Blog

Bricklayer, 28, gets 5-year jail over drug peddling
NAN-H-57
Sentence
By Sandra Umeh
Lagos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Federal High Court, Lagos on Wednesday sentenced 28-year- old Nurudeen Olakunle, a bricklayer, to five years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Nurudeen was convicted over charges of dealing on Indian hemp preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to the charge, the accused committed the offence on June 6 at Mazamaza Lagos.
The Prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, told the court that he was arrested based on a tip off, and that 1kg of Cannabis Sativa alias Indian hemp, was found in his possession.
Aernan said that hemp was categorised by the agency as a banned narcotic and that the act contravened provisions of Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Law of the Federation 2004.
The accused pleaded guilty and begged the court to show him mercy, as a first offender.
Delivering judgment, Justice Babs Kuewumi found the accused guilty of the one-count offence as charged.
He accordingly sentenced him to a term of five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
“The accused is found guilty of the charge before this honourable court, and is hereby convicted.
“He is accordingly, sentenced to a term of five years imprisonment beginning from the date of his arrest.
“The drug exhibits are to be destroyed by the NDLEA if there is no appeal against this judgment,” he said. (NAN)
UNS/ECN/WOJ
(Emmanuel Nwoye / Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-56
Teacher
By Moses Omorogieva
Lagos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) A 46-year-old teacher, Adenekan Adegboyega, has been arrested by the police in Lagos State for allegedly defiling a two-year-old girl [names withheld].
The supervising teacher in one of the popular and privately –run schools in Lagos State was alleged to have defiled the little girl under the guise of teaching her sex education.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni,Owoseni, who confirmed the arrest to newsmen on Wednesday, said the suspect was later arrested following a complaint lodged by the victim’s at the Ikeja Police Division.

He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the teacher allegedly defiled the girl, stressing that the suspect would be charge to court soon.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the briefing, the suspect said that he got a phone call from the pupil’s mother accusing him of defiling her daughter.
The suspect said he wondered where and when he committed such a crime, denying ever doing such with the baby girl.
“The mother of the pupil told me that she wanted what transpired between me and her daughter to end.
“She said she did not want any other person to hear about the incident, that even the girl’s father was not aware.
“When the mother of the pupil dropped her call, I was disturbed in my spirit and asked myself where the devil was coming from.
“Few minutes later, she sent a text message to me, telling me to remain firm with her daughter, because her daughter respected me like her father,” he said.
The teacher, who claimed to be a pastor in a Pentecostal church, denied doing such a thing with the minor.
“Before God almighty, I know nothing about the allegation levelled against me by the mother of the minor.
“ I want to implore the Nigerian Police to do a thorough investigation.
“I am ready to surrender myself, but I know the God almighty that I serve will vindicate me because this is a serious challenge for me.
“The allegation that I was teaching the girl sex education is not true, because I had never taught in the school. I only supervise and walk round to make sure everything went well,’’ he said.
The mother of the abused girl, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the daughter told her that someone put his ‘Wiwi’ (penis) into her `wiwi’ ( private part).
“I asked her who the person was; my daughter then mentioned Mr Adenekan’s name saying he did it inside his office toilet.

“Truly, she is two years old but she could describe things vividly.”
“After my daughter explained everything to me, I got the teacher’s phone number from the school and called him.
“Initially, I did not want the issue to go out because of the stigma it would bring against my daughter in the school.
“Thereafter, I confronted the teacher not to threaten my daughter again and it was then he said I could go to anywhere to report.
“He said nobody would believe me, that even if I told the management of the school, they would not believe me,” she said.
The girl’s mother further said that Adenekan had no reason to be at the nursery section of the school, because he only supervises the primary section.
“When I took my daughter to Mirabel Centre in Ikeja, it was revealed that she had been abused. (NAN)

MIO/LAB/PAD
============
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Peter Dada

NAN-AE-5
GMO
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Nov.30, 2016 (NAN) Dr Rufus Ebegba, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), said the agency would hand over violators of  Genetically Modified Organisms products to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.

Ebegba said at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Wednesday in Abuja that the penalty for such offence was five years imprisonment.

“The agency ensures compliance with the legal obligations set forth in the Biosafety Act and inspects facilities, collects and analyses sample materials and conducts activities of GMOs as covered by the Biosafety Act.

“If you must import or grow GMOs, they must be analysed at our laboratory, certified and labelled.

“Our mandate is to ensure adequate level of protection in the field of safe transfer, handling and use of GMOs resulting from modern biotechnology.

“NBMA is working to enforce the Nigerian laws and as well as to make sure that the international acceptable standards are met.’’

Ebegba said that during the routine activities, the agency discovered some GMO suspects that were not certified at some of the department stores in the country.

“The essence is to ensure that no genetically modified organism product that was not tested would find its way into the nation`s markets.

“We must streamline imported products and to strengthen the fact that Nigeria should not serve as a dumping ground for all kinds of GM foods.

“We must ascertain their status before they are allowed to be sold and the intention is not to target any organisation.’’

He said although most genetically modified foods from other countries were certified, relevant agencies in Nigeria must do the needful to ensure its own certification, to be double sure of what was coming in.

“Nigerians do not need to worry; there is no cause for alarm, and the agency will make sure that things are done right in this country.

“One thing that I want people to understand is that we are not saying that genetically modified organisms are bad but to be sure that what we are consuming are safe.

“I want to tell Nigerians that they should not panic; they should be rest assured that there is no genetically modified foods that are released in this country that is not safe.

He said that Nigerians should learn to trust and support government agencies established to protect the nation, its people and environment.

“They should leave the issue of GMOs safety to us; eat what has been certified, even though it’s a matter of choice,’’ Ebegba said. (NAN)
EPA/BOLA/IA
==========
Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Idris Abdulrahman

NAN-HG-15
Nutrition
Bauchi, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN)  Bauchi State government says it has released its share of N270 million counterpart fund to enable the establishment of six additional Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres across the state.

The state’s Commissioner of Health, Dr Halima Muqadass, stated this in Bauchi on Wednesday during an advocacy meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and stakeholders on nutrition, organised by Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS_SUNN.

Represented by the Chief Nutrition Officer in the state,Mr Dogara Mamman, the commissioner also said that N283 million had been proposed in the 2017 budget to ensure continuity in 2018.

Mugadas said that the state government had already domesticated the National Strategic Plan of Action on Nutrition to address the problem of malnutrition

Earlier in his remark, a Director in the state’s Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mr Mustapha Bello, said that in the past six years, the state was able to enroll and cure 59,000
malnourished children in its three centers.
He said the malnourished children were enrolled in the centres and treatment commenced
immediately, spanning a period of eight weeks.
“Out of the targeted 100,000 malnourished children, the state was able to cure 59,000 of them through the use of ‘Ready to Use Therapeutic Food’ for eight weeks  for each child,’’ he said.
The Project Director, CS SUNN, Mrs Beatrice Eluaka, said that CSOs should create demand for information on nutrition at all levels.
She said that the citizenry needed information to help in addressing the challenges posed by malnutrition.

NAN reports that presently,the state has three malnutrition treatment centres in Katagum, Gamawa and Kirfi Local Government Areas while the additional six will be established in Toro, Tafawa Balewa, Ningi, Misau, Itas and Gamawa Local Government Areas (NAN)

AE/ASH/ASH

FIDA wants violated women to speak up
NAN-HG-5
Violence
By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The National President, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigeria, Mrs Inime Aguma, on Wednesday advised women to break the culture of silence when violated.

Aguma told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on the sidelines of this year’s FIDA Nigeria Week and Annual General Meeting.

According to her, women who experience one form of violence or the other are mostly afraid of stigmatisation.

“One of the problems is that these women don’t have shelter to go to, if they report a violation for instance a breadwinner in the family, they are afraid to report as the person support the home financially.

“Another problem is implementation, not implementation in the aspect of FIDA, lawyers, judges not rather implementation in the aspects of not having cooperation of witnesses.

“Until every Nigerian accepts that violence committed in private affairs is not friendly violence, then we are not going anywhere in the elimination of violence against women,’’ she said.

Aguma said living in violent relationships makes women unproductive, saying if women do not report, then the country will not be able to attain Sustainable Development Goals.

“Violence against women and children has become an increasing menace and a cankerworm eating deeply into the fabric of the society.

“Nigeria is signatory to various treaties and there have been enactment of gender based legislations in some states in the country,” she said.

She said the association through its branches advocates for the enactment of laws that promotes equal opportunities and prohibits violence in the states where there are no provisions of gender based laws.

Aguma said the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015 and the Child Rights Act are critical for the development of women and Girl Child.

She said if the Child Rights Act is adopted nationwide would set a guideline and promote zero tolerance for child brides and eventual child widows.

Aguma said it was in non-compliant states that child marriage are high, adding that the recent example being the child bride in the palace of the Emir of Katsina.

She explained that the FIDA week was a platform to discuss the popularisation of already existing gender based laws and develop strategies on the way forward for states that suffer lacunae in that regard.

“As FIDA, we have a passion for what we doing, we were call to bar to practice law but we volunteer to promote the right of women and girls.

“We contribute our skills, morals, counselling section and pro-legal services in various courts,’’ Aguma said.

She said the purposes for the meeting was to brainstorm and strategies on strengthening the legal framework to enable prosecute gender based violence and prepare a document for all the relevant agencies.

“The VAPP Act is not very favourable and some part of the Child Right Act we are going to advocate for that one and ensure institutions established ensure the child right act.

“We are talking of the child right act when there are no adequate remand centres and no support agencies.

“In the VAPP Act there is a section where NAPTIP is to provide shelter for the victims, how they going to provide that,’’ she said.

Aguma said the AGM was being held with the UN 16 days of activism on violence against women and girls.

This year’s theme is: “Orange the world: Raise money to end violence against women’’. (NAN)
OEO/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-AE-3

Deployment

By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) says it will deploy Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) detection kits on all borders to check the smuggling of the materials into the country.

The Director General of the agency, Dr Rufus Ebegba, said this at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said Nigeria’s borders were porous, hence the need to take such drastic step.

Cue in audio 1 (Ebegba)

“We are working closely with line agencies, like the Nigeria Customs Service and other border agencies.

“We are going to provide some of the border agencies with simple detection kits, pick a piece of whatever they suspect, we put a little water, you know there is something like the litmus test, it will give you a particular color if its genetically modified.

“Then, they will have recourse to us and we will take further appropriate actions, the agency is still very small, and its growing, its working with other agencies to be able to achieve our mandate effectively.”

Cue out audio 1

Ebegba said the mandatory function of the agency was to ensure total compliance with the conditions of biosafety, safe environment and health.

He reiterated the readiness of the agency to ensure total and holistic biosafety in the application of modern biotechnology in the country.

He advised Nigerians not to panic over the introduction of GMOs into the country’s food and farming system, saying Federal Government was working in their interest.

Cue in audio 2 (Ebegba)

“They should eat whatever has been approved in this country; we assure them that nothing unsafe will be allowed into the Nigerian environment and the Nigerian market, and if they have any concern, they should come to the agency.

“Do not be allowed to be disturbed, to be panicked by fear, most of the controversies concerning Genetically Modified Organisms is as a result of trade war, when you develop some that does not require the use of chemicals, you must understand that some chemical companies will be affected.

“It’s a trade war and Nigerians will not be involved in the trade war, scientific evidence is what we work with, one thing is this, science bad technology are major drivers of change and Nigeria will be exploring this science and technology, the economy of our country will be fully boosted, and we will have a better living for all.’’

Cue out audio 2

NAN reports that GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering ‎techniques to achieve a certain result. (NAN)

TAK/YEE

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

=======================

Ebegba’s audio 1.MP3

Ebegba’s audio 2.MP3

NAN-DS-10

Campaign

By Muhammad Nasir Bello/Hauwa M. Gold

Sokoto, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, Mr Abdulkadir Muhammad, on Wednesday launched a campaign and distribution of the Nigerian Police re-branded Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) flyers.

The PCRRU flyers were produced in English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Pidgin English.

The launch took place at the Sokoto Central Motor Park and same will be carried out by Divisional Police Officers in the 23 local government areas of the state.

Muhammad said the PCRRU was a unit in the police force charged with the responsibility of receiving and resolving complaints of police professional misconduct emanating from policing activities and operations nationwide.

“Therefore, this unit is always available to the members of the public, 24 hours daily, to listen and attend to all citizens’ complaints.

“Moreover, in line with the Change Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the “Change Begins With Me” campaign, the force under the leadership of IGP Ibrahim Idris is ensuring this accountability to Nigerians.

“This is by ensuring that all citizens and Nigerian residents have a unit through which all grievances against police actions and inaction are taken up and redressed,” he said.

The commissioner said that it was in this regard that the distribution of the PCRRU flyers was being carried out in the state.

“The police is always a friend and accessible to members of the public,” he said.

The chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state, Malam Mode Rufai, commended the police commissioner for the gesture and for always being there for the people.(NAN)
MNB/MKH/ORO/AMY
Edited by Razak Owolabi/Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-AE-
Deployment
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The National Biosafety Management Agency says it will deploy detection kits to all borders to detect smuggling of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into the country.

Director General of the agency, Dr Rufus Ebegba, said this at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said Nigeria’s borders were porous, hence the need to take such drastic steps to test all food products being imported into the country.

He said this step would be carried out in partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant security agencies.

”We are working closely with line agencies, like the Nigeria Customs Service and other border agencies, we are going to provide some of the border agencies with simple detection kits, pick a piece of whatever they suspect, we put a little water, you know there is something like the litmus test, it will give you a particular color if its genetically modified.

“Then, they will have recourse to us and we will take further appropriate actions, the agency is still very small, and its growing. We are working with other agencies to be able to achieve our mandate effectively.”

Ebegba said the mandatory function of the agency was to ensure total compliance with the conditions of biosafety, safe environment and health.

He reiterated the readiness of the agency to ensure total and holistic biosafety in the application of modern biotechnology in the country.

He advised Nigerians not to panic over the introduction of GMOs into the country’s food and farming system, saying Federal Government was working in their interest.

“They should eat whatever has been approved in this country; we assure them that nothing unsafe will be allowed into the Nigerian environment and the Nigerian market, and if they have any concern, they should come to the agency.

“Do not be allowed to be disturbed, to be panicked by fear, most of the controversies concerning Genetically Modified Organisms is as a result of trade war, when you develop some that does not require the use of chemicals, you must understand that some chemical companies will be affected.

“It’s a trade war and Nigerians will not be involved in the trade war, scientific evidence is what we work with. One thing is this, science and technology are major drivers of change and Nigeria will be exploring this science and technology, the economy of our country will be fully boosted, and we will have a better living for all.’’

NAN reports that GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering ‎techniques to achieve a certain result. (NAN)
TAK/IS
======

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN-H-53

Burglary

By Tomisin Erogbogbo

Lagos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) Two men, Shola Azeez, 21 and Chijioke Emmanuel, 21, who allegedly burgled a salon and stole N80,000  on Wednesday appeared before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

The accused are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, burglary, stealing and assault.

The prosecutor, Insp. Richard Odigie told the court that the accused committed the crime on Nov. 17 at Okesuna St. in Lagos Island.

He said that the accused also stole two mobile phones valued at N19,000 and stabbed one Idowu Victor, who tried to stop them from stealing from the salon.

“The accused stabbed Victor several times on the face when he saw them and wanted to raise alarm,” he said.

The offences contravened Sections 285, 301(1) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs F.O. Ikobayo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties in like sum.

She adjourned the case to Dec. 9 for mention. (NAN)

TME/EOB/IS

Edited by Edith Bolokor/Ismail Abdulaziz

PTAD attending to 11,000 complaints from pensioners–Executive Secretary

NAN-HE-14

Complaints

By Yakubu Uba

Yola, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN)  The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) said that it received 11,000 complaints from pensioners since the commencement of the on-going nationwide verification on Monday.

PTAD announced this on Wednesday in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, in Yola.

The statement stated that the  complaints were from the concluded exercise for pensioners in North West and South East Zones where over 28, 352 pensioners were verified.

It said that so far 4, 438 of the complaints had been cleared with those involved paid their outstanding arrears.

“After necessary computations and further checks by government auditors, the management of PTAD this November approved the payment of the pension arrears of 4,438 pensioners who have been completely omitted from monthly pension and have endured long years of neglect and suffering.”

The statement also explained that the current verification in  theNorth East, where about 6,000 pensioners would be verified, would last up to Dec. 6. (NAN)

YMU/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman