Police Sergeant Shoots His Girlfriend In Yobe & Kills Himself

By Hamisu Kabir Matazu, Damaturu


A police sergeant, identified as Kennedy has shot his girlfriend and killed himself, Tuesday, in Potiskum town, Potiskum local government area of Yobe State.

Daily Trust gathered that the incident happened around 11:45am inside the sergeants apartment located at old secretariat building, adjacent Potiskum police station.

The Police Commissioner, Yobe State command, Abdumaliki Sunmonu, confirmed that the incident happened in the Sergeant's house.

He said the Sergeant was in the room with his girlfriend when the gunshots were heard.

"Later on, it was discovered that the sergeant shot his girlfriend, and shot himself. They were taken to hospital, the Sergeant was confirmed dead, while the girlfriend was in critical condition," he said.

He said that the sergeant was alone with the girlfriend in the room when the incident happened so only preliminary investigation will revealed what actually transpired.

A Neighbor of the Sergeant told our correspondent that the deceased usually have problem with the girlfriend.

"They were having some issues these days, blaming the Margi lady of having extra affairs, but nobody suspected he will do something like that." he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/police-sergeant-shot-girl-friend-kill-himself-in-yobe/196990.html

Rivers Re-run Probe: Court Declares Police Panel Illegal

ABUJA-The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, declared as illegal, the Special Joint Investigative Panel that was constituted by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, to uncover those behind violence that marred the December 10, 2016, legislative re-run election in Rivers State.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike In a 106-paged judgment that lasted over five hours, Justice Gabriel Kolawole described the Police probe panel which included operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, as “a strange contraption whose existence will create legal doubt”.

Justice Kolawole held that the 15-man Special Joint Investigative Panel is a body unknown to any law in the country. He maintained that neither the Police Act, Security Agencies Act nor the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowered the IGP to set-up and co-opt the DSS which is not answerable to him but to the Presidency, into the Rivers re-run probe panel.

According to the court, the Special Panel, in so far as it was not limited to the Nigerian Police Force over which the IGP has authority, but co-opted another security agency, does not have the backing of any known law in Nigeria. “It is to this extent that the panel is unknown to the Nigerian Law or Criminal Justice System, even though its findings may be useful to bona-fide security agency as a working document”.

The court however acknowledged that under section 4 of the Police Act, the IGP, has the power to constitute an investigative panel. Meanwhile, the court declined to quash report of the panel, saying it would leave it to the discretion of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to in the exercise of his powers under section 174 of the constitution, decide whether any valid charge could be drafted on the basis of a report that emanated from “a body unknown to law”.

Justice Kolawole said he could have nullified report of the panel which Police has already submitted to the AGF, assuming a copy of it was tendered before the court by the plaintiffs. He said the court could not also disband the panel since it has already concluded the said investigation and submitted its report.

The Judge held that the Police panel lacks the power to indict any person or to make definitive pronouncements, saying it could at best make recommendations. He said the exercise that was conducted by the panel could at best be described as “ministerial in nature in line with the concept of covering the field”, saying it could neither be judicial or quasi-judicial in nature. Consequently, the court granted relief one in the suit that had the Rivers State Government, Governor Nyesom Wike and Attorney General of Rivers State as 1st to 3rd plaintiffs respectively. Earlier in the judgment, the court decried that despite the concept of separation of powers, a state Governor, even though regarded as the Chief Security Officer of the state, lacks powers to control the security apparatus in the state.

It noted that section 251 of the constitution only have governors “illusion of powers of command of Police in there states”. The court further observed that contrary to the doctrine of separation of powers, the way the constitution was drafted, Police Commissioners are not under obligation to comply with order of the governor of their state, but that of the President.

The plaintiffs had through their lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, approached the court to challenge the legality of the Police probe panel which they said was merely out to indict and ridicule governor Wike. Aside the IGP, other defendants to the suit were the DSS and a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Damian Okoro.
The plaintiffs prayed the court to restrain the defendants or their agents from enforcing or executing matters contained in a letter the IGP wrote to Wike on December 20, 2016, pertaining to the probe. Wike told the court the IGP had in the said letter entitled, ‘Investigation into allegations of crimes committed during the last rerun elections in Rivers state’, stated that the, “purview of the investigation will cover allegations of bribes taken, several brazen murder incidents (including that of serving Police Officers), reports of gross human rights abuses, acts of sabotage/terrorism, kidnapping for ransom and ballot box snatching, all of which were perpetrated in connivance with several federal and state civil servants as well as highly placed politicians within and outside the state”.

The letter also requested the governor to furnish the Police investigative team with all necessary information and exhibits that may assist the team in the investigation. Wike’s lawyer, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, insisted that action of the police to constitute a panel to investigate crisis that trailed the rerun election was illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and null and void. He said it would be in the interest of justice for the court to set aside the IGP’s letter to governor Wike and direct the Police boss to await the outcome of the commission of inquiry already set up by the Rivers State government. However, all the defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit as frivolous and highly bereft of any merit. Both Police and the DSS argued that prayers Wike sought before the court was capable of creating a very “dangerous precedent” if granted.

According to Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, who represented Police, “The prayer being sought by the plaintiffs will create a dangerous precedent if granted because it will mean that a terrorism suspect can go to court and say I cannot be investigated. “We have shown in our addresses that no citizen can go to court and pray the court to stop the police from investigating criminal offences.” On his part, DSS lawyer, Mr. Tijani Gazali, while aligning with Falana’s submissions, said there was evidence that IGP’s decision to set up the special investigative team was informed by complaints and petitions received on the crimes committed during the rerun. The defendants further insisted that no court has the power to stop the police from carrying out its constitutional duty of investigating crimes.

They reminded the court that section 4 of the Police Act and section 215 of the Constitution had vested the police with the power to investigate all manners of crime. Justice Kolawole earlier rejected Wike’s application for an interim order of injunction barring the panel from proceeding further with the probe pending hearing and determination of the substantive suit. Wike had through a supporting affidavit he attached to the suit, told the court that it was security operatives, mainly the Police and the Army that orchestrated violence following their partisan stance during the poll. He said some untoward behaviour of security operatives deployed for the exercise were caught on tape and presented to Nigerians and the whole world by various reputable television stations. In the affidavit deposed to by one Harrison Obi, a lawyer in Ozehkome’s chamber, Wike told the court that after the election, he constituted a commission of inquiry to look into immediate and remote causes of the violence with a view to avoiding similar occurrence in subsequent elections and punishing the perpetrators of the act. He said the commission of inquiry was set up under the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap 30, Laws of Rivers State. Wike maintained that he is legally empowered to embark on the inquiry as the Chief Security Officer of the state, adding that terms of reference of the panel of investigation set up by the Police clearly suggested that the goal of the intended probe is already pre-determined. He told the court that Police has already reached numerous conclusions against him, indicating that its investigation would be biased. Ozekhome said the intention of the Police was to produce a pre-determined damning report to convict Wike through the medium of the Commission of Inquiry. He said with conclusions already drawn and reached by the Police without hearing from his client, the investigation would only amount to a “smokescreen and rubber stamp to give credence to the governor’s guilt”. Consequently, he prayed the court to set aside the content of the letter by the IGP and order

Police to await the outcome of the committee of inquiry already set up by Wike. However, the IGP in his preliminary objection before the court, accused Wike of attempting to use the suit to cover his tracks. It will be recalled that the police panel earlier revealed that it recovered over N100millon bribe money from some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that conducted the Rivers poll.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/breaking-rivers-re-run-probe-court-declares-police-panel-illegal/

Jamb 2017: Top 10 States According To The Number Of Applicants

Jamb 2017 Statistics - See the Top 10 States with Highest Number of Jamb Applicants 2017

Jamb 2017 Statistics - Following the just concluded Jamb 2017 Registration below is the statistics of the top 10 state with the highest number of applicants, We believe this may inspire you and also help you to seat up for your exam knowing that you have lots of people to compete with.

These numbers were released by The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, at a news briefing with newsmen in Bwari, in preparations for the conduct of this year's UTME.

1,736,571 - Total Number of Registered Candidates (Highest Number in the History of JAMB)
Jamb 2017 Statistics: Top 10 States with Highest Number of Jamb Applicants

101,868 - Imo State (Highest Number)
88,655 - Osun State
87,811 - Oyo State
81,349 - Ogun State
81,108 - Delta State
77,253 - Anambra State
72,104 - Kaduna State
70,276 - Kano State
70,150 - Kogi State
68,916 - Benue State

321 visually handicapped candidates

624 CBT Centres Nationwide to Hold Exams Simultaneously

The official benchmark cut-off points for admissions will be released after the results are out.

He further said that cut-off points were not set by JAMB, but by policy committee been chaired by the Minister of Education with the Board, Vice-Chancellors, Provost of Education and Polytechnic Rectors.

He described cut-off points to be a minimum requirement and not an indication that one was admissible.

We wish all candidates the best of luck as the exam starts on 13th May, 2017.

Source: http://www.studentsng.org/2017/05/jamb-2017-statistics-by-states.html

US: Buhari’s Agenda Very Well Matches Ours

The US on Tuesday said that the agenda being pursued by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration were in line with its expectations.

Nathan Holt, the deputy director, office of West African affairs, bureau of African affairs at the US department of state, made the remarks on Tuesday from Washington DC via a teleconference on ‘Nigeria, a critical U.S. partner’.

Holt said: “In 2015, Nigeria had a very important election. It elected Muhammadu Buhari as president.”

“This represented the first time in Nigerian history that there was a peaceful, democratic transfer of power from one party to an opposition party.

“It was a milestone not only for Nigeria, but really for Africa as a whole.

“President Buhari’s electoral platform was that he wanted to fight insecurity, particularly the depredations of Boko Haram and other forces in the northeast.

“He wanted to grow the Nigerian economy, create jobs for its growing population, and he wanted to fight corruption. Well, the nice thing about that agenda is that it meshes very well with our own.

“That is – those are areas of focus that very much are consistent with US interests in Nigeria. We too want to partner with Nigeria and its neighbours to fight terrorism.

“We too support private-sector-led economic growth. And we are very much in favour of President Buhari’s campaign against corruption,” the US envoy on African Affairs, said.

Holt also spoke on his country’s decision to cut foreign aid, assistance, and payments to UN programmes but pledged continued robust US assistance to Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.

According to him, the US remains the leading humanitarian donor in the humanitarian, bilateral development assistance and the president’s emergency plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR).

“We are very pleased that we are the lead humanitarian donor in the Lake Chad Basin region.

We’ve got a vigorous bilateral development assistance programme that’s dominated by health assistance, including the PEPFAR programme.

“The PEPFAR programme has really helped turn back the tide of HIV/AIDS not just in Nigeria but across the African continent,” he said.

https://www.thecable.ng/us-buharis-agenda-well-matches

Female Soldier Beats Policewoman Comatose In Lagos

By Joseph Undu

LAGOS— A policewoman attached to Makinde Police Division, Oshodi area of Lagos, yesterday afternoon, received the beating of her life after a female soldier engaged her in a fight, at Oshodi, opposite NAFDAC office.

A police source that spoke with Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said the police traffic warden was on official duty when she was assaulted by the military woman, adding “as we speak, the policewoman is in coma in an undisclosed hospital.

“The case of assault has been reported to Police Command Headquarters for further investigation.”
Although nobody knew what exactly transpired between the women, an eyewitnesses said there was an argument between the two female officers, who were both in their uniforms, which later resulted to an outburst.

Meanwhile, soldiers descended on this reporter, beat him up, tore his clothes and seized his phone as he tried to talk to the fighters and snap pictures of the incident.

He dashed across the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, but the military men went after him, hitting him all over his body, until a courageous motorcyclist sped off with him.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/female-soldier-beats-policewoman-comatose-lagos/

How Yam Farming Can Contribute To Our Economic In Nigeria

What exactly are the economic benefits of yam farming in West Africa? Yam farming is obviously one of the most rewarding farm businesses in Africa for many good reasons. Yam is one of the most popular food staple in most African countries and beyond. It is prepared in our kitchens in many forms pounded yam, porridge, friend yam, yam with vegetables mention just a few. Without yam in the market, millions of African families may starve.

Apart from feeding our stomach, yam has other nutritional and health benefits. Yams complex carbohydrates and fiber slows the rate at which sugars are released and absorbed into the bloodstream. In addition, because theyre rich in fiber, yams fill you up without filling out your hips and waistline.

Yams are also a good source of manganese, a trace mineral that helps with carbohydrate metabolism and is a co factor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses. Thats how mothers nature works; when She brings forth a food, She makes sure it integrates everything needed to contribute to your health and vitality.

The Opportunities in Yam Farming

Yam is quite pricey in the market and no amount produced that will be enough let alone saturation. Yam can be exported to other countries to earn foreign currency and improve the economy of Africa. In ancient time down to very recently, the wealth of a man in Igboland is measured by the quantity of yam he harvested. Yam is a symbol of wealth in Igboland likewise many other places. Has this changed? The answer is no it is our recent acquired poor orientation towards farming that is trying to change it.

Ghana is the third largest yam producer in West Africa after Nigeria and Cote dIvoire. But in exportation, they are the leading exporter of yam accounting for over 94 percent of total yam exports in West Africa.

The big question is: How come Nigeria is the largest producer of yam in West Africa but Ghana is the largest exporter of yam in the same West Africa? Nigeria and Ivory Coasts eyes are still blind to the opportunities that exist in their hands. About 90 percent of Ghanas yams are exported to the US, UK and the Netherlands.

The Economic Benefits Of Yam Farming

Do you know that 50,000 tubers of yam could make you N10 million in a year? And what does it take to harvest 50,000 tubers of yam in a year? A hundred meters of yam ridge takes 100 yams if spaced 1 meter apart which is the standard recommended spacing. That means that five hundred by five hundred meters of farm land can comfortably give you 50,000 tubers of yam in a year.
The problem we have in this country about farming is that we are not used to thinking big, we only think of farming as means of feeding our extended family in the village. No, farming is far beyond that, it can make you millions of dollars.

To cultivate 500 x 500 meters of farmland for yam, you will need N3-4 million and after harvesting and selling, you make N10 million selling locally, making a profit of N6 million in a year. How many of you make N6 million in a year from your hustle in Oshodi and Alaba and other markets and streets in Africa? Why would you prefer to languish in poverty and hardship when there is plenty opportunity in Yam Farming? The season is about to begin. Be prepared!

From the above analysis, you can see the economic benefits of yam farming in Nigeria and West Africa. It is time to invest more in this sector of farming in Nigeria.

www.agricinfo.com/2017/05/the-economic-benefits-of-yam-farming.html?m=1

BBC Apologizes To Emir Sanusi Over False Publication Of Financial Recklessness

The British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, has apologised to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over reports it published claiming the Emir was connected with a financial recklessness that took place with the Kano Emirate fund.

Recall that on April 24, the corporation had published a report claiming that the Emir was under probe by the Emirate’s anti-graft commission for alleged mismanagement of Kano Emirate fund.

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission had opened an investigation into allegations of ‘questionable expenditures’ running into billions of naira by the council over a short period of time.

However, in the apology letter dated April 28, 2017 and sent to Emir Sanusi, Mr. Jamie Angus, editorial director at BBC, said that an April 24 story quoting the Chairman, of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhyi Magaji, as saying that he (Sanusi) was amongst those being investigated in connection with alleged misappropriation of about N6 billion Emirate Council fund was “not correct.”

“The recording of the interview was passed to another colleague in Abuja office, summarised in a despatch and then sent to London where the online report was written and published.”

“It is now clear from our investigations that the reports did not accurately reflect what we were told by Mr. Magaji, who had, in fact, made clear to our reporter that you had not been invited in for questioning and indeed that it was unlikely that there would be a need to invite you for question.

“Accordingly, the report we published suggested that you were under personal investigation was not correct and for that I offer my sincere apologies,” Mr. Angus said.

http://www.naaija.com/2017/05/bbc-apologises-to-emir-sanusi/