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Gridlock traps Lagos-Ibadan motorists, passengers for 16 hours

Gunmen who attacked Ganawuri community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau state have kidnapped a pastor with the Church of Christ in Nations identified as Rev.Bung Fon Dong.

Residents said that the gunmen invaded the community on Sunday night with sporadic gunshots which last for several hours.

Speaking on the incident on Monday, a resident of Ganawuri who gave his name as Samuel said that the gunmen went away with the cleric after they forced themselves into his official residence while his wife who was trying to rescue him was shot in the leg.

Sonia, the daughter of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has begged members of the public to donate kidney to her.

The young woman, whose parents are currently facing charges of organ harvesting in the United Kingdom, took to her Instagram page on Monday to make the plea.

She said, “I, Sonia Ekweremadu, hereby appeal to the general public to come to my aid and save my life.

“I dropped out of my postgraduate studies at the University of Newcastle in 2019 when I was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, FSGS Nephrotic Syndome. My family has battled to save my life and has taken me to various hospital but the illness persisted and kept degenerating. I’m alive today by the special grace of God. I am presently in London, UK, receiving five hours of dialysis 3-4 times a week. This is at the expense of my family as I am not qualified for NHS due to m immigration status.

“The charges being faced by my parents in London presently are directly connected to my illness and have complicated matters for me and my family.

“In the circumstance above. I am appealing to anybody whom it may please to asset e willingly with a kidney donation in the name of God.”

Maria Ude Nwachi

Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said, on Monday, that Nigeria needs an experienced politician to take over the reign of governance from the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), as his tenure ends in 2023.

Gumi noted that Nigerians should do away with ethnoreligious politics in the 21st century in order to build a united country.

Speaking to journalists in Kaduna, Gumi noted that the next President of the country should be one with experience, adding that there was nothing wrong with politicians contesting elections several times and seeking victory.

While placing the three leading presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, the All Progressive Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Labour Party, Peter Obi, the fiery cleric said Nigeria did not need a novice as President, but an experienced politician to lead it in 2023 general election.

Chairman of Oyo State Western Nigerian Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, General Kunle Togun (retd) has threatened to the use of bees and poisonous snakes to attack bandits terrorizing the state and region.

Togun who stated this while delivering a lecture at the special meeting of Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF) held at the weekend in Otu Township Hall, Otu, Itesiwaju local government area of the state called on the Federal Government to allow operatives of the outfit to make use of AK 47 and other standard weapons to fight banditry in the Southwestern states

The Indigenous People of Biafra has declared Tuesday, September 13, as sit-at-home in the South-East.

The pro-Biafran group stated that the directive was in solidarity with its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who will be appearing in court on that day.

They insisted that there shall be a total lockdown of the whole five states in the South-East for two reasons: Kanu’s court appearance and the visit of the President, Major General Muhammad Buhari to Owerri, Imo State.

In a statement on Saturday, the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said IPOB is simply implementing an existing order to lock down Biafraland any day its leader will appear in court at Abuja.

The statement read in part, “The global family and movement of the IPOB wishes to announce to the general public, especially Biafrans that Tuesday September 13, has been declared a day of civil action in the form of Sit-At-Home in Biafraland.

“The Tuesday’s civil action is very important for two reasons: First, our leader’s Appeal court hearing that was supposed to be on October 11 has been brought forward to September 13, 2022.

“As usual, we call on Biafrans and lovers of freedom to demonstrate our solidarity with our leader who is bearing our yoke in detention for over a year now.

A 40-year-old motor mechanic, Mohammed Badmus, has been killed by a guard at Ibuowo Estate, Okinni, Osun state.

A co-tenant to the deceased, Hammed Oparinde, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, also alleged the theft of N300,000 the deceased wanted to use to buy an engine for a vehicle he was working in his pocket as of the time he was killed.

Speaking on what transpired between the deceased and the night guards, reportedly employed by the community, Oparinde said Badmus left a birthday party at about midnight Saturday and headed home when he was accosted by the guards on duty.

He claimed that the guards used a machete to beat the deceased as they walked him home, adding that they allowed him to open the door to his house through the backyard and waited for him at the main entrance

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi has said Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari does not love the country the way he does.

Gumi said this while reacting to the recent arrest of Tukur Mamu by the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

According to Daily Trust, while preaching at Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna, Gumi said the government ought to apologise for allegedly intimidating Mamu.

Gumi said many Nigerians have called for his arrest too because he helped in negotiating with bandits but he personally took up the process of ‘calming down’ bandits so that peace may reign, because he loves Nigeria even more than the president.

Nigerian Man Indicted and Wanted for Defrauding New York State Out of More than $30 Million by Posing as Ventilator Seller During Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Chidozie Collins Obasi, 29, of Nigeria, was charged by Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and 16 counts of wire fraud, all stemming from a complicated, evolving fraud scheme that initially targeted Americans through a spam email campaign offering illegitimate “work from home” jobs, and then during the COVID-19 pandemic shifted to targeting U.S. hospitals and medical systems by offering non-existent ventilators for sale beginning in March 2020, and finally shifted again in June 2020 to using stolen identity information of American citizens to apply for and obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EID Loans”). The Indictment alleges that Obasi perpetrated this fraud from Nigeria, with the help of co-conspirators in Canada and elsewhere. The defendant and his co-conspirators are alleged to have obtained more than $31,000,000 through this multi-faceted fraud scheme, with the overwhelming majority of that money – more than $30 million – coming from the State of New York for the intended purchase of ventilators.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu on Tuesday outlined the Federal Government’s efforts to resolve the industrial action embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Universities on February 14.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Adamu said the government had offered the union a 23.5 percent salary increase “for all category of the workforce in Federal Universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35% upward review.”

Adamu said the government had also promised that a sum of N150 billion “shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget as funds for the revitalization of Federal Universities, to be disbursed to the Institutions in the First Quarter of the year.”

Also, the government pledged a sum of N50 billion that would be provided “for in the 2023 Budget for the payment of outstanding areas of earned academic allowances, to be paid in the First Quarter of the year.”

Gunmen on Saturday evening killed an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps along Oke Ako – Ajowa Road in the Ajoni Local Council Development Area of Ekiti State.

Sources in the community said the officer, who was travelling from Ado Ekiti to his home town, was attacked in his vehicle, shot dead while the gunmen kidnapped his younger brother and two children with him in the car.

Other sources said the gunmen whisked away two persons whose identities they could not ascertain while another occupant of the vehicle escaped from being kidnapped.

Government Ekpemupolo, ex-militant leader better known as Tompolo, has said he is working to stop oil bunkering in the Niger Delta area.

Recall that a few weeks ago, Tompolo was awarded a N4 billion a month contract by the Federal government to secure oil pipelines.

Speaking after an event with traditional rulers in the Niger Delta, Tompolo said there is a need to protect the environment in the Niger Delta and in the country. 

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Ahmed Ammani, has ordered the investigation of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) over the alleged sexual assault of a teenager in custody.

A statement released by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, spokesperson of the state police command said the ASP is serving at the Awgu Police Division in Enugu State and the commissioner ordered the state Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department to conduct a thorough investigation and bring up actionable findings on the allegation

The federal government has halted the construction of the Port Harcourt-Maidugiri Eastern rail line due to insecurity and vandalism of railway infrastructure on the corridor.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Transportation, Engr. Mu’azu Sambo, during the inspection of the project, on Friday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to the minister, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCEC), the contractor handling the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the project, had complained of attacks on its workers along the Abia State axis.

Sambo, who was obviously very displeased by the acts, condemned them in strong terms, pointing out that in the history of Nigeria, no administration has invested more in rail infrastructure like the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He used the opportunity to call on the media and the judiciary to collaborate with the Ministry to ensure that economic saboteurs are not only exposed but prosecuted and sentenced speedily to serve as deterrence to others.

On the report that the funds meant for the Eastern rail line is diverted to other projects, the Minister said it was fake news as the progress made so far is from the 15% of the counterpart funding by Nigeria while the 85% to be provided by foreign parterners was still being negotiated.

Detectives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a fake soldier, Oluwatosin Gabriel during the enforcement of the total ban on motorcycles in some parts of the state. 

A discreet investigation by the detectives led to the arrest of the supplier of the military uniforms, one Nurudeen Agboola ‘m’ aged 35.