Ilorin – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ilorin on Monday arrested a 17-year-old boy for alleged kidnap and attempted rape.
The spokesman of the NSCDC command, Alhaji Kadri Ibrahim, told newsmen in Ilorin that the suspect was arrested at about 9:30 am at Oke Apomu, Ilorin West Local Government by some officers of the corps.
The suspect, he said, claimed he abducted the girl to have carnal knowledge of her and not sell her for ritual.
Ibrahim, who said the suspect would be handed over to the police for prosecution, enjoined residents to take good care of their children and wards.
He, however, appealed to residents to avoid taking the laws into their hands and continue to cooperate with security agents.
The suspect, who was paraded, said that he was an apprentice barber at Oke-Apomu area of Ilorin.
He said he was returning from a religious programme when he saw three girls playing on the street.
The suspect said he abducted one of the girls with a view to having carnal knowledge of her before he was caught and beaten by some residents.
He said the timely intervention of the security men saved him from being beaten to death.
The mother of the abducted girl, Mrs Fatima Ibrahim, also said that she was taking her bath when some children ran in to report the abduction.
She said neighbours joined her in the search for her daughter, leading to the arrest of the suspect.(NAN)
Monday, July 9, 2012
Oshiomhole is driving Edo with side mirror
Erstwhile member of the House of Representatives and PDP chieftain, Dr. Aziegbemi says Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s repeated denunciation of the years of PDP rule is the attitude of a man driving a car forward but looking at the side mirror.
“Oshiomhole is looking at the side mirror but we in the new PDP are looking at the windscreen of the car. He can keep on looking back but we will keep looking forward,” Aziegbemi said yesterday as he again restated the PDP’s determination to get the victory this weekend.
Challenged on the base of his optimism given the reported infrastructure and development landmarks of the Oshiomhole administration, Aziegbemi retorted: “What has he done, he has touched only about 20 per cent of the landscape, what of the remaining 80 per cent of the state,” the former lawmaker piqued.
Reminded that the PDP administrations before Oshiomhole have been accused of doing nothing, he retorted that he would not like Oshiomhole look at the side mirror. Aziegbemi was nevertheless very hopeful saying: “The last days of Oshiomhole are at hand and we are set to drive him out,” the former lawmaker said.
“Oshiomhole is looking at the side mirror but we in the new PDP are looking at the windscreen of the car. He can keep on looking back but we will keep looking forward,” Aziegbemi said yesterday as he again restated the PDP’s determination to get the victory this weekend.
Challenged on the base of his optimism given the reported infrastructure and development landmarks of the Oshiomhole administration, Aziegbemi retorted: “What has he done, he has touched only about 20 per cent of the landscape, what of the remaining 80 per cent of the state,” the former lawmaker piqued.
Reminded that the PDP administrations before Oshiomhole have been accused of doing nothing, he retorted that he would not like Oshiomhole look at the side mirror. Aziegbemi was nevertheless very hopeful saying: “The last days of Oshiomhole are at hand and we are set to drive him out,” the former lawmaker said.
Kidnapped youth corps member reappears
Asaba—A National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member serving in Delta State, Mr. Uchenna Abueme, who was abducted last Saturday in Asaba and taken to a hideout in a neighbouring town, Okpanam, has been found, after spending 28 hours in the bush.
Delta State Police Command’s spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka, told Vanguard, yesterday, that the corps member “has been found in good health.”
He was reported to have been kidnapped on Saturday at 7.30am by three armed men along with one Chinonso Chris, while driving in a Camry car on Ekeobi Nwandu Street, Asaba.
The kidnappers, according to Muka abandoned their victims, when they found that police were after them, which eventually led their victims escaping into the bush.
Delta State Police Command’s spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka, told Vanguard, yesterday, that the corps member “has been found in good health.”
He was reported to have been kidnapped on Saturday at 7.30am by three armed men along with one Chinonso Chris, while driving in a Camry car on Ekeobi Nwandu Street, Asaba.
The kidnappers, according to Muka abandoned their victims, when they found that police were after them, which eventually led their victims escaping into the bush.
Big Man Tells a Nigerian Story
Big Man, a short film tells a story of what it is like to be in a Nigerian
household, was recently screened in Lagos. Big Man is a nostalgic childhood
drama set in Lagos about two brother who earn the consequences of their actions
when one of their games is pushed too far.
Produced by Harry Esiri and his twin brother, Chuko, Big Man is a short film founded by a programme called African Fest, which is run by Focus Features where five African filmmakers are given a funding of ten thousand dollars each, every year to make a movie.
Speaking during the Lagos screening, Harry co-producer of the movies, said Julius Onah who won the grant last year decided to make a movie with a setting in Nigeria where he is originally from and so they chose to make “Big Man”, which, is produced by the African Film Company in association with Resources Entertainment and Focus Features.
“He met my twin brother, Chuko Esiri in New York where he was working for a film agency and they got in touch with each other and Chuko decided on producing a short movie here in Nigeria and I jumped on board and helped my brother to do that as well. So we made Big Man, which is a focus feature film, run under the African Fest programme,” he said.
Harry said the movie was being showcase to the Nigerian audience to let them “know what we have done and what we hope to do in the future”, noting that, “and it is just a little taste of what we have in stock for the Nigeria audience in our career in making movies in Nigeria.”
What the two brother are trying to do with “Big Man”, Harry said is to portray the fact that “There are a lot of people who are interested in film and cinema that are not based in Nigeria but are trying to come back to do something that is polished and sophisticated using very professional movies making methods to tell the Nigeria stories.”
He was quick to note that they do not intend to teach any moral lesson with Big Man but were merely out to get the audience to feel what it is like to be in a Nigerian household and to get that sense of nostalgic - what it like growing up in Nigeria.
That notwithstanding, Big Man is a nostalgic childhood drama about two young kids that are growing up, playing rough and they come to know the consequences of their actions and learned a lesson from their misbehaviour.
The brothers hope to do something bigger, probably a full feature film soon to show to the Nigerian audience as well as the international audience at large and by so doing export Nigeria in the best way they can.
The twin brother and co-producer of the short film, Chuko Esiri said what led to production of the movie was the fact that the he and brother had always been interested in making films and when the opportunity came with the help of the American company called Focus Features to produce a short film in Nigeria, they jumped at it.
“I had met Julius Onah, a producer of films a year before; so when he asked me to produce a movie for him, I felt it was a great opportunity for me to do what I have always wanted to do,” Chuko noted. Although a Nigerian, Onah had moved out of the country at the age of about four and so needed someone who had a better knowledge of Nigeria to produce a movie on Nigeria for him.
“The two of us had no experience but we decided to dive into the river and learn how to swim. It was an opportunity of once in a lifetime and I deiced to seize It.” recalled Chuko.
Even though Chuko intends to embark on making another film sometime in the future, he said that might not take effect so soon. “Ideally you can make movies from year to year, but to do it right it takes a long time, you need to make sure that you are comfortable and happy with the story you are trying to tell, you need to put the right team together and that takes time as well. So it takes a lot to put a film together. So we really want to work as much as possible not just trying to make films in Nigeria but to make goods works – films that people in every part of the world will enjoy. This is the first step, though a small step but we have taken it.” He said putting Big Man together happened quicker than expected as it took less than a year to make the film.
Written and directed by Julius Onah and created as part of Focus Features 2010 Short Film Programme for African Filmmakers, Big Man dwells on two young boys growing up on Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria.
Owoga is a mischievous, energetic kid always eager to play and Owoko is his sweet little brother who is just trying to keep up. It is summer vacation and all they want to do is adventure, just like their hero — Indiana Jones. But when one of Owoga’s games goes too far, both brothers must confront the fact that childhood is not always fun and games
Produced by Harry Esiri and his twin brother, Chuko, Big Man is a short film founded by a programme called African Fest, which is run by Focus Features where five African filmmakers are given a funding of ten thousand dollars each, every year to make a movie.
Speaking during the Lagos screening, Harry co-producer of the movies, said Julius Onah who won the grant last year decided to make a movie with a setting in Nigeria where he is originally from and so they chose to make “Big Man”, which, is produced by the African Film Company in association with Resources Entertainment and Focus Features.
“He met my twin brother, Chuko Esiri in New York where he was working for a film agency and they got in touch with each other and Chuko decided on producing a short movie here in Nigeria and I jumped on board and helped my brother to do that as well. So we made Big Man, which is a focus feature film, run under the African Fest programme,” he said.
Harry said the movie was being showcase to the Nigerian audience to let them “know what we have done and what we hope to do in the future”, noting that, “and it is just a little taste of what we have in stock for the Nigeria audience in our career in making movies in Nigeria.”
What the two brother are trying to do with “Big Man”, Harry said is to portray the fact that “There are a lot of people who are interested in film and cinema that are not based in Nigeria but are trying to come back to do something that is polished and sophisticated using very professional movies making methods to tell the Nigeria stories.”
He was quick to note that they do not intend to teach any moral lesson with Big Man but were merely out to get the audience to feel what it is like to be in a Nigerian household and to get that sense of nostalgic - what it like growing up in Nigeria.
That notwithstanding, Big Man is a nostalgic childhood drama about two young kids that are growing up, playing rough and they come to know the consequences of their actions and learned a lesson from their misbehaviour.
The brothers hope to do something bigger, probably a full feature film soon to show to the Nigerian audience as well as the international audience at large and by so doing export Nigeria in the best way they can.
The twin brother and co-producer of the short film, Chuko Esiri said what led to production of the movie was the fact that the he and brother had always been interested in making films and when the opportunity came with the help of the American company called Focus Features to produce a short film in Nigeria, they jumped at it.
“I had met Julius Onah, a producer of films a year before; so when he asked me to produce a movie for him, I felt it was a great opportunity for me to do what I have always wanted to do,” Chuko noted. Although a Nigerian, Onah had moved out of the country at the age of about four and so needed someone who had a better knowledge of Nigeria to produce a movie on Nigeria for him.
“The two of us had no experience but we decided to dive into the river and learn how to swim. It was an opportunity of once in a lifetime and I deiced to seize It.” recalled Chuko.
Even though Chuko intends to embark on making another film sometime in the future, he said that might not take effect so soon. “Ideally you can make movies from year to year, but to do it right it takes a long time, you need to make sure that you are comfortable and happy with the story you are trying to tell, you need to put the right team together and that takes time as well. So it takes a lot to put a film together. So we really want to work as much as possible not just trying to make films in Nigeria but to make goods works – films that people in every part of the world will enjoy. This is the first step, though a small step but we have taken it.” He said putting Big Man together happened quicker than expected as it took less than a year to make the film.
Written and directed by Julius Onah and created as part of Focus Features 2010 Short Film Programme for African Filmmakers, Big Man dwells on two young boys growing up on Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria.
Owoga is a mischievous, energetic kid always eager to play and Owoko is his sweet little brother who is just trying to keep up. It is summer vacation and all they want to do is adventure, just like their hero — Indiana Jones. But when one of Owoga’s games goes too far, both brothers must confront the fact that childhood is not always fun and games
FG to Ban Importation of Rice
The Federal Government has concluded plans to ban
the importation of rice into the country in order to boost local production, the
Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, made this pronouncement
at Omor in Anambra State during her visit to the Lower Anambra Irrigation
Project (LAIP) at the weekend.
“ Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has the
intention to stop the importation of rice into the country in the next two
years, so as to
give the local production a chance to prove their capability that they can feed the nation. The transformation agenda of the Federal
Government is very effective in the agricultural sector; hence the present administration is doing everything possible to rehabilitate
all the irrigation projects in the country that would enhance all year round farming in the country,” Ochekpe said.
give the local production a chance to prove their capability that they can feed the nation. The transformation agenda of the Federal
Government is very effective in the agricultural sector; hence the present administration is doing everything possible to rehabilitate
all the irrigation projects in the country that would enhance all year round farming in the country,” Ochekpe said.
The minister, who visited the Lower Anambra
Irrigation Project, Omor in Anyamelu Local Government Area of Anambra State and
Adarice Irrigation Project in Adani, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu
State, stated that the essence of her visit was part of her routine duty to
visit Federal Government’s projects under her ministry, adding that the two
irrigation projects were part of the 57 irrigation projects in the country built
to boost agricultural revolution in the country.
She maintained that when the projects are fully
rehabilitated, Nigeria would meet all her rice needs and assured that the
rehabilitation
would started soon.
would started soon.
She, however, expressed dismay over the over the
abandonment of the rice mill at the LAIP, which was handed over to the Anambra
State Government over the past three years, noting that the Federal Government
and the Anambra State Government would partner to bring back the giant mill to
full production capacity.
“To allow the huge investment here to rust away
is not permitted. The Federal Government and the state government will partner
in order to recover the project and put it back to full utilisation,” she
said.
The Acting Managing Director of Anambra-Imo River
Basin Development Authority, Owerri (AIRBDA), the parastatal under the Federal
Ministry of Water Resources which oversees the projects, Engr. Onu Eluwa, noted
that the LAIP has a land mass of 3,850 hectares (ha), while the Adarice
Irrigation Project has the same land mass of acreage.
Eluwa, who took the Minister round the two
project sites alongside all the directors and staff of the establishment, said
the two projects are in position to feed the nation if full rehabilitated and
promised that his establishment has the capacity to provide training needed to
boost rice production in the country.
Family of Eight Die Mysteriously after Mother's Burial
Tragedy struck in Umuakuru village, Emekuku,
Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State as nine persons, including eight
members of the same family, died in their sleep under mysterious circumstances
on Saturday night after the burial of their mother. The tragedy has thrown the
community into mourning as many villagers bemoaned the bizarre fate that has
befallen the family.
Those who died were Mr. Paschal Njoku, who until his death, lived in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, his wife, five children and two other relations. Njoku only returned recently to attend the burial of his late mother.
The Njoku’s children who died along with him were Ebere, Ifunanya, Chibueze, Jackline and Uchechi.
A member of the bereaved family, Mrs. Christiana Uba, who is married to an indigene of Umualum Uratta in the same local government area who came for the funeral of their mother along with her friend, Mrs Catherine Ahunonu, also died along with her.
According to sources, the nine were found dead with foam-like substances in their mouths yesterday morning.
As at press time, THISDAY could not ascertain the actual cause of the tragedy because members of the community were too shocked to talk about the incident.
Family sources said the bodies of the deceased were discovered when the owners of the canopies used at the funeral came to dismantle them in the morning. The owners of the canopies had gone to the house of the deceased to inform them that they had come to move their canopies. But none of the family members responded to their greetings or the knocks on their doors. The pervasive silence around the deceased house aroused the curiosity of the people, leading them to force open one of the doors in the compound.
A neighbour who came to sympathise with the other family members told THISDAY that Njoku had visited home recently to take active part in the burial rites of his late mother whose remains were interred on Saturday, adding that after the funeral and other ceremonies, the entire family retired to sleep only to be found dead by yesterday morning.
No one could ascertain if the generating set was running as to generate carbon monoxide, which if inhaled for a while, could cause death.
Imo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Obi-Njoku, who visited the scene, stated that it could be a case of food poisoning, stressing that if they all ate some poisoned food, they would die together.
He contended that only autopsy could ascertain the true cause of death.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr. Vitalis Onugu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the command was yet to be briefed on the matter
Senator, Assemblyman Killed in Plateau Funeral
With no let-up in the violence, which started on
Saturday in Plateau State, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator
Gyang Dantong, and a member of the state House of Assembly representing Barkin
Ladi Constituency, Hon. Gyang Fulani, were among scores of mourners killed
yesterday in Matse village, Riyom Local Government Area by suspected Fulani
gunmen.
The two lawmakers were reportedly killed when the gunmen invaded the village as they were attending a mass burial for 63 victims of Saturday’s attack in Karkuruk, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.
Another lawmaker, Hon. Simon Davou Mwadkwon, a member of the House of Representatives representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency and Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel Lomang, narrowly escaped death.
However, Mwadkwon is on the danger list at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital where he was rushed with injuries sustained in the attack.
The incident, which saw the unconfirmed death toll rise from the attack and the reprisal to 104, forced the state government to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew on four local government areas in the state.
Another 50 more bodies, linked to the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), were reportedly discovered in the house of a pastor in Matse.
The bodies were suspected to be those who ran for safety to the pastor's house as they were being pursued by the suspected Fulani attackers. But Fulani community leaders denied that their people had done anything wrong.
The Miyetti Allah cattle group dismissed the accounts as propaganda and said the military had attacked the herdsmen.
Although details of how the lawmakers and others at the mass funeral were killed were sketchy at press time, one account said they were ambushed and killed while in a convoy to the burial site, while another stated that the gunmen descended from the hills at Matse during the funeral and attacked the mourners.
Dantong, a two-term serving senator, had once served as a member of the House of Representatives, representing Jos South/Jos East Constituency, while Fulani hailed from Barkin-Ladi and was until his death the Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly.
Confirming their death, Special Adviser on Security to Governor Jonah Jang, Mr. Istifanus Gyang, said: “The serving senator and a member of the Plateau House of Assembly died following Fulani attacks on mourners at a mass burial of 63 victims of a Fulani attack on over nine villages the previous day at Gashish District of B/Ladi. An update on how they met their untimely death to follow later."
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr. Emmanuel Abu, who also confirmed the incident, however, added that he had no details on how the mourners were killed.
Immediately the news of the fresh attack filtered out, youths blocked the Jos-Abuja highway, burning tyres, which were followed by gunshots.
On the new death toll in the Saturday attacks, THISDAY gathered that the victims, mostly women, children and the aged, had run into the pastor’s home for safety when they heard of the morning massacre in the neighbouring Barkin Ladi Local Government.
The attackers were said to have pursued them into the pastor’s house and set it ablaze. Many of the victims were trapped and died in the ensuing inferno, as their attackers were said to have stood by to shoot anybody that tried to escape.
The police were said to have evacuated women, children and the aged from the villages for fear of another attack as the gunmen were said to have threatened to come back.
The Special Task Force (STF), in a statement, said 14 indigenes were killed, while 21 of the assailants also died in a shootout between the STF and the gunmen.
STF spokesman, Capt. Salihu Mustapha, confirmed that the attackers, dressed in military uniforms, were heavily armed and wore bulletproof vests during the raid. Mustapha also confirmed that two soldiers were killed in a shootout with the gunmen.
Lomang, while confirming the dead bodies discovered at the church, before he was also attacked, told THISDAY that the victims were holed up in the building before they were attacked.
One of the residents of the attacked villages, who spoke anonymously, said the situation was so bad that the villagers are now living in fear of fresh attacks.
He said, “The situation is so terrible that it appears we don’t have a government or security. We are left on our own at the mercy of these invaders.”
In order to arrest the violence, the state government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yiljap Abraham, said Governor Jang had ordered the imposition of curfew on four local government areas – Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom – with immediate effect.
“The curfew will start from 7.30 pm today (yesterday) to 7.00 am tomorrow (today) morning, while the curfew will start at 6 pm tomorrow to 7am till further notice,” he said.
A few hours before he was killed, Hon. Fulani had spoken on the phone with reporters, during which he had expressed regrets over the continued massacre in the area, a development that had made the government look helpless.
He had described the Saturday attack as genocide and ethnic cleansing aimed at exterminating his people.
“It was a very dark day for the people of Gashish, because terrorists numbering over 400 carried out a well-planned attack on the quiet people of Gashish District, in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.
“The attack was first reported at about 6.30 am by the residents of the area who had reported that their villages had been surrounded by heavily armed attackers. The militants were dressed in army bulletproof vests and camouflage.
“I had some months ago on the floor of the Plateau House of Assembly called on the international community through the UN to provide protection for our people,” he had said moments before he was killed.
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