Fuel Price Hike: Civil Society Groups Protest In Edo, FG Calls For Patience

Carrying placards with several inscriptions, the Edo civil society groups also rejected the proposed N8,000 palliative by the Federal Government following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Civil society groups under the aegis of the Edo Civil Society Organizations have taken to the streets of Benin City, the state capital, in protest against the recent hike in fuel prices.

They walked through some major streets and condemned the increase and the high cost of governance in Nigeria.

The protesters claim the cost of governance is high in Nigeria. 

 The protesters are piqued by what they described as an increment in the price of petrol amid penury.

One of the protesters.

According to them, the new National Assembly members are made to share huge sums running into billions of naira to improve their working conditions while the downtrodden groan under the new fuel regime. 

Carrying placards with several inscriptions, the Edo civil society groups also rejected the proposed N8,000 palliative by the Federal Government following the removal of the petrol subsidy. 

FG Calls For Patience

New SGF George Akume (L) in a handshake with President Bola Tinubu after his swearing-in on June 7, 2023, in Abuja.

The protest comes almost two months after President Bola Tinubu declared the subsidy era gone. Since the development, the price of the commodity has increased from around N900 per litre to between N600-N700 across the country.

While the Federal Government says the move is in the best interest of the country, critics argue it will plunge the country into crisis.

In the wake of the move, the Federal Government proposed an N8,000 palliative for Nigerians but later said it would review it after a wave of backlash.

It also called for patience and said measures were being worked out to ease the pains occasioned by the subsidy removal. 

“As a government, we have heard your cries about fuel price increases, and be rest assured, we are working round the clock to normalize and bring solutions that ease the pain,” the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, said late Sunday. “Our job is to give you the quality of life you deserve when you wake up. So far, we are on course.”

Already, some state governments, notably Bayelsa, have rolled out vehicles to aid movement.

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JUST IN: Two Immediate-Past Commissioners in Kano Confirmed Dead

Two former commissioners in Kano State, who served during the immediate past administration of Abdullahi Ganduje, have died. 

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Alhassan Muhammad Dawaki, the former commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, died on Friday after battling a brief illness. He was 79 years old and left behind wives and 15 children.

Barrister Zubaida Damakka, the former commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, died in Abuja on the same day after a brief illness. She was 55 years old and left behind three children and a husband.

Their funeral prayers took place in Kano on Sunday according to Islamic rites.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in a statement expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. He described Dawaki as a “prominent figure and well respected personality” whose sudden departure had left a void in the hearts of many.

The governor also prayed for the strength and resilience of the grieving families, wishing them solace during the difficult period of mourning.

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#EndSARS: No body taken from toll gate, says Lagos govt

• Mass burial is for victims of violence, state clarifies  

The Lagos State government has debunked reports of a planned mass burial for casualties of the 2020 #Endsars protest. 

from the Public Procurement Agency’. 

Ogboye maintained that the 103 bodies were picked up after the violent #EndSARS protests and other clashes at Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo and Ajah areas of the state, as well as a jailbreak at Ikoyi prison.

There was a letter from the Lagos State Government Public Procurement Agency, ‘Letter of No Objection – Mass Burial for the 103, the Year 2020 ENDSARS victims’, permitting the burial of the victims.

But Ogboye accused mischief makers of misinterpreting the letter to misinform the public, stir public sentiment and cause public disaffection against the Lagos State government.

The statement reads: “It is public knowledge that the year 2020 #EndSARS crisis that snowballed into violence in many parts of Lagos recorded casualties in different areas of the state and NOT from the Lekki Toll Gate, as being inferred in the mischievous publications.

ALSO READ: Leaked Memo Shows Lagos Govt Approved N61m For Mass Burial Of 103 ENDSARS Victims

“For the records, the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) picked up bodies in the aftermath of #EndSARS violence and community clashes at Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo and Ajah areas of Lagos State, including a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison.

“The 103 casualties mentioned in the document were from these incidents and NOT from Lekki Toll-gate as being alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, no body was retrieved from the Lekki Toll Gate incident.

“While the Lagos State government would not have dignified the mischievous elements peddling such news with a response, we consider it appropriate to set the records straight and draw the attention of well-meaning citizens to the antics of some unscrupulous elements who are bent on disrupting the peace and tranquillity of Lagos with distorted news and half-truth about the letter.

“In the aftermath of the #EndSARS violence, the Office of the Chief Coroner invited the public, through adverts and announcements who had lost loved ones or whose relatives had been declared missing between October 19 and 27, 2020, from various clashes as mentioned above, to contact the department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), to help with identification of these casualties deposited in state-owned morgues. Relatives were to undergo DNA tests for identification purposes. It is important to state categorically that nobody responded to claim any of the bodies.

“However, after almost three years, the bodies remain unclaimed, adding to the congestion of the morgues. This spurred the need to decongest the morgues – a procedure that follows very careful medical and legal guidelines in the event that a relative may still turn up to claim a lost relative years after the incident. Decongestion of our public morgues is a periodic and regular exercise approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to free up space in mortuaries that have a large number of unclaimed bodies.”

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Leaked Memo Shows Lagos Govt Approved N61m For Mass Burial Of 103 ENDSARS Victims

In response, the Lagos State Ministry of Health confirmed the letter, but insisted that details in the documents were being misconstrued. 

A leaked memo addressed to the Lagos State Ministry of Health indicating that the State Government approved N61,285,000 for the mass burial of 103 persons identified as 2020 EndSARS victims has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage. 

 The memo dated July 19, 2023, captures steps for the processing of funds after approval by the governor. Earlier, a Ministerial Tenders’ Board Meeting reportedly sat over the recommendations of the Procurement Planning Committee, after which no objections were raised to the award of the mass burial contract to a funeral service provider.

The five-paragraph leaked memo also directs that relevant taxes and deductions are remitted by the approved company.

In response, the Lagos State Ministry of Health confirmed the letter in a statement on Sunday evening, but insisted that details were being misconstrued. The state government argued that the victims were from incidents of violence that occurred in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests.

READ ALSO: #EndSARS: No body taken from toll gate, says Lagos govt

There has been controversy over the number of deaths recorded during the EndSARS protest, resulting in the governor setting up an inquest led by Justice Doris Okuwobi.

Since the protest in 2020, both the Lagos Government and the Federal Government have consistently denied any mass killing during the EndSARS protests.

The memo is coming over two years after the widespread protest across the country.

The Lagos Government has yet to comment on the leaked memo.

Thousands of Nigerians across the country took to the streets to protest police brutality and called for far-reaching reforms, particularly with regard to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the police.

The weeks-long protests, which gained international attention, culminated in the controversial shooting of protesters at the popular Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, one of the rallying points for those who partook in the demonstrations.

However, the Lagos State Government, in its response to the memo, maintained that the victims to be buried were not from the Lekki Tollgate shooting.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, said the Lagos State Environmental Health Unit (SEHMU) picked up bodies in the aftermath of #EndSARS violence and community clashes.

The areas cited included Fagba, Ketu, Ikorodu, Orile, Ajegunle, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Ojota, Ekoro, Ogba, Isolo and Ajah areas of Lagos State. Ogboye added that there was also a jailbreak at Ikoyi Prison.

“The 103 casualties mentioned in the document were from these incidents and NOT from Lekki Toll-gate as being alleged. For the avoidance of doubt, no body was retrieved from the Lekki Toll Gate incident,” the statement read.

See a copy of the leaked memo below:

©ChannelsTv

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20 killed in Ore tanker fire

About 20 persons including three children and a pregnant woman have been roasted to death after a tanker exploded at Ore, Odigbo Local government area of Ondo State. 

The fire was said to have been ignited by a spark from a phone held by one of the persons scooping fuel that spilled from the tanker. The expectant mother was said to have brought N100,000 to buy fuel from the fallen tanker.

An eyewitness who gave his name as Cyriacus said they were inside the church when the tanker fell and spilled its contents on the road. 

Cyriacus said some persons rushed to scoop fuel despite being warned by their clergy.

“We were inside the church when we heard that tanker fell. The rain was also falling. People were taking fuel when fire started after a spark from a phone. “Three children died and we have counted over 15 bodies. A pregnant woman that wanted to buy the fuel also died. The money is still with her.”

Ondo Police spokesman, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, said a probe has been launched.

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Tuition fees hike: NANS threatens protest

• Ministry blames ex-President Buhari for increase 

 The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the management of federal universities across the country to jettison their plan to increase school fees and levies paid by students. 

But the Federal Ministry of Education said the new school fees regime for unity colleges was reviewed by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.  

NANS gave the warning in a statement by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Giwa Temitope, at the weekend. 

The national students’ body said the fee increment by the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, which was announced last Friday; the planned fee hike by other federal universities across the country and federal government colleges, showed what it called insensitivity to the plight of most Nigerians who are going through difficult times. 

The statement reads: “It is most ridiculous that the government will be introducing fee increment without thinking of rescuing the over 133 million Nigerians out of multi-dimensional poverty they are in.” 

“To us, an increment in school fees will complicate the poverty conditions of most parents and students, and it will increase the number of out-of-school children in the country.

“Before now, some students could not afford the fees and various other levies. Because of that, many of them dropped out of school. What would now happen to students, who are sponsoring themselves and their parents, who have more than one child in school?

“As an association, we believe that the Nigerian government has what it takes to massively fund education and make it accessible, if there is a political will.

“In fact, the student loan that was introduced by the Federal Government is nothing but a sham and a bait to lure Nigerian people into accepting increment in fees payment.

“Beyond the fact that the terms of the loan are ridiculous, history has taught us that not every applicant will be considered.

“And even if all were to be considered, that does not justify fee increment in an economy like ours with a high unemployment index.” 

Some documents obtained yesterday from the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja showed that the new school fees regime was approved by the immediate past Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, under ex-President Buhari.

A source in the ministry, who spoke in confidence, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the fees were reviewed across board and not only for JSS 1 pupils.

The source said the uniform was added because of adulterated uniforms procured by parents for their children.

READ ALSO:  FG Increases Unity Colleges’ Fees From ₦45,000 To ₦100,000

He said this was done to ensure uniformity in dressing, adding that tuition fees in government unity colleges were free while the pupils would pay for other things, such as textbooks, uniform and feeding, for boarding students.

“The news trending now about a hike in school fees was reviewed by the last administration.

“If you check the date on the circular, it was before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office and we released it in May to sensitise parents.

“So, the increase is insignificant, as projected in the media. Truth be told: we don’t charge school fees. Which school will you put your child in and feed him or her for three months with N30,000?

“The overheads in the school system is very poor. They just released money for April two weeks ago. So, it is the money that students pay that is used to augment some things in the school,” the source said.

In 2020, the Federal Government charged N15,000 as boarding fee for new students, bringing the total fee to N50,500.

The government also reviewed the boarding fee to N30,000 in May, thereby bringing the total fee to N100,000.

For returning students, the Federal Government charged N48,500 as total fee in 2020 as against N47,000 in 2023 for boarding students.

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Guardiola announces his departure from Man City

Pep Guardiola is in Japan to begin the team's tour of friendly matches. In this pre-season, the coach wants to observe all the Manchester City players to assemble his squad. The goal of the club is to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup again.

Guardiola has been working at Manchester City for more than seven years and he has already fulfilled his objective in this team, which was to win the Champions League. At the end of the final against Inter Milan he said, "the job is done." 

Now in the Manchester City pre-season, The Sun newspaper revealed that Guardiola will end his contract with the club until the 2025 season but he does not intend to renew and will leave the team that year. Now, in one more season, the club's managers will have to look for Pep's replacement. 

In an interview with Radio Catalunya, Guardiola confirmed the news. "I will not be City's Ferguson. Being 25-28 years old, no", said the coach. Pep has won more than 35 championships in his career and is one of the best coaches in history. 

The club that seeks to sign Pep Guardiola Mundo Deportivo reported that FC Barcelona dreams of a possible return of Guardiola to the club. Xavi Hernández ends his contract with Barca in the 2025 season. Pep could work again with the team that formed him as a player and coach, also where he is a leg

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20-year-old prostitute jailed for having s@x with a minor

Mercy Chisiyo, a 20-year-old prostitute from Lion's Den in Chinhoyi, has been charged with having s@x with a minor. 

New Zimbabwe reported that Mercy Chisiyo was apprehended by the authorities after being accused of engaging in intercourse with an underage boy. 

The state’s case, led by prosecutor Tafadzwa Knight Rwodzi, highlighted that the boy had initially visited Mukanya Bar for a musical show. There, he encountered Chisiyo, who was soliciting clients at the time. The two agreed upon an arrangement, with the boy promising to pay a fee of US$5 for their encounter.  

Things however took an unexpected turn after the rendezvous. The young boy entrusted Chisiyo with his Huawei cellphone as a promise of payment, expecting to retrieve it the following day after clearing his debt. But when he returned to the prostitute with the outstanding money, Chisiyo told him that she has no intention of returning the gadget. This left him frustrated and betrayed. He went on to report the incident to the police. 

During the investigation, it came to light that Chisiyo had violated the law by bedding a boy below the age of 16. The court ruled that her actions were unlawful, leading to a sentence that left her fate hanging in the balance. 

 Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki, presiding over the case, ultimately sentenced Mercy Chisiyo to six months of imprisonment. However, the sentence was later commuted to 210 hours of community service, giving her a chance to make amends for her wrongdoing.

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UNILAG confirms hike in fees, to take effect September

UNILAG confirms hike in fees, to take effect September 

 The University of Lagos has announced an adjustment in the obligatory fees for both returning and new students of the institution. 

 This is contained in a statement by the university management issued to newsmen by the Communication unit on Friday night in Lagos. 

 According to the statement, the upward review in the fees is with effect from September 1. 

 “After careful deliberations with its stakeholders comprising of students, parents/guardians, staff unions and alumni among others, the university of Lagos management has reviewed the obligatory fees (mandatory charges for an academic session/year) of new and returning undergraduate students of the institution. 

 “The adjustment in these fees which will take effect from first semester 2023/2024 academic session, is in view of the prevailing economic realities and the need for the university to be able to meet its obligation to its students, staff and municipal service providers among others. 

 “It is also pertinent to note that the university has not increased its obligatory fees in recent years. 

“Management therefore seeks the kind understanding and support of students and other stakeholders with assurance of its commitment toward ensuring that students get the best learning experience,” it stated. 

 A breakdown of the fees shows that the mandatory charges for one academic session for new undergraduate students include N126, 325, for courses without laboratory/studio. 

 The statement also indicated N176,325 as mandatory charges for one academic session for courses with laboratory and studio.

 

A further breakdown of the approved mandatory charges for one academic year or session for returning students showed that they would pay N100,750 for courses without laboratory and studio. 

 The approved mandatory charges for courses with laboratory and studio according to the statement is N140,250. 

 The statement further added that approved charges for all Medical students of the institution was N190,250. It noted that utility charges of N20,000 was to be paid by all undergraduate students, while a total of N30,000 was to be paid by all final year students. 

 According to the statement, charges for field trips, where such is a mandatory requirement of the course of study, will be determined as the need arises. 

NAN

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Rockets, Shells Kill 20 Sudan Civilians – Lawyers, Medics

In the South Darfur state capital Nyala, the local lawyers' union said that rocket fire had killed 16 civilians.

At least 20 Sudanese civilians have been killed by rocket fire on residential areas of one of Darfur’s main cities and by shelling near hospitals in North Kordofan state, lawyers and medics said Saturday. 

 The doctors’ union said that since Friday morning shells had struck near four hospitals in the North Kordofan state capital El-Obeid, killing four civilians and wounding 45.

 In the South Darfur state capital Nyala, the local lawyers’ union said that rocket fire had killed 16 civilians. 

 The Darfur region, already ravaged by brutal conflict in the early 2000s, has seen some of the worst of the violence since fighting erupted in mid-April between Sudanese rival generals vying for power. 

 “During an exchange of rocket fire between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), 16 civilians were killed on Friday, according to a preliminary toll,” the lawyers’ union said. 

 And at least one man was killed by a sniper, it added.

 In the West Darfur capital of El Geneina, near Chad, snipers have reportedly been targeting residents from rooftops since fighting began, and tens of thousands have fled across the border. 

 The war, which broke out in the capital Khartoum on April 15 and spread to Darfur later that month, has left at least 3,000 dead across Sudan, according to a conservative estimate. 

 It pits army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary RSF. 

 Fighting in Darfur, an RSF stronghold, has recently concentrated around Nyala, after brutal clashes in El Geneina where the United Nations had reported atrocities. 

Battles have also continued in and around Khartoum. Residents reported on Saturday the first army air strikes on villages in the Al-Jazirah state, just south of the capital. 

The fertile land between the White Nile and Blue Nile rivers now hosts several hundred thousands of the estimated 3.3 million people the war has displaced. 

If fighting expands into Al-Jazirah, they may be forced to flee again. 

 “The RSF has held the upper hand in Khartoum since the early days of the war, but that advantage is only growing more apparent,” the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank said. 

 The army on July 15 launched a major offensive in North Khartoum, flattening entire suburban neighbourhoods with air raids, “but it failed spectacularly”, the ICG said. The RSF, meanwhile, are trying to seize the main Darfur-Khartoum road to ensure a constant supply of fighters and weapons. 

Both Burhan and Daglo have representatives in Saudi Arabia, where truce talks have in theory been taking place. 

 But on Friday, the government in Khartoum denied “any information concerning a near truce”.

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Parents beg FG, seek review of increase in school fees

More concerned parents of Unity College students in the country have called on the Federal Government to revisit the sudden increase in fees for their children, in a bid to make education accessible to all. 

 The Federal Government, through a circular issued to principals of unity schools across the country and sighted by NAN, increased the fees for new students from N45,000 to N100,000. 

 Mrs Mitchelle Uzor, a small business owner, told NAN that there was no way children of low-income earners could afford such bills, considering the current economic reality in the country. 

 YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: FG Increases Unity Colleges’ Fees From ₦45,000 To ₦100,000

According to her, the unity schools remain the last hope for the masses in acquiring standard education, without necessarily breaking the banks. 

She said news on the increase was a blow to her, as she had been saving and preparing for her son, who just graduated from primary school and was ready to gain admission in one of the colleges in Lagos. 

“I really don’t know what to do now. I am in a state of confusion because I can not afford that kind of money. 

“Times are already hard ordinarily. We can barely feed properly and yet we are faced with this kind of news. 

“A situation whereby there is no more hope for access to good public schools where we can still find quality education for our children is unacceptable.

“As Nigerians the only thing that we can gain as proud citizens of this country should be quality education but as we are going, all that seems to fizzle out with all these developments. 

“It is not what we expected at this time,” she said. 

Mrs Funmilayo Olubiyo, a civil servant, decried the development and called for a review of the fees. 

According to her, the current economic crunch is already too much a burden to bear.

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Kanu Nwankwo Promises Positive Changes In Enyimba

The Nigerian legend gave the assurance when he visited Caleb Ajagba, the Chief of Staff to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, at the Government House in Umuahia the capital.

photo of Kanu Nwankwo.

Kanu Nwankwo is promising positive changes in Enyimba, days after he was named as the club’s new chairman. 

 The Nigerian legend gave the assurance when he visited Caleb Ajagba, the Chief of Staff to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, at the Government House in Umuahia the capital. 

A statement from the Abia State Government House on Friday said Kanu’s “visit is to formally inform the State Governor of his arrival and readiness to commence work and stated his commitment to render his services to the people of Abia in the area of football. 

“He assured that with his assumption of office, there will be positive changes in Enyimba and further noted that the time has come for the illustrious sons and daughters of Abia to come together and make the State great again.”

On his part, Ajagba said Abia State has all it needs to excel as a people. He has therefore called on those given responsibilities to find creative ways to discharge their duties to prove that their appointment is not a mistake. 

He noted the Governor’s undying love for excellence which necessitated Mr Kanu’s new role, adding that his work is well cut out.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO READ: Enyimba fc of Aba has a new chairman

Citing Kanu’s early days at Iwuanyanwu Football Club in Owerri, and the numerous honours in football, the Chief of Staff expressed hopes that the ex-Arsenal star will replicate excellence in Enyimba.

According to him, as a football star, a lot is expected from him as Abians look up to him to get it right.

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FG Increases Unity Colleges’ Fees From ₦45,000 To ₦100,000

According to the circular, new students are expected to part with ₦100,000 instead of the previous 45,000.

A file photo of secondary school students writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

The Federal Government has increased school fees for Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), otherwise known as Federal Unity Colleges, from ₦45,000 to ₦100,000. 

This was contained in a directive from the Office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education, reference number ADF/120/DSSE/I, dated 25th May 2023 and addressed to all principals of Federal Unity Colleges. 

According to the circular entitled “Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st Term) for new students,” signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, new students are expected to part with ₦100,000 instead of the previous ₦45,000. 

The latest fees/charge increment will affect virtually all aspects and activities of the school, including tuition and boarding fees, uniforms, textbooks, deposit, exercise books, prospectus, caution fees, ID cards, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lesson, insurance, among others. 

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives had on July 11, urged the Federal Government to reverse the increment of school fees in all federal government-owned secondary schools. 

The resolution followed a motion moved by Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Kama Nkemkanma (LP, Ebonyi). 

Nkemkanma had while moving the motion said the increment was causing untold hardship for students.

© channeltv

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Enyimba fc of Aba has a new chairman

Abia State governor Alex Otti has appointed former Arsenal striker and Nigeria International, Kanu Nwankwo as as the new Chariman of Enyimba FC of Aba. He resumes immediately.

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Suspect arrested for st*bbing Nigerian student to d3ath in Canada

Police have arrested a suspect wanted in connection with the deadly stabbing of a Nigerian student, Ifeanyichukwu Oseke. 

 Oseke, 28, was stabbed in a Scarborough parking lot after an altercation with another man on June 25, 2023. He later died in the hospital. 

 A search for a male suspect who was last seen fleeing the scene in a dark-coloured sedan, heading south on Brimley Road, began in the days that followed. 

On Saturday, July 1, police provided an update on the investigation and identified 25-year-old Toronto resident, Tamar Cupid as the suspect wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing.

A Canada-wide warrant was issued for Tamar Cupid on the charge of second-degree murder, police said. 

 In an update on Saturday night, police said Cupid was arrested and charged hours into the warrant. 

He appeared before the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Sunday.

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Popular Akwa Ibom pastor dies two days after officiating funeral service

The Lead Pastor of The Evening Church in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Runcie Mike, has died two days after officiating the funeral service of one of his members, the 36-year-old daughter of a popular broadcaster.

According to The Nation, the Pastor whose church is located at the Shopping Mall, Tropicana Centre, Uyo was said to have died on Saturday July 1, in Uyo.

Survived by a wife and two children, he was said to have died after a brief sickness. When the news broke, many of the church members thought it was fake news. But the leadership of the church later confirmed the sad development.

“In this time of grief, we enjoin the body of Christ to hold us up in prayers and most especially, His immediate family,” the church announced.

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JAMB withdraws result of Anambra student who secured a N3million scholarship after faking her result

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has said it would withdraw the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination(UTME) result of Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma for parading a fake score. 

A statement released by the board's Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, on Sunday July 2, says Mmesoma scored 249 in the examination as against the 362 she is parading. The organisation said it would prosecute Miss Ejikeme for tampering with its result. It added that Miss Ejikeme was offered a N3 million scholarship by founder of Innoson motors, Innocent Chukwuma for scoring 362 in the 2023 UTME. 

 The statement reads;

“The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has been drawn to several publications in both print and online media celebrating certain candidates for being high scorers in the 2023 UTME. 

The Board is constrained to set the records straight and wishes to state unequivocally that many of the results which many of these candidates are parading are fake. In many instances, some of these candidates had actually obtained far lower scores than they are claiming and had used some funny software packages to manipulate their results to deceive unsuspecting members of the public. 

The most pathetic of them all is the case of Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, who claimed to have scored 362 in the 2023 UTME and was awarded a N3m scholarship by Chief (Dr.) Innocent Chukwuma. 

She was even set to be honoured by the Anambra State Government when one of its top officials put a call through to JAMB to confirm her claim only for the Board to reveal that Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had actually scored 249 and not 362 she claimed. She had manipulated her UTME result to deceive the public to fraudulently obtain scholarship and other recognition. 

The Board would like to state that the likes of Mmesoma are still out there deceiving those who are always in a hurry to bestow honours on candidates without confirming from the Board. 

A similar case was that of one Atung Gerald in Kaduna, who claimed to have scored 380. His ethnic group had taken the issue up requesting that he should be given special recognition only for the Board to disappoint them with the incontestable fact that Atung never obtained the 2023 UTME application documents not to talk of sitting the examination. 

The Board would, therefore, want to advise the public to always cross check these claims by candidates with the Board before rushing to honour them with undeserving awards as certain software have been created to fake their version of their results and put same out in the public space for fun and this is what the sponsors of these candidates are using to defraud good-spirited Nigerians such as Dr. Innocent, the founder of Innoson Motors, who sincerely desires to celebrate academic excellence by investing in the education of a young Nigerian. 

We commended the likes of Dr. Innocent Chukwuma and wish to encourage other Nigerians, who desire to invest in the future of genuine youngsters, never to be discouraged but to always ensure that they get the authentic results from the Board as done by the Anambra State Ministry of Education, otherwise they will be celebrating criminality as this is just another new fraudulent method in town. However, these candidates only succeed in manipulating what they are holding as the authentic results are with the Board and would be transmitted to their schools of choice at the appropriate time. 

It is to be noted that Miss Mmesoma had sent a message to the Board’s platform to request her UTME result after which she manually inflated her scores and pasted the same on the 2022 UTME result sheet. Unknown to her, the Board had changed the design of the 2023 UTME result sheet. Her original result remains 249 as nothing can change that. With this her ignoble act, Miss Mmesoma would be prosecuted and her original result withdrawn. This is not all as the Board would, in due course, investigate all candidates laying claims to higher scores than they actually obtained. Once discovered, such candidates’ original results would be withdrawn forthwith and they would be handed over to relevant security agencies for prosecution.”

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38-year-old teacher narrowly escapes lynching after being caught raping pupil in maize farm

A junior secondary school teacher narrowly escaped lynching after he was caught raping a grade 7 pupil in a maize plantation in Nandi County, Kenya.

The teacher Eric Rotich, 38, was fished out of the maize farm by irate members of the public who found him defiling the girl at the weekend. 

 The teacher had parked his motorcycle on a roadside after waylaying the pupil who was heading home with maize flour from a posho mill.

The public was attracted by distressed cries from the girl calling for help from the maize farm. 

Tindiret sub-county police commander Mohammed Jireh, confirmed the arrest of the teacher on Sunday, July 2, 2023, saying he would face the law. 

 "The victim was taken to Meteitei sub-district hospital for treatment and for further investigations because this a serious matter and the suspect will face the law,” Jireh said. 

 According to the Soba location Chief William Lulei, the suspect together with the defiled child was handed to him by members of the public. 

 They took them to Songhor police station where the teacher is expected to appear at the Maraba law courts in Tinderet. 

 The suspect is a JSS teacher at Sigoria Junior Secondary School while her victim is a pupil at the neighbouring junior secondary school. 

 “The teaching narrowly escaped the public wrath after he was shielded by police officers who arrived at the scene just on time after I summoned them,” Lulei revealed. 

 Tinderet sub-county has the lowest transitional rate for girls in the Six Nandi sub-counties due to early marriages and dropouts occasioned by early pregnancies. 

 An NGO operating in the area “Chalan Foundation” which supports young mothers to return back to school, says most school-going girls got impregnated through defilements that were never reported to authorities. Margaret Koskei, the foundation chair lady noted that due to poverty and the harsh environment in Tinderet, families decide to remain silent and marry off their daughters at tender ages. 

 "We want to return all young mothers to school, many have returned through our efforts and have even completed University education,” Koskei says.

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Three Chinese warships arrive Nigeria in a bid to strengthen bilateral relationship

A Chinese Navy Escort Task Group (ETG) 162, comprising MSL Destroyer NANNING, MSL Frigate SANYA, and Supply Ship WEISHANHU, arrived Nigeria on Sunday, July 2, to strengthen bilateral relationship between the two countries. 

 The MSL Destroyer NANNING made the port call at Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) Berth 21, while the other two ships remained at anchorage.

 Addressing reporters after the ship which had over 700 occupants arrived Nigeria, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Chi Jian Chun said the visitation scheduled for July 2 to 6, would enhance maritime security within West Africa. 

  He said;

“The visit is to further deepen the relationship the two countries have with one another and also seek to strengthen and improve our relationship and cooperation with each other. 

“This visit demonstrates the harmony and symphony between Nigeria and China. I believe that this visit will deepen the cooperation between both countries military sector so that we can work together to overcome obstacles. 

“We will continue to do more things to facilitate and promote the relationship between the two countries.”

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Adm. Joseph Akpan, also said the visitation would further help to cement the relationship between the two countries and also help fight crimes especially in the Gulf of Guinea. 

  Akpan said;

“During their period of stay, our men will be interacting, we will be having some sporting activities, exchange of momentous and gifts. 

“We will also discuss the future of both navies, especially on how we can benefit from each other. This helps to foster friendship across the horizon.”

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NYSC explains why corps members are yet to receive June allowance

The National Youth Service Corps has explained why there is a delay in the payment of June allowance to corps members. 

 According to NYSC management, it completed all arrangements for the payment since June 27. The service corps said the delay being currently experienced is due to the administration of funds by various banks who are yet to credit Corps Members’ accounts.

NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, said in a statement; 

 “The Management of National Youth Service Corps wishes to state that it is aware of worries and agitations by corps members over the delay in the payment of their June 2023 monthly allowance. 

 “For the avoidance of doubt, the scheme completed all arrangements for the payment of corps members’ allowance since June 27, 2023, and remittances were made the same day to various banks accordingly. 

 “The delay being currently experienced is due to the administration of funds by various banks who are yet to credit Corps Members’ accounts. 

 “In line with the above, NYSC management is assiduously interfacing with the banks to fast-track the payment of corps members’ June allowance without further delay. 

 "Corps members should remain calm, law-abiding and dutiful in their respective places of national service as the scheme will continue to treat issues relating to their welfare with utmost priority”.

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