The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has disowned the purported visit by some of its members to the Common Wealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) where they indicated their support for embattled Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo.
The pastors, led by the North Central Chairman of CAN, Revd. Israel Akanji, visited COZA church in Abuja and promised Fatoyinbo, who was accused of rape by Busola Dakolo that the Christian body would stand by him.
CAN, in a statement by its National Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Evangelist Kwamkur Samuel Vondip, said the pastors who had visited the church were on their own and that the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria had set up a panel to investigate the r-pe allegation against Fatoyinbo.
According to the statement, CAN did not approve the purported visit.
“Those who did so did it on their own. We stand by our earlier release on this issue that while we would never support any act of immorality from whatever quarter.
“We can tell you PFN has constituted a panel investigating the matter, and in less than two weeks, the outcome of the investigation will come out.
“We urge all Christian brothers and sisters to know that this is the position of CAN. We would not spare anyone found wanting from facing appropriate disciplinary actions,” the statement said.
Zamfara State Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle has expressed happiness over the release of the state’s Director of Budget Alhaji Hamza Salihu and one other person kidnapped at gunpoint along Kachia/Keffi road on Sunday.
They were on their way for an official assignment in Akwanga, Nasarawa state when the unfortunate incident happened.
Unlucky however was the deputy director of budget, Alhaji Kabiru ismail, who was killed by the kidnappers.
Governor Matawalle condoled with the family of Ismail and donated one million Naira and ten bags of rice to his family.
To get Salihu released, according to director general press affairs, Malam Yusuf Idris, the governor, liaised with Kaduna state governor Malam Nasiru El-Rufai and security agencies, he said.
In furtherance of Lagos State Government’s real time traffic simulation survey being carried out with the aim of reducing traffic congestion around the Lekki-Epe and Ikoyi axes, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has again approved the opening of Lekki and Ikoyi toll gates during peak hours today, Wednesday 17th July 2019.
A statement signed by the Governor’s Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile stated that a toll-free passage at the toll plaza on Lekki-Epe Expressway and the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge would run between 6:30am and 9:30am in the morning, and also at the peak period in the evening (4:30pm to 7.30pm).
The Zamfara Government has confirmed the kidnap of its Director of Budget, Alhaji Hamza Salihu.
The confirmation was made in a statement by Yusuf Idris, the Director-General, Press Affairs to Gov. Bello Matawalle, in Gusau.
“Zamfara State Governor, Dr Bello Matawallen, has described as terrible and disturbing, Sunday afternoon abduction of the state’s Director of Budget, Alhaji Hamza Salihu, who was abducted along with two other persons near Kachia in Kaduna State while on their way to Akwanga in Nasarawa State on an official trip.
“It is very unfortunate that while efforts are being strengthened to stop armed banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other crimes peacefully without any bloodshed, some bad elements who have chosen to remain unrepentant will still use security uniforms to stop and kidnap unsuspecting law-abiding citizens,” he said.
The governor equally expressed sadness in the killing of one of the passengers on board, Alhaji Kabiru Ismail, who was the Deputy Director (Budget) in the state, who was murdered by the gunmen at the kidnap scene.
The Senate today called for immediate convocation of a National Security Summit to address insecurity in the country.
This is following a point of order raised by Sen. Ayo Akinyelure (APC Ondo), over the killing of one her constituents, Mrs Funke Olakunrin.
Akinyelure expressed concern over the killing and similar ones, which he described as “increasing and incessant murder of innocent Nigerians by gunmen along major highways in the country.”
He also cautioned that if immediate actions were not taken, the development might lead to ethno-religious crises, especially in the Southern part of the country.
While urging the Senate to observe a minute silence in memory of the deceased and others who died in similar circumstances, he said attention of the Federal Government should be drawn to the situation.
Also, Sen. Tolu Odebiyi (APC-Ogun), called on the Senate as an institution to sit down with the presidency and the security formations in a meeting to take immediate action.
However, the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Ajayi Boroface (APC-Ondo), urged his colleagues to be cautious about linking a particular tribe as perpetrators of the attacks.
“We should approach this matter maturely and encourage the federal government to improve on the state of security.
“We should not link a particular tribe with the killings, as being observed in the social media. Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani people have all been killed,” he said.
The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, on his submission equally lamented the situation, which he said was being felt across the country.
He, therefore, said stakeholders should immediately converge in a robust national security summit to discuss and address the situation.
“The security situation is all over the country. It is very unfortunate just like all our colleagues have said in their contributions.
“We should have one national security summit on this. The summit should be all-encompassing and all-inclusive, involving other arms of government and various security formations,” he said.
The Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique ha s approved a law on the prevention of early marriage.
Edson Macuacua, Head of the Commission of Human Rights, Constitutional Affairs and Legality,
who lauded the parliament for the legislation, told the parliamentarians that with the law, there would be a reduction in the number of girls dropping out of school and fewer girls forced to marry at an early age.
“It will ensure full growth and development of the girls’ personality, which contributes to a more just society, where boys and girls enjoy equal opportunities,’’ said Macuacua.
Mozambique is among the top ten countries with the highest rate of early marriage where 48 percent of women got married before they were 18 years.
Poverty is pointed out as one of the main determining factors of the phenomenon.
A teenage housekeeper, Ofonime John, was on Monday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for alleged theft of her employer’s international passports.
John, 19, who lives in Ogun State, is facing a count charge of stealing, to which she pleaded not guilty.
Prosecuting Sergeant Modupe Olaluwoye told the court that the defendant committed the offence at 10am on July 1, on Grace Court Estate, Makoko, Yaba.
She said the defendant worked for the complainant, Mrs. Modupe Olubamowo, for over a year before she stole her passport with UK 10-year visa and an expired one.
Olaluwoye said the complainant kept the passports in a cupboard in her room, from where the defendant stole them and ran away.
“My lord, the defendant claimed that she had to rush to her village because her mother was ill.
“It was after she left that the complainant noticed that her passports were missing and she reported to the police.
“They contacted the agent that connected her (defendant) to the complainant and she was brought back,” the prosecutor said.
The alleged offence contravenes Section 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
Chief Magistrate Oluwatoyin Oghere granted the defendant N100,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.
She said the sureties should be employed and show evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The apex Fulani socio-cultural organisation in Nigeria, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has criticised Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for blaming herdsmen for the insecurity in the country, while calling for the arrest of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Obasanjo had written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on the prevalence of insecurity in the country, calling for a national dialogue where the Fulani and other ethnic groups can be open about their grievances that have led to the insecurity in the country.
Similarly, Soyinka called for a national conference to address the killings in the country by suspected herdsmen.
But the National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah, Alhassan Saleh, in an interview with Punch said the Fulani should not be blamed for the rate of insecurity in the country.
According to Saleh, Obasanjo should offer any information his status may have afforded him to solve the security crisis.
He said, “The fact that there is insecurity, I don’t think the Fulani are responsible for it. The narrative that we are responsible for the insecurity is even the problem we have with the Nigerian state.
“When any crime happens, even before there is an investigation, people rush to the press and start accusing Fulani herdsmen. Herdsmen are supposed to be carrying herds of cows but if somebody is a criminal or an armed robber, he should be treated as such.
“But if Obasanjo, in particular, having ruled this country for so many years and with his network of security contacts, both locally and internationally, has information, I think he can volunteer it.”
Asked about a proposed national platform for dialogue, Saleh said, “Which national dialogue? We have a National Assembly. Whatever they have, they should send it to the National Assembly. What is the function of the National Assembly? People lost power and don’t want to agree that in a democracy, you may be in power and another time, you won’t be in power.
“If we have confidence in those we elected, I think whatever issue they have, they can channel it to the National Assembly. They want another talk shop probably to come and reposition themselves and their cronies into another jamboree.
“Where is the Goodluck Jonathan conference report? Where are the other conferences’ reports? They are just pushing an agenda; in fact, they are desperate and very diabolical in their attempt to cause a crisis in this country. My worry is that the government is not decisive in dealing with characters of that nature.”
Saleh advised the Federal Government to take decisive action against all “elements” and their sponsors causing instability in the country, adding that Obasanjo may want to “destabilise the government.”
“The earlier they get him (Obasanjo) arrested and dealt with, according to the laws of the land, the better. He doesn’t mean well for the country. We just elected a new government; we have a National Assembly that was just inaugurated. Nobody needs any conference, except they are pushing for something else.
“The unfortunate thing is that intellectuals like Wole Soyinka are also joining the bandwagon of these discredited politicians. But our worry is that they seem to associate every crime that happens now to the Fulani, simply because the President is a Fulani man.
“We are just waiting and watching carefully because we are not demanding too much from the Nigerian state. All we are saying is give us space to graze our animals. That is not difficult,” he said.
Yvonne Nelson has explained her regrets while in Senior High School (SHS). According to her, she was already into entertainment and education automatically became her second option. She was more into entertainment than her studies, a thing she says she now regrets.
Speaking during an interview with Joy FM, the actress said;
“I would go on stage every Saturday in SHS. I had to rewrite some papers. I was so into entertainment that I didn’t take my schooling serious. You can easily mess up and not make it to university. I regret not paying attention to my books so when I see kids of today, I tell them to pay attention to their books”.
She also spoke about how she managed to graduate from university because her career was fully activated then.
“I was in Central University. And it wasn’t easy mixing sets with classes. I had to make up my mind. It was tough. Nigerian producers were giving me juicy offers and I was torn between accepting the offers or not. But, I had to focus on school and I was so happy to have graduated, I didn’t want to defer,” she said.
Authorities of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State, has described the death of a final year student of the institution, Ephraim Imaghodor, as pathetic.
The final year student of the Department of Actuarial Science, Faculty of Management Sciences, allegedly committed suicide Sunday evening, when he allegedly jumped from a three-storey building of the faculty of arts in the university, over spillover in one of his courses.
Spokesman of the University, Mr. Michael Osasuyi, who confirmed the death of the student, described it as pathetic.
“The information we had was that a spillover student fell from upstairs. In any case it’s so pathetic that this kind of incident happened.
“We have contacted his family and the security is investigating the incident to unravel if it was a case of suicide or otherwise,” Osasuyi said.
Wendy Williams recently returned to her talk show after a five-week break, catching fans up on all the latest happenings in her life, including her lymphedema diagnosis.
She talked to her audience about paparazzi photos that showed her swollen ankles.
“Lymphedema, by the way, I’ve been diagnosed,” she explained. “It’s not going to kill me, but I do have a machine — and how dare you talk about the swelling of it all.”
Hours ago, she shared a photo of herself connected to the Lymphedema machine and says she goes through the procedure for 45 minutes everyday.
Want to know more about this illness? read...
What is lymphedema?
It’s a lymph node disorder that causes swelling in the arms or legs, according to the Mayo Clinic. It occurs when there is blockage in the lymphatic system. The blockage prevents lymph fluid from draining properly, which leads to fluid buildup and eventually swelling.
What are the causes?
Lymphedema is most commonly caused by the removal or damage to lymph nodes as a result of cancer treatment, according to the Lymphatic Education & Research Network. It will occur in up to 50% of breast cancer survivors, and 100% of those with head and neck cancer.
It can also be hereditary, or it can be caused by Milroy’s disease, which occurs when lymph nodes form abnormally, or Meige’s disese, which occurs when lymphatic fluids build up.
What are the symptoms?
Common signs include swelling of part or all of your arm or leg. Patients also experience restricted range of motion, feeling of heaviness or tightness, aching, discomfort, and hardening and thickening of the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Nigerian singer Patoranking has revealed his daughter yesterday took her first step and he is very grateful. Sharing a photo of them together and another one of just her, he wrote;
''My Little Mama Took Her first Step Yesterday..God Is Great''
The Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said seven people died and one other critically injured from Monday’s building collapse in Jos.
The two-storey building located at Butcher Lane in Jos, belonging to one Rufai Kabiru collapsed on Monday evening.
Junni Bala, SEMA Director of Search and Rescue, who confirmed the casualty figure today in Jos said the figure may increase.
“That was the figure as at last night. The figure may increase today because we are continuing with the search and rescue operation this morning,” she said.
Nigerian-born Calistus Anyichie, a forward for the Binghamton University men’s basketball team has died. He died Sunday in a drowning accident and was 19 years old.
Anyichie, a native of Nigeria, drowned Sunday at Buttermilk Falls State Park in Ithaca, New York.
The school announced Anyichie’s death on Monday.
“There are no words. There is no blueprint for how to deal with such a painful loss,” Binghamton head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “We all loved Calistus so much. He was a special young man. We are devastated.”
According to local authorities, Anyichie’s body was found at the base of a 15-foot bank. Per the Journal, rescue crews used a rope system to pull his body from the ravine after 5 p.m. on Sunday.
"A talented young person has been tragically taken from us," university president Harvey Stenger said. "This is a heartbreaking loss for our community. We will do all that we can to be there for his family, for the team and everyone who knew Calistus."
Former Bafana Bafana player and TV presenter Marc Batchelor has been shot dead outside his home in Johannesburg.
Batchelor was gunned down in Bryanston, Johannesburg on Monday evening at about 6pm South Africa’s time. The ex-footballer was said to be in the car with his gardener, when the assailants on motorbike, approached and shot him through the car’s window.
“He was shot through the window several times and died at the scene,” Lungelo Dlamini, police spokesman said.
“Police are investigating a murder case after a former soccer player, Marc Bachelor was attacked by two men driving a motorbike in Olivedale outside his house. He was shot several times and died inside his vehicle. The suspects then drove away without taking anything. The motive for the attack is still unknown. No one has been arrested,” said Dlamini.
A mentally challenged woman has given birth in the busy in Kastina State. As seen in one of the photos, she was helped by good Samaritans. In the other photo she was seen backing the children with one wrapper – both tied at her back at the same time. Hopefully orphanage homes and Kastina government will quickly stand up and help before something bad happens.
The Anambra State Police Command has commenced a manhunt for a man who attacked some traders in an Anambra market with a substance believed to be acid.
The incident which happened at Auto Spare Parts Market Ugwuagba, Obosi, near Onitsha, saw eight persons hospitalised.
“As soon as he poured the acid on them, he took to his heels and when he was pursued by passersby, he outran them and disappeared,” a source said.
The Police Spokesperson in the state, Haruna Mohammed said the command had commenced a manhunt for the suspect.
Mohammed added, “A young man whose name and address is yet to be ascertained had a quarrel with one Onyeka Nwachukwu, aged 38 years at Ngbuka old Auto Spare Parts market in Ugwuagba, Awada.
“In the heat of the altercation, the suspect who is presently on the run attacked Nwachukwu and others with substance suspected to be acid.”
He said the victims sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Mohammed gave the names of the victims as Nwachukwu, 38; Benjamin,32, and Damian, 42.
“Other are Ebuka, 23; Anayo, 35; Chukwu, 23; Chidubem, 18, and Solomon, 24 “.
A 500-level student of Electrical Electronics Engineering at the Cross River University of Technology was, on Monday, killed by suspected cultists on the campus of the institution in Calabar.
The victim, identified simply as James, was allegedly shot and cut with machetes in front of the Engineering Department.
It was gathered that James, who was in his final year, was taking his final examination when he was allegedly killed by suspected members of the Black Axe.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the school, Mr Onen Onen, said, “I am not in school now and I have not been briefed about anything like that.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Irene Ugbo, however, confirmed the incident and said the corpse had been removed and deposited in the mortuary.
A 48-year-old man, Derrick Addai, has been released from prison in Ogun State after spending 14 years in custody due to an alleged typographical error on the list of pardoned inmates.
Punch correspondent gathered that it took the intervention of the Osile of Oke-Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, and the Director-General of the Prison Rehabilitation Mission International, Bishop Kayode Williams, before he was let off the hook.
It was learnt that Addai was convicted of drug peddling in Thailand, but was repatriated to Nigeria in 2005 following the intervention of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Thirty convicts, who were later pardoned by the Federal Government, had spent five years and six months in Thai prison before Obasanjo intervened.
Addai was, however, unlucky as a typographical error led to the omission of his name from the list of pardoned inmates approved by the Presidency.
Punch correspondent gathered that the name of one of the inmates appeared twice on the list and that was responsible for the omission of Addai’s name.
Narrating his ordeal, Addai, a native of Cross River State, said he thought that the error would be corrected within a few days, but it eventually took 14 years for relief to come his way.
He stated, “I spent 14 years in a Nigerian prison after I had spent five years and six months in Thailand’s prison from the year 2000, and I came back to Nigeria in 2005.
“It is quite unfortunate that my name was omitted from the list they brought then, and I spent time and money writing several letters for it to be corrected but, it did not work out.
“It happened that when they brought the list from Aso Rock, the letter was sealed and I was there and they asked me to open it. When I opened the letter, I saw that there were 30 names on the list, I just dropped it and left. After a few minutes, we were called back that one name was missing but that the numbers were complete.
“We called Obasanjo, Senator Lekan Mustapha and other people involved. They asked the officials to bring the letter to the office and when the man who wrote the names saw it, he insisted that that was not the list he sent and asked me to give him two days and the two days never came till now.”
When asked about his experience in prison, he lamented the way Nigerian prisons were being run, adding that inmates were not empowered with vocational skills.
Addai stated, “You can’t put people in prison without giving them anything. No work; they are just abandoned and earn nothing.
“No matter the condition or the environment, they should allow prisoners to do their handwork, but, when the prisoners don’t have any work or something they are doing there, when they come out, they will have nothing to do.”
