3 Commercial Tricycle Drivers Allegedly Gang-Raped 11-Year-Old Girl In Bayelsa

March 14, 2019

The Bayelsa State Police Command have arrested three commercial tricycle (popularly known as ‘Keke NAPEP’) drivers over alleged gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in an uncompleted building along the Azikoro village road of the state.

The alleged gang rape, which was carried out a fortnight ago, was reported to the Divisional Police office at Azikoro road after a ‘speak out’ campaign initiated by the Dise Ogbise Foundation (DOF).

The victim, whose name was withheld, was threatened with death by the three tricyclists after she was repeatedly raped.

Though the details of the alleged gang rape were sketchy, the victim revealed the matter to the coordinator of the DOF, Barrister Dise Ogbise-Erhisere, during the speak-up advocacy campaign tour of private and public secretary schools in the state.

Ogbise-Erhisere, a legal practitioner and Chairperson of the Sagbama branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), also confirmed that through the speak-up advocacy campaign, over 20 cases of defilement were discovered.

“The accused tricyclists and others have all been arrested and we hope that they will be prosecuted soon. This incident occurred three weeks ago,” she said.

She said the UNICEF report of 2018 indicated that at least one or more cases of sexual violence by profiles occurred in Bayelsa State daily, with many unreported. The report is further worsened with the fact that the cases between the ages of one month to 17 years declined to speak up, and no report of these cases was made to the relevant agencies for either prosecution or prompt medical attention.

“Another case point is that of a 15-year-old girl who was raped on her way to the market and she kept quiet for over four months because she was threatened with death. The end result is a four-month pregnancy,” she added.

“The Dise Ogbise foundation embarked on the speak up campaign to all schools in Baylesa State. This is indeed a wake-up call that once a child notices any suspected child molesters around them, our advice is for them to speak up and report to the Police. The speak up campaign also deals with cases of those who have been defiled to speak up as silence of our kids is getting from Bad to worst on daily basis.

6 Abuja Area Councils, Others Get N2.6 Billion January Statutory Allocation

Editorial staff

March 14, 2019

The six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other stakeholders have received N2.6 billion from the Territory’s Administration as their share of statutory allocation for the month of January.

The FCT Permanent Secretary, Chinyeaka Ohaa, who spoke today, Thursday at the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting in his office, said that in the breakdown of the allocation, Gwagwalada Area Council received the lion share of N226 million, while Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) got N221 million.

Abaji Area Council received N183 million, while Kuje Area Council got N167 million; Bwari Area Council N164 million while the sum of N154 million was given to Kwali Area Council.

Chinyeaka Ohaa said that primary school teachers got N1.2 billion, while15 per cent pension funds accounted for N226 million. He added that one per cent training and 10 per cent employer pension contribution gulped N107 million.

The permanent secretary charged the council chairmen to ensure judicious use of the fund for payment of staff’s salaries and infrastructural development of their respective domains.

He emphasized the need for the payment of workers’ salaries, saying that the action boosted the electoral fortunes of political players in view of the ripple effects it created.

Atiku Pays Homage To Obasanjo In Abeokuta

Greenbarge Reporters

March 14, 2019

Defeated Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the February 23 Presidential election in Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, exchanges greetings with former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he paid him (his former boss) homage at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday. With them is the former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Buhari Too Gets Tribunal’s Node For Access To Inspect INEC’s Electoral Materials

Editorial staff

March 14, 2019

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has granted access to President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to inspect the materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the February 23 presidential election.

In their separate ex parte applications for the order of inspection, Buhari and his party had said they needed to be granted access to the materials to enable them to defend themselves in any petition which the runner-up in the poll, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had filed.

The Justice Abdu Aboki-led tribunal had earlier on March 6 granted similar order to PDP and Atiku, permitting them to inspect the electoral materials used by INEC for the conduct of the election to enable them to file their petition against the outcome of the poll.

Buhari and the APC, through their lawyers, moved their separate ex parte motions before the three-man bench today, Thursday.

The tribunal, in its rulings made the order permitting them to carry out the inspection of the electoral materials and obtain the certified through copies of the documents from INEC.

Lagos Building Collapse: Asiwaju Tinubu Insists On Pulling Down Weak Structures

Editorial staff

March 14, 2019

All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has advised government to take urgent step to demolish buildings that are adjudged as weak across the country.

Commenting on Wednesday’s collapse of a building in Ita-Faji, Lagos Island, in a condolence message today, Thursday, Tinubu, who is the former Lagos governor regretted that the school children lost to the building collapse did not deserve to die the way they did.

“They do not deserve to die the way they did. May God comfort their families and grant repose of the souls of those young ones. Government must now ensure adequate medical treatment for the rescued victims.

He stressed that government’s laid down regulations on building construction and maintenance must be faithfully respected and enforced, adding that to mobilize support for these regulations, Community Development Associations need to come to government’s aid.

“If the collapsed building had been found to be weak and marked for demolition and everybody involved had done what was required of them, perhaps this terrible incident would have been averted.

“On its part, the government must fast-track demolition arrangements once a building is discovered to be weak and deserving of being pulled down to save lives.

“Above all, we must all take appropriate lessons and learn from this sad incident.”

Church Prays For Success Of Buhari In His Second Term

Editorial staff

March 14, 2019

The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria has prayed for the success of President Muhammadu Buhari on the renewal of his mandate by the Nigerian electorate during the recent presidential election.

A letter addressed to the President and signed by the General Overseer, Rev Felix Meduoye on behalf of the Board of Directors, leadership and entire worshippers of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, said: as a Church, we will continue in our duty of offering prayers for the success of your administration.”

The Church also prayed for President’s sound health and divine wisdom to guide him in lifting the country to the desired level of growth, development and progress.

“We pray that God will enable you to utilize this God-given mandate to continue to forge a strong, virile and united Nigeria irrespective of race, religion or region.

“Your victory at the presidential poll held on Saturday February 23, 2019 is a testimony of God’s divine providence over your life. We commend your administration for providing the enabling environment for a generally peaceful and successful election.

“We urge you to see your renewed presidential mandate as a call from all Nigerians to you to marshal the growth, unity and stability of our dear country. We therefore pray that God will enable you to utilize this God-given mandate to continue to forge a strong, virile and united Nigeria irrespective of race, religion or region.”

None Inclusion Of MRDD In Ballot Paper: Court Halts INEC In Adamawa

Editorial staff

March 14, 2019

The Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) has convinced Yola High Court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting a supplementary Governorship Election in Adamawa, fixed for March 23 because the electoral umpire failed to include its logo on ballot paper for the election.

Justice Abdul-Aziz Waziri, in his ruling after going through the two affidavits in support of the motion including that of extreme urgency, held that the request has merit and therefore was granted.

“After careful perusal of the a annexture of the MRDD 1 to 5 alongside written address of counsel urging me to grant the application, I am of the view that the application is pregnant with merit and must be granted.

“I hereby grant the following order.

“The defendant here in, the INEC is restrain whether by themselves, their executives, servants, privies, representative nominees or any other person or persons from proceeding with the supplementary election in respect of Adamawa State Governorship pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”

The Judge ruled that all the processes relating to the suit be served to Adamawa INEC in Yola in compliance with Order 6 of the Court.

The case was adjourned to March 21 for hearing of motion for the interlocutory injunction.

Speaking to newsmen on the development, counsel to MRDD, Mustafa Shaba said the plaintiff, MRDD represented by the state chairman of the party, Ibrahim Umar, rushed to the court to complain against what he described as “serious infraction”.

“The party has come to court and fortunately the election has not been concluded to stop INEC from further breaching of the party’s candidate (Rev. Eric Theman) right.

“We want the logo to be place and the election to start afresh.

“What we apply for today is for Interim injunction restraining INEC as it is for now from proceeding until the needful is done.”

Reason Why INEC Decides To Conduct Supplementary Elections In Kano, Other States

Editorial staff

March 13, 2019

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stood its ground over the decalation of the governorship elections in six States of the federation inconclusive, and decided to hold supplementary elections in those States.

The states and the votes which the winning party and the runner up scored are as follows:

1: Adamawa State

Umaru Fintiri (PDP) – 367,471

Jibrilla Bindow (APC) – 334,995

Margin – 32,476

Cancelled votes – 40,988

2: Bauchi State

Bala Mohammed (PDP) – 469,512

Mohammed Abubakar (APC) – 465,453

Margin – 4,059

Cancelled votes – 45,312

3: Benue State

Samuel Ortom (PDP) – 410,576

Emmanuel Jime (APC) – 329,022

Margin – 81,554

Cancelled votes – 121,019

4: Kano State

Abba Yusuf (PDP) – 1,014,474

Abdullahi Ganduje (APC) – 987,819

Margin – 26,655

Cancelled votes – 128,572

5: Plateau State

Simon Lalong (APC) – 583,255

Jerry Useni (PDP) – 538,326

Margin – 44,929

Cancelled votes – 49,377

6: Sokoto State

Aminu Tambuwal (PDP) – 489,558

Aliyu Ahmed (APC) – 486,145

Margin – 3,413

Cancelled votes – 75,403.

Ex President Jonathan Caused Present Economic Hardship, Father Mbaka Opens Up

Editorial staff

March 13, 2019

“The present hunger and famine in the land was not caused by Buhari but by the Jonathan administration. We should even thank God for giving us a type like Buhari who knows how to spend prudently.”

These were the words of maverick religious leader, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, at a weekly prayer meeting today, Wednesday in his prayer ground Umuchigbo-Nike Enugu.

Father Mbaka, who is the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria, said: “the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari is divine. Could anybody believe that after all the insults that were thrown at him, that at the end of the day Buhari will win the presidential election? So, his victory has spiritual connotation.

“Those of you who are criticising Buhari that he is not doing well should be mindful of your utterances. I could recall in 2012 when there was oil boom in the country I told the Nigeria President then, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his associates to save for the raining days and they did not heed my advice, rather they told me not to interfere in politics; that I should mind my pastoral work.

“Even in Enugu state, didn’t you see what happened? I told Senator Ayogu Eze the Governorship candidate of the APC that he will not win the Governorship election, that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will finish his eight years in Office. Didn’t it happen? Out of over 400,000 votes that were cast, was it not 10,000 and something votes that he got? So my prophecy is not from man rather from God.”

The controversial cleric warned trouble politicians in the country to stay away from his ministry, even as he said that his religious inclination was a gift that God bestowed on him, to save the captives and preach the message of God to his people.

“The gift I have is not sold in the market, neither do you get it anywhere in the world. So, when I prophesy you are not in a position to criticize the prophecy I give because it is from the oracle of the Holy Spirit.

“Those who are still plotting for the downfall of the adoration ministry should remember the present condition of Mr. Peter Obi, politically, and if they don’t desist from that, they will be failing in all their endeavours.

2 Gun Wielding Young Men Kill 6 Students 2 Teachers, Commit Suicide In Brazil

Editorial staff

March 13, 2019

Two young men wearing hoods and carrying guns, knives and crossbows opened fire at a school in southern Brazil today, Wednesday, killing six students and two teachers before taking their own lives.

Governor Joao Doria, who confirmed the incidence, said that several other people, who were hit by the bullets, have been hospitalized with injuries. He spoke a few blocks from the public school in Suzano, a suburb of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city.

The governor said that the attackers were in their early to mid-20s, and would not want to believe that they were former students.

Joao Doria said that students of the school had been evacuated and police were inspecting what appeared to be possible explosives left by the shooters.

“The school is on lockdown,” he said.

Students gathered outside the school recounted harrowing attacks and seeing several bodies lying in pools of blood.

“We were at recess and eating like normal and we heard three pops, then we tried to run to jump over the walls,” Rosni Marcelo Grotliwed, a 15-year-old student said.

She said the attackers had guns and knives, and when she ran to the principal’s office, she saw many dead people.

“My friend was stabbed in the shoulder and my other friend was shot,” she said. “I escaped with one friend and went home and then came back to look for another friend.”

Horacio Pereira Nunes, a retiree whose house is next to the school, said he began hearing shots around 10 a.m.

“Then a lot of kids started running out, all screaming,” he said. “It didn’t take long until police arrived.”

The public school, Raul Brasil Professor, has more than 1,600 students from elementary to high school grades.

Latin America’s most populous nation has the largest number of annual homicides in the world, but school shootings are rare.

In 2011, 12 students were killed by a gunman who roamed the halls of a school in Rio de Janeiro, shooting at them.

President Jair Bolsonaro ran on a platform that included promises to crack down on criminals, in part by expanding public access to guns. Soon after being inaugurated Jan. 1, Bolsonaro issued a decree making it easier for people wanting a gun to buy and possess one.

Standing outside the school, Claudio Cabral said he had been trying to reach his nephew, 17-year-old Douglas Mourinho, so far without luck.

“He is a smart kid. We heard many students jumped the wall,” Cabral said hopefully. “Maybe that’s what happened.”

1...1,0911,0921,093...2,499 Page 1,092 of 2,499