Man escapes death after grabbing power-drunk cop’s gun

In the wake of recent police killings across the country, a photographer, Praise-Legend Onwuachu, said he had to resort to grabbing and holding on to the gun of a policeman, who was about to shoot him while conducting a search on him and his friends on Monday, December 26.

Onwuachu, who explained that he was on his way back from covering an event on Boxing Day, had driven from Owerri, Imo State to Onitsha, Anambra State without incident, until he got to Nkpor Junction and encountered a team of policemen.

Killings: Defend yourselves, Dokubo-Asari tells Southern Kaduna

Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, on Friday condemned the killing of Christians by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Southern Kaduna and called on the people to defend themselves and balance the terror foisted on them by persons alleged to be agents of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ahmed Nasir El Rufai.

Dokubo-Asari in a statement by his spokesperson, Rex Anighoro entitled: “Buhari is a Futa Jallon Jihadist”, obtained by Saturday PUNCH in Abuja, called on all minorities to support the people of Southern Kaduna.

International observers to monitor IPOB leader Kanu’s court session

The Indigenous People of Biafra on Friday said international observers would monitor the court session of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, coming up on January 10, 2017.

The group called on its supporters and freedom fighters to be in court that day to see things for themselves.

In a press statement made available to our correspondent in Awka, Anambra State by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said among those that would observe the court session in Abuja were International Human Rights Groups, International Media organisations, and other foreign observers.

Irate husband stabs wife with broken bottle in private part

A 37-year-old man, Victor Ojiaku, who allegedly stabbed his wife, a student, with a broken bottle in her private part, has been granted bail in the sum of N250,000 by the Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court.

Ojiaku, who sells automobile parts and resides at 22, Arike John Close, White Sand, Isheri-Osun in Lagos State, reportedly stabbed his wife whom he suspected of having a sexual relationship with his sales representative.

Naira among four worst global currencies in 2016

The naira is one of the world’s four worst performing currencies in 2016, according to a report by Bloomberg LP.

The naira was said to have lost 36.68 per cent of its spot returns for the year, while the Egyptian pound, Suriname dollar and Venezuela bolivar’s currency spot returns dropped by 58.84 per cent, 46.68 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively, for the period.

The Nigerian equity market fared worst in the year, according to the report, as the nation’s economy is set to contract in 2016 for the first time in more than 20 years as capital controls deter foreigners from investing and militants are blowing up pipelines.

I am engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis, Serena announces

Tennis superstar Serena Williams announced Thursday she is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, breaking the news with a poem on her verified Reddit account.

Williams, 35, and Ohanian, 33, did not reveal a wedding date in the postings, listed under the Reddit tag ‘isaidyes’.

“I came home A little late, Someone had a bag packed for me, And a carriage awaited, Destination: Rome, To escort me to my very own “charming” Back to where our stars first collided, And now it was full circle At the same table we first met by chance, This time he made it not by chance But by choice, Down on one knee He said 4 words And r/isaidyes,” Williams posted on her account.

808 killed in Southern Kaduna, Catholic Church alleges

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan alleged yesterday that the latest attacks in southern Kaduna State had claimed 808 lives with 57 injured. It also alleged that 53 villages were attacked

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has described the attackers as foreign Fulani herdsmen, who were avenging past attacks on them and their livestock.

Addressing a news conference in Kafanchan, the Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan, Ibrahim Yakubu, said the government failed to protect locals.

Yakubu, who addressed reporters along with four other priests, said four local government areas had been attacked with 808 people killed and 1,422 houses, 16 churches, 19 shops, and one primary school destroyed.

Wike Accuses APC of Plotting to Bomb His Plane

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of plotting to bomb him when he is airborne in the state-owned airplane in a desperate bid to get rid of him and capture the state at all cost.

He said APC leaders were not happy with his achievements especially with respect to the payment of workers’ salaries, those of pensioners, and embarking on infrastructure projects at a time the country is in a recession and some state governors struggling to pay workers and pensioners.

He declared that nobody has the capacity to destroy what God has blessed, just as he placed a curse on those who want blood to flow in the state for their selfish interest, stating that blood would continue to flow in their families.

Abia Assembly sacks Speaker, elects another

The Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Martins Azubuike has been impeached and Bishop Kennedy Njoku elected as the new Speaker.

The impeachment exercise in the House was presided by the Deputy Speaker, Cosmos Ndukwe, while the Clerk of the House, Mr Pedro Irokansi oversaw the affairs of the House in session.

Moving the motion for his impeachment, Solomon Akpulonu, Deputy Majority Leader in Abia House of Assembly, from Obingwa East State Constituency read out five-point-allegation against the former speaker.

The allegations were that the former speaker lacked the character of transparence and accountability of public fund in his custody; that he did not ensure equitable distribution of position and power among members of Abia State House of Assembly, that he remained insensitive to the rights and needs of members and staff of Abia House of Assembly, and that he abused the office of the speaker by using same to further  his personal interest.

No plastic rice in Nigeria, says NAFDAC

Over 40,000 bags of rice seized by the Nigeria Customs Service have been shared to Internally Displaced  Persons’ camps, its Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali, has stated.

The NCS CG, represented by its Deputy Comptroller-General, Mr. Umar Ilya, said this on Thursday in Abuja, during a joint press briefing with the acting Director-General of National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, on the outcome of laboratory tests conducted on the confiscated plastic rice allegedly imported into the country.

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Buhari’s top associates to go

Some appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari would be relieved of their jobs in 2017, Daily Sun has gathered.

A top source in the Presidency specifically said appointees indicted or tainted with allegations of graft “would be shown the door and it will be sooner than later.”

But Presidency sources said such plan was not in the offing.

The sack, it was learnt, may be before the end of the first quarter of 2017.

The top official insisted “Buhari will shock Nigerians who think he cannot act on graft allegations against some of his appointees. He is only being fair since some of them are being investigated on those allegations and reports are being awaited…But, the President will drop some next year; that’s for sure.”

Nurse pulls off baby’s hand during delivery

An auxiliary nurse, identified only as Oyekanmi, has been arrested by the police for her role in the death of a baby she took delivery of in the Odogunyan, Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim’s mother, Adeola, had been taken to Oyekanmi’s residence last Saturday when she went into labour.

Oyekanmi, while attempting to force the delivery, was said to have pulled off the baby’s hand.

She was said to have advised that the child be taken to the Ikorodu General Hospital, where the dead child was finally delivered.

Osun Community Appeases Gods After Barber Commits Suicide

Residents of Oke-Itase area in Ile -ife, Osun State were thrown into confusion when the lifeless body of a 35-year-old man, Sunday Onifade, was found hanging on the iron rod of the ceiling fan in his living room.

The deceased, who was a barber, was believed to have committed suicide by hanging himself, but the reason for his decision could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report. His perplexed relatives refused to speak on the incident.

The younger brother of the deceased, Omotayo Onifade, was said to have proceeded to the ‘A’ Division Police Headquarters in Ife to report the death of his elder brother.

Donald Trump Tells Israel ‘To Stay Strong’

“There must also be consciousness in policy formulation that will take care of these persons.”

US President-elect Donald Trump has urged Israel to “stay strong” until he assumes office next month.

Trump said this, in a reaction to last week’s UN Security Council vote which criticised Israeli settlement building on occupied land, he complained Israel had been treated with “disdain and disrespect”.

The comments came in his latest outburst on Twitter.

It comes ahead of a speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Train carrying soldiers crashes into trailer carrying sugarcane

A Lagos bound train from Kano collided with a trailer at railway crossing in Kawo, Kaduna, and cut the trailer into two, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said in Kaduna on Wednesday.

Sector Commander of FRSC in the state, Mr Francis Udoma, disclosed that the incident occurred at 3 a.m., adding however, that no life was lost.

Udoma explained that the train, carrying Nigerian soldiers and civilians, crashed into the trailer, belonging to W.A Group of Companies, carrying sugarcane.

He said the accident occurred when the driver of the trailer insisted on crossing the rail line even when the train was blaring.

He said the incident caused traffic jam that lasted for six hours.

Udoma said motorist coming from Kano and other northern states, as well as those coming from the southern and the eastern part of the country were all stranded at the railway crossing.

I’m still waiting for Pastor Adeboye’s ‘vague’ 2016 prophecies to come to pass – OAP Freeze

Cool FM’s On-Air Personality, OAP, Freeze, has called out the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, over his yet-to-be fulfilled 2016 prophecies.

The outspoken media personality, in a supposed sarcasm, said the year was coming to an end in a couple of days and he was ‘concerned’ about the pastor’s ‘vague’ prophecies and waiting for its fulfillment.

The OAP said this on his Instagram page @daddyfreeze.

He wrote: “I sincerely hope we don’t get these type of vague prophesies for 2017 or is it that we don’t understand the meaning of the word prophecy?

“Or are we so gullible and blinded by our ‘religiousness’ that we can’t see that these prophecies are as accurate as saying “someone in Lagos is going to receive a chieftaincy title in 2016?”

“For those of you that haven’t seen the prophecies made by pastor Adeboye on the 1st of January, 2016.

“Here they are….. what do you think? Because earthquakes didn’t increase in 2016, no new venereal diseases were discovered and things didn’t improve towards the end of the year in Nigeria; oh well, what do I know?

Pastor, 53, in prison over rape of 5-year-old in Ekiti

A magistrate court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has ordered a Pastor, Gabriel Asateru, 53, to be remanded in prison custody over alleged defilement of a 5-year-old girl.

The police prosecutor, Bayo Ajiboye had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Dec. 23 at Ifishin-Ekiti.

He alleged that the accused, on the said date, unlawfully defiled a 5-year-old girl,(names withheld) after asking her to sit on his lap.According to him, the offence contravened Section 31 of the Child Rights Laws of Ekiti State. He added that he had duplicated the case file and sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

Man abandons 19-year-old wife, marries mother in-law

A 22-year-old man, identified as Mahto Suraj has abandoned his wife, Latila and married his wife’s mother Asha Devi.

Mahto was said to have abandoned his 19-year-old wife, for the mother after she visited them when he was sick.

India Times reports that Asha left her husband who is a factory worker in Delhi and started living with Suraj and had a court marriage and a formal temple wedding.

Mahto claimed to have fallen in love with his 42-year-old mother-in-law when she came to stay with him and his wife in the village of Puraini in Bihar, in the north-eastern part of India in 2015.

The panchayat ruled that, “The couple is madly in love and there is no reason to separate them.”

However, Mahto is now pleading for the marriage bond to be broken so that he could return to his former wife, Latila, claiming he had now realised his foolishness.

MMM: Abuja Pastor, Bishop Fireman organizes prayers for victims [PHOTO]

Following the alleged crash of online ponzi scheme, Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox, otherwise known as ‘MMM’ in Nigeria, an Abuja-based pastor, Bishop Fireman Dapada of the Mole Moba Motungbapada Ministry, has organised a prayer session for ’embattled’ participants.

The Bishop tagged the session “Mavrodi Return My Money”, in a trending banner on social media.

The MMM participants are expected to show up at the 7-day fire vigil service which is scheduled to start from January 7 to 13, 2017, with their phones, laptops, iPads and other technological devices used in transacting the questionable business.

The Bishop said the gadgets will be anointed and cleansed for safe usage.

Passengers disrupt Arik’s services at Lagos airport

Arik Air’s United States and South Africa-bound passengers, who were stranded due to bad weather condition, on Wednesday disrupted the airline’s services at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

The airline’s members of staff at a point abandoned their duty posts as the passengers became uncontrollable.

Arik, like other domestic airlines, has been unable to fly its international passengers to their destinations since Tuesday, December 27, thereby creating a backlog.

IPOB blasts Yoruba supporting secret trial for Nnamdi Kanu

 LEADERSHIP of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has condemned, in strong terms, those advocating that their leader, Nnamdi Kanu should under secret trial as ruled by Justice Binta Nyako. Condemning especially some Yoruba who have been using the social media to say that it was meet that Kanu should be tried in camera, IPOB asks if they would have supported a secret trial for the late Yoruba leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

 A statement signed by IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, in condemning those supporting secret trial for Nnamdi Kanu to learn from history and stop supporting evil. Here is the full statement of the organisation. “The indigenous people of Biafra IPOB worldwide and it’s leadership condemn those Nigerians supporting secret trial for mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case. “To all Yoruba and other Nigerian commentators supporting secret trial of Nnamdi Kanu. Stop your infantile digression and address this simple question. “Was Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s treason trial, mind you not treasonable felony, conducted in public or secret?

16 exotic cars retrieved from stolen cars workshop

The police in Delta State have discovered a hidden car workshop within Olodi-Apapa in Lagos where a syndicate that stole cars across the country changed their colours and identities.

About 16 exotics cars including Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with different state registration numbers and a military camouflage uniform with which they beat police and Customs officers at checkpoints were seized alongside the ignition  keys.

A victim simply identified as Eric, who narrated how his car was snatched at gunpoint in Warri, Delta State two weeks ago and taken to Lagos by the syndicate who had completed arrangements to change the car colour and interiors, told our correspondent  that it was with the aide of the tracking device that the location was discovered.

He said his wife drove her car (Hyundai ) marked Lagos EF 972 GGE to drop one of the television sets in the house in Warri South council area.

Sultan rejects bill proposing equality for men, women

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has rejected an equality bill being considered by the Senate.

The bill seeks equality for male and female children in the sharing of inherited family wealth or property.

It also proposes that a widow is entitled to the custody of her children unless it is contrary to the interests and welfare of the children.

The bill also seeks that a widow shall have the right to remarry any man of her choice and have the right to a fair share in the inheritance of her late husband’s property and the right to live in her matrimonial house.

Abuja Residents Unaware Of Digital Switch Over

Some residents of Abuja said they are unaware of Nigeria’s digital switch over plans and its implications, six months away from the June 2017 deadline.

The complaints are coming barley one week after the Federal Government launched the switch over in the Federal Capital Territory.

The government said as Abuja became the second Nigerian state to be digitised, six more states would be digitised in the coming months.

Budget Padding Allegations: Why Police is Discontinuing Probe of Dogara, Abdulmumin

The Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP), on the alleged padding of the 2016 budget, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIG), Ali Amodu, tuesday revealed why the panel set up by the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to unravel the allegations and counter-allegations between the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin Abdulmumin, could not continue with its assignment.

Politicians already stockpiling arms for 2019 polls –Security chief

Security agencies will, in 2017, step up investigations into intelligence reports indicating that some politicians are already stockpiling arms ahead of the 2019 elections.

A top security chief, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, also said Nigeria burst an impending terrorist attack on the United States six months ago.

The source, a leader of one of the security organisations in the country, added that the agencies, including the Department of State Services, had started the second phase of the war against Boko Haram by dispatching their men after fleeing members of the sect.

We robbed to celebrate Yuletide like rich men — Suspects

A suspected armed robber, Ugochukwu Nnaji, has said that he and other members of his gang decided to rob during the Yuletide in order to celebrate the period like the rich in the society.

 Nnaji was one of the two suspects arrested by the operatives of the Imo State Police Command. The suspects specialised in trailing and dispossessing unsuspecting bank customers of their money.

Speaking with Southern City News after they were paraded by the Imo State Police Command in Owerri, Nnaji said the coming of Christmas and New Year usually reminded them that it was time to rob bank customers and enjoy like the rich within the period.

Policewoman joins kidnap gang to apprehend kingpin

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a suspected kidnapper, Suleiman Seidu.

Seidu, 33, who had allegedly kidnapped two residents of Kogi State for ransom, was said to be plotting the kidnap of a two-year-old when he was apprehended.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect had contracted two of his friends to assist in the operation, when the police got wind of the plan.

He was said to have been arrested in the Owode area of Ogun State on Friday.

Man kidnaps nephew for N4m ransom

A 23-years-old man, Kamal Bala Yunusa, has been arrested by the Katsina State Police Command in connection with alleged kidnap of his three-year-old nephew.

The victim’s mother and Kamal are reportedly of the same parents.

According to the command, the child was rescued from a hotel in Katsina, where he had been drugged with “a cough mixture,” before the police revived him in a hospital at about 3 am on Friday.

Obasanjo surprises airline passengers, flies economy class

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday shocked passengers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos, by flying the economy class aboard a commercial airline to a function in Enugu.

Mr. Obasanjo was billed to attend the South-East Economic and Security Summit‎, but could not secure a business class ticket because all seats had been booked, his aides told PREMIUM TIMES.

The former president confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES, but did not give details.

54,000 evacuated on Christmas after Germany finds WWII bomb

An unwelcome Christmas surprise in southern Germany forced the evacuation of 54,000 people from their homes Sunday after the discovery of a bomb dating from World War II, local authorities said.

It was a British bomb that was found in the city of Augsburg and led to the biggest mobilisation in Germany — around 900 police officers — since the war itself.

The 1.8-tonne explosive had been found on Tuesday during work at a construction site in the centre of the Bavarian city, but authorities planned to defuse the bomb around mid-day Sunday.

“Today I ask everyone concerned to leave the area, if possible by themselves,” said Augsburg mayor Kurt Gribi in a video message posted on the city’s Twitter account.

Pastor Adeboye urges governors to emulate Fayose

Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has advised state governors to emulate their Ekiti State counterpart, Ayo Fayose, in protecting the interest of their people.

Mr. Adeboye stated this on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti at the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Adeyemo Adejugbe.

The renowned cleric, who paid a call on the monarch before attending a crusade at the unusually crowded Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado Ekiti, described the governor as a great defender of his people and their cause.

He commended the governor for taking great risks of defending and protecting the interests of his people.

White man arrested in Sambisa Forest

A white man whose nationality is yet to be disclosed, was arrested inside Sambisa Forest as Nigerian troops cleared Boko Haram insurgents out of their last fortress on Thursday.

“The man is under custody and providing positive information”, said a soldier, who just returned to Maiduguri from the liberated forest.

NAN quoting Daily Trust on Sunday said the soldier said while hundreds of Boko Haram fighters were killed during the offensive that began about a month ago, many others were captured alive while attempting to flee.

“Hundreds of Boko Haram captives, including men, women and children have been freed and taken to safety.

I’m dating my fan –Nurse Titi

Her real name, Nkechi Emmanuel, is not as popular as her movie name, Nurse Titi of the ‘Clinic Matters’ fame.

And as she has become so known in the popular sitcom, Nurse Titi now has so many fans, one of who she is currently dating.

She said, “Love doesn’t have a boundary. If I fall in love with a fan, of course nothing stops me from marrying him.  The person who I am seeing right now is a fan. He is someone who loves what I do 100 per cent and supports me.”

Court freezes Patience Jonathan’s multiple accounts

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the freezing of multiple bank accounts linked to the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.

The accounts, opened in the names of companies and an individual, had a cumulative balance of N7,418,829,290.94 (N7.4bn) and $429,381.87.

Christmas hampers take new forms as Recession bites harder

Charity Onoh, 57, had high expectation since the 15th of December 2016. Even as a procurement officer in a private firm based in Lagos, Onoh usually has cause to smile as most of the clients/contractors she helped to facilitate and fast forward their contracts and proposals during the year, would always show some kind of ‘appreciation’ this period by giving her hampers, bags of rice and many other gift items during this yuletide.

But the month had clocked 20th and Onoh had yet to receive a Christmas card, let alone hamper or rice.

Libyan plane hijackers arrested after release of 118 passengers By Paris - 22 hours ago

The hijacking of a Libyan plane ended peacefully after the men who seized control surrendered in Malta.

The domestic flight with 118 people on board was hijacked early Friday morning after taking off from Sabha and bound for the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Instead, the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 was diverted to Malta International Airport.

It appears the two hijackers are supporters of Libya’s late deposed leader, Muammar Gaddafi, the BBC reported.

Why I didn’t attend Enugu summit – Buhari

The Presidency has denied insinuations making the rounds that President Muhammadu Buhari snubbed the recent South-East Economic and Security Summit in Enugu.

According to the Presidency, although the President had accepted to attend the summit held last Thursday in Enugu, some stakeholders from the South East advised him not to attend in view of the closeness of the date to Christmas; that given the sensitivity of the period to the people, it may disrupt the festive mood.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement said, the President had requested for the date to be moved to January to enable him attend but that he had also advised that if it was going to be too much trouble, the summit should hold without him.

I have no relationship with Ibori‎ – Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said he does not have a close relationship with former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

Dogara was reacting to Senator Peter Nwabaoshi’s claims that Ibori influenced his emergence.

He insisted he was duly elected by members of the lower legislative chamber.

“Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Senator Peter Nwabaoshi, who was quoted as saying that former Delta State governor, James Ibori supported the emergence of Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara as speaker of the house of representatives,” his statement released on Friday read.

“We have watched the video clip and noticed that there is no where the distinguish senator mentioned Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara by name.

Nigerian Army falsely accuses PREMIUM TIMES of supporting Boko Haram

The Nigerian Army on Wednesday accused PREMIUM TIMES of allegedly displaying sympathies for Boko Haram in a shocking response to this newspaper’s dispassionate reporting highlighting the suffering of our troops who are locked in a long-drawn battle with the terror sect.

PREMIUM TIMES reporting on the anti-insurgency war in the north-east has exposed how army authorities from time to time left troops on the battlefront hungry and thirsty while also failing to adequately arm and equip them.

However, during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Lucky Irabor, the Theatre Commander of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’, claimed reporting by this medium were not a true reflection of the situation on the ground— and warned the paper of dire consequences.