stadium in Stratford.
“Together with West Ham’s continued success on the field, this is a valuable proposition for our own club’s learning and evolution”.
Nigerian doctor arrested for allegedly removing patient’s kidney.
The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a medical doctor, Hassan Yakubu, for his alleged role in the removal of the kidney of a 24-year-old male patient in his clinic.
The arrest of the medical doctor, the police said, was to help with their investigations into the alleged theft of the kidney of the 24-year-old male patient levelled against the doctor.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Othman Abubakar, confirmed the arrest of the doctor on Tuesday in Yola.
Othman said the doctor was interrogated by officers of the criminal investigations department of the command.
The incident, had now left the 24-year-old victim, Isa Hamma, in a life – threatening condition, followed alleged medical lapses on the part of the medical doctor who treated him for stomach complications.
Isa, whose kidney, according to his relative, Umaru Hammanseyo, was allegedly removed, owing to medical errors on the part of the doctor, had been placed on a weekly dialysis at the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe.
According to Hammanseyo, the victim’s uncle, Yakubu, who treated Isa, at his Jimeta Clinic, for stomach complications, ended up operating the victim on July 8 but allegedly removed his kidney in the process.
Three days after the operation, Umaru said Isa could not urinate.
The complications further degenerated with the face and legs of the victim becoming swollen which prompted the family to return to the accused doctor who later referred them to the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe.
Hammanseyo said it was at the Gombe hospital that medical officials working with the Federal Medical Centre told them that Isa’s kidney had been “removed.”
Reasons why I named my dog ‘Buhari’ — Man explains.
The Police in Ogun State, yesterday, released unconditionally, the 30-year-old trader, Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, who was arrested last Saturday for naming his pet dog ‘Buhari’.
The embattled trader, who was visibly angry after his three-day incarceration in police cell, was let off the hook around 5pm on Tuesday after the intervention of both the Serkin Hausa and President-General of non-indigenes in the state.
It was learned that the prompt intervention of the elders made the complainant to withdraw the case he reported against the trader at Sango-Ota division which was later transferred to Police headquarters at Eleweran.
However, police sources said both the complainant and suspect were made to sign an undertaking not to cause any breach of peace again. Speaking to journalists after this release, the trader, a father of two from the Niger Delta, who trades on second hand clothing lamented that he was made to suffer for no just cause.
Narrating his ordeal, Chinakwe said “It is annoying because the complainant is from Niger Republic and I am sure he is one of those illegal aliens in this country. He connived with one Police Sergeant from the Northern part of Nigeria called Musa, who works at Sango Police division to humiliate me. Worse still, the Divisional Police Officer there, did not help matters as he refused to entertain any plea from me after I was arrested that Saturday night. He simply ordered his men to throw me into the cell.”
Continuing, he said...
“I did not commit any offence. I named my beloved pet dog Buhari, who is my hero. My admiration for Buhari started far back when he was a military Head of State. It continued till date that he is a civilian President. After reading his dogged fight against corruption, which is like a canker worm eating into the very existence of this country, I solely decided to rename my beloved dog which I called Buhari, after him. I did not know that I was committing an offence for admiring Buhari.
“I was intimidated and thrown inside the cell with hardened criminals for about three days. While I was there, the complainant from Niger Republic and Sergeant Musa from the North kept on taunting me saying people from my part of the country are trouble makers and that after detaining me, they will throw me into prison where I will die unsung.
”Even when my wife came with our baby on her back, they stopped her from giving me food. One of my friends that came to see me was also maltreated. “While taking me to Eleweran the next day, they handcuffed and chained me together with that my friend. Fortunately, when we got to police headquarters, both the Commissioner of Police and other officers were angry with their colleagues at Sango-Ota. ”They were wondering loudly why I was brought to the headquarters over such a minor case. It’s very unfortunate that I have to be so humiliated in my own country because of the antics of a foreigner in connivance with my brother from the North.”
Singer Davido in N7m Debt Mess.
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Rumours were flying around that Davido being billed to perform was a scam by the organizers, but The Punch confirmed from the chief organizer Rosiji that Davido was truly scheduled to perform.
SingerDavido reportedly failed to show up at an event tagged Festival of India where he was headlined to perform on Saturday August 13, 2016.
The ‘Aye’ crooner had reportedly called the organizers on Friday, August 12, the night before the event was scheduled to take place to cancel on the grounds of ill health.
The show organizers have since called Davido’s lawyers for a refund of a reported N7 million naira the singer was paid.
I don’t think [Trump] thinks of women as full and equal beings - Chimamanda Adichie.
See what she had to say below.
On why she is so concerned about American politics: What happens in America, just by virtue of being really the most powerful country in the world, will in some ways affect other people who are not necessarily Americans.
On the frustrating news coverage of the 2016 elections: It’s sad reputable media houses have to say things like, ‘We have to make sure that President Obama did not found ISIS.’ There’s a part of me that wishes that Hillary Clinton had a proper opponent that she could really debate. It’s a disservice to her intelligence.
On how Hillary Clinton is scrutinized in the media: People complain about Hillary not being charismatic, or say that she’s robotic – I think it’s her reaction to how she’s been treated, and a large portion of that treatment has been because she’s female. There’s a lot of talk about, ‘Oh, Hillary Clinton is so disliked.’ And I just keep thinking, ‘Well, she’s won all of these elections. Why are we not asking the question of who likes her and why she’s liked?’. I think the world in general, both men and women, has complicated feelings about women in authority and women in power. They say she doesn’t smile, they say she should laugh. There’s a lot that goes into the way that the public engages with her that would not happen if she weren’t a woman.
On her June short story for NYT called “The Arrangements”: I don’t think [Trump] thinks of women as full and equal beings, so I wanted to kind of poke fun of that. It’s the women in his life who have their own motivations, who kind of humor him, and who know him more than he thinks he knows himself.
On the effects of Donald Trump’s controversial comments about women: I think it’s perfectly fair to disagree with Clinton on her policies. But to call her a bitch? To talk about her being murdered? Even to talk about her personal life and her marriage, I just find it deeply misogynistic. And it’s not just making others to be comfortable in their misogyny – what it does is that it gives them an opportunity to say, ‘It’s not because we’re misogynistic. It’s not because she’s a woman.’ And that’s even more troubling.
Thursday
Lassa fever Kills medical doctor, three others in Anambra.
Anambra State is now battling to save lives, as Lassa fever has claimed the lives of a medical doctor and three others in the state.
This was a revelation by the state Ministry of Health Thursday in Awka during a one-day Lassa fever training workshop.
One of the resource persons at the workshop Dr. Jane Ezeonu confirmed that the medical doctor died at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, three days ago.
Also, the Director of Public Health in the state, Dr Emmanuel Okafor, said the state had equally recorded the death of three others, recently.
For Ezeonu, the late medical doctor was referred to NAUTH from Asaba, Delta state.
She warned the people of the state to stop drinking raw garri, adding that they should protect their food and related items from rats.
Furthermore, she explained that people don’t acquire immunity after suffering from Lassa fever.
Ezeonu said general hygiene was important in Lassa fever prevention.
For Dr Okafor, the essence of the workshop was to train professionals who would go to the grassroots to educate the people on the prevention of the disease.
According to him “In Anambra State, we don’t know the number of cases of the disease, but we have three confirmed deaths”
He therefore, called on health workers in the state to exercise high standard in handling Lassa fever cases.
But he hinted that the state government had put machinery in motion to tackle the scourge.
In his speech, the permanent secretary in the state ministry of health, Dr Okwuchukwu Chukwuka insisted that there was no such epidemic in the state.
He represented the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Josephat Akabuike on the training workshop.
He said “It is a training workshop for health professionals in the 21 local government areas of the state who would sensitize and disseminate information about Lassa fever to the grassroots.
“We are having the workshop for prevention, not that we have an epidemic in the state,” the permanent secretary said.
It was gathered Thursday that Lassa fever had been on in the state, with the Ministry of Health doing everything possible to hide it.
Before now, the State Government had denied the influx of tuberculosis that hit about 2000 patients in the state in recent times.
The conversation between this exes though...Lol.
Nigerian police fined N100m over death of detainee.
A federal High Court sitting in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Monday ordered the Nigerian Police to pay the family of a woman lawyer, Patricia Onyeabo, who died in police custody due to lack of medical care, the sum of N100 million as compensation.
The judgement of the court was sequel to N1 billion suit slammed on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) by Miss Amaka Onyeabo, also a lawyer, over the death of her mother, Mrs. Patricia Onyeabo, in police detention.
The late Mrs. Onyeabo, before her death on 16 May, 2014, was the Legal Adviser/Secretary to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC.
Joined as co-respondents in the suit are: Lagos state Commissioner of Police and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Nigerian Railway Corporation headquarters.
Amaka, in an affidavit sworn to in support of amended originating motion filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos, by her lawyer, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, asked for a declaration that the unsubstantiated indictment in a letter, leading to the harassment, detention, intimidation, humiliation and restriction of movement of her late mother since April 25, 2014, until her death on May 16, 2014, by the respondents are frivolous, vindictive, wicked, smacked of gross impunity, unlawful, unconstitutional and breach of the fundamental rights of the deceased.
The lawyer asked for an order of the court directing the respondents to tender unreserved apology to her and her entire family in any two daily newspapers circulating within Nigeria and an order directing the respondents to pay her family the sum of N1 billion, being general and aggravated damages for unlawful detention and death in police custody.
The applicant averred that her deceased mother received a letter on April 25, 2014, signed by the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s Managing Director, Engr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, accusing her of conspiring with 69 other staff of the corporation to embezzle over N1.5 billion between 2011 to 2013, before her retirement from the corporation in February 2014, upon attainment of the statutory age of retirement, and that no report of the purported finding was made available to her late mother prior to her retirement in February 2014, or at the point being communicated the said decision reached.
Amaka averred further that in the shocking letter received by her late mother, she was informed that the aggregated sum of N16.5 million over the period of three years (2011-2013), had been traced directly to her personal accounts as proceeds of the alleged conspiracy to defraud the corporation of N1.5 billion of pension funds and her purported benefit in the alleged embezzlement conspiracy.
She also averred that the deceased was arrested and detained at different formations of the Nigerian police in Lagos and Abuja between May 2, 2014, on the basis of warrant of arrest and detained till when she died on May 16, 2014, and all efforts by the deceased lawyer to secure her bail, so that she could get adequate medical care was rebuffed by the police authorities, and that during her detention, the deceased suffered stroke and she eventually died on May 16,2014.
It was further averred that her deceased mother did not commit any crime that could warrant her forceful and unlawful detention by the respondents outside the constitutionally prescribed period without bail, and that when her late mother applied for bail it was bluntly rejected by the police.
She was not also arraigned before any court of competent jurisdiction for any offence.
The lawyer also averred that the alleged petition, harassment, and threats of arrest by the police were made in bad faith, calculated to blackmail, exploit, embarrass, stripe her late mother of any iota of dignity and that same as completely smeared her late mother’s reputation and family name built up over several decades of meritorious service and exposed her late mother’s entire family including herself to the most humiliating form of ostracism, isolation, finger pointing, community jeers, public indictment without any form of fair hearing or opportunity for the deceased and her entire family to clear the deeply tarnished name and dignity of her entire family.
However, the respondent in a counter affidavit filed and argued before the court contended that miss Amaka has no locus standi to institute the action on behalf of her mother.
In his judgement, the presiding judge, Mohammed Idris while citing series of authorities said: “I hold that the Nigerian Police have failed in their responsibility. The applicant has liberty to life while in the custody of the Nigerian Police but was denied, thereby leading to her life being terminated. If she had access to hospital she would not have died, but the police deprived her the right to visit hospital to treat her ailment. Therefore, the applicant is entitled to general damages in the sum of N100 million.”
Citing the supreme court authority in the case of Bello versus Attorney General of Oyo State delivered by the late Justice Kayode Eso, to the effect that we should be our brother’s keeper, the judge disagreed with the submission of the Nigerian Police that the applicant has no legal right to institute the legal action on behalf of her late mother.
TeamNigeria's medal hopes fade as all female wrestlers crash out in the first round.
Team Nigeria’s medal hope at the ongoing Rio 2016 Olympic games dwindled
on Thursday as Odunayo Adekuoroye and Blessing Oborodudu were edged out
in the wrestling event of the championship.
Oborodudu competed against Mongolia’s Battsetseg Soronzonbold in the freestyle event of women’s 63kg.
Despite forcing the match to 1-1, the Mongolian won based on technical points to bundle out the Nigerian in the quarterfinal round.
Unlike Oborodudu, Odunayo Adekuoroye fell to world number two in the women’s 53kg, Sweden’s Mattsson Sofia Magdalena 8-0 to exit the games.
With all the five female wrestlers exiting the competition, the hope of medal now hangs on the men’s team – Amas Daniel and Soso Tamarau in the men’s 65kg and 86kg.
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| Will the men save Nigeria's face? |
Oborodudu competed against Mongolia’s Battsetseg Soronzonbold in the freestyle event of women’s 63kg.
Despite forcing the match to 1-1, the Mongolian won based on technical points to bundle out the Nigerian in the quarterfinal round.
Unlike Oborodudu, Odunayo Adekuoroye fell to world number two in the women’s 53kg, Sweden’s Mattsson Sofia Magdalena 8-0 to exit the games.
With all the five female wrestlers exiting the competition, the hope of medal now hangs on the men’s team – Amas Daniel and Soso Tamarau in the men’s 65kg and 86kg.
Check out this epic throwback/new photo of Desmond Elliot and Padita Agu
Mjr #tbt fast forward 14 years later , with friend and sister @paditaagu ... 5 kids between us, loads of water gone under the bridge but through it all we still here .. love you always sis
Wednesday
Police arrest two rapists in army uniform.
2:02 PM 0 Metro Two men dressed in military uniform have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday, for offences of robbery and rape, in the Oworonshoki and Bariga areas of the state. The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed this while briefing newsmen in Lagos, said that the police, acting on complaints by some of the victims, cordoned the area which led to the arrest of the suspects. According to Badmos, a 15-year-old girl (name withheld) residing in the area reported to the police that she was a victim. “On Aug. 12, at about 8.00 a.m. the police at Oworonshoki Division received complaints from one 15-year-old girl who lives at Oworonshoki Area that she has been raped. “She reported that on Thursday at about 10.30 p.m., she was running an errand along Akerele Street, Oworonshoki, when suddenly the suspects, riding on a motorcycle, accosted her. “She said the suspects forcefully whisked her away on their motorcycle to Bariga by Murtala Bus Stop and raped her till the early hours of Friday, threatening to kill her if she shouted. “Following the victim’s report, the Anti-Crime Patrol Policemen from Oworonshoki Division quickly mobilised to the address and in a raid arrested two men, 26-year-old Joseph Agbo, and 20-year-old Balogun Damilola.” She said that the police recovered a pair of army camouflage uniforms, two berets, two mobile phones and four ATM cards from different banks from the suspects. “Other items recovered from them are army accoutrements and 17 ID cards bearing different names,’’ he said. Badmos said the suspects confessed to impersonation and other crimes in Oworonshoki and Bariga areas. He said the suspects had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command for discreet investigation and subsequent prosecution.
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Child sex trafficker bags 472 years in jail, the longest in U.S. history.
A 31-year-old convicted child sex trafficker, Brock Franklin , has received the longest sentence for human trafficking in U.S. history...
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