Prophet chains 28 ‘sick’ persons in Lagos apartment

 

Some of the victims

Olaleye Aluko

A self-proclaimed prophet, Emmanuel Adeyemi, has been arrested by the police in Lagos State after 28 persons were allegedly found chained in his apartment in the Oke-Ira, Ogba area of the state.

Our correspondent learnt that there was confusion on Olamidun Close, Oke-Ira, where the suspect lived, on Friday when operatives from Area G Command, Ogba, stormed the apartment and found the victims chained in several rooms.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victims, who comprised 15 adults and 13 teenagers, were discovered after a neighbour gave the police a tip-off that a 17-year-old boy, Toba Adeyemi, who happened to be the suspect’s son, was  chained in a room.

It was learnt that the police stormed the house at about 12pm and found Toba, they also discovered 27 others in a similar condition.

A police source in Area G, Ogba, told PUNCH Metro that the suspect claimed that his son, Toba, and the 27 others were deranged and he chained them to cure their illness.

He said, “The report we initially received was that a boy, Toba (Adeyemi), was being chained down by his father, a self-proclaimed prophet, in the estate. But when we got there, it was more than just the boy. There were 27 others chained in various rooms in the apartment.

A victim

“The suspect claims to be a spiritualist and a prophet. He said his work is to pray for sick people to get well. He said the victims were sick and he had been praying for their healing. The suspect has some magical inscriptions on the wall of his house. The victims comprised six adult males, nine adult females, seven female children, and six male children.

“The families of the victims have not shown up to identify them.”

Our correspondent gathered that the police had handed over the victims to officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Youths, Sport and Social Development.

While some of the victims were taken to a shelter, others were said to have been rushed to hospitals, which the police did not disclose.

A resident on the close, who identified herself only as Basirat, told our correspondent that the prophet was known to run a home for mentally challenged people.

She said, “The police got a hint that the man chained his son, who has mental illness. But the place is a home the man built for mentally challenged people. Policemen were here on Friday and they arrested him and his wife. Toba is Adeyemi’s son, but a neighbour, who saw how the father chained him was not comfortable with it and reported to the police.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident.

She added that the police had commenced investigation into whether the victims were mentally sick or not.

She said, “A total of 28 persons were rescued from the suspect’s apartment. The man has been arrested and he is undergoing interrogation. The command will get to the root of the matter. The police are also investigating to find out whether the victims are mentally sick or not.”

The police also on Friday arrested a 27-year-old suspected robber, Sunday Onjefu, during an operation at Itedo bus stop, Lekki Phase 1 area.

Our correspondent learnt that Onjefu, who hails from Benue State, was arrested by the Maroko Police Division while allegedly dispossessing some ladies of their handbags and other valuables.

The police spokesperson, Badmos, said the suspect had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, for further investigation.

She said, “The police found two toy guns and a knife on him. The suspect said he had robbed people staying in the area with the toy guns.”

Man who named dog Buhari sent to prison

 

Iroko

Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta

The man who named his dog Buhari, Joachim Iroko, aka Joe, was remanded on Monday at the Ibara Prison following his arraignment at the Ota Magistrate Court 2, Ogun State.

He was charged to court by the police with conduct likely to cause breach of the peace, in a case with suit number MOT/617c/2016.

The prosecutor, Inspector Itaita Ebibomini, said the accused committed the offence on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at the Hausa section of Ketere Market in Sango-Ota in the Ota Magisterial District.

The prosecutor told the court that the offence was punishable under Section 249 (d) of Criminal Law of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2016.

The accused, who was represented by a counsel, U. Michael, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The charge read, “That you, Joachim Iroko, aka Joe, and others still at large, on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at about 5.30pm at the Ketere area, Sango, in the Ota Magisterial District did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace, by writing a name, Buhari, on a dog and parading same in the Hausa section of Ketere Market, Sango, thereby, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2016.”

His counsel, however, pleaded that the accused should be granted bail. The prosecutor did not oppose the application for bail. The two witnesses in the case were present in court.

The Chief Magistrate, B. J. Ojikutu, admitted Iroko to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum, adding that the sureties must be regular taxpayers in the state.

“They must attach four passport photographs each to the bail bond, depose to affidavits of being gainfully employed, and reside in the court’s jurisdiction,” he added.

The case was adjourned till September 19, 2016.

Iroko, who had been formerly identified as Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, was arrested on Saturday, August 13, after one of his neighbours, who is of Northern extraction, complained that he named the dog after his father, Alhaji Buhari.

The suspect was first taken to the Sango Police Station, from where he was transferred to the state police command headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta.

However, as of press time, his family members had yet to perfect the bail for his release. He was subsequently taken to the Ibara Prison.

Fulani herdsmen kill RCCG pastor, two others in Kaduna...Read It All On Tafia World

Godwin Isenyo, Kaduna

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Sunday night reportedly killed three persons among them, one Pastor Luka Ubangari of the Redeemed Christian Church of God,  Unguwan Anjo, near Godogodo in the Jema’a Local Government Area of  Kaduna State.

The cleric was said to have been ambushed, shot and killed while on his motorcycle  after an evangelical visit to Golkofa, also in the area.

The incident occurred a few days after the state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, visited Godogodo and Sanga districts, in the Jema’a and Sanga local governments areas, all  in the southern part of the  state to appraise the attacks of suspected Fulani herdsmen in the area.

El-Rufai  in  the  affected villages of Gada Biyu, Anjo and Godogodo penultimate Tuesday,  condemned the killings, describing them as ‘senseless,’ promising to arrest the perpetrators.

A source told our correspondent that two days after the murder of Ubangari, suspected herdsmen attacked Ningon village, 6km from  Gwantu, headquarters of Sanga LGA, killing two persons and seriously injuring another person.

The source, who craved for anonymity, noted that their joy during the visit of the state governor to the area, turned sour as result of the latest attack.

He said, “We were happy that Governor Nasir el-Rufai visited and assured us of improved security and that the killers would be found and punished.

“To our shock, Pastor Luka Ubangari was ambushed, shot and killed as he was riding his motorcycle after an evangelical visit to Golkofa. He was killed by Fulani men who were out to remove us from our ancestral lands.”

Mr. Nuhu Tukura, the President of the Ningon Community Development Association, said Ningon was attacked on Sunday night and  two natives, Gambo Sule, 38, and Benjamin Auta, 35, were killed by gunmen.

He added that the police only arrived on Monday morning following a distressed call put on to them on Sunday night.

Tukura said, “At 8:45pm Sunday night, Mr. Gambo Sule, 38, Mr. Benjamin Auta, 35, were killed by unknown herdsmen.

“We are seriously troubled by all these happenings. Now, we don’t even know what we can do to have rest. Our farms, we cannot go, and our houses we cannot live in. What else shall we do?

“We called the police immediately the incident occurred around 8:45pm on Sunday night, but they did not come until around 7:30, this morning, (Monday). “We are pleading with the state government to help us with security and assist us in feeding. Most farmers are afraid to go to the farm and there will be food scarcity problem this year and the next.”

The Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Usman, who confirmed the incident  told our correspondent on phone that only one person was killed.

Usman said but for the timely intervention of the police, the casualty figures would have been higher.

He said the police used armoured personnel carriers to chase the armed bandits out of the villages.

Usman said, “When the people learnt of the invasion of the attackers, the police in the area swiftly moved in with APC to chase away the attackers. However, one person was killed. Our men acted quickly to save the situation.”

BREAKING: We’ll declare Niger Delta Republic Oct 1 – Avengers...Read It All On Tafia World

Niger Delta Avengers

Ovie Okpare, Warri

The Niger Delta Avengers on Thursday threatened that it will declare a Niger Delta Republic on October 1 should President Muhammadu Buhari fails to restructure the country.

It also said the group is praying for the Buhari-led federal government to discover oil in commercial quantity in the northern part of the country.

NDA had claimed responsibility for major attacks on oil facilities in the region in recent past vowing not to relent until the nation’s economy was completely crippled.

The group’s spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, stated this on Thursday in reaction to President Buhari’s order directing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to increase tempo on oil exploration in the North-East.
It said that the discovery of oil in commercial quantity would make Nigerians appreciate what the people of the Niger Delta experienced in the hands of the Nigerian government.
NDA reemphasised that the country was in dare need of restructuring. It accused the present government of dividing the country through her ‘misdirected policies’.
The militants said, “Our prayer for Buhari and the Northern hypocrite (Northern Governors) is that oil should be found in commercial quantity in the North, so they can let the Niger Delta go.
“The Buhari Led government has failed Nigerians with their misdirected policies that has divided the country, as such nobody wants to be part of that failed state not even the Niger Delta.”
The statement added further, “The October 1st, declaration of independence is still sacrosanct, If the Nigerian government fails to retrace its step by restructuring this country.
“We want to warn the general public that those using NDA to defraud people days of reckoning is close.”

Drug scarcity hits Aso Rock clinic despite N3.87bn budget...Read It All On Tafia World

Punch Newspapers

 

Drugs

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

Despite the N3.87bn allocated to it in the 2016 Appropriation Act, lack of drugs and other essential medical items have crippled operations at the State House Medical Centre, The PUNCH has learnt.

The centre provides medical services to the President, Vice-President and their families, aides, members of staff of the State House and other entitled public servants.

It is also a training facility for house officers and other medical personnel.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that the centre located in Asokoro, a highbrow area of the Federal Capital Territory, is gradually becoming a shadow of its old self.

A cross-section of the centre’s patients told The PUNCH that patients were now being asked to go and buy drugs from outside as they were no longer available in the centre.

Most hit, it was further learnt, are patients with kidney problems who are currently undergoing dialysis in the facility.

Although, some of them are expected to be undergoing the dialysis at least twice a week, the centre’s management has been cancelling such exercise lately, therefore putting the lives of the patients at risk.

In some instances when they attend to them, the patients are made to come with some of the items the doctors will use for the exercise.

Our correspondent learnt that the centre’s management had resorted to sending text messages to patients on items they should bring for their treatment.

In one of such messages sent to a patient which is in The PUNCH’s possession, the management wrote, “Mr. XXX (names withheld), when u (sic) are coming for dialysis on Monday, buy IVF Normal Saline to be used for ur (sic) dialysis. The office doesn’t  have it. Buy like four pieces.”

Normal Saline IVF solution is used in the treatment, control, prevention and improvement of conditions such as low sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium levels as well as blood and fluid loss.

It improves the patients’ condition by maintaining proper fluid balance and keeping the tissues hydrated.

Another patient who spoke with our correspondent said he had a crisis recently because the centre cancelled his routine dialysis.

He said the centre’s management cancelled the session because of non-availability of bloodline.

He showed our correspondent a message sent to him on the cancellation.

The message read, “Gudevening (sic), we can’t dialize (sic) you tomorrow because we don’t have bloodline. When it is available, I will get back to you. Pls (sic) dialyse (sic) somewhere else. Thanks.”

The patient said the first time the session was cancelled, he was referred to a private hospital in Garki where he paid N20,000.

He added that when he could not afford the cost the second time, he was directed to another hospital in Wuse.

“As a result of the stress I passed through, by the time I returned home, I was very weak. My health situation deteriorated midnight and my people rushed me to the hospital. I was discharged about three days after,” he said.

Many other patients who spoke with our correspondent said the medical centre could no longer boast of “ordinary malaria drugs.”

“The clinic does not even have ordinary paracetamol. Paracetamol was included in the list of drugs they asked me to go and buy recently. Before now, they were giving us drugs.” another patient said.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, did not pick his calls when our correspondent attempted to get his reaction on Tuesday.

He also did not respond to a text message sent to him on the issue.

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Alhaji Jalal Arabi, had while defending the State House’s budget before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties disclosed that N3.2bn of the budget was earmarked for the upgrade of State House Clinic to a Centre of Excellence.

Arabi had said, “The budget for the State House Medical Centre included N3.219bn proposed for the completion of ongoing work as well as procurement of drugs and other medical equipment.

“The Medical Centre provides health care treatment for the President and Vice-President, their families as well as numerous civil servants working in the State House and across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government and of course, with due respect, including parliamentarians and members of the legislature in addition to other notable dignitaries.

“Interestingly, Mr. Chairman, on a lighter note, not only those that have been captured here attend (the Medical Centre) there are poor of the poorest that attend because we receive reference from Gwagwalada, Garki, Wuse hospitals.

“So, if they come, we attend to them and interestingly too at no fee at all, we don’t charge.

“The anticipated improvement of the Medical Centre will propel it to serve as a Centre of Excellence and also reduce medical tourism.

“May I also add that the State House Medical Centre, unlike other medical centres does not charge any fees for its services and hence does not generate any revenue for itself.

Olympics: Nigeria’s medal hopes dim as Brume, Oduduru falter...Read It All On Tafia World

Nigeria's Ese Brume competes in the Women's Long Jump Qualifying Round during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 16, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Adrian DENNIS

Nigeria’s quest for an Olympic medal continued on a woeful note in the early hours of Thursday after two of the country’s medal hopes, Ese Brume and Ejowvokoghene Oduduru, failed to soar at their separate events.

Brume, a track and field athlete who specialises in the long jump and holds the African junior record in the event, fell a distant fifth behind 30-year-old Tianna Bartoletta of the United State in the finals of the women’s long jump.

She could only muster a leap of 6.81m while Bartoletta won the event after jumping 7.17m.

Meanwhile, Ejowvokoghene Oduduru could not gather the speed and pace which took him to the semifinals of the 200m track event behind Usain Bolt after clocking 20.59sec, a notable time difference from the 20.34sec he ran in round one.

Gatlin out

American sprinter Justin Gatlin failed to qualify for the men’s 200m at the Olympics on Thursday.

Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, finished third in 20.13sec and missed out on one of the eight final berths for Fridays’s final.

FG orders massive importation of kerosene, say marketers...Read It All On Tafia World

Kerosene

Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja

In a bid to check the arbitrary increase in the pump price of kerosene, the Federal Government has placed an order for massive importation of the product, oil marketers have said.

According to them, the government has also ordered huge importation of Automated Gas Oil, popularly known as diesel. They further stated that with the increase in the supply of the United States dollars by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise called petrol, will not be hiked as earlier anticipated.

Last week, oil marketers had told The PUNCH exclusively that the actual cost of petrol should be N151.87 per litre.

They said the calculation was based on the ex-depot price of the commodity and the scarcity of forex.

To avert the hike, the government had met with the marketers last week and it was learnt that the CBN might intervene.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Eastern Zonal Executive of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, the association’s Chairman, Board of Trustees, Mr. Abubakar Usman, said marketers would start getting large volumes of kerosene and diesel as the government had ordered for increased importation of the commodities.

He said, “There is something that I am going to tell you that shall make you happy. Very soon, the products, DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene) and the AGO, will be in circulation under the leadership of Chinedu Okoronkwo. Those that are not aware are aware now. Sooner or later, I cannot say today or tomorrow, but very soon, the AGO will arrive. The DPK will also arrive in the country.”

I told IPMAN members that the current scarcity of kerosene would soon be a thing of the past as the product would circulate sufficiently when delivered.

He noted that upon arrival, no member would be required to lobby or bribe to secure allocation.

Usman said, “And when it arrives, each and every one of us will get his allocation. You don’t have to come to Abuja to give bribe looking for allocation of two or three trucks. Just go to your depot manager, go to your zonal chairman and you will get it. You don’t have to waste time going to Lagos or Abuja for the product.”

When asked to state the price the product will be sold when it arrived, Okoronkwo said, “It will be lesser than what the NNPC retail outlets will be selling.”

On the possible increase in the pump price of the PMS, he said that the move by the CBN to increase marketers’ access to foreign exchange would lead to price stability, adding that the intervention would warrant an appreciation of the naira.

He said, “Right now, you are aware that some Bureau De-Change operators have qualified to get the forex. And very soon, there will be forex in the system where people can now leverage. And if we have enough forex, it means that the price at which people are getting it now will drop.

“This will impact in every other business. Very soon, the CBN will release dollar and that will make the naira to appreciate. For marketers, importers and manufacturers, everything will come alive again.

“The IPMAN will also leverage this window to ensure that our products come at prices that members of this country will enjoy.”

NPS foils attempted jail break at Abakaliki prison...Read It On Tafia World

 

The Ebonyi Controller of Prisons, Mrs Adaobi Oputa, on Thursday confirmed that there was an attempted jail break at the Abakaliki Prison.

Oputa said that the situation had been brought under control.

She explained that the incident which occurred around 9. 30 a.m. on Thursday ensued when some inmates refused to comply with the early morning routine search of their cells.

She said, “Yes I can confirm that there was an incident at the Abakaliki prison this morning. This was as a result of some inmates refusing the routing search in their cells.

“But I can assure you that everything has been brought under control without any inmate escaping from the prison.”

She confirmed that some inmates tried to break one of the walls, adding that the situation was brought under control by the combined efforts of the armed squad of the prisons, the police and military personnel stationed at the prison.

The controller said that she had to call for reinforcement from the state police command to arrest the situation.

She said some inmates were injured in the process and were currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

She, however, denied that the riot was triggered by inmates protesting poor quality of food and welfare.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ebonyi Police Command, ASP George Okafor, who also confirmed the development, however, said information at his disposal was still very sketchy.

“Yes, we got information about the riot but I cannot make any categorical statement yet on the incident because we have very little information concerning the incident,” Okafor said.

The Abakaliki prisons that was built by the British Colonial Government to accommodate 300 inmates presently houses no fewer than 1000 inmates.