Author: Editor

An Ilorin Area Court yesterday dissolved 2 year-old marriage between Hassanat Bashiru and Mumin Bashiru for the wife refusal to use purdah.

The Plaintiff, a residence of Emir’s road Ilorin, had prayed the court to dissolve her marriage to her husband because she cannot agree to her husband’s wish that she should always be in purdah by totally covering her eyes and body with black cloth.

She said that their marriage was contacted in 2014 and had produced two children, Hauwa, 1, and Ayisat, 4 months, ROYAL NEWS learnt.

According to her, “My lord, I want an end to this marriage because my husband didn’t  tell me this before I married him. This is not in our agreement; I cannot be covering all my body with black cloth including my eyes.”

It was however gathered that the defendant did not object to the prayer of his wife, saying that if she didn’t agree to use purdah is free to go.

He urged the court to grant the divorce request as well as award him the custody of the children.

The Presiding Judge, Mr. Abdulquadri Ibrahim dissolved the marriage and issue a certificate of divorce for the plaintiff as well as award the wife the custody of the children.

No fewer than four persons were on Wednesday gruesomely murdered in renewed bloody clashes between rival cult members in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

ROYAL NEWS gathered the resurgence of cultists’ clashes was said to have first occurred on Monday night in Gaa-Akanbi area of the metropolis, when some suspected rival cult members killed murdered a boy of about 20 years old.
According to sources, the incidence spread to Ipata Market and Kankatu areas of the metropolis on Tuesday, where two persons were killed bysuspected cultists.
The two incidences was said to have happened around 4pm and 9pm on Tuesday when a boy of about 18 years old was said to have been killed at Kankatu area at a place close to Amule-bridge.
A source claimed that members of the state police evacuated the corpse and dumped it in an undisclosed hospital morgue in the town.
Another person in his 30s who was preparing to go to his place of work was attacked on Wednesday and was allegedly hacked down by men suspected to be cult members in Odoota area of the metropolis who struck between 10 and 11am.

When contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the incident.
He confirmed the incident at Gaa-Akanbi, adding that he was yet to get information regarding the other incidents in the metropolis.
He promised to call the DPOs of the areas in question for confirmation.
“I can confirm to you the Gaa-Akanbi incident was as a result of rival cult clashes”, he said.

Economic and social activities of residents of Kwara and Oyo states were on Wednesday grounded following the outright collapse of Moro bridge, along llorin-lgbeti highway linking the two states.

The Member representing Owode-Onire constituency at  the state House of assembly where the collapsed bridge is located, Abdullahi  Taiwo informed the House of the collapsed bridge during Wednesday plenary.

Taiwo who was speaking under matter of urgent public importance said the collapsed bridge had made transportation of farm produce to llorin, the state capital impossible.

He stressed the need for urgent construction of the bridge in view of its importance for transportation of Food items and Passengers from  Oyo state and neighbouring republic of Benin.

Members who contributed to the debate including the House Leader stressed the significance of the collapsed bridge constructed with corrugated iron several years ago.

The Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare who presided over Wednesday plenary while reading the resolution of the House directed its  Committee on Energy, Works and Transport to lias with the Federal Ministry of of Works on the construction of the   collapsed bridge.

The House called on the kwara Government to put a palative measure in place before the reconstruction by the Federal Government.

Reacting to the issue of the collapsed bridge while speaking with ROYAL NEWS in llorin on Wednesday, the Federal Controller of Works in Kwara State , Mr Omotayo Awosanya said the Federal has advertised the construction of both the Moro and Ohan bridges.

He said Work will soon commence on the two bridges which had already been captured at the 2016 budget.

Some suspected militants have bombed a state-run oil pipeline near the southern Nigerian oil hub of Warri in the latest blow to the industry, a security source and community leader said Wednesday.

The Trans Forcados export line was attacked late Tuesday, they said, just hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with representatives of militant groups in the oil-rich Niger delta to discuss how to end the unrest plaguing the region.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.

“The attack was carried out with the aid of dynamite and it is coming less than 48 hours after the resumption of operations at the flow station,” a security official, who declined to be named, told AFP.

The Gombe State Government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will train additional 264 women and youths in the state on skill acquisition.

The training, which commenced in 2013, is part of the initiative of the government and UNDP to empower the beneficiaries to be self reliant and employers of labour in the future.

The beneficiaries will be trained in Plumbing, Plasta of Paris (POP), Solar Power Installation, Tailoring and Fashion Design.

Addressing the trainees in Gombe, the Commissioner of Economic Planning, Alhaji Danladi Mohammed, said Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo had made skills acquisition and empowerment a priority of his administration.

“This informed the collaboration with the UNDP which facilitated the training of 930 women and youths and provision of start-up kits in the 2013/2015 programme,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Prof. Iliya Dongs, the Consultant, assured the beneficiaries that if they attend the training regularly and pay attention to their supervisors, their future is secured.

Dong, who is the lead Consultant of DOBAST Management Consultants Ltd, called on the 264 women and youths to use the opportunity to acquire necessary skills that would enable them self-reliant and employers of labour in future. He said that skill is important in the life of every human
being.

“The reason why many technicians earn more money than some university graduates is because the technicians acquire practical skills than theories; unlike graduates who were fed with theoretical experiences while in the universities.’’

Dongs said that acquisition of skill could take an individual to places he or she does not expect.

He stressed the need for youths in Gombe state and Nigeria in general to shun social vices that could mar their future by either getting western education or acquiring relevant skills.

The consultant attributed some of the causes of escalating crime rate in Nigeria and other developing countries to lack of job among graduates and other segments of the youths.

“The major causes of the unemployment among these vibrant youths is lack of skill to back up what they learnt from institutions of higher learning.

“When these graduates were in school, they did not border to learn at least one trade; today there are many unemployed graduates in the country.

“This is partly as a result of our system of education that is more of grammar and not much practical learning,’’ Dongs said.

A 40-year-old man, Victor Emafolomi, has been detained by the police for allegedly raping his wife’s daughter, Keji.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect was apprehended on Sunday by the police from the Agbado division after the mother of the victim reported the case.

Keji (pseudonym) lived with her mother and Emafolomi on Olukososi Street, Jafa, Agbado, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Emafolomi was said to have raped Keji on two occasions in October, threatening to kill her if she informed her mother.

It was gathered that the first time she was raped, Keji was at a shop where she was learning hairdressing within the community when her stepfather called her on the telephone to come home to prepare lunch for him.

While the teenager was immersed in the cooking, Emafolomi reportedly descended on her and dragged her into the bedroom.

She said, “That afternoon, he was drunk. He beat me up when I resisted. I explained to him that he was like a father to me, but he didn’t listen.  He used a pillow to cover my mouth and raped me. He said he would kill me if I told my mother about the rape.

“Two days after, he had sex with me again. That evening, he beat me up because I insisted that I would tell my mother when she came back from work. He went out and came back with two men after about 30 minutes. The men stared at me and left. He said they would be monitoring my movement and that if I reveal what he did to me, they would kill me.”

Our correspondent gathered that the suspect left home after the second encounter and did not return until about two weeks later.

“Before the incident, he had warned a boy called Owolabi to stay away from me because he didn’t want us to have a relationship,” Keji added.

Keji’s mother, Taiwo, who told PUNCH Metrosaid she was abreast of the time her daughter usually menstruated, said she became worried last Tuesday, October 24, when Keji did not do so.

“I took her to a clinic in our area and it was confirmed that she was pregnant. I begged her to tell me who impregnated her, but she refused,” Taiwo said.

After much pestering, Keji was said to have confided in her mother, who reportedly passed out afterwards.

“I was very shocked, but I could not fault the revelation because my husband had abandoned home for some days and there was no misunderstanding between us. I think it was because of what he did,” she added.

However, the suspect, who hails from Delta State, refuted the allegations, saying it was Owolabi, who impregnated Keji.

He said, “I am a driver. I left home because my wife is stubborn; she doesn’t take corrections. I left home to punish her so that she would change for better.

“I never had sex with her daughter and I didn’t know anything about the pregnancy. I don’t want it aborted. When she is delivered of the baby, we will carry out a DNA test on the baby.”

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ambibola Oyeyemi, said the case would be transferred to the command’s headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

“The victim confirmed that the suspect had carnal knowledge of her several times and the pregnancy test conducted on her was positive,” he added.

The Presidency has said it will not dispute the decision of the Senate to reject the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to borrow $29.9 billion.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Senate on Tuesday rejected the request of Mr. Buhari to borrow $29.9 billion as part of its external borrowing plan for 2016 to 2018.

The leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, told journalists after plenary that the request was rejected due to the absence of certain documents that should have accompanied the letter.

Ita Enang, therefore, said that the Presidency would not be disputing with the senate but would rather engage with them on the issue that had been raised.

“We are not disputing with the distinguished Senate.

“There are certain information and details which will enable them to consider in detail, and appropriately the request of Mr President.

“So we are collating that information. The Budget Office of the Federation, the Debt Management Office, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Minister of Finance and the economic team are collating the information so that it can be submitted to the Senate to enable them take the appropriate decision.

“We would be engaging the Senate. We will not be disputing with them but we will be engaging with them.

“When we present a matter before the legislature it is for them to consider and as they have considered, more information is needed and that information they are entitled to it and we would provide,” he said.

(NAN)