One dies as Ladipo traders clash with soldiers

One person has been confirmed dead as traders at the Ladipo Market, Oshodi, Lagos, on Thursday protested against alleged extortion by one Monday Ijoba.

It was learnt that Ijoba and his gang members were reportedly employed by the local government authority in the area to collect charges from the traders.

Displaying placards which read, “Monday, enough is enough”, among others, the traders chanted war songs.

The market is dominated by Igbo, who sell spare parts and electronics, among others.

It was learnt that policemen and soldiers mobilised to the scene, but some of the protesters reportedly fired gunshots to chase them away.

PUNCH Metro gathered that a trader, whose identity had yet to be identified, was hit by a stray bullet and died, while others were injured.

Our correspondent learnt that Ijoba’s boys had attacked a trader, who challenged them on the extortion last week. The trader was seriously injured and was said to have died.

The trader’s death was said to have caused the Thursday’s protest, which started around 9am, paralysing commercial activities in the market.

Our correspondent watched as the rioters hurled bottles and other weapons at Ijoba’s gang members.

The fracas lasted for a few hours before the security operatives were able to restore normalcy to the area.

Gadgets of some eyewitnesses who wanted to capture the incident were also seized, and photos taken from the scene were deleted.

An eyewitness, Ikechukwu Sunday, said, “Some of the rioters fired gunshots and tried to chase the soldiers and policemen away. A protester was hit by a stray bullet in the process and died. Some also sustained injuries.”

A trader, who identified himself only as Chibuzor, said, Ijoba had been chased out of the market, adding that he would not be allowed to lord it over them.

He said, “He (Ijoba) and his boys are being used by the local government authority to extort money from us daily and they have become a thorn in our flesh. At times, I pay N500 in a day. Last week, his boys attacked a trader, who was against the extortion. They hacked him and he later died in the hospital. We don’t want Ijoba here again.”

Another trader, who identified himself only as Emeka, urged the state government to intervene in the tussle to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

He said, “As long as Monday (Ijoba) insists that he is in control of the market, peace will not reign because people do not want him. I just want the government to come in and settle the matter amicably. We cannot afford to lose more persons to this protest.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the protest, adding that the market association, the local government officials and other stakeholders had been invited by the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni.

She said, “According to the information we have, the council uses Monday Ijoba and his boys to collect fees from traders in the market. On Wednesday, they went there again and there was a clash. A trader was hit by a stray bullet and he died this morning. We are still investigating to know who fired the shot.

“The CP was at the scene and he has invited all the parties involved to a meeting, while normalcy has been restored.”

awawa boys and girls terrorise Agege community

Just waylaid by boys and girls between ages 10 and 14 and demanding your belongings!
Incredible no, it is true. A visit to Agege Local Government Area of Lagos will convince you that it is for real and leave you with your mouth agape.
Life in Agege has not been the same for some months now, because of the nefarious activities of the minors.
They have formed themselves into groups, snatching money, handsets, and harassing people at secluded places.
Addressing a stakeholders’ forum on security yesterday at the council secretariat, the chairman, Jubreel AbdulKareem, lamented the menace of the minors.
In attendance were religious leaders, marketers, Neighbourhood Watchers, policemen, members of Community Development Committees (CDC) and youth organisations, among others.
Some of these boys and girls, AbdulKareem said, are not matured but what they are doing is more than what a matured person can do. “They are under 18; 15 years, 16 years even 14 including those that are still in primary schools. So, when they are being apprehended, you wonder what the police are doing with these young children and whereas, what they are doing is beyond their level, he said.”
He gave the names of their groups and signs as Federal boys – tattoo guns on their bodies; Omi Oju boys-three marks on their faces, Awawa boys and girls-tattoo on their ankles; and State boys-tattoo gun on their back.
He urged parents to monitor their children and the friends they keep.
AbdulKareem said: “Whoever has these signs should desist from it; we should warn our children before they are caught by the security agencie. We cannot afford to allow these boys and girls make our community unlivable.
“We have made some arrests but the security people look at them as underage, they release them but they continued to wreak havoc on the community hiding under the pretence of being underage.”
Olu of Agege Oba Kamilu Isiba called on the populace to be security conscious.
Oba Isiba urged the public to report suspicious characters or movement to the security agencies.
Divisional Police Officer, Isokoko Police Division Oliver Amaechi warned those involved in criminal activities to desist or face the law’s wrath.
Amaechi enjoined people to provide evidence when lodging report.

Police Arrest 31 Awawa Cultists in Agege

As parts of the efforts by Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to ensure the safety of lives and properties in the state and its environs, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), of the state Police Command, has apprehended 31 suspects said to be members of notorious gang, Awawa Confraternity.

The group was said to have, in the past, been terrorizing innocent residents at Agege and its environs in Lagos state.

The police team swooped on the arrested suspects at different locations including O Talisco Hotel along Dopemu road, Bakare Ipiasha Street Agege, Ile-Zik and Mangoro along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

The policemen responded to the tip-off from the popular Yoruba programme titled" Edakun Iwa-Odaran" (Stop act of crime) on a particular radio station in Lagos, reporting that some group of boys were making lives difficult and uneasy for the residents of Agege, Mangoro, Dopemu and its environs.

According to investigation, the members of the Confraternity were so dangerous and feared by all residents in the area.

"Upon intelligent report received through the popular Yoruba programme, which was further confirmed and authenticated by notable individuals living within the area, our men immediately busted the areas mentioned on the programme and its environs with 15 RRS patrol vans where 31 suspects were apprehended including 4 under aged while others still at large" the RRS said.

However, the 4 underaged were released after the police thoroughly interrogated them about their missions at the point of arrest with the dreaded group.

"On arrival at Task office, Alausa four (4) suspects who are under aged and could give satisfactory account of themselves were released", the Police said.

Meanwhile, the remaining twenty-seven (27) who looked so dreaded and could not provide the police with satisfactory account of themselves and their means of livelihood will be charged to court immediately.

The Commander of RRS, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olatunji Disu, who confirmed the arrest of the notorious group members, warned parents and guardians to be watchful of their wards and children's behaviours while at tender age as charity begins at home.

Olatunji reiterated that such was in line with the commitment of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, to free the state from all forms of criminal and cult activities.

Suspected One Million boys members arrested at vigil

Three suspected members of One Million boys, a gang in the Badagry area of Lagos State – Sodiq Yinusa, Azeez Ajadi and Idris Abdulganiyu – have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects were arrested by the Area K Command, Morogbo, while they were allegedly attempting to rob a church in the J4 area of Seme, Badagry, during a vigil penultimate Friday.

Our correspondent gathered that the police also recovered a double-barrelled locally-made pistol and a toy gun from the suspects.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro, 25-year-old Ajadi said the trio had run out of transport fare after they visited their friend in the area, and they decided to go to the church to solicit transport fare when the policemen arrested them.

Ajadi also denied being a member of One Million boys.

He said, “I am not a One Million boys’ member. The tattoos on my body are just for fashion. The two others and I went to visit our friend in the area, and we ran out of transport money. It was around 11pm.

“We were stranded and we did not know where to turn to for help. Fortunately, we saw a church holding a vigil and we decided to go there. A man was bathing in a shed near the church. We explained our plight to him.

“Instead, he ran away and alerted a vigilance group that brought the police to arrest us.”

Also, Yinusa, 22, who hails from Ede, Osun State, said, “I do not know where the police brought these guns. I dropped out of secondary school, and I am learning a trade. We had gone to the J4 area to see a friend, not for robbery.

“My parents are at home in Seme. They have warned me not to call them again. They are afraid of the police.”

A police source said the trio had other gang members who fled the scene before the policemen arrived in the area, adding that One Million boys members usually lurked in the night to attack pedestrians and gatherings such as parties.

He said, “When they were arrested at the church, they claimed to have lost their transport fare. But how could three men move from Okokomaiko to Seme, Badagry, without having transport fare? They initially drank and lurked in the area till 11pm when it was most conducive for them to strike. Then they stormed the church.

“We are still looking for other gang members. It was with the help of the vigilance group that the suspects were arrested.”

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

BRT vehicle crushes motorcycle rider to death

There was apprehension at the Agric end of the Ikorodu Road, Lagos State on Thursday after a Bus Rapid Transit vehicle crushed a motorcyclist, Taiwo Adeleye, to death.

A crowd of angry motorcyclists, sympathisers threatened mayhem, but they were held back by the heavy presence of security personnel who swiftly responded to the emergency.

Policemen from the Owutu division, together with police officers from surrounding divisions, were supported by officials of the Rapid Response Squad and military officers to maintain the peace in the area.

A chopper belonging to the RRS also hovered around the scene to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

WE learnt that Adeleye had encroached on the BRT corridor while searching for a prospective passenger.

As the Oyo State indigene rode on the corridor, he reportedly crashed into an iron barricade and fell to the ground.

The back tyre of a speeding BRT vehicle was reported to have climbed on him, breaking his skull open. He died on the spot.

A witness, who asked not to be named, said the incident happened around 8am.

He said, “The motorcycle rider had just dropped a passenger and he rode into the park. He decided to go to the expressway, after he saw a would-be passenger.

“As he rode there, he stumbled and crashed against the barricade and fell. The BRT driver, who did not see him, just continued his movement and the bus crushed him to death.”

A security officer, however, told our correspondent that the victim did not stumble or crash against the barricade, adding that a jeep triggered the accident.

The officer said the speeding jeep had hit Adeleye’s motorcycle, adding that he fell to the ground before the BRT climbed on him and killed him.

“The jeep driver just sped off, without knowing what he had caused,” she said.

The road was said to have been splattered with the victim’s blood and brains.

The BRT driver, Oguntoyinbo Akinola, who later pulled over as his passengers took to their heels, was eventually arrested by the police.

Friends of the victim and motorcyclists in the area reportedly went on the rampage, attempting to vandalise other BRT vehicles.

But the security agencies were said to have stopped them.

To avert any crisis in the area, all the BRT buses plying the Ikorodu area were ordered to cease operation pending when the tension would die down.

A resident, Jamiu Ogunyemi, lauded the police for handling the situation well.

He said, “If not for the presence of the police, the hoodlums in this community would have caused a lot of damage. In fact, they were already mobilising, but because of the heavy presence of security agents, all they could do was to watch and wail from afar. The police were all over the place – air and land.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident.

She said, “A BRT bus killed a motorcycle rider at Agric bus stop at about 8.15am. The man’s name is Taiwo Ad eleye, an indigene of Oyo State. Other commercial riders rioted, but the command moved in quickly and restore normalcy.

“The corpse has been deposited at a mortuary in Ikorodu. The family of the victim has already been contacted and we are aware that they are in talks with the management of the BRT.”

The spokesperson for the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, owners of the BRT, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi, said he was not aware of the incident.

He said, “I am not aware of the incident. I don’t know anything about it.”

mikel obi saves chelsea

Edinson Cavani came off the bench to give Paris St-Germain the advantage after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Chelsea.

The hosts went ahead through Zlatan Ibrahimovic's deflected free-kick.
But John Mikel Obi scored a precious away goal, capitalising on some terrible defending to sweep home a deserved leveller from six yards.
Chelsea's stoic defending had them on course for a draw, before Cavani steered home Angel di Maria's pass.
The 29-year-old Uruguay striker, who has been used primarily as back-up to Ibrahimovic this season, scored moments after substitute Oscar spurned a chance for the visitors.But with the second leg to come at Stamford Bridge on 9 March, the Blues are still very much in contention thanks to Mikel's goal - and Thibaut Courtois' late save from Ibrahimovic.

Tie perfectly poised

Some have called this a make-or-break week for Chelsea, with this match followed by an FA Cup tie against Manchester City on Sunday.
With their Premier League title defence already over, Guus Hiddink's men will know by the end of the weekend whether they can salvage anything from a disappointing domestic season.
But whatever happens against City, they will be hopeful of progressing in this competition after a promising performance in the French capital.
This is the third successive season these teams have been drawn against each other, and both previous ties were decided on away goals. Chelsea progressed in 2014 despite losing the first leg 3-1 in Parc des Princes - though admittedly they were a more formidable outfit than this vintage - but were beaten last season.

Blues step up to the challenge

This was Chelsea's first defeat since Hiddink took charge after Jose Mourinho's sacking in November, leading his team to a 12-match unbeaten run.
The Blues thumped Newcastle 5-1 at the weekend, but Laurent Blanc's men were a step up in class.

The Ligue 1 leaders are unbeaten in 44 league games and lead second-placed Monaco by 24 points, though before the match Hiddink questioned the quality of the French top flight.
There is no doubting the quality of players at PSG's disposal, however, with Blanc able to recall the likes of of Ibrahimovic, Marco Verratti and Lucas Moura after resting them at the weekend.
The hosts were by far the superior side in the opening 17 minutes, enjoying 74% of possession, but all they had to show for it was a long-range Lucas strike.
As the visitors dragged themselves back into the match, Ibrahimovic scored against the run of play. Indeed, were it not for Kevin Trapp's fingertips diverting Diego Costa's header onto the crossbar, the Blues would have been ahead before the Swede scored his first goal against them.
Ibrahimovic's free-kick struck Mikel en route to beating Courtois, but the Nigeria midfielder quickly made amends by capitalising on poor PSG defending from a corner.

Makeshift defence gives Chelsea hope

With John Terry and Kurt Zouma injured, Chelsea were without their first-choice centre-backs.
But the makeshift partnership of Gary Cahill - who blocked bravely from Blaise Matuidi - and Branislav Ivanovic withstood wave after wave of second-half PSG attacks until they were eventually breached in the closing stages.
They were ably supported by Courtois, who made a series of saves, though he was culpable for allowing Cavani to thread the ball between his legs and in at the near post.
Terry's hamstring injury resulted in a promotion for Ghana defender Baba Rahman, and the left-back played his part in the Blues' rearguard display.

Man of the match - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Manager reaction

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink said: "Scoring away is always good. I'm never happy with a loss but it's not a dramatic loss."
Paris St-Germain counterpart Laurent Blanc said: "The return game will probably be open and, hopefully, with some goals."

Check corruption, dwindling economy, PDP chief tells Buhari

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Yemi Oladimeji, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to check the country’s dwindling economy and corruption in governance.

He spoke in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday.

Oladimeji, who vied to become Osun State governor in 2007 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, described the nation’s dwindling economy as an ill wind.

The US-based nephrologist said the unprecedented slide of the naira against the dollar should be checked through massive investments in agriculture and small-scale entrepreneurs.

Oladimeji, who later defected to the PDP, said it was high time the Federal Government put its hands on the plough and evolve ‘an ingenious means of arresting the collapsing economy’.

Expressing support for the ongoing anti-corruption war, Oladimeji lamented that corruption was the bane of the nation’s development.

He said, “The body language of the President against corruption is commendable. We must all support him in this direction. But the anti-corruption campaign must not be selective.

“If you probe PDP leaders over the funding of election campaign, the same must be done to the leaders of the All Progressives Congress. Answers must be provided to the question of where Buhari got his election funding from.”

Sex is the least cause of divorce

On Thursday, we presented the statistics of divorce rate in some parts of the world and Nigeria. Then we asked what you think the leading cause of divorce could be. We asked if it could be issues relating to money, compatibility or sex.  We further asked you to tell us what else you think could be responsible.

Compatibility,  came out tops as the cause of divorce as 44.2 percent of our respondents hold that the two parties entering the marriage contract are mostly blinded by ‘love’ and they only get to see that they are not compatible soon after sealing the deal. Money came in next, other issues third and sex came in as the least reason for divorce.

A dictionary defines compatibility as the capability [of people] to exist or live together in harmony. No wonder many respondents hammer on it with different explanations to back their stand up.
“Many don’t take time to understand each other before they get married. so, they have problems when the realities sets in soon afterwards and eventually divorce when they could not be patient enough to work things out,” a respondent said.
“Compatibility is the main issue because inability to make the required adjustments and changes when people become married is what makes them turn down their earlier declaration of the union. In compatibility is mutual: respect, trust, selflessness, appreciation, dedication, fortitude and alliance to make marriage a huge success,” another respondent said.
“Most people move into marriage based on initial sentimental and not -so – true behaviours. Time brings out the truth in the character and personality of the partners. Often the compatibility issues present themselves at this point. As a remedy, I suggest that truth and sincerity would help,” another respondent said.
Some even hold that compatibility covers everything, “Yes, because compatibility encompasses sex and money. If we are compatible sex won’t be an issue and financial issue will be brought under control.” A respondent said.
Money came in second at 26.4 percent.
“Our poverty entrenched society creates all sorts of misnomer, thus affecting peoples sense of virtue and values, this affects marriage adversely,” one correspondent said.
“The economy is becoming harder and people are finding it very difficult to make ends meet and to be able to look out for each other, the wages are  shrinking and making people to think more of themselves only …,” another said.
“Economic wellbeing of a couple is determined largely by financial capability of both partners and either one of the couple. Whenever this is lacking, anyone of the partners that feels most uncomfortable would tend to be tired of the relationship. He/she may decide to walk out of the relationship. Thus economic factor plays a major role in the stability of homes.
Other issues came in third at 17.9 percent. Surprisingly, many respondents choosing the ‘others’ option say feminism and gender equality are responsible for divorce. Some of them say feminism snuffs out the life in humility and that starts the end of the marriage.
“The growing desire of women to be independent. High social profile of the women folk has absolutely made many of them to question the age long tradition of head ship of the man in the family. While modern time has watered down the maximum ruler ship of the man, democracy is the bane of our age. Imposition of self by woman, maybe because of financial power, over the man, is totally unAfrican and in fact to the healthy growth of the family in any clime,” a respondent said.
And one respondent suggested having breaks because of the ‘burden of continuous living together…’
“I have been married for 8 years and can say it may not be any of the aforementioned reasons though I think lack of Money can contribute to it. In my opinion it has to do with the burden of continuous living together without a break. Marriage takes freedom away from both man and woman and after some times this could have negative impact on their marriage. My advise or suggestion is that Man and Woman should take a regular break e.g. one month every 2 years from each other.”
Only a mere 11.4 percent of all respondents said sex was capable of leading to divorce.
“It is sex because it is meant to be enjoyed by a man and his wife. If either of them, especially the man, is not satisfied he may begin to pick up unnecessary quarrel with his wife but unwilling to talk about it in the public. He may then begin to engage in extra-marital affairs. Besides, no woman can keep or maintain a relationship with a man without sex, period,” a respondent said.
“Rising rates of easy access to pornographic material and rising rates of indecent dressing and attitudes especially by celebrities make people promiscuous.”
Here are some of the reasons given by respondents for taken their stands:

Why did you say money?

Naira Now 338 As Dollar Scarcity Continues

The naira has unfortunately declined once again at the parallel market due to the persistence of dollar scarcity and now sells at N338 to a dollar.
The local currency had closed at 335, 318, 313.5 and 310 on Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday and Monday, respectively.
The CBN has left the official exchange rate unchanged at N197 to the dollar on its official interbank window.

Man Utd squad split over Jose Mourinho taking charge

MANCHESTER UNITED’S squad is split over the prospect of Jose Mourinho taking over.
The Special One is in the frame to replace Louis van Gaal as boss this summer.
But there is fear among players over where the popular Ryan Giggs may fit into Mourinho’s new regime.
The way things unravelled at Chelsea in the six months after winning the title has set alarm bells ringing among some senior stars.
There is also concern a major overhaul could lead to mass departures.

Ex-Chelsea chief Jose Mourinho and current Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino could be rivals for the Old Trafford job Action Images via Reuters

Jose Mourinho's downfall: Key moments in Special One's demise

One player that could be at risk is Juan Mata, who was booted out by Mourinho at Chelsea.
Reports in Spain claim Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes was in London yesterday thrashing out a “maze of clauses” with United bigwigs over a three-year £300,000-a-week Old Trafford deal.
But SunSport understands Mendes was actually in the capital on unrelated business.

---

---

But Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward is yet to turn to the legendary United boss, instead making decisions with co-owner Joel Glazer.
He has remained staunchly behind Van Gaal and would like to see the boss he appointed see out his three-year deal.
Ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand warns his old club must get it right this time.
He said: “We don’t want a repeat of what Liverpool have gone through.
“United don’t want that long time in the wilderness of not really being successful and not challenging for titles.”
Woodward could face a grilling from investors when the club publishes quarterly results today.

United manager Louis van Gaal and even No2 Ryan Giggs face speculation over their future EPA

Man Utd fan wears Mourinho scarf

The executive vice chairman will hold a conference call on the figures as the New York Stock Exchange opens.
It will be the first time Woodward has spoken publicly since the last results and things have not gone well since then.
United crashed out of the Champions League in December and are now six points off the top four.
The prospect of missing out on the riches of Europe’s top competition for the second time in three seasons is likely to worry shareholders.

FIVE QUESTIONS ED WOODWARD SHOULD ANSWER

1 LOUIS VAN GAAL achieved his target of a top-four finish last term. What is expected of him this season if he is to go into the final year of his contract?
2 WHAT is the financial impact of failing to reach the last 16 of the Champions League?
3 HOW will it affect the club if United finish outside of the Premier League’s top four for the second time in three seasons?
4 WHAT are the transfer plans for the summer, bearing in mind more than £250million has been spent by LVG?
5 WHAT are the long-term plans for the club’s Academy in light of the Under-18s’ recent disastrous form?

Syrian migrant who raped schoolgirl, 15, escapes jail and goes on the run with female prison guard lover

A SYRIAN migrant jailed for raping a schoolgirl has escaped from prison after starting an affair with a female warden.
Heavily tattooed Hassan Kiko, 27, vanished from his Swiss jail cell earlier this week, police say.
Officers have now released pictures of 32-year-old prison guard Angela Magdici who they believe freed her muscular lover before eloping with him.

Wardens said they had no idea that a relationship had developed between Hassan Kiko, 27 (left) and Angela Magdici, 32 (right) CEN

The breakout is thought to have taken place in the middle of the night when Magdici used the opportunity when a male colleague was sleeping to free her tattooed lover.
Wardens said they had no idea that a relationship had developed between the two.
Prison director Roland Zurkirchen said: "As supervisors, we need to maintain a professional relationship but sometimes it is necessary to speak in confidence with inmates."
"This is part of building a professional relationship and is part of everyday life. But supervisors should also keep the proper distance, which in this case did not happen.

Hassan Kiko was serving three years for raping a 15-year-old girl when he broke out of prison CEN

Police say the breakout was professionally planned and the two fugitives may already have left the country after escaping from Limmattal jail.
They say that evidence so far indicates that the two had driven off in a black BMW X1 and were headed to Italy.
Kiko had been serving three years for raping a 15-year-old girl when he broke out of prison.
He claimed asylum in Switzerland in 2010 after claiming he had fled Syria after being imprisoned by Bashar al-Assad.

Church members arrested during service for noise pollution

 

The police in Lagos have arrested six persons for allegedly disturbing the peace of residents of Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, during a church service.

The members – Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi (44), Clement Eromosele (26), Chukwudi Akwegbu (26), Chibuzor Chukwu (18), Godspower Enudi (21) and Okorie Livonus (36) – were arraigned in a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba.

They were accused of converting a residential apartment to a church.

MAYOR samskolex blog learnt that the landlord and residents of the building where the defendants gathered to worship had complained that the congregation caused noise pollution whenever they prayed.

They were said to have cautioned the worshippers to lower their voices, but the members reportedly declined.

Our correspondent gathered that the church was reported to the police at the Pen Cinema division, who arrested the six members on January 14 during Sunday service, while the others were said to be at large.

They were brought before a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. T. Akanni, on two counts of engaging in a conduct capable of causing a breach of the peace.

The offence, according to a police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, is punishable under sections 410 and 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The charges read, “That you, Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi, Clement Eromosele, Chukwudi Akwegbu, Chibuzor Chukwu, Godspower Enudi and Okorie Livonus, and others still at large on Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, Lagos, on January 14, 2016, at about 8am in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit: conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

“That you and others still at large on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully convert the residential apartment of the aforementioned house to a church and disturb peace of the landlord and other tenants as you were praying on top of your voice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Akanni, admitted them to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum. The magistrate added that the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments and their residential addresses to the court for the perfection of the defendants’ bail.

The case was adjourned till February 15, 2016, for mention.

Burundi crisis: US concerned over 'Rwanda's destabilising activities'

The US has raised concerns with Rwandan officials over reports suggesting it is involved in "destabilising activities" in neighbouring Burundi, officials have said.

Rwanda is reported to have armed and trained refugees to fight on behalf of the Burundian opposition.
The Rwandan government has denied the allegations.
Burundi has been hit by civil conflict since President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to stand for a third term.

In a hearing in the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, two top diplomats cited reports from colleagues in the field that they said pointed to Rwandan involvement in the Burundi crisis.
Thomas Perriello, US envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa, said the reports suggested that Burundian refugees, including children, were being recruited from camps in Rwanda to participate in armed attacks against the Burundian government.
Turmoil erupted in Burundi after Mr Nkurunziza announced plans last April to run for a third term, which he went on to win.
More than 400 people have died in the violence and at least 240,000 have fled the country.

 
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US assistant secretary of African affairs, said that US officials had encouraged Rwandan authorities "to play a productive role and not to do anything that might further destabilise Burundi".
The governments of Rwanda and Burundi are from rival ethnic groups and there is growing international concern that another ethnic conflict could take root in the region.
Last week, a UN panel reported that Burundian refugees had been recruited at a refugee camp in eastern Rwanda in May and June 2015, and given two months of military training.

---

Burundi's deepening crisis:

• April 2015: Protests erupt after President Pierre Nkurunziza announces he will seek a third term in office.

• May 2015: Constitutional court rules in favour of Mr Nkurunziza, amid reports of judges being intimidated. Tens of thousands flee violence amid protests.

• May 2015: Army officers launch a coup attempt, which fails.

• July 2015: Elections are held, with Mr Nkurunziza re-elected. The polls are disputed, with opposition leader Agathon Rwasa describing them as "a joke"

• November 2015: Burundi government gives those opposing President Nkurunziza's third term five days to surrender their weapons ahead of a promised crackdown.

• November 2015: UN warns it is less equipped to deal with violence in Burundi than it was for the Rwandan genocide.

• December 2015: 87 people killed on one day as soldiers respond to an attack on military sites in Bujumbura.

• January 2016: Amnesty International publishes satellite images it says are believed to be mass graves close to where December's killings took place

Has Mandla Mandela defied tradition?

Chief Mandla Mandela may find himself at a crossroads - forced to choose between his new bride and his loyal subjects.
Nelson Mandela's heir, who prides himself on being a man of tradition, may face some tough questions over his conversion to Islam.
It has implications for him not because of the religion itself but because it creates uncertainty about the chief's loyalties.

And it seems the secrecy has caused concerns within the AbaThembu Royal family, who now question the chief's commitment to upholding time-honoured traditions.
In rural South Africa, away from many of the trappings of modern life, traditional leaders play a key role in their communities.
This could be in the form of ceremonies or day to day decisions on how to resolve conflicts. While this is the chief's fourth marriage, it is the first to pit him against tradition - the very core of who he is.

South Africa's virgin scholarships

A South African scheme which offers female students scholarships if they can prove they are virgins has been widely condemned.
The mayor of a rural town in KwaZulu-Natal province has awarded 16 grants to teenage girls to study at university.
The mayor says the bursaries will help tackle high rates of teenage pregnancy and HIV.
Recipients of the scholarships will have to undergo regular virginity tests to keep the scholarship.
But human rights groups say the scheme is discriminatory and are calling for it to be scrapped.
The BBC has spoken to the mayor, as well as a virginity tester and students who were awarded the scholarships:

'Rats invade' Nigeria budget documents

Shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari submitted his first budget in December last year, tagged “Budget of Change”, some Nigerians began pointing out some strange allocations.
These include the amount to be spent on software and computers for some ministries and agencies, as well as allocations for the purchase of cars for the presidential villa.
Others have highlighted multiple entries for the same department, especially in the education ministry.
While defending his ministry’s budget, Health Minister Issac Odewale disowned what was presented to the parliament, saying some “rats” had smuggled foreign items into the document originally prepared.
He is believed to have been referring to some civil servants.

President Buhari was partly elected on a promise to fight corruption

Already there is talk of a “budget mafia” who, despite the government’s vow to plug all leakages, are accused of finding ways to enrich themselves from the public till.
The government says the budget is not perfect and that the president is open to correction, but already some Nigerians have changed the budget’s appellation to “Budget of Corruption”.

Buhari, time we stopped lying to ourselves

 

President Muhammadu Buhari is not in an enviable position right now. Just a year ago, Nigerians were chanting “FeBuhari” and piling their mountains of soteriological expectations on him. In about six weeks, it would be one year since he won the presidential election and if anything, Nigeria has proved tougher than what body language, or mere force of the President’s much touted incorruptible personality, can successfully heal.

For a man who became President by surfing on the wave of democratic discontent lunged at his opponent, it was clear from the start to any perspicacious observer that his administration would be weighed down by the burden of proof: to show the crowd of fawning admirers, supporters and believers that he was in charge, that their truth in him was not misplaced, and that he was indeed winning the war against bad governance.

One way to do this was to ramp up mundane government activity and milk it of its highest propaganda value.

I have been an adult citizen for a while but I cannot recall any other government that ecstatically wallows in pornography of propaganda like this present one. Everywhere one turns in Nigeria these days, it seems there is a loud raucous noise of government officials emoting over the President’s successes in the past months, a pesky din aimed at drowning dissension, reason and well-meaning criticisms.

In the past few weeks, in a bid to share testimonies of government magic, we have been treated to exaggerated claims of government efficacy, larded with what the late Ola Rotimi would have referred to as “terminological inexactitudes.”

One example is the claim that the government has saved a whopping N2.2tn in three months, a feat owing to the Treasury Single Account initiative. Let me acknowledge that all governments in the world routinely lie to their citizens but the nature of the lie, and the depth of thought that enshrouds it, shows the level of respect they have for the citizens. I will not dismiss the N2.2tn story as an outright lie but consider the remote possibility that the truth exists somewhere but only as a thin film of truth that is being overstretched to the point of illogicality.

How does a country that can barely pay salaries save so much in such a short time and yet nothing still changes in her fortunes? Did they mean they save some existing money from being spent or that sum is the amount that could have been wasted if they had not been so diligent? How does this government begin to even convince us that it saved the nation such exorbitant amount when her 2016 budget is replete with errors, duplications and frauds so massive that reading through the items analysed by various media made one tremble in shame at the outright lack of attentiveness that was invested into its preparations? How can you be so grossly incompetent in one aspect and then claim you are opposite in another?

For a President who embodied the image of military discipline and asceticism, this budget deconstructs and demystifies him. From the way the budget was presented and withdrawn amidst lies and denials, a lot has been going wrong suggesting poor administrative capability. Buhari owes Nigerians an explanation and an apology for the inferior effort that went into this budget preparation. Rather than outsource the blame, he should take responsibility for it. In a sane society, whole heads of department would be tendering their resignation by now. One is tempted to ask how Nigeria got to this level but then, has our national existence not been characterised by such slipshoddiness?

Rather than continue to peddle propaganda and spread false cheer about the progress we have made, I think it is time we admitted that our systems are warped, unwieldy and unsustainable. Like the budget itself, Nigeria was designed to sustain the mechanisms through which corruption operates rather than advance the nation. We do not need the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, to come up with another excuse to cover sheer incompetence. The lies told by this government are not helping anybody – neither government nor citizens. What it does is to further erode our collective integrity and the will to transcend our shortcomings. Telling lies about defeating Boko Haram in order to overshadow the fact that we are fighting a resilient war with largely analogue methods has not as much as deflated reality, so why not try tell the truth for a change? Rather than the hysterical claim about some officials “sneaking” in huge sums items into the budget, we need a more introspective look at how these things happen. We need genuine answers based on sincere analysis of the problem, not more lies or excuses exonerating themselves from these glaring failures.

How is it possible for anyone – mafia or not – to sneak items into the budget? What of items that were not sneaked in -such as the huge sums allocated to running facilities in Aso Rock at the expense of poor deprived citizenry? What level of oversight went into the preparation that a number of items escaped scrutiny? This is a part I do not understand: Is the budget manually prepared? I mean, do civil servants compute the national budget through manual calculation or they take the smarter, efficient route of using modern computer software, customised for Nigeria? The scale of fraud and shoddiness in that budget suggests that there are too many human interventions in the process. How does a nation progress when it micromanages itself?

For a while, Buhari’s government has had it good with Nigerians who keep extending it a long rope of excuses. Now, the length is enough to hang everyone. Rather than throw up our hands and jump on the same old gravy train of blaming previous administrations, or mouth the same set of impotent excuses of corruption, the government should look inward and admit to itself its own lack of preparations for the huge task that Nigerians handed to it in 2015. There are many days when it seems that the All Progressives Congress was never prepared for the reality of victory until it was too late. That is why they have been floundering, weighing every day of their administration against the unpopularity of their hapless predecessor.

For people who were ushered to power mouthing some of the most outrageous promises ever, their days in office should have exposed him to the cold stinging harshness of reality. They – like many of us – would have learnt that there are no easy solutions to Nigeria’s many problems. Our problems are many, twisted, unending but not insurmountable.

One only needs to pay attention to President Buhari himself to realise that he is overwhelmed and probably privately haunted by the scale of challenges facing his government.

Lately, in a conversation with members of the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom, he stated that he had wondered to himself why fate would deal him an unruly hand – making him President at a time when the nation’s fortunes were plunging; that he prayed for Nigerians who would suffer the consequences of the circumstances. These words, when taken up by the most fanatical of his followers, will expectedly be misconstrued as a testimony of his honesty. Underlining it however is the ruminations of a man yet to understand why he was chosen to occupy office at such a time like this. Buhari has never been a philosopher-king but his private cogitations like this one, voiced out, are less than inspiring. By now he should have known that great leaders are not made in good times. Rather, they are forged in the crucible of dwindled fortunes. Coming into office at the time oil rate is falling is not the problem; not having enough imagination to confront what looms ahead is what dooms us.

Unilorin best rapper TUNDEXMANIA

Uhmmm..Am kinda speechless but am still gonna say something..Tundexmania is a rapper,a unilorite  in department of performing art..Guys ain't gonna fool you this guy is good..here is a bit of his achievements.. He has won both coca cola and etisalat rap competition at unilorin
Rap competition here in Ilorin...hopefully z gonna b standing right next to BADDO..U guys really need to check this guy OUt..
Every singles he drop was a hit back to back...
 Watch out for his new music titled ASIKO LAYE 

What attracts me to a man –Yemi Alade

Singer, Yemi Alade, is not doing badly in her music career and she has even drawn more fans to her heart since she came on board.

Though she once said she would “like to date Phyno”, Yemi, in a recent chat with Saturday Beats, said she was still very single and she readily gave some clues to men who would want to sweep her off her feet.

Yemi said her ideal man must have the fear of God.

“I like my man to be God fearing; have a good sense of style and good humour. He has to be one that has ambition and purpose and he must show it, not just talk about it.”

Blessed with a sonorous voice, the singer who delved into the fashion world, said she made the move so that she would not waste her youth. She added that since the death of her father, she has had to be her mother’s pillar of support.

“I’m very good at multi-tasking. In the morning, I still go to the kitchen and do things myself. I am currently talking to someone for a shoe-line, and talking to other people for other business opportunities. I am everywhere. I must use my youth well. I lost my dad at a young age and so, I am like my mother’s father and husband. I have a business partner who will take care of my other businesses because she understands my work.

“I also went into fashion because of my love for African fashion. I discovered that whenever I go to other African countries to perform, they usually try to replicate my style, so I decided to make something for them and myself as well. The collection is about my personality, my style, and because my style is different, we have decided to make it available to my fans. We also made it in form of jewellery so that everybody can wear it. I am an African woman, but I do not wear Iro and Buba about, so I have decided to mix both African and modern culture together, and call it Afropolitan,” she said.

’94 Eagles don’t love themselves —Douglas

Ex-international Bolaji Douglas says hatred thrives among members of the 1994 Super Eagles who are seen as Nigeria’s golden generation of footballers.

Douglas was speaking in reaction to Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh’s comments on some of his ex-teammates, who he described as bench warmers during their time in the national team but were always critical of him (Oliseh) as a player and now as coach.

Oliseh launched the attack on his teammates, accusing them of forcing their players on him, via YouTube.

“One thing for sure is that there is so much acrimony between the 1994 set of Eagles; they simply have no respect for themselves going by the way they love to rip themselves apart. This is where the 1980 set wins my respect,” Douglas said.

“I got called up (to the Eagles) after the ’94 World Cup but I know most of the guys because I belong to that generation of Nigerian footballers. There is so much bitterness amongst them.”

The former captain of the defunct BCC Lions of Gboko said he was not shocked at Oliseh’s recent outbursts against the football federation and his critics, but advised the coach to put his problems aside and concentrate on the Eagles’ crucial 2017 Africa Cup of Nations double-header against Egypt in March.

The 1990 Africa Cup Winners Cup winner said, “To be honest, I am not surprised. That is vintage Sunny; he’s emotional and temperamental. I think he needs to calm down. As an ex-player turned coach, he should have gotten used to criticisms; it remains part of the game whether as a player or coach. Attacking everyone at sight is not the best; a little bit of patience and restraint would serve him well.”

2016 budget and civil servants as mafia (1)

As a push back to critics of President Muhammadu Buhari’s delay in constituting a cabinet about four months into his administration, the President reportedly retorted that ministers were “noise makers” and the job of running the bureaucracy was actually carried out by civil servants; so, why the hurry?

Indeed, the delay in forming the cabinet was essentially because Buhari was consulting with permanent secretaries who trooped in droves, into Aso Rock to keep our newly minted President abreast of the business of governance or statecraft.

So, at the inception of Buhari’s regime, it was not uncommon to see top civil servants in photo opportunities splashed out in both print, online and broadcast media platforms, in company with Buhari, clutching files and grinning from chin to chin like Cheshire cats to the consternation of politicians, especially those from the All Progressives Congress who could not wait to climb into the ministerial saddle.

Back then, President Buhari reposed so much confidence in Nigerian civil servants that he was not in a hurry to appoint ministers.

However, civil servants being the wily crop of people that they are, must have regaled the President with tales and fables about officialdom and their critical role and inevitability in running the bureaucracy that he became so sucked in and enamoured to the extent of regarding civil servants as “blue-eyed princes” while labelling ministers as “noise makers” .

At that time, civil servants, who some aggrieved Nigerians derogatorily tagged “evil servants”, because of their nefarious antecedents, had not shown him their true colours.

Today, Mr President will easily join the numerous Nigerians who have had close encounters with the “head honchos” in the bureaucratic establishments, by also calling them “evil servants” since he now has a taste of their evil plots evidenced by their reported resistance to Zero-based Budgeting and the secret planting of a whopping N1.6 tn into the 2016 budget.

Before President Buhari, many public servants had fallen victim of civil servants’ economic debauchery. At the level of the legislature, let’ s take a look at the case of former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, who was caught in the web of budget manipulation for a fee and subsequently lost his Senate Presidency on account of his indictment. How about a former Aviation minister, Stella Odua, who got fired from the cabinet of former President Goodluck Jonathan for purchasing two armoured BMW cars for an outrageous sum?

I can wager a bet that for every occupant of political office found guilty of corrupt enrichment, more often than not, they were instigated and encouraged by civil servants working with or under them. This is because, over the years, civil servants have mastered the art of pulling the wool over the eyes of political office holders and their permanency on the job (35 years) as opposed to public servants (ministers or Directors-General) who serve only one or two term of four years each and often less, gives them the undue advantage to perfect their devious art which is why they exhibit the characteristics of the mafia.

A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, now governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, was so keenly aware of the evil capacity of civil servants that he broke the mode of engaging civil servants as Special Assistants but instead sought exemption to source his aides from the private sector in order to achieve his development goals.

The beautiful city that he wove Abuja into, is a testimony to el-Rufai’s sidelining of civil servants to deliver on the mandate (as a man schooled in the art of building) of creating a modern city that was the envy of many visiting prime ministers and presidents.

It beats me hollow that the former FCT minister who is a close confidant of President Buhari did not alert him when he was romancing and hub nubbing with civil servants.

It is to the credit of “eagle eyed” legislators and more especially, civil society organisations who dissected the budget to sniff out the potential heist embedded in the 2016 budget by civil servants.

Truth is that, civil servants which constitute less than five per cent of Nigeria’s population, actually consume about 70 per cent of our country’s income, according to the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and now the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi 11. The giant sum of budgeted funds consumed by civil servants is in the form of salaries and emoluments, which is why Nigeria’s budget is tilted abnormally more to recurrent expenditure and less to capital projects, yet they are the biggest perpetrators of fraud. Issues of corruption in the civil service in Nigeria have been well-documented.

For instance, in 1975, after the late General Murtala Mohammed took over from General Yakubu Gowon as head of state, about 10,000 civil servants were sacked over corruption matters. According to the Pius Okigbo report, between 1988 and 1994, some $12.5bn in government revenue was stolen by civil servants.

Unsurprisingly, all the pension funds fraud, typified by the recent indictment of an assistant director in the civil service commission, Yakubu Yesufu, who frittered away N32bn and Abdulrasheed Maina, chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Funds, who could not account for about N195bn under his care, are clear reflections of the level of involvement of civil servants in corrupt practices.

To be concluded

How to spend Valentine in this harsh economy

 

Valentine is here again and love is in the air. This year, valentine will be spent over the weekend and so making excuses for your partner is nearly impossible. However, the current state of the economy does provide a valid excuse not to celebrate valentine and spend money on your loved one. Whether that excuse resonates with your spouse or partner is left for you to find out afterwards – my guess is that it won’t. For some people, Valentine’s Day without a gift, dinner and some quality time will never be complete and no excuses can be tolerated. But how do you cope when you don’t have money? Here are some ideas:

• Have dinner at home – Instead of going out on dinner date you can consider having the dinner at home. This should resonate well with couples who are hardly at home due to busy work schedules or even intending couples just getting to know each other. Dinner dates at home helps you both avoid distractions associated with restaurant settings. You guys simply spend quality time at a cheaper price. You just need to make the setting very special.
• Order dinner – If you are not the type who likes to cook or don’t know how to cook you can also consider ordering dinner outside. Loads of restaurants in Nigeria now provide such services in a very timely manner. Even though it might be slightly expensive it saves you a lot of stress, like having to drive out in traffic. You also save money spending on expensive drinks which fancy restaurants typically mark up at times like this.
• Go somewhere different – Valentine’s Day mustn’t be spent in exotic restaurants or locations only. Why not visit somewhere different and traditional like the movies, beach or spa. You could also visit memorable places such as where you first met or saw each other. Going to somewhere different more often than not takes you away from locations that might make you spend more on Valentine’s Day.
• Watch a movie and or play games at home – Just get some classic movies, popcorn, drinks and it feels like bliss. It is not something you do quite often so make sure you make this fun. You can even rearrange your living room or bedroom to give it a cinema feel. This can be fun!
• Invite parents –This works better if parents of spouses live in the same town. Though it requires some cooking or ordering of food, the memory typically last forever for everyone involved and is priceless. By the time you are done teasing about how you respectively met, I am sure you’d have had so much fun you’d hope to repeat it again.
• Shop before Val’s day – Doing things at the last minute is always costly especially on Valentine’s Day. Whilst some items are cheaper on Val’s day most are actually more expensive or even scarce to get. To avoid being in such a situation it is best you buy your valentine day gifts early enough. Two or three days to Valentine’s Day is fair, however waiting till that day even can be quite costly as signs of desperation starts to show.
• Discount deals – with the flurry of online shops in the country; it is now more possible to get many Valentine’s Day promos and deals. In fact, most advertisers have started pushing out valentine day promos to lure shoppers to buy. Why not take advantage of some of those deals provided they are cheaper and can be delivered to you on time.
• Get value for money restaurants – If you insist on going out on Valentine’s Day and do not want to spend heavily, it’s better you look for some of the cheapest classier restaurants in town that serve the best food. You should remember that what is most important at the end of the day is to eat a good food and spend a nice time together. A bad food in an expensive restaurant makes no sense. There are some restaurants in town that offer very delicious meals at affordable prices. Should you prefer an expensive restaurant then make sure the food is classy as that will amount to a waste of money.
• Make a sexy gift – For those who are absolutely broke and still want to show some love, you can still give your loved one a gift. Going online can reveal various ways of preparing homemade gifts that cost you next to nothing. Ironically, handmade or homemade gifts are sexy and more appreciated if they depict a memory of something special you both share. Whilst not many may be able to make a gift, there has to be someone out there, with an artistic touch that can pull this off.
• Make a huge sacrifice – A special sacrifice you can make on Valentine’s Day is dropping something you are used to doing every other day and devote full attention to each other. This might sound easy but trust me it isn’t. Imagine switching off your phones, shutting down laptops and tablets etc. for the whole day. These are strong addictions so sacrificing them just to give your spouse full attention is priceless.