Blog

NAN-H-41

Abduction

By Mohammad Tijjani

Kaduna. Nov. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Kaduna Police Command on Sunday confirmed the kidnapping of a former minister of foreign affairs Bagudu Hirse, by unidentified gunmen.

The Command’s Public Relation officer, ASP Aliyu Usman, confirmed the incident in an interview with  the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna.

Usman said no arrest had been made so far, but the command had intensified efforts to track down the gunmen and free the former minister unhurt.

“The command will not sit and allow criminals to take laws into their hands.  We will make sure that we arrest those criminals and they will face the law.

“We are committed to protecting lives and property of the people. We also appeal to the public for any useful information that will lead to the arrest of the criminals,” Usman said.

An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that the incident occurred at Inuwa Wada Road in Unguwar Rimi GRA, Kaduna.

The eyewitness said that the former minister, in the company of his friend, had gone on a condolence visit to the family of the late Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki.

“The three young gunmen jumped down from a  car and accosted the former minister almost immediately.

“From what I could hear, they were asking him to get into their car but he was trying to seek further explanations from them, at that time, people started approaching the scene.

“One of the gunmen raised a gun he was holding and made to shoot but it did not fire, he tried it the second time and it failed, but the third time, he shot into the air.

“Upon hearing the gun shot, people ran for their lives,” the eyewitness said. (NAN)
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Yusuf Zango

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Golf

By Victor Okoye

Abuja, Nov. 20, 2016 (NAN) Ghana’s Vicent Torgah and his Nigerian counterpart Kabiru Haruna tied on the first position after three rounds with a total score of 220 at the on-going Nigeria Masters golf tournament.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inaugural Nigeria Masters, which teed off at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja on Thursday, is expected to end on Monday.

A field of 57 players began the tournament, which is being played over 72 holes in a stroke play format.

Torgah had the best round of the day shooting 5 under par 67 and catapulted up the leader board from 17^th position to a joint leader on Sunday.

Torgah, who spoke to NAN after the stellar performance, said he was pleasantly surprised at the feat, adding that the  trophy was now within his reach.

Nigeria’s number one golfer, Andrew Odoh and Gboyega Oyebanji also tied on third position with a total score 221.

The Tournament Director, Graham Webster, told  NAN that the first recorded hole-in-one on any hole of the golf course would win a cash voucher worth N250,000.

He said that professionals and amateurs were eligible for the hole-in-one prize.

Webster also disclosed that Jabi Mall Lake, sponsors of the hole-in-one prize, was also sponsoring prizes for “nearest to the PIN and two longest drive players” in the Amateur tournament 8.

“Each winner in the Amateur tournament 8 will win a cash voucher worth N50,000 for purchases in Jabi Lake Mall,” he said.

NAN also reports that professionals would be playing their final round on Monday, Nov. 21. (NAN)
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Yusuf Zango

NAN-F-8
Crash

New Delhi, Nov 20, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) Death toll in Indian train crash has been put at 119 with more than 150 injured when the county’s express train derailed in northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, says Police.

The death toll was initially put at 60 with more than 80 injured.

Police said the toll set to rise amid a scramble to locate survivors as people were still missing, while authorities tried to determine what caused the derailment of 14 carriages of the train.

The train was traveling between the northeastern city of Patna and the central city of Indore, but suddenly roll off the tracks in Pukhrayan, 65 km south of Kanpur city.

Authorities said they were checking the condition of the tracks but would need to look further before concluding the cause of the derailment.

It was another India’s deadliest rail tragedy since more than 140 died in a 2010 collision in West Bengal.

Desperate survivors searched for family members and some tried to enter the damaged carriages to rescue relatives and collect belongings, said senior railway official Pratap Rai.

“We are using every tactic to save lives but it’s very difficult to cut the metal carriages,” he said from the accident site.

Kanpur district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma told Reuters that 119 people were confirmed dead, while 78 of the injured remained in hospital, four of them in a critical condition.

With rescue teams still looking for victims amid the wreckage, the toll from the derailment could rise to become India’s worst rail tragedy in this century.

In what was probably India’s worst rail disaster, a train plunged off a bridge and into a river in 1981 in Bihar state, killing an estimated 500 to 800 people.

India’s creaking railway system is the world’s fourth largest. It runs 11,000 trains a day, including 7,000 passenger trains carrying more than 20 million people.

But it has a poor safety record, with thousands of people dying in accidents every year, including in train derailments and collisions.

Suresh Prabhu, India’s railways minister, said in a tweet that the government would investigate the causes of the derailment and promised accountability with the “strictest possible action”, as well as compensation for the affected passengers.(NAN)

IAA/OU

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola/ Obike Ukoh

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Oyo to begin quarterly interface with public on activities, policies

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Meeting

By Akeem Abas

Ibadan, Nov. 20, 2016 (NAN) To bring the people closer, the Oyo State Government says it will begin quarterly town hall meetings with members of the public to convey its plans, policies, efforts and actions, and get feedback.

Alhaji Olalekan Alli, the Secretary to the State Government, disclosed the plan in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan.

Alli said that the new policy, which would entail regular dialogue, was adopted to address the various challenges in the state.

The SSG said that the state governor would hold a formal town hall meeting with members of the public and the media once in a quarter.

“The government is optimistic that the new measure will bring the people closer to the government.

“It will also serve as a veritable platform to obtain first hand feedbacks to smoothen the relationship between the government and the governed,” he said.

Alli said that all local government chairmen and heads of local government administration had also been directed to follow suit.

He said that they would engage the citizenry in town hall meetings on quarterly basis.

Alli said that such regular conversation with the people would forestall misinformation, misunderstanding and mischief capable of heating up the polity.

“As a matter of policy, there will be public engagements with focus on issues such as security of lives and property, social and infrastructural services, including health, water supply, roads, energy, education and the environment.

“The discourse will also centre on the economy/finance, including internally generated revenue, salaries and pension of workers as well as the welfare of the citizenry.

“All heads of ministries, departments and agencies, including commissioners and permanent secretaries have been directed to hold monthly briefing and interactive session with their respective members of staff,” he said.

The SSG enjoined all stakeholders to take advantage of the process by making meaningful contributions that would assist the government to undertake life-enhancing programmes for the citizenry. (NAN)
TAA/HAS/SOA
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Oluwole Sogunle

NAN-F-7

Trial

Cairo, Nov. 20, 2016 (Xinhua/NAN)  Egypt’s prosecution on Sunday referred 292 suspected terrorists to military trial over charges of carrying out terror activities in restive Sinai Peninsula and planning to assassinate President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, says official report.

According to the report, the defendants belong to the so-called “Sinai State,” a Sinai-based group loyal to the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The group had claimed responsibility for most of the anti-government terrorist attacks over the past few years.

Egypt has been facing a rising wave of terrorist operations and bomb attacks, mostly in North Sinai province, since the military removed former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

His removal was in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood group.

On Nov. 4, a military brigadier general was assassinated by three terrorists outside his home in North Sinai, while a judge survived a blast in Cairo during the day.

Earlier in mid-October, also in North Sinai, at least 20 soldiers were killed in a series of blasts and armed attacks, while the security forces retaliated by killing around 100 militants and wounding 40 others.

While anti-government attacks in the past few years killed hundreds of police and military men, security raids killed about 1,200 militants and arrested a similar number of suspects in North Sinai

This is part of the country’s “war against terrorism” declared by then-military chief and current President Sisi (Xinhua/NAN)

IAA/OU

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola/Obike Ukoh

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NiMet predicts sunny, hazy weather for Monday

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Weather

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Abuja, Nov. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunny and hazy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Monday.

NiMet made the prediction in the Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Sunday.

It said that the central states would have day and night time temperatures of 35 to 36 degrees Celsius and 21 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

The agency predicted that the southern states would experience cloudy morning to partly cloudy conditions over the inland cities with anticipated cloudiness over the coastal cities during the forecast period.

It also predicted isolated thunderstorms during afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperature of 32 to 34 and 20 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

According to NiMet, northern states will experience dust haze conditions with day and night temperature of 34 to 38 degrees Celsius and 15 to 22 degrees Celsius respectively.

“Northern cities will be under the influence of dust haze, central parts will experience sunny and hazy conditions, while the southern cities will continue to experience isolated thunderstorms,” NiMet predicted. (NAN)
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Obike Ukoh

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Pornography, masturbation affect the brain, impede productivity, clergy warns

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Addiction
By Martha Agas

Jos, Nov. 20, 2016(NAN) Rev. Paul Ojoh, the Resident Pastor, Shepherd House Assembly International, Jos has said that pornography and masturbation could affect the brain and impede productivity.

“Those twin evils could hurt the brain and impede productivity because of the cumulative negative effects of addiction to them,” he stated on Sunday in Jos, during a sermon at the Youth Conference of the Church.

In the sermon titled: ‘Dealing with Forces of Addiction’, he noted that a high percentage of youths suffer addiction mostly to pornography and masturbation.

“ Research has shown that more than 50 per cent of youths are addicted to pornography, while 60 to 90 per cent of adolescent boys and 40 per cent of adolescent girls are addicted to masturbation.

“ These addictions are sins against nature; the right hemisphere of the brain functions in facilitating creativity and inventions and a portion of the brain called ‘cingulate codex, is responsible for moral and ethical decisions.

“ So, when you feed your brain with masturbation and pornographic materials, it impedes your productivity and affects the efficiency of your brain which is designed to perform the task of creativity and invention,’’ he explained.

Ojoh said that the remedy to such addictions was acknowledging that addicts could not fight the battle of emancipation alone, and therefore required divine intervention to see them through.

“ Addicts of masturbation must admit that they cannot overcome their battles alone. They must accept that it is only possible with the divine intervention of God.

“It is important you avoid anything that triggers such addictions; these are things that you see and read that pollute your mind towards it like movies, magazines and places

“ You must renew your mind and feed it with the word of God to fight addictive materials that have occupied the space of your mind.

“Addicts should also seek counsel from people of integrity, who will counsel them and monitor them through their recovery process,’’ he said.

He said that addictions could also enslave a man, put him in bondage and regulate the lifestyle of the affected person or persons, which could subjugate potentialities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the clergy, who defined addiction as a repeated habit which becomes a lifestyle, mentioned other negative addictions to include the internet, food, sex, alcohol, amongst others.

The youth conference featured comedies, drama plays and special renditions from the Choir.(NAN)
MAA/ETS/ETS

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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

NAF destroys another set of illegal oil barges in Rivers

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NAF

By Yahaya Isah

Abuja, Nov. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), says it has destroyed another set of illegal oil barges in Rivers.

Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, said the barges were filled with stolen oil.

According to Famuyiwa two of the latest barges filled with stolen oil were set ablaze by NAF helicopters on armed patrol around Okoromabie in the South-East of Port Harcourt Refinery.

Famuyiwa explained that the third barge, surrounded by canoes carrying drums, was sited at Onne, while individuals around the barge and canoes fled.

He explained further that the barge and drums did not explode, indicating the possibility of being empty.
“The latest operations like the previous ones are clear pointers to the fact that it is no longer profitable to steal crude oil in Nigeria,” Famuyiwa said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NAF, had in the past one month, destroyed a number of illegal refineries and oil barges in Rivers. (NAN)
YI/IAA/OU

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola/Obike Ukoh
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NAN-H-21
Speed
By Kazeem Akande
Lagos, Nov. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday said that violation of speed limiting devices would start attracting fines from Feb. 1, 2017.

Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the FRSC had set the date for full enforcement to commence on the device.

Oyeyemi said that the commission had commenced advisory enforcement to the road users since Oct. 1, and about 131,000 road users had been enlightened on the importance of the device.

“The speed limiter is on course; by Feb. 1, 2017, the full enforcement and implementation will commence. We commenced advisory enforcement some months back.

‘’So far, about 131,000 people have been given citation and enlightenment.

‘’We are on course because speed limit device is the solution; we will lead them to ensure they are safe and also prevent them from crashes,’’ FRSC boss said.

Oyeyemi said many drivers had yet to comply with the directive on speed limiters, and warned that  violation would soon start attracting fines.

He urged commercial vehicle operators and all road users to comply with the guidelines the FRSC put in place for their safety and that of their passengers.

The FRSC boss said that the commission had put in place measures to eliminate gridlock and make the roads safer during the Yuletide and New Year celebration.

Oyeyemi said that government had provided enough logistics to help officers in performing their duties effectively.

“Government has provided enough logistics in terms vehicles and ambulance to ensure effectiveness while performing our duties.
“That is why I am moving around to see the level of preparedness of our personnel and cheer them up to work effectively as the festive period approaches,’’ he said.
Oyeyemi advised motorists to drive safely and take necessary precaution as road construction continues along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. (NAN)
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Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

2016 Tourism Summit: FG explains non-implementation of recommendations

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Tourism

By Collins Yakubu-hammer

Abuja, Nov. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Government on Sunday explained the reasons behind the non-implementation of the recommendations drafted at the end of the 2016 Tourism Summit held in Abuja.

The Director of Cultural Industries and Heritage, Mr Seyi Womiloju, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Abuja that the reason was because government activities were tied to the budget.

“The reason why the recommendations cannot be implemented this year is because the budget was drafted before the summit took place; meaning the recommendations came after the budget was drafted.

“And you know that budgets are normally prepared for next year’s expenditures; but I am very positive that the implementation will be captured in the next year’s budget.

“Don’t forget that the 2016 Tourism Summit was on diversification; and also, an implementation committee was constituted; am sure that government will do all it can to achieve it,’’ Womiloju said

According to him, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed is very passionate about the diversification of the country’s economy and to make tourism a major source of revenue generation.

He explained that the present administration had expressed its commitment on several occasions and was ever ready to ensure that tourism and hospitality sectors were taking to the next level.

He emphasised that the Minister of Information and Culture had made frantic efforts to ensure the country’s tourism sector meet global standard and attract tourists from home and abroad.(NAN)

CMY/IAA/OU

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola/Obike Ukoh
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