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IMN says 3 of its members killed by mob in Kaduna

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Shiites

By Mohammad Tijjani

Kaduna, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) on Wednesday said three of its members were killed by a mob in Tudun Wada area of Kaduna during a procession.

Abdulmuminu Giwa, a member of the group, told the News Agency of Nigeria [NAN] in Kaduna that the mob also burnt down a house of one of the group’s leaders, and demolished its school located in the area.

Reports from Zaria, erstwhile national headquarters of the group, however, said the city was calm as residents went about their normal business.

The Kaduna  State Police Command confirmed the attack on the houses of some of the sect’s members in Tudun Wada but denied receiving any report of death.

The command’s spokesman, ASP Aliyu Usman told NAN that security had been beefed up in the area to prevent further breakdown of law and order.

He warned hoodlums and mischief makers that the police would deal decisively with anyone caught fomenting trouble.

NAN recalls that the Kaduna State Government had on Friday, Oct. 7, declared the group as illegal.

The government also ordered the arrest of the group’s spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, who said the Shiites would challenge the order in court.(NAN)
TJ/MZA
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Police
By Aminu Ahmed Garko
Sokoto, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) The Police Command in Sokoto State on Wednesday confirmed that hoodlums killed a Shiite (a member of an Islamic group) in Tudun Wada in Sokoto North Local Government area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports Deputy Commissioner of Police Alkasim Sunusi disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Sokoto.
He said that the deceased was attacked on his way to a procession of the sect.
Sunusi said that the victim was “seriously beaten and killed, while his Toyota Avensus vehicle with registration number BRK 144 CM was burnt by the hoodlums”.
He said that some members of the sect also engaged members of the public in a violent confrontation at Tamaje area of Sokoto South Local Government.
Sunusi said that three motor cycles belonging to the sect members were burnt, while one person was arrested with cutlass.
The police boss said that the command had since embarked on further investigation and called on members of the public to go about their normal businesses. (NAN)
AAG/IS/TA
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Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz/controlled by Tajudeen Atitebi

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Volleyball
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) The volleyball team of 81 Division, Lagos, on Wednesday defeated their opponents in the male and female categories of the event at the ongoing Nigerian Army Sports Festival in Abuja.

They won with a 3-0 to improve their chances of a podium finish in the competition.

The game played at Package B of the National Stadium saw the Division’s male team defeat their 82 Division, Enugu counterparts in straight sets 25-18, 25-15 and 25-10 in a round robin fixture.

The team’s victory was largely due to a barrage of winning spikes, serves and blocks by its outstanding outside hitter, Levi Igbokwe, who scored 20 of 81 Division’s points.

“The 81 Division team played well and definitely deserved to win.

“My team gave it all they had, but our opponents were superior and dominated the game,’’ the captain of 82 Division, Umar Mohammed said.

In the female category, the 81 Division team came from behind to defeat their Army Headquarters counterparts in a four-set round robin battle.

The 81 Division team had taken the first two sets but handed a life-line to their opponents in a gruelling third set encounter.

They, however, bounced back to seal the victory, winning 25-21, 25-15, 23-25 and 25-12.

Also, in other matches played, 1 Division trounced 2 Division 3-0, while 82 Division rallied from two sets down to win 3 Division 23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-19 and 15-13 in a five-set thriller.

It was an ace in the tie-breaker by top scorer, John Jimoh that helped to seal a hard-fought 3-2 victory for the 82 Division side.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sports festival which kicked off on Oct. 8 will end on Oct. 15. (NAN)
VO/ENN/PDE
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu and Controlled by Peter Ejiofor)

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Artisans
By Kazeem Akande
Lagos, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) The Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Lagos State Chapter, on Wednesday urged private organisations to partner the federal and state governments in training artisans in modern methods of motor vehicle maintenance.

The Chairman of NATA, Mr Jacob Fayeun, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the training would make artisans conversant with the global standard for repairing and detecting faults in automobiles.

Fayeun said that the modern method of using computer and modern equipment to diagnose and to repair new generational vehicles compare to the conventional methods were ways of setting standard in automobile sector.

“The government should train mechanics on how to use diagnosing machines and how to use computer.

“Although the Lagos State and Federal Government have been doing the training for some time, we needed more improvement.

“Some oil companies organised training for us too but their collaboration will give us the best,’’ Fayeun said.

The chairman said that training has been giving to them in the past but appealed to both federal and state governments and oil companies to intensify efforts on more training.

He said that Nigeria had a lot of budding talents that if trained could become automobile experts that had capacity to build cars in the country.

“If artisans are well trained, the country can manufacture made in Nigeria vehicles that can be patronised by other countries,’’ he said. (NAN)
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(Edited by Fela Fashoro and Controlled by Peter Ejiofor)

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Murder

By Teniola Ibitola

Lagos, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) A 29-year-old land speculator, Dare Moriu, who allegedly killed a fellow speculator, was on Wednesday remanded at Ikoyi Prisons, Lagos, on the order of an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, whose address is unknown, appeared before Magistrate A.S. Okubule on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

His plea was not taken by the court and the case was adjourned  to Nov. 14 pending advice from the office of the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Chinalu Uwadione, told the court that the accused committed the offence on March 17 at Solution Base Bus Stop, Alaguntan, Lekki, Lagos.

He said the accused shot and killed a man,  Yusuf Elegushi, 30, the son of a chief in the Elegushi Ruling House.

“The deceased had stopped the accused from extorting a tipper driver.

“This angered the accused, who claimed that the deceased blocked his means of livelihood,’’ Uwadione told the court.

The offences contravened Sections 221 and 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

The offender risks capital punishment on conviction as stipulated by Section 221. (NAN)
OAT/AIB/DA
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde & Controlled by Dele Akinsola

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Divorce
By Deborah Akpede
Lagos, Oct.12, 2016 (NAN) “My wife must return my late mother’s gold necklace before she can divorce me,’’ a 40-year-old civil servant, Mr Olufemi Ojikutu, has told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos.

He told the court on Wednesday while responding to a suit filed by his wife, Olaide, that if she insisted on divorcing him, she must return his gold because it was his inheritance.

Ojikutu said that his mother gave him and his siblings a gold necklace each to give to their wives when they marry with a condition that the wife must stay with them for life.

“When my mother was about to die, she called me and my three brothers, gave us a gold necklace each, telling us to give it to our wives that will be with us for better for worse till death do us apart.

“She told us the value of each gold– mine was 21 carats valued at N125,000 as at 1995 when she died.

“She promised not to forgive anyone who violated her order,’’ he said.

The respondent said that he had kept the gold for about 20 years before his wife came to borrow it in 2014 and refused to give him back.

“My wife borrowed my gold necklace but has not returned it; now that she wants to divorce me, she must return the gold necklace, it is not negotiable,” Ojikutu said.

He expressed the belief that his wife must have sold the jewellery as she used to sell his clothes.

Ojikutu urged the court to grant his wife’s wish for dissolution of the marriage, saying he too was no longer in love and only wanted the return of his gold necklace.

The 28-year-old petitioner, who had approached the court to terminate her five-year-old marriage over infidelity, agreed that she collected the gold necklace from her husband.

“’I collected the gold from my husband when I wanted to go for an event but I can’t just remember where I kept it,’’ Olaide, a clothes trader, told the court.

The mother of two accused her husband of infidelity.

“My husband is having an affair; I once stumbled on some pictures on his whatsapp messages where he and his lover were sending their naked pictures to each other,” she said.

She described her husband as an irresponsible husband and father.

“My husband does not care for me or the children; even during festive periods, he never buys the children clothes or shoes.

“ My mother was the one taking care of our children. Whenever I ask him for money, he is always annoyed and often begins keeping malice with me for weeks,” she said.

According to her, she left her matrimonial home on Feb. 7, 2015 after her husband changed the key of the house and locked her out.

She begged the court to terminate the five-year-old marriage, saying that she was no longer in love.

The president of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said that the case would be left on sine die stage until the petitioner returns the respondent’s gold necklace.

“Since the respondent insisted on collecting back his gold necklace, the judgment will not be read just for peace to reign until the gold necklace is produced.

“ The case will be on sine-die stage,” Omilola ruled.
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu and controlled by Mufutau Ojo)

Niger Delta communities urged to demand accountability from NDDC

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Demand
By Ehis Ugbaugba
Benin, Oct 12, 2016 (NAN) A Non-Governmental Organisation, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has called on communities in the Niger Delta region to demand more accountability from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Executive Director of the ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor made the appeal at a news conference in Benin on Wednesday.

The conference was called to present the outcome of the implementation of Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE) projects in the region.

The ANEEJ stressed the need for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the communities to hold the NDDC and other developmental partners in the region, to account for service delivery in line with their mandate.
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The ANEEJ noted that the people desire effective, transparent and accountable institutions working in collaboration with communities to develop the region.

Ugolor said it was as a result of transparency that the ANEEJ, in partnership with the USAID project was conceived.

He said the project was also intended to raise public awareness about the mandate and activities of these institutions — the NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Development Commissions.

“They are also expected to stimulate public interest and demand improved accountability’’.

The ANEEJ boss noted that the SACE project, which commenced in November 2014 was successful.

He said some of the developmental institutions in the region responded positively to its advocacy and put measures in place to improve on their effectiveness and as well as to promote transparency and accountability.

“While we agree that there are still issues for advocacy by these institutions, we commend them for the measures in place so far to promote their effectiveness. We particularly congratulate the NDDC.

“We recommend to other institutions to install measures already adopted by the NDDC, as well as encourage all the institutions to do more to earn the confidence of the people,” he said.

Ugolor, then appealed to the media to focus more on key developmental issues in the region, rather than providing more media space to challenges of militancy and politics within the region.

“There are more positive things happenings in the region that need to occupy media spaces,” he added. (NAN)
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Edited By Adeboye Ajayi and controlled by Tony Nezianya

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Army
By Doris Esa
Abuja, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) The National Industrial Court will hear Maj.-Gen. Ijioma Ijioma’s case against the Nigeria Army Council on Oct 24.

Ijioma is challenging his retirement by the Nigeria Army Council through a letter dated June 9, 2016.

When the mater came up for hearing, the court could not continue because it was not clear which counsel represented the defendant.

The judge, Justice Maureen Esowe, said the adjournment would enable the counsel, Mr Ibrahim Etsu and Michael Owolabi, to sort out the issues of representation.

The claimant joined the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army staff as co-respondents.

Ijioma’s Counsel, Chief Michael Ozekhome (SAN), expressed displeasure over the inability of the counsel to sort out the issue of representation.

“We cannot continue to wait for the counsels to put themselves together, they had four months to agree on who to represent the defendants,’’ Ozekhome said.

Ozekhome argued that the suit was timed barred, adding that any further adjournment could jeopardise his client’s interest.

On July 21, Ijioma’s counsel had asked the court to reinstate his client, pending the determination of the suit.

Ozekhome had also asked the court to direct the respondents to put on hold the immediate stoppage of all documentation process relating to his client exist entitlements.

He also urged the court to direct that the claimant’s entitlement shall commence within 90 days if the substantive suit fails.

Ozekhome argued further that due process was not followed by the Nigeria Army in the purported retirement of Ijioma from service, adding that the action was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The court in its ruling on July 26 restrained the Army Council from commencing within 90 days the documentation of the retirement of Ijioma.

It, however, declined the prayers for the reinstatement of Ijioma since the substantive suit had not been heard. (NAN)
ORD/AOM/OFN
(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed //Felix Nwadioha)

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Scheme
By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
Lagos, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) Some capital market operators on Wednesday attributed investors return to Ponzi Schemes patronage to the ongoing economic recession in the country.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that cheer ignorance in a bid to make huge returns, contributed to investors’ patronage of the scheme.

Ponzi scheme (also a Ponzi game or a Ponzi) is a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organisation, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned through legitimate sources.

A Pyramid scheme is a form of fraud similar in some ways to a Ponzi scheme, relying as it does, on a mistaken belief in a nonexistent financial reality.

Operators of Ponzi schemes usually entice new investors by offering higher returns than other investments in form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent.

Mr Sola Oni, the Chief Executive Officer, SOFUNIX Investment and Communications Ltd., said that people were easily lured to the scheme due to the hardship in the country.

“As the economic recession bites harder, it is easy to lure unsuspecting but gullible people to fall prey to these wonder schemes,’’ Oni said.

He said that there were two categories of investors that patronise the wonder schemes whose Return On Investment (ROI) was off efficient frontier.

Oni explained that the first set were those who fall prey out of sheer ignorance and those who were taking uncalculated risk.

According to him, desire to make abnormal profit is peculiar to the two categories.

He, however, called on the relevant authorities to intensify their monitoring exercise and ensure that culprits face the wrath of the law.

“There should be more awareness creation on these schemes to prevent the innocent ones from falling victim,’’ Oni added.

Oni said that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had enough rules that outlawed Ponzi Schemes.

Mr Boniface Okezie, President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), blamed Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for the activities of the scheme promoters in the country.

Okezie said there should be proper scrutiny before registration of any company by the commission, adding that regulators should clamp down on these companies to protect innocent investors.

He called for proper enlightenment of investors through the mass media, both print and electronic, to save innocent investors from falling prey.

NAN reports that Mr Mounir Gwarzo, SEC Director-General, recently called on investors to be weary of Ponzi Schemes operating in the country.

Gwarzo said that even if the company was registered with SEC, potential investors should endeavour to find out from the commission whether the company’s activities had been approved by the commission.

He said the commission was collaborating with the police and other relevant law enforcement agencies to check the activities of the operators of such schemes. (NAN)
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu and Controlled by Peter Ejiofor)

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SON
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Osun, says it confiscated substandard and fake products worth N20 million in the last five months.

The State Coordinator of SON, Mr Sunday Badewole, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Osogbo.

Badewole said the substandard products were confiscated during raids of some major markets in the state by the SON taskforce.

He said the products confiscated during the raid were fake and expired tyres, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, cables, and electronics.

Badewole, who decried the influx of fake products into the markets, said the organisation would not relent on the enforcement of standards and standardisation of products in the markets.

He said many of the confiscated goods did not have SON logo, while the logo on some of the products was fake.

“Many of the manufacturers use fake SON logo on their products, not knowing that any logo the organisation gives out usually has a code.

“SON code is usually for specific products but since they do not know, they will put the fake code that is meant for food products on electrical products.

“Except you are told, you will not know the logo is fake but once we see it we will know,’’ Badewole said.

He said that the fake SON logo was usually on imported goods, adding that it was part of the mandate of the organisation to rid the markets of such products.

“Any product with fake SON logo is regarded as substandard and we remove such from the market,’’ Badewole said.

He, however, said the organisation was planning a public enlightenment workshop on how to identify fake SON logo on products before buying.

Badewole warned people against buying and selling fake and used tyres, popularly known as Tokunbo.

“We encourage those who are selling tyres to stop selling used tyres,’’ he said.

Badewole said the organisation would not relent in its mandate of sanitising the Nigerian markets against fake and substandard goods. (NAN)
VE/AOS/AJA
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(Edited by Bayo Sekoni and controlled by Adeleye Ajayi)