A Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Thursday slammed a one million naira bail on a 33-year-old man, Roland Olise, for alleged defilement of a six-year-old girl in a church in Lagos.
Olise, whose address was not provided, pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of defilement.
The Chief Magistrate, Ipaye Nwachukwu, ordered the accused to produce two sureties in like sum.
Nwachukwu said one of the surety must be a property owner in Lagos State, while the other must be a civil servant on grade level 14.
She said the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments to the government, and adjourned the case till January 19, 2017 for mention.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the accused committed the offence at a church at Ajah-Lekki Area in Lagos at about 6.00 p.m on Oct. 21.
Osayande said the accused, who was a church worker, was in church and he saw the six-year-old girl passing and he called her into the church where there wasn’t any body around and defiled her.
The offence contravened Sections 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011
Six people , including a mother, three of her children and two of their neighbours on Tuesday lost their lives in Ogaminana area of Okene in Kogi after eating a meal made from cassava flour.
The Public Relations Officer of Adavi Local Government, Abdulhamid Salahudeen, told journalists on phone that three of the victims died on Tuesday at the Okene General Hospital while the woman and two of her children had earlier died on Monday in their house.
He said that the woman died alongside three of her children, two sons and a daughter
According to him, two male children of her neighbour that partook in the meal also died .
He put the ages of the five dead children at between 9 and 15 years.
Mr. Salaudeen said that the mother had in the evening of Sunday, October 30 brought the cassava flour (white Amala) from her farmland at Ohuepe village.
He said that the woman prepared a dinner from the yam flour for the family and extended the food to her neighbour.
The officer said the victims later went to bed but developed severe stomach pain over the night which later resulted in the death of the woman and two of her children.
He said that neighbours who sensed that the sudden deaths might be due to the cassava flour dinner quickly rushed the remaining three children that partook in the eating to Okene General Hospital where they died on Tuesday.
Mr. Salaudeen said that the authority of the local government believed that the cassava flour was poisoned and had informed the police for appropriate action.
A senior nursing officer at the Okene General Hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the death of the three victims at the hospital on Tuesday .
The nurse said that the victims were brought in late Monday afternoon.
e said it weeks back that if things continue the way they were going, he would be forced to leave his country, Nigeria, and relocate his Multi-Millions Dollars business to China. Sadly, he has done it. Erisco Foods Limited has announced the shutdown of its tomato manufacturing business in Nigeria, citing unfavourable operating climate which has escalated operational costs in recent months.
Rich Businessman Erisco Shuts Down His Factory In Nigeria, Relocates To China
President/CEO of Erisco Foods Limited, Chief Eric Umeofia, who addressed a press conference in Lagos said the company had concluded plans to relocate the manufacturing aspect of the business to China from where finished products would be imported and sold to consumers in Nigeria.
He said the decision to shut down the Nigerian manufacturing plant was taken after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum given by the management to Government to compel the CBN to make available enough foreign exchange (forex) to assist in the imports of raw materials as well as the requisite equipment needed to keep the manufacturing plants running and also profitable.
The company had also demanded that the Federal Government compel regulatory agencies like NAFDAC, SON, and the Federal Ministries of Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Investment to end the imports and dumping of sub-standard tomato paste in the country.
His words: “As from November 1, 2016, we have commenced the winding down of our tomato manufacturing business in Nigeria and it’s a decision that we have taken as the 30 days ultimatum has expired without our terms being met. We are moving the factory to China from where we will manufacture and bring back to Nigeria while also selling to other over seas clients.
“It pays us that way as a business because in recent months, our continuous operation in Nigeria has resulted in a loss of over N3.6billion investments.
“Because of the huge machines we have to move out, winding down will last us about nine months as we plan to first exhaust the existing raw materials we have before moving our equipment out to China.
“It’s unfortunate that out of a workforce of about 2,000 Nigerians that we have, we will be dis-engaging about 1,500 of these workers as we need just about 40 staff to keep the Nigerian company running since what we will now be doing is just restricted to marketing and sales of imported products from our China plant. My business has been deliberately frustrated by the way the CBN has managed forex bidding and allocation.
“They won’t give us forex to import machinery, machine spare parts and raw materials for processing Nigerian fresh tomatoes into paste in our Lagos factory and they won’t give us approval to use our own money (about $460,000) generated from our foreign operations to import our raw materials. They won’t also check dumping because of the powerful nature of the import cabals.
“This decision is therefore final and there is no going back on it; nothing will make us to come back even in the future because we have found out that we can import tomato paste into Nigeria and still make huge profits,” he added.
Most of those to be employed in the now factory would be from China. More job loss for Nigerians.
There was drama yesterday as a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer slapped a motorist for advising him on civility. Our reporter, who witnessed the incident, observed that the motorist was riding a Ford Escape SUV with registration number RSH 612HX and was close to the service lane when he saw an officer of the FRSC jump in front of another vehicle in the traffic jam by LEA Primary School, Nyanya.
The motorist, who declined to give his name, asked the FRSC officer to approach the driver of the vehicle he was trying to arrest in a more civilised way. The officer got angry, left that vehicle and got over to the driver of the Ford and slapped him after a hot exchange of words. City News observed that close to a dozen FRSC officers were on routine stop and search duty around the Nyanya pedestrian bridge on the Keffi-Abuja expressway and they also descended on the motorist. They forced him to park at Forte Oil service station where they manhandled him and threatened to call the military if he refused to follow them to their office. When our reporter approached the most senior officer in the team to comment, he said he did not know the exact problem but he alleged that a brother of the Ford driver was trying to fight them. The Unit Commander of the FRSC in Nyanya, Mr Mike Arinze Agu, could not reply to a text message our reporter sent to his mobile phone number requesting for comments on the incident.
When a Nigerian mother asks if your classmate has two heads, Ekomobong Finbarr is that classmate they are talking about. Finbarr, an undergraduate student of Electrical-Electronics Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, built a solar-powered keke napep for his final year project.
(Source: GIPHY)
The keke has no engine but runs with a battery and solar panels arranged on its roof. His elder brother, Aniekeme Finbarr Ukpong, said on Facebook that the keke can travel an impressive 11km without needing a recharge.
“Over the past few weeks, he has painstakingly produced and defended this solar-powered tricycle.
His lecturers were completely stunned that he could pull this through.”
When you remember that this is just for his final year project, it is clear that Finbarr is only just getting started.
An internal security officer attached to Skye Bank Plc yesterday was arraigned at the Igbosere Magistrate Court for allegedly carting away a customer’s N371,000.
The accused, Prince Solomon Udoh who is arraigned before Magistrate O. A Olagbende is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing contrary to Sections 409 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The prosecutor, Corporal Friday Mameh informed the court that Udoh committed the offences at 4:30pm on August 2, inside the banking hall of Skye Bank PLC, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
He said the customer, Musa Dayyabu, forgot a black polythene bag containing his phone, diary and a cash sum of N371,000 on a customer’s chair in the bank.
The court heard that Udoh found the bag and put it in his desk drawer but, contrary to the bank’s protocol, failed to inform his supervisor of the find.
Mameh said that the customer called the Business Services Manager of the branch on the evening of the 2nd of August at about 6:09pm to enquire about his bag.
“The accused denied seeing the bag and its contents and even joined the BSM and other officials of the bank in searching for it. He repeated his denial when the customer arrived later.
“But the customer insisted that it was in the banking hall that he forgot the cash, adding that the cash was in N50, N100, N200 and N500 notes,” Mameh added.
He said when the Closed Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) recording for that evening was checked, it showed the accused picking a black polythene bag from the same seat where the customer sat and forgot the bag.
“Confronted with the video, the accused said the bag was his and contained his Golden Morn beverage and milk, but the following day when more of his superiors questioned him, he changed his story to say the bag belonged to a customer but only contained a phone and diary,” Mameh alleged.
Former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko
Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja
A former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, has returned N1,040,000, 000 to the Federal Government, The PUNCH has learnt.
Dikko, who served as the head of customs between August, 2009 and August, 2015, became the subject of an EFCC investigation last year when the commission established that about N40bn was diverted from the coffers of the NCS under his watch.
The funds were allegedly drawn from proceeds of the seven per cent cost of collection and one per cent comprehensive import supervision scheme.
He was subsequently arrested by the EFCC in June this year but was released due to his poor health.
Dikko’s mansion located at 1 Audu Ogbeh Street, Jabi, Abuja… on Wednesday
However, a reliable source within the EFCC told our correspondent that the suspect had been returning money to the government.
The source added, “So far, Dikko has returned over N1bn. He returned N1bn and then N4m. He is still expected to return more money.”
The EFCC had, earlier in the year, seized a mansion belonging to Dikko located at 1 Audu Ogbeh Street, Jabi, Abuja.
According to the EFCC, the mansion is worth at least N2bn.
Our correspondent, who visited the property, observed the inscription, ‘EFCC, Keep Off!’ painted all over the fence.
A source in the commission said, “The EFCC Act Section 71 (b) gives us the power to commence investigations into the property of any person if it appears to the EFCC that the person’s lifestyle and extent of properties are not justified by law.
“Section 28 says concerning those arrested under the Act, the commission will immediately trace and attach all the assets and seizures of such a person which have been acquired.
“Section 29 permits the assets of a person arrested under Section 28 to be seized by the state.
“Dikko was a customs officer and served for about 30 years. He has to explain where he got the money to buy a mansion of N2bn.”
The ex-Customs CG is also believed to own properties in Dubai and in Katsina, his home state.
The first week of next month as been named as a tentative date for the start of the new league season ROYAL NEWS has gathered.
The Executive Secretary, NPFL Club Owners, Mr. Alloy Chukwuemeka, disclosed this on Wednesday at an interactive session with newsmen in Osogbo the capital of Osun State, during the monthly Sport Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) stakeholders forum, tagged “SWAN Platform”.
According to the Executive Secretary, the NPFL Club Owners have received a proposal from the League Management Company that the league start by first week of December, explaining that the proposal would be considered at the Annual General Meeting of the Club Owners.
Chukwuemeka, who is also the General Manager, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club, Ilorin, Kwara. State, commended the LMC for turning the league around saying it is now attractive with many firms lobbying to be part of it.
“The LMC as turn around the league in Nigeria. The league is now attractive, and there are eight firms lobbying to be part of LMC. The LMC has set a standard and that was why lots of firms want to be part of the Nigeria Professional Football League.”
The football administrator while answering questions on moving football and sports generally forward in the state, insisted that a return to the grassroots through school sports was the only way to fish out exceptional talents.
He revealed that the Kwara Football Academy gives ABS FC ten of its best players every season through a partnership that exists between the two clubs.
The ABS FC Director of Football also recommended community ownership of football clubs as practiced in other climes based on what he learnt from the LMC organised LaLiga Tour in Spain earlier in the year.
He said, “immediately I came back from Spain, I went to my village (Ehime mbano) and I met with my Local Government Chairman and we formed Mbano United. I bought jerseys and balls for the team, because in Spain their clubs are built on there culture. Football community ownership is very important.”
On the controversy trailing the final NNL match between ABS FC and Gateway FC, Chukwuemeka countered claims that there few security men at the stadium, maintaining that there were about seventy-eight policemen at the stadium that day.
He condemned the action of the Ogun state commissioner of sports who ordered Gateway FC players not to play the match, stressing that it contravenes the rules guiding the game and operations of the NNL.
He expressed the belief that the NFF would put in everything to ensure that the Super Eagles qualify for the World Cup. He said not qualifying for Nations Cup back-to-back was still painful and apllauded the efforts and impact of Super Eagles coach, Genart Rohr.
Chukwuemeka who is also a National Officer of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria however commended Osun SWAN for the Monthly Stakeholders Forum and promised to take the programme to other states across the federation.
The Chairman, All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum, Mr. Rochas Okorocha, has expressed worry over the cold war among the executive arm of government, the National Assembly and the ruling party.
Okorocha, who is also the Governor of Imo State, said this when he visited the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday.
Okorocha, who said his visit to the Senate was belated, added that, “Nonetheless, it is never late to make amend where possible.”
A statement by the Office of the Senate President quoted Okorocha as telling Saraki that he was visiting in his capacity as the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum.
He said, “This is the very first time I am coming to your office and I am here because I am concerned. I am here because I am a stakeholder. I am here as the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum – your friends and colleagues in the struggle.
“Mr. Senate President, leaders of this great Senate, you may recall a few years ago that we were all in the trenches, in battle, asking for change in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I recall vividly the role most of you played in that very struggle. We became a government when no one gave us a chance to be so. And shortly, Nigerians believed in us and entrusted us with the responsibility of leading this nation.
“But one year and several months after, we have not been able to manage this God-given victory very well and it is very worrisome, Mr. Senate President. That Nigerians expect so much from us but we seem to be in crisis with ourselves; not crisis made by the opposition parties but crisis created by ourselves for ourselves and which has kept us in total difficult position that we are not making the headway we need to make as a party.
“One wonders then what went wrong. Where did we get it wrong? And after these troubles and after the much hope we have given to Nigerians, we still cannot work together as a party, as a family. And I notice particularly that there is so much bitterness in the system – from the party, from the legislature, from the executive, from the governors – and it seems to me like there is no more platform for us to chant those old songs, which we used to sing in the days of struggle for change. One wonders, was this what we were asking for or was this the change we were asking for? I think Nigerians expect so much from us and at the end of it all.
“Nigerians will not ask us, how many of each other we have been able to destroy or how many we have been able to bring down. But they will ask us how many plates of food have we put on the table of the common man who elected us. So, I am here, Mr. President of the Senate, to call for unity among us and our party. And to sheathe our sword in whatever form anger has got to us.
“We noticed and we know that we are a party in majority at the National Assembly and we are a party with majority in the number of governors, state Houses of Assembly, but we notice there is no cordial relationship among the governors, the executive and the legislature.
“And let me reemphasise that in all these arms of government, it is only the legislature and the executive that are the elected members, not the judiciary. And Nigerians will hold us responsible as the executive and legislative arms of government. So, we must act quickly to ensure that peace reigns among us. I have discussed with the party – that was my first point of call – to seek what we must do to forge a way forward.
“Today, I am before you, the Senate President, and I ask you to use your wisdom to bring peace into our party. We need to enjoy that very vibrancy for which the National Assembly has been known for.”
In his response, Saraki told Okorocha that he had raised vital issues that the National Assembly caucus of the APC would look into, while assuring the governor that the Senate would work together to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians that voted the APC into power.
The Senate President stated that the crisis in the party was surmountable, adding that the doors of National Assembly was open to the party, stressing that it remained a surprise that the leadership of the APC had not deemed it fit in the last 16 months to visit and meet with their members in the National Assembly.
Okorocha, who also met with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Wednesday night.stated that the party needed “re-branding.”
Okorocha spoke at the National Assembly after he emerged from a meeting with Dogara around 6.50pm.
“I am saying that our party will be re-branded to what we know it should look like,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff; Majority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; the Deputy Leader; Mr. Buba Jibril; the Deputy Minority Whip, Mr. Pally Iriase, and other principal officers and some members of the House, attended the meeting.
Speaking further, the governor added that he had been on a fence-mending mission, talking to various interest groups in the APC on the need for them to bury their differences.
Eight new private universities have been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
At its meeting on Wednesday, the Council endorsed three-year provisional licences for private universities on the recommendations of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
This brings to 151 the total number of universities in Nigeria, with 61 of them owned by individuals, religious organisations and foundations.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, listed the new universities and their promoters as Anchor University, located in Ayobo, Lagos state, promoted by Deeper Christian Life Ministry; Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State, promoted by Clitter House Nigeria Limited; Clifford University, Owerrinta, Abia State, promoted by Seventh Day Adventist Church and Coal City University, Enugu, promoted by African Thinkers Community of Inquiry College of Education, Enugu.
Others are Crown-Hill University, Eiyenkorin, Kwara State, promoted by Modern Morgy and Sons Limited; Dominican University, Ibadan, promoted by Order of Preachers, Nigerian Dominican Community; Kola Daisi University, Ibadan, promoted by Kola Daisi Foundation, and Legacy University, Okija, promoted by The Good Idea Education Foundation.
Anwuka explained that the eight universities will be mentored by existing universities close to their locations, which are University of Lagos, University of Calabar, University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia, University of Nigeria (UNN), University of Ilorin, University of Ibadan, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, respectively.
The mentor universities are to oversee and guide the new universities in terms of academic culture and administration for three years, within which period they must have learnt the art of university governance and academic details.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed further explained that the mentoring universities would among other issues, ensure correct recruitment in the Governing Council, academic and administrative principal officers, development of human and material resources, modulate students’ examination, and guarantee quality assurances.
