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Australia's vast reef is struggling to re-grow corals after unprecedented bleaching, scientists say.

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Israel has one of the best diets in the world and Uzbekistan one of the worst, say the researchers.

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Potential US presidential hopeful Joe Biden responds to allegations from four women of unwelcome touching.

Fredrick Nwabufo

Jelani Aliyu is an engineer and automobile designer. He is celebrated for the design of Chevrolet Volt, an auto brand of General Motors. And he is from Sokoto state. He is one of the Nigerians painting the US automobile design industry “green-white-green”.

Seyi Oyesola is a Nigerian from the southwest. He is celebrated for the co-invention of the CompactOR, better known as the ‘hospital in a box’ - a portable medical portmanteau containing anaesthetics and surgical equipment for health emergencies.  His invention is regarded as a breakthrough for medical practice in Africa.

Ndubuisi Ekekwe is a Nigerian from the southeast. He is known for the invention of microchips used in “minimally invasive surgical robots”. He has other inventions in his portfolio, including a patented microchip for iPhone.

These Nigerians are celebrated globally for their contributions to science, technology and medicine. And they come from the north, east and west of the country.  And there are many other Nigerians around the world achieving great feats and pushing the frontiers of human endeavour.

Naturally, the achievements of these individuals are counted for Nigeria and not for their “state of origin” or region. But why do some Nigerians stereotype an entire ethnic group for a crime committed by an individual or a group? Why is it so easy to assert negative fallacies like, “all Igbo are robbers; all Yoruba are fraudsters; all Fulani are terrorists, but it becomes a chore to acknowledge truer realities like, “Igbo are good inventors; Yoruba are great scientists, Fulani are exceptional thinkers and planners?”

Why do we define ourselves by the misdeeds of some stray hounds among us, but not by the great deeds of the lodestars around us? Why must we only seek to denigrate, tear down and abuse one another?

No ethnic group is in short supply of misfits, but where there is one prodigal child; there are 10,000 shining examples of obedience, morality and contentment.

Ethnic profiling and stereotyping is insidious. It survives long after the incident for which it is deployed. I think, it is a very corrosive form of hate speech. Sadly, some Nigerians, no matter how highly placed, submit themselves to the temptations of this vice.

Individuals commit crime, not the ethnic group. The motivations for crimes do not come from the ethos of any tribe, but from personal greed, debauchery and decadence. All ethnic groups in the country have a culture which abhors crime. The Igbo, the Yoruba and the Hausa cosmology extols the virtues of modesty, morality, hard work, fairness and justice.

Crime has no ethnic face.

Fredrick is a media personality.

Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo

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The nation passes controversial laws designed to penalise companies for hosting "abhorrent" videos.

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The AK Party has put up victory posters even though initial results show the opposition candidate won.

Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) has condemned the execution of a Nigerian woman by the Saudi government for drug-related offences.

The Nigerian woman was executed alongside two Pakistani and a Yemeni.

The organisation urged Saudi Arabia to “repeal death penalty from its statutes handbook”, especially for drug-related offences, as they do not constitute “most serious offences”.

ASF also called on the Nigerian government to ensure quality legal representation for other Nigerians facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

A statement issued on Wednesday by Angela Uwandu, Head of Office, Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France), read: “ASF France urges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to refrain from further executions of foreign nationals. It recalls that drug-related offences do not fall within the ambits of the ‘most serious offences’ under international law and urges the Saudi government to repeal the death penalty from its statutes book and especially for drug related offences.

“It also urges the Nigerian government and mission in Saudi to ensure full adherence and respect of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations for the about 20 Nigerians facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. This is to ensure these Nigerians receive effective legal representation and fair trials accorded them.

“ASF France also uses this opportunity to call on the Nigerian government to review its own laws prescribing the death penalty if other countries like Saudi Arabia are to take seriously the call of the Nigerian government to refrain from executing its nationals.”

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Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) has condemned the execution of a Nigerian woman by the Saudi government for drug-related offences.

The Nigerian woman was executed alongside two Pakistani and a Yemeni.

The organisation urged Saudi Arabia to “repeal death penalty from its statutes handbook”, especially for drug-related offences, as they do not constitute “most serious offences”.

ASF also called on the Nigerian government to ensure quality legal representation for other Nigerians facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

A statement issued on Wednesday by Angela Uwandu, Head of Office, Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France), read: “ASF France urges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to refrain from further executions of foreign nationals. It recalls that drug-related offences do not fall within the ambits of the ‘most serious offences’ under international law and urges the Saudi government to repeal the death penalty from its statutes book and especially for drug related offences.

“It also urges the Nigerian government and mission in Saudi to ensure full adherence and respect of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations for the about 20 Nigerians facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. This is to ensure these Nigerians receive effective legal representation and fair trials accorded them.

“ASF France also uses this opportunity to call on the Nigerian government to review its own laws prescribing the death penalty if other countries like Saudi Arabia are to take seriously the call of the Nigerian government to refrain from executing its nationals.”

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Bolajoko Fadipe, founder and CEO of FoodClique, is saddened by latest hunger report which pits Nigeria as one of the world’s hunger-hit nations and has called for more action from government and private sector in eradicating the scourge.

According to a global report recently released on the state of food security in the world, about two-third of the world's hungriest people can be found in eight countries, including Nigeria. 

While the causes might not be the same across the world, conflict, climate change, poverty, migration, natural disaster, war and economic downturn are some of the major causes of the problem.

Since inception, FoodClique, a non-governmental organisation, has continued to evolve means such as free school meal programme, community kitchen, senior meal programme, hunger advocacy, food waste campaign and various other palliative means to reduce the number of hungry people in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Reacting to the report, Fadipe said: "Loss of jobs and declining social welfare benefits account for more people thrown into hunger misfortune even in cities around the world while the conflict in the northern part of Nigeria, Yemen and Sudan has further truncated the reality of zerohunger world by 2030”.

He further stated that a legislative framework must be put in place, which includes supporting initiatives like FoodClique, investment in agriculture, tax rebate for companies supporting hunger eradication through corporate social responsibility, reduction in food waste, which is a major cause of climate change, and setting aside political differences.

He also urged the Federal Government to have the political will to end the root cause of hunger, which is evident in the recent statistics on the state of food crisis report that has put Nigeria among the countries with the highest number of hungry people worldwide.

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Bolajoko Fadipe, founder and CEO of FoodClique, is saddened by latest hunger report which pits Nigeria as one of the world’s hunger-hit nations and has called for more action from government and private sector in eradicating the scourge.

According to a global report recently released on the state of food security in the world, about two-third of the world's hungriest people can be found in eight countries, including Nigeria. 

While the causes might not be the same across the world, conflict, climate change, poverty, migration, natural disaster, war and economic downturn are some of the major causes of the problem.

Since inception, FoodClique, a non-governmental organisation, has continued to evolve means such as free school meal programme, community kitchen, senior meal programme, hunger advocacy, food waste campaign and various other palliative means to reduce the number of hungry people in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Reacting to the report, Fadipe said: "Loss of jobs and declining social welfare benefits account for more people thrown into hunger misfortune even in cities around the world while the conflict in the northern part of Nigeria, Yemen and Sudan has further truncated the reality of zerohunger world by 2030”.

He further stated that a legislative framework must be put in place, which includes supporting initiatives like FoodClique, investment in agriculture, tax rebate for companies supporting hunger eradication through corporate social responsibility, reduction in food waste, which is a major cause of climate change, and setting aside political differences.

He also urged the Federal Government to have the political will to end the root cause of hunger, which is evident in the recent statistics on the state of food crisis report that has put Nigeria among the countries with the highest number of hungry people worldwide.

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The Oil Mining Lease 29 acquired by Aiteo from Shell Petroleum Company Limited has continued to generate reaction, with the host communities kicking against its operational renewal.

Aggrieved communities of Opu-Nembe in Nembe-Bassanbiri area of Bayelsa State have filed a suit against the Nigerian government and two oil multinationals over allegations of an application submitted for the renewal of Oil Mining Lease 29 for another 20 years.

Those joined in the suit before the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, include the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the Site Exploration and Production Limited.

The aggrieved communities, led by their representatives in the suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/62/2015, are asking the court for an order setting aside the application, steps and processes initiated by Aiteo Exploration and Production Limited, identified as the fifth defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

In the writ of summon made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, the aggrieved communities, through their counsel, explained the ground for their application.

The document read: "The plaintiff by the suit filed on 4th August, 2015, seek to inter alia restrain the Minister of Petroleum (2nd defendant) from renewing Oil Mining Lease 29 in favour of the 5th defendant unless all pending issues raise in the suit are addressed.

"The 5th defendant, between 22nd January, 2018 and 22nd January, 2019, applied for and made payments to the 2nd defendant through the Department of Petroleum Resources for the renewal or processing of application for renewed of oil mining lease 29 (OML 29).

"The plaintiffs by this suit are also seeking an order of the Court mandating the 2nd, 3rd and 4th to commission an independent and comprehensive environmental impact study to assess the impact of over 53 years of operation in OML 29 on the plaintiffs’ communities and environment, similar to the United Nations Environment Programme's Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland.

"On or about 1st of March, 2019, further conducting the plaintiffs’ prayers for an assessment, a massive explosion and a resulting fire occurred in one of the wells in OML 29 bloc, exposing host communities and other environment and traditional livelihood to great danger. This incident is yet to be properly investigated and the 5th defendant has so far failed to adequately involve regulators and host communities in addressing it.”

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The Oil Mining Lease 29 acquired by Aiteo from Shell Petroleum Company Limited has continued to generate reaction, with the host communities kicking against its operational renewal.

Aggrieved communities of Opu-Nembe in Nembe-Bassanbiri area of Bayelsa State have filed a suit against the Nigerian government and two oil multinationals over allegations of an application submitted for the renewal of Oil Mining Lease 29 for another 20 years.

Those joined in the suit before the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, include the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the Site Exploration and Production Limited.

The aggrieved communities, led by their representatives in the suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/62/2015, are asking the court for an order setting aside the application, steps and processes initiated by Aiteo Exploration and Production Limited, identified as the fifth defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

In the writ of summon made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, the aggrieved communities, through their counsel, explained the ground for their application.

The document read: "The plaintiff by the suit filed on 4th August, 2015, seek to inter alia restrain the Minister of Petroleum (2nd defendant) from renewing Oil Mining Lease 29 in favour of the 5th defendant unless all pending issues raise in the suit are addressed.

"The 5th defendant, between 22nd January, 2018 and 22nd January, 2019, applied for and made payments to the 2nd defendant through the Department of Petroleum Resources for the renewal or processing of application for renewed of oil mining lease 29 (OML 29).

"The plaintiffs by this suit are also seeking an order of the Court mandating the 2nd, 3rd and 4th to commission an independent and comprehensive environmental impact study to assess the impact of over 53 years of operation in OML 29 on the plaintiffs’ communities and environment, similar to the United Nations Environment Programme's Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland.

"On or about 1st of March, 2019, further conducting the plaintiffs’ prayers for an assessment, a massive explosion and a resulting fire occurred in one of the wells in OML 29 bloc, exposing host communities and other environment and traditional livelihood to great danger. This incident is yet to be properly investigated and the 5th defendant has so far failed to adequately involve regulators and host communities in addressing it.”

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Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday admitted in evidence documents tendered by the prosecution against Ibrahim Abdulsalam, the embattled former Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and others.

Abdulsalam is facing trial alongside Nnamdi Udoh (still at large), Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Segun Agbolade, Clara Aliche, Joy Ayodele Adegorite, Randville Invesment Limited and Multeng Travels and Tours Limited for allegedly conspiring to induce the agency to deliver the sum of N2.8billion to Deposit Limited, Air Sea Delivery Limited and Sea Schedule  Systems Limited under the pretext that the money represented the cost of clearing NAMA's consignments.

At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, Kayode Temitope  Olanrewaju, a Compliance Officer with GT Bank,  who was led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, the prosecution counsel, told the court that while a staff of Compliance Department of GT Bank, his team received a letter of inquiry  from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He said upon receipt of the request, the letter was forwarded to the Business Unit, Foreign Operations Department that handles import duty document verification.

He added that the Unit confirmed to the Compliance Department that the import duty receipts were not issued by the bank.

"From more internal investigations, the said documents could not be confirmed from their records. So, a response was sent back to the EFCC, stating that the purported documents said to have been issued by the bank could not be found in the records of the bank."

The prosecution counsel, through the witness, sought to tender the EFCC letter, dated March 15, 2016 to the Manager, Guaranty Trust Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank's response addressed to the Head of Operations, EFCC, dated March 23, 2016.

The judge admitted and marked the documents as Exhibits C1 and C2, respectively.

When asked why he said the documents were not in their records, the witness told the court that the feedback from the Business Unit confirmed to the Compliance Unit that the documents were not issued by the bank.

During cross-examination of the witness, K.T. Olawoyin, counsel to the first defendant, told the court that the documents emanated from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and not from the bank. When asked if the bank confirmed from the NCS the authenticity of the document, and if the bank made any inquiries as to the other companies involved before writing to the EFCC, the witness told the court that he personally could not confirm that, adding that he was “aware that the bank has a way of checking from its records, and also checking the authenticity of the document before reporting it to the Compliance Unit”.

Counsel to the third and eight defendants, Adebayo Adedokun, during cross-examination, asked the witness what steps the bank took to confirm the documents that did not emanate from the bank.

In his response, the witness told the court that "the bank has a procedure, which is that the Business Unit, Foreign Operations, checks from the bank's data base, using the information available on the receipt, and sends its finding to the Compliance Unit, which is responsible for interfacing with law enforcement agencies.”

When asked by counsel to the fourth defendant, Abiodun Julius, who generates the import duty payment to the NCS, the witness informed the court that the bank generated the documents via a platform that had been provided by NCS, and that the bank had designated staff who had access to the platform.

"The information written in the letter to the EFCC was also provided from these staff authorized to use the NCS payment platform," he added.

Counsels to the second, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth defendants had no questions for the witness.

Consequently, Justice Babs Kuewumi discharged the witness and adjourned the case till May 2 and 3, 2019 for continuation of trial.

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Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday admitted in evidence documents tendered by the prosecution against Ibrahim Abdulsalam, the embattled former Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and others.

Abdulsalam is facing trial alongside Nnamdi Udoh (still at large), Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Segun Agbolade, Clara Aliche, Joy Ayodele Adegorite, Randville Invesment Limited and Multeng Travels and Tours Limited for allegedly conspiring to induce the agency to deliver the sum of N2.8billion to Deposit Limited, Air Sea Delivery Limited and Sea Schedule  Systems Limited under the pretext that the money represented the cost of clearing NAMA's consignments.

At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, Kayode Temitope  Olanrewaju, a Compliance Officer with GT Bank,  who was led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, the prosecution counsel, told the court that while a staff of Compliance Department of GT Bank, his team received a letter of inquiry  from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He said upon receipt of the request, the letter was forwarded to the Business Unit, Foreign Operations Department that handles import duty document verification.

He added that the Unit confirmed to the Compliance Department that the import duty receipts were not issued by the bank.

"From more internal investigations, the said documents could not be confirmed from their records. So, a response was sent back to the EFCC, stating that the purported documents said to have been issued by the bank could not be found in the records of the bank."

The prosecution counsel, through the witness, sought to tender the EFCC letter, dated March 15, 2016 to the Manager, Guaranty Trust Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank's response addressed to the Head of Operations, EFCC, dated March 23, 2016.

The judge admitted and marked the documents as Exhibits C1 and C2, respectively.

When asked why he said the documents were not in their records, the witness told the court that the feedback from the Business Unit confirmed to the Compliance Unit that the documents were not issued by the bank.

During cross-examination of the witness, K.T. Olawoyin, counsel to the first defendant, told the court that the documents emanated from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and not from the bank. When asked if the bank confirmed from the NCS the authenticity of the document, and if the bank made any inquiries as to the other companies involved before writing to the EFCC, the witness told the court that he personally could not confirm that, adding that he was “aware that the bank has a way of checking from its records, and also checking the authenticity of the document before reporting it to the Compliance Unit”.

Counsel to the third and eight defendants, Adebayo Adedokun, during cross-examination, asked the witness what steps the bank took to confirm the documents that did not emanate from the bank.

In his response, the witness told the court that "the bank has a procedure, which is that the Business Unit, Foreign Operations, checks from the bank's data base, using the information available on the receipt, and sends its finding to the Compliance Unit, which is responsible for interfacing with law enforcement agencies.”

When asked by counsel to the fourth defendant, Abiodun Julius, who generates the import duty payment to the NCS, the witness informed the court that the bank generated the documents via a platform that had been provided by NCS, and that the bank had designated staff who had access to the platform.

"The information written in the letter to the EFCC was also provided from these staff authorized to use the NCS payment platform," he added.

Counsels to the second, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth defendants had no questions for the witness.

Consequently, Justice Babs Kuewumi discharged the witness and adjourned the case till May 2 and 3, 2019 for continuation of trial.

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Two people have sustained injuries in an auto accident that happened at Jabi, Abuja, on Wednesday.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident was caused by the “impatience of one of the drivers while trying to manoeuver his way at the junction”.

Four cars — a Toyota Hilux, a Honda Accord, a Honda Element and a Gulf — were involved in the accident.

While no life was lost in the accident, the two people sustained injuries and have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

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Two people have sustained injuries in an auto accident that happened at Jabi, Abuja, on Wednesday.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident was caused by the “impatience of one of the drivers while trying to manoeuver his way at the junction”.

Four cars — a Toyota Hilux, a Honda Accord, a Honda Element and a Gulf — were involved in the accident.

While no life was lost in the accident, the two people sustained injuries and have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

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Emmanuel Uduaghan, immediate past Governor of Delta State and Delta South senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congres, (APC), has filed a petition at the Delta State Election Petitions Tribunal against his opponent, James Manager of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as winner of the just concluded February, 23, 2019 National Assembly election.

In the same vein, Great Ogboru, the 2019 governorship candidate of the APC in the state, has also filed a petition challenging INEC's declaration of Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, as the winner of the March 9 governorship election. Ogboru had rejected the results of the election, alleging that the election was marred by rigging, voting buying, malpractices and snatching of ballots boxes by the PDP.

Also, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, the APC House of Representatives candidate for Isoko federal constituency, filed a petition at the state tribunal challenging INEC’s declaration of Leo Ogor, the PDP candidate and incumbent House of Representatives minority leader, as winner of the February 23, 2019 National Assembly election in the area.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, Ahmed Gusau, the Tribunal Secretary, confirmed that so far, a total of 51 petitions arising from the 2019 national assembly, governorship and state assembly elections had been received from various political parties candidates.

Also, Gusau disclosed that four petitions were filed for the senatorial election, two against Manager, one against Ovie Omo-Agege, the senator representing Delta Central on the platform of the APC, and one against Peter Nwaoboshi, the senator representing Delta North, on the PDP platform.

Gusau further disclosed that nine petitions were filed for the House of Representatives election, while 37 came from state assembly candidates against the winners of the election.

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Emmanuel Uduaghan, immediate past Governor of Delta State and Delta South senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congres, (APC), has filed a petition at the Delta State Election Petitions Tribunal against his opponent, James Manager of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as winner of the just concluded February, 23, 2019 National Assembly election.

In the same vein, Great Ogboru, the 2019 governorship candidate of the APC in the state, has also filed a petition challenging INEC's declaration of Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, as the winner of the March 9 governorship election. Ogboru had rejected the results of the election, alleging that the election was marred by rigging, voting buying, malpractices and snatching of ballots boxes by the PDP.

Also, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, the APC House of Representatives candidate for Isoko federal constituency, filed a petition at the state tribunal challenging INEC’s declaration of Leo Ogor, the PDP candidate and incumbent House of Representatives minority leader, as winner of the February 23, 2019 National Assembly election in the area.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, Ahmed Gusau, the Tribunal Secretary, confirmed that so far, a total of 51 petitions arising from the 2019 national assembly, governorship and state assembly elections had been received from various political parties candidates.

Also, Gusau disclosed that four petitions were filed for the senatorial election, two against Manager, one against Ovie Omo-Agege, the senator representing Delta Central on the platform of the APC, and one against Peter Nwaoboshi, the senator representing Delta North, on the PDP platform.

Gusau further disclosed that nine petitions were filed for the House of Representatives election, while 37 came from state assembly candidates against the winners of the election.

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Activists say rage over the 'wolf pack' case has ignited a feminist revolution. But there's also been a backlash.

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US Vice-President Mike Pence says Turkey makes "reckless decisions" by buying the advanced system.

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After six weeks of protests, Abdelaziz Bouteflika quit the presidency this week.

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Uruguay was the first to legalise recreational cannabis in 2013, so how is the industry getting on?

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Scientists call for more research into the last time when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were the same as today.

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Juventus' teenage forward Moise Kean was the target of racist abuse - but the response in the Italian media has been mixed.

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Russian leaders "struggle" with statistics that show a third of Russians can't afford two pairs of shoes.

The presidential candidate of the Youth Progressive Party (YPP), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, has said the party’s votes were “stolen, suppressed and diverted” on February 23.

In his first major post-election press interview, Moghalu told The Interview that his party had “many credible indications” of the electoral fraud.

He said he was targeted by those who felt threatened by his message, as a result of which they launched a wave of fake news attacks that he had stepped down for the two front-runners.

“I was the only presidential candidate targeted with such fake news campaign a few days to the election,” he said. “The campaigns depressed our votes because many people in the northern states (Buhari’s voting base) and the southern states (Atiku’s voting base) believed it.”

However, he indicated he would not challenge the result of the election in court, saying “the question of going to court is neither here nor there,” and might have made sense if YPP came second.

He said his focus would be to campaign for electoral reforms, adding that even though he was disappointed by the result of the election, it was a reflection of the mindset of Nigerians.

“Anyone that complains,” he said, “should first look in the mirror."

"Did you vote? If so, for who? The status quo or for something new, different and bold?”

He also spoke on the lessons he learnt from the campaign, the highs and the lows, and the endorsement he received from Noble Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.

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Alex Chikwuezie, a 22-year-old politician in Ihiala Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State, has taken his life.

Chukwuezie, a member of Umuanasa kindred in Ubaekwem area of the community, had complained a few days ago about the misery of life.

A family source, who preferred not to be named, told Punch newspaper that the victim was a youth leader in the community since he left school about two years ago. He was also single and unemployed.

“The deceased, until his death, was known to be an active youth leader in Umuezekwe political ward of Ihiala LGA. He complained to me before this incident that things were getting harder. I advised him that it would be well. I was surprised to hear that he had hanged himself on a mango tree behind their family compound,” he said.

According to the family member, Chikwuezie had his Senior Secondary School Certificate but had no job.

“He tried his hands on business shortly after he left school, but the business flopped as soon as it was set up. Since that time, he had been in politics and risen to a youth leader in this area. He is a known politician in the area. His uncle died at the same age, some years back,” another source said.

It was gathered that the body of the deceased had been thrown into an evil forest, according to the culture and tradition of the area.

Haruna Mohammed, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer in the state, confirmed the incident, noting that the command had commenced investigation into the incident.

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The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday resumed the trial on examination malpractice involving Senator Ademola Adeleke, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with supervisors of the National Examination Council (NECO) denying seeing the lawmaker at the examination centre.

In October 2018, the Nigeria Police Force arraigned Adeleke over allegations of examination malpractice.

Adeleke was arraigned alongside four others for allegedly registering as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in Osun State to sit for the 2017 NECO O’ Level examination.

Others accused are Aregbesola Mufutau, the school principal; Gbadamosi Ojo, the school registrar; Dare Olutope, a teacher; and Sikiru Adeleke, the senator’s cousin.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Emmanuel Adesola and Enoch Adigun, the NECO officials who invigilated the said examination, said they did not see the senator in the examination hall.

According to Adesola, he would have recognised the lawmaker, since he is a public figure. He, however, noted that there were four elderly students in the hall and Adeleke wasn’t one of them.

“I could not identify any student without the school album, since it was my first time there. So, the principal and the registrar helped me to identify them as I used the list I had to call the students into the hall. I didn’t see any of the defendants in the examination hall. Senator Adeleke was not in the examination hall. He is a public figure, so, I would have recognised him,” Adesola said.

Meanwhile, Adigun, the second supervisor, the second witness, said he saw Adeleke’s cousin, Sikiru, but affirmed that he did not see the senator in the examination hall.

“I was surprised to see him (Sikiru Adeleke) because he was the most mature student in the hall, but when I checked and saw that he had an identity card duly stamped by the school, I had to allow him to write the examination,” Adigun said.

Judge Inyang Ekwo adjourned the case till June 10 and 11 for further hearing.

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