Welcome To Benjamin Umuteme's Reports: June 2013

Saturday, 29 June 2013

CBN To Restore Revoked Bureau De Change Licences

Nigeria’s Central Bank (CBN) says it may revalidate some Bureau De Change (BDC) operators’ licences revoked over their inability to meet up with the recapitalisation deadline in 2012.

Director, Other Financial Institutions and Supervision Department (OFISD), Mr. Olufemi Fabanwo disclosed this on Saturday in an interview in Lagos.

Controversial actress and POKO crooner, Tonto Dike risks a minimum of 15 years in jail for encouraging the consumption of marijuana, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA revealed on Friday.

The thespian had on June 11 posted photographs of a wrap of marijuana and grains of the weed formed into the letters, ‘Happy birthday POKO’ She also posted a photograph of herself and added the inscription, ‘Mi smoke ganja mi smoke weed while my hatez smoke ma gossip.’ In the picture, she looks stoned.

A school is believed to be a safe place. But that was where Abiodun, a ten-year-old primary school student in Ibadan, Oyo State, fell into the hands of a kidnapper. How did it happen?

Abiodun Oladele, a primary school student in Ibadan, Oyo State would have fallen prey to a suspected ritual killer but for sheer luck. The ritual killer was lurking around in Abiodun’s school of all places.

Academic activities in the school (names withheld), said to house both primary and secondary sections in the same compound, came to a standstill on Wednesday, June 11, 2013, when the suspected ritual killer/kidnapper was apprehended.

An eight-year-old girl who was the main witness in the kidnapping of her four-year-old brother has been admitted to a local hospital after a gang in Bihar, India, chopped off her right arm.

The girl, Uzma Ara, had come to Patna on Thursday night with her parents to meet Bihar’s director general of police Abhayanand to seek the release of the kidnapped boy when the criminals attacked her with a sword and chopped off her right arm. The family live in Laheriasarai town in north Bihar’s Darbhanga district.

48 Killed In Plateau Violence – STF

At least 48 people were said to have been killed in the violence that broke out on Thursday in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau, the Special Task Force (STF) has confirmed.

The STF spokesman, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, who spoke in Jos on Friday ddisclosed that while gunmen killed 28 persons in Magama, Bongong and Karkashi communities, the other 20 were felled by the STF in a gun duel that lasted several hours.

Mr. Mustapha also said that several of the invading gunmen sustained injuries while some others were arrested.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned of a looming outbreak of epidemic in Kebbi State and other parts of the North-west zone.

At a one day seminar titled, “Epidemics with teachers, district heads and health workers at local level” in Birnin Kebbi.

The NEMA’s Zonal coordinator, North-West zone, Mr. Musa Ilallah, said on Friday in Birnin-Kebbi that the coming rains and floods create conditions for diseases to spread faster and further in affected communities.

In line with the promise of the Honourable Minister of Power Professor Chinedu Nebo, the findings and recommendations of the Technical Investigative Panel on Power Sytem Collapses have been made public.
The Minister had commended the panel members, while receiving the report on Monday June 24, 2013, for exhibiting a high sense of responsibility and commitment on the assignment, and also delivering within the two-week deadline given to them.

He announced that the panel would be co-opted into the process of implementing their own recommendations, to achieve the best results.

P-Square and elder brother Jude 'Engees' Okoye visited OJB Jezreel yesterday and made a N5million naira donation to him for his 16million kidney transplant in India.

Office Romance: Secretary Demands N.1m Pay-Off From Lecturer 'Lover'

A 39-year-old lady who is the personal secretary to a professor at the Delta State University, DELSU,has been arrested for sending a threatening message to the professor asking him to pay her N100,000 as 'settlement' for their sexual relationship or be ready to be publicly exposed.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Lucky Uyabeme, the lady (names within) was arrested after a report was lodged by the Professor of Faculty of fine arts, DELSU, Abraka who said received a threat text message from an unknown person demanding N100,000 to avoid defamatory publication on him.

PHCN Unbundling: NERC Opens Ibadan Forum Office

As part of efforts by the Federal Government to unbundle the Power Holding Company of Nigeria{PHCN} and provide the transition of the private sector taking over service delivery in electricity distribution and generation, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has opened a Forum Office in Ibadan, Oyo State, solely for the resolution of disputes between electricity consumers and the service providers in the area.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of NERC, Dr Sam Amadi, who was represented by the Commissioner Government and Consumer Affairs Division, Dr Abba Armiya'u stated that the Forum Office was first of its kind which was already launched in Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano and Ikeja.

Two sisters, Temitope Abigail and Temitope Remi, have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ebute Meta on a three count of conspiracy, assault and grievous harm.

Abigeal and Remi choristers at a Cherubim and Seraphim church at Ebute Meta, were alleged to have assaulted Hannah Okurabe with razor blades at Abule Nla junction, a few metres away from the church.

Some people prefer to wash their cars with a hose in order to save a few bucks, but for car owners with money to burn The Ultimate Shine, a car cleaning company based in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, is offering the ultimate car cleaning experience for the unbelievable price of £100,000 ($150,000).
You’re probably thinking “this can’t be true”, right?

That’s more than a brand new luxury vehicle! But apparently, for many of the world’s rich and famous, $150,000 is a fair price to pay to have their exclusive rides looking squeaky-clean.

Paul Wilkins, who owns and runs The Ultimate Shine says his service isn’t aimed at the average driver who keeps his Ford Fiesta parked on the side of the road, but at rich car collectors who keep their rare and expensive vehicles in temperature-controlled showrooms and want them to look perfect.

Nigeria has maintained its position for the 2nd year as Africa’s number one destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNTAD).

According to the latest UNCTAD report, entitled, “Global Value Chains: Investment and Trade for Development”, Nigeria’s FDI inflow is at $7.03billion.

African countries that follow are South Africa which recorded $4.572bn; Ghana with $3.295bn worth of investment; Egypt with $2.798bn and Angola recorded 6.898bn.

A worker was on Thursday killed while another was injured when a mini water tank under construction collapsed in Ukana Iba community in the Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the two workers were working on the water tank when it suddenly collapsed and killed one of them.

“The tank fell from the top and smashed the man upstairs before crashing to the ground.

School administrators have suspended classes in an elementary school in Mandaluyong City on Thursday after “evil spirits” possessed 20 students, Manila, Philippines.

According to the report, around 20 students aged between 12 and 16 started acting strangely—screaming, crying, fainting and convulsing—prompting claims that they were possessed by evil spirits.

A Grade 8 teacher at the public school, Julie Esparagoza, said the incident started shortly after 9 a.m. and initially involved two girls from her section.

Esparagoza said that she and her students were in a classroom when one of the girls suddenly stood up and began acting strangely while the other lost consciousness.

Two patent medicine sellers, Olusola Opeyemi and Adeagbo Olatunji, accused of buying blood from students in Agege area of Lagos State have been arrested by the police.

They are accused of collecting blood from students of Oyewole High School, Agege and paying them between N1,000 - N1,500 each.

According to reports, the blood collected from the students was sold to a middleman, Adetola Kayode, for N7,000 per pint.

A woman has mystified doctors after she literally started crying tears of blood.

20-year-old Yaritza Oliva visited her doctor as soon as this strange condition started earlier this month. The doctor could not figure out what the cause is so she was sent home with some eye-drops.

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested 14 persons at Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State where an organised illegal food production facility was located for illegal manufacture of the fake version of registered Custard products.

The suspects include: Akabueze Emmanuel, Ngozi Moughalu Cecilia, Chisom Ikem, James Ndobueze, Chika Emmanuel, Chinyere Nsofor, Victoria Chibueze, Nnenna Onuwa, Oluchi Ukpai, Onuoha Chidinma, Nnnena Chukwu, Ogechi Chukwu, Anurika Iloanya and Nwadike Emmanuel.

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, at a news briefing recently said that the items discovered were bags of uncertified industrial corn starch, gas cylinders, sealers, generating sets, promotional items such as notebooks and weighing scales, spoons.

Alhaji Idowu Arinadegbo was working on some plots of land he had bought in Ikeshin village in Ota area of Ogun state with some workers when hoodlums ambushed them and began to shoot sporadically at them, killing him in the process.

Arinodegbo was said to have been hit on the chest, while the others escaped with bullet wounds.

According to a resident of a neighbouring village, Onigbin, the people in Ikeshin ran to them for safety as the gunshots increased.

“On Saturday afternoon, there were sounds of gun shots and we all started panicking. We started seeing people scampering for safety. They came to take cover in our area.

A 17-year-old boy has been handed over to the Oyo State Police Command after he was caught by his teachers at St. Lukes Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan, while allegedly chanting incarnation on a student at a nearby bush where the student had gone to ease himself.

The action, the teachers claimed was to kidnap the victim.

A 400-level female student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Oyinlola Rotimi, alleged to have attempted flushing her newborn baby down the toilet at Moremi Hall of residence in the university, last week, has refuted the report, saying it was untrue.

The nursing mother, who has been certified alongside her baby to be medically fit by doctors at the institution’s health centre told National Mirror that her case turned out in that manner because of her inexperience as a mother.

She said the delivery of the baby was her first experience and she did not know that she was being pressed for the baby, and had only gone to the toilet to defecate.

N25.7 Billion Bank Fraud: Atuche And Wife Seek Acquittal As EFCC Insists Couple Is Culpable

Francis Atuche, the sacked Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), and his wife, Elizabeth Atuche, today asked Justice Lateefat Okunnu to quash fraud charges instituted against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-corruption agency filed a suitaccusing the couple of siphoning N25.7 billion from the bank.

Anthony Idigbe, counsel to the Atuches, told the court that the couple has “no case to answer.” He argued that the prosecution has no evidences linking his clients to the fraud. Even though Mr. Idigbe conceded that

Ms. Atuche owns substantial shares in Gasali Yakubu Nigeria Limited, a client of the bank to which account much of the stolen funds was believed to have been diverted, he still contended that there was insufficient “prima facie” evidence linking the woman to the fraud.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said the fire incident near the Atlas Cove jetty in Lagos came from a pipeline explosion caused by oil thieves at Akinbo jetty.

NEMA spokesperson, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, for the South West, through a text message Wednesday debunked earlier report that claimed the explosion was a barge carrying gasoline.

Robert Olusegun, a staff of a new generation bank who waylaid a customer and robbed him of N4.7 million was among 273 armed robbery suspects arrested by the Police Command in Kano, northwest Nigeria.

According to the state Commissioner of Police, Musa Daura who briefed the press at the Command headquarters on Wednesday, Robert conspired with one other person now at large and attacked a customer of the bank where he worked with a pistol and knife on his way to the bank to deposit the money.

“They robbed him of the sum of N4, 755, 200.00. The suspects were vigorously pursued by members of the community and Robert was arrested with the money. One revolver pistol loaded with three live ammunitions and a knife were recovered from him. Investigation is on top gear to arrest the fleeing suspect,” Daura stated.

An Inspector of Policeman was injured on Wednesday when gunmen attacked the Kumo Divisional Police Station in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.

Unconfirmed sources say the gunmen attacked the station at about 11.30pm Tuesday night.

The command’s Public Relations officer, Mr. Fwaje Atajiri, said the attack was the second in recent time.

Retrenched workers of the Mainstreet Bank Limited, on Tuesday, protested at the gate to the National Assembly complex, calling on the lawmakers to intervene in their case.

The workers were protesting the non-payment of the entitlements of about 670 staff members sacked across the country by the management of the bank since June, 2012.

Mr Usanga Eyo, a representative of the workers, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the protest was organised to call the attention of the National Assembly to their plight.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, has stated that our country, as well as other African nations, need to make use of the opportunities provided by Islamic financing to fund infrastructure on the African continent.

Mr Sanusi delivered the speech at a conference dedicated to the development of infrastructure through Alternative Funding (Islamic finance) in Africa. The conference was organized by the Metropolitan Skills Limited, Abuja, in partnership with the Islamic Finance Institute of South Africa.

It was the fifth time the former talk show host has headed the annual ranking of 100 celebrities. Singer Lady Gaga came in second, followed by director/producer Steven Spielberg and singers Beyonce and Madonna.

“There is nobody else with that kind of consistency and power,” said Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes.com.

“There are only three people who have been on every single one of our lists since 1999. It is Oprah, Howard Stern and Steven Spielberg.”

Midnight Raid: 52 Nigerians Raided In Malaysia, Now Awaiting Deportation

what was described as a midnight raid by the Malaysia Immigration Police, 52 Nigerians have been arrested and are now awaiting deportation.

According to reports, the Immigration police raided houses that were occupied by Nigerians, and properties were destroyed in the process.

Clothed or naked, the Nigerians who were unfortunate enough to be at home during the raid were arrested.

Although it was reported that those who weren't home had their houses ransacked and vandalised.

Suspected Militia Killed 2, Stole 50 Cows In Plateau

Two people have been reported killed and about 50 cattle stolen at Bakin Kogi in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State by suspected militia.

The attackers were said to have struck at Rebet community in the village around midnight on Tuesday killing the duo identified as Yakubu Ishaya and Jawo Gang before rustling the cows.

Two brothers, Idowu Usman, 40, and Rasheed Usman, 38, have been charged before an Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding more than 100 prospective tenants of over N2 million in Idimu, Lagos State.

The two brothers allegedly used a room and parlour apartment located at 9, Adetayo Street, Idimu, Lagos to defraud prospective tenants under false pretence of renting the apartment to them.

When they were arraigned in court, the suspects admitted obtaining the money under false pretence and pleaded guilty to a 13-count charge.

A 27-year-old graduate of Accountancy from Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Mr. Philip Urieh, was yesterday arraigned before an Asaba Chief Magistrate’s court on a four-count charge of impersonating Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State on the social networking site, Facebook, thereby defrauding some unsuspecting members of the public.

The charges read: that you, Philip Onos Urieh (male) and others at large sometime in January 2013 at Asaba in the Asaba magisterial district, conspired among yourselves to commit a felony to wit, defrauding members of the public by impersonating Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Governor of Delta State and thereby committed an offence punishable under sections 422 and 516 of the Criminal Code Law cap C.21 volume I, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.

Politician Arrested For Raping 5-Year-Old Girl

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, capital of Nigeria’s central state of Kwara, has ordered the remand in prison of a 35- year old ex-Councillorship aspirant in Yagba West local government area in neighbouring Kogi state, for allegedly raping a five- year old girl.

It was gathered that the accused, identified as Gbenga Sunday lured the victim 18 June to his room with sweet and raped her.

Heavy rainfall in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital has resulted in the city being flooded.

Many homes and roads have now been severally flooded and this has been causing a lot of anxiety among residents. Some of the affected families and business outfits were forced to resort to the use of pumping machines to drain water off their premises.

The Creative Arts students of the University of Lagos on Tuesday morning staged a peaceful protest over the alleged sexual harassment of female students in the department by their lecturers.

The students who expressed their disapproval stormed the Arts block, before proceeding to the Social Science department.

... as trade volume hits $150bn in 2012

Nigeria and other D-8 countries have agreed to increase the volume of trade among member countries from its current $150bn to $500bn within the next five years.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr.Olusegun Aganga, disclosed this during the First D8 Ministers Council Meeting on the Preferential Trade Agreement in Abuja, on Tuesday.

He also proposed that the D-8 Trade and Investment Council made up of the private sector and sponsored by the Ministers of Trade be established as soon as possible.

The Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo has said that the power sector is at the threshold of stopping incessant system collapses, as the investigative panel’s report will provide the much needed Road-Map in taming the monster.

Speaking Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the investigative panel’s report, who he earlier gave a two-week matching order, the Minister said that soon Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief as there would soon be reliable and uninterrupted power supply.

He reminded Nigerians that President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda is anchored on priority attention to the power sector as it is the bedrock of the nation’s quest for prosperity.

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki has assured Nigerians that power supply in the country will improve when the private investors take over.

In a statement by the Bureau Head Public Communications, Chigbo Anichebe, the DG expressed confidence that the introduction of sound maintenance culture would ensure that the current installed capacity of 6000 megawatts is exploited and put on the national grid, stressing that that alone would stabilize power supply.

A security man and employee of First Bank Nigeria Plc, Jibowu Branch, Mr. Seyi Jaiyeola, has been dragged before an EbuteMetta magistrate court in Lagos for allegedly breaking the company’s automated teller machine and stealing a sum of N12, 533million.

The bank’s branch Service Manager, Mr. Kayode Aiyewunmi, who gave evidence in court, said Mr. Jaiyeola was on a N20, 000 monthly pay and was a member of the Odua People’s Congress.

He said the company had observed that one of the bank’s four ATMs was having a reconciliation problem and had employed the service of an expert to help unravel mysterious disappearances of money.
Mr. Aiyewunmi said, “We discovered that there was always a shortage of cash in the machine.

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bayelsa Wing seized an amazing 66.4 Kilograms of narcotics from january till june 2013 and in the means arresting 132 suspects.

Frank Hanachor is the area Commander for the NDLEA and disclossed this while checking on the activities in Yenagoa as events to mark the World International Day Against Illicit Drugs, revealed that the said suspects comprised 106 males and 26 females.

At least two people were killed and another person seriously injured as a truck crashed into a building in Rivers state.

The incident occurred along Airport Road, Igwuruta, Rivers State on Tuesday Morning.
One of the dead was the driver of the trailer number plated RIVERS A 630 KNK and an occupant of the building he crashed into.

The Nigerian troops deployed to Yobe and Borno have reportedly captured some notorious leaders of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, and recovered various weapons.

Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

In the statement, Mr. Olukolade gave the report of a nine-member Defence Headquarters Operational Assessment Team, sent by the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim, to the two states.

Mr. Olukolade said the team visited troop locations in various parts of Borno and Yobe.

22-year-old student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state who was rumoured to flush her baby inside one of the toilets in her hostel after giving birth narrates what actually went down.

When the news first broke, a lot of people vilified her. It was reported that she wanted to get rid of what many would describe as a bundle of joy.

People thus wondered why a 22-year-old undergraduate would try to flush away her baby in one of the toilets in Moremi Hall, her hall of residence at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Nigeria got their campaign back into gear with a victory over Cuba at the Fifa World Youth Championships in Turkey on Monday.

A brace from Umar Aminu and a well taken header by Abdul Ajagun were all John Obuh's team needed to silence the Caribbean side.

The Flying Eagles started brightly with Kayode Olarenwaju running endlessly at the Cuban defence which created some moment of panic for the team led by Raul Gonzalez. Though the Concacaf fourth best youth side forced their way back through Yordan Santa Cruz and Adrian Diz Pe, their shots on goal did not trouble Chukwunenye Okani who was in goal for Nigeria.

When the Federal Government first mooted the idea of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Nigeria, it was with the aim of increasing government’s revenue.

At that time, there were hues and cries from the Nigerian public which described the policy as another avenue by government to further burden the already financially-burdened masses.

But over twenty years down the lane, Nigerians seem to have settled seamlessly into the culture of having to pay VAT in every transaction they undertake.

Four Convicts Executed In Edo As Oshiomhole Ignores Calls From Amnesty International, Others

Four death row inmates have been reportedly hanged in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The convicts were hanged on Monday evening, prison sources and officials said.

The Lagos State Special Anti-robbery Squad has killed seven suspected kidnappers and arrested two others during a cross fire in Agbara area of Ogun State, southwest Nigeria.

Police alleged that the suspects were behind the kidnap of Lagos politician Kehinde Bamigbetan, Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria.

Police said the arrested suspects are 27-year old Ogbonna Emenike and 25-year old Uchenna Nwanyu. The shootout took place at the weekend.

Rafael Nadal slumped to a shock first-round exit as world number 135 Steve Darcis pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history.

The Belgian was inspired as he recorded a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 win on Court One to condemn the fifth seed to a second successive early exit at SW19.

It was Nadal’s first competitive grass tie since Lukas Rosol beat him last year.

The reigning French Open champion showed signs he was struggling to adjust from the clay to grass in the opening set and Darcis took advantage.

An alleged rápist appeared in court with a bandage on his eyes and in his ear after his victim shot him in the face during a rápe attack.

Duane Portman Sr, 44, from Springfield, Ohio, was arrested at about 3:00 am after he allegedly grabbed a woman off the street and ráped her at gunpoint.

The Minister of the National Planning, Mr. Shamsuddeen Usman, said on Monday at the 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja that Nigeria moved eight steps in global ranking on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) basis in the last three years.

Mr. Usman said Nigeria moved from 44th position in 2010 to 36th position in 2012 and that it also recorded highest Foreign Direct Investment inflow (FDI) of $7.01 billion in 2012, overtaking South Africa for the first time.

“Our move towards the vision 2020 is on course. Nigeria moved eight positions in the past three years in global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ranking.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) has identified development in technology as the reason for increased currency counterfeiting across the globe especially in developing countries.

In a workshop on "Banknotes, Currency Management and Forecasting in Central Banks" on Monday in Abuja, Nigeria CBN Governor, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi represented by Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Mrs. Sarah Alade explained that the concept of the workshop is to provide a forum where experts in the industry will converge to proffer solution to the continued demand of currency as well as deliberate further on financial inclusion policy.

Saturday, 29 June 2013

Friday, 28 June 2013

Thursday, 27 June 2013

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Monday, 24 June 2013