Global Naija Info

The suspected robber Kazeem Ugbodaga One of the two-man robbery gang arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has confessed how they robbed a 76-year old woman of N5.32 million in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The robbery suspect, Segun Taiwo said his ringleader, an herbalist, now at large masterminded the crime. The suspect was apprehended after they had successfully dispossessed the 76-year old lady of her valuable at Oduduwa Street, Itire area of Lagos. The duo had collected $10,000, £5,000, and N100,000 and a box containing assorted jewelry from their victim at about 8:00 p.m at the weekend. Taiwo disclosed that he was only invited to the robbery by the herbalist, simply identified as Demola, who promised to give him 50 percent from the loot. While explaining how they got clue before carrying out the operation, he explained: “The mastermind is a herbalist. He was treating one of the woman’s daughter (name withheld) who had sore in her right foot. Whenever the la

Dr Olufemi Onanuga Kazeem Ugbodaga The Lagos State Government has shut 37 illegal pharmacies and chemist shops in Ikorodu area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga disclosed this at thee weekend, saying that the government was determined to rid the state off fake drugs, and stem the proliferation of illegal pharmaceutical outlets shops operating in the State in order to avert the danger posed by the activities of the illegal operators. Onanuga said the operation was carried out by the State Task force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods in conjunction with the representatives of National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Federal Taskforce and Officers of the State Rapid Respond Squad (RRS). He stated that 37 outlets out of 49 visited in Ikorodu Central, Agric, Agbede, Ita-Oluwo, Eyita, Odongunyan, Ig

Mr. Lawal Daura, DSS DG The Department of State Services ( DSS) said it had arrested Samuel Asuquo, the suspected kidnapper of three Australian nationals working with Lafarge cement company. This is contained in a statement by Mr Tony Opuiyo, an official of the service in Abuja on Sunday. Opuiyo said the suspect was arrested by operatives of the service in Nasarawa Bakoko village in Cross River on Aug. 22. He said that the suspected kidnap kingpin received a ransom of N150 million. In a related development, the service also arrested three suspected members of a notorious kidnap gang on Aug. 30 in Lafia. The suspects are Bamaiyi Mustapha, alias Dan Borno, Aminu Isa and Hassan Shehu. Opuiyo said that the suspects operated around the Abuja-Kaduna axis. He alleged that they had earlier kidnapped five women and collected N130 million as ransom. “They were subsequently arrested by the service while planning a high profile kidnap in Abuja, “he said. He said, in collaboration with t

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State Ekiti State Government on Sunday says it will soon abolish the centralised payment of workers’ salaries in the state. This is contained in a statement by Mr Idowu Adelusi, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Ayo Fayose, released in Ado Ekiti. According to the statement, the new order will eliminate fraud but accelerate disbursement of salaries to workers as and when approved. It stated that the local governments would now pay their staff when the new arrangement comes into effect. The statement directed the accounting officers in the various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to scrutinise financial documents thoroughly before passing them. It quoted the governor as saying that government would hold the relevant officers responsible for any anomalies detected in any signed document. The governor in the statement expressed his disappointment in some officers in charge of generating the nominal and pay rolls in the state in view of th

Operation Crocodile Smile: Soldiers of the 2 Brigade Nigerian Army in show of force in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Army’s show of force in Port Harcourt Army’s show of force in Port Harcourt Army’s show of force in Port Harcourt Army’s show of force in Port Harcourt Operation Crocodile Smile Operation Crocodile Smile Operation Crocodile Smile Operation Crocodile Smile Operation Crocodile Smile Soldiers in show of force on the streets of Port Harcourt Soldiers in show of force on the streets of Port Harcourt

Chinese scientists convert sand into soil Chinese scientists announced they have converted sand into fertile soil using a new method they developed, which they hope to use to fight desertification. A team of researchers from Chongqing Jiaotong University has developed a paste made of plant cellulose that, when added to sand, helps it retains water, nutrients and air. A 1.6-hectare sandy plot in Ulan Buh Desert in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, has been transformed into fertile land, yielding rice, corn, tomatoes, watermelon and sunflowers, after being treated by the new method. A forthcoming issue of the English-language journal “Engineering,” published by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), will publish the research by the Chongqing scientists Yi Zhijian and co-author Zhao Chaohua. The new method will hopefully help turn desert areas into an ideal habitat for plants, said Yi. The plants in the sandy test plot needed about the same amount of water as those

Mother Theresa of Calcutta Mother Teresa of Calcutta, known as the “saint of the gutters” during her life has been declared a saint of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Francis. The declaration took place on Sunday, 19 years after her death. Tens of thousands of pilgrims packed St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for a service to honour the tiny nun, who worked among the world’s neediest in the slums of the Indian city now called Kolkata. A Nobel peace laureate, her legacy complements Pope Francis’s vision of a humble church that strives to serve the poor. Standing under a canvas hung from St. Peter’s Basilica showing the late nun in her blue-hemmed white robes, Francis said Mother Teresa was a “dispenser of divine mercy”. Pope Francis however, held world powers to account “for the crimes of poverty they created”. “For Mother Teresa, mercy was the salt which gave flavour to her work, the light which shone in the darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their pover

Maize A Nutritional Biochemist, Dr Ochuko Erukainure, said on Sunday that consumption of maize was good for the management of diabetes and obesity in both children and adult. Erukainure, a Senior Research Officer at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, disclosed in Lagos that maize was one of the seasonal foods good for healthy living. He said maize was rich in micro-nutrients like manganese, zinc, iron, copper and selenium, adding that its consumption could address the micro-nutrient deficiencies. “Maize is part of the food items being enjoyed by people in various forms such as whole corn, corn flour, cornstarch, corn gluten, corn syrup, cornmeal, corn oil, popcorn, cornflakes, among others. “Apart from satisfying the taste buds of its users, maize is also a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. “Maize is rich in ferulic acid, a phenolic compound with anti-cancer activity, and anthocyanins found in purple corn is also a good antioxidant p

Buhari Abdallah Muhammed Sanni Continuity was the slogan in place of the fresh air we breathed between 2011-2015. It was indeed a real fresh air. Just before the election, we heard from the then Super Minister that the economy was doing fine. The last bit we heard was that we were borrowing to pay salary. Little did we know that contractors all over the nation were owed in trillions of Naira and that most projects that were politically motivated were just a cover up for election score cards. The entire economy was in shambles, Nigeria was just a body without SOUL. The centre could no longer hold, we were deep into recession! The opposition party could not pretend they never saw it either but the ultimate goal was to grab power; they have to undertake the rescue mission. Theirs was mission accompli. A battered nation was near collapsing. The entire world saw it, our economists that were outside the system roared and forecast the doom we are in today but they were ignored because

Mark Zuckerberg in Lagos Tony Ogunlowo According to CNN Mark Zuckerberg has just made his first visit to ‘Sub-Sahara-Africa’ to witness the impact of his Facebook social media enterprise and to promote his Express WIFI internet service. One should point it out to the CNN journalists and researchers, probably graduates from fourth-grade American universities, that there really isn’t a place called ‘Sub-Sahara-Africa’ anymore as it’s populated with countries that have names like ‘Nigeria’. So Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg arrives in Nigeria, incognito, wearing his trademark low-key T-shirt and jeans and casually strolls into the Yaba offices of Co-creation Hub and Andela. For future reference someone ought to tell him that if you’re 54 billion dollar Golden Goose you don’t go walk about in Yaba. The area boys there will jump you, mug you and kidnap you – bodyguards or not! But yet again nobody probably told him that if you’re a Tech Giant in Nigeria ( – do we have any?) you’re suppos

Mrs. Dupe Atoki, Director General, Consumer Protection Council The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) says it is investigating Resort Savings and Loans Ltd.(RSL) for alleged diversion of consumers’ funds. This is contained in a statement issued by the Head, Public Relations of CPC, Mr Abiodun Obimuyiwa, on Sunday in Abuja. According to the statement, the Primary Mortgage Bank is to be investigated by CPC, due to complaints by consumers bordering on alleged diversion of mortgage loans and consumers’ deposits by RSL. RSL is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to undertake mortgage businesses and it is also registered with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). The statement said that CPC had communicated details of the complaints from the aggrieved depositors and mortgage contributors to RSL for full response. It stated that failure of the company to respond appropriately had placed the option of the prosecution of the firm’s principal officers before it. “CPC has

Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Sunday said arrangements had been concluded by NAF to deploy additional personnel to the Niger Delta. This is contained in a statement signed by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, in Abuja. The statement said that it was part of the resolve to combat militancy and other forms of internal security challenges in the region. Abubakar disclosed this in Yenagoa during his visit to NAF Mobility Command. “The planned deployment is aimed at strengthening the existing NAF manpower disposition, especially in Bayelsa and to enhance Nigerian Air Force (NAF) involvement in `Operation Delta Safe.” “Preparatory to this deployment, new facilities were recently put in place to cater for accommodation and other welfare needs of the personnel. “These include the construction of new blocks of accommodation for officers and men, office accommod

Serena Williams World number one Serena Williams powered to a record 307th Grand Slam match win with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Sweden’s Johanna Larsson to reach the US Open’s fourth round. The American moved ahead of Martina Navratilova for most match wins in a major by a woman, and tied Roger Federer’s mark for men. “That’s pretty awesome and what a place to do it, where everything first started,” said the 34-year-old. Serena won her first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 1999. “To be up there with both men and women is something that’s super rare, and it actually feels really good,” she added. The American is bidding to claim a 23rd Grand Slam singles title, which would see her surpass Steffi Graf as the most successful woman in the Open Era. The six-time US Open champion, whose number one ranking is under threat, next faces Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova, a 6-2 7-5 winner over China’s Zhang Shuai. Sister Venus Williams, the sixth seed and oldest woman in the tournament

Andy Murray after he managed to defeat Paolo Lorenzi Second seed Andy Murray had to change tactics after two sets before he could beat 34-year-old Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi to advance to the U.S. Open fourth round. Murray was mopping and muttering to himself as he pressed for winners against the steady Italian and piled up unforced errors before deciding to patiently play long rallies. This then enabled him secure a 7-6(4) 5-7 6-2 6-3 win. World number two Murray committed 47 errors in the first two sets, including 31 off his forehand, and converted only 4-of-12 break points before finding his form in the third set. The 40th-ranked Lorenzi put up a gritty fight in spite of coming off a gruelling five-set, five-hour win over French 30th seed Gilles Simon in his second-round tilt. The Scotsman’s harder-than-expected three-hour 17-minute victory kept his golden summer moving forward after triumphs at Wimbledon and the Rio Olympics. Lorenzi is also enjoying a stellar season, lo

File Photo: Ogun pilgrims in Mecca Many Nigerian pilgrims currently in Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage say they have cut down on their spending following the fall in the value of the Naira. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a number of the pilgrims interviewed in Medinah said they have restricted their spending to only the basics. They said they now spend only on feeding and commuting within the city. Some said they had prepared for this situation by bringing along items such as toothpaste, soap and cream, among others, to save cost. They said while there was no significant increase in the prices of many items in the shops, they still found them very expensive in comparison to their cost in Naira. “I have cut down on my expenses and I am avoiding the purchase of those gift items which I can find back home. “This is because when I converted the prices to our Naira, I found out that it will be cheaper to buy such items back home,” a pilgrim

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to “use your good offices and leadership to urgently take concrete measures to address and mitigate the negative effects of the economic recession and crisis on the poorest and most marginalized across the country.” The letter dated 2 September 2016 and signed by SERAP senior staff counsel Timothy Adewale expressed concern that “the economic crisis is having disproportionate impacts on the rights of the poorest and most marginalized, who are the most vulnerable because they already suffer from years of corruption, underdevelopment and abuse of power.” The organization asked President Buhari to “Urgently provide the socially and economically vulnerable with social protection programs and safety-nets to protect them from severe poverty and deprivation”, and “immediately drop the proposed 10 per cent tax on phone calls, text messages, data and more, as this woul

Sept. 3, 2016: President Obama arrives in China before this year’s G20 Summit. (REUTERS) The G20 summit got off to a contentious start Saturday with Chinese officials reportedly confronting National Security Advisor Susan Rice and other U.S. officials in at least three incidents, as President Obama arrived in China for the two-day international economic talks. Within minutes of Obama arriving on Air Force One, a member of the Chinese delegation started screaming at White House staff, according to reporters on the tarmac. One reporter described the scene as “a bit of chaos,” as the Chinese official appeared furious about journalists being so near Obama’s arrival, though they purportedly were standing in the area Chinese officials had designated for them. White House officials reportedly told the Chinese official that the U.S. press corps was staying for the American president arriving on a U.S. aircraft. When the White House official insisted the U.S. would set the rules for its o

Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) former NBA President Rotimi Akeredolu has won the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State. Akeredolu won with 669 votes while Olusegun Abraham scored 635 votes. The primary was held at the International Event Centre, Dome and was contested by 20 aspirants after four aspirants withdrew from the race and supported Abraham. Details later

Delegates voting In Ondo State APC primary elections in Akure on Saturday There was a shoot-out on Saturday in Akure as some police men and personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) clashed at the venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election. Trouble started when some policemen were said to have accused some NSCDC officers of not saluting a Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Joshak Habila, who came to monitor the exercise. Habila was said to have arrived the venue in company with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 11, Mr Dan Bature. The policemen were said to have walked the NSDC officers out of the venue of the election. A shootout was said to have occurred when attempts were made by the policemen to prevent the State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Adeyinka Fasiu, from entering the venue. The shootings led to panic at the venue of the primary election, with aspirants, delegates and journalists fleeing the scene. I

Gernot Rohr Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, says his priority is to build a formidable team and qualify for the 2018 World Cup scheduled for Russia. Rohr made the assertion at a post match briefing after Nigeria beat Tanzania, 1-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Godswill Akpabio stadium, Uyo, on Saturday. Rohr said Nigeria was blessed with good players that would be trained to do well and qualify for the World Cup. “We want to build a team with a good defence, a good spirit, who can win games. “ Today, we had a Tanzania team with a very good goalkeeper and there was need for patience, the players had to wait for the good moment to score the goal. “ So, they did it, and I am happy for them for the staff and Nigerian people,” he said. Rohr praised the Tanzania goalkeeper, Aishi Manula for saving several scoring chances which prevented the Super Eagles from scoring. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Manchester City Striker, Kelechi Iheanacho broke