Author: Isah Mukhtar

Commercial bus robbers, “One-Chance’’,  back on Lagos roads
NAN-H-21
One-chance
By Edwin Nwachukwu
Lagos, Feb. 6, 2018 (NAN) Armed robbers operating in commercial buses, otherwise known as “One-Chance’’, are back on the prowl in Lagos, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Some residents of Iyana Ipaja, Egbeda and Mosan Okunola areas, who recently fell victim, told NAN their tales of woe in the hands of the men of the underworld.
NAN gathered that the modus operandi of the “One Chance’’ robbers remained the same – luring and robbing unsuspecting commuters of valuables using the yellow buses early in the morning or late in the evening.
But what has changed, NAN learnt, is that the criminals drive victims to an ATM, obtain their pin numbers at gun point and withdraw large sums of money.
Narrating her ordeal, Mrs Philomina Nezianya, a hospital worker, said she was robbed by a “One Chance’’ gang at about 5.30 a.m. on Feb. 5 after boarding a commercial bus on her way to work in Ikeja.
“I entered a bus in front of Gowon Estate Police Station by Moshalasi bus stop; I was inside the bus with other people. I didn’t know it was “one-chance bus’’ that I entered.
“Few minutes into our journey, I was held on the neck by one of the men sitting behind while the two on my left began to throw punches at me as they forced me to lie down.
“They all held me down with their knees, they collected my hand bag, took my three ATM cards, two phones, wristwatch and a cash of N27,000 as the vehicle continued in motion.
“While I was being strangled, the criminals demanded for pin numbers of the ATM cards and threatened to kill me if I gave them wrong pin numbers. I pleaded that I will comply but that they should not kill me,’’ she said.
The victim added that one the criminals, referred to as “officer’’, told the others not kill her before they suddenly drop off one of their gang members along the road.
“About an hour later, one of them requested for acid to pour into my eyes; again I started begging them to spare my life.
“Later, they stopped somewhere and asked me to step down and that if I should shout, they will blast my head. Immediately their vehicle sped off, I shouted for help and sympathizers came to my rescue,’’ she said.
Nezianya said she was let off at Abule Egba area after they withdrew N150,000 each from two bank accounts and did N100,000 transfer to another bank account.
Another victim, Mrs Abiola Owusun, a trader, who narrated a similar ordeal, told NAN that she was robbed of N700, 000 on Dec. 19, 2017, after boarding a yellow-painted bus at Gate bus-stop on Ipaja-Ayobo road.
“I boarded the bus heading to Lagos-Island for business when surprisingly five male occupants, who were already inside, pounced on me and robbed me of the N300, 000 cash, meant to buy wares for the last Xmas sales.
“They also collected my two ATM cards, which they used in transferring of N200,000 from each of my accounts. They also collected my gold wedding rings, earrings as well as my wristwatch.
Owusun said that when the criminals were done with her, they drove to somewhere in Abule Egba area where they put pepper in her eyes.
“The thieves gave me N1,000 for transport after collecting all that I had,’’ the victim said.
Miss Anne Okpechi (not real name), a commercial bank staff, also told NAN how she was dispossessed of valuables and ATM cards after she boarded a commercial bus at Moshalasi bus stop in December 2017.
She said the thieves transferred over N500, 000 from her accounts and humiliated her for not providing them with secret code of her bank.
Mr Muyiwa Dare, a staff of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), who was also robbed, said that he went out early for business and boarded a commercial bus heading to Iyana- Ipaja at Adaba bus stop.
According to the victim, the bus veered off the route instead of going to their destination and, in the process, dispossessed them of their valuables.
Dare told NAN that the robbers dispossessed him of his lap top, phones and ATM Card at gun point after beating him to stupor.
He added that the criminals immediately used the card to withdraw huge sums from his bank account while still holding him captive.
“Before the withdrawal, the leader of the gang threatened to kill me if they discover that the PIN number is wrong,’’ he said.
When contacted the Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Mr Chike Oti, told NAN that the command had arrested over 30 suspects using commercial buses to rob people of valuables.
Oti said that the police had intensified efforts to curb the ugly trend and urged residents to be more careful and watchful before boarding commercial vehicles. (NAN)
ENN/WOJ
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Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Wale Ojetimi

NAN-H-4

Passport

By Adepote Arowojobe

Lagos, Feb., 8, 2018 (NAN) A total of 145,200 passports were issued to intending travellers at Ikoyi Passport Office, Lagos in 2017, about 18 per cent increase over the 118,800 issued the previous year.

Figures obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) indicate that the office issued an average of 550 passports per day last year, compared to its daily output of 450 in 2016.

According to sources, the increase in 2017 output was due to scarcity of passport booklets in 2016 which resulted in backlogs in processing the travel documents.

Sources told NAN that the regular supply of passport booklets by Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) early in 2017 allowed the office to clear the backlogs from the previous year.

“In 2017, we issued an average of 550 passports a day, reaching a maximum of 750 on a very busy day.

“In 2016, we issued a maximum of 600 passports and an average of 450 on daily basis which was less than 2017 due to booklet challenges.

“Since the challenges of booklets have been sorted out, we have cleared all the backlogs in Ikoyi Passport Office,” a source told NAN.

NAN recalls that many intending travellers had difficulties in obtaining passports in 2016 due to non-availability of passport booklets.

Following the availability of booklets in 2017, the immigration high command directed all passport offices to extend their working hours to 2 p.m. on Saturdays in order to clear the backlog of passport applications. (NAN)

ADEX/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-AE-3
Training
By Imelda Osayande
Benin, Feb. 7, 2018 (NAN) More than 122 awaiting trial inmates in Oko Medium Security Prison in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo have received training in general principles of agriculture.

Mr Aminu Suleman, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Edo Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service, made this known via a statement in Benin on Wednesday.

Suleman said that the inmates — 19 females and 103 males — were trained on benefits of farming, fish farming, crop handling and produce marketing, among other agricultural activities.

He said that the training was organised in partnership with Christ Embassy’s Benin Zone 1 Foundation School Programme and an entertainment agency, “Laughter International’’.

“The highpoint of the graduation ceremony, which was held after practical and written examinations, was the cutting of the graduation cake.

“Certificates were also distributed to the122 participating inmates.

“Drama sketch, music, jokes and dance also featured in the ceremony which was anchored by Pastor Chikason of Laughter International,’’ he said.

Suleman said that awards were presented to the officer-in-charge of Oko Prison, Mr Godwin Evboruan and the Assistant Comptroller, Welfare Unit, Mr Julius Osemwingie.

He said that Evboruan and Osemwingie were honoured for their efforts, support and contributions to the several training programmes that were organised for the inmates.

He said that the Comptroller of Edo Command of Nigeria Prisons, Mr Amadin Osayande, who was represented by Evboruan, thanked the two organisations for their commitment to supporting efforts of the prisons service to better the lives of the inmates.

He said that Osayande assured the organisations of the resolve of the prisons service to improve its service delivery and the lives of all prison inmates. (NAN)
IMEL/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe

NAN-H-
Institution
By Chukwudi Ekezie
Abuja, Feb. 6m 2018 (NAN) An academic, Prof. Nnadozie Inyama, says that Imo lacks the resources to run quality tertiary institutions.

Inyama, a retired professor of English Studies at University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

Inyama, who was reacting to Gov. Rochas Okorocha’s announcement of the establishment of six new tertiary institutions in Imo, said the government should rather consolidate existing institutions than establish new ones.

Cue in audio

“They have to consolidate Imo State University let them equip the polytechnic before creating another one.

“All those places will be near me, after all Imo is just a small place, you can go from any point in Imo and in less than one and half hour you will be in the state capital from any part of Imo.

“So it is a very small place, so to create the impression that education must be such that the institution must be at the back door of every village is not correct.

“There are shortages and inadequacies in terms of the workforce, in terms of laboratories, anything you can talk of in the university system.

“So, if he can guarantee that, and I doubt that he can, because of corruption, apathy and general mismanagement tendencies, these things will work against all those places.

And they will just become a gathering place for people who will be asking themselves questions, why are we here? What are we supposed to be doing here?

Cue out audio

Inyama acknowledged that the siting of institutions attracted development to communities but warned that the establishment of ramshackle schools would not serve the needs of the 21st Century.

Among the institutions proposed by Okorocha are University of Engineering, Onuimo, University of Agriculture, Aboh Mbaise, Ihitte Uboma College of Education and Ehime Polytechnic.

Inyama said that any new institution in the state could be viable considering the people’s quest for education but pointed out that there were associated problems.

“It is a good intention to make a statement of that nature at state level. But then how implementable will they be?

“How will the policies be pursued if the current governor leaves office? Will the new man who comes in believe the ideal of the issue of six more institutions?’’

He said that considering that the existing higher institutions in the state were located within a radius of the state capital, it would be a wonderful idea to spread out to other parts.

He said the establishment of new institutions could give psychological boost to the beneficiaries but there is the need to think about their employment prospects.

Inyama said that it was doubtful that Okorocha was hoping to build quality institutions in the next three years and described such dream as a joke.

“For me it would have been a wonderful concept but the practicalising of it, I have my doubt.

Inyama said that establishing new tertiary institutions now may not enjoy the blessings of a new administration due to lack of continuity in governance in Nigeria. (NAN)
JCE/LAB/IS
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Edited by Lydia Beshel/Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN–H–84

Malpractice

Lokoja, Feb. 6, 2018 (NAN) The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has banned 47 secondary schools accused of aiding and abetting examination malpractice in Kogi State, from serving as centres for its examinations.

The Kogi Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Rosemary Osikoya, who disclosed this during a press conference in Lokoja on Tuesday, said that government recently received a letter to that effect from WAEC.

She said that the indicted schools comprised of private and public secondary schools scattered across the state.

According to her, 13 of the secondary schools have been identified to be notorious for various examination malpractice since they were licensed in 2002.

The commissioner said that the schools, with the connivance of some unscrupulous elements in the education sector, had been giving the state a bad image through their action.

Osikoya said that the indicted secondary schools would receive additional sanctions from the state government.

She expressed dissatisfaction with the state’s rating as number one in examination malpractice, saying that her ministry was determined to reverse the negative trend.

As part of the ongoing efforts to reform the education sector, she stated that government had updated the policy framework while the boards of science and technical education had been merged for effective performance.

Osikoya disclosed that budgetary allocation to education sector had been increased consistently in the past two years as part of the reforms.

She said that the state government was currently partnering with the National Teachers Institute to re-train over 100 teachers, and expressed optimism that the measure would improve their capacities and enhance service delivery. (NAN)
KKA/ETS

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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

NAN- HE-5

Assets

Lokoja, Feb. 5, 2018 ( NAN) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi and some citizens of the state have begun to kick against the alleged plans by the Gov.Yahaya Bello-led administrations  to sell off 10 of the state’s properties to finance the N151 billion budget of the state for 2018.

The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) gathered on Monday in Lokoja that the properties are all located in highbrow areas of Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Lokoja, the state capital.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Mr Ashiru Idris confirmed to NAN that the plan to sell the properties was not hidden.

Idris said that he had made a full disclosure of the government’s intention to dispose of some its assets and property before the state House of Assembly recently.

He said that the properties were for outright sale and not for commercialisation.

He said that the state government had engaged some consultants to carry out the evaluation of the properties.

“ When the consultants are done with the evaluation of the assets and properties, we will place adverts in newspapers for bidders,” he said.

However, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) had rejected the government’s plan to sell some of the state’s assets to fund the 2018 budget.

The party called on the state government to perish the thought of selling off the “legacy properties.”

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Bode Ogunmola, stated this while reacting to the state government’s proposal.

“To say the least, we consider the plot to be selfish, devilish and myopic.

“ It is shameful that a government which is saddled with the inability to pay workers’ salaries let alone executing people-oriented projects will now scheme to mortgage our collective future,” the statement said.

A cross -section of residents who spoke on the matter also cautioned the state government against selling off the property in the interest of the future of the state.

The residents who refused to disclose their identities urged the government to think out of box and come up with ways of financing its budget deficit instead of selling off their collective property.

Idris , however, dismissed the fears raised by the PDP and the residents , saying that the process to sell off the properties outright was already in the process.

He listed the properties slated for sale to include: the Confluence Beach Hotel, Lokoja, Kogi Hotels, GRA, Lokoja, Kogi State Liaison Office, Ikeja-Lagos GRA, Kogi State Liaison Office , GRA, Kaduna and Lokoja International Market, Lokoja.

According to him, others are the 12-storey Kogi House in Abuja, the vast Commissioners’ quarters in Lokoja and the state House of Assembly quarters along Hassan Usman Katsina road in Lokoja.

NAN reports that many of the properties being planned for sale were built between 1991 and 1993 and from 1999 to 2003 by the first civilian executive governor of the state, the late Alhaji Abuabakar Audu .

The Lokoja International Market and the 12-storey Kogi House, Abuja, were constructed by the administrations of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and Capt. Idris Wada. ( NAN)
KKA /PAD
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Edited by Peter Dada

NAN-HE-11
Service
By Bosede Olufunmi
Kano, Feb. 1, 2018 (NAN) The Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Kano office, says it will continue to sensitise consumers towards e-Commerce to boost trade and service delivery in the state.

The Senior Executive Officer, Consumer Education Department, Hajiya Aisha Aliyu disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Thursday.

According to her, the council will educate consumers to know their rights whenever and wherever they go or find themselves in the market.

She further explained that the council would also visit schools in the 44 local government areas in the state and NYSC Camp to sensitise consumers and encourage them to form a voluntary club so as to educate others on consumer rights.

According to her, the effort would promote responsible and sustainable consumption wherever they go.

The officer also said that the council would visit motor parks and markets to sensitise drivers on the dangers of overloading and packing passengers in the boot.

On the activities of the council, Aliyu said that from October to December, it received 100 cases on adulteration and re-bagging of rice, bank ATM dispense errors and unexplained interest rate charges.

Other complains she said included, arbitrary electrical power billings, overloading and over-speeding by commercial drivers, among others.

She, therefore, urged consumers to be on the lookout for sub-standard products and services and report promptly to any of their offices across. (NAN)

BO/JIE/MTM

Edited by Julius Enehikhuere/Tukur Muntari.

NAN-H-47

Youths

Toba Ajayi

Ilorin, Feb. 1, 2018 (NAN) A lawyer, Mr Femi Olutimi, has urged  Nigerian youths to support credible politicians with the right credentials in order to ensure good governance in the 2019 general election.

Olutimi gave this advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Thursday.

He said Nigerian youths should set aside what he called “natural likeness” or sentiment in their assessment of the politicians seeking elective offices in the forthcoming elections.

Olutimi said pecuniary gains usually guided the youth in their support for candidates of their choice during the electioneering period, regardless of the  short or long term consequences on their fatherland.

“Youths are not helping matters in electing leaders in this country; they celebrate corrupt politicians simply because of the passion and the stipends they get from them.

“The youth must wake up and say ‘no’ to corrupt leaders; youths should not mortgage their future for stipends rather, they should help to move Nigeria forward,” he said.

He argued that if youths continue to celebrate politicians without a rethink, they may put the future of the country at stake.

“Youths are the hope of the nation but many of them have compromised and now constitute a liability to the future of Nigeria,” he said.

The lawyer, however, urged youths to turn over a new leaf  in 2019 by supporting and voting for the candidates with the right programmes and orientation. (NAN)

LEX/OSA/YEMI

Edited by Shittu Obassa/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-AE-3
Crisis
By Aledare Akinwale
Lokoja, Jan. 31, 2018 (NAN) Mr Yusuf Abubakar, the Head of the Fulani community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi, has called for calm and peaceful resolution of the dispute between farmers and herdsmen in the area.

Abubakar, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Wednesday, said peaceful coexistence was the best option for development in any society.

He called on all residents of the area to champion the call for peaceful coexistence, stressing that it would ensure good relationship among them and Nigerians in general.

Abubakar lauded the traditional ruler of Kabba, Oba Michael Ibinaye, for his efforts to ensure that peace returns to the area.

He called on the State Government to restore peace in the Fulani community.

Ibinaye promised that the Hausa/Fulani community would always be law abiding and support the State Government as well as the Local Government laws. (NAN)
WAL/DS/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

Edited by Dauda Shehu/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-AE-4
Agriculture
By Aledare Akinwale
Lokoja, Jan. 30, 2018 (NAN) An agriculturist, Mr Yakubu Enejo, has advised the Kogi Government to invest more in agriculture so as to create employment opportunities for its citizens.

Enejo, who is the Chairman of Aritest Farm, Idah, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lokoja.

He said that if the government invested more resources in the development of agriculture, it would not only create employment but it would also promote food sufficiency and boost the state’s revenue profile.

Enejo bemoaned the level of unemployment in the country, especially in the state, describing the situation as alarming.

“Agriculture could create more than a million jobs with tangible investments. Any state or nation that is not investing in agriculture now is certainly not ready to create employment.

“The Kogi Government and people should be more worried about how to reduce the number of unemployed youths in the state and this should be the focus of their activities,’’ he said.

Enejo appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi not to allow members of his administration to politicise the issue of agriculture in the state as this could be counterproductive to his development plans for the state.

He urged the state government to particularly encourage smallholder farmers, as part of its efforts to boost agricultural production in the state. (NAN)
WAL/OIF/OOK
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Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo and Dayo Komolafe