The Niger state police command has arrested a welder identified as Tunde Tayo for killing a commercial motorcyclist popularly known as Okada man, and harvesting his vital organs including his intestine for rituals.
The arrested suspect whose house at Ungwan Roka in Maitumbi, a suburb in Bosso Local Government Area was near the shallow grave where the headless body of 25-year-old Abdullahi Sale was recovered, confessed to the crime when paraded before newsmen on Saturday, September 14.
“I beheaded and removed Sale’s intestine for ritual purposes. I even buried him in a shallow grave near my house” he said.
The arrest of the father of five came after neighbours reported the newly dug grave close to his house to the police.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muhammad Abubakar, said the suspect admitted to the crime after everyone in the house was arrested after the headless body of the okada rider was exhumed. Tayo who said he committed the said offence because his returns as welder could not sustain his family of seven, will be charged to court when investigation has been concluded.
A company based in Salehurst, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, United Kingdom (UK), narrowly escaped being scammed by am impostor of Chief Operating Officer, at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The Corporation, which confirmed this on Saturday, advised that individuals and corporate bodies, locally and internationally, should be wary of unscrupulous elements parading themselves as officials of the corporation.
The warming, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said in a statement, came in the wake of the claim by a group of dubious individuals to be representing “a Gas and Power Committee” of the corporation, hosting a chief executive of a United Kingdom based company in a purported “office of NNPC” in Abuja recently.
The release said one of the miscreants had claimed the identity of NNPC Chief Operation Officer (COO), Gas and Power, Engr. Yusuf Usman, all in an attempt to swindle the unsuspecting company based in Salehurst, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, UK.
Mr. Ughamadu said the unsuspecting UK entity was saved from an ordeal when it reached out to the corporation’s London Office, to authenticate the swindlers’ identity, following the difficulties the company had experienced in reconnecting with the conmen on telephone.
The release said one of the miscreants had given the unsuspecting UK company a fake call card of NNPC COO, Gas and Power, Engr. Usman.
The NNPC spokesperson advised individuals and corporate bodies, in their own interest, to verify the identity of any officials of NNPC from relevant units of the corporation before making commitments to avoid falling into the trap of swindlers.
Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), has warned personnel of the service against corruption.
Ali gave the warning on Saturday when he visited border posts in Cross River state alongside Mohammed Babandede, comptroller-general of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Addressing officers of the two agencies after the visit, Ali warned against cutting corners, saying the days of illegality in the services are over.
He said the NCS has been repositioned for better and effective service delivery for the growth of the country.
“It’s high time you committed yourselves to the service. If you cut corners, you will find yourself in jail,” NAN quoted him as saying.
“We will not only dismiss you from service, we will prosecute you; that is the only way to punish the bad eggs. When you compromise, be ready to pay for it.
“Dear colleagues, times have changed and we must change accordingly. I urge you to be more dedicated in service and anything you merit will come to you.
“It is time to serve Nigeria with all our strength. I want you all to see your uniform as a great honour and a call for excellent service.”
Speaking, Babandede warned the personnel against sacrificing the future of the country for monetary values.
He said: “Your small local activities can affect the whole country. I want to charge you all to be upright for the growth and development of the country.”
“We will continue to reward hard work and efficient service delivery. I want to assure you that we are with you always.”
The Ikoyi office of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has included Saturday in its workdays to meet the demands of passport applicants.
This means that applicants can now visit the Ikoyi office to apply and pick up processed passports during the weekend.
Complaints of the laborious process involved in applying and getting a Nigerian passport are not uncommon.
Speaking to NAN on Saturday, Uju Grace, the public relations officer of the passport office, said office ran shifts to ease the burden and guard against undue backlogs.
Mannir Yari, the passport control officer of the Ikoyi centre, said the extension of workdays was part of strategies developed by the office to ensure Nigerians accessed NIS service delivery speedily.
“Ikoyi passport is where you can apply and get your passport in a week, in fact, our office has cleared all backlog of the old passport,” he said.
“We are just waiting for applicants to come for collection.”
Crowded collection room at the Ikoyi passport office
An applicant who spoke to NAN under anonymously commended the centre for striving hard to meet the demands.
She affirmed that the collection process had become easier and better if compared to some years back.
“I advise the Federal government to employ more hands to meet these ever-increasing demands,” she opined.
“More Nigerians troop to this office to seek for passports, although the banks within NIS premises provide seats and conducive environment for applicants.”
Yetunde Maja, another applicant, decried the time wasted on queues to collect the passports.
“I was scheduled for Friday to collect my passport; however, I have been here close to three hours,” she said.
“Although the queue is moving gradually.”
(NAN)
Many phone users tend to complain that their device’s batteries discharge quickly. They also typically blame the product manufacturer for this issue; however, the manufacturer isn’t always at fault. Here are some five mistakes that users typically make when charging their phones.
Waiting for the Battery to reach low levels before charging
Avoid waiting for your battery to reach a critically low level before charging. The effect of this on your phone battery is not immediate, but over time it begins to manifest and it eventually stresses out your phone battery (yes, batteries get stressed too) and shortens the battery life. Think of your battery as a human body, you really don’t need to wait until you’re about to die before you rest and eat to recharge yourself.
Keeping your phone case on while charging
Your phone typically emits heat when charging. To avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures, it’s advisable to remove the phone case while charging your phone so that the heat emitted from your phone while charging can escape. This way you can prevent your device from becoming hotter and potentially overheating when charging. Charging your battery at uncomfortable temperatures can permanently damage battery capacity.
Charging your phone in the wrong places
You should mind where you charge your phone, because not doing so can negatively affect your battery capacity. Phones have a temperature range they can function normally and charging your phone in a hot area can raise the temperature and stress the battery out. Also, charging your phone in especially low temperature areas, like in front of an air conditioner, can also cause problems for your battery that will eventually affect its optimum performance.
Charging your phone overnight
The least you’ll sleep throughout the night is most likely going to be between 5 to 8 hours, your smartphone battery typically only needs 2 to 3 hours to fully charge. Charging your phone overnight, constantly stresses your phone battery each night. Sooner than later, your phone is likely to have battery problems. In addition, the temperature rises when the battery is overcharged, so apart from shortening battery life, it can also threaten user’s safety in the event it quickly heats up and explodes. It’s better to charge your phone before you sleep and switch it off while sleeping to preserve the battery till the next day.
Plugging whatever charger fits
This especially applies to smartphones. Most smartphones use a micro USB for its chargers and for this reasons most people tend to switch and swap chargers since it fits into and works on their phones. However, this is not appropriate and in the long run it can negatively affect your phone battery. The fact that most smartphones have the same micro USB doesn’t mean all chargers and phones are compatible. Some chargers function differently and that difference can be detrimental to your device if care is not taken.
(The Nation)
A toilet made entirely of 18-carat-gold has been stolen from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, the stately home where former prime minister Winston Churchill was born.
The fully functioning toilet was installed as part of an exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled “Victory is Not an Option,” which only opened to the public on Thursday. The palace will be closed for the rest of the day, a spokesperson said on Twitter.
According to a Blenheim Palace spokesperson, Cattelan values the toilet, titled “America,” at over $5 million.
Thames Valley Police received a report of the toilet’s theft at 4:57 a.m. Saturday morning. The thieves left the scene at about 4:50 a.m., according to a statement posted online. A 66-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the theft.
Detective Inspector Jess Milne said in the statement: “Due to the toilet being plumbed in to the building, this has caused significant damage and flooding, adding, “We believe a group offenders used at least two vehicles during the offense.”
“The artwork has not been recovered at this time but we are conducting a thorough investigation to find it and bring those responsible to justice,” Milne continued, appealing for any potential witnesses to contact police.
Dominic Hare, CEO of Blenheim Palace, told CNN in a statement, “‘Following the Thames Valley Police statement we can confirm ‘America’, the art piece by Maurizio Cattelan has been stolen in the early hours of this morning.”
“We are saddened by this extraordinary event, but also relieved no-one was hurt. We are very grateful to our staff and to Thames Valley Police for their rapid and brave reactions,” he continued. “We knew there was huge interest in the Maurizio Cattelan contemporary art exhibition, with many set to come and enjoy the installations.”
“It’s therefore a great shame an item so precious has been taken, but we still have so many fascinating treasures in the Palace and the remaining items of the exhibition to share. The investigation continues, but it will be business as usual from tomorrow, so visitors can continue to come and experience all we have to offer,” Hare said.
“America” first went on display at the Guggenheim in New York City in 2016. It made headlines again in 2017, after US President Donald Trump’s White House emailed the Guggenheim asking to borrow Vincent Van Gogh’s 1888 painting “Landscape with Snow”; instead, the institution’s curator offered the gold toilet.
At Blenheim Palace, the toilet was installed in a room next to the one in which Churchill was born. A statement announcing the exhibition said the work could be perceived as a comment on the social, political and economic disparities in the United States.
“His work can make us laugh and quake in turn, with its acerbic comments on the world we live in. I believe that his wry wit, stoicism and fantastical vision are exactly what we need in these times of global flux and uncertainty,” Edward Spencer-Churchill, the current Duke of Marlborough’s half-brother and founder of the Blenheim Art Foundation, said in statement. (AFP)
Lagos state government has disclosed that only 700,000 out of the 4.8million Lagosians registered as taxpayers are active taxpayers out of a population of about 22million people.
The state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Samuel Egube disclosed this in his address at the Lagos Central Senatorial district Y2020 Budget Consultative Forum which held at Surulere on Friday.
He said the government would expand the tax net by engaging and encouraging the citizens to ensure that they participate in their tax obligations.
“The more taxes we are able to collect, the more we are able to do, the more we are able to support small businesses, create and facilitate businesses, put the infrastructure in place that will be able to attract more investments and create jobs and do many other things.
“It is important that as we want to get Lagos greater, we want citizens to participate in governance and also pay their contributions.
Egube said the year 2020 budget is going to be based on the six developmental pillars of the government as captured in the ‘T.H.E.M.E.S’ agenda of the administration.
While assuring that the administration will complete all inherited on-going projects, he said the administration’s dream of a greater Lagos will be realized through engagement and participation of the citizens.
He said the focus of the budget will be woven around the present administration’s advocacy for an inclusive government that will run under the policy thrust based on the ‘THEMES’ agenda.
“Which are: Traffic management and transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st-century economy, Entertainment and Tourism, Security and governance.
“The Y2020 budget is being designed to be people-oriented in order to ensure a Lagos that works for all irrespective of age, gender, tribe or status.”
He said the government must grow the GDP at a rate faster than the ever-increasing population of the state and that while the state will deploy debt profile focus on capital expenses it would also ensure that at least 55 per cent of the budget will be on investment in capital expenditure.
He decried the lack of support by the government in the entertainment and tourism sector, saying every achievement recorded there has been on private initiative.
“The government is going to actively support that sector, it is our view that the government must act to support the sector this time around”, Egube said.
The budget consultative forum which will hold in the states’ three senatorial districts, he said, is aimed at giving credence as well as greater transparency and accountability to the state’s budget preparation process.
“We are going to gather the aspirations of the people in Lagos and ensure it comes into the budget, but I can assure you that we are going to focus the budget very squarely on the thematic areas of ‘THEMES’ which tend to capture what we look forward to hear and to see in Lagos”, the commissioner said.
Whether by bad luck or fate both Seyi and Khafi couldn’t have been drawn against worst possible opposition in Mike and Tacha. Going by the streak these two have displayed in the eviction game so far the duo of Khafi and Seyi have as much chance as the proverbial camel going through the eye of a needle
Clearly, Mike has been identified as the most popular male in the house, and only a challenge from Tacha or Mercy could possibly get him nervous.
Tacha, on paper and week in, week out has shown she’s that terrible boil that won’t just go away. She has been up for eviction more times than anyone in the House and she has not only survived, she had sublimely thrived. At any point she came up for eviction she had won the most votes.
It wasn’t a huge surprise when she got more nominations (4) than any other on Monday. Her attitude hasn’t helped much, little wonder most of the housemates wanted her out. But she won’t just go away because of her strong fans base. Almost every celebrity out there is rooting for her, not only by shouting but by expending their resources to keep her in.
So, it couldn’t have been worse for either Seyi or Khafi to be drawn against these two colossal forces in the house. There would have been a glimmer of hope for them had they been drawn against Frodd or Elozonam. The voting pattern had long shown that those two are running thin on their luck. But fate has been kind to them this week because they are not up for eviction.
Cindy is the surprise package that rode on sympathy to become a force of a sort. She doesn’t have a care in the world this week though, as she won the Head of the House to stay immune. Same goes for Omashola who replaced himself with Seyi having played his veto power card.
Between Khafi and Seyi, it is just too close to make any call. But should push come to shove and either of the two has to take a walk on Sunday, Khafi seems to have a foot of a chance over Seyi. Truth is, Seyi hasn’t been doing much of pushing around in the house. He’s the squeaky clean dude who has a family name to live up to but the Big Brother world is one of dramas and scandals. In this vein, Khafi stands an inch in line to survive.
The little troubles she’s had had strengthened her and bought her a lifetime that might just pull her out of this eviction mess, probably, this one last time unless fate throws Elozonam or Frodd her way as contenders.
Sunday is hours away. Big Brother is never asleep. The game goes on and we can only wait for who fame and fortune will visit and who the anguish of eviction will descend on. (Vanguard)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has placed the Lagos residence of Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) under investigation.
TheCable understands that officials of the commission placed the house inside Parkview estate in Ikoyi, a highbrow area in Lagos, under investigation because of corruption allegations levelled against Pinnick.
Earlier on Friday, the commission had also placed the Abuja residence of Shehu Dikko, second vice-president of the NFF, under investigation.
Rasheedat Okoduwa, ICPC spokesperson, had told TheCable that Dikko’s residence was under investigation along with some other NFF executives.
A source told TheCable that some top NFF officials are currently on the run over fear of possible arrest.
The source added that the commission is investigating how the officials allegedly converted money meant for the federation to personal use.
Pinnick, Seyi Akinwunmi, first vice-president of NFF, Dikko, Mohammed Sanusi, secretary general of NFF and Yusuf Fresh, a board member, are expected to appear before a federal high court in Abuja on September 26, 2019 over alleged diversion of FIFA grants reportedly running into billions of naira.
While denying corruption allegations levelled against the football body in the past, the officials have always said it is FIFA that reserves the right to probe the allegations.
Last month, TheCable did a report on how the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the recovery of Public Property (SPIP) wrote to CAF on how NFF officials spent millions on an all-expense trip paid for by the continental body.
- Tony Elumelu, Founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation and ICRC President, Peter Maurer Calls for a new Private Sector Led approach to humanitarian development in Africa
- Collaboration between humanitarian and the private sector is critical for impact-driven intervention
At the just concluded Forum organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), key speakers Tony O. Elumelu, Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) proffered entrepreneurship as the most sustainable solution to accelerating Africa’s transformation. During a one-on-one conversation at the event, both speakers called for a new private-sector-led approach to humanitarian development in Africa.
While speaking at the Forum, Peter Maurer commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s private-sector-led approach as the gold standard of humanitarian development in Africa focused on impacting lives at scale and transforming the continent.
Mr. Maurer said: “On one side, it is important that we assist and protect people when they are disrupted by violence and war. But what brought me together with Tony is not the white shirt and the blue suit, it is his deep conviction that with longer and protracted conflict we need to bring people much earlier into independence.”
He added: “We need, more than ever, in the most fragile, violent parts of society to show the pathway to independence and to a dignified life and this goes with income-generating activities, productive activities, with small businesses. This is why we partnered with the Tony Elumelu Foundation”.
On his part during the discussion themed “Private Sector Partnerships with Humanitarian Organisations: Putting People First”, Mr. Elumelu commended Mr. Maurer’s leadership and the decision to partner with the Tony Elumelu Foundation to eradicate extremism and violence.
He said: “Through the partnership between TEF and ICRC, a lot is happening that shows the catalytic impact of your vision. Ours was the first ever partnership that ICRC had explored using a different approach to humanitarian development, from the angle of empowering the private sector. Today, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has partnered with AfDB on empowering 1000 beneficiaries, UNDP which started with 1000 entrepreneurs and has now been scaled up to empower 100,000 African entrepreneurs starting with the Sahel region. The most important thing is that we give economic hope and opportunity to our people and reduce the cases of fragility that we see across the continent.”
In 2018, ICRC and the Tony Elumelu Foundation partnered to sponsor 200 entrepreneurs from the North East and Niger Delta regions of Nigeria to catalyse and accelerate transformation while scaling impact in conflict-prone areas. The intervention is built on the existing Tony Elumelu Foundation’s USD100million commitment to empower 10,000 young African entrepreneurs in 10 years across the continent. Driven by the economic philosophy of Africapitalism, it represents a bottom-up approach with the goal of creating millions of jobs and increased revenue on the continent.
The ICRC Forum took place in Lagos yesterday and gathered key stakeholders in government and humanitarian development to explore alternative approaches to impacting lives on the continent. Present at the event were Princess Aderemi Adebowale, representing the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Mr. Babtunde Paul Runwase, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Juan Luis Coderque Galligo, Head, New Financing Models, ICRC; and Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, CEO, Tony Elumelu Foundation; amongst others.
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