Two Women Nabbed Smuggling Cocaine in Homemade Diapers

Two women from the Bronx have been nabbed smuggling six and a half kilos of cocaine hidden in homemade diapers under their pants.

Priscilla Pena and Michelle Blassingale were returning to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on a JetBlue flight from the Dominican Republic on Saturday when they were stopped by Customs and Border Protection officers.

A drug-sniffing dog alerted the officers when it came close to Pena, which prompted the officers to conduct a search of her luggage.

It was reported that the officers performed a pat-down and discovered that Pena was wearing what was described as a homemade diaper made out of duct tape “filled with cocaine and rigged like a girdle around their hind quarters.”

The two women were immediately arrested and charged with smuggling. While Blassingale was held in custody in Brooklyn, Pena was released on a $150,000 bail.

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Man Bites Off Ear Over N200

A provisions trader, Chukuma Ameh, has been arraigned before the Senior Magistrates’ Court, Mararaba for biting off the left ear of one Abdulaziz Saidu in a fight over N200.

The pair were found fighting on the street by the police patrol team attached to Sani Abacha Road, Mararaba B, led by Inspector Mayibe Tube and were arrested.

Both of them were treated at the Maraba Medical center before they were taken to court yesterday.

Ameh who spoke with LEADERSHIP outside the court, said after the Nigeria-Ethiopia football march on Tuesday, he was at his shop at Abacha Road when Abdulaziz came into the shop and demanded to be paid N200 he claimed to be owed.

He said he was eating at the time and had told Abudulaziz that he owed him no money, following which Abdulaziz went outside, picked a bottle and made to stab him with it but he had blocked it with his right hand, a move which almost cost him his right thumb which was almost severed by the bottle.

“See my hand, I slept in the hospital yesterday because the cut was deep and one of my veins was cut. After he injured me on the hand with the bottle, he hit my head with the bottle and it was in a bid to save myself that I pushed him to the ground and bit his ear,” Ameh explained.

In his defense, Abdulaziz denied that he had wrongfully attacked Ameh.

“Chukwuma asked me to change money for him to give a customer so I gave him N200. After the match, I asked him for the money and he said he didn’t owe me. He was the one who dealt me a blow first and we started fighting. I later went to the police and made a report and some policemen followed me to his shop.

“When we got there, he told the police to go that we will settle the matter amicably and after they left, he broke a bottle on his head and as we were fighting, he bit my ear,” he stated.

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71-Year-Old Woman Arrested For Prostit**tion (Photos)

Authorities arrested an elderly woman on prostitution charges following a raid at a Glastonbury hotel.According to agent James Kennedy of the Glastonbury Police Department, authorities were tipped off to 71-year-old Sygun Liebhart’s alleged prostitution activities by an advertisement in the classified section of Backpage.com.

Liebhart, according to police, promoted herself in the escort section of the website under the name “Lola.” The ad is now defunct, however a cached version of an ad for a “Lola” who was working in that area at the time reads:

“Older is Better … A well preserved beauty. All natural and busty 38DD. Sexy, fit, warm and friendly.”

Similar ads indicate “Lola” went by various ages from 60 up and turned tricks for $150. An apparent small sum compared to similar ads by much younger women who request $300 plus for s*xual services.

“A truly mature escort with over 25 years experience in delivering a symphony of luxury and sensual delight to discriminating professional gentlemen both younger and older who can afford the best and who prefer their women a bit older but a lot better .My background is French and German mix with soft beautiful skin, perfectly groomed from head to toe.

Kennedy told The Huffington Post members of the East Central Narcotics Task Force saw the ad Friday and an undercover officer answered the ad. Liebhart allegedly agreed to a “deal for s*xual acts” and instructed an undercover agent to meet her at the Homewood Suites in Glastonbury.

Surveillance units were dispatched to the hotel and took Liebhart into custody.Liebhart, a resident of nearby Westport, was charged with a single count of prostitution and bond was set at $500.00 non-surety. It is not clear Monday if Liebhart has an attorney. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost.

Check out her photos:

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Man Slumps, Dies Mysteriously In Lagos With N200 In His Wallet

 A middle-aged man yesterday slumped and died around First gate, in Ikorodu area of Lagos.According to eye witnesses account, the deceased a resident of First gate, was said to have started his journey from First gate until he got to Lagos State Polytechnic bus-stop where he slumped and died before help could come his way.

Eye witnesses account said the incident caused panic among residents until the arrival of the police who restored calm.

An eye witness who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that sympathisers put a call across the Police on Sagamu road where a team led by the Divisional Crime Officer DCO, Sunday Akaeze, rushed to the scene to render assistance to the man but this was too late as he was later pronounced dead at the Government Hospital in Ikorodu.

On noticing the situation, the Police conducted a search on the man and found a wallet containing N200, a riders’ badge and an Identification card bearing Douglas Esiong, a staff of a private company at Anifowose, Ikeja, also in Lagos.

Vanguard also gathered that one of the symapathisers who identified the man rushed to his house to inform his family but the house was under lock and key but the Police intensified effort to locate the man’s family but none of them could be reached as at the time of filling this report.

Another eye witness told Vanguard that the deceased was looking sick as at the time he slumped but nobody was able to ascertain the cause of his death and his body has been deposited in the morgue.

Contacted, Police PRO Ngozi Braide said she was yet to be briefed about the incident.

Source: Vanguard News

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Suspected Cultists Invade Kwara Poly, Disrupt Matric. Ceremony

Many students were left with varying degrees of injuries when a gang of suspected cultists reportedly stormed the venue of matriculation ceremony of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, and shot indiscriminately.

The incident which reportedly happened in front of the Institute of Basic and Applied Sciences (IBAS) of the institution, shortly after the matriculation ceremony, when the students were said to have gathered at the front of the institute for a get-together, in honour of the new students, when a group of young men suddenly appeared from the crowd and shot at their targets, hitting one, while others reportedly escaped with bullet wounds.

There were conflicting reports as some students said the suspected cultists left the scene of the incident with a corpse of the victim of the gunshot, while others said the student feared dead was receiving treatment at the UNILORIN Teaching Hospital, Ilorin.

The sound of gunshots caused a stampede, as students ran for dear life.

Meanwhile, the rector of the institution, Alhaji Mas’ud Elelu, had, during the matriculation ceremony, warned the new students to remain law abiding and shun any act that could jeopardise their future.

He had told the about 7,000 students that belonging to such unauthorised association on campus could earn them serious punishment.

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18 killed in Anambra road accident- FRSC

The accident happened in Nkpor on Monday.

Eighteen people were killed in a multiple vehicle accident that occurred on Monday at Nkpor in Anambra State, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has confirmed.

The FRSC said a truck coming down the newly constructed bridge at Nkpor rammed into eight other vehicles.

More detail soon.

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Five in Police net over N108m fake currency

The Lagos Police Command has paraded a five-man syndicate of counterfeiters who specialize in printing fake monies in different denomination and currencies.  They suspects identified as   Femi Jacobs 28-years old, Ramon Adeoye (31),Akeem Ayodabo (42) , Isaka Usman (38)  and Onyeka Ibe (37)   were paraded alongside eight printing machines and a large quantity of printed fake notes in Naira, Dollars, Pounds, Euros and Cedis  totaling N108m.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, said during the parade that the syndicate has been in operation for over five years.

“Their customers are spread across several African countries like the Republic of Benin, Mali, Ghana, Togo, Liberia and Sierra Leone.”

Disclosing how the suspects were arrested, Manko said acting upon a tip off, officers  of Special Anti Robbery Squad led by SP Abba Kyari, mounted a surveillance operation on the residence of one of the suspects, Femi Jacobs, located at   6.Ogunlana Street, Alagbado a suburb in Lagos State and caught the   group  printing fake notes of various denomination   in local and foreign currencies with eight printing machines.

Jacobs who is described as the leader of the gang confessed during the parade that he had been in the business for over a year.

“I was   working with a printing press before I joined the business,” the father of two said.

Onyeka who said he came all the way from Imo State to buy fake currency said he uses the fake monies to purchase from the group to buy computers and phones which he usually sells.

Another of the suspect, Ramon, said he used to be a meat seller but joined the gang after being duped of N8, 700.

Manko,told National Daily that  the police was yet to establish link with their major marketers.

“This case will eventually be handed over to operatives of Interpol because of the negative implications the fake currencies outflow might have had on the economies of the West African countries,” he said. The CP said the cutting machine was owned by Ayodabo and procured from the Republic of Benin

The   suspects who claimed some of their customers come all the way Abuja, Republic of Benin, Ghana, Mali, Togo, Liberia and Sierra Leone said they usually sell fake N100,000 for N5,000;  a wrap of fake $100 dollars was sold at N3,000, Euro for N3,000,while  Pounds Sterling went for N4,000.

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Okorocha, Obi Clash Over Sitting Arrangement Again

If not for the quick intervention of the Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Anthony Obinna, the aides of Governors Peter Obi of Anambra State and Chief Rochas Okorocha of Imo State would have clashed over sitting arrangements on Sunday. The incident took place during the dedication of Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Catholic Church built by Chairman of Zinox Computers, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, in Amauburu IIsi-Ubomiri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area in Imo State.

Unlike his Imo state counterpart who was yet to arrive the venue for the function, Obi had arrived the church earlier for the dedication scheduled for 10 o’clock, but was denied the front row seat reserved for dignitaries by one of the aides of Okorocha who insisted the seats were reserved for his principal.

Information Nigeria learnt that the move infuriated the aides of the Anambra State governor who engaged Okorocha’s aides in a heated argument.

It was at that point the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Archbishop Obinna, informed the aides of Okorocha in no uncertain terms that seats are not reserved for late comers in the House of God, adding that those in authority should respect God because His is the ultimate power.

Information Nigeria recalls that was the second time that the two governors are having a brush over sitting arrangement. Last year, Okorocha was reported to have allegedly fought over sitting arrangement in Enugu during the South-east zonal Constitutional Review meeting.

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Court Orders Refund Of Dowry After Wife Denies Husband S*X For Two Years Of Marriage

An Abuja court sitting in Lugbe has ordered a 16-year-old girl, Maryam Suleiman, and her parents to refund N570,000 to her husband, Mukailu Naibi, over a fraudulent marriage.

In his ruling, the Area court Judge Haruna Masanawa, said Suleiman and her parents must refund the money to Naibi within 30 days. Masanawa also ordered that Naibi’s estranged wife, who had filed for divorce, must remain married to him pending the full refund of the amount.

“Based on the evidence before me, the court is convinced that the plaintiff’s parents are dubious people that no child should be proud of. They collected money from different suitors, all with the fraudulent intention of marrying their daughter out to them; all of which turned out to be fake promises.

“This honourable court hereby orders the plaintiff to pay the defendant the sum of N570,000 before divorce is granted to her,” Masanawa said.

Naibi of Keke village, Kaduna, whose wife allegedly starved him of s*x for two years of their marriage, had demanded N1. 2 million as compensation from the wife’s parents before he would agree to his wife’s request for divorce.

Naibi, 37, while testifying in the case, said the amount covered the bride price he paid before marrying Suleiman.

He told the court that the amount also covered the cost of damage done to his house after Suleiman set it on fire before filing for divorce. Naibi tendered written documents with records of all expenses made on his estranged wife and her parents, in addition to presenting a witness who testified in his favour.

He told the court that his wife had refused to make love to him since they got married two years ago.

“Your worship, since we got married two years ago, my wife never allowed me to make love to her for once and all my attempts to do it always led to fighting.

“I married her out of love and I still love her, but with this development, I have no choice, but to ask the court to grant her divorce wish for the sake of peace,” Naibi said.

In her testimony, Suleiman said her husband had made love to her once but she was not impressed and so wanted divorce.

“I don’t love him; I don’t love anybody who bears his name and I hate anybody who loves him,” Suleiman told the court. [PMN]

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Exposed: The True Meaning Of Jihad

JIHAD is a Term often misunderstood and associated with radical militants. The arabic word is wrongly misinterpretated as “Holy War”, although there is no such thing in islam. Holy war is something undertaken to forcibly subject others to certain religious doctrines, which is forbidden in Islam.

The arabic word “Jihad” means a struggle or striving and applies to any great effort on the personal and social level. It is striving to do good and remove injustice and evil from oneself and the society. This exertion of effort can be spiritual, economic, social or political. For example, one of the highest level of Jihad is to stand before a tyrant and speak a word of truth. Restraining oneself from wrongdoing is also a form of Jihad. It is a broad concept that includes opposing evil inclinations within oneself, opposing injustice through peaceful means, efforts to improve the quality of life in a society as well as the striving by military forces on a battlefield in defence of the community or oppressed people. Jihad is not synonymus with war and it certainly does not involve terrorism. Armed Jihad is not an option for muslim individuals or groups and can only be declared by the muslim head of state. Moreover it must never be fought for wordly gain, conquest or revenge. Muslims may only engage in battle to protect people’s lives, properties and freedom.

Jihad has conditions of restraint that distinguishes it from any other kind of warfare. They can be summarised as follows.

** Muslims must not begin hostilities. They must strive for peace as much as possible.

** All treaties and agreements must be observed as long as the enemy observes them.

** Muslims must fight only those who fight against them; non-combatants are not to be harmed.

** Weapons of mass destruction must never be used and collective punishment is strictly prohibited.

** Self-defense is not considered jihad if muslims are striking back in revenge.

** Hostilities should be ended as soon as the other party is inclined to peace

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Masquerade Arrested By Police In Abeokuta For Murder

The ancient city of Abeokuta was thrown into pandemonium on Monday after a masquerade allegedly shot dead an Islamic cleric identified as Lateef Sabiu during Egungun festival.

The attack on the Islamic cleric led to a reprisal attack as Islamic youths allegedly razed down a building belonging to traditional worshippers in protest against the murder of one of their members.

The 22-year Islamic Cleric was allegedly shot dead Sunday evening while he was on a motorcycle during a ‘stop and search’ in Ijaye area of the city.

It was gathered that the masquerade popularly called “lehin Aponle” (a Yoruba word that is usually said in full this way; “Lehin aponle, abuku lo ku, meaning, after respect comes disgrace), was allegedly armed with guns and other dangerous weapons.

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Muyiwa Adejobi, while confirming the incident told newsmen in Abeokuta that the Command had arrested three persons along with the masquerade over the murder of the late Cleric.

Adejobi stated that the Command had suspended further activities of the year 2013 edition of masquerade festival in the state.

“Those we arrested in connection with the murder are 40-year-old Ajayi Olabintan, Shittu Adeyemi, Wahed Babalola and the masquerade.”

Speaking on the incident, one of the community leaders, the Balogun of Ijaye and Aare of Egbaland, Chief Ganiyu Babayeju-Alemo, said the crisis has forced the Egba Traditional Council to suspend other activities for the 2013 Egungun festival in Abeokuta.

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Breaking News: Boko Haram Faction Declares Cease Fire

A group claiming to be a faction of the Boko Haram has declared a cease fire after holding talks with the Borno State Government.

A self-proclaimed commander of the Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri, capital of Nigeria’s north-eastern state of Borno has announced a peace offer , even as the state was horrified by another brutal killing

The commander who identified himself as Sheikh Muhammed Abdulazeez spoke to journalists Monday in Maiduguri, where the Islamist sect known as Boko Haram got its start.

Abdulazeez described himself as a second-in-command to sect leader Abubakar Shekau and said there would be a ceasefire as the Borno government had promised to release some sect members.

Abdulazeez reportedly met with Governor Kashim Shettima today.

While a government official later welcomed the announcement, it came as soldiers and police still hold Boko Haram members and violence continued unabated in the region.

A local resident of Gajiganna, a nearby village, said he saw eight bodies — some decapitated — after an attack, that bore the violent trademark of Boko Haram.

Boko Haram had offered unilateral ceasefire in the past, which it never kept, choosing instead to launch brutal attacks on the Nigerian state.

The group declared the cease fire in Maiduguri at about 3:00 p.m. on Monday. The talks, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, has been on for a while.

The group is led by one Abu Mohamed Abdulazeez.

Source: Premium Times

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Third Mainland Crash: ‘I Swam Out Of The Vehicle Even Though I Don’t Know How To Swim.’

Olusola Oladimeji, the driver of the Toyota Sienna that fell off the Third Mainland Bridge into the lagoon on Saturday, has described his escape as a miracle.

The father of three said contrary to reports by traffic and emergency officials, he was not on high speed when the incident occurred.

Oladimeji, who is a minister of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church, said he was on his way home from work.

He said, “I work on the island and I left home for a meeting in the early hours of Saturday. After the monthly environmental sanitation, I started driving back home.

“I was driving at the speed of 60km/hr and was on the fast lane because the road was free. At Ebute Meta bypass, I saw two vehicles that had been involved in an accident but I kept on driving. Suddenly, everything went blank, I couldn’t see anything again, and I just found myself in the water.”

Oladimeji said he did not lose consciousness in the water and as such, was able to loosen the seat belt.

He said in the water, he saw a ray of light and swam towards it.

He said, “I was not on high speed. When the car hit the railing of the bridge, the airbag was not released.

“After falling into the water, I unfastened the seat belt and noticed that one of the doors of my car had broken off, so I swam out of the vehicle to the surface of the water even though I don’t know how to swim.

“It was while I was waving my hand that fishermen saw me and quickly came to my aid. They took me away from the scene and took me to a clinic located on the water where they administered the first aid.”

Oladimeji was later taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where an X-ray scan was conducted on him.

“The doctors said that my leg was not fractured. They, however, cast my leg with Plaster of Paris because I had a sprain,” he said.

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$1 Million Gold And Diamond Bra Now Available For Sale

Do you have an extra $1 million? Go out and buy yourself a bra.Birmingham shop is selling a bra made of 18 carat gold with over 500 carats of diamonds for a whopping $1 million.

The diamond laced lingerie, sold in Birmingham Estate and Jewelry Buyers, was created by the store owner Anthony Aubry, who named the bra after his wife, Rita.

“If you have that amount of money then someone will say ‘Oh, I have a bra of $1 million,” or some people would put on display at their home or something, and some people,believe it or not, would actually want to use it,” Aubry told the news media.

According to Aubry, the bra took over three months to design and it took a group of workers almost a year to create.

Aubry said the main difference between his design and the famous Victoria Secret one million dollar “Fantasy” bra is that the masterpieces of that chain store have “material in them and the diamonds are embedded in the fabric.”

Aubrey’s bra however is solid gold.

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University Final Year Student, 5 Others Arrested For Kidnapping In Ogun

The Ogun State Vigilance Service, Sunday,  said it had arrested six suspected kidnappers including  a final year student  of Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago-Iwoye,  (name withheld) who demanded a sum of N25million ransom from their victim’s family.

Speaking to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Public Relations Officer of the Service, Soji Ganzallo said that the suspects had on Thursday trailed one Aremu Peters from his office located at number 86 Ibadan road,Ijebu-Ode, at about 7.00p.m. and subsequently kidnapped him.

According to Ganzallo, the command on receiving the information moved in swiftly and was able to locate their hideout, rescued the victim and arrested the suspects.

Narrating his ordeals in the hands of the kidnappers, Peters said he got his freedom 48 hours after he was abducted, saying the kidnappers pointed a gun at him, collected his car key and immediately put him inside the car booth.

They later abandoned the car at Iwesi quarters, Ijebu-Ode, at around 8.00pm.

“I was blindfolded and on arrival at their hide-out, I was tortured and asked to put a call through to my family. The gang leader demanded for N25million ransom.

They called my family on my phone and ordered them to pay N25million ransom.

They tied my hands. But after much pleas, they reduced the ransom to N5million. At that stage, I asked my family to sell my house and other valuables to save my life before luck ran against them when the vigilance service burst the hideout and rescued me,” the victim said.

Confessing to their crime, the gang leader said they kept their victim in the car booth before they took him to the hideout located at Ajobo village, in Odeda Local Government Area, along Abeokuta-Ibadan road.

He added that they fed their victim with bread, soft drink and sachet water within 48 hours of the victim’s captivity.

Ganzallo told newsmen that findings revealed that the victim’s car was abandoned by the gang in Ibadan. He said the suspects would be handed over to the police. [VN]

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EFCC Nabs Two With $240,000 At Abuja Airport

Before now, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was the most patronized route for potential money couriers but surprisingly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arrested two persons at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, for attempting to smuggle $240,000 out of the country.

The duo, Moghalu Maduakonam and Esho Femi David, were nabbed separately with $200,000.00 and $40,050 respectively. Maduakonam was travelling to Dubai, United Arab Emirates with the said sum which he failed to declare while Turkey- bound David, declared only $5,000 out of the cash sum on his person.

The cash couriers are to be charged to court as soon as invetigation is concluded

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Ezu River: 15 Mystery Corpses To Be Exhumed

Apparently the dead can no longer rest in peace as the Anambra state government, following shocking results from autopsy conducted on  three of the 18 mystery corpses evacuated from the Ezu River, has ordered the exhumation of the remaining 15 corpses already buried.

Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Bala Nasarawa, had on Tuesday, said that three bodies, out of the 18 evacuated, had been selected for autopsy, as, according to him, the other 15 had decomposed and therefore buried.

But speaking to newsmen yesterday, in Awka, Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Lawrence Ikeako, who is a member of the autopsy team, said that following preliminary results, the remaining 15 corpses buried without scientific examination would be exhumed. While refusing to disclose details of the team’s findings, Ikeaku only said that the test so far carried out has been revealing.

He however maintained that exhuming the bodies was important to ascertaining the real cause of the death of each of the persons. He also assured the people of the state that the final outcome of the autopsy would be made public soon as the 15 bodies have been examined.

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Good News: NCC Fixes SMS At N4.00 Flat

With effect from February 5, all domestic Off-Net Short Messaging Service (SMS), will cost N4.00. This is according to a directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission.The directive, which was signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services of NCC, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, in a statement issued by the commission’s Head of Media and Public Relations , Reuben Muoka, has been communicated to the operators since January 3, 2013.

But she maintained that the commission will not place a price cap yet on International SMS.

The commission, she said, arrived at the new price cap after due considerations of the submissions made by the operators at various consultative meetings.

She said having evaluated and analyzed SMS traffic information provided by the operators, the commission noted that “There was a general recognition that the cost of SMS is too high, especially in view of the interconnection rate of N1.02 for SMS as determined by the commission in 2009.”

While noting that the operators had proposed a price cap ranging between N5-10 per message for Off-Net SMS, she said the operators also urged NCC not to set a cap for international SMS due to the fact that Interconnect rates for International SMS are outside the commission’s purview.

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Legacy Of Waste: Yar’Adua, Jonathan Squandered $67bn – Ezekwesili

Former Vice President (Africa) at the World Bank and Minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday said the squandering of $45 billion in foreign reserve account and $22 billion in Excess Crude Account by the two subsequent administrations after Olusegun Obasanjo’s was a clear proof of Nigeria’s failure to make the right developmental choices.

Ezekwesili, who stated this while delivering a convocation lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said Nigerians had lost dignity because of ravaging poverty arising from poor choices of the elite, corruption and lack of investment in education.

She recalled that Nigeria had enjoyed five cycles of oil boom since independence, but bemoaned the failure of governments to convert oil income to renewable assets through training of human capital, development of other sectors or investment in foreign assets as other resource-rich countries did with their oil income.

Ezekwesili, who was a founding director of Transparency International, also said “The present cycle of boom of the 2010s is however much more vexing than the other four that happened in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. This is because we are still caught up in it and it is more egregious than the other periods in revealing that we learned absolutely nothing from the previous massive failures.”

The former minister of solid minerals lamented the “squandering of the significant sum of $45 billion in foreign reserve account and another $22 billion in Excess Crude Account being direct savings from increased earnings from oil that the Obasanjo administration handed over to the successor government in 2007”.

“Six years after the administration I served handed over such humongous national wealth to another one most Nigerians but especially the poor continue to suffer the effects of failing public health and education systems as well as decrepit infrastructure and battered institutions”.

She added, “One cannot but ask what exactly does this level of brazen misappropriation of public resources symbolize? Where did all that money go? Where is the accountability for the use of these resources and the additional several hundred dollars realized from oil sale by the two administrations that have governed our nation in the last five years? How were these resources applied or more appropriately misapplied? Tragic choices.”

Ezekwesili therefore charged graduating students of UNN and other educated young people, to become the Turning Point generation of young and educated Nigerians willing to make the right choices by serving or having a say in political affairs of the country.

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$3 Million Bribe: Keyamo Files Charges Against Farouk Lawal

A Lagos based lawyer, Festus Keyamo on Wednesday entered a 4-count criminal charge against the erstwhile Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on fuel subsidy probe, Farouk Lawal for allegedly collecting the sum of $3million as bribe from the Chairman of Zenon oil and gas, Femi Otedola.

Mr Keyamo had earlier given the police one week ultimatum to charge the embattled lawmaker over the bribery scandal.

The lawyer named the former Secretary of the fuel subsidy probe Committee, Boniface Emenalo as the 2nd accused person in the charge which was filed before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

Mr Keyamo maintained that the proof of evidence adduced against the accused persons over the alleged role they played in the cash-for-clearance scandal, indicted them of criminal conspiracy, gratification and criminal intimidation contrary to sections 96 and 396 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of FCT, as well as, Section 12(1) (a-b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, Cap C31, LFN 2004.

According to him, their offence is punishable under section 97 and 387of the two aforementioned Acts, respectively.

The lawyer gave the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke a 6-days ultimatum to either okay the already drafted charge or hands-off the matter to enable him as a private prosecutor to conduct the trial.

In a letter he sent to the AGF alongside a copy of the charge he personally drafted against Misters Lawal and Emenalo, Mr Keyamo, insisted that the AGF must “indicate whether he is prepared to prosecute or not,” on or before the close of official business on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, “to enable me determine my next line of action,” he added.

The letter read: “My name is Festus Keyamo. I am a Nigerian citizen, legal practitioner, senior member of the Nigerian Bar, private prosecutor, social crusader and critic.

“Last week, I gave a seven-day ultimatum to the Police to commence prosecution of one Farouk Lawan, a member of the House of Representatives and his accomplice, one Boniface Emenalo, for agreeing to and actually accepting gratification from one Femi Otedola in order to doctor the report of the House ad-hoc Committee on fuel subsidy.

“From reports I read in the media after issuing my ultimatum, the Police have passed the buck over to your office for the inaction so far, claiming it has finished the investigation and that your office has just refused to file charges for reasons unknown to the public.

“It is for the above reasons I have prepared a Charge (attached herewith) for the purpose of private prosecution.

“Therefore, consequent upon Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Act, Cap C41, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, I forward herewith the following proof of evidence and documents to you:(1) The Criminal Charge against Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo.

(2) The proof of evidence: (a) A recording of a telephone conversation between Farouk Lawan and Femi Otedola contained in a memory card wherein Farouk Lawan was soliciting or asking for gratification to doctor his report, and appealing to Otedola to keep it secret. (b) The transcript of the said recording. “(c) Court processes (including a sworn testimony on oath) in Suit No. FCT/3839/2012: BETWEEN ZENON PET. & GAS LTD. & ANOR. V. LAWAN & ORS, where the graphic details of how the accused persons solicited for, and received gratification from Femi Otedola are stated. Needless to say that these are just proofs of evidence and the originals shall only be presented during trial.

“May I kindly request that, by virtue of Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Act, Cap. C41, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, you endorse on the Charge whether, having seen the Charge, you are prepared to prosecute Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo for the counts in the Charge or whether you have declined to prosecute at the public instance the counts in the said Charge.

“The position of the law is that, before I commence private prosecution, you should be given the opportunity to prosecute or to decline to prosecute. This is what I have done by this letter.

“I will expect your reply by the close of official business on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, to enable me determine my next line of action.

“I sincerely hope you will make your decision one way or the other as any indecision on your part will amount to a refusal to act as held by the Supreme Court in the case of CHIEF GANI FAWEHINMI V. COL. HALILU AKILU & ANOR: IN RE: ODUNEYE reported in 1987 (4 NWLR) P. 67. In that case, it will be all-clear signal I require to file the Charge.”

Specifically, the 4-count charge Mr Keyamo filed against the duo reads: “That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and July 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, conspired to corruptly demand and receive the sum of $3,000,000.00 (Three Million US Dollars) as gratification from Femi Otedola, and thereby committed the offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of FCT and punishable under Section 97 the same Act.

“That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and July 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, corruptly asked for, received and obtained the sum of $620,000.00 (Six Hundred and Twenty Thousand US Dollars) as bribe from Femi Otedola, and thereby committed the offence of gratification by an Official contrary to Section 12(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, Cap C31, LFN 2004 and punishable under the same section.

“That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and July 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, corruptly agreed to receive the sum of $3,000,000.00 (Three Million US Dollars) as gratification from Femi Otedola, and thereby committed the offence of Gratification by an Official contrary to Section 12(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, Cap C31, LFN 2004 and punishable under the same section.

“That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and June 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, threatened one Femi Otedola with injury to his reputation and his companies, with intent to cause alarm to Femi Otedola and to cause Femi Otedola to give you a gratification of $3,000,000.00 (Three Million US Dollars) in order to avoid the said injury, and thereby committed the offence of Criminal Intimidation contrary to Section 396 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of FCT and punishable under Section 387 of the same Act.”

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JTF Averts Motor Park Bloodbath In Delta

Men of the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, Tuesday, averted what would have been a serious bloodbath at central motor park, Ughelli, Delta State.

Otor-Iwhreko youths and National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in the area have been on war path for about one year over who controls the motor park.

While the NURTW was of the view that the control of motor parks was within their purview, the Otor-Iwhreko community was of the view that they should be allowed to control the motor park in their area. They argued that Otovwodo, Afiesere and Ekiugbo people were in charge of the motor parks in their areas.

According to a dependable source, Chairman of the NURTW in the motor park, Mr. Emonena Akpodiete and his vice, Mr. Felix Olokpa have been embroiled in leadership crisis. The source who pleaded anonymity said all attempts to resolve the crisis failed.

When contacted, Mr. Felix Olokpa alleged that the community youths had destroyed his property after chasing his wife from the house. Mr. Emonena Akpodiete on his part said the property of Mr Felix Olokpa was not destroyed and his wife was not also chased away by the youths, describing the allegation as false.

Akpodiete said in line with the decision reached in their last peace meeting, “I told my Vice that he should bring 50 per cent of the workforce while I bring 50 per cent but he refused.”

“We gave the community two units; pick-up and trailer units to take full control of, besides that Akpodiete is also the chairman of my unit, taxi/bus,” Felix Olokpa said.

Youth chairman of Otor-Iwhreko, Mr Felix Okoro while speaking to newsmen appealed to the Local Government Council to allow “the community to run the motor park as it is being done in other motor parks in the council area.”

Efforts made to reach the Local Government Council Chairman proved abortive as at press time. However, a council official who does not want his name in print said the council has taken over the running of the park pending when the crisis would be resolved. [Vanguard]

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