Latest News in Nigeria Today 26th January 2019
In the news today: UBTH Doctor Found Dead in Hotel and FG Yet To Make Fresh Offer over Strike, Says ASUU. Read iDonsabi News now for more Quick News.
1. Fire Guts UAC Building
The United African Company (UAC) building at Marina, Lagos Island was gutted by fire on Thursday.
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), were also at the scene of the fire but declined comments on the incident.
The incident, which led to loss of private and personal property left members of staff stranded as some of them could not get access to their car and bags.
UAC building is a 14-storey building located in the heart of Lagos business district of Marina, Lagos.
2. Immigration Arrests Two Suspected Human Traffickers, Rescues Three Victims in Katsina
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it has arrested two suspected human traffickers and rescued three of their victims in Katsina State.
Olusola identified the suspects as Omoseyin Solomon, 43, and Omoniyi Olowoporoku, 32, all males.
He said one of the suspected human traffickers, Solomon, claimed to be husband to his victim, Akinbayo Ashobi, a woman known to also be a human trafficker.
3. Anxiety, Excitement Greet Early Heavy Rains in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Others
Major cities in Southern Nigeria have since Sunday January 20, 2019 been witnessing heavy rains with thick dark clouds. In fact, it rained heavily yesterday in Lagos and Onitsha and on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
Residents of Port Harcourt experienced the first rain in the year with a downpour and cloudy weather on Wednesday morning.
The rain, which started about 7: 55 a.m., came down heavily with floods on the streets and gullies in areas like Aba Road, Rumuodara, Rumuomasi, Rukpoku, Ikwere road and Oyigbo area.
4. Court Convicts INEC Official Over 2015 Bribery Scandal
Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has convicted a former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Administrative Secretary in Kwara State, Mr. Christian Nwosu, for accepting gratification and laundering N264 million.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned Nwosu for accepting gratification from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Justice Idris has adjourned sentencing until today and ordered EFCC to ensure his presence (Nwosu) in court.
SEE ALSO: Reps. Move to Probe Kachikwu over Financial Irregularities
5. Ezekwesili Reacts to ACPN’S Allegations
The former presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has denied all allegations made against her by the party in the aftermath of her withdrawal from the presidential election.
Ezekwesili withdrew from the race on Thursday citing the need to form a viable coalition viable enough to wrestle power from both the ruling All Progressives Congress and leading opposition People’s Democratic Party.
“As for the defamatory statements made against my person by the ACPN leadership in their malicious statement, I want Nigerians to know that there is NO IOTA of truth in any of them,” Ezekwesili said in an emailed statement on Friday.
6. Appointment of Security Heads Based On Merit, Buhari Tells Igbo in Anambra
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said that competence and merit were strong factors used in appointing heads of security agencies under his government.
Buhari, who spoke while addressing the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe, traditional and religious rulers in the monarch’s palace in Anambra State during his campaign visit, defended the issues of marginalisation of South-East states, particularly in the security sector.
7. Policeman, Doctor Killed as Robbers Attack Bank in Osun
Daredevil armed robbers, on Thursday, attacked a branch of Polaris Bank located in the Oke Ejigbo area of Ila Orangun, Osun State.
The robbers reportedly killed a policeman, simply identified as Oloke Mewa, who was one of the security guards working at the bank, and a medical doctor, who was simply identified as Moshood. Two other people were also injured during the robbery.
The source stated, “I could not count their number, but they were between eight and 10. They might have been more. Before they entered the bank, they shot at the building from a close range and destroyed the security door.
SEE ALSO: Catholic Hospital Demands N18m Medical Bills from Kaduna Govt.
8. Man Apprehended for Stealing Pants, Bras in Lagos
Some residents of Ikeja area of Lagos State, on Thursday, apprehended a man for allegedly stealing bras and pants from where they were spread.
It was learnt that some residents, who saw the man while collecting the underwear, accosted him and demanded to know the content of the bag he was carrying.
“When he was done, he looked in different directions to ensure that nobody saw him. As he began walking away with those items, we came down and alerted other residents, who stopped him, stated one of the residents.
9. Suspected Thugs Stab Man for Exposing Them
The police in Niger State have apprehended four suspected thugs who allegedly stabbed a man simply identified as Shuaibu.
The suspects, Hassan Mohammed, 20; Buhari Hassan, 19; Nura Hassan, 22; and Mudasuru Abdullahi, 25, all from Maitumbi, were arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad following a tip-off.
SARS operatives arrested them at their meeting point and recovered the knife used to stab the man.
One of them stated that they engage in thuggery to make ends meet because jobs are no where to be found.
10. Buhari Must Not Be Re-Elected, Says Falae
The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, has said Nigeria is in dire need of a good leader.
He said all hands must be on deck to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from being re-elected in the February 16 presidential election.
Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, spoke when the wife of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Mrs Titi Abubakar, visited leaders of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, at the residence of Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday evening.
ALSO READ: Buhari Pledges to Commence East/North Railway Line if Re-elected
11. UBTH Doctor Found Dead in Hotel
The police in Benin, the Edo State capital, have confirmed the death of a medical doctor simply identified as Dr Ogbeide, who died in mysterious circumstances.
Ogbeide was of the Radiology Department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
While many in the hospital said the doctor was kidnapped and murdered, the UBTH management, however, noted that it was not aware that any of its doctors was kidnapped.
He was said to have returned to Benin from a trip on Saturday and was seen standing by the roadside in front of the hospital in Ugbowo, where he was said to have been whisked away in a car by unknown men.
12. Osun NDLEA Seizes 73 Bags of Marijuana, Arrests One Suspect
The Osun State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, on Thursday, stated that it had seized 73 bags of marijuana from illicit drug spots in Osogbo.
The commander of the agency in the state, Samuel Egbeola, in a statement gathered by iDonsabi News said the seizure was aimed at ensuring that illicit drugs and their abuse were not allowed to undermine the forthcoming general elections in the state.
He added that a suspect was arrested during the raid and was currently assisting the agency to apprehend others involved in the illicit business.
13. Apapa Residents Protest, Threaten Litigation over Trailers
Residents of the Apapa area of Lagos State have threatened to take legal action if the Federal Government fails to relocate trailers causing gridlock in the area.
The Chairman of the residents association, Brig. Gen. Sola Vaughan (retd.), said the residents had decided to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the government on the matter.
Vaughan, who spoke during a protest march to the Area B Police Command, Apapa, said if nothing was done at the expiration of the ultimatum, the residents would take legal action against the Nigerian Ports Authority and all the shipping companies.
14. Suspected Boko Haram Fighters Attacked Troops in Yobe – Army
The Nigerian Army has confirmed an attack on its troops in Geidam, Yobe State.
Although Usman did not name the attackers, our correspondent learnt that they were suspected Boko Haram members
Usman stated, “I confirm an attack on our troops’ location at Geidam at about 5pm. Our troops rose to the occasion and repelled the attack. They are currently pursuing the surviving fleeing attackers. We shall give you full details on completion of the pursuit and operations.”
The PUNCH learnt that the Boko Haram insurgents at about 5pm on Wednesday stormed Geidam and shot sporadically to send many residents running into safety.
15. Abia NDLEA Arrests 4 for Illegal Production of Sedatives
Bamidele Akingbade, State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Abia, said that four men were arrested for illegally and secretly manufacturing Diazepam, a sleep-inducing anti-depressant drug.
Akingbade disclosed this while taking newsmen round the drug production laboratory at Omenihu Street, off Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, Osisioma Local Government Area, near Aba. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Diazepam is the generic name for a controlled sleep-inducing, anti-depressant drug, also called valium.
He said that the lab was located in a warehouse in a residential area and that they are producing the substandard drug with the name of an Indian drug company, Shalina Laboratories, PVT, India.
16. FG Yet To Make Fresh Offer over Strike, Says ASUU
The strike embarked upon by lecturers in the country’s universities may not end soon as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Thursday said the federal government has failed to make fresh offer on funding for the revitalisation of public universities in the country.
The President of the union, Prof. Biodun Oduwole, who made the disclosure in Strike Bulletin 9 sent to branches of the union and journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, also said the government is yet to address the issue of renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement in its new offer made to the union last Monday.
Ogunyemi, who disclosed that the government had improved its earlier offers, maintained that there were still critical issues currently unresolved.
