Why we have not arraigned Evans – Police

Reasons were given by the police high command this morning why billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, decided to drag the Nigeria Police to court over his continuous detention.

Evans had on Wednesday dragged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, the Police Service Commission, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni and the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad to the Federal High Court in Lagos.

In the suit filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, Evans is claiming that his continued detention is an abridgement of his fundamental human rights.

However, sources at the high command said that it was Evans’ gang members who are yet to be arrested that sought for and got the services of Ogungbeje to frustrate further investigation into the case.

A source said: “Evans gang members who wanted him to go to court before Police will finish investigations that have been leading to their exposure and arrests, hired a lawyer who sued the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and OC SARS.

“They are insisting that Evans should be charged to court.”
It was however, gathered that the Police IRT team expected such a sharp move early enough. The police IRT, it was learnt had equally secured an order of the Federal High Court to detain Evans for at least three months.

The order, police sources told newsmen, was secured last week Thursday. The order covered Evans and all his gang members who have so far been arrested. They are to remain in Police custody for three months.

The source said this is to enable the Police conclude all investigations in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa so that all those involved in the kidnapping ring run by Evans would be brought to book.

The source added: “Unfortunately for them, we can also renew the order after three months, which is what they failed to take into cognizance,” the police said. “But I am sure we will not even need up to that.
“And their running helter skelter is even helping us as they are daily making mistakes that have been further exposing them"

American ‘dupes’ Nigerians of $565,000 for issuance of US Green Card

An Ikeja High Court yesterday remanded an American, Mr Marco Antonio Ramirez, in Kirikiri Prison for allegedly defrauding three Nigerians of $565,000.
The defendant, who claimed to be the Managing Director of USA Now Plc, Eagleford Instalodge Group and USA Now Energy Capital Group, will remain in custody, pending the hearing of his bail application.
His remanded followed his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Josephine Oyefeso on a 16-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.
He pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Mrs V.O Aigboje said Ramirez committed the offence between February and August 2013.
Ramirez was alleged to have collected $10,000 from Olukayode Sodimu under the pretext facilitating the issuance of an American Green Card by the US Immigration Services.
He was also alleged to have fraudulently obtained $10,000 from Abubakar Umar through a fictitious investment programme in the US that would make him eligible for a US green card.
Ramirez was also accused of collecting $545,000 from Ambassador Godson Echejue under the pretext of investing it in his company, Eagle Ford Limited, to facilitate the procuring of a US green card.
The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant in prison pending his trial.
But, Ramirez’s counsel, Chukwudi Maduka urged the court to remand his client in EFCC custody and not in prisons.

Ramirez, he said, was on EFCC’s administrative bail.
But, the prosecutor said the EFCC facility was over stretched, adding that the defendant be kept in prison.
Ruling, Justice Oyefeso ordered the defendant remanded in prison stressing, “the proper place for remand is prison. I so order”.
She adjourned till July 3.

BREAKING: Former Health Minister, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, is dead.

Nigeria’s former Health Minister, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, is dead.
His death was announced early Monday morning (today), but a press release by his family, signed by Dr. Babajide Osotimehin, put the date of his demise as Sunday, June 4, 2017.
Until his death, Prof. Osotimehin was the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, a post he assumed on January 1, 2011, sequel to his appointment on November 19, 2010 for a four-year term.
He was reappointed on August 21, 2014 for another four-year term that would have ended in 2018.
Osotimehin was born February 6, 1949, in Ogun State.
As the UNFPA’s executive director, Osotimehin was the organisation’s fourth Executive Director, and hel
Before his UN job, Osotimehin had served as the nation’s health minister between December 17, 2008 and March 17, 2010 when then Acting President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet.
As health minister, Osotimehin was preceded in office by Dr. Adenike Grange, and he was succeeded by Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.
Osotimehin attended Igbobi College between 1966 and 1971, and later studied medicine at the University of Ibadan. He obtained a doctorate in medicine from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 1979.
d the rank of Under-Secretary General of the United Nations.
Osotimehin was the Director-General of the Nigerian National Agency for the Control of AIDS, a post he left to become the health minister.
As the chairman of the National Action Committee on AID, he oversaw the development of systems that, today, manage more than $1bn donor fund towards the elimination of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
He also served as the Project Manager for the World-Bank assisted HIV/AIDS Programme Development Project from 2002–2008, during which he achieved great success.
While he was at the UNFPA, Osotimehin’s interests included issues relating to youth and gender within the context of reproductive health and rights.
His focus were the young people, as he believed that youth participation in the society was very important.
He once famously said, “We need to ensure that young people of both genders have equal participation, not only in reproductive rights and health, but also within society and in the economy.”

Lagosians happy over new 1.2km Abule Egba flyover

Residents and motorists in Abule Egba and environs in Lagos on Thursday expressed relief at the completion and inauguration of the Abule Egba Flyover on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that construction work on the 1.2 km flyover commenced in February 2016 and the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, inaugurated it on Wednesday.
NAN reports that the flyover was expected to be completed in 18 months but was opened for use two months ahead of time.
Speaking at the inauguration, Ambode said that the project was borne out of government’s interaction with residents on ameliorating their challenges on the road.

He said that the construction of the bridge was the beginning of the process to transform the axis to the n
Some residents and road users in the area who spoke to NAN expressed their delight at the completion of the flyover.
Mr Taiwo Aderele, a resident of Abule Egba, told NAN that the flyover would bring huge relief to motorists.
“I am very happy that they delivered the job on schedule and I appreciate the governor for being a man of his words.
“The difficulty and discomfort in plying this route because of perennial traffic gridlock will now be a thing of the past, and we can now commute comfortably.
“I will only appeal to fellow road users and government to ensure that the maintenance of the bridge so that it will serve its purpose for as long as possible,” he said.

Another resident, Mr Peter Ogu, said: “I find it hard to believe that the traffic gridlock that we used to experience will now be a thing of the past.
ew economic hub of the state.’This is a very commendable project by the Lagos State Government; and we are very grateful to Gov. Ambode,” he said.
According to Mrs Hannah Akinpelu, the flyover would open up the area for development because of the ease in commuting.
“We usually find it frustrating commuting along this axis, but this bridge will bring unimaginable relief.
“I hope government will also fix other bad portions of the Lagos-Abeokuta express road so that we can have complete relief,” she said.

Boko Haram fighters returning to Sambisa forest, says report

Members of a faction of Boko Haram are regrouping, re-arming and returning to the Sambisa Forest area, a report by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned.
The commission has also expressed worry about the increase in the number of children used as suicide bombers from nine in 2016 to 27 in the first quarter of the year.

The regrouping and returning of insurgents to the Sambisa forest may rubbish the successes recorded so far by the Federal Government in the anti-terrorism fight and worsen the security situation in the affected parts of the country.UNHCR, in the statement made available to The Guardian through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the increase in the number of IED attacks around Maiduguri and Southern Borno had raised concern over the safety of the IDPs in the camps.

According to the report, the security situation is also the same with Cameroon, as there has been an increase in the number of incursions with deadly attacks, suicide bombings and kidnappings occurring on a regular basis. It added that the security situation in Niger Republic had deteriorated as Boko Haram insurgents carried out a major attack on Niger Security and Defence Force position near Gueskerou and allegedly stole food stocks, medication and cattle from various locations.

The Nigeria Northeast Humanitarian Emergency situation report reveals that currently, over 4.7 million people are estimated to be faced with insecurity in the most crisis-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, maintaining that the number could rise to 5.2 million between June and August if adequate measures were not put in place to address the situation. It further revealed that additional 2500people had been displaced from Dikwa, Gwoza and Bama Local government areas during the reporting period.But a retired Commissioner of Police, Frank Odita told The Guardian that the Sambisa forest was too hot for Boko Haram to regroup in.
He said: “I don’t see how they can regroup in Sambisa forest because the Nigerian army has taken over the place. The air raid that is going on in Sambisa forest is so intense that no terrorist would find it safe to be there. They can be regrouping somewhere else where they carry out their hit-and-run bombing.
“Their reign is over and people should see it that way. Although I frowned at the swapping of Boko Haram suspects for Chibok girls. I don’t know why the Federal Government took that action. Maybe the pressure was too much on them, but saying the Boko Haram insurgents are regrouping in Sambisa forest cannot be true.”
A retired military officer and President of Private Security practitioners, David Akhimien, however, said it was possible for the insurgents to regroup. “It may not be in Sambisa. It may be anywhere, but not Sambisa. Regrouping is a part of war. With modern technology, it is possible for any gang to regroup anywhere but definitely not in Sambisa forest.”
Attempts by The Guardian to reach the army spokesman, Brigadier General Usman for reaction failed as his phone rang several times without any response.

As at April, UNHCR and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) had registered a total of 260,000 people who returned from Cameroon, Niger Republic and Chad, out of who only three per cent were recorded as refugees in the countries of asylum, while 86 per cent were not registered, the report revealed.
According to the UN agency, the main reasons given by the refugee returnees are the need to participate in upcoming local elections, return to stability in areas of origin, resume economic activities as well as lack of food and water in their hosting areas.

There is the fear that recently released Boko Haram suspects may have been regrouping in the forest. Some human rights organisations and indeed Nigerians had criticised the swapping of Boko Haram suspects for abducted Chibok girls.

At the forefront of the criticism is the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). The group flayed the recent claim of the release by so-called Boko Haram terrorists of 82 hitherto kidnapped Chibok school girls and the constant release from detentions of detained Boko Haram terror suspects by the military authorities without the office of the Federal Attorney General subjecting them to criminal prosecution over the four-year-long bombing campaigns that slaughtered over 30,000 innocent Nigerians.

ADRON Boss, Oba Adetola Emmanuel King, Gives Back To Society

The Sagamu West LCDA was faced by the challenge of having an effective local government secretariat and office furniture's and this became an eyesore and a huge challenge to a son of the soil and the Akile of Makun Land Sagamu in the person of Otunba Dr.Oba Adetola Emmanuel-King,the Group MD/CEO of Adron Homes and Properties Ltd,who paid a courtesy visit to the chairman of the local council development area Hon.Awoyemi Rafiu,who complained bitterly about non availability of modern office equipment.
Sequel to this,  Oba Adetola  promised to deliver a new and renovated secretariat,within a few weeks,work commenced and a new modern functional secretariat was delivered by Adron Homes and Properties Ltd.
The new secretariat was commissioned by the governor of Ogun State Senator Ibikunle Amosun,who was ably represented by the commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Hon.Chief Jide Ojuko.
Present at the epoch making event was other dignitaries such as Rt.Hon.Olumuyiwa Oladapo commissioner of Culture and Tourism,Miss Lizzy Jekami,Mrs Bolanle Solarin(Vice Chairman of Sagamu West LCDA),Hon.Olugbenga Hassan(chairman Sagamu South LCDA),Hon.Femi Felix(chairman sagamu central LCDA),Hon.Oluseyi Odumuyiwa(chairman Remo Central LCDA),Mrs. Ronke Soyoye ,HRM Oba Samuel O.Dawodu(the Onigbepa of Igbepa),HRM Oba Dr.S.A.A.Adeniji (JP) (The Oniraniken of Iraniken) and so many others too numerous to mention.

The host chairman,Hon.Awoyemi Rafiu(Executive Chairman Sagamu West LCDA),in his address expressed his gratitude to the governor of the state,Senator Ibikiunle Amosun and Hon.Chief Jide Ojuko for their fatherly and political support and the Adron Homes boss, Otunba Oba Adetola Emmanuel-King, who promised to change the face of the LCDA Secretariat and delivered on his promise within a short time and for his tireless efforts towards the success of the program.