Nigerian Newspapers
Student killed by lover was waiting to earn first salary
Parents of Olaide Bournes, who was allegedly killed by her lover, are in agony and they want justice to take its course, writes GBENGA ADENIJI
Tears welled up the eyes of Mrs. Bournes as she welcomed our correspondent to her Aguda, Ogba residence. There were a few sympathisers outside the house, who came to comfort the Bournes family.
A few days earlier, Bournes had lost her daughter, Olaide, a part-time business administration student of the Lagos State Polytechnic, who was allegedly killed by her lover, Abuchi Cyril.
Initially, Mrs. Bournes was too heavy-hearted to talk about her loss, especially as the continued arrival of sympathisers reinforced the reality of her 22-year-old daughter’s demise.
Although there was nothing to suggest that she was walking to her death on the day she died, Olaide was reluctant to leave home, repeating the same house chore several times and taking a long time to dress up. She had planned to see her alleged killer, Abuchi, in his house and later head for a branch of an old generation bank to open an account in which her first salary would be paid.
She worked as a contract staff with a popular confectionery firm in Ikeja, Lagos State and she was expected to resume by 3pm on that fateful day.
Mrs. Bournes described her late daughter as a very quiet and peace-loving person whose death has created a big vacuum in the family.
She said, “She was always eager to assist others. Olaide hated argument or anything that will lead to a fight and she was never happy seeing people exchanging words. The day she died, we were together talking outside the house because I was waiting for the sanitation exercise to end so that I could display my wares. I am a trader and we observe sanitation every Thursday. Later, she went inside to get dressed and her phone rang. I had her phone with me so I rushed inside to give it to her. She told me it was Abuchi who was calling and that she wanted to see him before going to work. She said Abuchi was leaving for Malaysia during the week and had asked her to come so that they could celebrate before his departure.”
She added that before the deceased left home that day, she told her she would go to the bank to open an account where her first salary would be paid.
“She started working with the confectionary company on January 28 and was yet to get her first salary. They were told to provide their account details and many of her colleagues who had done so had been paid. She filled the form a day before the incident,” Bournes stated amidst tears.
But expectation of joy turned sorrow when, a few hours after her daughter left home, Mrs. Bournes noted changes in the way people were relating with her. She later learnt that Olaide was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died after she was allegedly beaten by Abuchi.
It was not the first time Olaide’s boyfriend had abused her. Mrs. Bournes confirmed that there were times when her daughter would return home sullen after visiting Abuchi. She recalled that she met Abuchi for the first time at a hospital where her daughter had gone to receive treatment for malaria.
“I asked my daughter who he was and she told me he was her friend. I remember that he sat looking as I questioned my daughter about his identity. Olaide used to tell me that the guy was fond of beating her and I warned her to be careful and desist from seeing him. But she would reply that they had settled whatever the problem was.”
Our correspondent gathered that the deceased and Abuchi had been dating for over three years before the final fatal meeting. It was also learnt that Abuchi, who lives close to the deceased’s house with his parents, often accused the late Olaide of cheating on him.
Abuchi, said to be popular in the area, was alleged to have beaten Olaide during an argument after which she hit her head against the ground in the suspect’s room and became unconscious. The suspect later went to the Area G Police Command to hand himself over to the police. He was subsequently detained.
The deceased’s father, Akindele Bournes, who was visibly distressed as he spoke to our correspondent, said he was shocked to learn that Abuchi attends the same church with him.
He stated, “I never knew that the suspect attends the same church with my family. At the close of service every Sunday, he would call my late daughter to tell her that he sat beside me in the church. I know that my daughter has been killed but the manner of her death was painful. I cannot believe that I have lost my girl. She was a source of joy to me. I want justice to be done. When I was at the Area G Police Command and the suspect was brought out for me to see. I was shocked when he said he knew me in the church.”
Olaide’s elder sister, Olabisi, said she would miss everything about her late younger sister. “I miss everything about my sister. Is it her smiles, jokes, beauty, gentle nature or caring attitude that I will forget? We did everything together being the only two around since our other sibling is not in Nigeria. She would joke about my choice of clothes and tell me what to put on and what not to. I would then tease her by saying ‘big girl.’ Her hearty smile to my taunt often made me laugh happily. I cannot believe she was gone forever,’’ she state.
The late Olaide’s friends in school, who paid the family a visit, were unable to hold back their tears. President of the institution’s students’ union, Mr. Udechukwu Ifeanyichukwu, said his first encounter with the late Olaide was in 2012 when she mistakenly stepped on him on the campus.
He said, “I told her she stepped on me and her response was so awesome. I didn’t forget the episode because I was moved by her apologies which was warm and courteous.
“Since then, I took notice of her and got to know that she was a very nice person. She was quiet and friendly. It is so painful that such a lady so full of hopes and promises could die so cruelly,” said Ifeanyichukwu.
When contacted on the telephone, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officers, Lagos State Police Command, Damascus Ozoani, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos.
He said, ‘‘The suspect has been moved to the State CID where further investigation is currently ongoing on the case.’’
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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