Blog

Theft
By Tomisin Erogbogbo
Lagos, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) An employee of a thrift collection company, Unilamb Global Savings Company, Ogechi Okoli, 28, and five other accused who are also employees of the company on Wednesday appeared in a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing the company’s N3 million.

Other accused are: Amarachi Opara, 27; Omotayo Oluwanisola, 27; Oluchi Uzoma, 29; Edhewres Amans, 25; and Peace Malachy, 26, are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, theft and forgery and they pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Hafsat Ajibode, told the court that the accused committed the offences on July 23 at 110, Nnamdi Azikwe St. on Lagos Island, Lagos.

Ajibode said that the second accused, Opara, who was the system operator of the firm, masterminded the theft because he was in charge of inputting all the data of customers and transactions carried out daily.

She told the court that the accused opened bank account where he and other accused siphoned the money collected from customers.

The prosecutor also said that the accused forged customers’ signature on their cards, purporting the money to have been withdrawn by the customers.

“Their fraudulent activity was noticed when customers that they claimed had collected their money came to ask for their money,” she said.

The offences contravened Sections 287 (7), 368 (1) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised)
Section 287 (7) and 368 (1) stipulates seven years imprisonment each while section 411 carries two years imprisonment for an offenders

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, granted the six accused bail in the sum of N250, 000 each with one surety the in like sum.

Elias said that the surety must be gainfully employed and must be a relative of the accused.

He adjourned the case until Sept. 24 for mention. (NAN)
TME/JI/DUA
Edited by Dada Ahmed

NAPTIP, Benin Zonal command arrests child abuse suspect

Arrest
By Deborah Coker
Benin, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) The Benin Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said it had arrested one person for alleged child abuse.

Mr Nduka Nwanwenne, Zonal Commander of the Agency comprising Edo and Delta, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Wednesday.

Nwanwenne said that the suspect, Joel Aiya, was arrested on Tuesday morning.

He also said that the suspect was a truck driver and hailed from Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area in Edo.

He said that the suspect allegedly abused and impregnated a 14-year-old primary six pupil who hailed from Kafanchan in Kaduna State.

The zonal commander said the victim who resided with her guardian in the same premises as the suspect, was usually lured into the suspect’s one-room apartment and forced into love escapades by the suspect.

He said the victim told the agency that the suspect usually gave her drug and salt to take after each love making to prevent her from getting pregnant.

He noted that the victim has been rescued and put into the NAPTIP Benin shelter, while the suspect had been detained at the Benin Command’s custody as investigation continued.

Nwanwenne, who disclosed that the Director-General, NAPTIP, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, had been briefed on the development, restated the Agency’s commitment to the fight against human trafficking and child abuse. (NAN)
DCO/COO/AMY
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Edited by Cecilia Odey and Abdullahi Yusuf

SURE-P

Ikeja, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) Clement Illoh, former Permanent Secretary on Wednesday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that he did not steal N14.1 million from the defunct Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Illoh of the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, on Oct. 16, 2017 on a three-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion of property to the tune of N14.1 million.

The commission closed its case against the defendant on May 16, after fielding four prosecution witnesses.

Illoh, who opened his defence on Wednesday, claimed the alleged stolen funds were legally sourced from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Led in evidence by Mr U. Onwukwe, his counsel, the former permanent secretary said he did not steal the N14.1million neither did he divert N7 million to Mrs Theresa Braimoh.

“It is not true that I hid or disguised the source of the funds of N14.1 million.

“My Lord, the said N14.1 million was not a proceed of contract neither was it an advance given to the Ministry of Labour.

“It was a grant given by the Maritime Legal Department of NIMASA to the Ministry of Labour,” he said.

The ex-permanent secretary said the money, which was allegedly paid into his personal bank account called Clement and Bob Associates, was for organising meetings of two departments of NIMASA and Ministry of Labour.

“We made a request for fund which NIMASA and Ministry of Labour collaborate annually.

“The funds came about from a request given to the Maritime Labour Department of NIMASA, an application for an advance was made and the funds were released.

“The N14.1 million was meant to organise a meeting of the Maritime Labour Section, it could not be used to organise a meeting of the Labour Advisory Council as it was not enough.

“N30 million was initially requested for organising the Labour Advisory Council meeting but N14.1million was approved and that was what we used for the meetings at the grassroots level.

“The N14.1million was split into two halves of N7 million each for the meeting of the NIMASA section in Lagos and that of Labour in Abuja,” he said.

Illoh told the court that the N14.1million paid into Clement and Bob Associates, his personal bank account was for logistic reasons.

“The money was a non personal advance granted to the Maritime Labour Department of NIMASA; we were not given cash because of the associated risks.

“We gave them an account for safety and monitoring and it was paid into Clement and Bob Associates Accounts.

“A non-personal advance cannot be paid into the Ministry’s account because it was not budgeted for and could not be accessed because of the cashless policy.

“That is why we paid it into the Clement and Bob Associates account.

“We have been doing this for years, we cannot pay such funds into the account of officers, it is an issue of disbursement and not approval because the money was already approved,” he said.

Illoh said that N3.5 million, which was the funds leftover from the N14.1million budgeted for the meetings was expended on logistics, honorarium, stationeries and transport.

“The N3.5 million was disbursed by Mr John Tsonwa, my late Special Assistant,” the ex-Permanent Secretary said.

Illoh was responsible for supervising numerous programmes, including SURE-P and allegedly awarded fictitious contracts to himself via his company and friends.

The alleged diverted SURE-P funds were said to be sourced from NIMASA.

The offences contravened Sections 279 (1), (b) and 285 (6) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

He, however, denies the charges.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 for continuation of defence. (NAN)

MAE/OFN/MNA

Edited by Felix Nwadioha/Maureen Atuonwu

Grant
By Muhammad Bashir
Dutse, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) No fewer than 252 nomadic schools in Jigawa have benefited from a N126million grant by the Global Partnership in Education (GPE), an NGO operating in the state.

Alhaji Ali Manu, the Executive Secretary, Jigawa Agency for Nomadic Education, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Wednesday.

He said that the grants was given from January 2017 to date, pointing out that each of the 252 schools received N500,000.

He explained that the grant was used to renovate some of the schools and to also provide temporary shelter in communities where there are no schools.

Manu added that the renovations assisted in keeping pupils in classes during the rains or dry seasons.

He said that some of the grant were used to purchase teaching materials.

The executive secretary added that some of the schools used the money to buy play kits for Early Child Care Development Education department in their schools.

According to him, the NGO, under its Girl Grant, also gave N20,000 to girl pupils in nomadic schools to encourage parents allow them attend classes.

“The N20,000 grant to girl pupils was to enable them buy uniform, sandals, books and other necessary learning materials so that no parent will have any excuse not to send their daughters to school.

“The grant has significantly increased girl pupils enrollment and retention in our nomadic schools,” Manu said. (NAN)
MNB/IS
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Phone addiction: Nigerians blame trend for rising immorality
Phones
Jos, Sept. 19, 2018(NAN) Nigerians resident in some North-Central States have decried youths addiction to phone usage and blamed the trend for rising cases of fraud and immorality in the society.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), some respondents in Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Niger and Kogi States also blamed the trend for most road accidents, especially in urban areas.
They further blamed the declining reading culture and poor academic performance of youths on the addiction to their phones.
Mr Abdullahi Sanusi, a father of three residing in Nassarawa Gbong, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau, claimed that youths spend “more than 60 per cent’’ of their time on their phones.
“Sometimes, they converge on specific junctions and even dance to music from their phones.
“It is worse in the evenings when they gather to `compare notes’ of their phones’ explorations and I suspect they use their phones to make love advances to girls on social media,’’ he said.
Sanusi said that boys in the area usually wear earplugs and get easily carried away.
“They are always at some specific meeting points. They hardly go home to help their parents with house chores or look for a source of livelihood for themselves,’’ he said.
Mr Abiodun Idowu, a telecommunication Engineer, who also spoke with NAN, said that males were more addicted to phone compared to females.
“The boys are much smarter and can explore all the uses and applications, especially in android phones.
“From my observations, I think the females use phones mostly because of the social media. They spend several hours chatting with friends and get abreast with trending styles, but the males play online games, get abreast with political and sports events and expand their business and professional circles.
“Very often, accidents have occurred when drivers got distracted using the phones, while some marriages are broken because partners are more addicted to chatting with people or surfing the internet instead of having family conversations,’’ he said.
Mrs Phoebe Musa, a marriage counsellor, said that women had often reported cases of infidelity with evidence found in their husbands’ phones, saying that the social media had offered access to varieties of women for advances.
On the health implications of phone addiction, Dr Juliette Ango, a Public Health specialist, said that long time exposure to electro-magnetic waves could be hazardous for fertile men, especially the adolescent men.
She said that repetitive movements of the fingers, while texting, could lead to musculoskeletal disorders which are soft issue injuries typically caused by sustained exposure to repetitive motion, force, vibration and awkward positions.
Residents of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, have also said that phone addiction was largely a youth affair with elderly residents having lesser interest outside making calls.
Mr Adamu Samaila, an estate agent, said that the youths were more engaged with phone gadgets because the innovations in such phones could easily be understood, mastered and manipulated, misused and abused.
“Clearly, the youths know how to master some of the innovations in these phones more than the elderly ones. That is why they are more addicted to phones than any other group in the society.
“Sometimes, if you see the way a teenager will use and manipulate the applications on a phone, you will wonder if he was there when the gadget was being made. So, because they have a better understanding of phones, they are prone to getting addicted to it,’’ he said.
Miss Ajoke Simon, another resident, agreed that phone addiction was largely a youth affair because “elderly people hardly do more than just making calls’’.
“The youths perform all manners of tasks on the phones. This is why they get totally addicted to them.
“The phones of today have the imprint of youth on them because the youths do more than just call. They download, upload, take pictures, browse the internet and use it for so many other things unlike the older ones who only make calls and dump the facility until there is the need for another call,’’ she said.
Mr Kabiru Yunusa, an elderly trader in Lafia, said that many elderly people had little interest on phones because they cannot meet up with the constant new innovations introduced by phone companies in a bid to outsmart each other and gain more customers.
“Everyday, there is something new. So it is not easy for us to catch up. Besides, a lot of us are very busy and have very little time to spend on a phone.
“We have to work hard to meet ends meet so as to provide for our families. Only youths can afford to remain addicted to phones,” he said.
But in spite of the addiction to phone usage and its attendant consequences, the Benue Sector o the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) says it has not recorded any road accident linked to drivers’ use of phone while driving.
Mr David Mendie, the Sector Commander, told NAN in Makurdi that the command had carried out adequate sensitisation to educate road users on the danger of using a phone while driving.

“Drivers usually guilty of using telephones while driving are mostly young people, but we have not recorded any accident because of that,’’ he said.

Mendie said that it was “very wrong’’ to use telephone while driving, noting that it can cause distraction to the driver and other road users that can lead to a crash.

He further disclosed that the FRSC was already collaborating with telecommunication network service providers on ways to address the abuse.

Mrs Vera Obe, the Manager, MTN Makurdi Connect, said that the use of cell phones while driving was an individual problem.

“It has to do with individual mindsets, but the company will find ways of looking into the matter for possible intervention,’’ she said.

Obe said that it was wrong for telephone users to make use of cell phones while driving and appealed to those on the wheels to always park before making calls, sending text messages or chatting. (NAN)
Reporters/ETS/MST
Edited by Ephraims Sheyin/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Feeds
By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) An Agriculture Consultant, Michael David, has advised fish farmers in Nigeria to adopt the use of locally made feeds instead of depending on imported fish feeds.

David gave the advice on Wednesday during a Fish Feed and Management Workshop held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.

The workshop was organised by American Soyabean Association (ASA) and Transforming African Agriculture Technology (TAAT Aquaculture Compact).

The consultant wondered why fish farmers would continue to import fully compounded feeds, when Nigeria could now produce more quality feeds.
According to him, companies in Nigeria now have the capacity to produce better feeds capable of creating more profit margins for fish farmers.

“The feeds imported are good, but the local feeds produced in Nigeria are much better.

“Fish farmers using locally made feeds have better chances of making more profit than those using the imported feeds,’’ he said.

He, however, called on government at all levels to do more by creating enabling environment for fish farmers to strive, adding that the private sector would rise if governments would effectively play its roles.

Prof. Bernadette Fregene, Leader, TAAT Aquaculture Compact, said the organisation was saddled with the responsibility of developing low cost feeds that would lead to the production of fast growing and disease resistant fishes.

Fregene said that fish feed contributes 60 to 80 per cent of the operating cost of fish farming; hence the need to reduce the cost of fish feeds in order to break even.

“If a farmer feeds his fish with imported branded fish feeds, such a farmer may not be able to get higher profit margin compared to those feeding theirs with locally made fish feeds.

“The plan of Aquaculture Compact is to work with local farmers that grow maize, cassava, soya bean and groundnut and see how we can make use of their products in making fish feed,’’ she said.

In his remarks, Chris Slemp, Programme Manager, ASA said the workshop was to demonstrate and present the results of local feeds to fish farmers.

“It will also help to see some of the ways the association can work with local aquaculturists and other stakeholders to improve local production,” he said. (NAN)
SYS/MAS/DUA
Edited by Moses Solanke/Dada Ahmed

Assault
Lagos, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ordered the remand of a commercial motorcyclist, Joseph Igwe, at the Kirikiri prison, for alleged sexual assault on his 14-year-old stepdaughter.

Igwe, 35, is facing a two-count charge of sexual assault and assault occasioning harm.

The Prosecutor, Benson Emuerhi, said that the accused committed the offence in Aug. 26, at 5.00 p.m. at No. 53, Ago Iwoye St., Agric Area, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

“The accused had sexually assaulted the stepdaughter by inserting his finger into her vagina,’’ Emuerhi told the court.

He said that the accused had been molesting the victim since 2015 when the victim’s mother married him and she and her siblings started living with him.

“The accused sexually assaulted the victim and also used an iron to hit her on the head causing her grievous bodily harm.

“Whenever the victim makes an attempt to report to her mother, she keeps siding her husband.

“The case was reported at the police station and was later referred to the human rights section,’’ the prosecutor said.

He said the offence contravened Section 135 and 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(Revised).

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olufunke Sule-Amzat, refused taking the plea of the accused.

“I, hereby, ordered the accused to be remanded until the next adjourned date when the victim is produced in court,” Sule-Amzat said.

She adjourned the case until Nov. 26 for mention. (NAN)

LAW/OFN/MNA

Edited by Felix Nwadioha/Maureen Atuonwu

Confiscation
By Muhammad Bashir
Dutse, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) The Jigawa Consumer Protection Committee (CPC) said it confiscated eight sacks of adulterated sesame seeds worth N240,000 in Gugunju International Grains Market, in Taura Local Government Area of the state.

CPC Chairman, Alhaji Faruk Abdallah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the commodity was confiscated from a trader during an unscheduled visit to the market on Sept. 15.

He explained that the suspect had already been charged to a Magistrate Court in Taura where he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment with an option of N20,000.

The chairman added that the court ordered the confiscated commodity to be destroyed.

According to him, the committee will continue to ensure that traders do not shortage customers and people consume products that are genuine. (NAN)
MNB/COO/IS
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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Ismail Abdulaziz

By Uche Bibilari
Media
Abuja, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) on Wednesday advised the media to be professional in information dissemination and abide by the prevalent laws guiding political campaign advertisement.

The Acting Registrar, APCON, Mrs Ijedi Iyoha, who gave the advice at a news conference in Abuja, said that role of the media was to ensure that the interest of a united Nigeria was paramount and unquantifiable.

She tasked various media outlets to ensure their platforms were not used as driving channels to bring unwholesome political campaign advertisements to Nigerians.

Iyoha said that APCON was charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisement conformed to the prevailing laws of the federation as well as the code of ethics of advertising.

“The electorates look forward to convincing and logical manifestos from political office aspirants.

“Their rights to choose their representative, sense of civility, political view, preferred candidate, religious affiliation and ethnicity ought not to be insulted, exploited through unethical political advertisements.’’

The registrar said that the desires and aspirations of political aspirants to serve their people should not supersede laws made to ensure public order.

“Also, their desire should not cause any form of threat to the existence of another set of people,’’ she said.

She said that media houses should ensure that any material for advertisement had a certificate from APCON, adding that there were sanctions for media house that went against their rules.

“We have sanctions for media houses, advertising practitioner that bring the material, and the agency that did the creativity and did not forward it to APCON for vetting.

“Our law says that for every material to be exposed, it must pass through APCON clearance through Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) so if you go against that there is a sanction for it.’’

Iyoha said that the on-line media was also regulated by APCON and the same sanctions applicable to defaulters, adding that a lot of media houses had already been sanctioned.

She said that in an effort to sensitise the media, APCON would hold a public forum on political advertising and hate speech on  Oct. 11, titled: “Ethical Advertising and Communication’’. (NAN)
UU/KOLE/GY
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Edited by Remi Koleoso/Grace Yussuf

Produce
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Sept. 19, 2018 (NAN) Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) says it is partnering with the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP) to resolve the prohibition of the export of Nigeria’s agricultural produce to Europe.

Dr Vincent Isegbe, Coordinating Director of NAQS, said this in Abuja on Wednesday at a workshop organised in partnership with COLEACP.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the European Union (EU) in 2015 banned Nigeria from exporting beans and other produce to Europe due to the high level of chemical contamination of the produce.

Isegbe said that through advocacy and the active participation of Croplife, an international agricultural chemicals company, the chemical level in the country’s agricultural produce had appreciably declined.

“The EU ban ceases officially in June 2019; we are discussing and we have gone out to do periodic sampling to ascertain on the level of chemicals in our beans.

“With that, we will know if the farmers are actually complying with our regulations and advice. So far so good, the chemical level is reducing; although it is at a slow pace but it is reducing,’’ he said.

Isegbe said that efforts were being made to improve the export potential of Nigeria’s fruits and vegetables

“We want to move our vegetable export to the next level; for now, we have a market for over 40,000 metric tons of vegetables which we have not been able to meet

“ Although, Nigeria currently does not export fruits, yet it imports a lot of apples for local consumption.

“We can grow all these commodities all year round. We have a great opportunity to export these commodities to European nations and America, particularly during winter or just after winter. So, the market is always there,” he said.

The coordinating director said that the workshop presented an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss and provide sustainable solutions to the challenges facing fruits and vegetable exports.

“In term of the exporters, we have gone to the point of discussing with major exporters. For you to be able to export, you need to buy from the farmers who we have trained so as to know specific requirements.

“With the structures we have put in place, if you buy and have issues with the farmers, it is easy to trace back. Therefore, there is a chain of flexibility at any point in time which will really help us in our exports.

“We have decided to pick 10 commodities and do basic analysis on those commodities so that any young person who is educated and wants to go into produce exports will have the basic knowledge and understanding of the commodities,’’ he added.

Also speaking, Dr Andrew Graffham, Agribusiness Development Specialist, COLEACP, said that Nigeria was a nation with many resources, a huge population and a lot of farmers.

“There are more expectations for this country as regards produce exportation to the EU market but farmers are facing the challenges of the plant pest diseases which have to be managed, particularly now that we are experiencing climate change.

“We are in Nigeria to help on how to protect the local and international consumers of agricultural produce. We want to build confidence in the international market.

“We are working with the Federal Government and the private sector to address the challenges facing the exportation of agric produce and this workshop is one step and there will be many more measures.

“We will train the farmers in their local languages to enable them to fully understand the requirements of the international market so as to make Nigerian produce to fit in anywhere in the world,’’ he added.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day workshop has “the Role of Public and Private Sector in Sanitary and Phytosanitary Systems for the Fruits and Vegetable Sub-Sector” as its theme. (NAN)
ROK/NNO/OOK
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Edited by Nick Nicholas and Dayo Komolafe