Traffic law: Lagos destroys 3,000 seized okadas...

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The Lagos State Government has commenced the process of crushing 3, 000 motorcycles, popularly called okada, impounded from their owners for violating traffic law.

Officials of the state Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit on Tuesday dismantled the okadas at the task force yard in Alausa.

The Taskforce Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, an Assistant Superintent of Police, said after the end of the dismantling exercise, the iron parts would be taken to the state Crushing Plant in Oshodi, where they would be crushed and recycled.

He said the action was to show that the government had stepped up its enforcement of the state traffic law, adding that the crushing of the okadas would serve as deterrent to other commercial motorcycle operators.

Sulaiman said, “These are okadas impounded since the new traffic law was signed into law. There are 3, 000 of them. Okada riders must obey our traffic law. They are fond of driving against traffic, on kerbs and several unauthorized places. The law has been passed and gazetted and there is no going back on its enforcement.

“We are dismantling the okadas now to separate the parts that are crushable from the ones that are not crushable. After this, we will take the crushable parts to Oshodi crushing plant, where they will be crushed and recycled. The non-crushable parts will probably be auctioned, but not in the state.

“The Taskforce has not started enforcing the law fully. But this should serve as a warning to them because we won’t hesitate to impound any okada caught on the restricted roads in the state.”

Sulaiman, however, said there were no riders to be prosecuted because the owners of the 3, 000 okadasabandoned them on sighting law enforcement officials.

Boko Haram denies Mubi killings...

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Boko Haram has denied killing about 40 students in Mubi, Adamawa State, last week an online publication, Premium Times reports.

Gunmen invaded the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi and the state university located in the town and killed 40 of the students. The killings were condemned across the country.

A man, who claimed to be a senior member of the Islamic sect, told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday that his group had nothing to do with the killings.

“We have no business with students or student politics. If students are our target we would have killed them randomly on sight and in their school and not sneak on them in the creeping darkness in an area occupied by both students and residents,” he said.

The man, who PREMIUM TIMES’ investigations revealed to be a member of the group, said if the sect wanted to attack educational facilities, it would have gone for structures and not students.

He said, “What would have been our target as far as I am concerned would have been the building and property of the institution, since it is owned by the government. At least, by now other students elsewhere would have been attacked if students are our concern.”

He said the mode of attack was not characteristic of the sect’s numerous attacks.

“Several statements by our spokesman and Imam in the past have made it clear who our enemies are. I don’t have to repeat it here. I don’t think anybody among us has the time to draw up a list or read it out before executing the students.”

Wife of Osun Speaker kidnapped...

Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Honorable Najeem Salaam

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Unknown gunmen in Ejigbo, Osun State, on Tuesday, kidnapped the wife of the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Najeem Salaam.

Muiba, the first wife of the Speaker, was kidnapped in the Bamagay Square area of the town shortly after she had left her shop where she sold bags of rice, semovita and groundnut oil.

Her Honda car was overtaken by the vehicle of a six-member gang. The gang reportedly forced her Honda car to stop along Union Baptist Road in the Oke-Oyo area of Ejigbo, the Speaker’s hometown. Our correspondent learnt that Muiba, who alighted and attempted to run from the kidnappers, was stopped and forced into a waiting car.

Chairman, House Committee on Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr Femi Fafiyebi, confirmed the development, saying the news was “shocking.”

“I just heard about it a few minutes ago. Osun is a very peaceful state. We are the only state that checked flooding and created the most enabling environment in the south-west. I don’t know why this should happen in our dear state,” Fafiyebi said.

Police Public Relations Officer, Osun Command, Mrs Sade Odoro, who promised to get across to our correspondent over the development failed to do so.

Her phone was switched off when our correspondent called her back for confirmation.

Our correspondent reports that it is in Odoro’s character to ignore inquiries by journalists over crime matters in the state.

Culled from The Punch Nigeria.

xoxo

Simply Cheska...

Lynching: UNIPORT students burn houses, cars in protest...

Students of UNIPORT during a protest against the killings of four of their colleagues in Port Harcourt ... on Tuesday, October 9, 2012. 

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Angry students of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday invaded Aluu community where four of their colleagues were killed on Friday.

By the time security operatives restored order to the troubled community, many houses and cars had been torched and about 30 students injured.

But the students’ action came with a cost: The UNIPORT authorities shut the 37-year-old institution indefinitely.

While the community boiled, the National Assembly condemned the UNIPORT and Mubi Polytechnic killings. The House of Representatives went a step further by summoning the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, over the rising insecurity in the country.

Four second year undergraduates of UNIPORT – Biringa Lordson of Theatre Arts Department; Ugonna Obuzor of the Geology Department; Mike Toku of Civil Engineering Department; and Tekema Erikena -were lynched in Aluu for allegedly stealing a laptop computer and BlackBerry phone. The lynching was also videotaped.

Last week, gunmen had also invaded the off campus hostel of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi with a hit list and butchered more than 40 students.

A source in Choba told our our correspondent in Rivers State that irate students who gathered under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students had barricaded the East-West Road, vowing not to leave until the UNIPORT Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, addressed them.

Some the students later moved to Aluu and began to set houses and cars ablaze until security operatives came to disperse them. The immediate past student union president, Mr. Rhino Owhorkire, said that 30 students were injured during the incident that took place at about 4.30 pm. Owhokire, who hails from Aluu, stated that he tried to calm the students and stop them from going ahead to torch the buildings to no avail.

“I am from Aluu and I tried my best to calm them down and stop them from burning houses . The initial plan was for them to make bonfire on the road and not to burn houses,” he said.

NANS Treasurer, South East and South-South, Mr. Iyere Onono, urged government to address the grievances of the students.

As the tension rose, the management of the university ordered the immediate closure of the university to forestall the breakdown of law and order on the campus.

Its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Williams Wodi, who spoke with The PUNCH on the telephone, said, “The University of Port Harcourt has been shut down indefinitely and students have been told to vacate their hostels until normalcy returns to the institution. We will reopen when normalcy returns.”

Ex-PMAN President Tee Mac Apologizes To Bishop Oyedepo...

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As a follow up to Tee Mac's utterances towards Bishop David Oyedepo, find below his recent remarks:

"I was angry when I saw on a FB site bya CKN the Challenger Bombardier plane(Mike Adenuga has one too, sold by my partner to him) owned by Bishop Oyedepo. In Nigeria at the moment millions do not know where to take the money from to buy their next meal; millions go to bed hungry and then this opulence by a "Man of God"! I may have been a bit harsh and somehow regret that I even responded to that FB message, but I am a bit out spoken and don't mean bad. 

I have seen Pastors and Men of God in Nigeria who carry bags of rice on their shoulder to help the Hungry, who drive cheap second hand cars and their office is a small cubicle, because they believe the money given to them by their congregation is given to them to distribute to the poor. I know a man of God who heals hundreds and doesn't ask for one Naira, no he will even give the poor and sick transport money to go home. 

My partner and myself tried to sell him a second hand cargo plane so he can fly food and blankets to disaster areas, but that man of God stated: “I can not own a plane, even if you prepare a good lease/ repayment schedule, what will my congregation think? The money they put into the envelops on Sunday must be used to the last Naira for charity only".

If my statement about Bishop was offensive to him and his followers, 

I render herewith a sincere apology.

Culled from NigerianFilms...

xoxo

Simply Cheska...

Tee Mac Calls Oyedepo A Money Grabbing Fraud...

Hello Friends!

Former PMAN president and popular musician, Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, has surely stirred up some controversy with his comments about Bishop David Oyedepo. 

Tee Mac took to Facebook to pass across an opinion about the General Overseer of the Living Faith Church Worldwide.

Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli (MFR) is a popular musician and former PMAN president. Below is what he wrote on Facebook about Bishop David Oyedepo when an issue was being discussed about the man of God.

Culled from NigerianFilms.

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Simply Cheska...

Chidi Mokeme returns as Gulder Ultimate Search anchor...

Chidi..

Hello Friends!

One of Nollywood’s talented actor Chidi Mokeme returns to the stage as the anchor of the popular Television reality show – Guilder Ultimate Search.

The decision to bring back the first anchor of the show after nine years was announced at a selection party held at the Eko Hotel and Suits, also revealing the 12 finalists.

The finalists are Female: Kofya Brown, Bornford Patience, Ayo Ojueromi, Uzor Osimkpa, Udodi Onyinyechukwu, and Ezeh Priscillia.

Others are: Male: Ujam Emmanuel, Nuhu Haruna, Ogbuefi Michael, Ifet Iniobong, Ojezele Paschal and Adah James.

This year, over 30,000 young and agile Nigerians registered to participate for the search. They all went through several physical and mental exercises at locations in Owerri, Benin, Makurdi and Lagos. Out of these, 30 contestants were selected and invited to Lagos for the final selection process.

Last night, 12 were selected to proceed to the Usaka Forest in Obot Akara Local Government area of Akwa Ibom State, where this year’s edition of Gulder Ultimate Search will hold.

The reality show has been in existence for 9 years and this year the GUS 9 winner will walk away with a cash prize of N9 million, N500,000 wardrobe allowance and a brand new SUV worth N10 million.

Culled from Channels Television.

xoxo

Simply Cheska...