Vandals kill two Policemen, abduct two others in Ogun

Pandemonium broke out, yesterday, at the Arepo pipeline on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Ogun State after suspected vandals reportedly shot dead two  policemen and abducted two others  during a gun battle.

It was gathered that the vandals were scooping fuel in the area after an explosion earlier, prompting a team of policemen to race to the scene.
It was learnt that firefighters and rescue personnel were still battling to put out the fire from the pipeline explosion at press time.
Attempt to confirm the incident from the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, was unsuccessful.

But a security source who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that the suspected vandals clashed with policemen at Arepo, yesterday morning.
She said an illicit operation was ongoing at the area when fight erupted between the vandals and some policemen.

“Vandals, who normally operate in the Arepo area, shot some policemen. Two policemen were kidnapped but I can’t say whether the policemen have been rescued or not."
Meanwhile, four articulated vehicles, including a petrol-laden tanker, were burnt in a multiple accident which occurred on Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Saturday night.

Teacher nabbed for defiling 3 pupils in Ibadan

 A teacher, identified as Olayinka Folarin, has been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command for allegedly defiling three under-aged primary school girls, including two orphans, who live in an orphanage, His Heritage Home.

The incident happened at a private school in Oluyole Estate, Ibadan. The victims whose ages were put between 10 and 11 years were said to have been serially abused by the teacher.
According to one of the rape victims, the teacher, who has four children, had been having sex with them since 2013 on a weekly basis.
The girls, it was gathered, were being abused inside the school toilet without the knowledge of the school management.

Though, the suspect had allegedly threatened to kill any of the girls who spoke out, but his shady deal was exposed when one of the girls was seen crying after another round of illicit sex with the teacher.
The wailing of the girl prompted some male students to ask what happened to her.  She then confided in them that Folarin had just finished raping her.

In a bid to get him red-handed, the boys reportedly told her to let them know when next their teacher wanted to take advantage of them.
The boys advised the girls to tell their guardian, Mrs Temilolu Morounkeji, who runs the home for orphans and vulnerable children after school hours.
It was the woman and one Pastor Marcus Williams, a member of the Child Protection Network, Vanguard gathered, that informed the Police, who later arrested the teacher.

A medical check was carried out on the victims at the Adeoyo state hospital by one Dr Ariwoola and his report read: “Semen was seen around the victims vulva. Hymen was not intact.”
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Olabisi Ilobanafor, described the act as “pathetic.”

“This was happening in a school and it has been happening for months undetected. The teacher has been sleeping with the victims in the school toilet. He has been sleeping with the girls every week since last year. When the matter was reported to us, the Police went into the matter and our investigation revealed that he has a gel used in lubricating the girls. The gel has been recovered from where he kept it in the school premises. He has been arrested and he will be charged to court.”

She explained further that the police will also investigate if there were other girls who had the same experience, saying: ”He even threatened to kill them and one of the girls said she was afraid of what the suspect would use in killing her whether physical or spiritual.”

Shettima's wife cancels Children’s Day celebration in Borno

The office of the wife of the Executive Governor of Borno State Hajiya Nana  Shettima in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social  Development has cancelled this year’s Children’s Day Celebration

A release from the office of the press secretary to the wife of the governor Hajiya  Aishatu Muhammad Hassan indicates that the cancellation is to serve as a mark of  respect to Victims of various insurgency attacks and offer special prayers for the  safe and quick release of the abducted schoolgirls as well as for peace to prevail in  the state and the country at large.

The wife of the Governor Hajiya Nana Shettima and the Women Affairs Hajiya  Inna Galadima enjoined women and children to offer special prayers on that day  because God accepts their prayers quickly in view of their love and compassion for humanity.

We lost over 500 members to insurgency in N-East —Catholic Church

The Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri has said that it has so far lost more than 500 members and property worth over N400 million due to the activities of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.

The Diocesan Secretary,Very Rev. Father John Bakeni Bogna, made this known at a news conference in Maiduguri, yesterday.

He said: “We have records right from 2006 and we have met with the government and we are still discussing the issue of compensation in collaboration with other Christian brethren.”

Also giving details of the loss from 2009 to date, the Diocesan Director, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie, said more than 500, including 170 children of their members were killed, while over 50 churches were burnt and 90,000 people displaced, with about 300 women made to become widows.

According to the church, 1,500 orphans had also been recorded within the period while 34 parishes were completely destroyed in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

On education and health sectors, the Project Manager of the diocese, Rev. Fr. Bature Joseph, said: ”33 schools, including 23 primary and 10 secondary were destroyed with three completely burnt down.”

He said nine schools were also closed down in Madagali, Michika, Shuwa and Mubi, stressing that the massive exodus of teachers was affecting the stability of education in the diocese.

Joseph further said health facilities owned by the church in Pulka, Bazza, Shuwa, Potiskum and Mubi were vandalised.

He urged everybody to pray for the sustenance of unity schools because their existence was one of the things binding the country together.

On the abducted Chibok girls, the Rev. Father said the church had never been silent as it was constantly praying for their release to re-unite with their families.

Suswam accuses APC of making mockery of democracy

Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has accused the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, of making mockery of democracy in the country.

Suswam said that the APC was being run by a cabal from their bed rooms, thereby deriding democratic tenets.

He spoke in Makurdi, the state capital, yesterday in an interview with newsmen yesterday, shortly after receiving the interim report of the General Lawrence Onoja (rtd.)- led Benue South Senatorial Zone, Peace and Reconciliation Committee on the Benue farmers/Fulani herdsmen crisis.

His words, “what you see happening in the APC is outright deceit and a mockery of democratic tenets; that is why you see the mass decamping ceremony across Benue state.

”The truth is that APC is a party that is owned by one person which accounts for why a single individual will sit in his bedroom and manufacture names that ought to have emanated from a properly conducted congress.

”Our people are now wiser, we have very many prominent sons and daughters who saw deceit and have all decided to come back to the PDP where everyone is an equal joiner and also has a say.”

”They are decamping to the PDP across the state in large numbers, because every discerning mind, including the young ones know that the PDP has kept faith with the Nigerian Project.’’

Jonathan to visit Chibok, troops today

 President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to visit Borno State today to assess the security situation and possibly visit troops deployed there.

The President is expected to leave Maiduguri for France, where he is expected to attend a regional security summit that involves France, Chad and Niger.

There were reports that the President may also visit Chibok, where the abduction of over 200 girls from a secondary school sparked international condemnation and outrage.

The incidence has attracted multinational support from USA, Britain, France, Israel and China to assist Nigeria’s rescue efforts.

A statement by Dr Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity said President Jonathan will be joined at the summit by heads of state and government of Benin Republic, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

The statement added that Britain, the United States of America and the European Union will be represented at the talks which will give special attention to the coordination and intensification of efforts to curtail the destabilising activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

It said: “President Jonathan, who will be accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd.); National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and other principal aides and advisers, will return to Abuja at the conclusion of the summit on Saturday.”

#BringBackOurGirls: FG must speak with one voice – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the federal government to immediately stop the discordant tunes emanating from the highest echelons of government and speak with one voice on issues concerning the ongoing efforts to find and rescue the schools girls abducted by Boko Haram.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the conflicting statements credited to top government officials over the conditions given by Boko Haram for releasing the girls were totally unwarranted and could send the wrong signal to the insurgents and hinder the efforts to ensure the safe return of the girls.
It said the government must designate a spokesman, be it the Minister of Information or whoever the government deems fit, to be responsible for daily relaying to the public any relevant information concerning the search for the missing girls, instead of allowing a cacophony of voices on the issue.

”Information management is key if the government itself is not to jeopardize ongoing international efforts to find and rescue the girls, and the government must move fast to keep the nation informed through an established channel, in line with global best practices under such circumstances,” APC said.

The party said while Interior Minister Abba Moro and Senate President David Mark have said the government would not negotiate the release of the girls, Information Minister Labaran Maku, Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mike Omeri and Special Duties Minister Taminu Turaki have hinted that the FG will do whatever it takes to free the girls, meaning that all options are on the table.

To compound matters, President Goodluck Jonathan was widely quoted in the local newspapers Thursday as saying the government would not release the incarcerated Boko Haram members in exchange for the girls.

”This kind of utter confusion is a window deep into the inner workings of the federal government as far as this critical issue of finding and freeing the girls is concerned, and it is unfortunate.