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20 escape death as Speaker’s house collapses

2017-03-24T10:00:00.001+01:00

Published March 24, 2017

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

Ihuoma Chiedozie, Enugu

About 20 construction workers escaped death on Thursday when a building believed to be owned by the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, collapsed.

The two-storey building, which was still under construction, is located on an estate around Nkpokiti junction at Independence Layout, Enugu.

The building was one of the houses on an estate said to be allocated to the members of the Enugu State House of Assembly.

Our correspondent learnt that some of the construction workers, who were working at the site, sustained injuries.

However, no life was lost in the incident.

A source in the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the agency had, in August 2016, given an order for work to stop in all the buildings on the estate.

The source expressed regrets that the order was flouted, despite the fact that most of the owners of the buildings under construction are lawmakers.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Speaker were not successful as of the time of filing this report.

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Contact: editor@punchng.com

Jonathan begged us not to declare Niger Delta Republic – Militants

2017-03-24T09:57:00.001+01:00

Published August 1, 2016

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

Ovie Okpare, Warri
Niger Delta militant group, Adaka Boro Avengers, has said it cancelled its planned declaration of a Niger Delta Republic after appeals from Ijaw leaders, including ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
A statement issued by the spokesman of the group, Edmos Ayayeibo, reiterated its determination to cripple the nation’s economy until President Muhammadu Buhari showed a sincere desire to dialogue and restructure the country.
ABA, which is also an affiliate of the dreaded Niger Delta Avengers, also warned the federal government against entering dialogue with the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta if the government wants peace in the oil-rich region.
The statement reads in part, “We adhere to the voice of our people, because our struggle is for the Niger Delta people and not for selfish reason. But this is not the end. More has yet to come. Our mission to cripple the economy of the Nigerian nation will not stop until the Nigerian government is ready to sit on a roundtable to dialogue and to restructure the Nigeria.
“We received calls from prominent leaders like Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Mrs. Ankio Briggs, Chief E. K. Clark and especially King Alfred Diete Spiff calling on the freedom fighters to abort their mission to declare Niger Delta Republic.
“Unless that, we will not stop until Nigeria becomes a zero economy. We are also saying this for the benefit of President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian government to stop wasting their time with those greedy fellows that call themselves MEND because nothing good will come out of them rather than sabotage.
“Everything they are saying, not even one will be accomplished. We will never agree with anything they say and henceforth MEND should watch their back because we have tolerated them for a very long time.
“Enough is enough, since they want to set confusion in the Niger Delta we will start from them.”

President sacks information minister

2017-03-24T09:47:00.002+01:00

Published March 24, 2017

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has sacked the country’s information minister, the first cabinet change since taking office in late 2015.
Magufuli, nicknamed “the Bulldozer” for his strict leadership style, launched a reform drive soon after he was elected by dismissing dozens of senior public officials over allegations of corruption and inefficiency.

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The president removed Nape Nnauye as the country’s Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports just days after the minister ordered a probe into an alleged raid on a private television station by a senior government official on March 17.
Harrison Mwakyembe was appointed information minister while Palamagamba Kabudi was named justice and constitutional affairs minister, the portfolio previously held by Mwakyembe.
No reason was given for the cabinet changes, but some analysts said there were reports of friction among some government officials over Magufuli’s strict leadership style.
On Thursday, police officers prevented Nnauye from holding a planned press conference at a Dar es Salaam hotel after his sacking.
“I don’t expect to see any major rift that could affect the performance of the government as a result of conflicts between some government officials,” Benson Bans, a Dar es Salaam-based political analyst told Reuters.
“Recent opinion polls give Magufuli an approval rating of over 80 per cent so he is still very popular among Tanzanians and has a mandate to push through his reforms.”
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Kaduna airport, disaster waiting to happen, say Reps

2017-03-24T09:19:00.001+01:00

Published March 24, 2017

John Ameh, Abuja

Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday condemned aviation operations at the Kaduna International Airport, thereby making a dramatic U-turn from their earlier position.

They said the airport fell short of the safety standards for both domestic and international flight operations.

The Kaduna airport is serving as a temporary alternative to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, whose runway is undergoing reconstruction.

The closure of the Abuja airport is into its third week and the repairs will last for another three weeks, according to the original work plan of the Federal Government.

The PUNCH recalls that four weeks ago, the same lawmakers had passed a resolution supporting the closure of the airport and giving the nod to the Kaduna airport to serve as an alternative.

But, on Thursday, after flying into Kaduna, the lawmakers changed their stance and began condemning the airport.

“God forbid that an aircraft should drop from the skies due to our own errors. This is what we should not pray to happen. As we speak, we have aircraft flying in the air. It can happen to anybody. Safety standards are not being adhered to at the airport,” the Chairman, House Committee on Loans, Aids and Debt Management, Mr. Adeyinka Ajayi, told his colleagues.

Ajayi had moved a motion on the need for the aviation authorities to review and ensure that the Kaduna International Airport complied with operational and safety requirements as promised prior to the closure of the Abuja airport.

He cited a personal experience of witnessing aviation fuel being discharged from haulage trucks into aircraft at the airport without purifying the fuel.

Ajayi also said ramp marking rules were abused at the airport as they were “violated by unauthorised users, who go right through the ramp marks.”

He added, “Aircraft manoeuvring and parking space is inadequate to accommodate the high number of aircraft now operating in and out of the airport.

“Further disturbed that some aviation fuel marketers have been allegedly transferring Jet A-1 from bulk road tankers directly into bowers right on the tarmac and discharging same into aircraft; this poses a lot of danger to passengers and aircraft safety.”

The Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Relations, Ms. Nnenna Ukeje, stated that the lives of passengers and aircraft were exposed to danger at the Kaduna airport.

She noted that the space provided for passengers and parking for aircraft was inadequate and could easily lead to accidents.

Ukeje recalled how she spent close to two hours after landing at the airport, struggling to get her luggage and exit the environment.

“The Kaduna airport experiment has obviously failed,” she stated.

Another member, Mr. Hassan Saleh, told the House that he had been to the airport and that all he could see was total disappointment.

Saleh noted, “It is a disaster waiting to happen. Security measures at that airport have collapsed. You could see that the security personnel are overwhelmed by the crowd.

“They no longer conduct full security checks because of the huge crowd.”

Both the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, stated that the state of affairs at the airport might have vindicated the decision of most foreign airlines not to use the Kaduna airport.

They argued that considering the fact that Nigerian routes were among the most lucrative in the world, it was instructive that the airlines would opt to lose money rather than fly into Kaduna.

Gbajabiamila said, “If all the foreign airlines but one said they would not use Kaduna, was there something they knew that we did not know?

“If the airlines have chosen to lose money than fly into Kaduna, then there is a problem that we should be concerned about.”

On his part, Ogor urged the House to intervene urgently by calling on the aviation authorities to adhere to international best practices in the industry.

He stated, “When I flew into Kaduna, what I saw there for me is a construction site. It is very dangerous for our safety. Why did we rush to go to Kaduna?

“Nigerian routes are the most lucrative. For the foreign airlines to reject Kaduna means that we should do something.”

However, some lawmakers, mainly from Kaduna State, opposed the motion on the ground that it was still part of the sentiments held against the airport.

A former House Deputy Whip, Mr. Mohammed Garba-Dhatti, claimed that operations at the airport had been smooth in the last three weeks.

“There have been sentiments expressed against this airport right from the beginning. That is what is still happening. Which of the airlines has made complaints that it has any problems at the airport?” Garba-Dhatti asked.

Another member from Kaduna, Mr. Simon Arabo, supported the position of Garba-Dhatti.

“There has been no report of any accident in Kaduna. It is also very unfair for anyone to come here and describe the airport as a construction site,” he said.

Contact: editor@punchng.com

Udotong, Nigerian wizkid, builds first Nuclear Fusor

2017-03-24T09:11:00.001+01:00

Published March 24, 2017

Nigerian teenager, Steven Udotong, who invented a nuclear energy fusor.

Nigerian teenager, Steven Udotong, has invented a nuclear energy fusor, making him the first black student to attain such feat.
A fusor is a device that uses an electric field to heat ions to suitable condition for nuclear fusion.
The machine generates an electric potential difference between two metal cages inside a vacuum.
Udotong, a 16-year-old high school junior in Southern New Jersey, in an interview on blavity.com, expressed the hope that his invention would inspire a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly future for all.
To achieve the feat, Udotong created a GoFundMe page to raise 1,500 dollars for supplies, a goal he achieved in just one month.
He said “I grew curious after we flew by the topic of nuclear energy in my chemistry class last year. I decided to do more research and I soon learned that I could actually make a nuclear fusor.
“That sparked my interest. I want people to know that there are alternate methods for obtaining power and energy.
“I want to examine more clean energy products and stop the fear of the word “nuclear,” Steven shared in an interview on The Well, Jopwell’s Digital Magazine, with his older brother, Emmanuel, a computer science student at Princeton University.
“Nuclear energy is a lot safer than people think,” he added.
This past summer, Steven was accepted into Yale Young Global Scholar Programme, which allowed him to pursue the engineering workshop at the Singapore campus.
He was one of three students from New Jersey to attend the workshop.
He said that he realised he could be the first black student to build a nuclear reactor.
He added that “I was motivated because I knew that there were many other
ways for minorities to pursue success. Sports and music were not the only avenues for us.
“There’s room for us. There’s a need for us to participate in academia, business, art, law, medicine, and yes, nuclear energy.
“I hope this project will become an example of academic excellence as vehicle of accomplishment for black students.”
The first part of Udotong’s invention was done but he still needed to raise money to complete it.
He added that when he was done with that, he planned to enter it in science fairs and competitions for a chance to pursue scholarship opportunities.
His ultimate goal, he said, was to start a conversation on state and federal level, about more serious action toward adopting alternative energy sources.

Soldiers kill pupil, injure others while rescuing herdsmen

2017-03-24T09:10:00.001+01:00

Published March 24, 2017

Afeez Hanafi and John Charles

One of the bullets reportedly fired by soldiers attached to 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi, Benue State, has killed a secondary school pupil, identified as Ayew Atume.

It was gathered that Atume, a resident of Jato Aka in the Kwande Local Government Area of the state, was having a lunch in his parents’compound after returning from school on Tuesday when the stray bullet hit him.

He reportedly died at the spot.

PUNCH Metro gathered that some members of a vigilance group in the community had intercepted a car conveying some suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The security guards were said to have found arms in the vehicle, which made them to detain the occupants.

A resident, who did not give his name, said the herdsmen alerted soldiers in the Kashimbila area of the state, who raced to the scene and allegedly freed the men, shooting continuously. In the process, one of the bullets killed Atume.

The resident said, “Youths keeping vigilance on the town acted on a tip-off and intercepted a vehicle conveying some suspected herdsmen who were in possession of arms. The suspects called soldiers in Kashimbila who then called their colleagues stationed in Jato Aka to rescue the men.

“The soldiers arrived at the scene and whisked the car and the occupants to their base. The continued insistence of the youth for the vehicle to be handed over to the police angered the soldiers who started shooting indiscriminately into the air to frighten them.

“Ayew (Atume) was killed by a stray bullet. The boy just returned from school and was taking his lunch in his parents’ compound near the scene of the incident when the bullet hit him. He died instantly.”

Another resident said several other persons were injured in the commotion that followed the shootings as people scampered to safety.

“The situation now is such that residents of the town are leaving, while commercial activities have been put to a halt.

The villagers are alleging conspiracy between the Fulani herdsmen and the soldiers to destroy the town. Many residents were injured on Tuesday by the soldiers’ bullets, including a community leader,” he added.

However, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi, Maj. Olabisi Ayeni, debunked the claim that the pupil was killed by soldiers.

Ayeni, in a statement on Thursday, stated that the vigilantes had mounted an illegal roadblock in the community. He accused them of harassing motorists and other road users, adding that those rescued by soldiers were victims and not suspects.

“Youths in the town mounted an illegal roadblock, especially along the road linking Jato Aka to Taraba State, arresting innocent road users coming into Benue State.

“They detained some visitors, alleging they were Fulani herdsmen. Our soldiers got a distress call and moved there immediately. They were able to rescue seven people and they were moved to our base to ensure their safety.

“At the time of the arrest, they were searched and their vehicles were also searched, but nothing incriminating was found. The police were immediately contacted for further investigation if actually they were coming in with arms.

“While this was going on, the youth regrouped in their hundreds and surrounded the military base, demanding that the seven commuters be handed over to them.

“On the refusal of our troops to hand them over, they became aggressive and started throwing stones into our base. They later started firing at the camp. They destroyed our operational vehicles.

“They also killed a boy in the process. Furthermore, they attacked some traditional chiefs and the Sole Administrator of Kwande LGA who came to appeal to them.

“Our troops rescued the chiefs, but one of them was injured. Therefore, the claim that our troops are protecting Fulani herdsmen is not true. The illegally arrested commuters by the youths are not Fulani people; they are innocent Nigerians going about their business peacefully.

“The Nigerian Army has the constitutional responsibility to ensure the safety of all Nigerians. Inasmuch as we share the pains of those youths, we won’t allow any Nigerian to be unjustly punished or allow their fundamental rights to be tampered with,” the statement read in part.

The spokesperson warned youths against taking the law into their own hands, urging them to report any security breach to the army or the police.

Contact: editor@punchng.com

Naira may gain further, hits 385/dollar

2017-03-24T09:03:00.001+01:00

Published March 24, 2017

Naira

Oyetunji Abioye

The naira is likely to strengthen further on the black market as the Central Bank of Nigeria steps its interventions in the foreign exchange market.

According to currency analysts and economic experts, the naira will record further gain in the coming days as the CBN aims to narrow the gap between the official and parallel market rates.

The naira strengthened to 385 to the dollar on the black market on Thursday, from 395 on Wednesday, and from 457 last Thursday.

On the official interbank market, the naira closed at 308 to the dollar, against 306 last Thursday.

“We see the exchange rate converging at some point between 380-400 naira to the dollar in the near term because of the determination of the central bank to increase dollar supply,” the President, Association of Bureau De Change operators, Aminu Gwadabe, said.

A currency expert at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, said the dollar might sell at 375/380 next week if the central bank continued its intervention programme in the forex market.

“It depends on what the CBN is targeting; but the good thing is that when the dollar sells for between 375 and 380, the incentive to do round-tripping will not be there anymore and this is good for the market, the economy and the country,” he added.

The CBN was planning to sell $100m in currency forwards on Thursday to be delivered within the next 60 days.

The local currency has been appreciating in recent weeks on the back of the continued and consistent interventions in the forex market by the CBN.’

Meanwhile, the Kenyan shilling is expected to remain stable over the next week, mainly owing to importers’ demand for dollars outweighing inflows from farm exports.

Market participants said there was no consensus on what policymakers are likely to do when they meet to set interest rates on March 27, according to a Reuters report.

The Tanzanian shilling is seen trading in a tight range against the dollar, helped by a slowdown in demand for the US currency.

“The shilling will likely remain range-bound next week due to subdued business activity. Demand and supply of dollars are largely matching each other at the moment,” a trader at a commercial bank told Reuters.

The Ugandan shilling is seen weakening moderately in the days ahead, weighed down by a typical surge in appetite for hard currency from manufacturers towards month-end.

Ghana’s cedi would be expected to remain bullish next week, bolstered by strong forex liquidity inflows amid weakening dollar demand, analysts said.

After touching record lows of 4.742 to the dollar this month, the cedi has rallied steadily to reach 4.40 by mid-morning on Thursday, compared to 4.56 a week ago. It is down about four per cent since January, Reuters data shows.

“We expect a sustained bullish cedi in the face of comparatively weaker demand for the greenback amidst sufficient forex supply,” analyst at Accra-based Dortis Research, Joseph Biggles Amponsah, said.

“However, to extend this gain into the next quarter, the supply of dollars to the market needs to be sustained.”

The kwacha is expected to hold firm against the dollar next week because of hard currency conversions by companies preparing to pay salaries and other month-end obligations.

Contact: editor@punchng.com

Ife crisis: Arrest Hausa suspects in 48 hours, OPC tells FG

2017-03-24T08:59:00.000+01:00

Published March 24, 2017

Dr. Fredrick Fasehun

Olufemi Atoyebi, Kamarudeen Ogundele, Eniola Akinkuotu, and Toluwani Eniola

A pan-Yoruba group, Oodua People’s Congress, has given the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force 48 hours to arrest the Fulani/Hausa persons involved in the crisis in Ile-Ife, Osun State, which resulted in the death of about 46 persons.

The OPC gave the warning in a statement by its founder, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, on Thursday.

It said, “We hereby call on the Federal Government to intervene within the next 48 hours to ensure that justice is institutionalised and no side is provoked to defend justice according to its whims and caprices. Various communities have Abraham as their father. A word is enough for the wise.”

The group said it was unfortunate that 20 Yoruba persons, including a monarch, were arrested and paraded by the police while not a single Hausa/Fulani belligerent was detained.

The OPC added, “The police and the Federal Government appear determined to make scapegoats of Yoruba living in Ife over this crisis. It is unfortunate, strange and insensitive that two people are fighting and authorities are arresting only one party in this unfortunate mayhem.

“We sympathise with all victims and casualties over this moment of madness that has eroded two centuries of harmonious cohabitation between the Hausa settlers and their Yoruba hosts. But we demand equal treatment of everyone involved on both sides of this crisis.”

The group questioned the role of a former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in the arrest of the 20 persons.

It said Kwankwaso stampeded Governor Rauf Argebesola of Osun State and the Commissioner of Police into the ‘senseless’ arrests.

According to the OPC, Kwankwaso’s role is reminiscent of the role played by President Muhammadu Buhari in the Yoruba/Fulani clash in Ibadan in 2000.

“Kwankwanso’s post-violence role in Ife is akin to that played by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who in October 2000 travelled to Ibadan to challenge the late governor Lam Adesina over the reprisal on Fulani herdsmen who had unleashed an orgy of raping and killings on Yoruba farming communities.

“This kind of bias will only embolden belligerent Hausa-Fulani throughout Nigeria and give them pariah status amongst other nationalities,” the OPC warned.

The OPC decried the failure of the police and the Federal Government to dislodge Fulani herdsmen who had since 2016 invaded and occupied the Agatu and Oturkpo communities in Benue State and parts of Enugu State.

“Where are those Hausa-Fulani who went on a killing spree in Southern Kaduna, Agatu and Chief Olu Falae’s farm? Are they untouchable? The Federal Government and the police should stop behaving as if Nigeria is the Hausa-Fulani’s conquered territory where they can kill and maim and rape at will,” the OPC.

Also, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and the Gani Adams’ faction of the OPC have cautioned the police over the handling of investigation on the crisis in Ile-Ife.

In separate statements, they accused the police of displaying ethnic bias in their investigation, noting that this is not good for the unity of Nigeria and its people.

The governor, who condemned the killing of innocent people and destruction of properties in Ile-Ife, said crime must be treated as crime; “whether committed by Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa or any tribe. However, handling of crime must be without ethnic bias,” he added.

Fayose said it was “strange that in a clash involving the people of Ile-Ife, who are Yoruba and Hausa, who are settlers in the ancient town, only Yoruba were arrested, taken to Abuja and paraded before the press.”

The governor, in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, condemned the mayhem and described the loss of innocent souls as unfortunate.

The statement said, “If there was a clash between Yoruba people and Hausa in Ile-Ife, are the police now saying that only the Yoruba took part in the crisis?

“Both Yoruba and Hausa were attacked. Properties belonging to both Yoruba and Hausa were destroyed. Are the police saying that those 20 Yoruba that they paraded in Abuja were the ones who attacked the Yoruba people that were also victims of the crisis and destroyed those houses belonging to the indigenes of Ile-Ife that were destroyed?

“In my own opinion, the investigation so far conducted by the police was done with ethnic bias and I demand a thorough investigation that is devoid of ethnic sentiments.

“Also, to prevent a recurrence of such crisis, I call on the Osun State Government to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the crisis, as well as identify the masterminds of the crisis.”

Also, the OPC has criticised the Nigeria Police Force for conducting what it described as a subjective investigation into the March 8 crisis in IIe-Ife.

The OPC in a statement by Adams on Thursday, said it wondered why those who triggered the violence had not been paraded by the police.

The group described the entire investigation as “lopsided, highly bias and possesses an element of foundation of injustice.”

Meanwhile, son of the governor of the old Ondo State, Adekunle Ajasin, Tokunbo, has decried Yoruba monarch’s silence after the police paraded only Yoruba people in the aftermath of the crisis between Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani in Ile-Ife.

Ajasin, who spoke in Ibadan on Thursday, is the founder of Atayese Federalist Movement, a Yoruba socio-cultural group.

Ajasin, who chided the police for showing bias against the Yoruba people in the arrest of suspects, said he was shocked and surprised that Yoruba monarchs had not risen to defend their people in the face of persecution. He described the police action as treachery against Yoruba nation.

He added, “…We are surprised that none of our traditional rulers said anything even when one of them was arrested along with the suspects. That is sacrilegious.”

Contact: editor@punchng.com

London terror attack: what we know so far

2017-03-23T12:58:00.001+01:00

The investigation into a terrorist attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London is continuing.
Here is what the Guardian has been able to confirm so far:

Live London attack: Theresa May says Westminster assailant was British-born and known to MI5 – live

Four people have died, including a policeman and the attacker.
Police say 29 other people were treated in hospital, seven of whom are in a critical condition.
The assailant drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing two people, before crashing it outside parliament and trying to enter the complex, armed with a knife.
He stabbed an unarmed police officer who later died from the injuries, before armed police shot him. The police officer was identified as 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer, who had 15 years of service with the parliamentary and diplomatic protection service. He was a husband and father, police said.
Another victim was named as Aysha Frade, 43, who worked as a teacher in London. The mother-of-two had family in Betanzos, Galicia, in north-west Spain and her death was confirmed by the mayor of the town.
Prime minister Theresa May said the attacker was British-born and had been investigated “some years ago” by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. She said the man, whose identity she said would be revealed in due course, was “not part of the current intelligence picture”.
The attacker is believed to have acted alone but police are investigating possible associates. May said there was “no reason to believe” further attacks on the public were planned.
Police have searched six addresses in Birmingham, London and other parts of the country, and made eight arrests.
May told MPs in a statement to parliament on Thursday: “We are not afraid and our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism.” The prime minister, who was evacuated from parliament within minutes and driven to Downing Street, described Palmer as “every inch a hero”.
Twelve Britons were injured, including three police officers, two of whom were seriously injured, and four university students, as well as three French children, four South Koreans, two Romanians, two Greeks. a Chinese national, an Italian, an American, a Pole, an Irish national and a German woman resident in Australia.
One woman was thrown or jumped into the Thames from the bridge. She was rescued from the water but had sustained serious injuries.

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How the Westminster terror attack unfolded

The minister for counter-terrorism, Tobias Ellwood, a former soldier, raced to give first aid to the police officer who later died. Pictures showed him with blood on his face as he administered CPR.
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, vowed “Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism” in a video statement.
World leaders condemned the attack and offered condolences. The US president, Donald Trump, spoke to May, promising the UK the full support of the US government in responding to the attack.
Leaders of Canada, France, Germany and Spain were among others who sent messages of shock and solidarity.
Extra police were on duty across London, and the Metropolitan police force set up a casualty bureau for those worried about friends or family.
A service took place in front of Scotland Yard on Thursday morning, in front of the flame that burns as a tribute to all dead Metropolitan police officers.

Man risks jail for beating sister over extra plate of food

2017-03-23T11:35:00.001+01:00

Published March 23, 2017

The police on Thursday arraigned a 24-year-old man, Chima Ezeakolam in an Apapa Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, charged with beating his sister, Queen Ezeakolam, to a pulp over a plate of extra food.
Ezeokolam, a resident of Agbe Street, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count of assault and breach of peace.
The prosecutor, Insp. Tony Elibeh, told the court that the defendant, who entered a not-guilty plea, committed the offences on January 28 at their residence.

Hushpuppi displays wealth, says no longer helping 100 people

2017-03-23T11:34:00.000+01:00

Published March 23, 2017

Following insinuations that he has fled Instagram after he promised to help 100 people on the multimedia messaging platform, Malaysia-based Ray Hushpuppi, has taken a swipe at his supposed haters.
The ‘Nigerian Big Boy’ also withdrew his initial promise to help 100 people with educational issues. He cursed people asking him for help, pointing out some of the harsh things they had said to him in the past.
He further taunted the ‘help seekers’ with a display of some cash, which he claimed was $500, 000.

[BREAKING] Grass-cutting probe: SGF recants, asks Senate to reschedule appearance

2017-03-23T11:31:00.001+01:00

Published March 23, 2017

Babachir Lawal

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, has made a U-turn on his legal action against the Senate on its probe into the alleged management of funds meant for the rehabilitation of the North-East.
Lawal has urged the Senate to reschedule his appearance before its Ad Hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East which is carrying out the investigation.
The SGF, in the letter to the upper chamber on Wednesday, had said he had dragged the Senate to court over the probe.

Lawal, in the letter to the committee, said he would not appear before the probe panel today.
But in another letter dated March 22, 2017, the SGF said he would not be able to appear before the panel “primarily because of a pressing engagement of government which clashed with the date and time of the hearing.”
Details later…

Pregnant LASU best-graduating student took UTME seven times

2017-03-23T11:27:00.000+01:00

Published March 23, 2017

Mrs Elizabeth Orefuwa, the Best Graduating Student of the Lagos State University receiving her award from the VC, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun on Wednesday in Lagos

Folashade Adebayo
With a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.74, a 29-year-old lady, Remilekun Orefunwa, was on Wednesday declared the best-graduating student of the 2015/2016 academic session of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.
Orefunwa, who is pregnant with her first child, was declared the overall best-graduating student by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, during the 21st convocation of the institution.

A total 36,489 students graduated with diploma as well as first and higher degrees during the convocation. Aside from Orefunwa, who is a graduate of Accounting Education, 25 others emerged in the first class division.
In her remarks, Orefunwa said that she sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination seven times before gaining admission to study at LASU. She attributed her feat to resilience and a desire to make her father proud.
“I almost gave up after writing the UTME for seven years in a bid to gain admission into the university without success. I also applied to the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, three times without success. But with encouragement from my dad and elder sister, I eventually gained admission to LASU in 2012 to study Accounting Education.
“My sister kept encouraging me and I started a professional career at the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria during the long wait for admission. I qualified as an Associate Chartered Accountant in 2010. My advice to others is that they should never give up in the face of daunting challenges,” she said.
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PHOTOS: Fayose stops by roadside ‘buka’ to eat rice

2017-03-23T11:06:00.003+01:00

Published March 23, 2017

If there is an award for governors with penchant for eating at roadside Bukas, then Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, would get the first prize.
The latest of such show was on Wednesday, when he bought rice cooked and served inside leaves from a roadside food seller at Moferere area of Ado Ekiti.
See the photos below.

Lagos traders arrested for selling beans preserved with Sniper

2017-03-23T10:54:00.002+01:00

Published March 23, 2017

The suspects Photo: Afeez Hanafi

Afeez Hanafi Three siblings trading in beans on Adenekan Street, Alagbado, Lagos State, have been arrested by the police for allegedly selling “poisonous beans” to members of the public.
It was learnt that the traders – Faith Ogbona, Chidioke Ogbona and Sunday Ogbona – were arrested by policemen from the Alagbado division after being alerted by a woman, who caught Chidioke applying Sniper, an insecticide, on the beans.
While Chidioke and Sunday were picked up on Friday, their elder brother, who owned the shop, was nabbed on Sunday when he went to the station to secure their bail.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the shop had also been sealed off.
The police said 41-year-old Faith had wanted to influence his brothers’ release by allegedly offering the divisional police officer a N500,000 bribe, which the latter rejected.
The suspects, who hail from Ebonyi State, were paraded on Wednesday at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja with some bags of the “poisonous beans” and some bottles of Snipers recovered from the shop.
Eighteen-year-old Chidioke told our correspondent that he wanted to preserve the beans with the insecticide to prevent it from being infested with insects.
He said it was his first time of putting the substance in the foodstuffs, claiming that he deduced his “preservation method” from the use of Sniper to kill rodents.
Chidioke said, “I just saw it (Sniper) as something that kills insects and decided to use it to preserve the beans and kill the insects therein. I was applying the chemical for the first time when a woman approached me and warned that it was dangerous.
“A few minutes after, some policemen came to arrest me. My brother (Faith) was not around when I put the Sniper in the beans.”
Although the shop owner confessed that his suppliers in Maiduguri, Borno State, where he bought the goods, used some chemicals including Sniper and DD Force, to preserve beans, he said his brother carried out the act without his consent.
Faith, who said he started the business four years ago, also denied offering the bribe to the DPO.
He said, “I wasn’t around when my brother was caught putting Sniper in the beans. I was called on the telephone and I quickly returned to Lagos from Ibadan (Oyo State), where I had gone for a function. Sunday came to my shop when he learnt some policemen were there and he was also arrested.
“Chidioke just came back from our village. He had never seen me put Sniper in beans. In Maiduguri, if my suppliers wanted to preserve beans, they put DD Force or Sniper in water and spray it on the beans. It will be stored for about three or six months, depending on the quantity of chemicals applied.
“I have never mixed beans with chemicals, but I have been buying the one with chemicals from Maiduguri. If it is stored for a long time, it is not dangerous for human consumption.”
However, Sunday said he just alighted from a motorcycle when the police arrested him.
“I don’t preserve my beans with Sniper. I normally buy the quantity I can sell before insects infest it,” he added.
The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the suspects would be charged to court after investigation.
“The excuse the owner of the shop gave was that he was mixing pesticide with beans and that he had been selling it like that. He approached the DPO, thinking he could easily settle the case and get the two other suspects released. He offered her N500,000, but she rejected it,” the CP added.
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Certificate: ABU makes a U-turn, keeps mum on Melaye

2017-03-23T10:52:00.001+01:00

Senator Dino Melaye

Leke Baiyewu and Godwin Isenyo
The authorities of the Ahmadu Bełlo University, Zaria, are still meeting over the alleged certificate scandal against Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi-West senatorial district in Kogi State.
The Information Officer of the institution, Mr. Adam Mohammed, had told our correspondent on Tuesday that the management would take a decision on the matter and make its finding public on Wednesday.
“We are gathering all the facts from the faculty and department, and will make a press statement tomorrow. Thanks,” he said.
But the entire saga took a twist on Wednesday as the Information Officer rebuffed repeated calls to his cell phone.
When he was called with a number not known to him, he picked the call, but as soon as he discovered that the call was from The PUNCH, he became hostile.
He said, “ABU is not a motor park institution. We have ways of checking our systems for facts and records on such an issue. If your newspaper wants any information on the Melaye issue or any issue at all, you can write the vice-chancellor,” he said.
When reminded that he had promised that the university’s management would meet on the matter on Wednesday and give its position on Melaye’s academic status concerning his BSc degree in Geography, Mohammed declined and hung up.
But feelers from ABU indicated that the authorities were still meeting as regards the Melaye case.
A top source at the institution, who pleaded not to be named, said there appeared to be a problem with the senator’s Bachelor’s degree in Geography, adding that the management was being careful because of the political implication of the matter.
Another source, however, told our correspondent that the ‘social media’ report on the issue was unreliable.
“What I can tell you is that I know that the senator in the eye of the storm, I think, he did his Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy (MIAD) in the university and ABU, as an organised university, cannot admit any student without a first degree to study for a postgraduate degree.
“But I don’t know whether he used the BSc degree in Geography to apply for admission or not. For me, I don’t see anything wrong in the university issuing a statement to clear the air on the matter,” the source stated.
Meanwhile, Melaye has expressed his intension to drag an online news medium, Sahara Reporters, before a court on Thursday.
Melaye wants to sue for defamation and will be demanding N5bn compensation from Sahara Reporters.
This is despite that the fact that the Senate, on Tuesday, decided to investigate the allegation based on a point of order raised by a former Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, calling for a probe into the scandal.
Melaye’s intension to take legal action against the news medium was made known on Wednesday when he invited the Senate Press Corps to a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja to cover the filing of the litigation.
Sahara Reporters had, in a report, alleged that Melaye did not graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, adding that he was parading a fake certificate.
But Melaye had, on Tuesday, said he was ready for the probe by the Senate.
He said, “I am here to respond to the issue raised by Senator Ali Ndume. I want to say, to me, it is a welcome development. Democracy is about investigation and no senator is above investigation. To me, it is a welcome development and it will finally clear the air on all the malicious and vindictive allegations.
“To say that I did not graduate from ABU is to say that I am not a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ABU is a very prestigious university in this country and it is not possible for one to be running a master’s programme in the university when one did not graduate from a university. I have successfully completed one and I am doing the second one.”
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Lagos seals 100 table water factories

2017-03-22T16:01:00.000+01:00

Published March 22, 2017

Sesan Olufowobi
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it had sealed off over 100 table water factories across the state over production and distribution of substandard drinkable water in the state.
The government added that no fewer than 200 houses in the state had been sanctioned for discharging their sewage and wastewater into public drains.
Speaking at the 2017 World Water Day with the theme, ‘Wastewater,’ the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commissions, Kabir Abdullahi, said the state would make sure that every manufacturer of water-related products comply with safety standards.
Abdullahi said, “We have prosecuted about 16 of them this year. The offenders got various fines and sentences. We have inspected over 800 firms to ensure that the water produced in the state is safe for consumption.”
Kabir explained that many years of lack of monitoring had exposed the water sector to a lot of abuses, adding that adequate attention would be given to the sector for the safety of the residents.
The Coordinator of the Lagos State Wastewater Management, Adeniyi Abdul, said many houses in the state were guilty of arbitrarily discharging wastewater into public drainage channels, adding that several of them were sanctioned while others were prosecuted.
“Abatement notices served this month alone is over 200. If they refuse to comply, they will be taken to court,” he added.
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Woman feeds live puppies, kittens to python, posts photos online

2017-03-22T15:57:00.001+01:00

POlice are investigating a woman who allegedly fed live puppies and kittens to her pet python.

The woman was said to have posted the images of the python crushing the puppies online.
The act was discovered when an animal shelter who posed as a potential buyer approached the woman who said she gave the snake live dogs, cats and birds.
According to the law in the town of Loja, Grenada, she could face animal abuse charges following the allegations.
Royal Pythons are non-venemous but kill their pray by crushing them to death or starving them of oxygen.
They can live for up to 30 years and grow to about 5ft, making them one of the most popular pet snake breeds in the world.

Boko Haram kingpin nabbed in Ado Ekiti

2017-03-22T15:53:00.002+01:00

Published March 22, 2017

Boko Haram (File photo)

A suspected Boko Haram kingpin, Adenoyi Abdulsalam, has been arrested by a joint team of the Department of State Services and the military in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
A statement issued by an operative of the service in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Tony Opuiyo, said that an Ak-47 rifle was recovered from the suspect who is presently undergoing investigation.
Opuiyo added that the suspect was in the final stages of kidnapping some high-level targets in Ekiti to raise funds and terrorise communities in the state.
He said that the suspect was arrested by a joint Military and DSS operation team.
Opuiyo said that a Boko Haram suspect, Usman Rawa, 29, a.k.a Mr X, was also arrested in Lafia on March 17.
He said that Rawa rented an accommodation in Lafia for one Abdullahi Isa, who was known for his notorious terrorist activities.
“His plan is to establish an effective base to conduct terrorism, kidnapping and robbery operations in Abuja, Minna, and other adjoining States,” he said.
He said that the service had also arrested a suspected Boko Haram top commander, Nasiru Sani, a.k.a Osama, in Bauchi on March 15.
The operative said that Sani escaped from Bauchi Central Prison in October 2010 and hid in Maiduguri, Borno.
Opuiyo said that in continuation of the service crack down on insurgents, it arrested a suspect, Adamu Jibrin, at Jeka-da-Fari Market in Gombe on March 13.
He said the suspect who operated under the pseudo name of Dantata Sule, serves as a middleman for Boko Haram members and their commanders.
He said the suspect had affirmed his membership of the sect.
Opuiyo said in sustaining its operation, the service had arrested a suspected Boko Haram commander and food supplier, Ibrahim Fulata, and three of his associates in Dustsen Tanshi area of Bauchi State on Feb. 28.
He said the suspects were being questioned to establish other possible members of the network.
Opuiyo said that the service had also arrested Boko Haram suspects in Kano, Kogi and Yobe.
He attributed the successes recorded to the cooperation and support of Nigerians who volunteered useful information to the service.
Opuiyo assured that the service would maintain the zeal to ensure the safety of lives and property of Nigerians.
(NAN)

BREAKING: Senate asks Customs DG, Hameed Ali to resign

2017-03-22T15:37:00.001+01:00

Published March 22, 2017

Customs DG, Ali, at the National Assembly on Thursday

The Senate has asked the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hammed Ali (retd.) to resign his appointment.

The lawmakers made the call at the plenary on Wednesday.

Buhari fires JAMB Registrar, 16 other chief executives

2017-03-21T11:35:00.000+01:00

Published August 1, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari

Friday Olokor, Abuja

The Federal Government has announced the sacking of chief executives of 17 parastatals and agencies under the Ministry of Education.

The government’s announcement was contained in a statement issued on Monday night by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations in the Education Ministry, Ben Bem Goong.

Four Chief Executives whose tenures were yet to elapse were however retained, while others including the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, Prof Dibu Ojerinde were relieved of their appointments.

The statement said the appointments were with immediate effect, precisely from Monday, August 01, 2016.

The 17 agencies affected in the mass sack and the new Chief Executives appointed included the National Universities Commission, Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed; Nigerian Institute for Education Planning and Administration, Prof, Mrs. Lilian Salami; Universal Basic Education, Dr. Hameed Bobboyi and National Library of Nigeria, Prof. Lanre Aina.

Others are National Examinations Council, Prof Charles Uwakwe; National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Prof Abba Aladu and Nomadic Education Commission, Prof Bashir Usman.

Also appointed are National Business and Technical Examinations Board, Prof Isioma Isiugo-Abanihe; Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Prof Sunday Josiah Ajiboye; Computer Registration Council of Nigeria, Afolabi Aderinto and National Commission for Colleges of Education, Prof Bappah Aliyu.

The new appointees also included Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa; National Teachers Institute, Prof Garba Dahuwa Azare; Librarian Registration Council of Nigeria, Prof Michael Afolabi; and National Mathematical Centre, Prof Steven Ejugwu Onah.

The Secretary-General, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, Prof Ishaq Oloyede has been named Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, while the National Institute of Nigerian Languages has Prof Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche as its CEO.

Those retained included the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council, Prof. Samaila Junaidu; Nigerian French Language C\Village, Prof Rauf Adebisi; National Board for Technical Education, Dr. Mas’ud Kazaure and National Arabic Language Village, Prof. Muhammad Mu’az.

The new appointees are expected to report at the office of the Education Minister on Tuesday, August 02, 2016 by 12:00 noon for inauguration.

Ojerinde ran into trouble with the Minister following the way he handled the ongoing 2016 admission into universities and other tertiary institutions.

On Sunday, he withdrew the list of recommended candidates for admission earlier sent to universities and other tertiary institutions.

The announcement was contained in a statement by the spokesperson for JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin.

According to him, the decision was to ensure that universities perform their statutory responsibility of selecting candidates and referring them to JAMB for confirmation.

This, JAMB stated, should be done in consonance with the admission criteria of merit, catchment area and educationally disadvantaged states as directed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, during the policy committee meeting.

Benjamin said the earlier list was sent to help fast-track the process of admission so as to allow other tiers of tertiary institutions conduct their admission for the 2016/2017 academic session.

“Candidates should not panic because this is part of the process of the 2016 admission exercise. JAMB regrets any inconvenience this decision would have caused the tertiary institutions,” he stated.

I gave PDP N500m — Kalu`

2017-03-21T11:21:00.001+01:00

Published March 21, 2017

Former Governor of Abia State, Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu

Samson Folarin

A former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has lamented his treatment by his former party, the People’s Democratic Party despite being a major ‘stakeholder.’

Kalu said he gave the party its first N500m and supported the election of former President Olusegun Obasanjo with N100m, adding that if the PDP were a company, he owned 90 per cent of its share.

The ex-governor spoke on Monday in Washington DC, United States of America, during a dinner.

Kalu, who spoke on many issues, including his trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, fight against corruption in Nigeria, the economy, lauded judges in the US for their courage, urging Nigerian judges to emulate them.

He said the PDP hunted him for his ambition to run for the office of the president in 2007 and for opposing the third term agenda of Obasanjo.

He said, “All of you know that if the PDP were a company, I ought to own 90 per cent of it because in 1998, I gave the party its first N500m. By then, I wasn’t in government. I also gave the presidential candidate, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, over N100m in 1998.

“How many Nigerians would have done that? Yet the same government, the same PDP, took my bank, took my airline, took my oil licence to put me out of business entirely because I proposed that I must run for president in 2007; I also opposed the 3rd term, which they are denying today.”

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Don’t meet me at the airport if I’m released, Kemi Olunloyo tells fans

2017-03-21T11:19:00.000+01:00

Published March 21, 2017

Kemi Olunloyo

Popular blogger, Kemi Olunloyo, who was arrested by the police on Tuesday and taken to the Port Harcourt prison has appealed to Nigerians, particularly her fans not to meet her at the airport on her release on bail.
Olunloyo had revealed that she was charged with cybercrime for her post about Pastor David Ibiyeomie and that she was driven to Port Harcourt by road from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The blogger who is awaiting her bail hearing on March 23 also encouraged journalism students to keep up the work as journalism is not a crime. See full story Click Here

500-level LASU undergraduate killed, students clash with police

2017-03-21T11:15:00.000+01:00

Published March 21, 2017

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni

Samson Folarin

There was tension at the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, on Monday, after students protesting against the death of a 500-level student, identified as Ugwanyi Onyekachi, clashed with the police.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the President of the Students Union Government, Samuel Kappo, was also arrested by the police.

It was learnt that Onyekachi had an altercation with a truck driver on Sunday after the latter bashed his car on the LASU-Isheri Road.

The disagreement was said to have degenerated into a fight, during which the victim was stabbed to death by the driver, who immediately fled the scene.

Students of the school on Monday trooped out to protest against the killing, as motorists were held in a gridlock that lasted for hours.

Policemen at the Igando division were said to have used tear gas on the students.

Some of the angry students reportedly attacked the police team after the SUG president was arrested.

The school’s Acting Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adekoya, who confirmed the incident, said the school authorities had already intervened, adding that Kappo had been released.

He said, “Management notes with sadness the unfortunate death of Ugwanyi Cyril Onyekachi, a 500-level student of the Faculty of Law, with Matric Number 130411107, and commiserates with the family, friends and colleagues of the student. In the same vein, we salute the students of the Lagos State University, led by the LASUSU President, Mr. Samuel Kappo, for the maturity they displayed in responding to the issue, even under a very tense and emotional condition.

“Angry reactions followed the news of the unfortunate incident. But student leaders, having received assurance from the police on the arrest and detention of the individual alleged to have perpetrated the act, prevailed on the students to exercise restraints for justice to prevail. Our students have, therefore, returned to their classrooms and are going about their activities peacefully.”

The state police spokesperson, Olarinde Famous-Cole, gave a different account of the incident.

He said a student had a fight with a motorist after their vehicles collided, which led to the death of the driver.

“The student was arrested and his colleagues came to demand his release. The suspect has been transferred to the command,” he added.

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Doctor’s suicide: Family wants to be left alone

2017-03-21T11:02:00.002+01:00

Published March 21, 2017

Afeez Hanafi

Odunukan Street, Abule Ijesha, Yaba, Lagos State, was enveloped in distress on Monday, following the death of a resident, Dr Allwell Orji, who jumped into the lagoon on the Third Mainland Bridge.

Residents approached by our correspondent, who visited the area on Monday, directed him to the doctor’s family house.

The family members, however, declined comments on the circumstances surrounding the incident, saying they were in mourning.

PUNCH Metro had reported that Orji, a medical doctor, was being driven in his Sport Utility Vehicle en route to Lagos Island at about 4pm on Sunday.

He was said to have told his driver to stop after allegedly receiving a call.

The unmarried doctor disembarked from the car, headed for the railings at the edge of the bridge and jumped into the lagoon.

Asked what could have informed Orji’s decision, a resident, who did not give her name, said, “I don’t know the cause. All I know is that doctor was friendly and nice to everybody.

“He was single and was living with his mother. You can meet his family members. They are in the best position to explain what might lead to the incident.”

A middle-aged man, who addressed journalists on behalf of the Orjis outside the family’s residence, stated that they did not want to speak on the suicide.

He said the family members were already inundated by the media and wanted to be excused from making comments.

The man, who did not identify himself, said, “We are mourning and we don’t want to see any journalist around. We want you to respect the family. We lost a young man; we don’t have any cause to be happy.”

However, our correspondent overhead a distressed woman, saying the driver should have informed the doctor’s mother before they went out on Sunday.

“After he jumped into the lagoon, he (the driver), didn’t call to tell us what happened,” she added.

Meanwhile, PUNCH Metro, who also visited the scene of the incident around 1pm, observed that LASEMA officials and a team of marine policemen were still searching for Orji’s body.

The LASEMA General Manager, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, stated that fishermen around the area had been informed to alert emergency agencies if they found the body in any part of the lagoon.

He said, “The body has yet to be recovered. The marine police and the local divers are still searching the lagoon.”

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