The Rivers State Police Command has arrested three suspects, including a herbalist linked to the beheading of a nine-year-old boy, Destiny Peter, who went missing in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Spokesman for the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, disclosed this in a statement in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Omoni also said the dismembered body of the schoolboy had been recovered and his remains deposited in a mortuary, adding that the suspects’ arrest was made possible through intelligence gathering.
The statement reads,” The Rivers State Police Command has arrested the trio of Kenneth Sylvanus ‘m’ 24yrs, a native of Azumini Isiokpo, Chibuzor Amadi ‘m’ 33yrs, a native of Omademe both in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State and Chijioke Ogbonnah ‘m’ 37yrs, a herbalist from Abia State but resides in Omagwa in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“Recall that on 11/11/2021 one Destiny Peter nine-year-old was declared missing by his aunt who contacted the police and the community youths, whereupon a serious search was launched leading to the recovery of the headless body in the bush the following day. However, through intelligence gathering, the identities of Kenneth Sylvanus and Chibuzor Amadi were revealed. Chibuzor Amadi was immediately arrested and on interrogation, he took the police to an uncompleted building in Azumini Isiokpo where Kenneth Sylvanus was arrested.
“They were taken to the Isiokpo Area Command and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
“In continuation of the investigation, men of the state CIID immediately took steps and went with the two suspects who gave clearer perspectives to the crime. They led the police to the bush where the dismembered head of the deceased was recovered behind an uncompleted building.’’
Omoni added that on further interrogation, Sylvanus confessed that he killed the boy and that it was Ogbonnah who asked him to bring a human head for him to buy.
According to the police spokesperson, based on his confession, Ogbonnah was arrested on Thursday in his house at Omagwa. The statement indicated that Ogbonnah denied any involvement in the murder, claiming that he was a herbalist and sold spiritual materials including treating all kinds of ailments.
He stated, “The command appeals for calm and promises to get to the root of this mindless killing to bring the culprits to justice.’’
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The Chairperson, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has blamed Itunu Babalola, the Nigerian lady who died in an Ivorian prison, saying she reported her plight late to the Nigerian Commission in Ivory Coast.

Dabiri-Erewa said this during an interview on The Morning Show programme of Arise TV, monitored by our correspondent. She stated that Itunu had spent two years in jail before the matter was reported.
She said, “She did not inform the mission about the trial. She had spent two years in jail, then her father cried out for help. Perhaps, when she had issues with the burglar and policeman that was changing the case and reported to the Mission, maybe it would have been a different story.”
The former member of the House of Representatives, however, stated that the Nigerian Ambassador to Ivory Coast, Martin Adamu, immediately swung into action after the matter came to his knowledge.
Dabiri-Erewa stated that the Ivorian prosecutor said the victim should not be in jail.
She said, “But as soon as the ambassador got to know about it they immediately took action. First, they went to see her when she was in prison, somewhere outside Abidjan and got a lawyer. They also got money together for the lawyer to even begin the case. And the money was raised within the Nigerian community and the Nigerian Mission quickly. The lawyer gave an assurance that it was a case for an appeal. In fact, the prosecutor made it clear that the girl (Itunu) shouldn’t be in jail.”
Babalola’s case became public in March 2021, after a journalist, David Hundeyin shared her story on Twitter.
The 21-year-old from Oyo State was a trader based in Bondoukou, Cote d’Ivoire before her apartment was burgled by an Ivorian in September 2019. She landed in jail after refusing a settlement from an Ivorian police officer on the burgled items.
Unfortunately, Babalola died on Sunday, 14 November, after reportedly contracting an infection in prison. Dabiri-Erewa added that the deceased was not involved in human trafficking despite using the name ‘Becky Paul’ while in Ivory Coast.
She said, “We wouldn’t know because she is dead now, maybe she was afraid. But whatever the case, she was not involved in human trafficking.”

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Workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation have suspended the three-day warning strike which they started on Thursday due to their demand for improved welfare.

President, Nigeria Union of Railway workers, Innocent Ajiji, said the strike was suspended after some resolutions were reached between the Nigeria Union of Railwaymen and officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

“We have suspended the strike after reaching various agreements with officials of the transportation ministry and we have told our members to resume work,” Ajiji told our correspondent.

The NUR president said it had been agreed that the personal data of deceased workers would be collected for processing for immediate payment, adding that every worker was already covered by the group life assurance scheme.

Ajiji said the meeting also resolved that all the train crews be given insurance cover as the train passengers and the goods in transit.
He noted that the enhanced salary regime had been taken up as a priority by the NRC board and FMoT with a view to securing approval for implementation in the earliest possible time.

“It has been agreed that no member of staff shall be victimised as a result of his/her participation in the three-day industrial action of November 2021,” he stated.
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The Imo State Police Command has begun investigation into the burning of a Magistrate’s court in Ubulu in the Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State.
Hoodlums had on Monday attacked and razed the Magistrate’s court.

The miscreants, who were over 15, reportedly came with explosive devices and immediately ignited fire on the court.
The development caused tension in the community as many deserted their homes.
But the spokesperson for the police in the state, Micheal Abattam, told The PUNCH on Wednesday that the state commissioner of police, Rabiu Hussaini, had ordered a holistic investigation into the case of arson.
Abattam, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said that the command was working hard to apprehend the attackers.
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The management of the University of Ilorin has expelled a final-year student, Salaudeen Waliu Aanuoluwa of the Department of Microbiology after being found guilty of assaulting a female lecturer, Mrs Rahmat Zakariyau, of the same Department.A statement by the University’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, disclosed that the verdict was handed down by the Student Disciplinary Committee where Salaudeen was arraigned on Monday, adding that “he has 48 days to appeal against the verdict to the Vice-Chancellor in case he feels dissatisfied with the decision”.“Salaudeen has since been handed over to the police for further necessary action,”, Akogun added.A letter written to Salaudeen by the University Registrar read, “You will recall that you appeared before the Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC) to defend yourself in respect of an allegation of misconduct leveled against you.“After due consideration of all evidences before it, the Committee was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the allegation of misconduct has been established against you. It has accordingly recommended to the Vice-Chancellor, who in exercise of the power conferred on him, has directed that you Salaudeen, Waliu Aanuoluwa be expelled from the University.“Accordingly, you are hereby expelled from the University with immediate effect.“You are required to submit forthwith, all University property in your custody including your Student Identity Card to the Dean of Student Affairs or his representative and keep off the campus.“In case you are dissatisfied with this decision, you are free to appeal to the University Council through the Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences to the Vice-Chancellor within forty-eight (48) days of the date of this letter.”

The Lagos State Police Command’s Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, says it has arrested 12 suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of police officer Kazeem Abonde, a Chief Superintendent of Police.

The late Abonde, a former Operations Officer of the Command, was killed on September 23 during a raid on criminal hideouts at Ajao Estate, Lagos.
A statement signed and issued on Tuesday in Lagos by the Command’s Spokesperson, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the suspects were arrested after diligent investigation was carried out.
“Arrest of one Ismaila Abdullahi Haruna, aged 23 years, and 11 other suspects was made possible as a result of a four-week intensive but diligent investigation carried out by crack detectives of the Command.
“The suspects, who confessed to the crimes of conspiracy, murder, attempted murder and wilful damage were arrested in their criminal hideouts in Lagos and Nasarawa States where they were hibernating to evade arrest after the dastardly act.
“During interrogation, the suspects gave a blow-by-blow account of how the brutal attack on the deceased police officer and other injured police officers was carried out and the criminal roles each played.
“Their arrest was facilitated by credible, actionable intelligence.” the statement read.
CSP Ajisebutu, however, added that all the suspects will be arraigned at the Yaba Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
“Recall that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, had in a press release issued on Sept. 24 vowed to arrest all suspects involved in the attack on the policemen.
“The Commissioner of Police, while thanking the bereaved family and other members of the public for their patience, understanding and support, equally vowed to ensure diligent prosecution of the case.
“The police, therefore, seek further cooperation of members of the public, particularly the Command’s strategic partners, by giving additional information that could lead to the arrest of other suspects still at large,” it added.
(NAN)

The new Speaker Imo House Of Assembly has been receiving accolades since he was installed, this time is from a brother and the publisher Arise Africa Magazine Mr Anyanwu Ikechukwu who heartily congratulates Rt Hon Barr Kennedy Ibeh , Member Representing The Good People of Obowo State Constituency on your well deserved emergence as the New Speaker Imo State House of Assembly

He said “It is my strong belief that you would apply your wealth of experience as an astute Lawmaker, and as a Two Term Ranking Member, with enviable Track record in repositioning the Imo State House of Assembly”

Praying for God’s Grace, Protection And A Successful Tenure

Mr Anyanwu said.

Femi Osibona, Chief Executive Officer of Fourscore Homes Limited, is dead. Osibona is the owner of the company which constructed the 21-storey building that collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday.

Rescue workers, who spoke on the matter said his corpse was recovered from the rubbles some minutes ago.

There have been concerns over the whereabouts of Osibona, Wale Bob-Oseni, his friend, and others trapped in the building.

Bob-Oseni, who was to catch a flight to the US, briefly made a detour to see the project on the invitation of the developer but did not walk out alive.

While nine people were rescued, 38 have been confirmed dead. – CKN

There is a caveat to the discourse of this column today. As the Yoruba would say, whomsoever the mud that is splashed hits should please forgive. Splashed mud, as you know, is a loose cannon.
Those who may be concerned should take a long term view of the problem and, for the love of humanity, take appropriate actions to right the systemic wrongs against females in Northern Nigeria.

The need of the northern female in Nigeria goes beyond mere statutory ceding 35 per cent of elective and appointive roles to womenfolk. It’s about empowering them to meaningfully contribute to Nigeria’s development.

At a recent workshop organised by Institute for Media and Society, it was established that certain categories of Nigerians – women, youths, people with disabilities, senior citizens and Internally Displaced Persons – are excluded from the political and electoral processes.
Exclusion of Northern Nigeria females from politics despite the token appointments as ministers, commissioners, deputy governors and board members, gets one worried when you hear about systemic wedges placed between women and participation in Nigeria’s political and electoral processes.
Women get little chance to express alternative views on any issue, be it political or social.

If they do, it amounts to sacrilege and is therefore, sanctionable. The story was told that a female professor from Northern Nigeria could not appear on a television talk show because her husband forbade it on the pain of divorce.
This violates Section 35(1) of Nigeria’s Constitution, which states that “Every person shall be entitled to his (or her) personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of such liberty….”
Also, Section 38(1) that guarantees “freedom of thought…,” and Section 39(1) that guarantees “freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”

The reason the husband reportedly gave was that any female that appears on television is an “ashawo,” another word for a wayward female. That is why articulate Aisha Yusuf, and the other Aisha, who is Nigeria’s First Lady, are practically regarded as rebels.
This patriarchal culture hamstrings many Nigerian women, from the North or South, from attaining their best. To borrow a wisecrack from Bashorun MKO Abiola, the Nigerian political bird that precludes women from participating in politics is flying with one wing.

Early marriage of girls not older than 13 years is depriving Nigeria of a lot of potential talents. You’ll get the import of this collosal waste of human capital when you understand that most of the 13.5 million out of school children in Nigeria are females who have been railroaded into the junkyard of life.
To the number of male children, described as almajirai, there are probably many more that are female, who are just as helpless, because the system pays them no judicious notice as they sink further into the abyss of life.
By the time these bride-girls turn 19, they would have had close to four or five children and would have been furloughed by their husbands, who move on to younger girl-brides, especially if they have the misfortune of the dreadful Vesico Vaginal Fistula.

Symptoms of VVF: constant leakage of urine from a female’s bladder into her genital include fever, stomach pains, diarrhoea, loss of weight, nausea and vomiting. Some scholars argue that illiteracy, early marriage, poverty, deliveries at home with quacks, in the most, are the latent causes of VVF.

By the way, Nigeria, with between 400,000 and 800,000 victims of this preventable condition has the highest number of victims in the world, with 20,000 added annually. More than 90 per cent of the cases go untreated while the old men, who caused it in the first place, just move on.

You will be right to conclude that victims of VVF practically have no lives and there are almost no hopes of escape from the biological damage to their bodies and the lifelong trauma of the inevitable social stigma that accompanies their condition.

A husband, who perennially lives in Lagos, leaving his young wife for months on end, was compelled to stick by her, whom he had stigmatised because a bottle, that she inserted into her private part in the manner of a sex toy, broke, and caused her material damage.

If those Godly elderly mallams had not insisted that he was responsible for his wife’s action, he would have dumped her. The young wife, who would have been followed all over the place by a male member of her absentee husband’s family would have had no chance of consummating her sexual urge by engaging in adultery.

She resorted to the dangerous alternative of using a bottle as sex toy.
The girl-child in Northern Nigeria is weighed down by the triple tragedy of illiteracy, early marriage and the oppressive patriarchal system that gives no voice to the female. It’s very inconvenient that a significant portion of the population is kept under some kind of slavery in this 21st Century.
A panel of discussants on a radio talk show recently came to the awful conclusion that “Digital generation, Our generation,” the theme of 2021 UNICEF International Day of the Girl, marked on Monday, October 11, 2021, is not realistic for the Nigerian girl-child, who is facing a deluge of social, economic and political encumbrances.
It gets scandalous when you remember that Section 17(3)(f) of Nigeria’s Constitution says “The State (meaning the government) shall direct its policy towards ensuring that children; (and) young persons… are protected against any exploitation whatsoever, and against moral and material neglect.”
Also, Section 18(1) provides that “Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.” Section 18(3) adds that “Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy…”
Unfortunately, the constitution that imposes these grand responsibilities on the government through Chapter II on Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, also takes them away with the satanic Section (6)6(c):
“The judicial powers vested in (Section 6(1)) on the courts established for the Federation, shall not… extend to any issue or question as to whether any act or omission by any authority… is in conformity with… Chapter II of this Constitution.”
This, in plain English, means that no one can hold any government accountable on Sections 17(3) and 18(3) of the Constitution in a court of law. This ouster clause is like handcuffs made for the elbow and not the wrists.
And that’s why the girl-child, in Northern or Southern Nigeria, is virtually without any protection from the whims and caprices of a system designed to use them for pleasure and then cast them away.
To borrow and rework a counsel given to the media by Prof Ayo Ojebode of the Department of Communication and Language Arts of the University of Ibadan, the North must be intentional in liberating its womenfolk from the systemic shackle. By freeing the Nigerian women, you are freeing Nigeria.
This is no pitch for feminism, but a call to take advantage of Nigeria’s human capital potentials. First Lady Aisha Buhari says, “I would encourage our husbands to support their wives to collectively achieve greater heights.”
The northern political establishment should hold an indaba, take a cue from its own Prof Yusuf Usman, and invest in the girl-child, even if that wasn’t Prof Yusuf’s exact words.
Copyright PUNCH

The Nigerian Communications Commission plans to engage stakeholders on the Fifth Generation spectrum auction towards the implementation of the 5G network in Nigeria.

The Commission will engage with the relevant industry stakeholders to examine the draft Information Memorandum for the upcoming auction of the 3.5 gigahertz spectrum band.

This was contained in a press statement titled ‘NCC Hosts Stakeholder Engagement on 5G Spectrum Auction’, which was signed by the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde on Tuesday.

The statement read, “As part of activities lined up for the implementation of the 5G Technology Deployment Plan in the country, the NCC is set to host a stakeholder engagement forum this week. The forum will afford industry stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the draft IM for the upcoming auction of the 3.5GHz spectrum band.”
It added, “The decision to host the stakeholder engagement is in keeping with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and NCC’s distinctive tradition of robust stakeholder consultation on all telecom regulation-related issues.”

The NCC had earlier stated that it was 97 per cent ready for the implementation of the 5G network in Nigeria, which should be accomplished by January 2022.

© Punch

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the suspension of the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mr. Gbolahan Oki,
The governor also said the government will find out what went wrong and punish those indicted in the 21-storey building that collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State on Monday.

The Governor, as a first step, has directed that the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahan Oki, an architect, be suspended from work immediately. The suspension is indefinite.

This was contained in a press statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso.
Part of the statement read, “The Lagos State Government is setting up an independent panel to probe the collapse of the 21-storey building on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi.
“Members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners Nigeria Society of Engineers, and other professional bodies.

“It will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence. The investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government.

“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the government will surely find out what went wrong and punish those indicted.
“The Governor, as a first step, has directed that the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mr. Gbolahan Oki, an architect, be suspended from work immediately. The suspension is indefinite.”
Details later…
© Punch

Soldiers of the Nigeria Army on Monday invaded Isingwu, a hamlet in Imama Village, Mgbowo in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State and burnt houses with an undisclosed number of youths killed for yet to be identified reasons.
However, some accounts claimed the soldiers were in the community to arrest an alleged leader of the Eastern Security Network, the security arm of Indigenous People of Biafra, who hailed from the community.

A source told our correspondent that the said suspect, known as Chocho, was said to be at large when the military personnel invaded around the community at about 5am and started shooting indiscriminately, burning houses including the family house of the said suspect.
“They torched his house and sprayed bullets in nearby compounds. In short, the soldiers who were chanting jihadist songs were burning properties in the community like they were at war with the community,” one of the sources told our correspondent.
Although an eyewitness, who pleaded not to be named, said there was no casualty during the attack, there are reports that undisclosed number of youths were killed during the invasion.
The source said, “The villagers were surprised at the invasion because there had not been any attack by ESN members in recent time. We have not had any issue with IPOB or its security wing ESN. In short, it is the ESN that stopped herdsmen kidnappings, killings and rape of women in the community and around Awgu council area. Where were the soldiers when the Fulani herdsmen were ruining the community before emergency of the ESN?”
He noted that before the Monday invasion the military had engaged in show of strength, parading the entire town everyday. This development, he said, made the people to live in fear.
However, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders has condemned the gruesome killings of innocent civilians and burning of their houses and properties by soldiers in the South-East describing it as “wicked, villainous and barbaric”.
The group in a statement titled, ‘The Nigeria Military’s murderous excesses in Awgu Local Government of Enugu State, an aberration to the rule of law,’ said the Nigerian military has no constitutional right to move into a civilian community and start shooting, killing and burning community houses, describing it as genocide and such act amount to ethnic cleansing.
The statement which was signed by the group’s President General and Publicity Secretary, Mr Goodluck Ibem and Comrade Okey Nworu respectively, said the burning of community houses or houses said to belong to a suspect or family can only mean one thing, that soldiers were Fulani terrorists executing jihad against Igbo.
The statement partly read, “The Military under the democratic setting is governed by constitutional norms. The Nigerian Constitution being the grand norm, absolutely prohibits the use of extra legal killings of citizens under section 33 (1).
“What on earth will make soldiers who are paid with taxpayers money to invade a civilian community killing anything on sight and burning down houses if not to conquer the territory.
“The plot to Fulanise and Islamise Nigeria is no longer a hinder agenda but an open one now. The Awgu genocide is a clear one for all to see.
The soldiers who came for the mission in Awgu were killing people and speaking Fulani and Hausa language. They were carefully handpicked by their sponsors for the wicked genocide mission.
We are very aware that the plot to annihilate Ndigbo for the Fulanis to take over Igboland is because the South East region are predominantly Christians. It is so sad that such genocide is happening in a supposed democratic administration were the rule of law, right to life and fundamental human rights are meant to be respected by the government.
Awgu is a peaceful and law-abiding community. The community has not been in the news for the wrong reasons. For the Nigerian military to move into a peaceful and and law-abiding community to kill innocent people while abusing those they are killing with Fulani and Hausa language means that there is more than meets the eye. Truly Igboland has been marked for take over by the Fulani using the Nigeria military but they will not succeed.
“We call on the South-East governors who are the Chief Security Officers of their various states to stand up on their feet and defend their states. If they keep quiet believing that they are secured because they have security around them, very soon the Fulani killers will get to them. The time to address and arrest the situation in the bud is now.”
The youth leaders however, called on the United Nations and the international community to immediately come to the aid of the people of South-East who have been marked for annihilation because they are Christians.
“We hereby demand for an independent panel of inquiry into the genocide committed by Nigerian soldiers in Isi-Ngwu community and the massive destruction of houses. The soldiers that carried out the burning and killings must be fished out and tried for committing war crime against the people.”
Meanwhile, efforts to get reaction of the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful as the spokesman of the military, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu could not take his calls or respond to text message at of the time of filing this report.
Also, when contacted on telephone, the Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 82 Division, Major Abubakar Abdullahi, told our correspondent to give him some time, but after several hours, he sent a text saying “please get across to Director Army Public Relations”.

© Punch

Suspected Fulani herdsmen have reportedly kidnapped a-yet-to-be ascertained number of travellers along the popular Sapele-Warri Road in Delta State.
Witnesses claimed that the incident occurred on Saturday. But the Delta State Police Command denied knowledge of such a kidnap operation in the state.

One of the victims who claimed to have narrowly escaped from the kidnappers but sustained injuries in the process disclosed that the herdsmen attacked the travelers in their large numbers.

The unnamed victim while speaking in a video shared on Facebook by Warri Aproko Special stated that the attackers hit him with a gun and whisked away his family.
The victim further narrated that occupants of other vehicles were also kidnapped.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe, however denied knowledge of such kidnap operation in the state.
He simply said, “No report of such pls”, in response to our correspondent’s request.

Punch