All Posts in "Day: August 23, 2021"

Adamawa Polytechnic Student Murders,Buries  Pregnant  Lover 

Shocker! Federal Polytechnic Student Allegedly Kills And Buries His Pregnant Girlfriend — Global Times Nigeria
A male student of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State, who allegedly killed his pregnant girlfriend and buried her corpse in a shallow grave has been arraigned in court by the police.
Mumuni Abubakar, and two other suspected accomplices — Huzaifa Shuaibu and Rabiu Adamu — connived and murdered Franca Elisha, a Diploma II student of the Department of Library Science in the same institution, and buried her in a shallow grave after a failed abortion attempt.
The Adamawa State Police Command disclosed that complaints by Franca’s parent about her whereabouts put paid  to investigations that uncovered circumstances surrounding her disappearance, allegedly through the hands of her boyfriend.
DSP Nguroje, Police Public Relations Officer, said  that investigation so far revealed that Mumuni Abubakar was responsible for impregnanting the deceased.
Nguroje said the suspect had employed the services of Huzaifa Shuaibu, alleged abortionist who reportedly administered lethal dose of an abortion injection that ultimately resulted in Franca’s death; while Rabiu Adamu, an alleged accomplice, reportedly assisted in burying her corpse.
According to a police FIR, “Mumuni took the deceased into his room located at students’ community behind the state university Mubi, for the clandestine abortion on the 6th August, 2021.
“To successfully carry out the planned abortion, the accused invited his friend and student of the College of Health and Technology, Mubi, Huzaifa Shuaibu, who administered the lethal dose of drugs and injection to induce the removal of the foetus, in Franca’s womb.”
The injection allegedly caused Franca some form of delirium, which caused her to  faint immediately.
“According to confessional statement made by Mumuni, Franca regained consciousness. But in order to perfect the termination of the pregnancy, Huzaifa allegedly administered another round of the injection.She fainted the second time and never regained consciousness again and subsequently passed on,” the Police statement said.
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Crime/Metro 0
NDLEA Operatives Arrest Drug Peddler In  Lagos Church

 Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a drug dealer,Stephen Afam Ikeanyionwu  as soon as he stepped out of a popular Pentecostal church at Mike Ajari street, Ojodu Berger area of Lagos where he went  to worship.
Operatives of NDLEA had traced Ikeanyoinwu to the church on the heels of  his linkage to attempt to export 69.65 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and cannabis to the United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
He was alleged  to have sent the bags containing the drugs to the airport for export through a freight forwarding company, which in turn gave it to a driver to deliver at the NAHCO export shed.
But,officials of the NDLEA intercepted the consignment of illicit drugs on Thursday, 12th August 2021 and began a manhunt for the baron behind the attempted export of illicit drugs, Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA said in a statement.
He added:“Following the arrest of the driver, follow-up operations and investigations later revealed the true identity of the actual owner of the consignment, Stephen Afam Ikeanyionwu, who was arrested three days later in a sting operation.
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Crime/Metro 0
 NARTO Sees Increased Prospects In Dangote Refinery

Road Transport owners in  Nigeria have expressed optimism that the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery would deepen the downstream sector and positively impact their businesses.
The transporters, under the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) after a guided tour of the refinery Plant in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos, said they had no doubt that the project would generally accelerate the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
They  expressed the willingness to play a good role in the distribution of refined products from Dangote refinery when it starts operations.
The NARTO leaders lauded the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote for his huge investment in petroleum refining and making the country one of the potential top refiners of petroleum in the world.
In his remarks,after a tour of the refinery project, President of NARTO, Alhaji Lawal Yusuf Othman, described Aliko Dangote as a trailblazer in the nation’s industrial development, whose contributions to economic development of the nation have helped in reducing unemployment and alleviating poverty.
He  expressed satisfaction over the quality of construction materials being used for the refinery,.
He said:“We are impressed with the massive project which has been regarded as the largest single train refinery in the world. The quality of the machines, the size of the refinery, and the quality of the work is of international standard. We are also very happy that there is a plan to construct the road from the refinery down to around Ijebu-Ode. The road construction is going to decongest the roads and make it easy for us to do our business,” he added.
To encourage more players in the downstream sector, the NARTO President emphasised the need for government to deregulate the downstream oil and gas sector fast.
He added:“Many people are not refining because the sector is still regulated. It is difficult to invest billions of dollars into a sector, where prices are determined by government. Deregulation will encourage more players into the downstream sector. When there is full deregulation, government does not neved to force anybody to invest in the sector. Deregulation will attract foreign and local investment in the sector,” he added.
He revealed that his  members have been given the necessary assurance that their businesses are going to be protected when the refinery comes on-stream under the Petroleum Industry Act.
He added:“We came on a tour of Dangote Refinery to assess the level of construction work going on at the site and also to reassure our members that the refinery is going to have positive impact on their business, most especially with the signing into law of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).It is expected that there is going to be full deregulation of Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas sector. At the same time, we hope in the coming months, the Dangote Refinery will come into operation.
“As at today, imported petroleum product is distributed across the country through road by our members. We thought that now that Dangote Refinery is coming on stream, the company might be interested in self-distribution of the products across the country without involving us. However, we have been told that the products will be distributed through the depots. So, we will partner Dangote refinery for ease of products distribution across the country
“We have been assured that 70 per cent of the refined products will be transported through the sea, while 30 per cent will be by trucking. Although, the company has a gantry with a loading capacity of about 2,000 trucks per day, we have been assured that Dangote does not have interest in the retail of petroleum products.We are certain beyond reasonable doubt that our businesses are going to continue in the downstream sector. Of course, Dangote Refinery is going to produce and distribute through the sea and allow those of us who are into retailing to continue with our business. Now, most of our members have the fear that Dangote may go into retailing and distribution of products”
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Oil&Gas 0
FirstBank Gives N500,000 Grant To SMEs

FirstBank of Nigeria has  announced a N500,000 business grant to five Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The bank executed the gesture through its SMEConnect initiative aimed at boosting employment.
Group Head, Retail Banking, Lagos Mainland 1, FirstBank, Mrs Oludolapo Adigun,  listed the five beneficiary SMEs to include: Buyscrap Nigeria Enterprise; Arteasy Nigeria; Gris Business; Digital Solutions Network and Edatsu Technology Ltd.
According to her,each of the SMEs was given a N100,000 grant to support their businesses after the SME clinic 2021, held in partnership with Techpoint Africa.
She explained that SMEConnect was one of the tools by which FirstBank delivers the capacity-building pillar of its value propositions to SMEs, with a focus on impacting SMEs in key areas that affect their business growth and development.
According to her:“In recent years, FirstBank has embarked on the task of empowering SMEs, considering their immense value to the Nigerian economy.We created SMEConnect to help drive this mission and we’re delighted to have partnered with Techpoint Africa for the SME clinic 2021.The small business grant is the tip of the iceberg of what SMEs stand to benefit from the programme. We’re looking forward to future partnerships, Adigun said.
In her remarks,Precious Mogoli, Director, SME Clinic by Techpoint, said SMEs were the lifeblood of any economy, and in Nigeria, current data had shown that SMEs made up to 96 per cent of businesses, contributing over half of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
She said  that COVID-19 was changing the way businesses operate globally, with more emphasis being placed on technology.
She added:“While technology startups have been able to handle this change, traditional enterprises have found it more difficult.With this in mind, the SME Clinic by Techpoint creates a forum that teaches Nigerian SMEs grit, resilience, and how to scale their businesses with technology.
“The SME Clinic by Techpoint tries to reach Nigerian SMEs through its newsletter, town halls/webinars, an annual flagship event.It was a truly memorable moment and we hope to keep building a community of business owners who will use technology to impact the Nigerian economy,” Mogoli said.
She advised that  small business owners in a pandemic-ridden world must find ways to the new normal – social distance, remote work and technology, among others, to survive.
“While few businesses have found ways to use these new and emerging tech tools to solve everyday problems and grow their businesses, several others still struggle to adapt,” she added.
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Banking&Finance 0
Access Bank,Partners Launch  Save -A-Life Project

The Corporate Communications Group of Access Bank Plc, has partnered with Haima Health Initiative and the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service to launch the Save a Life project.
The initiative, which is an offshoot of Access Bank’s longstanding Employee Volunteering Scheme,  aims to plant seeds of positivity by emphasising the lifesaving power within a pint of blood by raising over 200 pints of blood from donors.
The group exceeded  the  target, recording a total of 213 pints across the two-day activation.
Speaking on the  project, the Group Head, Corporate Communications at Access Bank Plc, Amaechi Okobi, stated that Nigeria’s National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) revealed that only about 25,000 blood pints were sourced exclusively from voluntary unpaid blood donors that were screened, collected and distributed in 2019 and 2020.
According to him, the  figure was dishearteningly low compared to the amount required in hospitals across the country. The low rates, he said, are majorly due to the knowledge gaps and scepticism around blood donation.
He said “In Nigeria, there are too many erroneous perceptions about blood donation and the resultant effects of this is a widening disparity in the number of pints of blood needed to save lives and what is available in our blood banks. Hence, what the Corporate Communications Group of Access Bank (comprising about 20 staff members) in collaboration with our partners aims to achieve through the ‘Save a Life’ project is to debunk misguided beliefs and emphasise the enormous benefits of this humane act. We are optimistic that individuals and corporates alike take a cue from what we are doing and join the quest to save lives”, he said.
Through the Employee Volunteering Scheme, Access Bank’s employees contribute ideas, skills and resources to address social, environmental, and economic challenges whilst acquiring practical experience and fulfilling their roles as positive role models in society.
With several other initiatives focused on tech, healthcare, agriculture, amongst others, Access Bank through its employees, continues to practically demonstrate its dedication to being more than banking.
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Banking&Finance 0
MTN To Connect Additional   2000 Communities In Nigeria

MTN Nigeria Communications,has disclosed plans to invest over  N600bn in network infrastructure over the next three years to improve telecommunications services across the country.
The chairman of MTN Nigeria Communications, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, who disclosed this during the company’s 20th anniversary celebration  in Lagos, said that MTN was also committed to expanding its rural connectivity to reach areas that were underserved” across the country.
He added:“We plan to connect approximately 1000 rural communities to our network this year with an additional 2000 communities in 2022″
He expressed optimism about what the future holds for Nigeria’s digital economy and looked forward to building it together with all stakeholders.
In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer of the company, Karl Toriola, restated MTN’s planned participation in the restoration and rehabilitation of the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway through the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Tax Credit ((RITC) Scheme.
He explained that the development was  a response to government’s drive towards public-private partnership in the rehabilitation of critical road infrastructure in Nigeria.
He said:“We’ve initiated plans for the construction of a purpose-built, state-of-the-art head office in Lagos.We will also be selling down 14 per cent of MTN shares to over two million Nigerian retail investors,” Toriola said.
He appreciated the government for its vision in liberalising the telecommunications sector and the robust framework developed by the regulators.
He added:“We firmly believe that Nigeria’s digital journey is only just beginning and that the future is filled with promises.Working together, we can and will build the more prosperous and inclusive future we seek and empower even more Nigerian to do greater things,” the MTN chief executive said.
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in IT&Telecoms 0
Police Arrest Abuja Varsity Student With Arms

 Nigeria Police have arrested a 21-year-old final year student of University of Abuja, Olusegun Victor, with large arms and ammunition.
The suspect, who claimed to be an indigene of Kaba in Kogi State,is  a final year student of the Department of Philosophy, University of Abuja.
Police said he was arrested with six 9mm pellets, thirteen 6mm pellets, 10 cartridges and four automatic locally made pistols in addition to a variety of charms and drugs.
The suspect confessed to being a high ranking personal assistant to the leader of the Aye Confraternity in the University of Abuja.
He also claimed that he was initiated into the confraternity in September 2020 during a party at a private residence in Gwagwalada.
According to the police,Victor said his initiation was necessitated by one Bright Kalu, to whom he had complained of his financial hardship and who gave him the confidence that his membership of Aye Confraternity would yield financial results.
Bright Kalu, who is also the leader of the cult group in the University of Abuja, was arrested in March 2021 and his arrest put paid  the arrest of other members of the confraternity, including Victor.
Victor was arrested after he concluded his final year examination and was preparing for his final clearance.
He said he neither   used the guns on any person nor employed  them to commit any crime, adding that  the guns were only used during celebrations and festivals of the confraternity.
The Force Public Relations Office, CP Frank Mba, confirmed the arrest of the suspect.
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Crime/Metro 0
How Digital Literacy Will Add Value To  Socio-Economic Development-NCC Boss

The Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has emphasized the need  for promoting digital literacy in Nigeria.
He echoed his thought at the first Annual Lecture of the Bichi Emirate titled, “Digital Literacy as a Veritable Tool for Social and Economic Transformation” in Bichi, Kano State, where he challenged actors in both public and private sectors to key into the programme.
He explained  that digital literacy provides the confidence required by individual citizens to utilise digital contents and tools, adding that it also helps citizens to effectively collaborate in creating digital content and becoming innovative problem-solvers within their socio-economic ecosystem.
He told the audience that technological changes have now assumed an unprecedented dimension in pace, scope and depth of impact, emphasizing that harnessing the progress is the surest path for Nigeria in her quest for economic diversification, especially the elevation of 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
He added that:“The policy thrust of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration  in this direction is encapsulated in three key policy documents, namely: Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025; the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2010-2030; and, the National Policy on Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Nigerian telecommunications sector”.
According to him, one of the underlying goals of the three policies was the development of the Nigerian economy through digital technology enhancement and increased contribution of the telecom sector to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Danbatta disclosed  that his agency has, over the years, implemented various programmes to support adoption and application of digital skills in Nigeria.
The programmes, according to him,  not only provide the necessary digital tools but also support the provision of digital infrastructure, training, connectivity and other incentives to facilitate the development of digital literacy skills.
Through its Projects Department and the Universal Services Provision Fund (USPF), Danbatta observed that the NCC has been providing interventions such as the School Knowledge Centres (SKC), Wireless Cloud and Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), among others, across the six geo-political zones of the country.
Danbatta said that, of the eight local government areas that constitute the Emirate, the Commission has, through the USPF, identified about 1,900 square kilometers of land, populated by 462,222 individuals as unserved.
He added:“In order to cover that gap, the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have installed 212 BTS of which 112 are Second Generation (2G)-compliant, 73 are Third Generation (3G) networks and 27 are Fourth Generation/Long Term Evolution (4G/LTE) technology, with all providing broadband connectivity which is the bedrock of digital literacy.
“The USPF has also provided interventions to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and hospitals in the emirate via its SKC, Tertiary Institutions Knowledge Centre as well as E-health initiatives; a total of seven of such projects have, so far, been executed since 2015 on my assumption as the EVC”
He  also harped on the Commission’s seven interventions under the Advanced Digital Awareness Programme among others, stressing that all the interventions are in line with NCC’s equitable distribution of projects across all geo-political zones in the country.
The commission established the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in May 2004 in recognition of the need to continue to foster the rapid development and growth of the Nigerian telecommunications marketplace and digital economy,
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in IT&Telecoms 0
Bayelsa SSG’s Mom Regains Freedom

Kidnapped 80-year-old mother of Bayelsa SSG regains freedom after 32 days in captivity
Madam Betinah Benson, the kidnapped  mother of the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Mr Konbowei Benson, has been freed
She was brought home to her Old Assembly Quarters residence in Yenagoa on Sunday evening,according to a witness .
The octogenarian was kidnapped from the same residence on July 20 by gunmen who were dressed in military camouflage. She spent 33 days in their custody.
The kidnappers had on August 5 reportedly contacted Madam Benson’s family and demanded N500m ransom to set her free.
The SSG confirmed his mother’s release on his  on Sunday evening.
“Thanks to the Almighty God, my sweet mother is back to Yenagoa,”he said.
The Police Public  Relations Officer, Bayelsa Command, SP Asinim Butswat,also confirmed the release of Benson’s mother,saying : “Yes, she was rescued this (Sunday) evening but awaiting details from the team.”
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Niger Delta 0
Defamation:Yoruba Culture Promoter Sues  ‘Liz Anjorin,Alleges Threat To Life

Frontline Yoruba Culture Promoter Sues Lizzy Anjorin, N30m For Damages – Independent Newspaper Nigeria
 A Yoruba culture and traditions’ promoter, Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye has sued a Nigerian actress Mrs Elizabeth Anjorin – Lawal, for defaming him.
In a suit filed before   a Lagos State High Court , the promoter is demanding a N30 million  compensation for damages done to him for a  libelous publication against him.
According to him,the defendant was contracted to participate in the Asa 2018 programme and that all issues relating to her participation and engagement in the programme were sorted out effectively.
He said  on the 30th of January 2021, he was called by acquaintances concerning a post on social media attributed to the defendant, titled: ‘The fraudster of Manitoba and the fraudster of Winnipeg’ which alleged that he perpetrated fraud on the defendant and the people connected  her, which the defendant allegedly introduced to him.
He said in the writ of summon that the content of the post is damaging and disparaging and bring him to utter contempt, disrepute and odium in the estimation of right thinking Nigerians in the Diaspora who know the claimant.
He said  he was compelled to brief a firm of solicitors – Messrs Eko Akete Chambers on the 1st of February 2021 to complain of the defamatory content of the post of the defendant against him.
“Messrs Eko Akete Chambers was compelled to write a letter to the defendant on the 1st of February, 2021 addressed and delivered to her same. In spite of the delivery of the letter to the defendant, she disregarded the letter and proceeded to publish and commission the publication of a further defamatory post against him ,” Oyatoye said.
According to Oyatoye, he prayed  the court to order the defendant to promptly and immediately withdraw the posting put on the Instagram and other social media platforms;  tender an unreserved apology to be posted on the same Instagram and other social media platforms in which the original defamatory words  were aired or posted; and to pay him N30m as damages for the wrongful and unlawful assassination of his  character as well as perpetual injunction against the defendant from engaging in any  other damaging post on social media or any other  platform concerning, touching and or affecting him.
Besides,  Oyatoye , has  alleged  threat to his life  following  the legal action against  Anjorin
He claimed in a statement that since he filed the court  action he has been harassed  by unknown  persons threatening  him to withdraw the case or face  the consequences.
Online Editor by — August 23, 2021 in Law/Human Rights 0