Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has
arrested 46 year old Dorothy Onyekasi pictured above, who faked a
pregnancy with 86 pellets of white powdery substances that tested
positive to cocaine while trying to board an Emirate flight to Dubai at
the Muritala Mohammed International Airport MMIA Lagos.
The
mother of three who hails from Enugu and trades in ladies bags and
shoes, had cocaine that weighed 1.720 kilogrammes with an estimated
street value of N20.6 million.
When interrogated, Dorothy, she said
“It is all my fault. If only I was contented with the profit from the
sales of my goods, I would not have been in this problem. I am separated
from my husband who left me with three children. I used to import
female bags and shoes from Dubai. My involvement in drug trafficking is a
mistake and I take responsibility for my action. I travelled to Dubai
to buy my goods. While I was preparing to return, I met a man in Dubai
who gave me the drug and promised to give me enough money to expand my
business. He also told me that when I get to Nigeria, he will call his
partner to collect the drug and give me my money".
NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Garba Ahmadu, said the wraps of cocaine would have been easily mistaken for pregnancy.
“It was discovered that the suspect kept 86 wraps of cocaine inside a
waist bag which was tied to her stomach. Unfortunately, the drug was
detected by NDLEA officers on her arrival from Dubai. The drug was
immediately packed and weighed in her presence.”
The nonagenarian has ruled the South African country with an iron fist
for 28 years and it seems the people want him gone. Thousands took to
the street in the capital Harare demanding he step down in a protest
organised by main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change.
Estimates put the crowd at between 2000 and 10000 protesters.
Speaking before the crowd, MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai made clear
that the protesters were not calling for revolution, but merely fair
elections. “We are not demanding an overthrow of the government… We are
demanding a dignified exit for the tired Mugabe,” Tsvangirai said,
adding, “It’s time Mugabe listens to the voice of the people. The people
shall liberate themselves.”
Tsvangirai ran against Mugabe in 2002, 2008, 2013. In what can only be
described as a bastardisation of the democratic process, he got more
votes than Mugabe in 2008 but “not enough to win,” according to the
Mugabe government’s electoral oversight officials.
The protest suffered a hitch when organisers were initially denied the
licence to match but the nation's high court gave the go-ahead.
I find this tale very strange! How can a man insert his penis inside you
and you don't know he's there until he's about to ejaculate? That's
what a patient is claiming in a police report filed against a doctor in
Lagos state. But then, stranger things have happened. Read the report
below from Sunnewsonline
The Police in Lagos have begun investigation into an alleged case of
rape against the Medical Director of a fertility clinic, Sayemi
Nature¬science Centre. The suspect (names withheld) was alleged to have
had carnal knowledge of one of his pa¬tients on Saturday April 9, 2016
at one of his centers in Ikeja area of Lagos State.
His accuser, one Mrs Funke (other names withheld) made the allegation in
her statement at the police station few days after the en¬counter,
hoping that she would get justice. She alleged that the Doctor used a
medical instrument called transducer which is usually inserted inside
thevagina and moved around slightly while ultrasound images are shown on
screen.
According to her, she was convinced that the method would allow the
doctor have a good view of her womb to ascertain if anything was wrong.
The instrument which has the shape of the penis, she alleged , was
inserted into her vagina but she nev¬er knew when the doctor withdrew
the instrument and inserted his own penis inside her until he was about
to ejaculate.
Although this might sound like a fairy tale, the victim insisted she
never consented to the act.
Battling to control her tears, Mrs. Funke said that it was her quest to
conceive that landed her in trouble. In her words, “I have a 24 year old
son and ever since, all efforts to get pregnant had failed. I have
visited different hospitals and prayed end¬lessly for God to remember
me. Luckily, I have an understanding husband who stood by me all these
years.
“I knew that I had to do anything possible to ensure that there are
children in the house. This was how I picked interest in any programme
that talks about fertility. Early in the month, I watched a health
pro¬gramme organized by the Doctor who is the founder of Sayemi
Natu¬ralscience Centre, Ikeja.
“During the programme, he ex¬plained that he had a natural way through
which he could heal infer¬tility. I was impressed and I decided to visit
his clinic when he explained that my problem could be solved through
dieting.
“Last Saturday, with the consent of my husband, I decided to pay him a
visit. I bought their clinic card for N2000 and waited for my turn.
When I finally saw the doctor, I nar¬rated my medical history and all
the efforts that I had made to conceive. He assured me that his clinic
would be my last bus stop but he would need to access my body through
vaginal scan.
“I knew what vaginal scan meant. Immediately, I stretched my body on the
table for examination.
Normally, you were expected to lie down and spread your legs widely
apart. I trusted the doctor, so I never queried his method.
“He applied cream on my vagina and inserted the instrument used by
doctors for normal vaginal scan. The only odd thing he did was to touch
my clitoris and I tried to resist and he told me to calm down that this
was a perfect process of induc¬ing my hormones so that he could access
my body well.
“At that point, I relaxed very well, closed my eyes and spread my legs
because my focus was to get solution.
“At a point, he removed the equipment and inserted it again but this
time, it was much bigger. I be¬lieved that it was as a result of him
fondling with my clitoris that made me to get carried away to the point
that I could not tell that the stuff that was bigger inside me was
actually his penis.
“It was the noise he made when he was about to ejaculate that drew my
attention and I opened my eyes and lo and behold, he was actually having
sex with me instead of the scan.”
Shocked, Mrs. Funke claimed that she quickly wore her pants and asked
the doctor why he took ad¬vantage of her.
“I was shocked as well as em¬barrassed. I was terrified because I could
not understand if this was the process. He quickly removed the condom
and threw into the waste basket and started begging me to forgive him
and allow him to pro¬ceed with the treatment. I left his office and
complained to the nurse who was on duty and she said that it is not a
new thing that the man is used to sleeping with most of his patients.
She asked me to forgive him that she would find a way to get the
hospital compensate me so that the matter would be closed”.
When asked why she did not scream or attack the doctor when she
discovered what happened, Mrs. Funke said that her main con¬cern was to
get out of the place safe. “When I discovered what he did, I was
terrified because I could not understand why he did that to me. I have
heard of how people mys¬teriously die and my main concern was to leave
his office alive, that was why I complained bitterly to the nurse.
When I got home, I told my husband what I went through and he asked me
to formally report to the police. Heaven knows that I did not consent to
the act. I only had faith in the doctor that he knew what he was
doing”, she claimed.
She begged the police to assist her to get justice. “I am legally
married and I am blessed with a great hus¬band. That was why I confided
in him. He was the one who encour¬aged me to be bold enough to report
the matter to the police so that such a crime would not continue.”
When Saturday Sun called the number on the hospital card as pre¬sented
by the woman, the person who answered the call admitted that he was the
Medical Director and queried if his accuser was not con¬scious or
drugged when the alleged act took place. He thanked the re¬porter and
assured that he would sort out the problem as soon as possible to avoid
any scandal.
When the Doctor was called again on his mobile phone num¬ber at about
1:27pm on Thursday to react in details to the allegation, he initially
feigned ignorance but later said he had no comment to make.
Other women recall similar encounters
Just like Funke, some women who heard her story pleaded with the Police
to use her case as an ex¬ample for other doctors who are in the habit of
sleeping with their female patients.
One of such is Mrs. Vivian Agu who said that her gynecologist in a
popular hospital around HRC Enugu fondled her breast when she was eight
months pregnant. “I started bleeding at eight months of my pregnancy and
my doc¬tor sent me for a scan at the said hospital. When I got there,
being my first time, I obtained a card and was sent to see a doctor
before the scan. When I got to him, he asked my name which I gave to
him. The next thing, he started fondling my breast and I was just
watching. At a point, he asked if I was not feel¬ing horny and I told
him that I did not even know that he was touch¬ing my breast. He told me
that I was a strong woman as so many women at that point, used to plead
with him to have sex with them. I asked him why he was doing it and he
told me that he needed to access the fluid that would come out of
nipples so he could write his report before I went for the scan. I did
the scan and left. I felt that was the process until I became pregnant
again, I was sent for an¬other scan but this time around, I had it at
Enugu Scan Centre and when it got to my turn, the doctor just did the
scan he never touched my breast. I asked him why he did not touch my
breast and he told me that it had nothing to do with the scan. It was
then I narrated my experience with the other doctor and he told me that
the doctor was promiscuous.”
Another victim Bola recalled that she went through hell for 17 years
waiting for the fruit of the womb. “I was desperate to get a child and
was ready to go to any hospital or prayer house. One day, my husband’s
friend referred me to a doctor and told me that he would be my last bus
stop. I was excited and followed him. The so-called doctor asked me to
bend down and remove my pants, that he wanted to examine my vagina from
behind.
“I discovered that he was rob¬bing a cream on my clitoris and I kept
quiet because I thought it was the procedure. Meanwhile, I was very
vigilant because in the course of my childlessness, I had never
experienced such. Sudden¬ly, he brought out his penis and was about to
insert it in my vagina when I shouted. I ran out of the of¬fice
screaming. That was the last time and I swore I would never visit any
place that is not a good hospital. And as God would have it, am blessed
with three daughters today.
“Women go through a lot all in the name of making babies. No sane woman
would boldly tell her husband or friends that her doctor or even pastor
slept with her.”
”Reacting to the incident, a lawyer, Emmanuel Eke said the victim needs
to be very convinc¬ing, giving no space for the ac¬cused to evade
justice if he is in¬deed guilty. “The truth is that in Africa, it is
hard to prove a rape case. This is an uphill task. Medi¬cal examination
is important here and I do not know whether that is possible within the
space that she reported the incident. But winning is not the only issue.
It is worth seeking for justice. She may be believed empirically but
may not be believed legally. Most impor¬tantly, that will stop the
doctor from trying such out on another person. He is quite aware that he
has a record with the police. I commend the lady who was bold enough to
report the matter.”
When contacted on the incident, the state Police spokesperson, Dolapo
Badmus said the com¬mand is already aware of the case and would act
accordingly.
President Buhari arrived Nigeria this morning after his 5-day working
visit to China. Just before departing China, President Buhari and his
team visited Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone.
LAGOS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government has granted an
airliner, Air Peace, a license to operate international flights from
southeast city of Enugu to China and other areas, an official said
Thursday.
The recognition would open a new vista in the economy of the state,
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the state governor during the closing ceremony of the
First Enugu Investment Summit.
The governor said by approving the license of the airline, President
Muhammadu Buhari had shown himself as having the interest of all
sections of the country at heart.
Ugwuanyi said the state would never be the same again having had a successful summit that attracted investors across the world.
"We have not only showcased the vast potentials in the state, but
from reactions of participants, it does appear that we have been able to
provoke an unprecedented interest from investors across the world," he
added.
"The journey to economic prosperity has commenced. The light of the
economic dawn that has been lit through this summit will never be
allowed to die," he said.
Ugwuanyi thanked delegates who made the summit a success and pledged to create an enabling environment for interested investors.
Earlier in his presentation, the Chairman of Air Peace Ltd, Allen
Onyema, said the airline would soon commence flights from the Akanu
Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to China.
The chairman said it was time for Nigeria to be a hub for West and Central African sub-regions.
"President Muhammadu Buhari in his magnanimity on March 31, 2016
approved for us the right to fly to five different countries and we
decided now to make Enugu State the hub," he said.
Onyema said Air Peace would fly to India, United Arab Emirates, South
Africa, Atlanta in the U.S. and China, adding that the China flight
would commence in a few months.
"There is no other airline in West and Central Africa that flies direct to China," he added.
"We will use our airline to bring passengers from countries in West
and Central Africa to Enugu and move them to China," Onyema said.
"We are going to deploy a cargo plane that will do nonstop flights to Enugu," Onyema said.
Insists On Strict Compliance With Laws, Regulations
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar
Malami (SAN) has revealed that it is not the intention of the Federal
Government to frustrate MTN as a result of the fine imposed on it by the
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in light of its contributions
to the growth of the nation’s economy, especially through employment.
He however insists that what is imperative is to ensure that
corporate bodies operate within the scope of the prevailing regulations
and respect the laws of the land within which they operate. In a
statement made available to the media, Special Adviser to the HAGF/MOJ
on Media and Publicity, Comrade Salihu Othman Isah revealed that the
minister informed the House Committee on Communications and Information
Technology at the National Assembly yesterday during a public hearing on
the MTN fine.
Malami in his response to questions from members of the Committee
explained that the case of MTN does not bother on criminality but
non-compliance to laws and regulations. “It is my constitutional
responsibility to ensure that laws of the federation are respected and
the interest of the business communities protected”, he further hinted,
stressing that penalties are negotiable in accordance with the law and
public interest.
According to him, “I’m not unmindful that Nigeria is looking for
foreign investors, neither am I unmindful of the fact that many
Nigerians are on the employment of MTN. But my major concern is to
ensure that the laws of the land are respected”. Also responding to
questions from members of the Committee, the Accountant General of the
Federation, Alhaji Idris Ahmed said he opened the FG Asset Recovery
Account based on the instructions. He explained that MTN deposited the
N50bn penalty into the said account while assuring that the statement
and figure had remained the same and intact.
The Accountant General of the Federation further affirmed that all
recovered looted funds and the MTN fine are domiciled in the FG Asset
Recovery Account pending conclusions which would eventually be moved
into consolidated accounts. In his closing remarks, the Chairman, House
of Representative Committee on Communications, Honorable Saheed Fijabi
said the public hearing was reconvened as a follow up to the meeting
held on Tuesday to shed more light on grey areas. According to him, “We
are in the change era and that business is not as usual. That’s why we
are here to throw more light on this case.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has berated
Governor Ayodele Fayose for his opposition to the Federal Government’s
request to take loan from China for development purposes.
The party said President Muhammadu Buhari’s initiative is in tandem
with other countries of the world that are engaged in bilateral
arrangements for development purposes.
Fayose had on Wednesday written to the government of China, urging
President XI Jinping not to approve $2b loan to implement development
component of the 2016 national budget. He sent the letter through his
emissary to the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, while he personally took a
copy of the letter to Shanghai to be delivered to the Chinese President.
But APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement
that Fayose’s conduct amounted to a national sabotage and a seditious
conduct that must not be allowed to go unchallenged. He regretted that
the governor got himself busy spending Ekiti money on frivolities while
workers’ salaries remained unpaid for four months. “As we speak, doctors
are on strike and Ekiti people are dying while the governor gets
himself busy with the activities that will lead to evasion of justice in
his several alleged criminal cases so that he can protect his
questionable wealth across the world. Even though he has the right to
entertain himself being a jester as he has always been, this should not
be taken to the extent of constituting a security risk to the Federal
Republic.
“While other PDP governors, notably Governor Ayade of Cross River
State, are always in Aso Rock on building relationship with the Federal
Government for the development of their states, Fayose has made himself a
lone enemy of the Federal Government as a self-appointed leader of the
opposition to discredit Buhari’s development initiatives,” he said.
THE United Nations, UN on Friday says the plight of
219 Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted two years ago is a major
conflict that is affecting the North-Eastern communities, even as fresh
facts reveal how the insurgents have been forcing girls and women in
their captivity to undergo suicide bombing training.
Fatma Samoura, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria said that up
to 7,000 women and girls might be living in abduction and sex slavery.
“Humanitarian agencies are concerned that two years have passed, and
still the fate of the Chibok girls and the many, many other abductees
is unknown,” she said.
Samoura added that the abducted girls had suffered so much at the
hands of their captors as they had been on forced recruitment, forced
marriage, sexual slavery and rape, and have been used to carry bombs.
“Between 2,000 and 7,000 women and girls are living in abduction and
sex slavery,” said Jean Gough, Country Representative of the UN
Children’s Fund, UNICEF.
Women and girls, who have escaped Boko Haram have reported
undergoing a systematic training programme to train them as bombers,
according to UNICEF.
It said that 85 per cent of the suicide attacks by women globally in
2014 were in Nigeria. In May 2015, it was reported that children had
been used to perpetrate three-quarters of all suicide attacks in Nigeria
since 2014. Many of the bombers had been brainwashed or coerced.
While describing the meticulous instruction she received from Boko
Haram to become a suicide bomber, Rahila Amos, a Nigerian grandmother
said her instructors would say “Hold the bomb under your armpit to keep
it steady. Sever your enemy’s head from behind, to minimize struggling.
If you cut from the back of the neck, they die faster.”
Ms. Amos, 47, said the fighters had come to her village in the
morning, firing weapons as they spilled out of cars and rounded up women
and children.
Not long after, Ms. Amos, a Christian, said she was forced to enroll
in Boko Haram’s classes on the Quran, a first step on her way toward
being taught the art of suicide bombing.
After months of training, Ms. Amos said she was finally able to
escape her captors when they assembled for evening preaching. She stayed
behind, gathering two of her young children and a grandchild so they
could make a run for the Cameroonian border.
“I don’t want to take a bomb,” she said inside her refugee camp in
Cameroon that stretches across a vast landscape dotted by tents and mud
huts. The authorities in Cameroon and Nigeria said that many of the
experiences detailed by Ms. Amos matched the accounts of other women
and girls who have escaped Boko Haram, or who have been arrested before
they could detonate bombs. Ms. Amos’s assertions are also strikingly
similar to details recounted by other freed women and girls, including
descriptions of the funeral rites performed before female bombers were
sent on missions.
The accounts offer insight into how Boko Haram, despite being under
military pressure from a multinational campaign to wipe it out, has
been able to strike fear across an expansive battlefield that now
includes Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
No longer able to control the territory it once did, Boko Haram is
sending out women and young girls as newly minted terrorists who can
inflict a devastating toll.
As the Nigerian military recaptures territory from Boko Haram,
abducted women and girls are being recovered. Over and above the
horrific trauma of sexual violence these girls experienced during their
captivity, many are now facing rejection by their families and
communities, because of their association with Boko Haram.
“You are a Boko Haram wife, don’t come near us,” one girl reported being told.
“Effective rehabilitation for these women and girls is vital, as
they rebuild their lives,’’ the UN statement said. The UN notes that
children have suffered disproportionately as a result of the conflict.
In November 2014, 300 children were abducted from a school in Damasak, Borno, and are still missing.
A UNICEF report, released earlier this week, states that 1.3 million
children have been displaced by the conflict across the Lake Chad
Basin, almost a million of whom are in Nigeria. Similarly, Human Rights
Watch House reported that 1 million children had lost access to
education.
“The abducted Chibok girls have become a symbol for every girl that
has gone missing at the hands of Boko Haram, and every girl who insists
on practicing her right to education,” said Munir Safieldin, Deputy
Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria.
The UN says more need to be done by the Nigerian government and the
international community to keep them safe from the horrors other women
and girls have endured. Safe schools are a good start, but safe roads
and safe homes are also needed, it says.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have arrested a
commercial bus driver in Lagos named Maduewesi Ugochukwu Samuel, with
193 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.4kgs that was hidden inside his sucks.
Samuel was arrested while attempting to board a plane heading to Dubai.
When he was arrested, Samuel said he ventured into drug trafficking so
he could make some money and quit his job as a commercial driver
“I am a commercial bus driver in Lagos. I am from Anambra State. My
friend who lives outside the country introduced me into drug
trafficking. He promised to help me with capital to start my business,
but after sponsoring my trip to Dubai, he told me to smuggle drugs to
Nigeria. I was instructed to conceal the drugs in my socks and that it
will not be detected. They also offered to pay me the sum of N800,000
for safe delivery of the drug. I had wanted to start a supply business
in electrical appliances but I am regretting my action because my wife
is all alone while I am in NDLEA custody. This is her first pregnancy
and she needs my attention. This is my greatest concern,” .
Speaking on his arrest, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (rtd,) said
“This is an interesting arrest and I commend the officers for the
discovery. Dubai-Lagos route is gradually gaining notoriety and we are
monitoring it closely. Let me assure members of the public that the
NDLEA is working very hard in preventing illicit drug production,
trafficking and abuse in the country. During screening of passengers at
the arrival hall, officers noticed that he had some items attached to
his legs. It was cleverly done, but not good enough to escape our
notice. When his socks was pulled down, suspected wraps of narcotics
found to be cocaine fell down on the floor. He was immediately arrested
and taken for further investigation”.
Female Zookeeper mauled to death by one of her Tigers
A 38 year old female employee,
Stacey Konwiser who had worked at the Palm Beach Zoo for over three
years and took care of 4 Malayan Tigers was mauled to death by one of
the Tigers she trained on Friday.
According to the Palm Beach Post,
she was performing a routine procedure in the night house where the
tigers sleep at about 1:45pm in preparation for her show which was
scheduled at 2pm in the Zoo when she got attacked and mauled to death by
the 13-year-old tiger.
As soon as that happened, Animal
Control was contacted about the attack but Animal Control contacted the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who responded to the
call.
Zoo officials issued a code red
alert after the attack and the male Malayan tiger received
tranquilizers. Visitors were all moved to a safe place and all the 250
animals in the Zoo were accounted for.
Konwiser was taken to St Mary's
Medical Center where she later died after suffering a 'severe bite'
wound, a top zoo official told the newspaper.
Her husband of 10 years Jeremy is also a keeper at Palm Beach Zoo.
The zoo was evacuated and shut down
and all the guests were safe. Officials say the zoo will be closed for
the next two days, according to spokeswoman Naki Carter. She told the Sun Sentinel:
'The tiger never escaped,'.'We have safety protocols for when incidents like this occur. We initiated those safety protocols.'
West Palm Beach Police said the
tiger was tranquilized. Authorities had to wait until the drugs took
effect on the tiger before rescue crews could get in to help the victim.
Malayan tigers are considered an endangered species. There are 250 and 340 of them around the world according to WWF.
OPTIMISM is high among Abia people, as the election
tribunal has started proceeding in Umuahia, on the petition filed by
Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) against
Chief Mao Ohuabunwa of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent
National Election Commission (INEC), over the March 5, 2016 Abia North
Senatorial re-run election.
According to Deputy Campaign Chairman of the Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK)
Campaign Committee, Ohafia L.G, Chief Ndukwe Oju Uka Oji a.k.a Okpotemba,
the mammoth crowd present at the court during the tribunal sitting was
clear indication that Abians are also keenly involved in the quest to
recover Kalu’s stolen mandate during the March 5 re-run senatorial
election.
“I was privileged to witness the mammoth crowd that came to the court
in solidarity with OUK’s quest to recover the stolen mandate that was
wholeheartedly given to him by the people of Abia North.
“The crowd was incomparable to the times when people were either
coerced, hired or sponsored to appear for an event by the current main
opposition party in our country. “This crowd was a good testimony of the
confidence, trust and acceptance of OUK based on his achievements and
political doggedness during and after his tenure as the Abia State
governor.”
Okptemba also expressed strong belief that justice would be enthroned
as the flaws of the March 5, re-run senatorial election would be fully
addressed.
The Chief Executive Officer of HotSports Group, Taye Ige, spoke to The PUNCH concerning the Rio Olympics and the current NFF crisis
How has the preparation been
for the Rio Olympics? Given your experience of the London 2012 Olympics
and the 2014 World Cup, how has the interest of Nigerians been so far?
To say the least, the preparation has
been chaotic. With the sports ministry that is saddled with the
responsibility of preparing our athletes completely engrossed with NFF’s
dog-fight, federations are on their own as far as preparations are
concerned. Again, with the DG – Alhaji (Al-Hassan) Yakmut, who was
directly in-charge in 2012 removed, a vacuum seems to have been created.
We are going down the same lane we have
travelled over the decades preparing for the Olympics. The lackadaisical
style in our preparations is also affecting the interests of Nigerians.
It is quite a challenge marketing the games. We do hope that as the
Games draw closer, more people will show interest about being in Rio de
Janeiro for the event.
But it does also look like the downturn of the Naira could affect the plans of Nigerians desirous of watching the Games.
It does seem so, unfortunately. With a
US dollar exchanging for as much as N300, only the very few can afford
to go to Brazil to watch the Games. Equally the World Cup experience
has shown that Brazil is very expensive. But we still some period left
before the games commences; we are hoping that there could be some
improvement in the economy and that interest of Nigerians would also
increase.
Is there anything special you marketers are offering to encourage fans and make Rio de Janeiro quite memorable for them?
This depends on individual marketer and
the purpose such marketer intends to achieve. There could be promos
(predict and win) and gift items. For those who are hooked on to
HotSports, we are offering them packages that will bring the events and
athletes quite close to them. We have announced some and we hope to add a
lot more.
Football is always the biggest selling
point for Nigeria for events like this…how worried are you that the
current Nigeria Football Federation crisis can force FIFA to ban Nigeria
and thereby removing the U23 Eagles from Rio.
Everybody is worried about the current
situation at football federation. As marketers, football
administrators, sportswriters and even fans, we all stand to lose a lot
should FIFA ban Nigeria. At the moment, Nigeria has budding players
coming through the ranks that could make impact in Rio. But all that
will be scuttled if FIFA sanctions Nigeria. The loss will cut across,
definitely. For the media, I can imagine the volume of adverts and
endorsements that could be lost. Since the Dream Team that paraded the
likes of Kanu and Austin Okocha won the 1996 Olypic gold Nigerians have
always desired to watch the soccer team at the Olympics. I still
remember how keenly they followed Beijing 2008 and so I hope that the
NFF issues are sorted out quickly.
I believe beyond the Olympics such rancour have not help Nigeria get the real value of the national football teams.
Very true even though some believe
Nigerian teams perform better in crisis. As a result of the rancour,
teams prepare for competitions haphazardly; there is distraction and
loss of focus by coaches and players. The true value of the Super Eagles
can better be gauged when there’s absolute peace and tranquilly in the
FA. For now corporate bodies pick interest but then walk away before
much can be achieved because of constant bickering.
Basketball is also huge for
Nigeria as it was in London 2012 with the NBA line up for D’Tigers…What
are you doing in that direction?
We work solely to meet the demands of
our clients. We are not just going to serve them in one direction. We
know Nigerians love football, athletics and basketball and we are
mindful of that. And with the Tigers arriving in Rio as African
champions, I believe the impact will be quite huge.
What are your expectations from Team Nigeria? Any medals hope?
It is difficult to predict given the
prevailing situation and the fact also that some qualifiers are still
ongoing. But so far it’s not quite encouraging. Athletes would need to
go extra miles by themselves if they really want to win medals
Anthony Joshua says he is “unlikely” to
fight on July 9 now fellow British world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury
defends his titles on that day, BBC reports.
WBA and WBO champion Fury is scheduled to take on Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch in Manchester.
“It was always in my mind to fight on 9 July, but there are other dates as well,” IBF champion Joshua, 26, told BBC.
“Let Fury and Klitschko have their day. Let’s not mix anything up.”
Fury defeated Klitschko on points in Dusseldorf last November to become WBA, WBO and IBF champion.
The Englishman was then stripped of the
IBF belt that Joshua now holds and has yet to defend any of his titles. A
future fight between Fury and Joshua has already been suggested, with
both men confident of victory.
Fury derided Joshua as “slow” and
“ponderous” following his second-round stoppage of IBF champion Charles
Martin. and asked for a chance “to slay the lamb” in a highly lucrative
all-British fight.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has
claimed a meeting between Fury and his charge would generate £40m, with
both fighters picking up in excess of £10m.
However, Hearn also said that Joshua
would fight an American challenger next to take advantage of the surge
in interest in his career.
Joshua highlighted former WBC world
champion Bermane Stiverne and undefeated American Dominic Breazeale as
possible opponents. Stiverne, 37, lost his title to Deontay Wilder via a
unanimous decision in January 2015 but has claimed on Twitter that he
believes that he will fight Joshua next and will inflict the Olympic
champion’s first defeat.
Fury, who calls himself “Gypsy King” on Twitter and is from a family of Traveller heritage, told BBC Sport that since becoming heavyweight champion he has suffered “more racial abuse”.
But Joshua said he has no sympathy for
the Manchester fighter, citing Fury’s controversial comments about women
and telling him to “grow a thick skin”.
“Everyone has their opinion,” said Joshua. “It’s a social world and you just have to take it.
“You take the good with the bad and that’s just the world we live in.
“Tyson, you need to grow a thick skin
and learn how to deal with these things because sometimes he says
negative things about people, about women and so on, and they have to
deal with it. So sometimes you have to take a bit of backlash.”
Two years ago, there were about 50
brothels, bars and hotels altogether on Old Ojo Road, Amuwo Odofin Local
Government Area, a distance of 14 kilometres from Oshodi, Lagos.
Today, there are around 200, according
to a longtime resident of the area, Mr. David Oladapo, who has over the
years monitored the situation of things.
“New hotels are springing up every day.
And also brothels,” he said, lamenting about the development.
“Everywhere you turn to, every corner you see, they are taking up
space.”
Oladapo’s displeasure is, however, not
about new hotels being built in the area, or of bars, or even of
brothels bursting forth on every side. His concern is about the
“harmful” effect the whorehouses pose to the children who live in the
area.
“At night, I don’t enjoy myself due to
the loud music from some of these hotels,” the 45-year-old shop owner
said. “The hotels are also strip clubs. You’ll see nude girls coming in
and out.”
It’s just a few months ago that the Old
Ojo Road was tarred, and is now fast becoming a hub of prostitution,
according to some other residents our correspondent spoke with on
Tuesday, who are also worried about the situation.
Tucked among schools, churches, banks,
shops and car parks, hotels and brothels are a regular sight to behold
once one sets on either side of the main road.
A stone’s throw from one of the hotels, a
white building sits, which houses the National Secretariat of the
Chartered Institute of Administration.
Due to this situation, residents,
especially those who live in houses around the “dens of iniquity,” are
worried that their children might be affected by the regular sights of
sex workers in the environment.
Oladapo, whose apartment lies between a
brothel and a shopping plaza, said, “My only concern is that I have kids
around. How can they be seeing these people and not be morally and
mentally corrupted? I have been living in this area for 15 years and
I’ve never seen anything like this before.
“It’s like they want to turn this area
to a centre of prostitution. The situation is appalling. There is a
particular man who is building new hotels almost on every part. He has
many hotels in this area. I’m not bothered because he’s building new
hotels, but because of what his hotels have turned to. There are young
girls who dance nude in the night in the hotels.
“Music is always blaring from the
buildings at night and you’ll begin to wonder what’s happening. Brothels
are also many in this area and this is because there are now so many
prostitutes. The old ones are also recruiting the young ones. You’ll be
shocked to see young girls who should be studying in school in these
places.”
Oladapo added that he was afraid the rate at which young girls were turning to prostitutes in the area.
Old Ojo Road in Lagos1
“This area is no longer good for
children to be brought up. In a place where there are more brothels and
hotels than churches, mosques and schools, I don’t think it’s good,” he
said.
What could be responsible for this development?
Because there are many parks in the area, from where many passengers travelling to other parts of the country go to, Saturday PUNCH
learned that some drivers and male passengers visit the brothels and
hotels before they commence their journey early in the morning.
“The parks operate far into the night,”
said a mechanic, Musiliu Abbas, who folded his arms as he watched
passersby walk pass his shop on this hot afternoon. “Many people sleep
in the parks before they embark on their journey in the morning. Some
don’t sleep. I know that some drivers and passengers visit these
brothels to catch some fun before they travel.”
A pastor in one of the churches in the
area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was worrying that
many young girls in the area had become prostitutes.
He said, “I have been residing here for
10 years and the development is worrisome. A particular woman came into
my office recently and was seriously lamenting. I could see that her
eyes were laden with tears. I asked her what the problem was and she
couldn’t say it. But she opened up eventually.
“Her daughter is now wayward. She
doesn’t see her at home in the nights again. Her husband died five years
ago and she is the only one taking care of her four children, including
the girl she was talking about.
“The girl is just 18 years old and now
she’s a prostitute. She had done everything possible to scold and talk
to her daughter, but nothing has changed in her. Now the woman wants
prayers to turn the heart of her only daughter. Sincerely speaking, I
felt for her when she was telling me all this.”
The clergyman said some residents had
protested against the renting of houses to prostitutes by some
landlords, but nothing had been done.
“The landlord would tell them that if
they were not satisfied with the situation, they should pack out. Of
course, that would be their natural response. It’s like now, the
prostitutes have higher influence than residents,” he said.
A 38-year-old housewife, simply
identified as Mrs. Ada, said she hoped to quickly complete building her
house at Ikorodu so that she could quickly move out of the area.
She said, “When there are many brothels
in an area, there are bound to be lots of unholy activities. I am
personally appalled at the situation. I have been complaining to my
landlord, but when you are not the owner of a building, what can you do?
The man gave out some rooms to prostitutes, which is not good.
“When you are thinking of economic gain,
you should also be thinking about people. How can kids be seeing
prostitutes in skimpy clothes carrying men into the building and they
will not be sociologically affected?
“I have been praying to God now that He
should help my husband and I to quickly finish building our house in
Ikorodu. There, no one will force any morally bankrupt tenant on us.
Money is not everything. I don’t know why landlords are not thinking
about children’s safety.”
Saturday PUNCH spoke with one of the landlords in the area, whose building houses some of the prostitutes. He, however, asked not to be named.
“This is strictly business. Why should I
care whether you have a child or not? Should I be asking people what
sort of occupation they are in before I give them accommodation?” he
asked.
He said it was discriminatory for any resident to be complaining that he gave out rooms to sex workers.
He added, “I build for people to rent
and I don’t think I should care what or who you are. There are other
buildings in this area that anyone who is not comfortable can move into.
Who are they to say I’m giving out rooms to prostitutes? Na them give
me money?
“I have female children also and they
have not turned to prostitutes because I gave out rooms to prostitutes.
Some people don’t know how to groom children, so they are always looking
for who to put the blame on.”
A hotel manager, who also didn’t want
his name mentioned, said it was none of the residents’ business to be
complaining when they had an option of leaving the area.
He said, “The complaint is strange to
me, though not totally. The girls who are prostitutes and those who
dance nude are not here. And even if they are, nobody can force any girl
to do anything against her will. Business is different from what people
want sometimes. If you are having patronage from something and making
money and people are complaining, will you drop your business because of
that?
“I don’t think we should be sentimental
here. How can prostitutes residing in a place constitute nuisance to the
people? Are they not also human beings? I think people should be
careful when judging others. It’s not good.”
While the likes of Oladapo and Ada are
complaining, some residents said they saw nothing wrong in the
proliferation of brothels and prostitutes in the community.
“I don’t think anything is wrong with
this development. There are prostitutes everywhere in the world. It’s
not a big deal. When a man works from morning till evening, he should
enjoy in the night,” a young dark-complexioned okada rider, perhaps in
his 30s, told our correspondent.
Asked whether he patronises the brothels, he smiled, then turned away.
Also, a commercial driver at one of the
parks, simply identified as Fidelis, said, “If some people don’t want
brothels and hotels to be built in this area, they should move out. Who
is tying down their legs?
“We all have the freedom to choose
anything we want to do. No one has the right to force somebody to get
along with their own belief system. We all have equal rights. Whether
there are many brothels or not, I don’t think it should concern anyone.
If you know how to take care of your child, you know it. If you don’t,
you don’t.”
A sociologist, Mrs. Gloria Bamidele, said through LinkedIn that parents who are raising children in the area would need to put in an extra effort in order to properly raise them.
She said an environment influences people’s behaviour, especially of children.
She said, “I can understand the concern
of parents in the area. It’s worth complaining about. Children ‘live’
the places they once lived in. When children live in the midst of touts
all their lives, they’re likely to become touts or act as one. Anything
they are exposed to constantly reshapes their way of thinking and their
lifestyle.
“Not all bad people are bad naturally,
but because they probably have lived in the midst of bad people, they
are now too. Even as an adult, an environment and the people you live
with can change how you think and talk.
“So for these parents, I know why they
are lamenting. It’s quite unfortunate that nothing much would be done
about it because they are not the owners of the houses. It’s when you
own a house that you can dictate what happens there.”
Truly, the neighbourhood in which one
grows up has been identified as a major determinant of one’s success as
an adult, according to a recent research paper by Eric Chyn, an
economist at the University of Michigan, the United States of America.
He wrote, “The new insight is that much
of our best evidence about the effects of growing up in a bad
neighbourhood comes from examining children whose parents work
particularly hard to protect them from the dangers around them. The
negative effects of a bad neighbourhood may be much larger for
low-income families with less motivated parents.
“It has long been clear that children
from troubled neighbourhoods have worse outcomes as adults. But it has
been much harder to disentangle whether these neighbourhoods cause the
later disadvantage, or whether the hardships that lead families to bad
neighbourhoods are the problem.”
Mrs. Bamidele suggested that the
government should have a policy which regulates the siting of a building
according to its purpose.
She added, “Just for an example, a
market shouldn’t be sited along the road. Traders will block the road,
causing traffic every time. The same way, I think brothels should be
sited far away from places where there are many children.
“The clothes they wear, their steps, all
these may affect the psychology of a child. It’s like a 10-year-old
watching an X-rated movie. It will shape their minds badly. No matter
where they are sited, their businesses cannot be affected. Men will go
anywhere to find pleasure.”
On July 20, 2010, a former Lagos State
Governor, Babatunde Fashola, signed a law — the Hotel Licensing Law —
which aimed at regulating the operations of hotels, brothels and event
centres in the state.
According to the law, operators of
brothels, event centres and hotels must register with the state
government, failure of which would attract a two-year jail term or a
fine of N500,000.
Prior to the development, in 2007, the
police had accused prostitutes in brothels of harbouring criminals, with
policemen, commercial drivers and youngsters as top patrons.
As of that time, the Programme
Coordinator of Health Awareness and Gender Advocacy Initiative (a
non-governmental organisation), Mr. Azeez Aladeyelu, said there were
about 93 brothels in Lagos.
He, however, raised the alarm that the spate at which they were increasing could result in an HIV/AIDS epidemic in the state.
He said the government could only reduce prostitution by providing more jobs for the youths.
All efforts to get the comments of the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, proved abortive.
Calls and texts sent to his telephone did not connect as of the time of publishing this report.
The National Identity Management
Commission on Friday said there were no plans to replace voter cards
issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission with the
electronic national identification cards.
It said this while denying reports in
the media (not The PUNCH), which claimed that the Delta State
Coordinator of the NIMC had stated that the national ID would replace
INEC-issued voter cards in 2019.
The Head, Corporate Communications, NIMC, Chika Ogbonna, said that the reporter quoted the state coordinator out of context.
Ogbonna said that the electronic ID card
issued by the NIMC had a number of applets built into it, which made it
capable and available for use in up to 13 use cases and scenarios.
“But at no time during the advocacy
visit by our Delta State team to the royal father did the state
coordinator announce that the eID card would replace the voter’s card
presently issued and used for elections by INEC,” he said.
“The state coordinator did not grant any
press briefing or interviews during the visit, neither was she at the
palace to make any announcement concerning any elections,” Ogbonna said.
He said the primary reason for the visit
was to seek the support of the royal father in the renewed drive by the
new NIMC Director-General, Aliyu Aziz, to increase the number of
enrolment for the National Identification Number.
“The visit was also to brief him on the
collaboration between the NIMC and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
to uniquely register and issue NIN to farmers in Delta State under the
National Agricultural Payment Initiative,” he said.
“The NIMC and INEC are both working
harmoniously with other data-collecting agencies of government towards
the aggregation of all citizens’ biometric data in order to achieve a
single national database as directed recently by the President. Both
commissions of government are in partnership now to that extent,”
Ogbonna added.
President Muhammadu Buhari will stop the
country’s data from being hosted overseas as soon as indigenous data
centres have enough capacity locally to handle data generated within
Nigeria.
The Minister of Communications, Adebayo
Shittu, stated this during an official visit to Rack Centre, a Tier lll
data centre in Lagos.
He said that if the local capacity could
be met within a year from now, “the President will compel the
Ministries, Departments and Agencies to host locally.”
Shittu said that Buhari was passionate
about local data, saying, “As soon as we have capacity, all our data
will be hosted within. We just have to be sure that we have capacity.”
He said there would be no challenge in
implementing the local content policy, as the policy already specified
that for data centre facilities available in the country, government
agencies were duty bound to patronise them.
“It is easy, we have a local content
policy that says that for every data centre facility available in
Nigeria, industries and government agencies must patronise them and more
especially when we have a facility like Rack Centre that can compete
with any other in any part of the world,” the minister said.
Shittu said he was amazed at the
“world-class” infrastructure at Rack Centre, adding that “I am happy
that the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Ayotunde Coker, said that Rack
Centre could compete with the best in the world.”
He said, “It is not logical for the
Nigerian government or the private sector to keep patronising the
foreign facilities. The plan we have agreed on is that once we have
capacity; we will only resort to buying outside the shores only if the
capacity is not there.”
Shittu said that the Buhari-led government was committed to creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.
“As a government, we need to encourage
all private investors that are investing in the Nigerian economy in a
bid to ensure that Information Technology firms grow to satisfactory
levels and contribute their fair share to the Gross Domestic Product.”
The Managing Director of Rack Centre,
Ayotunde Coker, said that the data centre co-location provider had
doubled its capacity from 119 racks to 255 racks within seven months.
According to him, the company is working towards the objective of meeting local demand.
He said, “We intend to build that
capacity. We have the blueprint and we have proved that it can be done
by our doubling the capacity of the centre within just seven months
ahead of time and within the budget.
“The capacity can be increased again to
600 racks within another seven months once it is identified that the
market exists for the expansion.”
The embattled policeman attached to the
Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, Inspector
Festus Omotosho, aka Ijaya, has been detained by the command for allegedly working with a suspected robber, Akeem Popoola.
It was learnt on Thursday that Ijaya, who 21-year-old Popoola said he was working for, was also being investigated by the Ogun State Police Command.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had summoned Ijaya for interrogation on Monday, following an exclusive report by PUNCH Metro.
Our correspondent had reported on April
11 that Popoola, who was arrested for robbery and burglary by the police
in Ogun State, told PUNCH Metro that he helped Ijaya to sell phones to unsuspecting members of the public.
He added that minutes after the sale,
the inspector and two others – Abbey and Aluko – would handcuff him and
take him to the buyers.
He explained that Ijaya would accuse the
buyers of acquiring stolen property and demand a bribe of between
N120,000 and N150,000, adding that he got a N5,000 share for each
successful deal.
The Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed Ijaya’s detention, saying he would be prosecuted for criminal charges if found culpable of the allegation.
She added that the command had commenced investigation into the allegation against him.
She said, “The CP Lagos State Command has ordered his (Ijaya’s)
detention. The command and the Ogun State Police Command are
investigating the criminal charges. If he is culpable, he will be
prosecuted.
“The leadership of the police is
committed to cleaning up the force and will continue to decisively deal
with bad eggs. We will inform you when the outcome of the investigation
is ready.”
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, who also confirmed Ijaya’s
arrest, said he would face the wrath of the law if found wanting. He
added that the two commands were working together on the matter.
He said “The inspector has been
arrested, but he is being investigated by the Lagos command for now. We
will make sure we have proper investigation into the case. He is there
with other suspects. It is a joint assignment with the Lagos command. We
assure the public that those found wanting in the case will face the
full wrath of the law.”
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr Solomon Arase has warned
officers of the Nigeria Police against violation of the fundamental
human rights of Nigerians in the discharge of their constitutional
responsibility.
The IGP gave this warning yesterday when he visited the Edo State
Command of the force as part of his tour of all police formations in the
country.
Arase said that officers of the force must show the best professional
practices in the discharge of their duty and avoid things capable of
bringing the police into disrepute.
While urging that policing must have human face, the IGP said that
officers of the force should be able to draw a line between civil and
criminal offence.
Arase also said that for effective policing, the police should
re-enact the traditional system of policing and bring them in tandem to
modern way of policing.
The IGP who noted that the ban on road blocks was one of the best
decisions taken by the police under his watch, said the police would
continue to do its best to increase the security space in the nation’s
highways.
“When I came on board as the IG, I had made my mission and vision
known as regards the modern system of policing and it is in this regard
that I had embarked on tour of all police formations across the country
to sell this vision.
“Like I have said, we must all imbibe modern ways of policing,
protect and not violate the fundamental human rights of the citizenry,
ensure proper conduct of our officers in the discharge of their duty, as
well as ensuring the effective policing of the people.
“To ensure better policing and information gathering, I also has
advocated for regular town hall meeting, especially with non-state
actors such as the media, road transport workers and others.
“Above all, suspects should not be detained in our facility more than
necessary. It will be better to look for evidence before detaining such
suspects rather than detaining before looking for evidence,” he stated.
A Federal
High Court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, has
dismissed an application by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, seeking
nullification of his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal
(CCT).
The trial judge, Justice Abdul Kafarati, held that the CCT was a
constitutional body, in the discharge of its legal obligation which
should not be interfered with by a court of law.
Justice Kafarati said that he found that none of the claims fell
within Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution and that the court
could not interfere with the proceedings before the Tribunal.
The judge added that the court could not also interfere with the
duties of the respondents which have been imposed on them by law
Senator Saraki is standing trial at the CCT for alleged false asset
declaration and fraud. The trial began in September last year.
The Senate President had approached the court, asking it to put an
end to his trial at the Tribunal, describing the trial as a breach of
his fundamental human rights enshrined in Section Four of the
Constitution and an obstruction to his duties at the National Assembly.
The Italian coast guard said on Wednesday rescued over 4,000 migrants
from the Strait of Sicilly over the course of 17 rescue operations.
This video shows a rescue operation in which 371 migrants were rescued
from three rubber dingies on Tuesday April...
