... ... 06/26/19 | IYANDA'SBLOG

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06/26/19

Suspected gunmen have abducted a driver of a Toyota Previa vehicle along the Akure-Iju Itaogbolu road in Ondo State. 

The driver of the vehicle, Felix Akinde, was kidnapped around 5: 30 am on Tuesday while traveling from Ikere in Ado Ekiti en route Akure. 

It was gathered that the driver was waylaid by the gunmen on the bad portion of the road.

The gunmen suspected to be herdsmen abandoned the vehicle on the road before they marched their victim into the bush.

It learnt that the bad portion of the road, known as 'NYSC Junction', is a few kilometres to the police college in Itaogbolu. 

Some local transporters confirmed the kidnapping on Wednesday but pointed out that driver was kidnapped alongside some passengers. 

"Although, we learned that the driver must have been waylaid with some passengers he picked on his way on the road," one of the drivers said. 

Mr Festus Omoniyi, the Secretary of National Union of Road Transports Workers, Oyemekun branch in Akure also confirmed the incident on the telephone, saying, "It is true that there was a kidnap on the road yesterday (Tuesday) and i learned that the driver was marched into the thick forest.

"Although, we cannot state if he had some passengers on his vehicle but I'm aware the kidnap occurred on the bad spot of the road around 6 am."

SaharaReporters visited the police station in Iju, where the vehicle that belonged to the driver was parked.

However, Adie Undie, Commissioner of Police in Ondo State when contacted said the driver of the car had been kidnapped by the gunmen.

"Our men have already swung into actions but it was only the driver of the vehicle that was kidnapped and we are ready to rescue him unhurt," he told Sahara Reporters.

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Suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Monday have slaughtered at least 20 farmers on their farmlands in a border town close to Niger Republic, a security source said.

The incident happened at Ngamgam in Mobar local government area of northern part of Borno State.

According to the source, the incident resulted in the exodus of people from the settlement to Damasak town.

"We have information that reveals that on 25 June, 2019, suspected members of the deadly insurgency group attacked Ngamgam settlement about 50km east of Damask and killed 20 farmers in their farms," the security source told SaharaReporters.

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Suspected gunmen have abducted a driver of a Toyota Previa vehicle along the Akure-Iju Itaogbolu road in Ondo State. 

The driver of the vehicle, Felix Akinde, was kidnapped around 5: 30 am on Tuesday while traveling from Ikere in Ado Ekiti en route Akure. 

It was gathered that the driver was waylaid by the gunmen on the bad portion of the road.

The gunmen suspected to be herdsmen abandoned the vehicle on the road before they marched their victim into the bush.

It learnt that the bad portion of the road, known as 'NYSC Junction', is a few kilometres to the police college in Itaogbolu. 

Some local transporters confirmed the kidnapping on Wednesday but pointed out that driver was kidnapped alongside some passengers. 

"Although, we learned that the driver must have been waylaid with some passengers he picked on his way on the road," one of the drivers said. 

Mr Festus Omoniyi, the Secretary of National Union of Road Transports Workers, Oyemekun branch in Akure also confirmed the incident on the telephone, saying, "It is true that there was a kidnap on the road yesterday (Tuesday) and i learned that the driver was marched into the thick forest.

"Although, we cannot state if he had some passengers on his vehicle but I'm aware the kidnap occurred on the bad spot of the road around 6 am."

SaharaReporters visited the police station in Iju, where the vehicle that belonged to the driver was parked.

However, Adie Undie, Commissioner of Police in Ondo State when contacted said the driver of the car had been kidnapped by the gunmen.

"Our men have already swung into actions but it was only the driver of the vehicle that was kidnapped and we are ready to rescue him unhurt," he told Sahara Reporters.

CRIME Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Monday have slaughtered at least 20 farmers on their farmlands in a border town close to Niger Republic, a security source said.

The incident happened at Ngamgam in Mobar local government area of northern part of Borno State.

According to the source, the incident resulted in the exodus of people from the settlement to Damasak town.

"We have information that reveals that on 25 June, 2019, suspected members of the deadly insurgency group attacked Ngamgam settlement about 50km east of Damask and killed 20 farmers in their farms," the security source told SaharaReporters.

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Ex-Minister Jumoke Akinjide

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Jumoke Akinjide, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and two other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State.

Akinjide alongside Ayo Adeseun, a former senator, and Olanrewaju Otiti a chieftain of the people democratic party in Oyo, were re-arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

At the resumed proceedings, counsel to EFCC Rotimi Oyedepo informed the court of 24 amended counts charge preferred against the defendants and urged the court to take the fresh plea of the defendants. 

Subsequently, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) who is representing Akinjide, orally applied that the court allows his client to continue on the existing bail granted to her by the previous court.

Michael Lana and Oladiji Akinola who appeared for Senator Adeseun and Otiti, respectively made the same prayer to the court. 

They urged the court to allow their clients continue of the existing bail terms.

However, Oyedepo opposed the motion, insisting instead that the court impose fresh bail condition that would compel the defendants to appear in court for their trials.

"My Lord the prosecution is worried about how this case has travelled from Ibadan to Lagos and my Lord is the fourth judge that will handle this case at the instant of the defence.

"Our fear is that these defendants are interfering with the quick dispensation of justice in this case and the interest of justice will be better served if defendants file motion for bail, so that we can respond to it and state the reason why this defendant should not be granted bail and we can only place that fact before my Lord by way of affidavit," Oyedepo said. 

Justice Aneke, in his short ruling, granted the oral application of the defendants to continue on the existing bail earlier granted to them by the former trial judge. 

Aneke said: "I have perused the submissions of respective counsels, I am of the view that bail should not be used to serve as punishment on the defendants whom the constitution presume innocent until otherwise is proofed. 

"Consequently I ordered that the defendants should continue on the existing bail earlier granted to them by justice Muslim Sule Hassan."

The defendants also informed the court of their motion challenging the constitutionality of the charge. 

Justice Aneke adjourned trial in the case until September 30 and October 11, respectively 

Akinjide was first arraigned on January 16, 2018, before Justice Sule Hassan alongside Adeseun and Otiti, on an amended 24-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering.

They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.

Trial began before Hassan, with witnesses testifying, but midway, the case was transferred to Aneke.

One of the charges read: “That you, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (still at large), Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Senator Ayo Ademola Adeseun and Chief Olanrewaju Otiti, on or about the 26th day of March, 2015, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to directly take possession of a N650,000,000, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of  proceeds of an unlawful act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and 4 of the same Act.”

The EFCC claimed that the defendants received money from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

The money was part of the fund allegedly shared by the PDP stalwarts during the 2015 campaigns.

The money, according to the anti-graft agency, was said to form part of a total sum of 115 million dollars allegedly disbursed by Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 Presidential Election. 

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Outages at North Sea oilfields have helped put competing Nigerian oil on pace to arrive in Europe at the highest levels in seven months in June, according to Refinitiv Eikon data and traders, Reuters is reporting.

Nigeria is set to export about 905,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the continent this month, the most since a roughly five-year high of about 1 million bpd in November.

Norwegian and UK offshore fields in the North Sea normally provide a steady supply of lighter crude to refineries feeding northern Europe's major economies and are traditionally more competitive than Nigerian grades due to their proximity.

But planned maintenance on Norway's Ekofisk oilfields this month slashed exports to just one cargo from the usual 10-15. Flotta, another of the 12 North Sea fields, closed for repairs over two weeks in late May.

"Nigerian grades are normally middle-distillate-rich and with Ekofisk having undergone maintenance, Nigeria is meeting European demand for this type of crude," said Ehsan Ul-Haq, lead analyst for oil research and forecasts at Refinitiv.

Supply of the five North Sea crude grades that underpin the dated Brent benchmark is set to fall to around 720,000 bpd in June, from 948,000 bpd the month before.

The contamination of a pipeline carrying Russian Urals crude in April interrupted flows to central and eastern Europe for a month and left stocks in need of replenishment.

Higher volumes to Europe have provided an unexpected boon, with Nigerian exports to the United States on the wane for a decade due to increased U.S. shale oil production, and demand relatively steady in Nigeria's key markets India and Indonesia.

"(Europe) always tends to act as the clearing house at lower value than the East," one trader selling Nigerian crude said.

Though European gasoline margins have been middling and especially poor among southern European refiners, several factors may mesh in coming months to support Nigerian differentials, which stand near multi-year highs.

Traders said the possibility of a permanent shutdown to the fire-stricken Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in the city, though it was a consistent importer of Nigerian crude, would increase demand for gasoline refined in Europe.

Egina, heavy sweet crude from a new offshore field, has proved consistently popular among refiners in northwest Europe.

"Exports of the grade primarily go to Europe, specifically the Netherlands and France, which combined took around 155,000 bpd in May, or 83% of the grade's exports," said Mercedes McKay, analyst at energy consultancy FGE.

Heavier grades could also benefit, with comparable Venezuelan and Iranian crude pushed off the market by U.S. sanctions and ahead of a January switch to less-polluting marine fuels under new International Maritime Organization standards, Reuters reports.

"(Even if) margins are bad, European refiners think they can profit from distillate demand for the 2020 bunker fuel change," Refinitiv's Ul-Haq said.

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Nigeria became the first team to qualify for the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations as they beat Guinea 1-0.

Three-time winners, Nigeria scored the only goal in the 73rd minute when Moses Simon's right-wing corner was headed in at the near post by Kenneth Omeruo.

They now have six points from their two games after a 1-0 win over Burundi in their first match on Saturday.

The top two nations in each of the six groups advance, along with the four best third-placed countries.

Nigeria dropped captain John Mikel Obi, who played for Middlesbrough in 2018-19, but their side did include Brighton defender Leon Balogun, Stoke midfielder Peter Etebo, Leicester midfielder Wilfried Ndidi and Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi.

The Gunners man had one of the best chances when it was goalless with a curled effort from just outside the penalty area, but Guinea goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone produced a spectacular one-handed save to push it over the bar.

Guinea's side included Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita, who was making his first start for club or country since 1 May, when he picked up a groin injury in the Reds' 3-0 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

However, Keita received some strong challenges and only lasted 71 minutes before he was substituted.

He was replaced just before a Nigeria corner and Guinea, who now have one point from their two matches, went behind instantly thanks to Omeruo's header.

The other two nations in Group B, Madagascar and Burundi, play on Thursday (15:30 BST), before Burundi take on Guinea and Madagascar face Nigeria in the final round of group games on Sunday.

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The All Progressives Congress has called for the immediate arrest of former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, over the report that he submitted 1,000 guns to the police shortly before he left the office.

The state chapter of APC in a statement by its spokesperson, Tunde Oladunjoye, said the guns surrendered by the governor was used in disrupting the 2019 elections in the state.

Oladunjoye said, “The handover of such huge arms and ammunition is a confirmation of our pre-election outcry that the state was unsafe and that the governor was stockpiling arms and ammunition for the purpose of wrecking havoc.

“If Amosun is not brought to account, then people will continue to mock the rule of law.”

However, the Ogun State Police Command has denied receiving arms stockpile from Amosun.

Ogun State Police Commissioner, Basir Makama. on Tuesday evening said the former governor did not return any arms, adding that the only time the governor handed over weapons to the police was in 2012.

He also claimed that the number of the weapon showed that what was returned was lesser than what the media houses reported.

“I did not see any weapons. All he gave to the police the day he was disarmed are ammunition, a ballistic helmet, and body armour. I am new in the state, this is somebody who has been governor for eight years.

“I came in and one day when he was about going, he said CP, I have some materials I want to hand over to you. Even if he didn’t buy them for the police or didn’t hand them over, I have a responsibility to disarm him and that was what I did.

“The ammunition was not up to four million as alleged. The former governor said four million but when we counted, we found out it was one million, four hundred and a little fraction.

“I found out that the 1,000 AK-47 rifles were bought for them (police) in 2012. He had given them in 2012. That is the record I have.”

The weapons Amosun claimed to have submitted included four million bullets, 1,000 units of AK=47 rifles, 1,000 bulletproof vests and an armoured personnel carrier (APC).

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President Muhammadu Buhari has once again thrown a jab at Walter Onnoghen, former Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Buhari spoke about Onnoghen and his tenure as the CJN, which was marred by the exposure of not declaring all of his assets that led to his eventual removal and retirement.

Buhari, speaking while he hosted the Afenifere leaders, said he had to reluctantly deal with Onnoghen knowing that he failed to declare all of his assets as required by the constitution.

“I will tell you as Afenifere, that I had to deal, though reluctantly, with the former chief justice because there were millions of dollars, euros, not to talk of naira, which were not declared,” he said.

“I wonder what sort of conscience some of us have. How can you sit and preside and lock people up for years and even sentence some to death and yet you are not doing what the constitution says you should do by occupying that vital position?”

Buhari once again reiterated his promise to go after individuals who had looted the country’s treasury, asserting that he would recover stolen funds and properties within and outside the country.

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Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to improve the state of infrastructure in Nigeria.

Tinubu said this while briefing journalists of his meeting with the President at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.

Tinubu said without the development of infrastructure, there cannot be an increase in the economic situation of the country.

“We have various scale of thinking that the economic council would have to think about.

“The infrastructural deficit in question economy in such a huge population of Nigeria and security. Those are the things you put emphasis upon.

“You know it, I know it, there is infrastructural deficit across the country, and then without infrastructure, you cannot galvanize the economy.

“You have the question of electricity, that is critical to industrialization and economic growth,” he said.

The former governor of Lagos also said the Nigeria Police Force needs to recruit more personnel to enable it to combat insecurity in the country effectively.

He stated that while this would combat insurgency in some parts of the country, it would also help in creating employment opportunity in the country.

“Stem any speech of hate and intolerance across the nation and look at the problem of security holistically and from the grassroots level including the fact that there is a shortage of police personnel and the need to look at recruitment and be able to effect information.

“You create employment for the people and strengthen the security,” Tinubu said.

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Osinbajo in New York with Nigerian community

The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, has asked Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to kneel before God and ask for forgiveness for breaking one of the vital 12 commandments of Christianity.

Afenifere said this in reaction to Osinbajo’s comment on insurgency and terrorism in the South-western part of the country.

Osinbajo had in the United States of America on Sunday claimed that ‘kidnapping incidents in the South-west were politically motivated”. 

He also noted that “with respect to general kidnapping which we have seen in parts of the country, again, this is not entirely new. In fact, some of the kidnapping stories you read or listen to are simply not true anywhere, some are fueled by politics.” See Also Insurgency New York Visit: Osinbajo Claims Kidnapping Not ‘Entirely’ New In Nigeria

Afeneifere condemned Osinbajo for the comment saying there are reports of the “failure of the state as the security forces are largely incapable or unwilling to safeguard the lives of our people".

Speaking for the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, reeled out some of the incidents that had happened in the South-western part of the country.

He said, apart from the daily tales of horror across Yorubaland in the hands of "Fulani marauders", the meeting (Afenifere) would like Osinbajo to answer some questions.

Odumakin asked: "Is the report of the kidnap of a district head from President Buhari’s town from May 1 (2019) to date politically motivated? Was the President speaking of another country when he handed kidnappers on the rampage to God? “Was the former Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, playing politics when it was announced that his son was kidnapped? What politics was afoot when the Ondo State governor recently announced that his convoy was waylaid by kidnappers?

“If he cannot answer these questions, he should kneel before his God and ask for forgiveness for violating ‘Thou shall not lie’ commandment. We further admonish him not to allow whatever ambition and political interest he serves to push him to make such infuriating comments again.”

The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take the issue of securing lives and properties of Nigerians across the country seriously.

The Afenifere also said President Muhammadu should “separate the office of the President of Nigeria which he occupies from being also the grand patron of Miyetti Allah”, to enable him tackle attacks by herdsmen and bandits with more ferociousness.

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