Sunday 21 July 2013

Passenger from London to Owerri slumps, dies in Lagos

An Arik Air passenger en route Lagos-Owerri from London, yesterday, slumped and died at the entrance of the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, Terminal 1, Lagos airport.

The passenger was  confirmed dead at the Aviation Clinic where he was rushed to for medical attention.

Vanguard gathered that the passenger was accompanied by his wife and his brother when the incident occurred.

An eye witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the passenger slumped at the front of the Departure Hall when he slipped off the ground and started bleeding from his nose and ears before he was rushed to FAAN's hospital where he was confirmed dead.

When contacted, General Manager, Corporate Communications of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the passenger was accompanied by his wife and his brother when the incident occurred, noting that they both proceeded to Owerri after the incident.

According to him: "At about 0600 hours, a transit passenger on Arik flight en route Lagos-Owerri from London, slumped at the entrance of the Departure Hall, Terminal 1.

"He was immediately rushed to the Aviation Clinic where he was confirmed dead. The passenger's wife and brother who were with the deceased later proceeded to Oweeri."

However, Arik Airline debunked the claim that it was one of its passengers that slumped and died at the airport, claiming that such incident never happened to any its passengers.

The spokesman of Arik Airline, Mr. Adebanji Ola, said the airline was not aware of such incident, arguing that none  of the airline's passenger was said to have died at the airport yesterday morning.

According to him: "We are not aware of such a thing; none of our passengers died today (yesterday)

"Ask the vendor or people where you got your information from, let them tell you where the person was going to, and on which flight the passenger boarded.

"As far as I am concerned, such an incident did not happen today to any of our passengers."
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Nigeria’s Debt Rises To N7.93tn

The nation's appetite for borrowing to finance critical development projects has been growing in recent times with both the domestic and foreign indebtedness rising by $13.91bn in the last two years, EVEREST AMAEFULE writes

The country currently owes local and international creditors a total of $50.91bn (about N7.93tn), the Debt Management Office has said.Statistics obtained from the DMO website showed that as of June 30, 2013, the nation's external debt stood at $6.92bn (about N1.08tn), while the domestic debt component stood at N6.85tn ($43.99bn).

The external debt component comprises debts owed by both the Federal Government and the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.However, the domestic debt of $43.99bn is owed by the Federal Government alone. The domestic debt of the states could not be obtained as at press time.

By June 2011, the total debt of the country stood at $37bn. This means that in the last two years, the debt stock had risen by $13.91bn. This shows a growth rate of 37.59 per cent.In terms of instruments, FGN Bonds accounted for N4.03tn or 58.87 per cent of the Federal Government's domestic debt stock as of June.Nigerian Treasury Bills accounted for N2.48tn or 36.25 per cent of the domestic debt component of the Federal Government.

On the other hand, Treasury Bills accounted for N334.56bn or 4.88 per cent of the total domestic debt owed by the Federal Government.Multilateral sources such as the World Bank and African Development Bank accounted for $5.54bn or 80 per cent of the external debt.Bilateral debts made up of money borrowed from China and France accounted for $845.4m or 12.22 per cent of the nation's external debt profile.Commercial debts, including Eurobond and debts owed to Chinese firms, accounted for $536m or 7.75 per cent of the external debt stock.

The Director-General, DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, had recently said that compared to the level of foreign debt, the Federal Government had over-borrowed from domestic sources.While unfolding the details of the nation's Middle Term Debt Management Strategy, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council, Nwankwo said there was an urgent need to rebalance the structure of the nation's debt because the interest rate payable on domestic debt was too high.

He said the ratio of the Federal Government's domestic debt stood at 88, while the ratio of the foreign debt stood at 12.Nwankwo said the appropriate ratio should be 60 for domestic debt and 40 for foreign debt, adding that the newly approved Medium Term Debt Management Strategy would seek to achieve this ratio.One of the ways of doing this is through the establishment of a sinking fund for retiring matured local debts.

The second is by borrowing more from foreign sources.Our correspondent had reported that with the assumption of office of former Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the nation would see a reduction in local debts and an increase in foreign debts.

As managing director of the World Bank, Okonjo-Iweala had criticised Nigeria's debt structure on the grounds that the Federal Government was crowding out private sector borrowers from the debt market.Although she had championed the exit of the country from the Paris Club of Creditors during her first tenure as Minister of Finance, she is now insisting that the nation's ballooning domestic debt is not healthy for the economy.Okonjo-Iweala had reasoned that the Federal Government could do with more foreign sources than borrowing from the domestic market.It is this scenario that is now playing out under the new Medium Term Debt Management Strategy.

Nwankwo had said, "The main objective of the medium term debts is to develop a strategy that will meet the financing needs of the government at minimum cost, maintain risk at a prudent level and support the development of the market.

"The exercise reflects and addresses, among other realities, the disproportionate reliance on the domestic bond market to fund government deficits – the ratio of domestic and external debt stock as of the end of 2011 was 88:12, whereas the appropriate ratio will be 60:40."

Other issues addressed by the strategy, he said, included high rate of domestic debt accumulation; and rising debt service payments occasioned by growing debt stock coupled with upward pressure on the average cost of funds and the risk of crowding out the private sector.

The DMO boss said the time of high borrowing from the domestic had served its purpose, which included developing a market structure and culture for long term savings and investment.

He said the new strategy had the capacity to reduce the rate of public debt in general and domestic debt particular to ensure debt sustainability and make budgetary provisions for the repayment of part of maturing FGN Bond obligations instead of refinancing them by creating a sinking fund.It will also reduce the amount spent on debt service by achieving an optimal mix between the relatively more expensive domestic debt and less expensive foreign debt.

At present, Nwankwo said the difference between the domestic and external average cost of borrowing was about eight per cent per annum.

The Devil Tempted me to kill my first husband with a stone-Pregnant woman (Photo)

Thirty-year-old pregnant woman, Fatimoh Issa, has been arrested by the Kwara State Police Command for allegedly killing her first husband, Issa Yunusa, 48.

Our correspondent gathered on Sunday that Yunusa was a commercial motorcyclist in Ilorin.

Though the marriage had been blessed with three children, it was said that Fatimoh abandoned Yunusa after he had an accident and became financially incapacitated as he was no longer able to operate his commercial motorcycle business.

Fatimoh was said to have later met another man, Gani Ajibade, 25, a tricycle driver, with whom she started another relationship.

Our correspondent learnt that the new relationship had been blessed with a child, while Fatimoh was also said to be expecting another baby for Ajibade.
It was learnt that not long ago, Fatimoh was informed that her former husband, Yunusa had fully recovered and had bought another motorcycle. She decided to go back to him.

However, while leaving Ajibade's house, sources said she took his mobile phone. The source added thatYunusa accepted Fatimoh back.

But Ajibade, who was not pleased with the turn of events, was said to have stormed Yunusa's residence and demanded for his mobile phone.

The deceased was said to have promised Ajibade that he would get back the phone from the woman.

But the following morning, July 17, the neighbours were woken up about 5am by shouts from Fatimoh, who was seeking help from neighbours.

Some of the neighbours rushed into Yinusa's house to know what the problem was. They found Yinusa in a pool of blood. Yinusa was said to have been hit by a heavy object on the head.

A top police officer, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said, "Yunusa was attacked with a heavy stone and eventually killed by Fatimoh."

Neighbours were said to have made spirited efforts to rush Yinusa to hospital for treatment. But taxi drivers were said to have refused to convey the victims because they feared that he might die on the way to hospital.

Our correspondent gathered that the police subsequently arrested and detained Fatimoh and Ajibade at the State Criminal Investigation Department after Yunusa was confirmed dead.

The Kwara State Police Public Relation Officer, 
Mr. Olufemi Fabode, on Sunday said the two suspects were transferred from A Division to the SCID.

He added that Fatimoh had confessed to having committed the crime. Fabode, who is a deputy superintendent of police, said the suspect blamed the devil for her actions.

He said, "She told us that it was work of the devil. We also asked her what she used to kill him. She said she used a big stone. But when we asked her who would take care of the children since she killed her husband, she kept mute."

Punch

Buhari, Tinubu Are Not Democrats – PDP

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party  has told the leader of Congress for Progressive Change, Maj.- Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to stop parading themselves as saints and democrats.

It  said it had taken stock of the activities of the two men and  came to the conclusion  that they were bitter because they knew  that "they will lose the 2015 general elections despite  the so-called merger of their parties which is built on deceit, corruption and falsehood and as such want to invent excuses" ahead of time.

PDP Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Tony Okeke, in a statement in Abuja said, "Buhari and Tinubu, who are well-known despots, lack the moral justification to pontificate on democracy,especially when all their actions are dictatorial."

But the ACN, through its spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, berated the PDP, saying  its leadership lacked knowledge on happenings in the party.

Mohammed asked the PDP  leadership to look inward in  order to be able to  realise that there were works to be done in-house before it  could accuse others of inaction or dictatorship.

Okeke said, "In 2003, he forced John Nwodo Jr. and other presidential candidates in the then All Peoples Party  to step down for him,  leading to the famous 'I weep for Nigeria' statement by Nwodo. In 2003, Buhari imposed himself and failed. In 2007 and 2011, he imposed himself and failed. If he imposes himself and his lackey, Tinubu or Tinubu's wife as a  running-mate in 2015, he will also fail."The statement also described Tinubu as a man lacking in democratic credentials.

Okeke said, "Tinubu has been going around making statements to portray himsel

Stella Damasus steps out with wedding ring and new hubby (photos)

Months ago, it was reported that nollywood actress, Stella Damasus had secretly married her colleague, Daniel Ademinokan who is the estranged husband of Doris Simon - another nollywood actress.

Well, the couple was spotted at a wedding event over the weekend in Michigan and according to celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji, Stella Damasus had a wedding ring on her finger.

President Jonathan Is Running A ‘One Man Show’ In PDP -Amaechi

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi  has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of turning the Peoples Democratic Party into a "one-man show" and of condoning "impunity and authoritarianism" in an effort to ensure re-election in 2015.

Amaechi, in an interview he granted theFinancial Times of London, added that the President and his wife, Patience, were bent on removing him from office.He traced his travails to a perceived fear in the Presidency  that whoever  was in charge of  the Nigeria Governor's Forum had the capacity to influence  the presidential election in 2015.

The embattled governor said, "There is this fear in the Presidential Villa that whoever chairs the governors' forum will influence the presidential election," Amaechi  told FT in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

In a report posted by FT on Sunday, he alleged that  "what has happened has been engineered to the point where the President and his wife are trying to remove me from office.""We are seeing  an absence of law and order that can breed anarchy. It seems those at Federal Government level are not interested in democracy, but impunity and authoritarianism. The President needs to check this,"  the governor added.

Amaechi  also told  the FT that he had not decided on his plans for 2015. He said that efforts by some in the PDP leadership to claim that he had lost the governors' forum vote, despite him obtaining 19 votes to his challenger's (Jonah Jang of Plateau State) 16, was a concerning sign ahead of  2015."If they can accept 16 over 19, people should be worried," he said.

But spokesman for the President, Reuben Abati, denied that Jonathan  and his wife  were in any way involved in  Amaechi's travails. "This is all local Rivers politics,"  Abati  said. "It's convenient to drag the President into this, but it is not true. All these allegations are baseless."

I Was Possessed by Evil Spirit To Commit The Act-Pastor Confesses on Rape Allegation

Child defilement is becoming a source of concern in Benin-City, Edo State capital. It is even more worrisome when the act is carried out by supposedly men of God.

In the last few weeks, no fewer than five children have, allegedly, been defiled in Benin-City by men old enough to be their fathers. On Thursday,  Edo State Police Command paraded 32 suspected criminals, amongst them, three accused of defiling children.

The suspects include  a pastor with the Deeper Life Bible Church, Abudu, Edo State, Eze Fidelis, who was said to have had carnal knowledge of two girls: Joy, 9, and Anthonia,11.There is also the case of one Grace, 12, who was sent on an errand by her mother to get her a rechargeable lantern from a hall within their compound. 

When the said girl failed to return after 30 minutes, the mother went in search of her, only to discover that one Segun Oteru,  42, was allegedly having carnal knowledge of her in the hall.The woman raised the alarm which attracted members of the public while the suspect was arrested.The incident happened on July 6. The following day,  one Saturday Cole, 35, and a co-tenant of the complainant (names withheld), allegedly lured the complainant's daughter, identified as Mariam, 11, into his room and had a carnal knowledge of her.

While the victim was coming out from the suspect's room, her elder brother saw her and, on inquiry, discovered that the victim was not putting on her pants. The victim narrated her ordeal in the hands of the suspect. According to the victim, "uncle has always bought me things but I didn't know he wanted to have anything with me. He forced me and removed my dress, I was shouting but he closed my mouth and forced his penis inside me".

On July 12, one Eugene Odozor, 46, allegedly took a 13-year-old girl, identified as Oluwabunmi,into his room and forced her to lie on his bed where she was said to have been defiled by the suspect. For Eze, the suspect in the September 11, 2013 alleged rape, luck ran out on him after one Joseph observed that his daughter Joy, 9, was not walking properly. While suspecting that the daughter may have been defiled, he invited her inside the room and threatened to deal with her if she refused to say the truth. The little girl allegedly that her pain started after she had sexual intercourse with the pastor. She further confessed that the pastor had intercourse with her friend, Anthonia, 11, too. Joy revealed that the unwholesome practice had been going on for about a year.

Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Adebanjo, who expressed worry over what he described as the increasing number of underage sex in the state, said the action of the suspects was wicked and they will face the wrath of the law.

Confessions

Pastor Eze confessed that he defiled both girls, Joy and Anthonia, saying he was possessed by evil spirit to commit the act. "I am really ashamed of myself particularly as a pastor. I have been a pastor at Deeper Life for over six years but I was tempted to defile the girls. They were always visiting me; so, on this particularly day, I defiled both of them. It was temptation.  I have a child. Joy brought Anthonia to my house. They were my church members. Their parents have left my church but we still leave close. I know their parents very well. They  come to collect wheel barrow from us.  Sometimes Joy will ask me for money to go to school. That particular day, I did not have money to give to her, so I asked her to go to school and come during break. It was during the break that she came in company of the other girl. I was tempted to defile both of them. They undressed and we all went to bed".

Oteru, the 42-year-old who had sex with girl, 12, also narrated his story: "It happened that the woman employed me as her security guard. So there was this little girl working with the madam, but, whenever madam was not around, she would come to play with me. The girl is about 12 years old.

I was tempted to have sex with her on several occasions. I have a wife but I don't have girl friend. The day we had sex, she told her madam that she wanted to go to the toilet, but she had informed me that she would come and use my phone because she was always playing games with my phone. I always assisted her in operating my handset.

Each time she came, she would sit on my lap.  That particular day, I was tempted to defile her. Unfortunately, the madam started looking for her and she entered my room and caught both of us making love".

3 Confirmed Dead As Another Building Collapses In Lagos

Three people have been confirmed dead after a two story building under construction collapsed at the Ishaga area of Surulere, Lagos state on Sunday.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), initially said that two people died and three others were rescued, but sadly the body of a 13 year old girl recovered from the scene has taken the death toll to three people.

NEMA spokesman in Lagos, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye told Channels Television that the three rescued alive have been rushed to the hospital, with one of them needing to be operated on.

Sunday's collapse comes barely two weeks after a three-story building located at Olota Street, off Herbert Macaulay Way, Ebute Metta, Lagos collapsed, leaving seven people dead.

Police Inspector Beats Wife To Death In Abia State

A police Inspector attached to the Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia in Aba, Abia State has hacked his wife to death over alleged infidelity.

Sunday Sun gathered that the police inspector (names withheld) who lives at Judges Barracks, Central Police Station (CPS), Aba, had at about 8.00 pm on Friday accused the wife of infidelity.According to a source, despite her  repeated denials, the police officer was said to have pounced on  his wife   and inflicted   machete cuts on her . 

The  woman, the source said,   didn't survive the cuts as she later died.The husband was immediately arrested and detained by police authorities in Aba.    

Investigations revealed that  it was not the first time the inspector, who hails from Boki Local Government Area of Cross River would attack his wife over alleged infidelity and at the slightest provocation.It was also gathered that his colleagues had in past expressed disapproval over the inspector's tendency to beat his wife, and had severally warned him against it, advising him rather to divorce her if he could no longer cope with her , but he did not heed their admonition.

When contacted, Abia State commissioner of Police, Usman Tilli Abubakar confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate.  

He said he has directed that the matter  be transferred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCID), Umuahia for further investigations, assuring that the police officer would face the law if found guilty.

BREAKING: Building Collapses in Lagos, Two Dead

NEMA (the National Emergency Management Agency) confirms that a two-storey building under construction has collapsed at Ishaga road, Surulere, Lagos.

According to NEMA, five victims have been rescued from the rubble, three rushed to the hospital, while two other victims have been confirmed dead.
Rescuing operation is ongoing.

The incident comes barely 10 days after a three-storey building collapsed at Ebute Metta, killing about seven people.

This is a developing story, more details later.

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