Carnage unabating along Lagos-Ibadan expressway

Three weeks ago, 12 commuters met their untimely death, while eight others sustained injuries in a fatal crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, by Fidiwo/Ogunmakin diversion.

The crash, which involved a Lagos State-registered intra-city bus travelling to Ilorin, and a Volvo truck going the opposite direction, was attributed to over-speeding.

Based on reports from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the bus was earlier flagged down for over-speeding by the FRSC patrol team, but the driver ignored the order.

Unfortunately, barely five minutes from where the patrol team flagged down the vehicle, the bus collided with the truck.

This is one of the many road carnage routinely recorded on the ever-busy Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

In the last one-year, many lives have been lost, many nursing life-threatening injuries, while many families have been put in disarray, as a result of road mishaps of this nature.

Between October 2017 and March 2018 (a period of six months), a total of 108 crashes were recorded on the particular route, leading to 74 deaths, which forms 46 per cent of total traffic deaths in the state within the period, while 403 people were injured, in both Ogun and Lagos states corridors.

On the Ogun State corridor, Ogunmakin said the axis remains the flashpoint, especially at the point of diversion.

It would be recalled that a diversion was created last December on the road to enable the contractor, Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) to repair the weakened bridge on Kilometre 5 of the road, from Sancrete to Fidiwo.

But despite FRSC’s advisory, coupled with traffic signs erected by the construction firm to caution motorists, recalcitrant motorists who are flouting these warning signs have made the crashes inevitable along the axis.

For instance, between October 2017 and March 2018, a total of 23 crashes, resulting in 31 deaths were recorded within the axis alone.

Specifically, on January 9, there was a head-on collision on that section of the road involving a Dangote truck, which collided with a passenger bus, killing the 10 passengers, except the two drivers. 

On Tuesday, February 15, a multiple accident, involving three vehicles, in which seven passengers perished, occurred within the area.

The fatal accident was attributed to wrongful overtaking at the narrowed section of the road, where traffic is diverted.

The victims in that crash were burnt beyond recognition.

Following the accident on January 16, the FRSC Sector Commander, Clement Oladele, in company of the Federal Controller of Works, Ogun State, Popoola, met the leadership of RCC to discuss further safety measures, as well as intensified patrol by the FRSC around the black spot to prevent crashes. 

The FRSC commander reiterated the need for motorists to exercise caution and obey traffic signs on the segment, till the repair works are completed.

On Sunday, March 18, another fatal crash occurred on the same section of the road. This time, the accident involved a Ford Explorer SUV with registration number KJA 278 DS, and a Mazda E2200 bus, with registration number BDG 873 XU.

A total of 19 people 11 male adult, seven female and one male child were involved in the accident.

That crash claimed seven lives- three male adults, three female adults and one child, with 12 people injured.

According to report from the FRSC, the crash was as a result of suspected tyre burst, which caused the vehicle to veer off and collide with the Ford Explorer travelling in the opposite direction, as all traffic were diverted to one section by the construction company.

Preliminary investigation by the FRSC accident investigation team revealed that the burst tyre of the commercial bus had expired, and the bus was not fitted with speed limiting device at the time of the crash.

Oladele, the Ogun FRSC boss confirmed that human error accounted for most of the crashes, as strict obedience to 50km/hour maximum speed and no overtaking are not complied with within the construction site.

“Some of the crashes were head on collisions, which is an aberration in a no overtaking zone. It is more with disobedience to speed limit and no overtaking rules at construction sites.

The standard practice is that whenever a road is undergoing rehabilitation, to protect men and materials at construction site, and other motorists from harm, alternate roads are provided throughout the duration of the road rehabilitation.

“However, where no alternate road is available, barriers and other speed calming measures are introduced to prevent road traffic crashes at construction zones.

Adequate warning signs are however, provided, which motorists are expected to comply with to ensure safety. 

The FRSC has been interfacing with both construction companies, RCC, which is rehabilitating from Sagamu to Ibadan, and Julius Berger, that is responsible for Sagamu to Lagos.

Initially, the two construction companies provided different road construction signs, but the FRSC provided samples of recommended road signs for uniformity and even donated some produced by the FRSC Signage Plant for use throughout the entire stretch of Lagos – Ibadan corridor.”

He noted that the corps engages the contractors monthly to review safety plans and update on level of work done.

“This is without prejudice to either party contacting the other on urgent safety issues. The FRSC also conducts surveillance and enforcement at construction areas to enhance highway safety.

Oladele stressed that the FRSC has introduced measures to prevent speed induced crashes, which include, media advocacy on the need to obey stipulated speed limit on the portion of the road, where there is diversion and release of traffic advisory in the media.

“In addition anytime a crash occurs, the mention of this dangerous area is reiterated to warn other motorists. Also, motorpark rallies and discussions held with commercial vehicles were routinely done.

Advocacies are equally done in churches and mosques in an effort to reach private motorists on the dangers inherent in over speeding within the five-kilometre portion of road diversion.

Increased road surveillance, traffic calming and enforcement were also carried out daily and additional personnel and patrol equipment deployed, including patrol cars, patrol motor bikes and breathalysers to test against for alcohol and drugs.”

On FRSC’s efforts at reducing the intake of alcohol by transporters, he noted that though its enforcement and education against drunk driving is usually intensified during Easter and other festivities, public enlightenment in this regard goes on all year round.

“FRSC is also in collaboration with Guinness Nigeria Plc, and other producers of alcoholic beverages, in order to promote the Don’t Drink and Drive Campiagn.

The corps has a cordial relationship with the beer sector, either corporately, or as individuals in advocacy education, enlightenment and donation of breathalysers to support FRSC enforcement of alcohol and drugs infractions.”

Deputy Chairman, Honesty Unit, Isheri Branch A, NURTW, Ketu, Lagos, Otunba S. A. Adesanya, told The Guardian that the union particularly frowns at drinking in the park, which he insisted constitutes a big offence, and any driver caught in the act has to pay a fine of N5, 000 to the association.

He said: “Any driver, especially those plying inter-state routes are prohibited from drinking, and we have informed them that anyone that wants to drink can only do so after business hours. We know we cannot stop anybody from drinking, but we don’t allow it during working hours.”

Adesanya informed that this measure has helped to drastically curb drinking among drivers in the park.

He added that the union is also paying closer attention to the condition of vehicles plying the road, especially the inter-state routes.

According to him, the union is not relenting in getting its members to come to terms with the need not to over-speed, adding that efforts were also on to ensure members comply with safety regulations as prescribed by the FRSC, even as culprits are duly sanction.

Similarly, the Head, Monitoring Team, Iperi Odo, Ishara, Remo Unit, Ketu Garage, Mr. Agboola Ibrahim said: “We told our members that if they want to drink, they should wait until they close for the day, because driving while under the influence of alcohol or other substances is dangerous.”

He also added that any driver found drinking while on duty, would be barred from carrying passengers for four days and also be made to pay a fine.

The ban, he said, is only lifted after the erring driver has satisfied all conditions, and is truly repentant.

To also avert situations that might lead to accidents, he urged passengers not to engage drivers in fights, especially when they are behind the wheels, but make sure they note the vehicle’s number plate, the driver’s appearance and report to NURTW officials, as the union would take disciplinary actions on such erring drivers.

Three Lions beat Super Eagles in international friendly

Chelsea’s defender Gary Cahill celebrated his return to England’s squad and stepped up his claims for a starting place against Tunisia in Volgograd on June 18 by opening scoring in yesterday’s friendly against Nigeria, with a powerful header after only seven minutes.

England’s total first-half domination was emphasised when captain Harry Kane scored his eighth goal in his last seven appearances six minutes before the interval when Super Eagles’ goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho allowed his 18-yard shot to slip in.

Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi gave thousands of Nigerian fans inside Wembley hope two minutes after the break with a crisp finish, but England, who had Raheem Sterling booked for diving, closed out the victory in relatively untroubled fashion.

Sterling went close to scoring in the first half but was later booked for diving. He dominated headlines and the build-up to the friendly after he was pictured sporting a tattoo of a gun on his leg and revelations about his late arrival for England’s pre-World Cup training camp when they assembled earlier this month.

The Manchester City forward, whose name was warmly greeted by England’s fans when it was announced, formed a lively partnership with Kane, but it was also a day of frustration for him.

Police Arrest Politician Fingered in Shooting at Ekiti APC Rally

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a politician (names withheld) who brought the policeman that fired the shot at the rally organised by All Progressives Congress (APC) for Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Friday.

Bamidele and five others were shot at the APC Secretariat located at Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti during a welcome rally organised for Fayemi, the APC candidate for the Ekiti governorship poll billed for July 14.

Bamidele, who was shot in the stomach, and those that were hit are currently receiving medical treatments in the hospital.

In a statement issued by the State Public Relations Officer, Caleb Ikechukwu in Ado Ekiti saturday, the Police admitted that the policeman accidentally shot Hon Opeyemi Bamidele and five others at the rally.

Ikechukwu however refused to mention the name of the politician in their custody. The police spokesman also claimed that only two persons were shot contrary to the APC’s position that six victims were involved.

The PPRO said: “The policeman is attached to 20 PMF, Ikeja, Lagos State where he was posted on bank guard duties somewhere in Ikeja. The policeman came on illegal duty to Ekiti State.

“A politician, who conspired and removed the said policeman from where he was posted by his squadron Commander and came to Ado-Ekiti with him for an unofficial reason, has also been arrested.”

Ikechukwu said the victims of the policemen’s accidental discharge are currently responding to treatment at the hospital, while the injured officer is equally responding to treatment in protective custody.

Meanwhile, governor Akeredolu of Ondo State has denied having anything to do with the shooting at the APC rally in Ekiti on Friday; while responding to allegations made by the campaign organisation of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Kolapo Olusola, linking him with the shooting which left five people injured with bullet wounds.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, said none of his security aides fired a shot at the scene as being alleged. The statement said the allegations by the PDP campaign were malicious, as the governor was only in Ekiti to give support to Fayemi. “Governor Akeredolu knew nothing about the identity of the suspect. It is nothing but a wicked lie from the pit of hell,” the statement said.

“Governor Akeredolu was in Ekiti State to show support for the APC and its candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and none of the governor’s security detail fired a single shot throughout the rally in Ekiti.

“Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Police PPRO, Caleb Ikechukwu, has disclosed that the policeman who handled the rifle was hired from Lagos. We hope this will put to rest dangerous allegation.”

The PDP campaign organisation had earlier claimed that Akeredolu was mobilising thugs and funds to Ekiti State to help win the election for Fayemi.

The statement denied that allegations that the governor was earmarking funds for the Ekiti election.

In a related development, the Ekiti State chapter of the APC saturday blamed the shooting of five of its members, including Bamidele at the rally organised for Fayemi, on security lapses.

The party has also suspended electioneering campaign until the security agencies are able to guarantee their safety as they proceed to the July 14 election.

The party, through its State Chairman, Chief Jide Awe alleged that the police were complicit in many ways, including allowing a policeman from another state to provide security at the campaign rally.

Awe also blamed the police for granting Governor Ayodele Fayose permission to hold a separate rally with commercial motorcyclists after permitting APC to hold its rally that day, describing this as capable of igniting crisis in the state.

Briefing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, Awe insisted that the attack was a well-contrived assassination attempt on its candidate and on the hierarchy of the party. He stated that the party was not convinced by the claim of the police that it was a case of accidental discharge.

He said: “We raise serious doubt over police investigation claiming that it was a case of accidental discharge.

“The police must convince us that the policeman who fired the shot is not fake. They claimed that he came from MOPOL 20 in Lagos; what was a policeman from Lagos doing in our rally? What was his mission and who was his principal?”, Awe asked.

He added: “We are still maintaining our stand that it was an assassination plot on our candidate, because the shooting came from a close range to where Dr. Fayemi was.

“The police must get to the root of where this emanated from. Lives were involved and our people were hit, so we can’t fold our arms and be watching.

“That is why we are suspending our rallies pending the time the police is able to convince us that they are going to be strict with permissions for campaigns. We don’t want PDP to hide under any clash campaign to unleash terror on our people”, he said.

On the party’s claim that the state government was also complicit, Awe maintained that; “we have not indicted the government, but the manner at which Governor Fayose conducted himself gave room for suspicion.

“Before the incident, Governor Fayose told Okada riders and the people of Ikere Ekiti not to welcome Dr. Fayemi to Ekiti. When the incident occurred, the state government was the first to issue press statement reading meanings to the shooting. What was their concern about shooting in APC’s rally?

“All these issues prompted us to say that the PDP government was involved. Let me also clarify that we are not working at cross purposes with the police, but our approaches may be different.

“Our claim was that the man who fired the shot was a fake policeman and a paid agent with a mission to kill our governorship candidate and the police said he was from MOPOL 20 but on illegal duty in Ekiti. So, what the police need now is to convince us about the veracity of their claim”, he said.

Meanwhile, Hon. Bamidele, has dispelled the insinuation that he had been in coma since Friday evening when he was hit by bullets at the APC rally in Ado Ekiti.

In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Ahmed Salami on Saturday, Bamidele said though he immediately fell and passed out due to the trauma he suffered when the bullets suddenly pierced his stomach.

Bamidele, who appreciated his supporters and APC members across the state, said he had since regained consciousness even before leaving the venue of the rally and being hurriedly taken to the hospital.

“The way I fell in the full glare of the crowd and party supporters fueled the insinuation that I am still in coma. Let me assure our supporters in Ekiti and other concerned Nigerians that I am not in coma. I have regained consciousness and fast recuperating due to prompt and intensive medical treatments I received thereafter.

“I have passed through major surgeries and the bullets have been removed from my stomach. I want our supporters to be calm and be law abiding. The situation is under control.

“I want to appreciate our people for the outpouring of affections since the incident occurred and this underscored the strong bond of unity among the APC members and Ekiti people in general.

“I want to say the shooting was very unfortunate and unwarranted in view of the decorous and peaceful ways our people comported themselves from Akure, Ondo State capital via Ikere and to Ado Ekiti.

“I charge the police authorities to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the shooting and bring whoever that was complicit to justice for a country that has respect for the sanctity of human lives to be attainable”, he said.

Bamidele specially appreciated Governor Akeredolu of Ondo State, Dr. Fayemi, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Ayo Arise and other party bigwigs for the quick responses in saving his life and that of other victims.

OAU backs Senate probe into sex-for-mark scandal

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said the university has nothing to worry about the resolution of the Senate Committees on TETFUND and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to investigate the allegation of sex-for-mark between a former student and a lecturer in the institution.

A female postgraduate student, Monica Osagie, had accused a lecturer in the university, Prof. Richard Akindele, of demanding sex in return for a favourable mark in a particular course in the not-too-distant past.

The university said the National Assembly had the statutory right to investigate the case because the OAU was an institution established and funded by the Federal Government which the Senate was a part of.

The Public Relations Officer of the OAU, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday.

The university’s spokesperson stated that the institution had been open and transparent in the way it had handled the alleged sexual scandal since the news broke in April.

Olanrewaju stated, “For those who have been following the trend of events, they know that Obafemi Awolowo University has been very transparent in its affairs, including the alleged sexual harassment (telephone) between Monica Osagie and one of our lecturers.

“It is on record that the vice-chancellor issued a press statement which was carried by all media houses. That is to show everybody that the OAU is not covering up anybody. We have nothing to hide and we are not going to cover up for anybody.”

Osagie, a postgraduate student of Management and Accounting Department of the university, leaked an audio recording of her conversation with the professor where the lecturer was heard demanding to have sex five times as a condition to jerk up the student’s mark.

The university set up a fact-finding committee based on the audio which went viral on the Internet and the lecturer had since been suspended following the interim report of the committee which reportedly established a prima facie case against him.

The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, in recent interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said the final report of the committee was ready.

Ogunbodede added that the report had been forwarded to the Governing Council of the university, stating that the Council had also set up a joint committee of the Council and Senate of the university on the case.

The VC said the verdict of the joint committee of the Council and the Senate would be the institution’s final decision on the scandal.

How I conquered cancer – Banky W

Musician cum actor, Bankole Wellington aka Banky W, has revealed how he managed to fight and conquer cancer, just before his wedding to his heartthrob, actress Adesua Etomi.

The EME boss, who was just made the ambassador for Pink Oak Trust, said God and availability of sufficient funds saw him through. He said: “Many people know about my own battles with cancer. I’m forever grateful to God that I am alive and well, and that I was able to fund the treatment I needed.

Unfortunately, over 90,000 Nigerians die every year due to cancer. This is simply because they can’t afford to fight it. Treatment is expensive and so many people die because they’re just unable to pay for surgery, pills, chemo etc. That has to change, and the more of us that contribute, the better. It would be great if one person donated N100 million. But it would be just as great, and even more powerful, if one million people gave N100 each.”

2019 Presidency: We won’t wait for you –Youths tell Buhari

As critical stakeholders continue to express support for a paradigm shift in the leadership of the country through the Not-Too-Young-To-Rule bill recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian youths have turned down the plea of the president who had jocularly asked them to wait till the end of his second term in 2023.

In a quick response to the president’s teaser, the Nation- al Leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Ahmed Yerima, declared the readiness of the youths to take over the reign of power in 2019, saying that “strategies are already being put in place to bring up somebody who would look at Nigeria as his own constituent, where all of us will begin to see ourselves as Nigerians.

“It is commendable that President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill, but it is long overdue. It is also not enough to sign the bill, it must

also be implemented. The youths must also rise to the occasion and work harder to take over the governance of this country.

“With or without the bill, nobody can stop any Nigerian from contesting any position in this country. The youths have to rise to the occasion. That the president said the youths should wait till after 2023 is a matter of opinion. There is nowhere it is stated in the constitution that Nigerian youths should not contest or should wait till after 2023. Nigerians will decide that.”

Speaking against the back- drop of the moneybags, who currently dominate the political space, he said: “If he (Buhari) can make it, youths can also make it. So, it is not all about money. The awareness is increasing. Nigerians are now wiser, knowing that politics is not all about money; it is about capacity to deliver and take the country to the next level. Moneybag politics has not taken this country anywhere; rather, we are retrogressing every day. It is high time we began to look at

people based on merit, based on their capacity. So, it is better to encourage the younger ones to take over the leader- ship of this country. Money or no money, we must ensure that credible leaders are elected.

“I don’t think Nigerians want to go back to the same thing over and over again. I strongly believe Nigerian youths can do it better.”

Similarly, President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, also lauded Buhari for assenting to the bill into law, adding that “it’s going to open the channel for a new, fresh, vibrant, innovative and young Nigerian of Igbo extraction to become the president of Nigeria if possible in 2019.”

He stressed that Nigerian youths are hungry for power and might run against him if he fails to appease them.

“Indeed, in my personal view, the Nigerian democracy will be strengthened if the youth tastes their popularity against Mr President in 2019.

“I salute the president for assenting to the Not-Too- Young-To-Run bill. It is a wel- come development in our polity and it’s going to strengthen our democracy. But from the point of view of how it pertains to the young generation of Ndigbo, the Not-Too-Young- To-Run Act will favour them greatly, because it means that in the nearest future, the younger generation of Ndig- bo will take over all the government houses in Igbo land, having understood that those who have been occupying the government houses in the past have betrayed them.

“The Act has also opened a new chapter in our national politics and will address a lot of abnormalities in the sys- tem, which includes an Igbo man becoming the president of Nigeria, and by this I mean a young Nigerian who never saw the war. Those who saw the war, and are alive today, are afraid of handing over power to somebody from this part of the country who wit- nessed the war. So, the Act will break the jinx and has, therefore, given hope to vibrant Igbo youths to run for the presidency in 2019,” Isiguzoro said.

Reminded that the president has appealed to the youths not to run against him in 2019, Isiguzoro said that Buhari has a democratic right to woo Nigerian youths, noting, however, that it was left for younger Nigerians to decide whether to run against him or not.

His words: “If the president is appealing that youths should not run against him in 2019, then there must be a concrete agreement where he would pledge to hand over to an Igbo man in 2023. But if such agreement does not come up, then a young, vibrant, Igbo man will run against him in 2019.”

Isiguzoro, however, said that the youths might consider heeding Buhari’s appeal for the singular reason that he assented to the bill, which has encouraged them to venture into politics early in their lives.

“But does it mean that Mr President is afraid of running against a young, vibrant youth possibly from any part of the country? If Mr President is afraid of the youth running against him, he must appease them before the 2019 election because Nigerian youths that I know, who are hungry for power, may run against him,” he said.

Also speaking, Secretary, Eastern Consultative Assembly, Evangelist Elliot Ugo- chukwu-Uko, though com-

mending the bill, he expressed reservation for its workability in view of the inherent imped- iments against the youths in the present electoral system.

“It’s a good thing. It has opened the door for young people, but we are not excit- ed about it because we under- stand the corruption within the electoral system. We un- derstand the impediments to participatory democracy in Nigeria; we understand the mindset of the current leadership so nobody is excited about it,” he said.

Ugochukwu-Uko, who is former President of Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), further said that Buhari’s appeal to the youth not to run against him was not important.

“The reality is that he is likely to be defeated and he is likely not to accept it. That is the problem facing Nigeria at the moment. His own people from his own region have been holding meetings every- day for the past two or three months to select a consensus alternative. It’s clear he is not going to survive the 2019 election. But the problem is that he controls everything today. Will he accept the verdict of the people? The youth should face the reality that we are all in trouble if we don’t recon- struct Nigeria back to true fiscal federalism. It’s only true federalism that will save Nigeria,” he said.

Also the National Secretary, Arewa United Consultative Forum, Comrade Ibrahim Abubakar Jagaban, commended Buhari for assenting to the bill, but urged Nigerian youths to support the president’s re-election bid in 2019 instead of contesting against him.

“The passage of the bill is a step in the right direction because governance is supposed to involve all and sun- dry. There should be balance between the aged, the not- too-old and the youth. Youths are expected to sustain leadership, but if they don’t get exposure to the nitty-gritty of leadership from the old guards, there will be no way they will be able to take over from them,” he said.

When reminded that the president who was appealing to the youths not to run against him had earlier dubbed them as lazy, Jagaban retorted: “I think that is the personal view of the president looking at it from the angle that he thinks he started a project to revamp the economy and he needs more time to consolidate. If the youth should come out now, that may take the shine off his popularity that could help him clinch the second term mandate. I think that is the angle he is coming from.

“My view about this government is that we have a government that is keen to taking the masses along. And if a project has started in the direction, I think the government should be allowed to consummate it. I am a youth; I don’t have any- thing against the youth, but I just think we should allow this government to complete what it has started so that we don’t fritter away the gains the government has made so far,” he said.

I can never kill or engage assassins, says Kalu

Former Governor of Abia State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has reacted to the news trending on social media that he used to kill people when he was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the former governor, he was quoted out of context in an interview he granted journalists after the South East executive committee meeting of the APC held in Abuja last Wednesday.

Speaking from United States of America yesterday, Kalu said: “I did not say I used to kill people during congress when I was a member of the PDP rather I pointed out that due to political rivalry and other vices, people used to die during congresses in the PDP. I am not only a law-abiding Nigerian but also a devout Catholic who does not believe in ungodly and inhuman acts. I have never killed anyone and will never do such nor engage anyone to kill on my behalf.”

He added: “People should not twist my interview to suit their selfish, wicked and barbaric ambitions. I am a man of peace and I can never derail from the path of peace.”

The former governor, while advising media outfits especially online platforms to verify information before disseminating, urged Nigerians “to disregard the false, malicious and wicked news.”

Pope to meet 5 abused Chilean priests

Pope Francis will on Saturday meet five Chilean priests who were sexually abused by another priest, Fernando Karadima, in an effort to heal their wounds and those of the church, the Vatican said.

In a letter to Chileans issued last week, the pope had voiced his “shame” that the Catholic church had failed “to listen and react in time” to allegations of sexual abuse by Chilean clergy.

Several members of the Chilean church hierarchy are accused by victims of ignoring and covering up child abuse by Karadima during the 1980s and 1990s.

In a statement Saturday, the Vatican said the pope would meet the five Chilean priests shortly as part of efforts to heal them and the Church.

“With the help of the five priests, the pope will try to find a solution to the internal fracture of the community of the faithful.

“In this way, it will be possible to begin to rebuild a healthy relationship between the faithful and their priests, once everyone has come to terms with their own wounds,” it said.

Last month, all 34 Chilean bishops announced their resignation over the scandal after Francis summoned them.

Since 2000, about 80 Roman Catholic priests have been reported to authorities in Chile for alleged sexual abuse.

The pope has apologised to the victims.The Vatican suspended Karadima in 2011, requiring him to live a life of penitence for the harm caused.

Five new Ebola cases in DR Congo

Health authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo said Saturday they had detected five fresh suspected cases of Ebola in the deadly outbreak afflicting the northwest of the country.

Three new cases were recorded in the Bikoro area and two in Wangata, the national health ministry said in a statement. Both lie in the northwestern province of Equateur.

DR Congo and the UN World Health Organization are rushing to contain the outbreak that has sickened more than 50 people in recent weeks, with 25 dead.

The outbreak was first declared on May 8 in Bikoro, a remote area in the rural northwest of the vast central African country.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres opened a new treatment centre in Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur province, an AFP reporter saw. At least three people were taken in there on Friday for treatment.

FG supports killing of Christians by herdsmen, SAYS ECWA President

President of Evangelical Church Wining All (ECWA), Rev. Stephen Panya Baba, has said the inability of Federal Government to tackle headlong the killing of Christians by Fulani herdsmen in the country confirms its (FG) covert support and security agencies for the herdsmen.

Rev. Baba also said the continuous detention of Leah Sharibu in Boko Haram captivity because of her refusal to denounced her Christians faith and other Chibok school girls would slide the country into a bloody civil war.

Rev. Baba disclosed this on Saturday in his inaugural speech at his installation as the new ECWA President, held at the Church Headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.

“I called on Federal Government and indeed all governing authorities at State and Local Government levels, to show greater resolve and take more concrete steps in stoping the evil carnage being perpetrated by Boko Haram and those that are Fulani Jihadist herdsmen.

“Failure to rein in the prosecute these wicked men would only confirm the increasingly perceived notion that Boko Haram has rebranded themselves in form of the Fulani Jihadist herdsmen, and that they are carrying out their nefarious activities under the protection and covert support of Federal Government and its security agencies.”

He said if government must avert the looming civil war in the country, it must summon courage by taking decisive action to end the wicket killing of Christians in the Middle Belt Region and zones of Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Gongola, Southern Bornu, Southern Kaduna and other parts of Northern Eastern Nigeria.

Rev. Baba explained that Christians, widows, orphans and vulnerable children have suffered intense persecution and humiliation in the hands of radical Islamists such as Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen who have increase the numbers of widows and orphans in the church.

He said ECWA and other sisters churches and the adherents of the faith would continue to pray, work and doing dialogue and other means for peace to reign on the Plateau and Nigeria as a whole.

The outgoing President, Rev. Jeremiah Gado, in his farewell address, said all ECWA Pastors now have life insurance, and in an event of death be given N500, 000 instead of N25, 000 to N50, 000.

5 killed in Kogi communal clash

No fewer than five people were feared killed, on Saturday, in a renewed communal crisis between the Igbirra and Bassa – komu  communities in Kogi State.

The latest attack, it was learnt, was carried out in Okpareke , the country home of the former Chief of Army Staff Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Chris Ali(rtd)

According to an eye witness account, some gunmen invaded the community in the early hours of Friday killing no fewer than five people including the son of the village head  whose name was not readily made available.

The account said there had been a rumour earlier making the rounds that  some Bassa-Komu militias from Bassa Local Government Area of the state were planning to attack Egbira settlements in Kogi local government as being witnessed in Nasarawa state and some parts of the state.

“Immediately they invaded the community, they  started shooting sporadically and embarked on looting properties including food items, a situation that provoked some of the youths  to repel the attackers” the source said.

It was learnt that the attackers opened fire on the villagers who were resisting the invasion and killed the son of the village head.

When our reporter  visited Okpareke, on Friday, hundreds of people had fled  the town while some were seen carrying away  their essential properties.

Okpareke community, an Egbira-speaking community, comprises of Egbira,  Basss-Komu, Gbagi, Ganagana, Igbo, Ijaw, Fulani and others.

Meanwhile,  the Administrator of Kogi Local Government, Tanko Musa and the Ohimege Igu,  Alhaji Abdulrazak Isa Koto, paramount ruler of the area, summoned a meeting of the traditional rulers of all the ethnic groups and stakeholders in the area to discuss and assess the security situation of the area.

The Ohimege Igu who presided over the meeting appealed to the fleeing residents to return to their homes and continue with their normal businesses.

The paramount ruler, who assured them of the protection of lives and property, said Governor Yahaya Bello has ordered for immediate re-enforcement of Mobile policemen, soldiers and other security agencies to augment the ones already on ground.

While giving assurances of protection , Alhaji Isa Koto, warned against rumour mongering which, he said, had been causing more confusion.

He particularly pointed accusing finger to the Fulani whom he alleged were taking advantage of the crisis to let their animals loose on the deserted farms to feed from the crops.

The Administrator of the Local Government Council,  Musa, while commiserating with the victims of the unwarranted attack, appealed for calm and cooperation so as to overcome the ugly situation.

He equally assured that the government and security agencies are on top of the situation and all those behind the crisis would be brought to book without delay.

Why I withdrew from APC chairmanship race –Odigie-Oyegun

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun, has explained why he withdrew from contesting afresh the party’s national chairmanship position in the forthcoming National Convention slated for June 23.

He said his decision was “in the party’s interest.”

He stated this on Friday night in Abuja while speaking with newsmen, adding that he arrived at the decision after wide consultation with close political associates and family members and not because of intimidation.

He said that the tenure extension that the party’s National Executive Committee had agreed to suffered a setback following President Muhammadu Buhari’s opposition.

According to him, the tenure extension would have helped to stabilise the party in the face of some of its challenges and might have prevented the crisis that followed its recent congresses in some states of the federation.

He said that some of the party leaders ought to have considered the tenure extension to be in the best interest of the party.

This, he said, would have ensured that the party enters the 2019 elections as a united fighting force, rather than one that is potentially weakened by internal conflicts arising from competitive congresses and convention.

Odigie-Oyegun urged party leaders to close ranks and to make the party a strong fighting force ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“Now that the Convention Committee has invited interested aspirants to obtain forms to contest various national positions in our party, it has become necessary for me to state my position.

“I have consulted widely with my family, friends and associates, even though I had the desire to re-contest as the national chairman of the party.

“I have decided that it is ultimately in the best interest of the party for me to withdraw from the race.

“I believe that the party faces difficult days ahead, and all critical stakeholders in its leadership would be required to bind together for a common purpose,” he said.

He advised that a less-contentious convention would be better for the party, adding that he had always sought to be a part of solving the party’s problems.

“I do not intend to be part of the problems for APC to solve. It is for this reason that I hereby declare that I will not be seeking re-election as the national chairman.

“However, I will continue to perform my functions as the national chairman of the party till my tenure officially ends on Monday, June 25, when a new set of party executive will be inaugurated,” Odigie-Oyegun said.

My ex-boyfriend raped me two weeks after I gave birth –Insurance officer

A married 32-year-old official at an insurance firm in Lagos, Chioma (pseudonym) is at daggers drawn with a businessman in the state, identified as Orazu, over controversies surrounding alleged cases of rape and kidnapping.

Chioma said Orazu was her ex-lover and allegedly raped her during a visit to her residence – a three bedroomed flat in the Alakuko end of Ogun State – two weeks after she was delivered of a baby boy.

But Orazu denied there was any relationship between him and Chioma, claiming that the mother of three, her nephew, Kester, and her husband, Sanni, kidnapped him during a visit and demanded a ransom of N10m from his family.

Chioma told Saturday PUNCH that she struck a relationship with Orazu, who is in his 50’s, in December 2008 at an event centre in the Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State, while she was on holiday for Christmas celebration.

The graduate of Lagos State University explained that the relationship thrived till sometime in 2010 when she acquainted Orazu of her intention to quit the relationship on the grounds that she was getting married to her pastor husband. She said the move did not go down well with Orazu, who allegedly insisted on marrying her.

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“I told him he was married already with children and I couldn’t be his mistress forever. He threatened to deal with me if I married another man, but I didn’t take his threat seriously. We are from the same local government but different towns – I hail from Ofumeyi while he is from Ukpor,” she explained to our correspondent in a chat last Friday.

Chioma stated that Orazu attended her marriage in December 2010 without any sign of animosity which made her to completely dismiss the threat, adding that she introduced him to her husband as her ex-lover at the event.

“In January 2011 when my husband and I were back in Lagos, he called me several times. I told him the calling must stop because I am a married woman and I wouldn’t want anything that would destroy my home. He stopped calling me until June 30, 2015, around 10pm when he called again. Initially, I didn’t know he was the caller because I had deleted his number.

“We exchanged greetings and he jokingly said I would have had many children. I told him I just had my third child ten days earlier. When he offered to come and greet the baby, I told him I would need my husband’s consent before he could come. When I told my husband, he said I should give him our address since there was nothing between us any longer. On Friday, July 3, 2015, I sent the address to him,” Chioma, who is now heavily pregnant, recalled.

The woman explained further that Orazu called her on July 4 and promised to visit the family the following day – Sunday. She said they waited for him until 5pm when her husband left for church in Ijaiye, an uptown community in Lagos.

The 32-year-old said when Orazu finally knocked at the gate of their residence around 9pm, she called her husband to ask if she should receive him at that time of the day.

“My husband said I should let him in and that he was on his way home. We are the only family living in that compound and my nephew, Kester, who lived with us, had not returned from a tutorial class. He was preparing for GCE exams then. I asked the man why he came at such time. He said he went somewhere and that if he did not come that day (July 5), he might not be able to visit again.

“As soon as I ushered him into the living room, he asked about my husband and I said he would be back soon. He said he cared for a soft drink and I went into my room to pick the money so I could send my first son, Victor, to buy it. Victor (born through another relationship) was 12 then,” she added.

She said she was rummaging through her wardrobe for some cash when she suddenly felt a grip from behind, noting that as she turned back to ascertain the source of the force, she saw Orazu.

Chioma explained that she questioned his mission in her bedroom, but the businessman boasted he was set to punish her for dumping him. In a split second, they were reportedly entwined in a physical contest.

“Before I knew what was happening, he raped me right in my bedroom. Victor rushed in while I was shouting, but he could not stop him. I was bleeding when he went to the bathroom to clean up. That was when my husband entered.

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“The moment he saw my husband, he wanted to force his way out, but my husband stopped him. Kester also came in at that time and they both beat him up. Soon, his wife called him to know where he was. He told her he was in Surulere. My husband collected his phone, put it on speaker and explained what happened to the wife. The wife exclaimed, ‘Tobechukwu (Orazu’s middle name), you again!’

“We asked him to call his family to come so they could see what he did. If you are from Nnewi South, once you are married, you must not have sex with any other man. If you do so without performing cleansing afterwards, the woman’s husband will die. The man knows this because he is a title holder in his village. He called one of his younger sisters, Ijoma on the phone. The sister lamented that it was not the first time he would do such a thing and she initially disowned him,” Chioma narrated.

She said Ijoma and other relatives of Orazu called in to beg her husband and offered to pay a sum of N300,000 for the cleansing. The insurance officer said she advised her husband to ignore the entreaties and report the incident to the police but he declined, saying it would result in stigma.

The mother of three claimed that Orazu suggested to stay with the family pending when Ijoma would pay the money.

“He said the sister would not pay if he left our house. We did videos and audio recordings of the scene and took pictures with our phones for future purposes. We asked Kester to release his bank account into which Ijoma paid the money because the culture forbids my husband from touching the money.

“He left our house on July 8, after the sister paid the N300,000. For days, I could not stand upright and was ashamed to tell our doctor what happened. I insisted Orazu would follow us to the village for the cleansing but he begged my husband not to expose him being a title holder. We travelled to the village and spent N250,000 on the cleansing and travelling.

“On July 30, 2015, we returned to Lagos while Kester went to Benin (Edo State) to see his parents. The following day, my husband went to Seme for a church programme,” she added.

Chioma told Saturday PUNCH that she just finished preparing breakfast for her children on Saturday, August 1, 2015, when three SARS officers came to pick her up with a promise that she would be released as soon as her husband turned himself in.

Orazu’s family had allegedly reported to SARS that the couple kidnapped him and demanded a ransom.

She said she was shocked when she met Kester outside handcuffed in a car brought by the operatives, adding that they threw her into the vehicle together with her baby and drove them to the SARS office at police command headquarters in Ikeja.

“Their boss said my husband was a kidnapper. The Investigating Police Officer, one Mr. Alex, collected my phone and Kester’s as well as the pictures I printed out from my phone.

“He asked me to write a statement. I wrote the same statement five times but he tore them. He slapped me and beat me up. He asked me to write that my husband kidnapped Orazu and demanded N10m ransom. I said I would not write such because the man raped me; he only turned the case against us because my husband did not report to the police. After several threats, the IPO forced me to write what he wanted.

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“Ijoma who was also at the SARS office that day told Orazu that the case was off her hands,” she said.

The woman told our correspondent that she bled and became unconscious inside a cell she was kept with her baby, adding that she was revived at the police hospital in Ikeja.

She said even though her husband reported at SARS office on Monday morning when he came back from the church programme, she was not released as promised.

“On Thursday, my husband, Kester and I were arraigned in court. Kester was 16 years old then but the police lied that he was 18. We were granted bail and remanded in Kirikiri prison, which was another world entirely. I was there with my baby.

“The warders asked me to bring my son  to the prison clinic every day after bathing him. It was the Comptroller of Prison then that took interest in my case when she saw my baby in the clinic. I had spent about three months in the prison before my family knew about the matter and perfected my bail conditions.

“My child contracted a disease in the prison, which made him to have difficulty with breathing. It was a Reverend Father that later assisted in paying for his medical treatment after I left the prison. Till now, he still suffers a relapse occasionally,” she added.

Sanni, 38, who confirmed his wife’s account to our correspondent, said he first met Orazu during their wedding in 2010. He explained that his second encounter with him was when he visited his wife in 2015.

The pastor said, “Whenever I came back from church, I would do praise-worship in the living room and my wife and children would join me. I was there when Victor came to tell me that a man assaulted his mother. At that time, the man was coming out of the bathroom tying my towel around his waist.

“As I was holding him, Kester came in from where he was attending tutorials. I beat him for returning home late because he was supposed to be back latest by 7pm. We both vented our anger on the man and beat him up.”

Asked why he did not report the alleged rape to the police, the Imo State indigene said he had to forgive Orazu after his family said he was hypertensive and could die in custody if arrested.

He stated that he succumbed to the pressure from Orazu’s family and provided food for him throughout “the time he volunteered to stay in our house.”

Narrating his experience in police custody, Sanni said, “They slapped me and hit my head with a plank. They tortured me and asked me to write a statement. They tore the one I wrote and started dictating what to write to me. They threatened to shoot me if I refused to comply. Kester and I left the prison on December 18, 2015 after spending about five months there.”

However, Orazu, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, said he never dated Chioma and debunked the rape allegation.

He said he met the woman sometime in 2013 when she came to seek financial assistance from one of his younger sisters in the village so she could rent an apartment in Lagos.

The chief said he was not in touch with Chioma until July 2015 when she called him and requested that he visit her in the apartment she purportedly rented with the money.

Orazu said, “She is lying. They kidnapped me and demanded N10m (ransom). SARS caught them. They kidnapped me in their residence. She was travelling to greet her people in the East to get money to rent an apartment in Lagos when some people she met in the bus told her about my sister and she collected her address.

“I was in my sister’s place that day when she came with a baby. I directed her to where my sister was. She told my sister she was homeless and my sister gave her money. After two years, she wanted me to see the house she rented with the money my sister gave her and I went there. Then, they kidnapped me and demanded N10m ransom. I was in the place for five days.

“They stripped me and beat me up. My family reported to SARS. They asked my family to send money into the account they provided. The SARS placed a red alert on that account. The boy (Kester) wanted to withdraw the money when the bank alerted the policemen on duty who arrested him. The police then called SARS in Lagos to pick the boy. My family paid N300,000 into the account. It is a serious matter and it is already in court. They did not give me food throughout the period they kidnapped me.”

When contacted for enquiries on the N300,000 paid into  Kester’s account, Ijoma said the matter was in court and asked this reporter to stop calling her.

“If you want to know anything about it, go to the court and find out. Don’t call this line again, please,” she said.

In a chat with Saturday PUNCH, Kester said on his arraival from the tutorial class that day, he heard a noise as he was about to enter the apartment which prompted him to dash in.

“I met my aunt naked while my in-law was struggling with the man who was also naked. When I knew he had raped my aunt, I joined my in-law to beat him. My aunt and I decided to involve the police and he started begging. He said he was a chief and if the news of his arrest got to the village, he would lose his title. My in-law is a soft-minded person; he bought into the plea.

“The man personally suggested that his family would pay for the cleansing and he stayed in the house voluntarily for a couple of days until the money was paid into my account. He was not kidnapped,” he said.

Kester stated that he had gone to a bank in Benin to withdraw money for his fare back to Lagos after the cleansing when he was apprehended. Narrating the alleged torture he was subjected to in SARS custody, he broke into tears, lamenting that the IPO smashed a plank on his leg to extract statement from him.

“Then I was 16 and I told him (the IPO) my age. He said I was lying and tortured me to write that I was 18. The scar of the injury he inflicted on my leg is still there,” he added tearfully.

Chioma’s son, Victor, said he was playing with his immediate stepbrother, while the newborn baby was asleep when Orazu entered, adding that he retired to his room with the stepbrother.

He said, “I was in my room when I started hearing a noise from my mother’s room. I went there and met the man naked, forcing himself on my mum. She was also naked. I found condoms and some drugs he brought in. I shouted and asked him to leave my mum. He asked me to shut up and pushed me away. I didn’t know what to do to him. I was shouting ‘leave my mum’ when my dad came in. A few minutes after, my brother, Kester, also entered. They beat the man. He was crying and begging my dad for forgiveness.

“2015 is the worst year of my life. When my mother was arrested, I thought she would come back in the evening. Two days after, we did not see her and didn’t hear from anybody. My stepbrother was about two years then. We were going from street to street for three months begging for food. I could not cut my hair. We were afraid to go home; we slept in the bus at night. It was difficult for my mum to recognise us when she came back from the prison because we had become lean.”

Our Correspondent gathered that the Office of the Public Defender, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, and a rights group, Esther Child’s Rights Organisation, are following the case up at Ogba Magistrate’s Court.

The Coordinator of the organisation, Esther Ogwu, said, “As a human rights group, we are worried about the harrowing experience the family went through as a result of this case. We are  working with the OPD to ensure that they get justice.”

The OPD Director, Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemi, confirmed that the agency’s lawyers were representing the family in court.

 She said, “The first prosecution witness has been cross-examined and the case is for continuation of trial on June 21. We are representing all the defendants – the pastor, the wife and the nephew. We will give our best to make sure they are let off the hook.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said the command was able to establish the kidnap allegation against the family and denied the claim of using force to extract statements from them.

He said, “In every case reported to the police, what the police try to find out is whether the person reported against actually carried out the act. We call it actus reus. Secondly, the police try to find out whether the person reported against had the intention to carry out the act against the complainant. When the police find a nexus between intention and the act and they are able to establish prima facie evidence against the suspect, it is incumbent upon the police to charge the matter to court for adjudication.

“In this case, the whole ingredients that constitute the offence of kidnapping are complete. First, somebody was held within a circumscribed limit, depriving him illegitimately of his right to freedom of movement. Secondly, they demanded and received a ransom in exchange for his freedom. From my earlier description of what the police look for in a case, it is clear that there is a nexus between intention and the act.

“It is immaterial why they kidnapped the man; what matters is that they kidnapped him. The allegation of torture is an afterthought and a ploy to smear the names of the police as an institution and the detectives that diligently investigated and charged the case to court.”

Ekiti guber: APC gov aspirant, 9 others shot at campaign rally

An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant and former member of the House of Reps, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB), was among 10 party members shot yesterday by an unknown mobile policeman, who allegedly released a barrage of bullets after a rousing welcome rally organised by the party to receive its standard bearer for the July 14 poll, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

What was first misunderstood as deliberate shooting at the APC Secretariat on Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti, the State capital, where the welcome rally held, was later gathered to be an alleged mishandling of firearms by the mobile policeman, who was alleged to be “ over protecting’ one of the VIPs shortly after the rally ended. The APC has however alleged that Fayemi was the target of the gun attack while the state police command said the policeman involved was on an illegal duty from Lagos.

Journalists were about leaving the venue of the rally, when staccato gunshots were heard, which forced people to scamper for safety. In the process, one of the APC aspirants, Bamidele, was hit and was said to be receiving treatment at the hospital.

It was further gathered that the policeman, who allegedly mishandled the gun was protecting some of the VIPs from some miscreants, who in the process of demanding money from them, almost mobbed them.

An eyewitness said: “The mobile policeman in his effort to protect the VIPs, was using his gun to push away the crowd. Not satisfied, they got annoyed and dragged the gun with him. It was then he shot sporadically in the air, to scare them away.”

Another eyewitness said: “The mobile policeman in question who allegedly mishandled his gun, was mobbed by angry party members who eventually disarmed him. He was said to have been behaving funny earlier in the day, leading to some of his colleagues urging him to surrender his weapon. Some had even alleged that he was probably drunk.”

Bamidele was hurriedly moved into the car conveying Ondo State governor and taken to the hospital, while another victim fell down fuelling suspicion he must have died. Before the crisis, Akeredolu while addressing party members, said Fayemi had come home to rescue Ekiti from the pangs of poverty and wanton neglect caused by the PDP administration. Akeredolu applauded the party members for putting behind them the post

primary crisis, saying with the crowd he saw Ekiti remains the stronghold of the APC.

In his response, Fayemi said: “We are here to work for Ekiti and this we are going to do together because it is a collective responsibility”.

In the same vein, policemen detailed to cover the rally, allegedly shot and threw teargas canisters arbitrarily at some people in Ojumose area of Ado Ekiti.

Ojumose is about a kilometer to the APC Secretariat, where the shooting had earlier taken place. A taxi driver, a woman and two others yet to be identified, were said to have been seriously injured.

Meanwhile, the APC in the state, has alleged that the tragic development was an assassination attempt on its candidate. In a statement released to newsmen on Friday evening, hours after the incident, spokesman of the party, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said bloody politicking returned to the State yesterday, as Fayemi survived an assassination in the State capital.

“One of the assailants dressed in mobile police uniform was apprehended and he is now helping the police in their investigation.

“They fired gunshots aimed at Fayemi but hit a former lawmaker, Opeyemi Bamidele, after the former minister had taken a few steps forward before the bullets hit the target. Bamidele and other victims were immediately rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, where doctors are responding to his treatment. Bamidele was wounded in the attack, while others also sustained various degrees of injuries.

Other victims in the hospital included Olabode Joshua, Olanrewaju Gbenga, Adebayo Ogunjemilehin, Ogunmodede Oluwole and Alex Adeleye, “ he said.

Three Nigerians Found Dead in New Delhi Flat

The death of three Nigerians have been reported in a rented accommodation in Uttam Nagar area of New Delhi, India.

According to India’s Hindu newspaper, the Nigerians were found dead on Friday, with the police recovering bottles of alcohol and soft drinks from the spot. The Times of India said all the three men were found frothing in the mouth.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Shibesh Singh said the deceased have been identified as David Christopher, Greece Ben, and David (I), all in their 30s.

While Greece used to live on the third floor of the rented accommodation, David used to reside on the second. David (I) had rented a house nearby but used to visit the two often.

The bodies were found on the third floor of the rented accommodation.

“Greece and David were there on a business visa. Greece had come in March and David had come in April,” Mr. Singh said.

The police received a PCR call around 12.30 p.m. from the landlord of the deceased stating that a foul smell was emanating from the house.

“The whole building is inhabited by people from African countries. There is a common kitchen near floor three. A resident of the building passed by and knocked on the door because of the smell, but no one opened. He then called the landlord, who called the police,” the DCP said.

When the police broke open the door, they found the bodies of David and Greece in one room and David (I)’s body in another room.

“One of the three bodies was in a state of decomposition. There were no strangulation marks or any other external injuries on the bodies,” Mr. Singh said.

The police have shifted the bodies to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death. 

Sovereign Wealth Fund: Stop Lying Against Me, Jonathan Tells Buhari

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on his successor, the incumbent Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to not only abstain from food during the Ramadan fast but also to eschew lies as Jonathan refuted a claim by the Presidency that his administration failed to save money in the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

In a statement titled, ‘More Lies from The Presidency at Ramadan,’ by the Goodluck Jonathan Media Office on Friday, the statesman slammed the President Buhari for lying against his person and administration.

He said, “To my dismay, I woke up on Friday the 1st of June, 2018 to find out that President Buhari, who is meant to be on a Ramadan fast, had released a statement, through the Presidency’s Twitter handle, alleging that the Jonathan government, which created the Sovereign Wealth Fund in 2012, had failed to save money in the fund after the initial $1 billion deposit it made into it. Such a lie, coming at a time when the President is meant to be fasting is shocking.

“It therefore amounts to historical revision for the Presidency to make these spurious allegations against the Jonathan administration, President Muhammadu Buhari should be aware that just like I told him, after the many lies from his Democracy Day speech, Ramadan fast does not just mean abstaining from food, it also means abstaining from lies.”

The statement recalled that after starting up the Sovereign Wealth Fund with an initial deposit of $1 billion in 2011, the Nigerian Governors Forum, led by Rotimi Amaechi and supported by other governors, who later joined the All Progressives Congress, took the Jonathan administration to court to declare the Sovereign Wealth Fund illegal, asserting that the Jonathan-led Federal Government could not force them to save.

Speaking further, the ex-president noted: “In fact, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi released a statement justifying his opposition to the Sovereign Wealth Fund on August 31, 2011 and said: ‘The SWF is an attempt to desecrate section 162 of Nigeria’s Constitution. Section 162(1), (2) and (10) of the 1999 Constitution prescribed the mode of sharing the revenue of the Federation.

It states that “the Federation shall maintain a special account to be called the Federation Account into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or department of government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The law says that anything that is outside the constitution is wrong and section 162 of the constitution also says so.’”

It would be recalled that many attempts by the Jonathan administration to settle the matter out of court were rebuffed by Amaechi (while he was the governor of Rivers State) and his colleagues who frustrated the plans by the previous administration to save for a rainy day.

“Working in tandem with Mr. Amaechi and his supporters in the Nigerian Governors Forum, the then minority APC members of the House of Representatives also filed another suit at a Federal High Court on the 7th of February, 2014, seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the Jonathan administration from operating the Excess Crude Account, from which they intended to source for money to fund the Sovereign Wealth Fund, and to pay all the proceeds of that account into the Federation Account for sharing amongst the three tiers of government,” the statement added.

As a result of these actions, Jonathan said his administration was forced to pay all the states a total of N2.92 trillion (a little above $20 billion, using the value of the Naira at that time) from the Excess Crude Account between 2011 and 2014.