Showing posts with label Features. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Features. Show all posts

Monday, January 8, 2018

NSCDC records 1,204 criminal, civil cases in Jigawa

NSCDC

The Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) recorded 1,204 cases comprising 321 criminal and 883 civil matters in 2017.

The state Commandant of the corps, Mr Muhammad Durumin-Iya, made the disclosure at a news conference in Dutse on Monday.

Durumin-Iya said that the command recorded 777 cases made up of 144 criminal and 633 civil cases in 2016.

The commandant said that the cases recorded in 2017 included armed robbery, theft, fraud, gross indecency, conspiracy and gross misconduct.

According to the commandant, the other cases included, assault, arson, trespass, breach of trust, homosexuality, rape and defilement.

He said that the command also recorded cases of family, contract, communal, land, tenancy, farmers/herdsmen disputes as well as cases of diversion of petroleum products, larceny, trespass, vandalism and drug abuse.

He said that the command secured 180 convictions out of the 321 criminal cases in 2017, adding that 134 cases were transferred to the relevant agencies while seven were pending.

The commandant said that all the 883 civil cases were settled out of court by the command.

Durumin-Iya attributed the increase in the cases to urbanisation, increase in population, unemployment, rural and urban drift, and harsh economic situation.

He called for collaboration of security agencies in the state in tackling crime.

“The solutions to the problem should include synergy of all security agencies, training and re-training of officers and men, aggressive public awareness campaigns and cooperation from the general public,” he said.

According to him, lack of adequate operational vehicles and office accommodation in the 27 LGAs of the state had been militating against the command’s operations.

Durumin-Iya called on the federal, state and local governments to come to the aid of the command.

He, however, hailed the state government for support, and thanked the mass media for publicising activities of the command.

The commandant also hailed officers and men of the command for dedication, and called for continued support and cooperation of the people of the state.

Mike Dean admits he was “wrong” to award West Brom penalty against Arsenal

Referees’ chief, Mike Riley, has revealed that Mike Dean has admitted his decision to award West Brom an 89th-minute penalty in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal on December 31, was “wrong”.


Dean gave the penalty for handball against Arsenal’s Calum Chambers and Jay Rodriguez equalized from the spot.

Riley says it would have been overturned by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology.

“I know Mike would have overturned it.

“He messages people, and he’s a very honest guy, and he goes, ‘I got it wrong’. He knows he did,” Riley said, quoted by the Daily Express.

Kieran Gibbs’ cross hit the wrist of Chambers at close range, while the defender’s arm was in front of his chest.

“You award the penalty because what you have seen on the pitch is the arm coming towards the ball.

“But immediately there is evidence from another camera angle which shows actually the opposite happened. That is the safety net of the VAR.

“I think Chambers would have been overturned. The question you ask is, is it an act of deliberate handball? And the reverse angle shows him trying to bring his arm out of the way of the ball, rather than the reverse,” Riley added.

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, is currently serving a three-match ban for his protests. The Frenchman was also fined £40,000.

VAR will be used in the Carabao Cup final next month and both legs of the Chelsea v Arsenal semi-final.

Fix nation’s refineries now, NUPENG urge NNPC

NNPC

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Monday called for the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries to end the recurring scarcity of petrol in the country.

Mr Tayo Aboyeji, the South-West Chairman of the union made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

“It is disheartening to know that despite the fact that the nation is a major producer of crude oil, it cannot refine the product for its local consumption.

“It is ridiculous that for the past 15 years now, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had been spending billions of dollars on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries with nothing to show for it.

“If all our four refineries are producing at their maximum output, the country will not be spending billion of naira on importation of refined product.

“This is the right time for our refineries to work, the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency fix the refineries now,” he said.

The chairman urged the NNPC to increase supply of petrol to depots in order to reduce the scarcity nationwide.

According to Aboyeji, it is not yet time for total deregulation of the sector and advised the government to reduce import duty and provide waiver to oil companies to import the product.

On petrol stations selling above the official pump price, Aboyeji urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to investigate properly before sealing such stations.

“To me, it is not all about the pump price; it is about where they are getting the product and how much they are getting it.

“Are these private depots selling above the ex-depot price of N133.28?

“Since DPR started the sealing of petrol stations that are selling above official pump price, we have not seen them asking questions in private depots how much they are selling to marketers.

“Oil marketers are in business to make money; they cannot get petrol at higher price and sell at lower price.

“It is the responsibility of DPR to find out the source of where the marketers are getting the product before sealing the stations,” he said.

Onyeama receives 491 Nigerian returnees from Libya in Port Harcourt

Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama / AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, has reassured Federal Government’s commitment to return all stranded Nigerians from Libya.

Onyeama gave the assurance when he received 491 Nigerian returnees from Libya at Port Harcourt International Airport, alongside Rivers Government officials.

The minister said there were stories of exploitation and suffering by stranded Nigerians in Libya, which compelled Federal Government to act decisively.

He added that “we made it clear to the Libyan Government that we want to see all Nigerians there. We insisted that we should see all of them, instead of hearing from them.

“We made it clear that they (Libyans) are signatories to international conventions and we expected them to have control of those who guard our children.

“They cooperated with us because of respect for Mr President, there were people who were making money from these children and did not want them to return home.

“We carried out rigorous outreach to ensure that we have everybody back.”

The minister noted that the programme was a continuous process that would return all stranded Nigerians from Libya.

The minister explained that “the Libyan Government got the message that as far as they are Nigerians, we have zero tolerance for molestation.”

The Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Sir Kenneth Kobani, who led the state delegation, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for making efforts in returning the stranded Nigerians.

He said “as a state government, we had no choice really, let me say that the Rivers State Governor made it clear to me that we should do everything possible to make sure that this exercise was handled smoothly.

“The Rivers State Government would do everything in its power to assist federal agencies handling this programme, because above everything else, we are all Nigerians and this programme is a clear indication that when we work together, we can achieve anything.

“What you are seeing here today clearly shows that our governor and indeed the President feel same about this issue.

“On behalf of the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, I will like to thank President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his team who worked tirelessly to make the return of our brothers and sisters successful.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the returnees were profiled at designated booths at the airport.

NAN reports that the minister was accompanied by officials from the Nigerian Immigration Service, NEMA NAPTIP and military personnel.

Conte backs Barkley for England World Cup role

(FILES) This file photo taken on April 23, 2016 shows Everton's English midfielder Ross Barkley reacting after the final whistle of the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Everton and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London on April 23, 2016. Ross Barkley has completed his widely anticipated move from Everton to Chelsea, the reigning Premier League Champions announced on January 5, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL /

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants to help new signing Ross Barkley claim a place in England's World Cup squad even though he has not played since May due to a hamstring injury.

Barkley signed for Chelsea from Everton on Friday for a cut-price fee in the region of £15 million ($20 million, 17 million euros) as his Toffees contract was due to expire this summer.

Conte does not know when the 24-year-old -- who needed surgery -- will return, but Chelsea's Italian manager hopes the midfielder can make Gareth Southgate's Russia 2018 squad.

"We have five months to show he deserves a call with the national team for the World Cup," Conte said. "I hope (he gets one), because it means he will do very well with us."

Barkley trained at Chelsea's Cobham base this weekend and is due to meet with Conte for the first time on Monday.

The Blues boss is reluctant to put a timescale on when Barkley will be available before first assessing him.

"It's important for me to see him, to understand his physical condition," Conte added. "My hope is to have this player (available) very quickly."

Conte spoke of Barkley's versatility, but said it was important the Everton academy graduate understands his role tactically before he is selected.

"He can play in midfield, if we play with three midfielders, or number 10 if we play 3-4-3," Conte added.

"Before playing we must be sure that he is into our idea of football. Otherwise it's a problem for him and it's a problem for the rest of the team."

EEDC begins clearing of network for improved power supply

PHOTO :Iwin.org.ng

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) says it has commenced the clearing of its network for improved electricity supply to its consumers in the southeast.

A statement on Monday in Enugu by the company’s Head of Communications, Mr Emeka Ezeh, said the clearance was to detect faults on its trunk lines.

Ezeh said that the company would also install additional 500 transformers before the end of January, adding that over 80 of the transformers had been deployed and commissioned.

“EEDC uses this opportunity to appreciate its esteemed customers for their support and understanding during 2017 and reassures them of its continued effort in ensuring a better customer experience in 2018,’’ he said.

Ezeh cautioned residents of the zone against indiscriminate bush burning during the dry season to avoid unsafe acts that could result to electrical accidents or fire outbreaks.

“There is need for them to stay safe and exercise care, especially as we have moved into extreme dry season,’’ he said.

34 ships laden with petroleum products, food items, to arrive Lagos ports

Thirty four ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods are expected to arrive Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports in Lagos from Jan. 8 to Jan. 30.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) stated this in its publication, `Shipping Position’, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

NPA said that the ships contained buck wheat, frozen fish, bulk gas, bulk fertiliser, aviation fuel, bulk sugar, empty containers, diesel, petrol and containers laden with goods.

The document indicated that six ships had arrived the ports waiting to berth with bulk fertiliser, containers, aviation fuel, base oil and petrol.

City need trophies to be 'big club' - Guardiola

Manchester City's English midfielder Raheem Sterling (L) and Manchester City's Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (R) celebrate at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Oli SCARFF 

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City must match Manchester United and Liverpool by winning trophies in order to become one of the game's giants -- and dazzling football is not enough.

The runaway Premier League leaders maintained their relentless charge in four competitions by sweeping into the FA Cup fourth round at Burnley's expense on Saturday.

They are now eyeing a place in the League Cup final as they host Championship side Bristol City in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday.

"A win helps to win more, then we are there, going to go to London to play the final," said the City manager.

"It's important (to win trophies). To become a big club like the teams I have faced, or teams like (Manchester) United or Liverpool, with a really big history, you have to win.

"Nobody can take away what we have lifted so far -- the pleasures from this team of the last three or four months, they belong to us. In the process, when you live in good moments, I say to the players, 'Enjoy it'. It is so complicated it may not happen again.

"But after, of course, to give real value to what we have done so far, what we are going to do in the future, you have to lift the titles. Without that, it's OK, it's good, but not enough."

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was pleased to see Leroy Sane back on the scoresheet in the 4-1 victory against Burnley.

The winger has been one of several standout City performers this season but the strike was the 21-year-old's first since October and Guardiola feels he still has much to do to reach his full potential.

"He has a special talent," said Guardiola. "Of course it was important to score another goal. We need his goals, but also his assists, crosses, how he defends backwards.

"He made a lot of very good things but at 21, 22 years old -- I met only one player in my life at that age who knew absolutely everything and he could do absolutely everything. The other guys have many, many things to improve, and Leroy especially."

Barcelona win as Coutinho waits, Real Madrid held

Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (R) celebrates a goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Levante UD at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on January 7, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGO

Lionel Messi marked his 400th appearance in La Liga with the opening goal in Barcelona's 3-0 win over struggling Levante at the Camp Nou on Sunday as the Catalans prepare to unveil Philippe Coutinho.

Messi's 365th goal in Spain's top flight was followed by strikes from Luis Suarez and Paulinho as Barcelona stretched their lead at the top of the table back to nine points over Atletico Madrid.

They are also now a massive 16 points clear of defending champions Real Madrid, who were held to a 2-2 draw away at Celta Vigo despite a brace from Gareth Bale, and remain fourth.

Barcelona are still unbeaten in La Liga this season and on Monday will officially unveil Coutinho following the Brazilian's 160 million-euro ($192 million) move from Liverpool.

With all the talk about Coutinho, coach Ernesto Valverde was eager for his side to keep their focus on winning their first league outing since beating Real Madrid 3-0 in the Clasico on December 23.

"Levante had not lost away since September. We were very good in the first half, but the rhythm was not the same in the second half," said Valverde.

Barcelona's previous record recruit Ousmane Dembele -- a 105 million-euro buy from Borussia Dortmund in the summer -- was included in the line-up for the first time since tearing his hamstring nearly four months ago.

He came close to scoring on a couple of occasions, including from one 20-yard strike that was beaten away by Levante goalkeeper Oier Olazabal.

"I think he has to bring something to the team, and he also has to face up to the competition for places and for the tackles he will face on the pitch, from opponents who don't want to let him past," said Valverde.

"It is a process, but I thought he looked good and we still hope he can improve."

It was Messi who broke the deadlock with a fine first-time finish in off the post from a Jordi Alba assist for his 16th league goal of the campaign in the 12th minute.

The second goal arrived seven minutes before the interval, as Suarez controlled Sergi Roberto's fine ball into the box before firing home.

It was the Uruguayan's 400th professional goal, his 131st for Barca putting him seventh on the club's all-time list of leading scorers.

Barca rounded out the victory in the third minute of added time as Messi's low ball across goal at the end of a jinking run was turned in by Paulinho.

- Celta deserve draw -
Madrid were without the injured Sergio Ramos and the suspended Dani Carvajal in Vigo and their makeshift defence was exposed when Daniel Wass put the hosts ahead in the 33rd minute.

The Dane was afforded acres of space although his chipped finish over Keylor Navas from the edge of the box was still a delight.

With Karim Benzema injured, Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo started together for the first time since late September.

And it was Bale who quickly turned the game around, slotting home from a fine weighted pass by Toni Kroos in the 36th minute and then beating the offside trap to prod in an Isco pass two minutes later.

However, Celta fought back after the break to claim a deserved point.

Iago Aspas saw a 72nd-minute penalty saved by Navas after he had been fouled by the Costa Rican goalkeeper, but Maxi Gomez rose unmarked to head in a Wass cross eight minutes from time.

Zinedine Zidane's side do still have a game in hand on the sides above them but they are now only one point further away from the relegation zone than they are from Barcelona.

"We made too many mistakes and lost the ball too often, especially in the second half," said Zidane.

However, he insisted he isn't looking for reinforcements in the January transfer window.

"We'll see what happens but at the moment I am happy with my squad."

Second-placed Atletico beat Getafe 2-0 on Saturday, with Diego Costa scoring and then being sent off in his first league appearance since returning to the club from Chelsea.

Valencia are 11 points behind Barcelona in third after coming from behind to beat Girona 2-1 at Mestalla on Saturday.

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Buhari governement wrecking economy with fuel scarcity, says PDP

Uche Secondus

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Ministry of Petroleum Resources to find solution to the biting fuel crisis in the country has wrecked the nation’s economy.

The opposition slammed the Federal Government for planning to trade away the nation’s resources to other interests under “sneaky subsidy deals.”

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP expressed sadness that Buhari had refused to heed wise counsel from Nigerians to quit as minister of petroleum and allow competent hands to effectively manage the sector. The party said Buhari’s rejection of the advice had left the nation with no hope of any solution to the current fuel crisis and its attendant hardship on Nigerians.

“It is now clear to all that President Buhari-led APC Government is bent on wrecking the nation. Instead of abating, the situation is getting worse under the APC administration, which on December 6, 2017 promised to end the fuel crisis within one week.

“What is more frightening is the atrocious proposals by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu which amounts to trading away the nation’s resources to the mercy and vagaries of international interests through questionable subsidy plan that is completely against national interest.

“This same minister who denied plans to increase the price of fuel is also plotting an indirect hike through a wicked price modulation plan where NNPC will be allowed to continue to sell at N145 per litre in its few mega stations across the country while the independent marketers should be allowed to sell at whatever price is profitable to them in all their outlets,” PDP said.

The party accused APC government of deceiving Nigerians in its promise not to increase fuel prices. “We all know that there are very few NNPC stations and that most of such stations will not even have the products. What this means is that after ruining the system, the APC administration is now contemplating handing Nigerians over to unspeakable whims of independent marketers, while attempting to cover shady subsidy regime through which billions of naira could be frittered away daily under their watch.”

The statement continued:
“This proposal will leave our economy, which is already weakened by the incompetent and corrupt APC government, in complete comatose and result in more hardship on the already impoverished Nigerians.

“With the poor purchasing power of the naira, also due to bad policies of the APC government, any additional anti-people policy will ultimately spell doom for our dear nation.

“Nigerians are now aware that the same government that boasts of zero tolerance for corruption has been engaged in unspeakable grafts, including unabated siphoning of our national resources through underhand subsidy deals, direct diversion of public funds in various sectors and depletion of our foreign financial instruments. This must stop.”

But the APC declared support for the decision by the Federal Government to subsidize the price of petrol.
APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi told The Guardian that the decision was taken to save Nigerians from the brunt of additional increase in the price of petroleum products in the country.

Abdullahi said the subsidy regime initiated by the Buhari-led administration would be transparently handled. He faulted the notion that APC was opposed to the idea of subsidizing the price of fuel.

“The thing is that these are tough choices that government would have to make. Either choice you make comes with its own costs, either economic or political. At the end of the day the government has to take the best decision in the interest of the people.

“The issue of subsidy became a problem in the previous regime because of the corruption associated with it.

“If you followed the conversation around January 2012 on the removal of fuel subsidy, you would have realized that Nigerians were opposed to the action at the time. They kicked against it because people were making money out of it to the detriment of the nation. It was the fraudulent implementation of subsidy that Nigerians were fundamentally opposed to, and not the subsidy itself. 

“So the decision to retain subsidy, we believe, is in the overall interest of Nigerians. It is to also ensure we don’t put unnecessary burden on our people.”

Meanwhile, the Minority Whip in the Senate, Biodun Olujimi, has blamed bad governance for the suffering of the people. The lawmaker said APC had no blueprint on how it wanted to govern the country when it came to power in 2015.

Olujimi made the comments at the weekend when she hosted her constituents in Ekiti South senatorial district to a get-together party in Omuo Ekiti, her country home.

The former deputy governor said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) handed over a good government to the APC in 2015, “but the people have seen the difference today.”

“In the last 18 years of this democracy, I have not seen a government that is poorly manage like this APC-led government. They rode to power on the pretext of populist ideology. They did not have a blueprint on how to govern the country.

“They don’t know what to do up till now. We are just drifting, everybody is just doing what he likes and so, we went into a recession. They say we are technically out of it, but I don’t know what they mean because people are still in recession.

“No jobs anywhere, prices of goods have skyrocketed. The roads are bad. Electricity is zero. A man who cannot put food on his table, who cannot send his children to school is in recession. The people that are begging are too many,” she said.

Police kill suspected armed robber on Sagamu-Ore highway

The Ogun State Police Command yesterday gunned down an armed robbery suspect, at Ososa junction, along the Sagamu-Ore expressway.
 
According to a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the effort followed a distress call received by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) that robbers had blocked the expressway around 2:30a.m. and dispossessing people of their property. 
 
“Upon receiving the distress call, the officer in charge of FSARS, DSP Uba Adam, led his men to the scene where the robbers engaged them in a gun duel, which lasted for about 45 minutes. At the end of the encounter, one of the robbers was shot dead, while others escaped with gunshot injuries. Two locally-made single barrel guns and 78 live cartridges were recovered from them,” he said. 
 
Oyeyemi noted that the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, who commended his men for the prompt response to the distress call appealed to members of the public, especially hospitals to quickly informed the police if they see anybody with gunshot wound in their areas.

Four die, 13 injured in crash

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway PHOTO: BUNMI AMOSU

Four persons were confirmed dead while 13 others were injured in a road crash that occurred opposite Christopher University, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway involving a white Innosson bus and a Toyota Sienna.

The Ogun State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Clement Oladele, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Abeokuta, the state capital yesterday, said the accident occurred on Saturday night 

In all, a total of 23 people, comprising 18 male adults, four females and one female child, were involved in the crash. Thirteen of them – nine males, three females and the female child were injured, while two males and two females died on the spot.

Oladele attributed the cause of the accident to excessive speeding on the part of the drivers of the two vehicles, which resulted in collision. The two vehicles involved in the crash are Innosson bus with registration number AKL 450 YY and Toyota Sienna with registration number FST 370 DC.

Oladele added that the bodies of the victims had been deposited at Fakoya Mortuary, Sagamu while the injured victims were taken to Broad Life Hosiptal at Olowotedo and Idera Hospital at Sagamu.

He urged motorists to drive cautiously and obey all traffic rules and regulations.

ASUU asks EFCC to release report on alleged N2 billion fraud at Unilorin

UNILORIN

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release its findings on the alleged N2billion naira fraud at the University of Ilorin.

The University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU made the appeal in a statement by its Coordinator, Dr. Ade Adejumo.

The statement was titled: “Impunity and disregard for the rule of law: the cases of the University of Ilorin, Kogi State University and the Lagos State University.”

ASUU berated the EFCC, the Independent Corruption and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for failing to act in the alleged corruption cases.

The union urged the anti-graft agency to speak up on the corruption cases, which allegedly indicted Prof. Ishaq Oloyede and Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali as Vice Chancellors of the University of Ilorin.

It expressed concern that the anti-corruption agencies have not prosecuted them, despite that the petitions against them were submitted more than a year ago.

ASUU demanded the recall of all sacked and victimised members of the union at the Kogi State University, the Lagos State University and the University of Ilorin.

The union urged President Muhammadu Buhari to check the growing impunity at the University of Ilorin.

The statement cautioned that the failure of the anti-corruption agencies to make public their investigations on the petition has made a mockery of the whistle- blowing policy of the Buhari administration.

It added it has allowed impunity to thrive while the whistle blowers in the matter, Dr. Kayode Afolayan and Dr. Solomon Oyelekan were sacked for daring to expose the alleged corruption.

While the Union appealed to the Visitor to the University of Ilorin to prevail on the council to recall the sacked officials, it called for a “special probe panel of men and women of integrity to look into the books of past administrations at Unilorin.”

Adejumo noted that it is worrisome that the Lagos State University had gone ahead to sack its members (Dr. Isaac Akinloye and Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-suenu over alleged altering of students’ results and demanding money from students without proven evidence.

It urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to intervene in the matter.

“Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State terminated the appointment of 120 members and got unqualified persons to impart the knowledge they do not possess,” the statement said.

Terminal operator explains cause of Apapa gridlock

Apapa road

The Chairperson, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Haastrup, has explained the cause of Apapa road gridlock.

She said the current reduction in traffic was not due to any deliberate government action, but as a result of a drop in importation.

“Now that the 2017 importation peak season is over, the number of trucks coming to the port had reduced, which has provided a temporary relief to road users.”

In a statement, she urged the Federal and Lagos State governments to use the period of a drop in importation activities to fix the road.

The STOAN Chairperson urged government to effect necessary repairs on the road by the end of January 2018, before importation activities would likely begin.

She added that a drop in traffic would lead to less cargo and less volume of work for the port, especially in the first quarter of 2018.

“Some of the reasons for the gridlock are that there is a proliferation of petroleum tankers due to the preponderance of fuel tank farms and petroleum deposits in the Apapa community.

“This is an anomaly, which should urgently be corrected by the Federal Government. The correction becomes necessary to facilitate the distribution of petroleum products through pipelines, and not by trucks.

“Also, once government could get the refineries working, there would no longer be need for tank farms in Apapa, which is the attraction for these trucks.

Haastrup stressed that the gridlock has been further compounded by the dilapidated state of roads leading in and out of Apapa, as well as the absence of truck parks.

She urged the government to address these challenges by taking advantage of the off-peak season to intensify road rehabilitation.

She also stressed the need for relevant provision to be made for truck holding bays before the next cycle of high level activities sets in.

Haastrup urged the government to also use the opportunity to begin the implementation of truck call-up system to ensure that only trucks that have business at the port are granted access into Apapa.

She enjoined the Federal Government to review its tariff policy on some imported items including vehicles, rice and fish to reduce smuggling.

The STOAN chairman also said the nation’s seaports have been positioned to support the Federal Government’s economic diversification and export drive.

According to her: “Terminal operators across the various ports have made substantial investments in their areas of operations.

“We have carried out major investments in terminal upgrades, acquisition of modern cargo handling equipment and training of port workers. All of these were done with a view to supporting government’s economic aspirations.

Bolt for trial in Dortmund to earn deal with United

Jamaica's Usain Bolt / AFP PHOTO / OLIVIER MORIN

Sprint star Usain Bolt will undergo a trial with Borussia Dortmund in a bid to earn a professional contract at Manchester United.

The Jamaican, an all-time athletics legend after winning eight Olympic gold, retired after damaging his hamstring in his last ever race at the World Championships in London last year.

After recovering from that injury, the 31-year-old has reiterated his desire to switch sports, claiming he has held talks with the club’s legendary former manager Alex Ferguson over a possible United deal, while his long mooted Dortmund trial is still on the cards.

“The injury is now fine and I’m back fully fit,” Bolt, the 100 metres world-record holder, told the Express.

“In March we’re going to do trials with Dortmund and that will determine what I do with that career, which way it goes. If they say I’m good, and that I need a bit of training, I’ll do it.

“It makes me nervous. I don’t get nervous but this is different, this is football now. It’ll take time to adjust but once I play a few times I’ll get used to it. It was the same when I started track and field.

“I was nervous for a while until I started getting used to the crowd, people and everyone around and it falls into place.

“One of my biggest dreams is to sign for Manchester United. If Dortmund say I’m good enough, I’ll crack on and train hard. I’ve spoken to Alex Ferguson and I told him he needs to put in a good word. He told me if I get fit and ready, he will see what he can do.”

Bolt, who won 11 World Championship gold medals in a glittering sprinting career, indicated he has sought advice from Paul Pogba over a potential football career.

“I do think I have a chance,” Bolt added. “I watch a lot of football, I understand it, I play it. With training, I could be good.

“Me and Pogba talk a lot. I watch and ask him a lot of questions. I want to play but it has to be in the top league. I’m not content to be average.

“It’s going to be hard because my career has been so great but if I could win a Champions League or something, it’ll be close to anything I achieved in athletics.

Court upholds sack of Ondo monarch

Ondo community

An Appeal Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has affirmed the sacking of the traditional ruler of Igbindo community in Ondo West Local Government Area of the state, Oba John Olaniji Ogundoju, saying he was not eligible to contest the stool.

The court asked Ogundoju to vacate the stool and stop parading himself as the traditional ruler of the community and ordered the ruling house to start a fresh process of electing a new monarch for the town.

Ogundolu was, in 2015, removed by the state High Court barely two weeks after he was presented the staff of office by the Ondo State government, the action he challenged at the appellate court.

The legal battle began in the community when some princes from Ogbowo Okun Ruling House, led by Adetutu Ifashole and Okunade Makinde Fashole, dragged Ogundoju and four others to court over his eligibility to contest the vacant stool of the Akinnuwa of Igbindo town.

The litigants also included the chairman of the ruling house, Adeseeke Adewale Stephen, secretary of the ruling house, Joseph Olamodimu, Adeodi Adebayo and Taye Akinkugbe to the suit. 

The princes prayed the court to declare Ogundoju ineligible to be the monarch of the town on the ground that he was from the female lineage of the ruling house, when the custom and tradition to ascend the throne allows persons from only the male lineage.

Justice Bode Adegbehingbe of the trial court admitted the prayer of the plaintiffs and ordered the removal of Ogundoju as the monarch of the community.

However, not satisfied with the judgment of the high court, the embattled traditional ruler proceeded to the appellate court to challenge the high court ruling through his counsel, Kunle Adetowubo.

In a three hours judgment delivered in the court, Justice Mohammed Danjuma, who read the judgment on behalf of other members of the panel, upheld the previous judgment of the high court and based his judgment on the fact and evidence produced by parties involved in the matter, thereby dismissing the appeal for lack of merit.

He said: “On the basis of the facts and evidence adduced by parties in the case and the authorities cited, it is my finding that the decision of the learned trial court on this issue was in order. It is resolved against the appellants and in favour of the respondents.

“Having resolved all the three issues raised herein against the appellants, the result is that the appeal lacks merit and it is accordingly dismissed. The judgment of the High Court of Ondo State is hereby upheld.”

Suspected ‘murderer’ arrested in Benin

Benin City, Edo State. PHOTO: getgripng.com

The police in Edo State have confirmed the arrest of a suspected murderer whose motive behind the crime is yet to be ascertained.

But commercial motorcyclists known as Okada riders operating in Egor local government and youths of the community had protested against the presence of a suspected den for rituals at a forest located in a boundary between Ogheghe and Egbaen villages.
 
The okada riders set up barricades on the road after the body of their colleague was found in the bush. They claimed that other okada riders have disappeared in similar circumstances.
 
They were said to have identified a suspect, who hired the dead colleague two days earlier, when the suspect requested the services of another okada rider. The okada riders followed the suspect and cornered him when he attempted to divert the rider into the bush.
  
The Guardian gathered that the okada riders and youths accosted the suspect and beat him up, which made him to allegedly confess to the crime. He was said to have taken the mob to where he dumped the body and named other accomplices including a traditional birth attendant that use to buy the body parts.
   
Some witnesses claimed that the bush was filled with dead bodies and clothing belonging to victims, especially women and children.

One of the witnesses said he had earlier rescued a man tied inside the bush. He said he saw two fresh bodies, decomposing ones and human skeletons when he joined a search party into the bush.
  
A bike rider who pleaded anonymity said they decided to comb the bush following several incidents of missing persons in the area.
 
“Our people are missing everyday. On Saturday, we entered the bush and found the body of a man that was missing four days ago. The man we caught has killed many people inside that bush.
  
But the Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, said the suspect was arrested in connection with murder and not ritual killing. Kokumo explained that the suspect would have been lynched if the police had not acted swiftly.  “There is nothing like mass killing in Egor. No bodies have been seen. The police arrested a suspect for murder and we are doing investigation.”

Coutinho in $192m move to Barcelona

Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho celebrates scoring their fifth goal and completing his hattrick during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between Liverpool and Spartak Moscow at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England on December 6, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS

Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho was in Barcelona yesterday to tie up a 160-million-euro ($192 million) move from Liverpool, the third-richest deal of all time.

“Bem-vindo! Welcome! Benvingut! ¡Bienvenido!” Barca tweeted to Coutinho along with a waving hand sign and a video showing a shirt bearing his name in a locker.

Spanish league leaders Barca host Levante yesterday at Camp Nou, but Coutinho will not be in the stands.

“He will not be attending the match,” a club source told AFP.

According to Catalan daily Sport, current La Liga leaders Barca want attention turned solely on the Levante match and not their new recruit, who should be officially presented to media today.

The swoop for the 25-year-old attacking midfielder – which contains a 400-million-euro release clause – is the third biggest transfer in football.

It is outranked only by Paris Saint-Germain’s world record 222m-euro signing of Neymar from Barcelona last year, and PSG’s capture of French striker Kylian Mbappe for a deal that will eventually be worth 180 million euros.

Rio-born Coutinho arrived at Liverpool from Inter Milan for a mere £8.5 million in January 2013 and scored 54 goals for the club in all competitions, although he won no silverware during his five-year stay at Anfield.

Barcelona had tried to sign him in the summer and his departure now is a blow to Liverpool as the playmaker has just returned to top form after an injury-hit start to the season, scoring six goals in the last seven games of 2017 to put his side firmly in the Champions League places.

“It is with great reluctance that we -– as a team and club –- prepare to say farewell to a good friend, a wonderful person and a fantastic player in Philippe Coutinho,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

“It is no secret that Philippe has wanted this move to happen since July, when Barcelona first made their interest known.

“Philippe was insistent with me, the owners and even his teammates this was a move he was desperate to make happen.”

For Barcelona, Coutinho’s signing will allow the club to move on from the bitter experience of losing his Brazil teammate Neymar to Qatar-backed PSG last summer.

Coutinho’s age is highly attractive to Barca, whose three main stars, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta are all in their thirties. Iniesta, at 33, has shown signs of fatigue this season.

Russia 2018: We can’t surprise Argentina again – Rohr


Nigeria’s manager, Gernot Rohr has admitted that the June 26 match with Argentina at Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg will be a difficult one.


The Nigeria coach told an Argentine publication, Olé that he anticipates that the encounter will be a classification match. The publication reported that Rohr spoke with Argentine radio station, Radio Rivadavia.

Rohr reportedly remarked that the match will determine who follows who. In essence, he is projecting that both Argentina and Nigeria will emerge from the Group D and the last match will only determine the group leader and the runners-up.

The runners-up face a potentially difficult Round of 16 match with projected Group C leader, France. The French side eliminated Nigeria at that stage four years ago. Rohr has a link with the French, even though he was born a German.

A substantial part of his adult life has been in France; hence he is often described as Franco-German. His dream may be to be the Group leader as Nigeria did in 1994 in a group that also had Argentina. On the South Americans, Rohr reportedly remarked: “You know how we play, so we cannot surprise them like the last time”, referring to the 4-2 defeat Nigeria inflicted on Argentina two months ago.

He acknowledged that this time it will be more difficult to beat the Sampaoli as they did in the friendly at Krasnodar Stadium, Russia. “It will be more difficult this time than in the friendly because they know how we play, so we cannot surprise them like the last time.”

Man flees kidnappers’ den after two weeks

A 47-year-old man, Philips Emekudu, resident of Okpanam community near Asaba in Delta State, on Thursday evening escaped from his abductors after two weeks in his kidnappers’ den. PHOTO: nairaland

A 47-year-old man, Philips Emekudu, resident of Okpanam community near Asaba in Delta State, on Thursday evening escaped from his abductors after two weeks in his kidnappers’ den.

It was gathered that the victim was on his way to his house on the day he was kidnapped in his Lexus 350 SUV along Okpanam road, when a six-man gang of suspected kidnappers swooped on him close to a popular hotel, and forced him into the car before they zoomed off to an unknown destination.

The victim while narrating his ordeal to journalists yesterday, said: “They took me away to a bush where I was kept for two weeks without good food until I was assisted to escape by one of them who claimed I assisted him some years back.”

It would be recalled that the Delta State Police Command had launched a search for the whereabouts of the victim before the kidnappers established contact with his relations.

Also, in Ibusa, near Asaba, two suspected kidnappers were arrested by the police after they had lured their victim through social media to the town.

The victim, who was invited by the suspects from Owerri in Imo State to Ibusa on Facebook, was kidnapped and dragged into the bush by the suspects, and later demanded a ransom of N200,000 from the victim’s relations before they were arrested.

Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, police spokesman in the state confirmed that the suspects were currently undergoing investigation and they will be charged to court on completion of investigation.

Meanwhile, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) attached to the state command, Asaba, yesterday arrested three suspected car robbery suspects at the residence of a 52-year-old widow (name withheld) around Infant Jesus road, Asaba.

Aniamaka, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, disclosed that the police acted on intelligence, adding that the suspects upon interrogation, confessed to the crime and took them to Agbor where they recovered 13 vehicles.

The suspects, whose names were given as Kayode Fredrick, Nnamdi Kenneth, and Boniface Iwuobi, are being retained for
further investigation.