Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Tuesday said as a leader, he could not be ruling a state and allow himself to be controlled from outside.

The governor was explaining the sour relationship between him and his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, while answering questions from State House correspondents after attending a programme at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the same way his political history could not be complete without mentioning Kwankwaso, the former governor’s history too could not be deemed complete without his own name being mention.

He said, “As you know, we were very good friends. In fact, my politics cannot be complete without Kwankwaso and the history of Kwankwaso’s politics cannot be complete without me.

“But somewhere, somehow, things went wrong.

“We believe in politics that you will get to a point that you cannot rule and manage a state and then you are being controlled from outside.

“You know that one is very very difficult to happen if you look at the psychology of leaders.”

Ganduje also denied media reports of underage voting during the last local government election in his state.

He said the pictures being circulated to depict underage voters were pictures taken during a school’s assembly.

“That was propaganda. You can ask the national observers who went there. They held a press conference.

“All those pictures were children from a school assembly. It is not true, it is part of the propaganda.

“Let them go back to the states and ask the people if they truly queued up and voted in the election.

“So, we don’t even need to respond to such falsehood.

“Ask those who are credible and who witnessed the election, I think that is important, rather than relying on the social media where things are crafted, and take pictures that were prearranged.

“We don’t rely on that,” he said.

The Nigerian Army says credible information indicates that factional leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, now dresses as a woman in an effort to escape from the Theatre of Operation.

An Ikeja High Court on Tuesday sentenced one Katungi Phillips to death for stabbing his wife, Justina James, to death for allegedly infecting him with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Justice Raliatu Adebiyi, sentenced Phillips after finding him guilty of murder.

“The prosecution was able to prove by cogent circumstantial evidence that the defendant intended to kill the deceased.

“I hereby find the defendant guilty of the murder of Justina James.

“In view of the mandatory sentence for murder in Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, the defendant, Katungi Phillips is hereby sentenced to death, may the Lord have mercy on his soul,” Adebiyi said.

Adebiyi, in her judgment, rejected Phillips defence of provocation.

The judge said that the multiple stab wounds inflicted on Justina by Phillips were excessive in comparison to the single stab wound the convict sustained.

Adebiyi said that based on the evidence before her, the defence of provocation was not plausible and that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt

According to the prosecution led by Mrs. O. R Ahmed-Muili, the convict committed the offence at 3.21 a.m. on July 26, 2014, at his residence at Pako House, Oniru, Lagos.

Ahmed-Muili said that the convict, who had been married to Justina for two-years, stabbed her with a kitchen knife after discovering that she had allegedly infected him with HIV.

“After discovering that she had allegedly infected him with the virus, the deceased threatened to leave him for another man.

“He stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife during the ensuing argument and he also attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the abdomen with the knife,” she said.

The police arraigned Phillips on February 8, 2016.

The prosecution called four witnesses, three police officers and the sister of the deceased to testify during the trial.

The Investigating Police Officer, Insp Alexander Onoja during his testimony at the trial said that the defendant confessed to the police to have stabbed his wife.

“He confessed that he murdered his wife because he discovered they were both HIV positive and he got infected by her.

“He alleged that she informed him that she was leaving him for another man,” he said.

The IPO said that when the police visited the crime scene Justina was already dead.

He said police found Phillips laying beside her corpse with a knife wound to his abdomen.

Philips, however, in his submission during the trial, using the defence of provocation, said his wife was stabbed while they were arguing over his missing mobile phone.

“We were arguing over my missing phone, she stabbed me with the kitchen knife, I grabbed the knife from her hands and stabbed her once,” Phillips told the court.

NAN

President of Argentina’s national football association, Claudio Tapia, says he has told national captain Lionel Messi to play fewer games for La Liga side FC Barcelona before June.

He said this was in order to enable the Argentine striker stay fresh for his country ahead of the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Argentina will face Nigeria, Iceland and Croatia in Group D of the preliminary round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The World Cup is expected to kick off from June 14 and end on July 15 in Russia.

Tapia’s plea has, however, largely gone unheeded by Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, who has started Messi in 33 of the team’s total 39 games this season.

He only left him out of the match day squad in three King’s Cup games.

The coach did leave Messi out of the starting line-up for the first time in the league against Espanyol on February 4.

But he later threw the Argentine on as a substitute to help salvage a 1-1 draw.

“I hope all the players arrive at the level they are at the moment. Sergio Aguero is playing outstanding football right now and Messi is always at the top of his game,” Tapia said.

“That’s vital for the directors and the coaching staff. We have spoken to Messi about taking care of himself and about playing less for FC Barcelona.”

Tapia also said Argentina are planning to play a friendly against Catalonia in June as part of their preparations for the World Cup in Russia.

A game against Catalonia could theoretically see Messi come up against Barca teammates Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto and Gerard Pique, among others.

However, such a fixture could prove controversial in Spain after increased tension between the central government and the region over its independence drive.

“(Argentina coach) Jorge (Sampaoli) told me it would be good for us from a football point of view and it’s important for us from a financial point of view. But we haven’t closed the deal yet,” added Tapia.

Argentina are hoping to do better in Russia than their runners-up finish four years ago in Brazil.(Reuters/NAN)

Twenty-Two students of Government Secondary School, Misau, in Bauchi State and their driver have died in an auto crash along Bauchi-Kano road on Tuesday.

Mr. Kabir Ibrahim-Daura, the Public Relations Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps in Kano State, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the accident occurred around 11 am near Tsaida village in Gaya Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, the students were travelling to Kano for an excursion when their bus had a head on collusion with a DAF truck.

He said the 22 students and their driver died in the accident, while three others sustained serious injuries.

“Of the 22 students, 12 are male while the remaining 10 are female.

“Two of the injured were taken to Gaya General Hospital, while the remaining one has been referred to a Specialist Hospital in Kano,” he said.

Ibrahim-Daura said all the corpses have been deposited at the General Hospital, Gaya. (NAN)

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting behind closed doors with a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The meeting, which is holding inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, is also being attended by a former interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Buhari had, recently, saddled Tinubu with the responsibility of reconciling aggrieved party members across the country.

Earlier, Buhari had also met with a former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.).

Details later…

Ade Adesomoju, Kainji

The Federal High Court in Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, Niger State, on Tuesday sentenced a commander of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Abba Umar, to 60 years imprisonment for various acts of terrorism.

The 22-year-old, who was remorseless and maintained a hard look throughout the proceedings, confirmed  that he would return to Sambisa Forest to continue the terrorism acts if he was ever released.

He had been in detention since 2014 after his failed suicide mission to a school in Gombe State that year.

Two of the five counts preferred against him attracted death penalty but the judge said he decided to impose lesser sentences after taking into consideration the age of the convict and the fact that he must have been exposed to “excessive and consistent religious indoctrination” which made him to be easily pliable.

The judge added, “For count 3, I sentence him to 60 years imprisonment.

“I would have been more merciful but was rather dissuaded by the convict’s insistence that he would back the activities which constitute danger to the society and for which he was apprehended.”

Umar was 18 when he was arrested after his failed attempt suicide mission to  Gombe Secondary School, Gombe State, in 2014.

Armstrong Bakam, Bauchi

A set of conjoined twins have been successfully separated by Doctors on the Move Africa at an ongoing free medical outreach in Bauchi.

The separation of the conjoined twins, according to the Senior Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media, Iliya Habila, who shared the photos on Facebook, was successfully conducted on Monday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi by a team of doctors.

He said the medical outreach was sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Barrister Yakubu Dogara.

Habila said: “Conjoined twins have been successfully separated by Doctors on the Move Africa in the ongoing free medical treatment sponsored by the Rt. Honourable Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.”

The PUNCH learnt that the free medical outreach, which began on Monday, is expected to last for one week and is for all residents of Bauchi State.

During the period, outpatient consultations and medical check-up with drugs, ultrasound scan, reading glasses and cataract operations will be carried out, it was learnt.

Others are laboratory tests for diseases such as diabetes, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, public health education on malaria, hygiene, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Lassa fever, free general and gynaecological surgeries.

Festus Abu

Daniel Akpeyi’s place in Nigeria’s  squad for  the Russia 2018  World Cup could be under threat after Dele Ajiboye’s inspiring performance at the 2018 African Nations Championship in Morocco, our correspondent has learnt.

Ajiboye made some  brave saves to help the Super Eagles reach the  CHAN  final after coming on for first choice goalkeeper Ikechukwu  Ezenwa, who was injured in the  13th minute of the semifinal against Sudan. The Eagles  were  hammered 4-0 in the February 4  final   by  tournament hosts Atlas Lions at Stade Mohamed V in  Casablanca.

It was learnt that Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr is impressed with the Plateau United custodian’s  showing  in Morocco  and is considering him  for a place in his 23-man squad for Russia 2018 – at the expense of  Chippa United’s first choice Akpeyi. Sources  claim Rohr believes the former Warri Wolves star  is not one that inspires confidence.

It was learnt that Rohr decided to put a big question mark on the fate of the 31-year-old  South Africa-based keeper after he  committed a schoolboy error in the shock  4-2 defeat of South American powerhouse Argentina in a friendly affair  in Krasnodar,  Russia on November 14.

The  former Nasarawa United star, who has conceded 11 goals in 15 appearances for Chippa United  in the South African Premier Soccer League this term, had posted an underwhelming performance in the 2-0  defeat by South Africa  in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo on June 10.

With first choice keeper  Carl Ikeme firmly out of the World Cup  as he is undergoing treatment for acute leukaemia after being diagnosed with the illness in July, Rohr renewed  his interest in  veteran keeper Vincent Enyeama as he was allegedly  not  convinced that neither  Enyimba  shot-stopper  Ezenwa   nor Akpeyi was  good enough  to start  for the Super Eagles  at Russia 2018.

However, after Rohr failed to persuade former Nigeria captain Enyeama, who is  said be under pressure from  some of his friends and family members to steer clear of the national team, to end his international retirement, the former Niger coach is said to be considering young Deportivo La Coruna keeper Francis Uzoho as his first choice with  Ezenwa and Akpeyi the other  options.

Uzoho wormedhis way into Rohr’s heart after his encouraging performance after replacing Akpeyi against Argentina. With South Korea 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup winner   Ajiboye’s resurrection, Rohr  is said be seriously considering his options against with Akpeyi allegedly not featuring prominently in his World Cup plans.

“Akpeyi and Enyeama are still in contention for World Cup places if they are in good health, fitness and good form. But Ezenwa and Dele have been good, and if they continue to improve, we will love that because World Cup is a big stage,” Rohr was quoted as saying recently.

Sources close to the team says the former Burkina Faso manager may not invite more outfield players to the Eagles unless any  of the European-born players he is eyeing decide pledge their international allegiance to Nigeria.

Spokesman for the Nigeria Football Federation Ademola Olajire declined to comment on the national team when our correspondent sought his reactions.

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Chidiebube Okeoma and Gibson Achonu, Owerri

The Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that any move by Governor Rochas Okorocha to install his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as his successor in 2019 will be rejected by the people of the state.

 Okorocha had declared on Monday that he would support Nwosu, who is his chief of staff and husband to his (Okorocha) first daughter, Uloma, to be governor should he decide to contest.

 But responding to the governor’s declaration, the Chairman of the PDP in the state, Charles Ezekwem, said on Tuesday that the state had gone beyond the stage of a father-in-law handing over political power to his son-in-law after eight years and mother handing over to his daughter as the first lady of the state.

Ezekwem said, “This family business will not work; the idea of Okorocha handing over power to his son-in-law after eight years will not work. This ‘familiocracy’ will be rejected because Imo people are highly educated and civilised.”

The PDP chairman announced that his party had started the process of ensuring that the party would reclaim the state in 2019.

Meanwhile, Okorocha has explained that Nwosu came to him, like many others, to seek his help to succeed in life, adding that he never knew he would one day marry the daughter.

The governor said this on Tuesday when the All Progressives Congress’ executives, leaders and traditional rulers from the Oguta Local Government Area visited him at the Government House to express their support for Nwosu.

He  said, “I don’t sell my daughter. That was why I didn’t consider how wealthy or poor he was before I allowed him to marry my daughter even at the level God has placed me. I saw the hand of God in the whole thing. He has a future for himself. He has sincerity of purpose. He means well.

“Uche Nwosu possesses all the qualities to be a good governor. He can exercise regard for the poor. He can make sacrifice. My happiness at the end of this administration is to see a worthy successor; successor who will not destroy free education and work for the state as if his life depends on that. I won’t impose anybody, but I am entitled to support anybody that I see can do the job.”

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Stanley Opara

The Nigerian stock market declined by N370bn in one session on Tuesday, continuing on a free fall for seven straight sessions.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index slid by 2.4 per cent to settle at 41,708.15 from 42,737.89 basis points, while the year-to-date return contracted to 9.1 per cent.

Thus, the NSE market capitalisation decreased to N14.967tn from N15.337tn.

According to market watchers, sustained sell-offs across board was experienced on Tuesday, with Dangote Cement Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc and Nestle Nigeria Plc contributing majorly to the market fall, shedding 4.9 per cent, 3.9 per cent and 2.9 per cent, respectively.

Similarly, the activity level weakened as the volume and value traded fell by 9.1 per cent and 29 per cent to 470.52 million units and N3.683bn, respectively.

Performance across sectors was bearish as all indices recorded falls. The consumer goods index was the biggest loser, down by 2.8 per cent following price decline in Nigerian Breweries and Nestle Nigeria. The industrial goods and insurance indices followed, dropping by 1.6 per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively as investors took profit in Dangote Cement, AXA Mansard Insurance Plc and Continental Reinsurance Plc, which recorded respective fall of 4.9 per cent, 2.7 per cent and 4.3 per cent.

In the same vein, sell pressure on Forte Oil Plc and 11 Plc dragged the oil/gas index down by 0.6 per cent as the firms recorded decline of five per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively. Similarly, the banking index depreciated by 0.2 per cent due to losses in United Bank of Africa Plc and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc by 5.5 per cent and five per cent, accordingly.

The market breadth remained flat compared to Monday’s market performance owing to 15 stocks advancing against 40 stocks that plummeted.

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Yinka Badejo

I remember the day I had my first kiss. It was a lot different from what I had anticipated because there was little or no emotion expressed, as my partner and I did not know how to kiss. However, I have also experienced the beautiful feeling that comes with being on the other side of a woman’s lips.

 But the deep feeling it brings stopped almost permanently later when a neighbour caught me kissing a girl in our neighbourhood. There I was thinking I was being safe by not having sex, but just having a kiss. Her reaction, however, proved me wrong.

It is from this conversation that I became aware of mononucleosis, popularly known as ‘kissing disease’.

According to experts, mononucleosis is an infection commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).The virus mostly infects children and other young people. In young adults, the disease often results in fever, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, and tiredness.

On Tuesday, I also got across to some students in the tertiary institutions.

When asked, through a telephone interview, if he was aware of any kissing disease, a 400 level Accounting student at Babcock University, Ofondu Boaz, said, “I know of a kissing disease called Glandular fever which is spread through saliva and infection from one being to another.”

 Asked about his kissing experience, he said he had kissed a couple of girls in his lifetime and had some regrets over them.

“When I was in secondary school, I kissed a girl – ‘name withheld’ – but, developed an infection on my upper lip. I later found out that it was from kissing – according to my dentist.

“There was another time I kissed a girl called Jachi in 200 level. This led to a terrible throat infection which made me miss school for a week”, he added.

A 300 level student of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, denied knowledge of any kissing disease and even spoke of his plans for the Valentine’s Day.

“I have not heard of any kissing disease and do not believe it exists. I plan on taking my girlfriend out on a romantic date and of course exercise caution.”

When quizzed about his kissing experience, he said,

“I cannot remember the amount of girls I have kissed. Although there was this particular girl who,  after we kissed each other, developed serious allergies to certain items and also experienced a sharp pain in her throat.”

Many people believe that, on a Valentine’s Day such as today, a lot of folk cannot resist the urge to engage in romantic escapades. Discerning stakeholders are, as a result, warning that such acts have consequences.

Other diseases that can be contracted through kissing are herpes, cold sores, warts, influenza and tooth decay.

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Leke Baiyewu, Abuja

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Tuesday denied the alleged diversion of $350m belonging to the Nigerian Electricity Bulk Trading Company domiciled in the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority.

The NSIA also said the $350m it was managing for the NBET had grown to $384m.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NSIA, Uche Orji, stated that the money was safe.

The officials appeared before the Senate’s Joint Committee on Public Accounts; and Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy in Abuja on Tuesday.

The $350m is part of the $1bn Eurobond facility obtained by the Federal Government in 2013.

Orji told the lawmakers that the fund had yielded interests amounting to $34m.

He said, “The NBET funds are intact with the NSIA. As of our September statement, it has grown from $350m to $397.5m. (The sum of) $13.5m was recalled by NBET to service the interest. So, what we have at the moment is $384m. So, the funds are with us and they are safe.”

Orji announced that the authority would meet in April where the statement of NBET account would be updated and adopted.

On her part, Adeosun explained that contrary to the motion on the floor of the Senate which led to the probe, no fund was missing.

She, however, pointed out that part of the proceeds of the Eurobond was deposited with the NSIA, following the inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to utilise the money for specified projects.

But the Chairman of the committee, Mathew Urhoghide, as well as other members, including senators Godswill Akpabio, Suleiman Hunkuyi and Albert Akpan, said the Eurobond was diverted to different purposes other than those prescribed by the 7th National Assembly when the Federal Government sought an approval for the facility in 2013.

Adeosun, however, urged the panel to contact her predecessor, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, since the facility was obtained during her time as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Her request to have her predecessor invited was however rebuffed by Urhoghide who insisted that since the government is a continuum, she was bound to defend policies that preceded her term in office.

In his presentation, Fashola debunked allegations of fraud and diversion of the $350m by his ministry.

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Adelani Adepegba, Abuja

The police in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have busted a robbery gang allegedly led by a medical doctor and the proprietor of Vital Care Hospital, Kubwa, Abuja, Dr. Ola Jimade.

Northern City News learnt that while five members of the gang were arrested, Jimade is still on the run.

Those arrested were Sunday Okhomode, aka Sunny-Momoh, 30; Meshak James, 23; a painter, Amusu Koku, 28; a printer, Kunle Obajemi, 49;  and a goldsmith, Suleiman Isa, 26.

Parading the suspects on Tuesday in Abuja, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Sadiq Bello, explained that the arrest of the suspects was sequel to a reported case of armed robbery at a house in Maitama, sometime in November last year.

According to him, a BMW X6 SUV, a large quantity of gold and other valuables worth millions of naira were carted away by the robbers.

Bello said following the report, the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad commenced discreet investigation, which led to the arrest of the five suspects and the recovery of the stolen SUV.

The police boss said, “In the course of investigations, so far, five vehicles, that have their colours changed, have been recovered, out of which four have been identified by their respective owners who were robbed at gunpoint in various areas of the city.

“In addition to these, four pistols with eight rounds of live ammunition and a face mask carefully concealed in a bag in the office of the runaway Dr. Ola Solomon Jimade, were recovered during the execution of a search warrant in the suspect’s hospital.”

The CP stated that investigation was ongoing to recover more vehicles and arrest other members of the gang.

“If anybody knows the whereabouts of Dr. Ola Jimade, who is said to be an indigene of Ife Olukotun community, Yagba East, Kogi State, he should quickly alert the nearest police station,” he said.

The painter among the suspects, Koku, told Northern City News, in an interview, that Jimade approached him to repaint the BMW SUV in December 2017, and another car in January this year for N60,000.

The printer, Obajinmi, who was said to be an expert in changing vehicle chassis numbers on dashboards, stated that he met the fleeing medical doctor sometime last year.

“He asked me to print a sticker for him, but I didn’t know it was meant for a stolen car,’ Obajinmi claimed.

Isa admitted buying some gold jewelry from Jimade for N1.7m.

In another development, the police stated that they have arrested one Destiny Abang, 32, from Boka East in Cross River State, for trying to steal a car in Area 8, Garki, Abuja.

In the course of investigation, the CP said the suspect confessed to have stolen several cars, most of which were taken to Boki in Cross River, where they were sold off.

“However, discreet investigation led to the recovery of 13 stolen cars, including a blue Mazda 323; a red Volkswagen Golf 3; an ash Mazda 323; an ash-colour Toyota Highlander; an ash-colour Mazda 323; a red Mazda, a blue Toyota Corolla car and others,” Bello explained.

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Samson Folarin

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested the policemen who allegedly beat up a former headmistress of Top-Teez Nursery and Primary School, Ifo, Mrs. Ayodeji Orojo.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Iliyasu, told our correspondent on Tuesday that the cops had been arrested and detained.

He noted that the policemen would be sanctioned at the end of police investigation.

PUNCH Metro had reported that a stabiliser belonging to the Ojodu Abiodun Divisional Police Officer had been stolen by some hoodlums and the police found the electrical appliance in the compound of a 10-year-old pupil, identified as David.

Six policemen were reported to have stormed the boy’s school where Orojo served as a head teacher, disrupting academic activities in the process.

Orojo, who queried their action, was allegedly beaten up, as her phone was seized after she allegedly attempted to record the attack.

It was reported that the police later released David after his widowed mother, Elizabeth Emeka, paid N19,000 for bail.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, had said the police did not know the suspect was a 10-year-old pupil, adding that the DPO had apologised to the school’s proprietress and the matter had been resolved.

Orojo, in a follow-up report, however, demanded that the the cops be punished.

She lamented that her seized phone was smashed and her SIM and memory cards damaged by the police to destroy evidence.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Modupe Mujota, had told our correspondent that the state was investigating the case “from the perspective of it being a part of our educational ecosystem.”

But Nigerians, who reacted to the report on PUNCH Online and some social media platforms, said the matter should be thoroughly investigated.

The CP told our correspondent that the matter was already being investigated, adding that the policemen had been arrested.

He said, “The policemen involved have been defaulted. As I speak to you, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, is on the way to the school. Any policeman that misbehaves will be dealt with. I will not condone such a thing.”

He asked to meet the victim, saying justice would be done.

A senior police source, however, confided in our correspondent that the police had been searching for the headmistress since the incident happened.

He explained that the police were handicapped because the matter was not reported by the victim and the state CP was not petitioned.

The President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Michael Alogba-Olukoya, condemned the alleged brutality of the headmistress, asking the police to apologise to the school and the education sector.

He said, “It is barbaric. It is a show of impunity and I want to appreciate the Ogun State Government for showing willingness to investigate the matter. The fact that they lost a stabiliser should not make them to misbehave.

“The NUT wants the matter properly investigated and all the officers involved punished accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others. The police authorities should as well tender apologies to the school and the education sector in general. That is not the way to go about it and unfortunately, this reflects the character of an average policeman in this country today.”

It will be recalled that the victim had said after the assault that she was rejected by the Ijaiye General Hospital where she was taken to for treatment.

She claimed that the hospital demanded a police report before commencing treatment.

The Chief Medical Director of the Ijaiye General Hospital, Ifo, Dr Kayode Oladehinde, had denied that the hospital received Orojo, saying the hospital’s policies frowned on such.

It was learnt on Tuesday that the affected general hospital was in Lagos.

Orojo told our correspondent that the affected hospital was the Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris, in his reaction, said there was no policy in the state that denied medical treatment to anyone.

He asked to speak to the victim, promising to investigate by getting the details of the officials on duty at the time.

“Anybody that has an emergency should not be denied medical care, no matter the situation,” he added.

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Olaleye Aluko, Abuja

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the Federal Government is set to provide 300,000 new jobs for the youths in 2018 to prevent them from “violent extremism” which leads to insecurity.

The minister, who noted that the jobs would be provided under the N-Power Programme, said this in Abuja while speaking at the public presentation of the policy framework and National Action Plan for preventing and countering violent extremism.

The presentation was done by the Counter Terrorism Centre of the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The minister said conditions such as unemployment, poverty, lack of education and corruption encouraged youths to indulge in terrorism, noting that the government would employ 300,000 youths to add to the 200,000 already in the N-power programme.

He said, “The Federal Government is not unmindful of structural conditions that make an environment conducive to violent extremism, such as unemployment, poverty, lack of education, corruption, and other social-economic factors.

“The N-Power programme of the government has deployed over 200,000 young Nigerians to schools, primary healthcare centres, and in agriculture centres across the Local Government Areas in the country. That number is set to increase by 300,000 this year.”

The National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (Rtd), said all ministries, departments and agencies of government would include “countering terrorism tasks” in their annual budgets under the action plan.

Monguno said, “We are working with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as well as relevant government offices to support the MDAs in implementing the presidential directive by ensuring they identify counter terrorism tasks annually, budget for them and implement appropriately.

“All relevant MDAs are required to include in their annual budgets, Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Tasks, for implementation as identified in Part 3 of the National Action Plan. More importantly, this policy is for all Nigerians. The objective is to cascade it down to families and communities to build resilience and counter all forms of violent extremism.”

The inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index has further dropped to 15.13 per cent in January from 15.37 per cent recorded in December, 2017, National Bureau of Statistics has said.

The NBS disclosed this in its CPI report for January 2018 released on Wednesday in Abuja.

The Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation, started the year 2018 increasing by 15.13 percent (year-on-year) in January 2018

According to the bureau, this is 0.24 per cent points lower than the rate recorded in December (15.37 per cent).

It stated that the rate recorded made it the twelfth consecutive disinflation (slowdown in the inflation rate though still positive) in headline year-on-year inflation since January 2017.

It, however, stated that increases were recorded in the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yield the Headline Index.

On a month-on-month basis, the report stated that the Headline index increased by 0.80 per cent in January 2018, 0.21 per cent points higher from the rate of 0.59 per cent recorded in December 2017.

The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve-month period ending January 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve-month period was 16.22 per cent.

It stated that the figures showed 0.28 per cent point lower from 16.50 per cent recorded in December 2017.

Meanwhile, it stated that the Urban inflation rate rose by 15.56 per cent (year-on-year) in January 2018 from 16.78 per cent recorded in December 2017.

The report stated that the rural inflation rate also eased by 14.76 per cent in January 2018 from 15.02 per cent in December 2017.

On month-on-month basis, the bureau stated the urban index rose by 0.83 per cent in January 2018, up by 0.17 from 0.66 per cent recorded in December 2017.

It stated that the rural index also rose by 0.77 per cent in January 2018, up by 0.23 per cent when compared with 0.54 per cent in December 2017.

According to the report, the corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index is 16.55 per cent in January 2018.

It stated that this was less than 16.92 per cent reported in December 2017, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in January 2018 was 15.89 per cent compared to 16.10 per cent recorded in December 2017.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the CPI measures the average change over time in prices of goods and services consumed by people for day-to-day living.

The construction of the CPI combines economic theory, sampling and other statistical techniques using data from other surveys to produce a weighted measure of average price changes in the Nigerian economy.

Key in the construction of the price index is the selection of the market basket of goods and services.

Every month, 10,534 informants spread across the country provide price data for the computation of the CPI and the market items currently comprise of 740 goods and services regularly priced.

(NAN)

Maureen Ihua-Maduenyi

A Delta Airline flight 55 from Lagos to Atlanta, United States returned to the Murtala Muhammed  International Airport onTuesday night after an issue with one of the A330-200’s two engines.

The flight which was said to have initially pushed back at 22:40hrs had air return and emergency landing at 23:16hrs, when the pilot announced the evacuation of all the passengers on board within 90 seconds, after contacting the control tower as the left engine of the aircraft was said to have caught fire mid air in-flight.

According to the airline, the flight landed safely and customers exited the aircraft on the runway via emergency slides, adding that airport fire authorities met the aircraft upon arrival.

The airline said in a statement, “Delta is aware of five customers reporting non-critical injuries as a result of the evacuation.

“Delta teams have provided overnight hotel accommodations to customers and will rebook customers on an alternate Delta aircraft on Wednesday. The safety of Delta’s customers and crew members is always our top priority.”

An eyewitness said a number of crew and passenger casualties were recorded and had been taken to hospitals around the airport for treatment.

An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved the 12-year marriage between Mrs Toyin Adaraloye, and her husband, Ifeoluwa Adaraloye, over lack of adequate care for their children and ‎constant fighting.

The marriage produced three children, namely: Opeyemi, 11, Joy, 8, and Posi,6.

Toyin, 34, a hairdresser, who resides at No. 5, Acuna St., Ekute Quarters, Ado-Ekiti, in her petition, said after their traditional engagement, they had three children.

Toyin said that she was no longer interested in the marriage because her husband refused to take care of the children.

She also said that she no longer loves Adaraloye because they fight frequently over his refusal to adequately take care of the children.

Toyin told the court to dissolve the marriage because she was already pregnant for another man.

She also prayed the court to award the custody of the children to her to enable her to take good care of them.

Toyin requested for N10,000 as monthly upkeep for each of the children, adding that  Adaraloye should also be responsible for the education of the children at all levels.

Adaraloye, 38, a furniture maker, who resides at No. 7, Igirigiri area of Ado-Ekiti, denied all the allegations leveled against him.

He told the court that he paid N5,000 as dowry which had since been returned to him, adding that since then he did not know the where about of the petitioner and his three children.

Adaraloye requested for the custody of the three children, assuring the court that he would remarry in April because he already had a lady that he wished to marry.

The respondent said if he was eventually denied the custody of the children, he would pay N2,500 for each of the children as their monthly upkeep.

He also assured that he would be responsible for the education of the children at all levels.

The court’s President, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, said that the marriage had broken down irretrievably and consequently dissolved the union.

He awarded the custody of the only male child of the marriage, Posi, to the respondent, while the custody of the other two female children Opeyemi and Joy was awarded to the petitioner.

Ogunsemi ordered the respondent to pay N5,000 as monthly upkeep on each of the two female children, and that the payment should commence from February.

The president also ordered the respondent to be responsible for the education of the three children at all levels and ordered that the parties should have unrestricted access to the children.

(NAN)