Soldier’s wife car crushes Lagos street sweeper

A street sweeper with the Lagos Waste Management Authority narrowly escaped death on Thursday after being crushed to a stationary petrol tanker by a motorist conveying a woman said to be the wife of a soldier.

The incident, which occurred around 8.30am on the Apapa Road in Ebute Meta, attracted sympathisers and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps to the scene.

According to the supervisor, who did not give her name, the victim, Tawa Ariyo, had just finished sweeping the road and sat in front of the Forte Oil filling station and was awaiting further instruction when the Toyota Matrix car rammed into her.


The woman being conveyed in the car turned to the driver and asked him to join the rescue team to take the victim, who was bleeding profusely in her mangled leg, to the nearest hospital.

The woman then brought out her phone and begged one of the attendants at the filling station to help call her husband.

A man, who identified himself simply as ‘Major’, answered from the other end and 10 minutes later, a corporal and two other soldiers showed up at the scene in two cars.

While one of the cars ferried the wife of the major away from the scene, the other headed for the hospital.

When Punch visited the Primary Health Centre in Oyingbo, the information officer confirmed that a 42-year-old woman was brought to the clinic, but she had been referred to the Lagos Island General Hospital.

“Her situation is a complex one that demands intensive care hence, the need to refer her to the hospital,” she said.

Ariyo, who was admitted to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the hospital, told Punch Metro,

“I heard my colleagues saying the woman, whose vehicle hit me, was the wife of a military man. I cannot really say whether the driver was drunk or he simply lost control of the car. At first, I was so angry when they told me that the woman did not follow us to the hospital. I was alone with my supervisor and other LAWMA officials in the ambulance.

“The soldiers ordered the driver to take us to the Military Hospital in Yaba, but we refused because we use the Lagos Island General Hospital. Their last words before we departed were that the major would send someone to come and clear my hospital bill.”

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/soldiers-wife-car-crushes-lagos-street.html

NUC scraps mass comm in Universities, breaks it into seven degree programmes

The National Universities Commission has phased out Mass Communication degree in Nigerian universities.

The commission said it had unbundled Mass Communication into seven separate degree programmes to meet current demands. The NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said this would take effect from the 2020 university admission year.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday,  the NUC boss disclosed that Mass Communication had been unbundled into Media Studies, Public Relations Studies, Cinematography and  others.

He stated, “The seven new programmes/departments to be domiciled in a Faculty/ School/College of Communication and Media Studies are Journalism and Media Studies, Public Relations, Advertising, Broadcasting, Film and Multi-Media Studies, Development Communication Studies, Information and Media Studies.”

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/nuc-scraps-mass-comm-in-universities.html

Ebonyi man kills father over cooked yam

An Ebonyi State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abakaliki, on Thursday, remanded in a correctional centre a 37-year-old man, Chibueze Iduma, for allegedly killing his father with his walking stick.

It was learnt that the suspect and his father, Mr Emmanuel Iduma, had an altercation over a piece of cooked yam when the incident occurred.

The accused was said to have cooked a piece of yam and left it in the house to see a friend in the area, only to return and discovered that his father had eaten it.

“While they quarrelled over the cooked yam, the father hit the son with his walking stick and in retaliation, the son hit him back and the father fell down and died,” the police said.


It was further gathered that the accused committed the offence in the Amaefia Ngbo community in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state on December 20, 2019, but was arraigned on one count of murder on Thursday.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Chinedu Mbam, told the court that the offence was punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 33 Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

The defence counsel urged the court to admit his client to bail, but the application was not granted.

The Chief Magistrate, Blessing Chukwu, said the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

She directed that the accused be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, while his case file should be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the state for advice.

The matter was adjourned till February 29, 2020, for the report of compliance.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/ebonyi-man-kills-father-over-cooked-yam.html

Kensington Palace celebrates Kate Middleton's birthday amid royal crisis

Kate Middleton's family have arrived at Kensington Palace for her birthday celebrations amid her day being overshadowed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's resignation.

The Duchess of Cambridge's father, Michael Middleton was photographed driving into the grounds in order to help his daughter celebrate her 38th birthday. 

Princess Eugenie was also seen leaving the Palace earlier on in the day.

After Harry and Meghan quit as senior royals, other members of 'the firm' hit back by wishing Kate 'a very happy birthday' and flagging her pivotal role.

The Queen, Prince Philip, Charles and Camilla specifically chose a series of pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge with high-ranking royals to mark her 38th birthday.

Their Twitter posts made clear her importance as a central member of the Royal Family and a perfect Queen-in-waiting since marrying Prince William in 2011.

They released glowing pictures of Kate laughing with the Queen and Charles to herald her great work - and also linked to her profile on the royal.uk website.

With senior royals said to be 'incandescent with rage' today, they tried to boost the Duchess of Cambridge's profile as a royal female figurehead on her birthday.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/kensington-palace-celebrates-kate.html

Grandmother strips, beats children, baths them with pepper

The Police in Rivers State have arrested a grandmother for allegedly stripping two hungry grandchildren n.a.k.e.d, beat and bath them with pepper for eating ‘garri’ with sugar as a meal without her consent.

According to reports, the police arrested the 52-year-old woman simply called Mama Vera for physically abusing and maltreating her two grandchildren between the ages of 7 and 8 at Mgbuoba in Obio/Akpor Local Government area of Rivers State.

Mama Vera was said to have stripped the grandchildren naked, doused them with pepper, tied their hands to their back and locked them in a room because they took garri with sugar without her permission.


Eyewitnesses said concerned neighbours had to forcefully break into the house when they heard the wailing children calling for help after their grandmother had tied their hands and legs stripped them naked and bath them with ground pepper and left home for work.

Mama Vera was also accused of denying the children their rights to go to school.

Meanwhile, a lawyer, Precious Johnmark, who also witnessed the incident has called on the Rivers State Police Command and the International Federation of Women Lawyers,FIDA,to follow up the case and ensure the prosecution of Mama Vera for allegedly violating the rights of the girls.




source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/grandmother-strips-beats-children-baths.html

Prisoners starve to death in DR Congo

At least 17 prisoners have died over the past week in the Democratic Republic of Congo's biggest prison, a charity says.

Aid workers say the deaths were caused by a lack of food and medicine, as well as poor hygiene.

Makala Prison in the capital, Kinshasa, has received no food supplies in the last two months, state officials say.

"It's terrible! People are dying almost every day," a prison official who did not want to be named told the BBC.


Food shortages mean the more than 8,000 prisoners who live there rely on their families to bring in meals.

The facility is also severely overcrowded, with more than five times the number of inmates it was built for.

Conditions are so poor that non-governmental groups estimate at least 100 prisoners are gravely ill and close to death.

Only 6% of the prisoners are actually serving sentences - the rest are stuck in DR Congo's legal system where cases can drag on for years.

DR Congo's deputy minister of justice told local media that Makala had now received some funding to help improve conditions.

"It's true, there was a delay in paying suppliers and this explains the break in supplies," Celestin Tunda Ya Kasende told AFP, adding, "the situation was put to rights" on Monday.

He promised that more money would follow, but the BBC's Gaïus Kowene in Kinshasa says human rights organisations remain sceptical.







source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/prisoners-starve-to-death-in-dr-congo.html

Trudeau believes that Iran missile downed jet

Evidence suggests an Iranian missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran, possibly in error, Western leaders say.

The leaders of Canada and the UK called for a full and thorough investigation into the crash, which killed all 176 people on board.

Iran has ruled out a missile strike by its air defences.

The crash came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq.


US media have speculated that the timing of the crash suggests the plane may have been mistaken for a US warplane as Iran prepared for possible US retaliation for the strikes.

CBS News quoted US intelligence sources as saying a satellite detected infrared "blips" of two missile launches, followed by another blip of an explosion.





source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/trudeau-believes-that-iran-missile.html

Meghan returns to Canada as Queen seeks solution

The Duchess of Sussex has returned to Canada amid ongoing discussions over the future role for her and the Duke of Sussex in the Royal Family.

She and Prince Harry had been in Canada over Christmas with son Archie.

It comes as the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge asked staff to find a workable solution after the couple announced they will step back as senior royals.

The Royal Family was said to be "hurt" at the couple's statement.


Palace sources have told BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond that Prince Harry and Meghan did not consult any other royal about making their personal statement.

In their announcement on Wednesday evening, Prince Harry and Meghan revealed they intend "to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent".

They plan to split their time between the UK and North America, while "continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages".

The decision came "after many months of reflection and internal discussions", they added.
On Thursday, BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the Queen had been in touch with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge.

They all directed senior staff to work with the Sussex household and government to find a solution within days.

It was later confirmed to the BBC that Meghan had left for Canada, said BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond.








source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/meghan-returns-to-canada-as-queen-seeks.html

Residents stranded as Australia fires escalate

An Australian town has spent the night cut off by bushfires as volatile weather whips up the most significant threat for almost a week.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned Friday would be "a difficult day in the eastern states" amid forecasts of heat, strong winds and dry lightning.

In South Australia, one town on Kangaroo Island faced an abrupt threat.

Erratic winds on Thursday amplified a blaze which isolated the island's biggest town, Kingscote, from roads.


Some residents spent the night sleeping close to the water's edge, but ferry services were expected to resume on Friday.

In parts of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), authorities urged people to leave their homes "to avoid tragedy".



source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/residents-stranded-as-australia-fires.html

Obasanjo storms Abiodun’s office with important advice

Nigeria’s ex-President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has paid a visit on the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.

The former president was spotted at Abiodun’s Oke-Mosan office in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Obasanjo reportedly hits Abiodun’s office at 11:45 a.m. and left at exactly 12:45 p.m., after a closed-door meeting.

The former president told newsmen that he came to greet the governor and wished him a Happy New Year.


According to him, “I have come to say happy New Year to the Governor. I have not been here since he (Abiodun) got here as the Governor, so, I came to welcome him to the seat.

“I also raised a few issues that I believe would be to the development of Ogun State in the area of education, agriculture, rural development, and other wonderful issues. We had a wonderful discussion,” Obasanjo said in a report by Vanguard.

He said he had visited the governor to rub minds with him on how to move the state forward to greater heights.




source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/obasanjo-storms-abioduns-office-with.html

Japan donates 231 classrooms to Oyo State

Oyo State Government on Wednesday 8, 2019 applauded Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for donating 231 classrooms to 30 selected primary schools in the state, saying the move has increased the educational facilities in the state.

The Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, said this in his office, while receiving JICA representatives.

He commended JICA and by extension, the Japanese Government for their unalloyed commitment and provision of facilities, which has contributed to the overhauling and improvement of the state’s Basic Education.


He said, “Your intervention projects are timely because they came at the time the Basic Education system was in need of them. We are very happy to receive you in Oyo state. On behalf of the State Government, we express our appreciation to JICA for considering Oyo State worthy of those projects, at the time they gave us.

“We believe government is a continuum and most importantly, the projects you gave us were for the good people of Oyo State. We thank you so much for your immense contribution”.

Pledging the state government’s commitment to maintain the facilities, he also assured them of the Board’s readiness to assist the team on its post-construction evaluation of the projects in the state, without any hesitation.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/japan-donates-231-classrooms-to-oyo.html

Duh! Judge in Brazil orders Netflix to remove film depicting Jesus as gay

A judge in Brazil has ruled that a film depicting Jesus as gay must be removed from the TV streaming service Netflix.

The film, The First Temptation of Christ, infuriated fervent Christians in the country.

Two million people signed a petition calling for it to be axed, and the production company was attacked with Molotov cocktails last month.

In the ruling against Netflix, the judge said: "The right to freedom of expression... is not absolute".


However, the ban is only temporary while a final decision is made.

The parody film, which was run as a Christmas special, was created by Brazilian YouTube comedy group Porta dos Fundos.

Many of the country's conservative Christians were angered by the portrayal of Jesus bringing home a presumed boyfriend to meet his family.

On Christmas Eve, a group attacked Porta dos Fundos's office in Rio de Janeiro with fire bombs.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/duh-judge-in-brazil-orders-netflix-to.html

Update: Crashed Ukrainian plane was actually trying to return to the airport

A plane that crashed in Iran with 176 people on board was trying to the return to the airport when it crashed, Iranian investigators have said.

The Boeing 737-800 went down just minutes after taking off from Tehran's airport, leaving no survivors.

An initial probe found the aircraft experienced a problem as it was leaving the airport zone, and was "on fire".

Earlier, Iran said it would not hand over the recovered black box flight recorders to Boeing or to the US.


Under global aviation rules Iran has the right to lead the investigation, but manufacturers are typically involved.

The crash came at a time of high tensions between Iran and the US - just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two air bases housing US forces in Iraq. However there is no evidence the two events are linked.

Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation (CAOI) chief Ali Abedzadeh said: "The plane, which was initially headed west to leave the airport zone, turned right following a problem and was headed back to the airport at the moment of the crash."

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/update-crashed-ukrainian-plane-was.html

Kenya imposes curfew in Lamu after al-Shabab attack

Kenya has imposed a curfew in Lamu three days after fighters from the Islamist militant group al-Shabab stormed into a military base, killing three Americans.

The curfew will begin daily at 22:00 until 04:00 local time (19:00-01:00 GMT) for an indefinite period.

It is intended to help security agencies to monitor suspicious activity.

The coastal region Lamu is close to the Somali border where al-Shabab has been fighting the UN-backed government.


County police Muchangi Kioi is quoted in the Star as saying no vehicles will be allowed to operate during the curfew period, and that police will conduct security searches on vehicles during the day.

Sunday's attack on the military base saw vehicles and aircraft destroyed.

Residents are reported to have fled villages that are located near the base out of fear of more attacks.

Last week, three passengers were killed in the area when heavily armed men stopped a bus and sprayed it with bullets. Two others were injured and were rushed to local clinics.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/kenya-imposes-curfew-in-lamu-after-al.html

US sanctions South Sudan vice-president, Taban Deng Gai over human rights abuses

The United States has imposed financial sanctions on one of the vice presidents of South Sudan for his involvement in human rights abuses.

A statement from the US treasury says Taban Deng Gai arranged the disappearance and deaths of the human rights lawyer, Samuel Dong Luak, and an opposition politician, Aggrey Idry.

It said he did this in order to strengthen his position within the opposition party, the SPLM-IO.

In 2018 President Salva Kiir and the rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace deal aimed at ending a civil war that displaced almost four million people.

There is however growing international concern that the deal could still unravel as a unity government has still not been formed.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/us-sanctions-south-sudan-vice-president.html

Zimbabwe president takes three weeks leave, hands power to deputies

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken three weeks holiday and handed power to his two vice-presidents.

Zimbabwe media has published articles on the president's leave highlighting how he will be on vacation within the country.

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga will be the acting president for the first half of the president's leave, then his counterpart Kembo Mohadi will take over.

A statement by President Mnangagwa's secretary George Charamba said the president will be on annual leave till end of January. "The President will spend his vacation in the country," he wrote.



source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/zimbabwe-president-takes-three-weeks.html

Australia fire: Don't kill camels, send them to us instead, Somalis beg Australia

Outraged Somalis are urging Australians to stop culling camels, and to instead send the animals to the Horn of Africa so that they can look after them.

Snipers have been shooting camels in South Australia from the air since Wednesday following concerns that extreme heat and drought were forcing the animals to encroach on human settlements in search of water. Thousands are expected to be killed.

Somalis have a deep love for camels, which they call "geel". They measure wealth and status by the number of camels that people own, not the amount of cash they have.


They also believe that after the British colonised what is now the self-declared republic of Somaliland in the 19th Century, they seized herds of camels and sent them to Australia, which was also a British colony at the time.

Others say that camels were first taken to Australia by British settlers from India, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Nevertheless, the chairman of the Somaliland Camel Herders Association, Mustafe Cali Deeq, said the animals were "very precious" to Somalis and "second" only to human beings.

He said Australia should spare the lives of the camels by sending them to where they "originally" came from.

While others said on Twitter that they could be accommodated in the whole of Mena, an acronym for the Middle East and Africa.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/australia-fire-dont-kill-camels-send.html

PDP attacks Buhari over comment on successor

The Peoples Democratic Party has described as an acceptance of failure and lack of capacity, the Presidency’s continuous reference to a presidential successor, less than a year into the second term of the President.

The PDP also alleged that the Buhari regime had no capacity to manage the affairs of a nation as complex as Nigeria.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.


He said Buhari’s apprehension that his party, the All Progressives Congress, could fizzle out before 2023 was also a weighty forewarning to Nigerians not to put any hope in the ruling party.

Ologbondiyan urged the Presidency to immediately apologise to the nation over its comment to “hand Nigeria over,” insisting that it was a direct affront on Nigerians and a huge insult on their sensibility and sense of sovereignty to freely choose their leader.

He advised Nigerians to note that such continued allusion to a successor by the Presidency showed that the President and the APC had no agenda for the nation for the next three years.

He said it further underscored the hopelessness of the administration and the sorry situation Nigeria was faced with under Buhari and the APC.

He said, “The PDP laments that such underlined the pathetic drift in Buhari’s New Year speech as well as his failure to articulate a clear-cut agenda in critical sectors.

“It also exposes the reason behind the APC’s resort to blackmail, fabricate and attack on well-meaning Nigerians instead of enunciating a direction for its incompetent administration.

“Our party, standing with millions of Nigerians, counsels the Buhari Presidency to bury its confessed interests in the 2023 Presidency and desist from making unsolicited allusions and references to a successor, as failed leaders can only bequeath failure successor on a people.

“The PDP, therefore, charges the Buhari’s Presidency to immediately withdraw the offensive and provocative remark to “hand Nigeria over,” in its response to Rev. Tunde Bakare’s comment on the 2023 Presidency.

“Our party cautions the Buhari Presidency to note that Nigeria is a sovereign nation, governed by rules and that nobody, no matter how highly placed, has the power to hand her over to anybody.

“By insisting that  Buhari has interest in his successor, the  Presidency is in direct aggression against the will of the people to freely elect a president as guaranteed by the constitution.”

Ologbondiyan said the 1999 Constitution (as amended) did not confer the right to install the President of Nigeria on any individual, but on the people of Nigeria through a free, fair and credible election conducted without interference from anybody.

He advised  Buhari to end his interest in the 2023 Presidency and use the remaining years of his tenure to get competent hands to assist him to manage the affairs of the nation.

He also urged Buhari to concentrate on his retirement plans, as according to him, Nigerians expect no solutions from him and his party.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/pdp-attacks-buhari-over-comment-on.html

Piers Morgan’s harsh reaction to Harry and Meghan stepping back from royal family

Piers Morgan wasted no time in sharing his thought on Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down as senior royals.

He has been one of the royal couple’s most high profile critics, and quickly took to Twitter to say he ‘saw this coming’.

The Good Morning Britain presenter wrote: ‘People say I’m too critical of Meghan Markle – but she ditched her family, ditched her Dad, ditched most of her old friends, split Harry from William & has now split him from the Royal Family. ‘I rest my case.’


He then posted ‘What Meghan wants.. Meghan gets’ – a reference to a line Harry is alleged to have told aides during preparations for the royal wedding.

After news broke that the couple had allegedly not consulted with other members of the family before issuing their statement, he added: ‘Wow. What a disgraceful way to treat The Queen. Shame on Harry & Meghan.’

People say I'm too critical of Meghan Markle - but she ditched her family, ditched her Dad, ditched most of her old friends, split Harry from William & has now split him from the Royal Family.
I rest my case. pic.twitter.com/xgKLTt2Y0Z

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 8, 2020

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/piers-morgans-harsh-reaction-to-harry.html

First photos of Brit among 176 killed in Iran plane crash

Three British victims killed in the Ukrainian Airlines crash in Iran have been pictured for the first time.

Father-of-one Mohammad Reza Kadkhoda-Zadeh, 40, is believed to have been travelling back to the UK via Ukraine when his flight crashed minutes after taking off.

The businessman, who lived in Brighton, East Sussex, had been visiting family in Iran over the Christmas period.

He was the owner of Smarty’s dry cleaner’s, Hassocks, West Sussex, and was described as a ‘lovely man’ by a student who lived in his house.

Today his father told reporters he had ‘no words’ after hearing about Mohammad’s death this morning.


A family friend told the Mail Online: ‘He was his parents’ only son. It is so dreadful. We only heard about it in the morning. It is so, so bad at the moment.’

A second British victim of the plane crash has been named as engineer Saeed Tahmasebi, 35, who worked for Laing O’Rouke.

He lived in Brentwood, Essex, and had previously been a research PhD candidate at Imperial College London.

A third victim has been named as Sam Zokaei, 42, who worked for BP as a senior reservoir engineer and lived in London.

He graduated from Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, in 2004 with a masters in petroleum engineering and was believed to be in Iran on holiday.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/01/first-photos-of-brit-among-176-killed.html