Oro festival: Pastor arrested as church members allegedly stone traditional worshipper to death in Lagos

A clergyman and nine of his church members have been arrested for allegedly stoning a 25-year-old traditional worshipper, Agboola Akeem, to death during a clash in Lagos.

The clergyman, identified as Mercy Okoch of the Truth and The Spirit Prophetic Church in Lagos state, got into a fight with traditional worshippers on Tuesday, August 23 at about 6.30pm.

It was gathered that the traditional worshippers were celebrating their Oro festival while the church members were having a church service. The traditional worshippers allegedly invaded the church premises and asked them to stop their service.

The traditional worshippers and church members got into a shouting match, which turned into a brawl. In the process, one of the traditional worshippers was allegedly stoned to death. This caused a rage among the other traditional worshippers, who vowed to burn down the church.

Officers attached to the Oko Oba Police Division stormed the church premises following a distress call that the church, located at Number 2 Sanni Taiwo Lawal Street in Oko Oba, was about to be set ablaze.

The police were able to quell the tension and evacuated the body of the deceased and deposited it in the morgue. Nine churchgoers, including the pastor, are currently being held in police custody.

Woman arrested in Katsina for allegedly killing her boss inside office

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested one Ms Muhibat Taiwo Abdulsalam, a staff of the Federal Competitive Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Katsina branch, over alleged murder of her boss.

 

The suspect allegedly killed Julius Haruna, 57, the Northwest Zonal Coordinator of the commission in his office before accusing him of sexual harassment.

 

Spokesman of the command, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident said the suspect had reportedly done a certain report for which she demanded N80,000.

 

The deceased directed the cashier to give N4,000 to Abdussalam, arguing that what she did was not up to the amount she demanded.

 

According to the police investigation, an argument ensued between the suspect and the deceased in his office in the presence of the cashier who later left the two in fierce argument.

He added that the lady allegedly manhandled the deceased, tore his clothes and took his nude picture. She reportedly rushed to the GRA police station, where she reported him for alleged sexual harassment.

 

"Our investigations also revealed that the suspect, Ms Muhibat, had fought four previous directors who were there before the deceased,” Isah said, adding that investigation into the matter was ongoing.

 

After her report at the police station, some police officers were said to have followed her to the directors office only to meet him lifeless on the floor, with bruises on his body.

 

It was further gathered that Julius Haruna had reported Ms Muhibat severally to the Head Office for acts of insubordination.

 

The elder brother of the deceased, Aegidius Haruna, in a statement said "they quarrelled over money approved for her in the office because she needed extra which he refused to oblige. I think that is how the problem started." 

 

"We are shocked by his death. Our family members sent me here to seek justice for his death,” Aegidius said. 

 

He added that the suspect who is currently detained at the GRA Police station would be moved in due course to the state CID for further investigation. 

Okada man becomes international model after being scouted by fashion designer

A motorcycle rider aka Okada man, has been transformed after a talent hunter took a chance with him and used him as a model.

The fashion designer shared a video which showed the transition of the okada rider to becoming a dapper model that works with international agencies.

Taking to his TikTok account, @alber_noir, showed photos of when he met the bike rider and invited him to the studio.

The following part of the clip showed when the designer was measuring the bike rider and he subsequently transitioned into a professional model.

He then styled him, and as fate would have it, he became a picture perfect model who eventually started being on the cover of publications.

According to the caption in the video, all the man had when he was working as an okada rider was just hope.

Watch the video below:

Being an olosho is better than being a graduate in Nigeria — Prophet Solomon Adelana

 Popular Nigerian Prophet, Oba Solomoni, has averred that being a commercial sex worker pays more than being a University Graduate in Nigeria these days.

He said this in his recent live video where he bemoaned the situation of things in the country.

According to the controversial prophet, the value of going to school is hardly noticed because the jobs that come out of being a graduate don’t pay enough and when a graduate eventually retires, it’s not guaranteed that he/she will get pension.

In his words ;

When I think about Nigeria, I cry, especially for you graduates, I cry everyday.

You wake up everyday and suffer to go to school, they get a Job and they get owed salaries, they live like that until they retire and when they retire they have no pension.

Why then did they go to school?

The way it is, Olosho (prostitute) is better than a Graduate in Nigeria.

I cry for graduates.

WATCH VIDEO

Politician takes back water tank he donated to community after losing election

An aspirant contesting for a political position in Kenya has stirred controversy after taking back a goodwill donation.

According to reports, the politician identified as Henry Muthee Munyi, donated a water tank to Karurina community with the hopes that they will vote for him.

Unfortunately, he was defeated by his opponent defeated in the election and this angered him so much that he went back to Karurina, Embu to remove the water tank.

A photo shared on Twitter by RoadAlertsKE showed the spot where the tank was originally mounted now looking empty after being dismantled.

”An aspirant has taken back a water tank he had donated to the public in Karurina, Embu after losing. 😂 😂 ”, the tweet read.

It generated mixed reactions from Kenyans as some supported him while others described the act as pettiness.

@juniormyles9; I would take it back any time. See, when donating the tank, am sure those villagers promised him/her that ground. That means they lied, hence I would lie that I donated the tank.

@_victorodoyo; So what happens if he wants to run again in 2027? The villagers will never forget

@Amsoblest; This is my level of pettiness 🤣🤣🤣 Yes!! Take it all- take everything you’d given your ex mkikosana. Matter of fact, let the voters refund his money too 🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭

@TerryWangui7; This reminds me of the time when JJ Kamotho was running for a post in Murang’a . He had put up so many electrical poles with the promise of bringing electricity once he gets elected. People from Murang’a never elected him n so he sent some people to go n get his poles back.

@WaNduta8; But then, Moi took back KPLC posts from Kinangop, when his KANU man lost the elections. Bribing voters seems to be the norm in Ghenyan politics. Which invariably leads to poor Quality Leadership.

@Gilbertmwanga; Yes, public should stop this conmanship. They celebrate ua parties and tell u how u are winning before opening of voting only to give u an embarrassing count

@LewisMuuo; It means the public were not in need of it.if it were me i could have done the same,why help someone who doesn’t need the help.

@MaxwellOloo; Supported. Let the voters seek the same from the person they elected. Kenyan electorates are not serious with their future

@MoniqueNjoki; Never a dull moment in my motherland country 😂😂

Police arrest lesbian who allegedly stabbed her partner’s husband to death in Onitsha

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a woman who allegedly stabbed her lesbian partner’s husband to death in Onitsha.

The deceased, Ikechukwu Onuma, a staff College of Health, Onitsha, came home unannounced on Tuesday night, August 9, to find his wife, Nkemdilim in bed with another woman.

Unknown to him, Nkemdili, who he married in 2019, is allegedly a lesbian and had been keeping a female sex partner.

On catching them in the act, the lesbian identified allegedly attacked the man with a kitchen knife, stabbing him to death, after an argument ensued.

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the incident, said that the suspect has been arrested.

“We have a suspect in custody and the Commissioner of Police CP Echeng Echeng has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to State CID for a proper investigation,” He Stated.

Wike drags Atiku and Tambuwal to court over PDP primary

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has sued the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal over the conduct of the May 28/29 presidential primary of the party.

Wike and a PDP chieftain Newgent Ekamon are listed as the plaintiffs. In the originating summons, the PDP is listed as the first respondent while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the second respondent. Tambuwal and Atiku are listed as the third and fourth respondents respectively.

At the primary, Atiku polled 371 votes while Wike and Bukola Saraki garnered 237 and 70 votes respectively. Tanbuwal stepped down and asked delegates to instead vote for Atiku.

 

In the originating summons, Wike and his co-applicant asked the court to determine eight issues including whether the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku by the PDP was illegal and void. The Governor and his plaintiff also asked the court to determine if Tambuwal lost his claim to votes the moment he stepped down for Atiku.

He asked the court to determine whether Tambuwal “having stepped down during the primaries ought to lose his votes.”

Wike and Ekamon argued that should these issues be determined in their favour, the court should grant nine reliefs including a declaration that the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku be declared null and void. They are also asking the court to declare that the PDP acted negligently and in bad faith by assigning the Sokoto governor’s votes to Atiku at the primary. They prayed the court to “cancel the transfer of votes and a corresponding order restraining the 3rd respondent (Tambuwal’s) withdrawal in the primary was done after voting had commenced.”

The applicants also prayed the court to declare that the PDP and Atiku took undue advantage of Tambuwal’s withdrawal when they allowed the Sokoto governor to persuade delegates to vote for the former Vice-President in the primary.

In the court document, Wike and Ekamon also asked the court to order INEC to reject or remove Atiku from “its list of candidates in the 2023 presidential election.”

They are also seeking an order commanding the PDP to recount the votes of the primary that was held on May 28 and May 29.

Lastly, the applicants are seeking an order of the court “directing the 1st respondent (PDP) to declare the 2nd applicant (Wike), a presidential aspirant in the May 28 and May 29 primary as the winner of the aforesaid primary with a corresponding order directing the 1st respondent (PDP) to forward his name as the candidate to contest the presidential election in 2023.”

In a supporting affidavit he deposed to, Ekamon noted that he was a member of the PDP and attested to the fact that Wike won the presidential election. He maintained that Tambuwal withdrew from the contest after voting had commenced and directed that his votes be assigned to Atiku.

Read more here....

No Going Back On Tariff Hike On Calls, Data, FG Insists

The Federal Government said  it has concluded plans to implement the new tariff hike of five percent on calls and data, despite huge criticisms from stakeholders and consumers.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed this on Thursday said the government would begin the implementation of a five percent excise duty tax on all voice calls, SMS and data services, in addition to the existing 7.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) paid for goods and services across all sectors of the economy.

She made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the telecoms industry regulator

At the meeting, Ahmed, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Tax Policy, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Musa Umar, noted: “The five percent excise duty has been in the Finance Act 2020, but has never been implemented.

“Henceforth, the five percent excise duty will be collected by telecom operators and payment made to the Federal Government on a monthly basis, on or before 21st of every month.”

 Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi, Special Adviser, Media & Communications to the Minister, said in a statement that “against the comments by Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, concerning the five percent excise duty hike on telecoms services, it is worth noting that there was a circular stating the planned hike which was addressed to the communication minister and other relevant ministries and agencies of government.

“The circular referenced No. F. 17417/VI/286 dated 1st March 2022, and titled, ‘Approval for Implementation of the 2022 Fiscal Policy Measures and Tariff Amendments’, was addressed to different ministers, including the Minister, Communications and Digital Economy and other heads of government agencies.

 “The circular was addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Attorney-General of the Federation, Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment; Agriculture and Rural Development, and Mines and Steel and Development.

Others are Ministers of Health, Aviation, Information and Culture, Budget and National Planning.

 “Other heads of agencies copied in the circular are Accountant- General of the Federation, Comptroller-General of Customs, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council.

“Others are the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission”.

 According to Yunusa, part of the circular reads: “This is to convey that His Excellency Mr. President has approved Supplementary Protection Measures (SPM) for implementation of ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) 2022-2026 and excise duties on non-alcoholic beverage, cigarettes and tobacco products as well as telecommunication services with effects from 1st April 2022”.

The circular signed by Ahmed reads: “A grace of ninety (90) days commencing from the date of implementation of this circular i.e April 1, 2022, shall be granted to all importers who had opened Form M and must have entered into irrevocable trade agreement before the coming into effect of this circular to process and clear these goods at the prevailing duty rates.

 “However new import transactions entered from the 1st of April 2022 will be subjected to the new import duty regime,” she said.

Culled from the nation

Amotekun intercepts 168 suspected invaders who hid under 40 motorcycles in Ondo

 

Men of the State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, have intercepted another set of suspected invaders numbering 168 in Ondo State. 

 

This is coming less that four days after the corps intercepted151 suspected invaders being conveyed into the state. 

The latest suspects concealed themselves beneath over 40 motorcycles and cows loaded in two trucks. 

 

While parading the suspects at the command headquarters on Monday, August 8, the state Commander of the corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspects were intercepted on Sunday, around Itaogbolu-Iju, in Akure North Local Government Area, by a team on stop and search.

He said the Amotekun men became suspicious of the movement of suspects and stopped them only to discover some of them hiding behind the cows.

 

Adeleye explained that the investigation revealed that the suspects were coming from Kano and Jigawa states, claiming that they were picked in groups along the road and they had no destination in particular.

 

"After the profiling of the earlier ones, majority of them that do not have any case to answer we, we saw them back to where they came from but we found out that the influx of invaders still continues," he said. 

"On Sunday, our stop and search team saw these two trucks they told them that they were on their way to Ondo State with cows. After careful examination, we found out that they carefully concealed about 40 motorcycles with 168 people lying down beneath the motorcycles.

 

"The upper floor has cows, the middle has motorcycles wrapped and dismantled and on the lower floors, we have 168 people lying down, such that if you are not careful, you won’t observe it.

 

"So, we questioned where they were going and why they packed themselves and why they were avoiding people and they said they were coming to Ondo State.

"Upon interrogation, many of them do not have the address of where they are going, nobody invited them and we are becoming curious about these invasions. I called it invasion because you see over 100 able-bodied men concealing themselves under animals, it shows they are up to negative motives

 

"After investigation and profiling, if it doesn’t find anything on them and as long as they don’t have anybody that is ready to take custody of them in Ondo state, the corps will send them back to their various states

 

"We have commenced profiling but we want to warn citizens of the state to be wary of visitors because nobody knows how many of such invaders had managed to enter the system. We saw some of them with charms which we are yet to ascertain what the mission is

 

"Those who own the motorcycles, they confessed that non of the motorbikes had papers and of course, they photocopied some papers but you can see one engine number in 30 motorcycles which clearly shows that they were forged documents

"We will find out how they got the motorcycles and also find out their mission in Ondo State. If they don’t have any credible thing to do in the state, we will send them back.

 

Adeleye further said, 'while respecting their rights as Nigerians, it still feels that while travelling, anyone should have a mission and destination at where he or she is going to

 

"As a Nigerian regardless of geopolitical zone, you have the right to lawfully go to any part of the country but it is the unlawful part we are contesting

 

"When you now move in a suspicious way that would amount to criminality, that is where it puts you to question." he added.

 

IPOB Leader’s Lawyer, Bruce Fein Flays British Government For Abandoning Its Citizen, Kanu Amid Illegal Detention, Rights Violations By Nigerian Government

The Working Group had declared the arrest of Kanu as unlawful and an infringement on his international human rights

Bruce Fein, the international counsel and spokesperson for Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has described the position of the United Nations Working Group as legally binding on the Nigerian government. 

The Working Group had declared the arrest of Kanu as unlawful and an infringement on his international human rights. It also called for the immediate release of the IPOB leader and compensation to be paid to him by the Nigerian and Kenyan governments for the way he was treated.  

The Working Group on arbitrary detention, under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), disclosed this in a statement published on its website.  

The group comprises scholars and experts who specialize in human rights issues and related laws. 

Fein had petitioned the group over an alleged gross violation of his client’s rights. 

The UN group in its report also described Kanu’s repatriation from Kenya in June 2021 as an “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional extradition.” 

Fein in a letter to Catriona Laing, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, said Kanu is a British citizen and should be defended from a “lawless nation”. 

He asked the UK government to ask its Nigerian counterpart to comply with the UN Group’s declaration calling for the immediate, unconditional release and reparation of the IPOB leader. 

The letter reads in part, “On July 20, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a unanimous opinion addressing United Kingdom citizen Nnamdi Kanu’s kidnapping, torture, extraordinary rendition, and protracted detention without trial by Nigeria acting in collusion with Kenya. 

“Among other things, the Working Group Opinion called upon Nigeria ‘to take urgent action to ensure the immediate unconditional release of Mr. Kanu.’ Paragraph 107. The Opinion catalogued the serial human rights violations of Nigeria and Kenya regarding Mr. Kanu: ‘The deprivation of liberty…in contravention of articles 2, 3, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 2, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19, and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights….’ Paragraph 105. 

“The villainous maltreatment of Nnamdi Kanu by Nigeria and Kenya prompted the Working Group to refer his case to Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Paragraph 109. More than one month has elapsed since the unambiguous Working Group Opinion. 

“Nigeria has sneered at the Opinion as nothing but a scrap of paper like Belgium neutrality scorned by Germany in World War I to which Britain responded with war. 

“Once upon a time, the United Kingdom fiercely defended its citizens against lawlessness by foreign nations. It fought the War of Jenkins Ear in 1739 with Spain over an amputated ear of a British Captain by Spanish coast guards in the West Indies. 

“Nnamdi Kanu is a British citizen. He has suffered far more than Captain Jenkins at the hands of Nigeria and Kenya as corroborated and held by the U.N. Working Group. Yet you have done nothing to secure Mr. Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release as mandated by international law. Indeed, you have idled like Nero fiddling while Rome burned. You cannot claim ignorance. 

“A copy of the crystal-clear Working Group Opinion is before you. You are embarrassing the United Kingdom and the cause of human rights. Think of the stupendous contrast. The United States is moving heaven and earth to obtain the release of a United States basketball player from Russia after she pled guilty to a drug violation. It has offered to trade a notorious imprisoned arms trafficker Viktor Bout in exchange for Britney Griner’s freedom. 

“Nnamdi Kanu, unlike Mr. Griner, is innocent. He has not been convicted of any crime. Indeed, he is a victim of multiple crimes perpetrated by Nigerian and Kenyan authorities. Yet you and your superiors continue to permit Mr. Kanu to suffer in a Nigerian dungeon in flagrant violation of international law. 

“Have you no sense of decency? Has Great Britain sold its soul for a mess of pottage? Is the United Kingdom the land of Magna Carta and the immortal Winston Churchill with his dauntless denunciations of Nazi Germany? Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a tea party compared with Nigeria’s ongoing genocide of Biafrans—the Holocaust sans the gas chambers. It is not acceptable under law or God that Great Britain would declaim against the former and ignore the latter. Your silence is making Great Britain’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council a joke. 

“I regret the resort to language outside the customary euphemisms of diplomacy. But justice for Nnamdi Kanu and 70-80 million Biafrans is too important to be left to ambiguous clues or semaphore. I would respectfully request that you inform me promptly of the steps you have taken or contemplated taking to secure Nigeria’s compliance with the Working Group Opinion calling for Nnamdi Kanu’s immediate, unconditional release and reparations. 

“Nothing would gratify me more than for you to earn an honored chapter in the annals of human rights and international law.”