Global Naija Info

Dr Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s Health Minister A child’s advocacy group, Yeloto African Children Foundation, on Friday said in Lagos that it had performed 30 surgeries free-of-charge to needy Nigerians between January and May, this year. Dr Oluyemi Olaiwaye, the president of the NGO, disclosed this at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, during activities it organised to mark 2016 Children’s Day. The foundation, a humanitarian-support group, established to provide free-medical treatment for the less-privileged also donated cheques worth more than N500,000 to some less privileged as part of activities marking this year’s Children’s Day. “We had done 25 eye-cataract surgeries and five other surgeries this year and also presented some cheques to the needy,’’ he said. Olaiwaiye said that his NGO had been in the forefront of providing succour to the less privileged. He appealed to philanthropic organisations and individuals to assist the government by funding health care p

A set of Nokia phones Professor Rose Onah, the Chairperson, Transition Caretaker committee of Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State has advised parents to stop buying expensive cell phones and other gadgets to their children in primary and secondary schools. Onah gave the advice on Friday in Nsukka in her remark during the 2016 Children’s Day celebration. She said buying expensive cell phones for the children at that level of educational pursuit would make them to pay more attention to social media and less attention to their studies. She added that “facebook, Internet and cell phones are some of the things responsible for the decline in quality of education and rise in juvenile crimes in the country. “Parents should stop buying expensive cell phones and other things and monitor their children’s usage of social media in order to reduce the risk and crime associated with social media.’’ The chairperson, who said that the quality of education in the country was on the declin

Nduka Obaigbena President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja met with members of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) where they discussed crucial national issues, Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President said. Adesina told State House correspondents after the closed door meeting that the Federal Government would continue to partner with the media in ensuring speedy progress of the country. He said “you know that these are the key stakeholders in the Nigerian Project. The media and the government must work together because they have a lot in common. “So, from time to time, there should be meetings like this between government and media. “The media, through the executives of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria brought up some key issues affecting the industry, affecting the country.” Also speaking in the same vein, Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, express

The Nigerian Army on Friday said its troops on Thursday night ambushed and killed some fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from the Sambisa forest. A statement issued by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said the terrorists were ambushed at their crossing point along Maiduguri-Bulabulin-Damboa road. It quoted Usman as saying the troops recovered several items, including arms and ammunition from the terrorists who were fleeing to Alagarno general area. “Troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion, both of 25 Task Force Brigade, staged a deliberate ambush against Boko Haram logistics elements on motorcycles and bicycles. “The elements were crossing from Sambisa forest to Alagarno general area around Nyaleri yesterday night. “During the operation, the troops killed two Boko Haram terrorists, wounded several others and recovered some arms, ammunition and other items. “Specifically, they recovered one AK-47 Assault rifle, one hand grenade, four AK-47 mag

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun on Friday called on religious groups to intensify their prayers for the country’s leaders so as to guide them aright. Amosun made the call at the official opening of the First Session of the Fourth Synod of the Diocese of Anglican Communion, Lagos Mainland, with the theme: ”Thou Hands, Oh God, Has Guided”. “We should love one another; we should run away from anything that will push us to violence, Nigeria is one country that should remain. “So, we that are in government should do what is expected of us to make sure that Nigerians get the best out of this government and governance as a whole. “We need a lot of prayers and they should continue to pray for us.’’ In his remarks, Most Rev. Adebola Ademowo, Bishop Emeritus, Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, urged Nigerians to pray ceaselessly for the country so that things would be better for its citizens. “At this time, we need a lot of prayers, people argue here and there, this is not the time for

Nigeria’s currency, the naira The Naira on Friday remained stable at the parallel market, exchanging at N350 to the Dollar, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. The Nigerian currency maintained same value since Wednesday. However, the Naira weakened further against the Pound Sterling as it traded at N500 to the Pound, from N390 since Wednesday, while the Euro remained stable at N385. Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was yet to come up with modalities for implementing its flexible exchange policy, as its official rate remained at N197 to a Dollar. Traders at the market said they were waiting for the new guidelines for the flexible exchange rate policy of the apex bank.

Some road users on Friday commended the Lagos State Government for the successful signing of the contract for the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank and other private investors to the tune of N844 billion for the construction of the bridge. A banker, Mr Shabi Ifeoluwa, said that the bridge would boost economic activities in the state. “The Fourth Mainland Bridge is a bridge we have been awaiting for so long and it will transform the economy of this state because it will increase connectivity. “We thank the Lagos State Government,’’ he said. A fashion designer, Mrs Mary Momoh, said that the bridge would totally eradicate gridlock in the state. “I am really happy because I live in Imota inside Ikorodu and the problem of go slow on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway through Sagamu road will totally be removed. “In short, no more traffic in Lagos if they can f

The Niger Delta Avengers militant group, which has mounted a bombing campaign against oil pipelines, on Friday, threatened “something big” while wishing Nigerian youngsters a Happy Children’s Day. The Avengers say oil firms in the Delta are responsible for pollution and say the poor swampland region fails to reap any benefit from the wealth on which it sits. The militants, whose activities have hammered Nigeria’s crude output, posted a warning on Twitter to the army and oil firms: “Watch out something big is about to happen and it will shock the whole world “. They also sent out salutations to children. The Avengers website showed a picture of children clambering over rusting oil pipelines above a message condemning the Nigerian government for denying the nation’s youth the “enchanting vista” of childhood. Children’s Day is celebrated on May 27 in Nigeria, with primary and secondary schools closed.

A 33-year old man, Michael Atebor, who allegedly absconded with his employer’s N6.5 million, was on Friday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. Atebor, who resides at Shomolu Area of Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on stealing. The Prosecutor, Inspector Roman Unuigbe, told the court that the accused committed the offences on January 26 at Rehoboth Microfinance Bank at 13, Aweh Crescent, Onipanu, Shomolu, Lagos. Unuigbe said that Atebor, who was the Head of Resources Unit of the bank, fraudulently altered documents belonging to some customers of the bank. He explained that after Atebor had made the fraudulent alterations, he absconded with N6.5 million. He said that the accused was arrested in Port Harcourt by the police. The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 285 and 333 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Chief Magistrate, Mr P.A. Ojo, granted bail to t

A 46-year-old man, Gbenga Adegaloye, was on Friday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly impersonating as staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Adegaloye, who resides at Bariga Area of Lagos, is standing trial on a three-count charge of obtaining by under false pretences, impersonation and stealing. The Prosecutor, Insp. Rita Momah, told the court that the accused committed the offences between January and February at No. 14, Oloja Street, Bariga, Lagos. Momah said that the accused unlawfully presented himself as staff of the defunct PHCN incharge of issuing prepaid meters and defrauded 16 tenants of a residence at No. 14, Oloja Street, Bariga, Lagos, of N179,000. She explained that the accused was apprehended after a report was made to the police. Momah said the offences contravened Sections 285, 312 and 378 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate, Mrs A.F. Adeeyo,

The gavel of justice A 28-year old tailor, Senami Balogun, was on Friday arraigned before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly pouring hot water on one Miss Tina Adamu. The accused is facing a one-count charge of assault. The Prosecutor, Inspector Innocent Uko, told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 15 at the Ibereko area of Badagry. He revealed that the accused and the victim, who happened to be friends, engaged themselves in a heated argument. Uko said that the argument was over a man, adding that the accused dashed into the kitchen, brought a pot of hot water and poured it on the complainant. “The victim is currently in the hospital recuperating from the multiple injuries she sustained from the assault,’’ he said. Uko said that the offence contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. The counsel to the accused, Mr Ayo Awe, pleaded with the court to grant bail to the accused since the offence was bailable. The Magistra

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Friday said that perpetrators of physical, sexual or psychological violence against children would be punished in the state. Ambode, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, said this at the 2016 International Children’s Day celebration organised by the state Ministry of Education. The theme for this year’s celebration in Nigeria is: “Protect the rights of the child in the face of violence and insecurity: End child marriage.’’ The governor said that abuse against children such as rape of minors, kidnapping and child trafficking was becoming a norm in the society and called for concern. “Findings from Violence Against Children (VAC) survey shows that six of every 10 children under 18-years in Nigeria are being abused, especially by the people they refer to as family members. “I assure you that we committed to ensuring that anyone who engages in any form of abuse against any child shall be dealt with under the law. “We are curre

The Imam of the Area 10, Garki Juma’at Mosque, Abuja, Sheik Yahya Al-Yolawi, has admonished Muslims to shun gossiping and backbiting as the Holy Month of Ramadan approaches. Al-Yolawi gave the admonition during the Juma’at prayers in a sermon entitled: “Ramadan and Your Tongue’’. He said that fasting during Ramadan had the capacity to overcome evil and earn the pleasure of Allah, but could be vitiated through the careless use of the tongue. “Ramadan is a month that provides Muslims with the sense of happiness and spiritual growth; in which Allah grants us the ability to change ourselves to be among His good servants. “ Unfortunately, there are some acts which people indulge in but are not viewed as bad in many of our gatherings; like telling lies, backbiting, slandering, gossiping and cursing,’’ he said. Al-Yolawi described the act of gossip, backbiting and slander as major sins which could vitiate a Muslim’s fast “Gossiping, backbiting and slandering are some of the major sins,

A 48-year old, Richard Akinsiku, who allegedly lured a minor with biscuit to his apartment before raping her, was on Friday brought before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. Akinsiku, who lives at 2, Fawole Lane in Obanikoro area of Lagos, is facing a charge of rape. According to the prosecutor, Corporal Osayande Anthonia, the accused committed the offence at about 5 p.m in May 9 at his apartment. She said the accused allegedly enticed the nine-year-old co-tenant’s daughter with biscuit and raped her in his living room. She said the incident was reported at Pedro Police Station, while the accused was immediately apprehended. The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused denied the charge. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Ekpaye Nwachukwu, in his ruling, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in like sum. She said the surety ‎must produce evidence of tax payment to the state government as part of the bail c

Amara Kanu, Ex-Super Eagles player and legendary footballer, Kanu Nwankwo is stunning in these new photos she released to mark her 30th birthday. The photos of the gorgeous mother of 3 were shot in London by London-based photographer, Alero Marcel where she absolutely slayed the pictures. Amara bagged a degree in Architecture, and has worked for interior decor companies for high-end London houses and even designed for London Marriott hotel. She married her husband at the age of 18 and they will be celebrating their 12th anniversary in a couple of weeks. See stunning photos of her below.

Mr Joseph Famakin, the Lagos Zonal Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), says that the agency has rescued 152 victims of human trafficking. Famakin disclosed on Friday in Lagos on the sideline of a five-day training for the agency’s prosecutors and investigators that the rescue took place between January and April, 2016. “Under the new law, punishments are bench-marked, they are more stringent; there are fines imposed and now, strictly imprisonment with no option of fines to fight human trafficking. “As I speak to you, we have successfully sent over 276 Nigerians to prison and in Lagos Zone we have presently 51 cases in the federal and state high courts. “ We have seven cases in the Court of Appeal and two cases in the Supreme Court. “The statistics of victims that are rescued and brought to Lagos, in 2014, we had a total of 316 victims rescued. “In 2015, we had a total of 417 victims and this year, as I speak we already had 152.

The gavel of justice A 32-year-old applicant, Folabi Adeyunju, appeared in a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday for allegedly stealing three cartons of Spaghetti. The accused, whose address is unknown, was arraigned on a one-count charge of stealing. Prosecutor Innocent Uko told the court that the accused committed the crime at the Agbalata Market in Badagry on May 17. Uko said that the accused stole the items from Busola Lawal. “The accused acted like he wanted to buy a carton of Spaghetti, but when the seller was absent minded, he took three cartons of spaghetti and ran away,’’ Uko said. He said the offence contravened Section 285 (1) of the Criminal Law, laws of Lagos State Nigeria 2011. The accused pleaded not guilty to the offence. The Counsel to the accused, Mr Ibukun Sonaike, pleaded applied for his bail on liberal terms. The Magistrate, Mr Abiodun Etti, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum. Etti said that the surety m

A First Bank security guard, Azeez Ademola, on Friday appeared in a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for allegedly defrauding three of the bank’s customers N71,000. Ademola, 22, who pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge related to fraud and theft, was granted bail in the sum of N50,000. The Magistrate, Mr Ade Adefulire, in his ruling ordered the accused to produce one responsible surety in like sum. He adjourned the case till June 14 for further hearing. The Prosecutor, Mr Ben Ekundayo, told the court that the accused on April 25, at about 2 p.m. at First Bank, Balogun Branch, Lagos Island, defrauded three customers of the bank. Ekundayo said that the accused collected N31,000 from Demola Adetuji, N36,000 from Funmilola Alamu and N4,000 from Peter Salau, when there was a queue in the bank. He said that the accused collected the money with the pretence of helping the customers to deposit the money into their accounts but he converted the money to his own use. He said the offen

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Development The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as President in 2015 saved the country’s economy from imminent collapse due to mismanagement and unbridled corruption. The minister made the remarks in Kano on Friday during a courtesy visit to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, shortly before the commencement of the Hausa language town hall meeting in the ancient city. “For the fact that God loves this country, if any other political party had won the election, there would have been no economy to talk about. “They wouldn’t have the courage or discipline to manage the economy,” he said. Mohammed said through prudent management of resources and the introduction of creative ideas to block leakages, the President was gradually reviving the economy. He assured Nigerians that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. “This government more than any government, has be

Top Nigerian singer, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly called Waje and her beautiful teenage daughter, Emerald are the beautiful faces gracing the cover of Vanguard Allure’s Children’s Day edition. In this special edition, the songstress opens up on what it is like being a single mother doing everything in her power to provide for her daughter. Emerald, on the other hand, speaks candidly on what it’s like to be the daughter of an A-list celebrity.  

UNICEF on Friday called on stakeholders to sustain commitments made to end Violence Against Children (VAC) in the country. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Media and External Relations Officer, Mr Geoffery Njoku. The statement was in commemoration of Children’s Day with the theme: “Protect the rights of the Child in the Face of Violence and Insecurity: End Child Marriage”. Quoting UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Ms Jean Gough, it said the theme of this year’s celebration will shed more light on the unprecedented levels of VAC in the country in recent times. President Muhammadu Buhari in conjunction with National Priority Actions launched the Year of Action to end VAC in Sept. 2015, and urged state governments to do same. “In the North East, we have witnessed, and continue to witness grave violations of children’s rights; killings, abductions, sexual violence and use in suicide bombings by Boko Haram. “More than 1.2 million children have been displaced and mo

Bespoke fashion brand specialized in women’s clothes and luxury handbags, Okiki Marinho, is set to launch of their limited edition of the ‘Mini Talking Drum’ bags collection. This collection is the baby sister in the Ola Talking Drum Family. This style of bag has become an iconic piece in the Okiki Marinho brand. The original design was created in 2014 to be a voice for women to be confident about their plights and success. It has become a statement bag that ladies carry about in various professional environments.

The German Government says it has so far supported 1,500 students affected by insurgency in the north east under the safe-school initiative since it was set up in 2014. Michael Zenner, the German ambassador to Nigeria who disclosed this in Abuja, explained that the initiative was multilateral. He said it was created to provide basic education services to young students affected by insurgency in the north east. “We are part of the safe school initiative where we have young pupils and students who cannot go back to their schools because they have been destroyed, go to school elsewhere in Nigeria. “We have financed, within the framework of the initiative, 1,500 young students and we are now negotiating with the Nigerian Government on extending our efforts in this programme,’’ he said. The envoy said the German government was also assisting in the provision of humanitarian needs for people affected by the insurgency in the north east. He also expressed the readiness of his government

Premium hair brand, Hair by Ugo, recently released the lookbook to their new collection. The hair brand recently launched their new store in Lagos. No matter what your style is – braids, blonde, bob, bone straight, wavy or curly, this collection caters to it. Check out some of the styles below.

The gavel of justice A Mapo Customary Court, Ibadan, on Friday dissolved the 32-year old marriage between a businessman, Saka Gbadamosi and his wife Sariyu over disharmony, cursing and tarnishing of image. President of the court, Ademola Odunade, said it was obvious that love was lacking in the union, hence the need to put an end to the marriage. “In the interest of peaceful coexistence, the union between Gbadamosi and Sariyu has ceased to be henceforth.” The duo lived at Odinjo area and the two female children produced by the union were already married. Narrating his ordeal, Gbadamosi told the court that his wife, Sariyu, used to cause disaffection in the house, curse and tarnish his image that he is a thief. “Sariyu caused disharmony among the people in our rented apartment by giving false information about each person to cause trouble. “When those people started hearing different things which they did not say, fighting will then break out. “Anytime I make effort to correct

The Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in Lagos State said on Friday it had seized 2,131 bags of smuggled rice with a duty paid value of N23.9 million. The Controller, Mr. Victor Dimka, said in a statement at Seme, a border post between Nigeria and Benin Republic that the seizures were made through intelligence gathering. “The bags of rice were smuggled into the country from Benin Republic through the Ere creek in Ikoga and they were stored in an uncompleted building in the area. “Officials of the command got wind of this and moved in to make the seizures; the seizures were made without hitches. “They came in through the water because the road leading to Seme border has been `fortified’ against smuggling by officers of the command,’’ said the statement in Badagry. “Investigation is being carried out to ensure that the suspects are apprehended and brought to face trial.’’ The statement warned smugglers to desist from their nefarious activities and go through the land bor

The French Embassy in Nigeria says it is supporting two food-aid projects in Borno and Yobe with 850,000 Euro (about N300m). A statement issued by Mr Vanin Georges, Culture and Information Officer of the Embassy, said the implementation of the projects are to be carried out in Borno and Yobe, starting in June. “The French Embassy in Nigeria decided to grant a financial support to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Action Against Hunger (ACF) for implementing two projects. “The projects are under the food-aid programme 2016, an instrument of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support actions for food security and recovery of the means of production.” The embassy said that ICRC would implement the “food assistance and support for agricultural production for the civilian population in Adamawa and Borno (Maiduguri and around Lake Chad)”. According to it, ACF will implement the “emergency food security and livelihood interventions for internally displaced pe

FILE PHOTO: A compromised oil pipeline in the Niger Delta The Niger Delta Avengers militant group has attacked Nigeria’s oil installations again. Less than 12 hours after crippling operations at Chevron’s Escravo’s oil terminal, the militants struck again, blowing up a large gas and crude pipeline operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Company. The attack was carried out near Warri, the commercial capital of Nigeria’s Delta state. The attackers taunted Nigerian government that their sabotage was carried out despite the presence of Nigerian soldiers. “At 11:45pm on Thursday @NDAvengers blew up other #NNPC Gas and Crude trunkline close to Warri,” the group said on its Twitter feed. There was no independent confirmation of the incident. NNPC is yet to react.

Jose Mourinho José Mourinho is now officially Manchester United coach. A smiling Mourinho has been published on the club’s website holding a jersey of the biggest English club side. The Club said that Mourinho has signed a new contract taking over from the sacked Dutch coach, Louis Van Gaal from the 2016/17 season. The Portuguese celebrated as a prolific trophy winner, with 22 in the bag, has the option to stay at the club until at least 2020. Here is the excerpt of the statement published by Man United this morning: José, 53, has managed at the top level of European football for over a decade and in that time has won league titles and cups in four countries (Portugal, England, Italy and Spain), as well as winning the UEFA Champions League twice – in 2004 with FC Porto and in 2010 with Inter Milan. Announcing the appointment, Ed Woodward said: “José is quite simply the best manager in the game today. He has won trophies and inspired players in countries across Europe and, of c

President Barack Obama of United States President Barack Obama of the United States arrived Friday in Hiroshima, Japan, beginning a historic visit that he hopes will bolster an important ally and remind the world of the dangers of nuclear weapons, New York Times reports. The visit, the first by a sitting president to the city on which the United States dropped an atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, could send ripples across Asia, a region still grappling with the echoes of World War II seven decades after it ended. Leaders in both China and South Korea worry that Mr. Obama’s visit to Japan’s deepest wound could be taken by the Japanese as an endpoint to their country’s fitful efforts to come to grips with its wartime aggression. But with a reclusive regime in North Korea furiously building more nuclear weapons and trying to perfect the missiles to deliver them, Mr. Obama decided that reminding the world why North Korea must be stopped was worth any hurt feelings among other countries.

Nigerian Muslims have been alerted to watch out for the moon to begin this year’s Ramadan on the evening of Sunday, 5 June. This year’s Ramadan is expected to begin on 6 June, a day after sighting the moon. The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in a statement said the first appearance of the crescent might not be sighted except with the aid of Charge Coupe Device (CCD) imaging, astronomical telescope or any good optical astronomy instrument. The statement, which was signed by NASRDA’s head of media and corporate communications, Dr Felix Ale, said the astronomical lunar crescent would appear between 5.12pm and 7.33pm on June 5 with Kaduna and Sokoto being the first to witness it, while it would be sighted lastly in Jos between 6.02pm and 7.14pm. “All other states of the federation will experience the first lunar crescent between the estimated time of 5.12pm and 7.37pm on 5th June, 2016”, the statement added. It explained that the findings of the agency showed

Tomato is now gold By Reuben Abati One of the major news items in circulation has been the scarcity of tomato. Incidentally, Nigeria is (was) the 14th largest producer of tomato in the world and the second largest producer in Africa, after Egypt, but our country hardly produces enough to meet the local demand of about 2.3 million tonnes, and lacks the capacity to ensure an effective storage or value chain processing of what is produced. Out of the 1.8 million tonnes that the country produces annually, 900, 000 tonnes are left to rot and waste. Meanwhile, tomato-processing companies in the country operate below capacity and many of them have had to shut down. The CEO of Erisco Foods, Lagos, Eric Umeofia laments that tomato processing companies lack access to foreign exchange to enable them buy heat-resistant seedlings and other tools that would help ensure the country’s sufficiency in local production of tomato paste. Similarly, Dangote Tomato Factory recently suspended operations