The war of words between the Christian Asso­ciation of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pastor of Household of God, Revd Chris Okotie, over the botched 9.3 million dol­lar arms deal involving the private jet of the CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, continued yesterday, with Okotie firing a blistering salvo at the Christian body.

The CAN and the Lagos-based pastor have been at loggerheads, following the latter’s call for Oritsejafor’s resignation as CAN president.

Responding to CAN’s statement that he had no moral right to demand the resigna­tion of its leader, Okotie, in his characteristic man­ner of using highsounding words said: “ I will not nobili­tate such prosaic apologetic by a retort. Socrates once said to a young man ‘speak that I might see thee.’

“Now that CAN has spo­ken, even team Jonathan has spoken. Nigerians can now fully visualise the portrait of complicity shrouded in du­plicity.

“Truth is never out of kilter. Hahaha!”

Recall that in calling for Oritsejafor’s resignation, Oko­tie had accused the former of compromising the integrity of his office by hobnobbing pub­licly with President Goodluck Jonathan.

Wondering why it was Orit­sejafor’s jet that was chartered for the South African trip, the Household of God pastor had stated: “His friendship with the president has been at the centre of the controversies that mark his explosive tenure as leader of the eponymous reli­gious organisation in Nigeria.

“The pastor does not show restraint in the way he goes about publicly, hobnob­bing with the President as if he is the Chaplain of Aso Rock. Considering the damage Pas­tor Ayo’s close relationship with the President has done to the Christian community, it is fit and proper for the pastor to resign immediately as CAN President to salvage what re­mains of the battered image of the association.”

But faulting Okotie’s state­ment, CAN through its Di­rector of National Issues, Mr. Sunny Oibe told a national daily that the Lagos pastor should put his home in order first before anything else.

Oibe was quoted to have said: “Is Chris Okotie a Chris­tian? How many wives has he? He should go and sought him­self out. Even the government has exonerated Pastor Ayo of all the allegations. So, who is Okotie? Well, it is laugh­able if Chris Okotie should demand that Pastor Ayo Orit­sejafor should resign as CAN president.

“Chris Okotie should re­move the log in his eyes be­fore he begins to see a peck in somebody’s eyes. Pastor Ayo had a soaring integrity before he was elected the president of CAN. Who elected Chris Oko­tie to become the spokesper­son of Christians in Nigeria?”




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Second-half strikes from Ahmed Musa and Aaron Samuel have saved Nigeria‘s chances of defending their Afcon crown in 2015.

Under-fire coach Stephen Keshi claimed his side’s qualifying campaign was being “sabotaged” ahead of the Group A clash in Abuja, with the African champions bottom of their pool following a 1-0 defeat against Sudan at the weekend.

Nigeria really needed a victory in order to give themselves a fighting chance of qualifying for next year’s tournament in Morocco and they finally got their first group win at the fourth attempt to ensure they moved above Sudan into third place.

CSKA Moscow forward Musa opened the scoring three minutes into the second half, but Salah Al Jizoli stunned Nigeria with an equaliser only seven minutes later.

The Super Eagles were not to be denied, though, and Aaron Samuel marked his full debut with a goal to put them back in front before Musa eased the tension with a third goal after 89 minutes.

Neither side really got going in a disappointing first half, but Bakri Abdelgadir – the scorer of Sudan’s winner in the reverse fixture – could have put the visitors in front just before the break when he raced into the penalty area and fired wide.

The game came to life in the second half, sparked by a clinical finish from Musa following great work from John Obi Mikel.

Musa raced to the touchline to celebrate with Keshi, but Sudan responded and silenced the crowd as Salahstruck from just inside the six-yard box after being picked out by Abdelgadir.

Nigeria knew only a victory would do and Samuel capitalised on a mistake from Akram El Hadi Salim to prod the ball home with his left foot after 66 minutes.

Musa then sealed three precious points when he cut inside and finished with his right foot.


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THUNDER FIRE YOU AND YOUR VEHICLES

The founder and Chief Executive Officer of the popular social networking website, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have donated N4bn to fight the Ebola Virus Disease.

Making the announcement on his Facebook   page, Zuckerberg said they wanted to stop the epidemic before it got out of control to become a bigger, and more expensive, global issue to fight, like the HIV.

He said, “Priscilla and I are donating $25m to the Centres for Disease Control Foundation to help fight Ebola. The epidemic is at a critical turning point. It has infected 8,400 people so far, but it is spreading very quickly and projections suggest it could infect one million people or more over the next several months if not addressed.

“We need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn’t spread further and become a long term global health crisis that we end up fighting for decades at large scale, like HIV or polio.

“We believe our grant is the quickest way to empower the CDC and the experts in this field to prevent this outcome. Grants like this directly help the frontline responders in their heroic work. These people are on the ground setting up care centres, training local staff, identifying Ebola cases and much more. We are hopeful this will help save lives and get this outbreak under control.”

CDC: ‘A second healthcare worker at Texas Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the index patient has tested positive for Ebola’ – statement
Texas officials: ‘A second health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States has tested positive for the disease’ – statement


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Abuja – South Africa has promised to return the $15 million arms deal money it earlier seized from Nigeria. The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Myakayaka Manzini, who featured in a programme on  African International Television, AIT, “Matters Arising”, yesterday, said the process of refunding the money was already on.

He said: “Both countries have decided on a political solution to the issue. Nigeria is a big ally and a brother.”





According to Manzini, South Africa will do everything to maintain cordial relations with Nigeria and would not do anything to hurt her national interests.

He added that South Africa had been selling arms to Nigeria and that his country was prepared to sell arms to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram.

The envoy, however, did not give the timeline when the seized money will be returned but assured that it will be very soon.

South African authorities had seized US$5.7 million arms money from Nigeria, just three weeks after another $9.3 million cash reportedly smuggled by two Nigerians and an Israeli for arms purchase from the country was confiscated, bringing the total amount seized to $15 million (about N2 billion).

The private jet conveying the $9.3 million stashed in three suitcases had landed at Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg, on September 5. The South Africa Revenue Service, SARS, said customs officers became suspicious when the passengers’ luggage were unloaded and put through the scanners.

The National Prosecuting Authority, NPA, in South Africa said there was an invoice for helicopters and armaments intended to be used in Nigeria.

The second transaction, was between Cerberus Risk Solutions, an arms broker in Cape Town, and Societe D’Equipments Internationaux, said to be a Nigerian company based in Abuja.

It was gathered that the deal, however,  collapsed after Cerberus which had earlier received from Nigeria R60 million (N1.02 billion) in its account at Standard Bank, tried to repay the money as it could not resolve its registration formalities with the South African authorities.

Cerberus was previously registered as a broker with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), but the registration expired in May this year.

The marketing and contracting permits also expired at the same time. The company has since applied for re-registration, but the application lay in the NCACC’s mailbox for more than two months.

It was said that an alleged attempt by Cerberus to pay the money back to the Nigerian company, alerted bank officials who became suspicious.

The Nigerian government, however, argued that both transactions were legitimate and there was nothing shady in the arms deal.

Cash-for-arms deal shady— APC

However, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has slammed the PDP-led Federal Government for what it called insulting and disingenuous explanation aimed at deceiving Nigerians over the US$9.3 million cash-for-arms deal that went awry in South Africa, saying everything about the deal was shady.

In a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the deal violates the foreign currency laws of Nigeria and South Africa; violates Nigeria’s Money Laundering law as well as the Public Procurement Act and makes a mess of the Federal Government’s cashless policy.

In addition, it said, all the circumstances surrounding the transaction were umbrageous, including the fact that the funds involved, though in cash, were neither declared before departure in Nigeria nor declared on arrival in South Africa.

“Based on these shady circumstances, one can safely conclude that the arms to be procured, if at all, were not meant for any Boko Haram fight as claimed by the government but perhaps a ploy to stockpile arms for the private militia of the PDP ahead of next year’s general elections.

“As we said in our earlier statements on this issue, the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, cannot and does not procure arms for the armed services. These services procure their own weapons. Therefore, it baffles that the office of the NSA issued the end-user certificate for the transactions. This is a shady deal,” APC said.

The party said in order to buttress its assertion that the whole deal was shady, there are questions that the Federal Government has bluntly refused to answer in connection with the ill-fated deal. These include why a private plane was used for a supposedly-official deal when there are over 10 aircraft in the Presidential Fleet.

“Nigerians are also eager to know why the money for the purchase of the arms was not transferred to the country’s Embassy in South Africa for onward transfer to the contractor, if indeed a contractor was used as claimed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or the money transferred directly to the contractor, and why the Nigerian government chose to deal with an arms contractor with questionable registration in South Africa.

“If indeed the transaction was clean and official, which representatives of the office of the NSA and the Chief of Defence Staff were on the dollar-ferrying plane? Who indeed was the arms meant for? And perhaps the most important information of all: Who and who were on the plane?

“Nigerians are more interested in who was on the plane rather than who was not on it, hence the government should stop hiding behind ‘national security’ and come out to identify those on the plane”, APC said.

The party said “irrespective of the feverish moves by the Federal Government, using less-than-sincere officials, to spin the whole shady deal and make it look clean and official, the truth is that even terrorists could not have been engaged in a shadier and more crooked deal to obtain weapons.”

Reps bicker over seizure of $9.3m

Members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, bickered over the seizure of  the $9.3million for the purchase of arms by the Federal Government.

At the centre-stage of the whole drama were the Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, PDP, Delta and the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila,  who drew the first blood raising an order of privilege.

Gbajabiamila, who read extensively from a newspaper, said: ”Leo Ogor as a principal officer  is free to speak on his own without quoting the whole House and this issue has embarrassed the House”.

At this point Ogor raised a point of order but Gbajabiamila continued: ”If smuggling arms into the country is the only alternative to defeat the insurgents, we owe no apology to anyone.

“I want to extricate myself from this.

”Over the week, there have been many editorials concerning the conduct and position of the House on the smuggling of the seized $9.3million as voiced by the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, where he said that ‘WE’ (the House) owe no apology to Nigerians regarding our action to kill the motion on the matter during plenary.

”This matter raised serious concern to the extent that a constituent of mine challenged me saying that the House is a part of the problem bedeviling this country due to the comment of just one member who instead of speaking for himself choose to use the word, ‘WE’.

“Now, Hon. Ogor is a principal officer. But he does not have the right to speak for the collective interest of members except for himself. So, I take an exception to the use of the word, ‘WE’, when he should be speaking for himself”, he said.

Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal after he listened to Gbajabiamila, voiced consternation at the Minority Leader for raising the matter  at that stage.

Tambuwal said: “Hon. Femi, I’m surprised that you are bringing this matter up at this stage. Have you made any effort to reach Hon Leo Ogor, asking him  whether he actually said what was published?”

This did not go down well with Ogor who repeatedly shouted point of order until the presiding officer, Aminu Tambuwal repeatedly shouted “sit down gentlemen” sit down gentlemen” before he  granted him audience.

Leo Ogor said that he was disappointed  with Gbajabiamila.

He said that they had seen each other severally, and he (Gbajabiamila) never asked if he (Ogor) actually said the House owes nobody any apologies for killing the said motion on the $9.3m controversy.

”My respected colleagues, I want to start my submission by expressing my deepest disappointment at my colleague, the Minority Leader for seeing such a publication and never bothered to find out from me if really I granted the said interview or said what was being published”.

In order not to stress the obvious; Speaker Tambuwal  suspended further comment on the matter and ruled that both members see him in private after the plenary.



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ABAKALIKI—Ebonyi State Police Command yesterday paraded a self-acclaimed pastor of Assembly of Redeemed Christian Church, Ikwo, Samuel Obura, aged 35, over stolen goods.





The command also arrested two other suspects, Samuel Edet, 25, and Moses Alibo, 25, who specialised in stealing motorcycles from Ebonyi and ferrying them to Cross River State.

Briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chris Anyanwu, stated that the pastor, who hailed from Ohalaekwu Amagu community in Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi State, was a habitual thief and receiver of stolen goods.

“When the police conducted a search of the suspect’s house at Ikwo,13 brands of motorcycles were recovered from him.

In a related development, three vandals of electricity installations in different locations in Ebonyi State are now in police net.

One of the suspect, Ifeanyichukwu Okoye, from Njikoka local government area of Anambra State, was caught vandalising the transformer feeder pillar, D-fuse high tension downdrop cable and one upriser cable at Nduogbu Ndieze Iboko community in Izzi Local Government Area.

Two others, Sunday Mathias of Isiekeukwu-Orlu,Imo state and Nwabueze Oriele of Akuna-kuna village,Ikwo local government area, were caught by the vigilante groups while attempting to vandalise the transformer situated at Onyikwa,Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo local government area.

Public Relations Officer of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Lazarus Onyea-rugbulem, said the situation was unfortunate and wondered why people took pleasure in causing discomfort for others.



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Akure—A man, Ilesanmi Omojuyigbe, 35, has been arrested for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old boy, Babatunde Adebayo, at Iju area of Ondo State.

Vanguard gathered that the victim was lured to the suspect’s room on the pretext that he wanted to buy frozen fish from the boy.

The victim, on entering the room, was said to have been held down and his trouser forcefully torn before the suspect defiled him.

His mouth was said to have been covered by the suspect so that his cries and shout would not attract neighbours to his house.

After the indecent act, the suspect appealed to the victim and promised to buy him whatever he wanted.

The matter was said to have been reported to the police, while the suspect was later arrested.

Police image maker, Wole Ogodo, said the suspect lived at 24, College road, Iju, in Akure North local government area of the state.

He pointed out that the suspect had confessed to the crime and would soon be charged to court.

In another development, Ogodo said four persons had been arrested for cultism in Okitipupa area of the state.

The suspects, according to him, are “Augustine Belief, 22, Adie Kelly, 22, Ikenna Ekenna Eze and Okepeke Ogechukwu, 28, all living in Okitipupa Town.”

Ogodo said other members of the group were still at large.




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Gunmen yesterday threw the Igbo community in Bauchi State into mourning following the killing of a popular businesswoman on Monday night. Mrs Loricia Onukwu, who was nursing a two-month-old child, was shot dead by gunmen in front of her house at Fadama Mada area in Bauchi metropolis.

Daily Sun learnt that the gunmen, two in number, accosted the mother of four at about 7 pm, as she wanted to drive into her compound after closing from her business.

The deceased was said to have horn at the gate for her children to open the gate when the two men suddenly approached her.

Her second son, 10-year-old Makochwuwku, had just opened the gate for his mother to drive her Opel car inside the compound when he saw the two armed men walking towards his mother’s car.

They shot her twice through the car windscreen and made away with her handbag after demanding for money. She was alone in the car. All her children were at home.

Following the incident, the deceased’s husband immediately relocated his family, including his two-month-old baby to GRA in Bauchi.

The bereaved husband could not be reached at the time of sending this report as he was said to have gone to the Tafawa Balewa Housing Police Station with his son Makochuwku, to report the incident

“The husband was not at home. He went to church. They were shouting ‘where is the money, where is the money’ before they shot her at close range and fled,” one of the women leader in the deceased’s church, who pleaded anonymity, told Daily Sun.

Loricia’s 18-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter were too shock to comment on their mother’s death.

An Igbo leader in the state who also pleaded anonymity decried the killing of Loricia, saying her brutal death had thrown her family and the Igbo community to great mourning.

“Her death brings to four the number of Igbo indigenes killed in Bauchi this year. We implore the police to bring their killers to justice,” the Igbo leader said.

When contacted, spokesman of the police command in Bauchi State, DSP Mohammed, told Daily Sun that he heard about the incident but with little details.



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A soldier, Lance Corporal Haruna Muazu, posted to the Bayelsa State Government House, on Monday night shot and killed a colleague, Staff Sergeant Ishiaku Shuaibu.

Both soldiers are attached to the 423 Battalion of the Elele Barrack in Rivers State.

Lieutenant Colonel Mustapha Anka, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, who confirmed the incident on Tuesday, described it as most unfortunate.

Anka said ongoing investigations would unravel the circumstances that led to the shooting.

The incident was said to have occurred at about 10pm on October 13, during a dinner held to mark the 2014 Legal Year with the Governor Seriake Dickson in attendance.

The soldier was said to have snatched the service rifle of his colleague and shot him dead at his duty post.

The soldier who killed his colleague had arrived from the Elele Military Barrack in Rivers State after collecting his duty allowances.

Sources at the Government House said two other soldiers on duty left the post briefly and the killer soldier capitalised on the opportunity to shoot his colleague.

A source said: “He immediately ran away with the rifle and boarded a commercial tricycle, popularly known as Keke NAPEP, and headed towards Hospital Road.

“The sound of the gunshots attracted the policemen on duty at the Banquet Hall.

“The policemen, however, intercepted and stopped the tricycle and apprehended the fleeing soldier.

“The policemen also found the body of the soldier in a pool of his blood at his duty post.”

A security source, however, said the arrested soldier, who was taken initially to the Yenagoa Police Area Command, had been handed over to the Joint Task Force for further investigation (NAN).



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Liberian health officials are appealing to nurses and medical assistants not to go ahead with a national strike, as the Ebola epidemic continues.

The National Health Workers Association wants an increase in the monthly risk fee paid to those treating Ebola cases.

In the US, President Barack Obama has directed more steps to be taken to ensure high safety procedures when dealing with suspected Ebola patients.

A health worker treating an Ebola victim has herself caught the virus.

Liberia’s Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said a strike would have negative consequences on those suffering from Ebola and would adversely affect progress made so far in the fight against the disease.

The government says the scale of the epidemic means it now cannot afford the risk fee originally agreed.

The risk fee is currently less than $500 a month, on top of basic salaries of between $200-$300. Staff are now seeking a risk fee of $700 a month.

 

The health workers also want personal protective equipment and insurance.

Ninety-five of their colleagues have so far died from Ebola. Liberia is one of the countries worst affected by the epidemic.

More than 4,000 people have so far died in the outbreak.

A new UN centre to co-ordinate the fight against the epidemic is being set up in Ghana.

UN aid workers and logisticians are being flown in to Accra, the BBC’s Mark Doyle reports. Ghana itself has not so far seen any Ebola cases.

Six months after the epidemic began in west Africa there are still only about a quarter of the treatment beds required to tackle it.

Food is now in short supply as markets are disrupted in some parts of the three countries worst affected: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

In Liberia, elections have been postponed because the gathering of people at polling stations would endanger lives.



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bout 850 Nigerian soldiers on peacekeeping mission in Liberia are to be quarantined for 28 days when they return to the country in March 2015.

There are two battalions of the Nigerian Army in Liberia.

Investigations revealed that soldiers in one of the battalions were drawn from the 331 Artillery Regiment, Kontagora.

A source said on Sunday that the Army personnel were scheduled to return to the country in January but that their arrival would be delayed till March 2015.

According to the source, when they arrive in the country in March 2015, they will be quarantined in Gwagwalada, Abuja for 28 days before being allowed to go to their formations.

It was gathered that the soldiers returning from a similar mission in Sudan were not likely to be quarantined because Sudan had not recorded any   Ebola case.

The source said that the Army authorities decided to ensure a painstaking observation of soldiers returning from Ebola infested countries because of the danger posed by the disease.

The source said, “You know that our soldiers in Liberia are to return to the country from two mission areas, Liberia and Sudan.

“The men of the Nigerian Army Battalion 43, in Sudan, will arrive in the country in December, and may be allowed to go their units on arrival in the country.

“But the arrival of their counterparts from Liberia, who were initially supposed to arrive in the country in January, will be delayed. The UN has not approved their movement so they will leave Liberia for Nigeria in March.

“Another thing is that even when they arrive in the country, they will be kept at a military barracks being built at Gwagwalada for 28 days before they are released to go to their units.

“I think the authorities are just being careful; there is no intent to demoralise anybody because we all know the dangers of this Ebola Virus Disease.

“With the arrangement, only medical personnel would be allowed access to them.

“You know that the World Health Organisation has declared Nigeria Ebola free so all efforts would be made to keep that status,” the source said

The Head of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Major-General Obashina Ogunbiyi, had said during a meeting of infectious diseases experts under the aegis of the Ebola Treatment Research Group in Abuja on Thursday that some Nigerian soldiers had been quarantined in Liberia following the death of a Sudanese who went to their camp to pray with them.

The Sudanese was said to have died two days after the prayer session and was believed to have died of the EVD.

The Ebola Virus Disease “has landed among our troops in Liberia after the death of the Sudanese. The Sudanese entered the troops’ camp to pray and two days later, he died. All troops were quarantined this morning (Wednesday)… We thought we were getting away but Ebola is still with us. Anyone of those soldiers can come home on holiday,” Ogunbiyi reportedly said.

Also, the Defence Headquarters said in a tweet on its twitter handle on Friday that “all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that no Nigerian soldier is infected with the deadly virus while serving in Liberia.”

The DHQ stated further in another tweet that the troops were quarantined for “preventive purposes and medical observation following the case of a Sudanese, a UN employee who was reported to have manifested … (the EVD).”

It was added that while no Nigerian soldier had shown symptoms of the disease, they were still confined to their camp.

Investigations further revealed that the Federal Government might not send troops to replace the two battalions in Liberia at the expiration of their mission.

It was learnt that the remaining two battalions in Liberia might not be replaced not necessarily because of the Ebola threat, “which though is a coincidence, but because the mission is winding down.”

When our correspondent contacted the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen Olajide Laleye, on the issue of the move to place returning soldiers from Liberia under observation for 28 days, he said that the Corps Commander Medical, Maj.- Gen Ogunbiyi, was the most competent person to speak on the issue.

He advised our correspondent to wait for a statement from Ogunbiyi on Monday.

Laleye said, “The Corps Commander, Medical Maj. Gen Ogunbiyi, will make a statement on it on Monday; you are advised to wait for the statement as I cannot comment on it.”

The Army spokesman also said issues relating to the deployment or withdrawal of troops to Liberia could only be decided at the policy level.

“The decision to send troops to Liberia was taken at the national level and the decision not to send troops can only be taken at the strategic level. I cannot comment on that,” he said.



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At least 11 people lost their lives while several others sustained varying degrees of burns after a tanker laden with petrol burst in flames around Molete Market, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

An employee of the Nigerian Tribune, Mr. Samson Oyewole, and an eight year-old girl were among the victims of the fire which burnt 45 shops at the market on Saturday night.

Although Oyewole was fortunate not to have died, eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro learnt that the death toll could be as high as 15. It was the second major fire incident in the city in two months, with Alesinloye Market fire, being the first on August 16.

When our correspondent visited the scene on Sunday morning, the police and other security agents in large numbers were seen restoring order while men of the Oyo State Fire Service Department were trying to evacuate the fallen tanker and other vehicles affected.

Eyewitnesses said the Saturday fire started when a truck carrying fuel fell at the busy Molete roundabout, burst in flames, consuming 13 vehicles, three houses, seven commercial motorcycles, three commercial tricycles and goods worth millions of naira. Most of the deaths recorded were roadside traders.

Public Relations Officer, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Ayodeji Bobade, told our correspondent that apart from the eight-year-old girl that was rushed to the hospital, having suffered a high degree of burns, six other males and four females were also brought to the teaching hospital late on Saturday in severe condition, with one of them confirmed dead.

He said, “Eleven people were brought here with a girl, all suffering from severe burns. One of them died over night while others are receiving treatment at the burns unit of the hospital.”

The Iyaloja of Molete Market, Alhaja Iswat Oyinlola, told our correspondent that but for the river behind the market, which absolved more than half of the fuel that spilled from the tanker, more deaths would have been recorded.

She said, “I was already at home around 10pm when I got the message that a petrol tanker fell at Molete roundabout and spilled its content, causing a huge fire. By the time I got to the market, the fire had spread. If not for the river behind the market, the fuel would have flooded the whole neighbourhood and caused more death because it happened when many people were retiring to their beds.

“I discovered that 13 vehicles, seven commercial motorcycles and three commercial tricycles were burnt, 10 people were killed and 45 shops were affected. We don’t know the actual number of those who died in the inferno but from the list I have with me, 10 people were confirmed dead. Others were taken to the hospital.”

Oyinlola added that Governor Abiola Ajimobi was at the scene early in the morning where he expressed sympathy at the huge loss.

While blaming commercial bus drivers at the scene of the tragedy for the accident, Oyinlola called on the police to enforce traffic law in the area.

“Commercial bus drivers who have turned the roundabout to their park, thereby causing huge traffic around the area, caused the accident. From what I learnt, the truck was unable to negotiate the bend smoothly, and because it had a full load of fuel in its tanker, it lost control and fell.

“We appeal to the police to do their work without sentiment. They should ensure that the drivers don’t pick up their passengers by the roundabout. This will ease the traffic around the area and avert disaster.”

Among the dead was a man who was caught in the fire after leaving a drug store overlooking the overhead bridge. The owner of the pharmacy store, Chigozie Eze, narrated how he lost everything to the fire.

He said, “The driver was trying to steer the vehicle away from a pothole at the roundabout and at the same time making attempts not to collide with the commercial busses at the area when it fell. The content spilled and exploded. My brother and another person escaped through the back door but we lost everything.

“I had more than N400,000 in the shop but it was burnt to ashes. A customer who just bought drugs was caught in the fire, he died immediately. I don’t know where to start again.”

Mr. Ahmed Adeoye, who said he had a store full of building materials and house accessories in the market, said he suffered a huge loss. He said many of the people who died were roadside traders who refused to obey the government order.

“The fire gutted everything I had in my shop including money. I cannot quantify the amount I lost accurately but it is over N2m. Thank God no one sustained injury in my shop but many roadside traders lost their lives and goods in the fire. I counted about 15 bodies very late in the night when the fire subsided.”




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AS the battle to rout out Boko Haram terrorists from communities seized in Adamawa State continues, military source have disclosed that some soldiers and officers are inventing pranks to avoid deployment to the battlefield.

At the weekend, seven soldiers allegedly opened fire on different parts of their bodies and later claimed that Boko Haram terrorists shot them, but when medical examination was carried out on them, it was discovered that the shots were self-inflicted.

The army high command has also discovered that information about its strategies and operational road map in the North East were being passed on to Boko Haram terrorists by orderlies and close aides of commanders on the field.
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It was gathered that some of the perpetrators of the crime had been arrested, while a board of inquiry had been set up to carry out further investigation, after which a court martial to try them would be set up.

The source revealed that many of the soldiers had devised means, so as not to be set for battlefield, while others faked strange ailments.

It was reliably gathered that the alleged attack on seven soldiers at the weekend were carefully masterminded by the troops, so as to look as if the Boko Haram, terrorists actually attacked them.

The source disclosed that when the soldiers were brought to the hospital in Adamawa, the injuries were fresh, while the bullets just pierced through the flesh to the other side, with no bone affected.

Nigerian Tribune also gathered that the troops had started pushing out the insurgents from the zone, with the arrival of the new equipment.



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ENUGU— Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, Enugu Police Command weekend arrested a notorious criminal who had been on the wanted list of operatives for alleged car-snatching and armed robbery crimes.

The suspect, identified as one Arinze Nwachukwu   from Akaegbeugwu, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, was apprehended, following a distress call from residents of Atakwu, Akogbeugwu, over fight for control of revenue generated at the sand field in the community.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer,PPRO,Mr. Ebere Amaraizu,DSP, “the suspect had been on the wanted list of the operatives for various armed robbery and car-snatching incidents.

“He was arrested following a shoot-out between himself and other members of his gang over who controls the revenue accruing from the sand field at Atakwu. On hearing the sound of gunfire, residents in the area called our distress line.

“The operatives swung into action and arrested the suspect with two other members of his gang that were injured in the shoot-out. The injured ones are receiving treatment at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku,Ozalla.”

In the same vein, the Police spokesperson also revealed that SARS operatives on stop and search patrol, arrested one teenager identified as Christian Ogbodo at Iva-Valley axis of Enugu metropolis over the weekend.

He said:”the suspect was arrested with an axe tucked in his waist. When the operatives interrogated him, he confirmed that he is a member of AYES confraternity.”



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ABUJA—Military authorities prosecuting the war against terrorism in the North East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have arrested several soldiers, who were discovered to have leaked vital security information on the troops’ strategies and tactics to Boko Haram that led to a series of ambush and killing of over 30 Nigerian soldiers in recent times.






Most of the arrested soldiers serve as orderlies or aide-de-camps, ADCs to Commanders of Troops on the field.

It was gathered that the alleged moles among the soldiers leaked the information on the deployment of soldiers from Maimalari Barracks in April this year to the terrorists which led to an ambush and killing of so many soldiers of the 101 Battalion that consequently led to soldiers’ mutiny and the shooting at the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Major General Ahmed Mohammed. His armoured official car saved his life.

Vanguard further gathered that the activities of these moles may have been responsible for the recent shooting of the Nigerian Airforce Alpha Jet on September 12 which took off from Yola airport and was reported missing until Boko Haram terrorists said they shot it down and killed one of its pilot, which was confirmed by the Facebook account of friends of the military.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, a reliable source said Commanders on the field had for long wondered how information on strategies for deployment, type of weaponry and fall back tactics easily filtered out to the terrorists to the extent that soldiers’ movement, timing of deployment, and routes to take, became known to Boko Haram insurgents.

“The situation became so bad that there was mutual suspicion among fellow commanders, the Brigade headquarters and even the Division headquarters. But at last, the moles were found out to be some of the orderlies and aides of Commanders. What they do is that after operational briefings and troops take off, these moles immediately pass on the information through calls.”

Asked why it was difficult to discover the traitors before now, the source said, “Who will suspect that an orderly or the ADC of a Commander will be the one giving out information. He does everything for the Commander and he is with him all the time. He is the last person that would be suspected. But thank God, they have been exposed; the truth is now known”.

Already, the source noted that a Board of Inquiry (BOI) has been set up to carry out further investigations into the activities of the traitors and to try to find out if there were fellow fifth columnists still existing among the troops, after which a General Court Martial will be constituted to try the soldiers for Criminal Conspiracy among others.

Also, Vanguard was told at the weekend that six officers taking part in the offensive to flush out the terrorists from the Adamawa axis recently shot themselves in parts of their bodies that were not life threatening with a view to escape being drafted to the battle field to confront Boko Haram terrorists.

After allegedly shooting themselves in the arm, hip, foot and making sure that the bullets did not affect any bones in these parts of their bodies, the officers ran to a military hospital and claimed that they were shot by terrorists.

Medical experts attached to the hospital in Vintim, after carrying out several checks and x-rays on the gunshot wounds, discovered that the officers had ‘clean gunshot wounds’ which meant the injuries were 99% self inflicted.

Vanguard gathered that the Army High Command ordered that further medical tests be carried out to be doubly sure and that the x-rays were sent to Abuja where experts did further analysis and came out with the same results of ‘Clean Gunshot Wounds’ .

“In one instance, an officer expertly shot at his arm from the front and the bullet came out from the back without touching any bone neither did it destroy any artery that would endanger the treatment of the hand. In another instance, an officer just opened fire on his foot but made sure no toe or dangerous part of the foot was affected,” a source said.



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THE Presidency, yesterday, opened up on the controversy surrounding the seizure by South Africa of Nigeria’s $15m meant for the purchase of arms for the Nigeria Intelligence Service.

On September 5 this year, two Nigerians and an Israeli national attempted to smuggle into South Africa $9.3m cash conveyed in a chartered private jet which was seized by the South African authorities. About three weeks after, another $5.7m was seized when a South African company that was contracted to help purchase the arms by an Abuja based





company tried to pay back the money.

Speaking on the seizure, yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Communication, Dr. Doyin Okupe, explained why the government has been silent on the issue.

Okupe said, “The Nigerian government cannot share all information about the issues because it is a security matter. It is an issue which we cannot just bring to pubic domain. For goodness sake, we need to have some quiet innocent support. I am surprised that Nigerians want to discuss security issues openly and publicly when a war is still going on.

“These are very serious national security affairs and running a government is not the same thing as running a Shoprite, where everything is on the table and on display. There is nothing shady about the South African deal and the Office of the NSA has done very well because at the appropriate time, they came in that, ‘yes, this money belongs to us and this was what it was meant for;’ that explanation itself was okay. There is no hanky panky on this matter.”

He also stated that the second controversial deal has legitimized the first because it was a normal banking transaction.

Okupe said,“A company was mandated to do a national security assignment for the Federal Government of Nigeria and because of the extant laws in South Africa, that company was unable to deliver its contractual agreement with the Nigerian government; the company now wants a refund which is normal.”

The presidency also exonerated the national president of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor from alleged involvement of his aircraft in the controversial $9.3m arms deal in South Africa.

Okupe noted, “the linking of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is the most unfortunate thing; to put the very respectable, responsible, honest and sincere President of CAN in this matter is the extreme of mischief. It just shows you what Nigerians do, they go to any extent to politicize everything. What bothers me here is the manner with which people want to bring down Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor on this matter. It is pure absurdity.

“Oritsejafor has no business in this matter. It is true that he owns the aircraft but there are over 200 private Nigerians who have jets. Apart from those who use it frequently, some give it out to get some money and defray some of the costs. If you put your jet down, you pay money and parking charges everyday. He gave the private jet to a company to manage. The company is handling it and these people gave out the plane that is available.

“What has this to do with Oritsejafor? If I have many cars at the airport and decide to give one to car hire services and he decides to carry somebody having Indian hemp, will you link it up with the man who gave it out? Excuse me, this is ridiculous.”

The presidential aide then advised Nigerians to stop playing politics with every issue of national concern saying it is not in tandem with patriotism.




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ABEOKUTA—Tragedy   struck yesterday, at Ijale Ijaka Street in Ijoun, Ayetoro area in Yewa South local government area of Ogun state when  thunder struck and killed three teenagers.

The tragic incident, which   occurred during a heavy  rainfall   reportedly killed Sunday Mulero,13, Dare Olaifa,15 and Sodiq Segun, 15.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident.

Adejobi in a statement said , the information made available to the Police Public Relations Officer of the command by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ayetoro Division revealed that the young boys were “playing “outside their house when the thunder struck and killed them instantly.

“The Divisional Police Officer with his police operatives,who responded to distress calls put to them,rushed down to the scene to possibly rescue the teenagers but were confirmed dead immediately on arrival at the hospital.The corpses were kept in the mortuary for necessary actions.

“The Commissioner of Police Ogun State CP Ikemefuna Okoye has described the incident as unfortunate. He then sympathized with the families of the deceased and prayed for God’s mercies and protection over other members of the affected families.

“The Police boss therefore seizes this opportunity to advise the general public to learn from the past so as to adjust our futures,and warn our children to desist from playing under heavy rainfall or engage themselves in any “dangerous” activities that could make their lives precarious to them,for this particular incident had occurred on many occasions in Ogun State and in many other states.

“CP Ikemefuna Okoye reassures the good people of Ogun State the command’s readiness to harness all available resources to achieve effective policing of the state”, he said .



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.. Lawyers decry abduction, task FG on insecurity

The immediate past President of Ni­gerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Okey Wali (SAN) has been kid­napped in Port Harcourt by un­known gunmen.

He was kidnapped during the weekend, around his house in Rumualogu, Port Harcourt, between 7 and 8pm. The bandits were said to have forced their way into the victim’s vehicle as he was returning home, and drove him out of the vicinity before forcing the SAN into their vehicle and drove away. The victim’s car was later recovered at Ozuoba area, where it was abandoned by the kidnappers. The abductors were yet to contact his family as at Press time, even as his whereabouts remain unknown.

Reacting to the abduction of his immediate past predecessor, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Alegeh (SAN) and other prominent lawyers, in a statement, urged the kidnappers to immediately release him to his anxious family.

According to the statement: “Okey Wali SAN is a man of peace who has not only contributed immensely to the enthronement of rule of law and protection of human rights, but also to the development of our nation. It is therefore saddening that he should become a kidnap victim.

The statement read further:“This sad event is yet another reminder of the state of insecurity in which all Nigerians live. The NBA calls on the Federal Government to step up efforts to fulfill its primary constitutional role of providing for the welfare and security of all Nigerians.”

The NBA boss, who told Daily Sun yesterday that the association was working with all security agents to ensure Wali’s release, however, said the suspected kidnappers had yet to establish contact with anyone.

Also speaking, the Chairman, NBA, Rivers State Branch, Dennis Okwamkpa, said the body was worried over the abduction of their colleague.

Okwamkpa, who spoke to Daily Sun on phone yesterday, condemned in strong terms, the kidnap of Wali.

He also expressed worry that some prominent members of the state had become the target of kidnappers, saying, the ugly trend should not be allowed to continue.




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… Ajimobi commiserates with victims’ families


Scores of people were on Saturday evening roasted by fuel fire that engulfed Molete area of Ibadan in Oyo State.

A truck carrying fuel, it was gathered, fell at the popular Molete Under- Bridge at about 9p.m and spilt its content on the road. The fuel connected the nearby drainage and trav­elled a long distance before it caught fire.

Checks by Daily Sun re­vealed that many roadside traders, passersby, com­mercial motorcyclists, mo­torists and others in the vi­cinity at the time, suddenly saw themselves on fire.

Eyewitnesses said a pregnant woman and her child as well as a mother and her two children were among the victims of the inferno.

The fuel tanker, accord­ing to reports, was com­ing from Challenge end of Molete before it had a brake failure. The driver reportedly lost control of the tanker before it rammed into a pole, which led to the tragedy.

Some football lovers were said to be discussing the loss of Nigeria to Sudan by one goal in the first leg of the Africa Confederation Cup qualifiers under the bridge when the fire disas­ter began.

Also, the inferno was said to have been cruel to many people who ran into nearby shops for cover, roasting them with the shops.

The driver of the tanker, according to eyewitnesses, was also killed in the ram­paging fire.

He was said to be shout­ing brake failure in order to alert the people to the im­pending danger before the accident occurred.

A man, who introduced himself as Adekunle Ayin­la, said but for the timely intervention of a combined team of fire fighters and se­curity operatives, the trage­dy would have been worse.

Meanwhile, the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has described the inferno, which resulted in the death of an unspeci­fied number of persons, as another sad chapter in the history of the state despite the untiring efforts of the present administration to forestall the occurrence of such incidents in all parts of the state.

The APC, in a state­ment issued by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, said the Molete inferno was not only unfortunate but also devastating in view of the fact that Oyo State “at the moment has a government which prioritises every pro-active measure required to guarantee the safety and well-being of the people ir­respective of their status or background.”

“It is most unfortunate that a disaster of this mag­nitude can befall our dear state again after the admin­istration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi had left no one in doubt of its passion for a disaster-free, violence-free and crime-free society. We take this as an act of God even as we share in the agony of the victims and members of their family,” the statement added

Meanwhile, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has commiserated with families of those who lost their lives in an in­ferno at the Molete area of Ibadan, the state capital, praying that God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss.

A tanker had somer­saulted last Saturday night beside the Molete Bridge, discharging its content in the process and went into flame, which resulted in the death of many people, many of whom were road­side traders.

Governor Ajimobi, who arrived at about 8 am, was conducted round the scene of the inferno by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kola Sodipo.

The governor ordered that a crane be brought im­mediately to take the car­cass of the tanker that had caused gridlock to allow for free traffic flow.

Speaking with journal­ists, Ajimobi commiserated with the families of the de­ceased and urged them to take solace in the fact that death would come when it would.

He said many who sought to take political ad­vantage of his administra­tion’s genuine love for the people of the state, espe­cially street traders, must have seen the danger of politicising sincere govern­ment policies.



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