Jonathan Vows To Launch Spiritual Battle Against Avengers, Militants

July 7, 2016

The General Overseer of Victory Assembly Ministry (VAM), Bishop Jonathan Eze has warned the Niger Delta militants to stop blowing up oil pipelines as the spiritual leaders will no longer sit back to watch militants destroy the country.

“If the militants do not stop this madness, we will fight them spiritually and subdue them.”

Bishop Eze, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Owerri said: “the Avengers are not fighting a just cause because their activities are affecting and threatening the peace of the nation. Nigerian oil is a natural gift from God and nobody has the right to destroy it.”

The Bishop who was reacting to the incessant attacks on oil pipelines by the new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), said that if the Avengers were aggrieved over any issue, they should address it in a civil manner rather than threaten the country.

According to the general overseer, who is also a UN Peace Ambassador, the avengers are incurring the wrath of God by their activities, stressing that if the country must remain one, no group should threaten the peaceful existence of the nation in the name of militancy.

Bishop Eze blamed Niger Delta leaders for allowing the situation to get out of hand, adding: “the leaders in the Niger Delta region are to be blamed because they are the people that groomed the militants and they should call them to order.

“How can there be governors, senators, traditional rulers and other top government officials from the region; and yet they cannot caution their children from destroying government assets.” The clergyman encouraged the Federal Government to take a critical look into the issue and handle it with diplomacy. (NAN). [myad]

Murder Of Nigerian In Italy: Security Arrests Suspect As Prime Minister Condemns It

Greenbarge Reporters

July 7, 2016

The murder, on Wednesday, of a 36-year-old university lecturer, Emmanuel Chidi Nnamdi in Italy has led to the arrest of a man, Amedeo Mancini, 35, suspected to be the brain behind it.

This is even as the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi took to Twitter to condemn “hatred, racism and violence,” which was the hallmark of the killing.

The country’s Interior Minister, Angelino Alfano attended a security meeting in Fermo on Thursday, after which he announced that Chinyere, the deceased girlfriend would be granted refugee status.

Chidi was beaten to death in a racist attack by a right-wing football hooligan in the central Italian town of Fermo.

Chidi was walking with his wife, Chinyery, on Via Veneto in Fermo on Tuesday night when they suffered racial abuse. The football hooligan allegedly called Chinyere, 24, a “monkey.”

That led to an altercation and Chidi was brutally beaten on the head, reportedly with a road-sign pole, until he fell to the ground.

The attack caused a brain hemorrhage that resulted in an irreversible coma. Chidi died on Wednesday.

Chid and his girlfriend, Chinyere, arrived in Italy last year after escaping an attack by the Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, at a church in Nigeria in which they each lost their parents and their daughter. Chinyere also lost her baby after the perilous Mediterranean crossing.

Meanwhile the president of the chamber of deputies, Laura Boldrini had expressed “dismay” and “outrage” on hearing the news that “a man who escaped the ferocity of Boko Haram terrorists in his country was killed, here in Italy, because of hatred, racism and xenophobia”.

The couple had been living in the area for eight months and were lodged in a shelter run by Catholic charity Caritas. Chinyere has been moved to another centre. [myad]

You Are Only Damaging Your Environment, Speaker Dogara’s Aide Tells Militants

Greenbarge Reporters

July 7, 2016

Senior Special Assistant on State Legislative Affairs to the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has made it clear that the Niger Delta militants are only destroying the land in the region and causing havoc to environment by the continued blowing up of oil pipelines and other economic sabotages.

Dogara’s spokesman, Iliyasu Zwal, who spoke in an interview in Bauchi on Thursday, reminded the militants that each time they destroyed oil facilities, their environment was the first victim.

“Whenever there is destruction of oil facilities, the problem of pollution in their environment is worsened as the air, water and soil are affected.

“The situation is even capable of triggering outbreak of diseases, just as farming and fishing activities are adversely affected,” he noted.

He said that whatever efforts were being made by the Federal Government to address the environmental problem of the region, were being negated by activities of the militants.

Zwal, who was also the Chairman of Committee on Defense and Security in the seventh Bauchi House of Assembly, advised the militants to embrace dialogue as the Federal Government is willing to negotiate for peace.

He called on the elders in the Niger Delta to prevail on their youth to embrace dialogue in the interest of the region and the country at large.

NAN. [myad]

Madonna Sheds Tears In Kenya Over Child Rape Case

Greenbarge Reporters

July 7, 2016

American Pop star, Madonna shed tears during a trip to Kenya as she listened to a man describe how his five-year-old daughter was recently raped by a neighbour in Nairobi’s Kibera slum.

The singer met the man during a visit to Kibera, one of Africa’s biggest slums where she had gone to see how she could improve the lives of its residents.

Madonna Madonna Trevor Neilson, who manages Madonna’s Raising Malawi and Ray of Light Foundations, said the rape incident was an incredibly powerful and disturbing conversation about the realities of violence in the people’s lives. According to Neilson, this story brought Madonna to tears.

The “Material Girl’’ singer, who took her four children to the east African country, posted a video on Instagram showing cleaning of streets, clearing gutters and painting murals.

Madonna also met Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta to discuss working with her charity to scale up maternal and child health programmes and initiatives against gender violence.

The Kenyatta’s “charity Beyond Zero’’ provided mobile clinics that offered basic health services to Kenyans in remote areas that recently introduced safe spaces for victims to report gender based violence.

Madonna’s basic belief was that no child, no woman should be attacked anywhere “Period’’, Neilson said.

“There needs to be a bright light shone on this problem, which creates an environment that enables the victims to come forward and forces the law enforcement to pursue these things.’’ Constance Gakonyo, the First Lady’s Chief of Staff, said the two women also discussed ways of working together but they did not go into details.

Madonna’s welcome in Kenya was in contrast to the criticism she faced after visiting Malawi in 2013.

Madonna was accused by Malawi for expecting its government to be forever be grateful to her for adopting two Malawian children and contributing to the construction of classrooms in that country. (Reuters/NAN). [myad]

Nigeria Government Is Pushing Darkness Back, Says Bishop Oyedepo

Greenbarge Reporters

July 7, 2016

“Nigeria’s healing is taking place now, and the health of the nation is being restored now. We are pushing darkness back.”

This was the submission of the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church (LFC) worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, when he addressed both local and international assembly of the church workers in a broadcast on Thursday morning.

He called on the Christians who are involved in fostering the present revival of the nation by God through their prayers and work not to relent as they were entitled to rewards from the Lord.
Oyedepo described Nigeria as a country that is moving forward, in spite of its present economic challenges.

He told the workers that both the nation and the church were in a period of revival and that sacrifices would have to be made. [myad]

Woman Tortures, Blinds 12 Year old House Help In Lagos

Greenbarge Reporters

July 7, 2016

A woman identified only as Gloria has blinded one of the eyes of her 12-year-old houseboy identified as Peter, following brutal and frequent torture.
Gloria had employed Peter who is from Togo to work as her housemaid at 14b, Olu Akerele Street, Balogun Bus Stop off Awolowo Way, Ikeja area of Lagos State but the minor had been suffering severe beating in the hands of the woman.

It was learnt that in one of such cruel beatings, Peter lost an eye. The victim was said to have been thoroughly beaten when his master returned from an outing and discovered that he did not wash a kettle properly.

She was said to have descended on the boy and in the process, injured his eye.

Concerned residents said they could no longer withstand her cruelty so they reported the case to the police and the woman was arrested.

A resident who pleaded anonymity said the woman was well known for being violent and was avoided by everyone in the area.

“If the boy comes to watch television with them in the parlor, he would be beaten. On school days, you will see the boy leaving home around 9.30a.m.

“We feared the unexpected with the manner the woman used to beat the boy. He has a deep sore on his leg. When we asked him about it, he said it was burnt from fire. He said the swollen eye was caused by beating from his madam for not washing a kettle properly.

“He has been subjected to violence for a long time. You know everybody used to mind his or her business in the compound. When I saw the boy last, he was looking sickly. Hence I decided to seek help from the appropriate agency.

“This is an ideal case of child abuse and child labour. We need the intervention of child protection network in his case,” the resident added.

Meanwhile, the police had not made any comment on the arrest of Gloria. [myad]

N4.7 Billion Fraud: Ekiti Protesters Demand Governor Fayose’s Resignation

Greenbarge Reporters

July 7, 2016

Thousands of protesters on Thursday stormed the major streets of Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, calling for the immediate resignation of Governor Ayodele Fayose on account of his involvement in a N4.7 billion fraud and corruption case under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The protesters, who were mostly residents of the state, also voiced support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against all forms of corruption in the country. Students, youths, commercial drivers, artisans, and traders took place in today’s protests alongside members of civil society organizations as they hoisted placards and walked through Fajuyi Park to Ejigbo junction chanting anti-corruption messages.

Some leaders of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State led many of the protesters, our correspondent noted.

Addressing the protesters, Kemisola Olaleye, the Ekiti State APC deputy chairperson, said the residents of the state were tired of the Fayose-led government, accusing the governor of using immunity to shield himself from his acts of impunity.

“We are tired of the one day, one problem of [the] Ayodele Fayose-led administration in Ekiti State and we also don’t want him as our governor [anymore],” said Ms. Olaleye. She added, “We are raising our support for President Muhammadu Buhari for his war against corruption.”

Taiwo Olatubosun, the Ekiti APC’s publicity secretary, asked the EFCC to further beam its searchlight on Governor Fayose’s governance of Ekiti State.

“It is obvious that the anti-graft agency is only talking about Fayose’s account in Zenith Bank, but we have it on good authority that his account in Access Bank contains much more than what they discovered in Zenith Bank,” he said.

He also alleged that the governor’s account at Skye Bank contains a larger deposit than what the EFCC found at Zenith Bank, insisting that all the deposits came from state funds.

“Last week, Governor Fayose moved money from Access Bank with three vehicles at about 8 p.m.,” Mr. Olatubosun further alleged.

He asked agents of the EFCC to “investigate all these things as Ekiti has become a house of fraud under Fayose.” He vowed that the APC would continue to resist all forms of immunity by Mr. Fayose’s administration in the state.

Olatubosun claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the direction of Governor Fayose, had concluded plans to recruit thugs from neighboring Ondo and Oyo state for a rally against President Buhari on Friday.

Speaking at Thursday’s rally, Olaoluwa Samuel, the contact and mobilization leader of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Ekiti State, called on the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies in the country to thoroughly probe Mr. Fayose’s administration.

An official of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State asked Mr. Fayose to submit himself for investigation regarding the N4.7 billion reportedly released by the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014 to fund the governor’s election. The CNPP also demanded that the members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly accused of certificate forgery should submit themselves for prosecution by the anti-graft agency.

In a press statement Thursday’s protests, the CNPP asked Fayose to offer state residents an account of how he spent N1.5 billion to acquire property in Abuja and Lagos. [myad]

Another Nigerian Beaten To Death In Italy

Greenbarge Reporters

July 6, 2016

A few days after a Nigerian, Fola Orubiyi was stabbed to death in London, another Nigerian, 36 year old law lecturer, Emmanuel Chidi has been beaten to death in Italy as his girlfriend watched.

Chidi was hacked to death in a racist attack by a right-wing football fan in a central Italian town.

Italian officials confirmed on Wednesday that Chidi was walking with his girlfriend, Cinieri, in the heart of the small town of Paolo Calcinora on Tuesday, when they had racial abuse heaped on them by the supporter of a local football club.

The matter was said to have led to an altercation and Chidi was brutally beaten on the head until he fell to the ground. He never recovered consciousness and died in hospital on Wednesday.

“As mayor of a town that is welcoming and open to integration, I feel I’m living in a nightmare,” the town’s mayor said.

Chidi had been living in the area for eight months and was lodged in a shelter run by Catholic charity Caritas.

His girlfriend had lost her baby after a perilous Mediterranean crossing.

The head of the community don Vinicio Albanesi called the incident in Fermo “cold-blooded provocation” and recalled in this connection that not so long ago before the churches of the city were laid explosive devices.

Hundreds of migrants arrive daily in Italy. The Italian interior ministry said last week that a total of 70,930 people landed between January and June — almost exactly the same number as the same period in 2015 and only slightly higher than in 2014.
Source: Agi news agency. [myad]

Presidency Protests Killing Of 17 Year Old Nigerian In London

Greenbarge Reporters

July 6, 2016

Nigeria Presidency has protested over the killing of a 17 year old Nigerian, Fola Orebiyi in Londong, saying that it is unacceptable to the country.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Nigerian government said that the stabbing to death of Fola was one brutal incidence too many and called for investigation into the matter.

The statement which was signed by Abika’s Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in Abuja on Wednesday, said that the killing of Fola and other extra-judicial killings of Nigerian citizens in UK was becoming worrisome.

She called for a thorough investigation of the incident and urged the UK Government to ensure that justice prevailed.

The Presidential aide condoled with the family of the deceased over the ugly incident and prayed to God to give them the fortitude to bear the loss.

She said that while Nigeria would not condone crime and criminal tendencies, it took exception to the harassment, killing and execution of its nationals abroad unjustifiably.

The statement said that Fola was stabbed to death during a street clash by a gang of youths on Sunday at Notting Hill, London, adding that he was reportedly chased down the busy road, where he was stabbed in the neck in front of shocked passersby and tourists.

It added that efforts by the Police and paramedics to resuscitate him when an ambulance arrived, proved abortive.

Reacting to the death, the deceased’s neighbour, Osman Sahal, told the police: “He was a nice boy and very considerate; none of us can understand how this could have happened.

“As far as I knew, he was never in trouble. I suppose we must now wait for the police to investigate,” Sahal was quoted as saying.

Orebiyi, who completed his General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) at Holland Park in London, was studying for his `A’ levels at the Chelsea Academy before his death, the statement said.

It said that London Police had arrested a yet-to-be identified 15-year-old boy in connection with the death.

NAN. [myad]

CBN Confirms That All Nigerian Banks Are Healthy

Greenbarge Reporters

July 6, 2016

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has made it clear that contrary to what it called ‘malicious rumours and unfounded speculations that some banks in the country have gone or may be going into distress,’ all the banks in the country are operationally healthy.

A statement Wednesday by the Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, said: “The CBN wishes to reiterate in the strongest terms that these rumours and speculations are untrue and do not reflect the actual health of the individual banks and,indeed, the entire banking industry.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the infusion of a new Board and Management for Skye Bank Plc is a proactive regulatory action meant to ensure that the bank does not continue to fail in its relevant prudential ratios. Neither Skye Bank nor any other bank in the industry is in distress.

“Therefore, the CBN would like to request the general public to ignore speculations or rumours to the contrary as they could only be the handiwork of mischief makers who do not mean well for the Nigerian banking system and its economy.

“As the regulator of the industry, the CBN hereby reassures the banking and general public that their deposits remain safe in any Nigerian bank. There is no need for panic withdrawals from any bank.

“Going by both the CBN’s Examination Reports as well as analysis from market watchers, International Credit Rating Agencies, and Development Finance Institutions, the Nigerian banking industry remains strong in spite of the global economic challenges emanating from the collapse of global commodity prices.

“We therefore urge the banking public to remain calm and go about their normal businesses without panic. It is important that we do not create problems when none exists.” [myad]

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