By Adenike Ayodele

Michael Udom, a 52-year-old pastor at Pinnacle of Praise Church, Lagos, on Tuesday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates Court for allegedly defrauding his church members of N1.5 million on the pretext of coordinating a monthly contribution.

Udom, whose lives on No. 76 Ikorodu Rd., Fadeyi, Lagos, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, fraud and stealing.

The prosecution alleged the accused obtained a sum of N1.5 million from one Sylvia Nnamdi and Alfred Olugbenga, under the pretences of being a pastor and coordinator of one Ajor Thrift Association, a representation he knew to be false.

Police Sgt. Michael Unah told the court that the accused committed the offences with other two still at large sometimes in May at Fadeyi in Lagos.

He said the accused, who portrayed himself as a pastor and the coordinator of the Ajor Thrift Association to the complainants, convinced them to join the contribution but converted the sum of N1.5 million to his own personal use.

Unah said that the accused refused to give the complainants the money when it was their turn to collect.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr A. A. Fashola, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Fashola ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed with an evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified by the court.

He also ordered that the sureties must be blood relations of the accused and also reside within the courts jurisdiction.

The offences contravened Sections 287, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 314 prescribes a 15-year jail term for false pretenses while section 287 provides seven years for stealing.

The Magistrate adjourned the case until Jan. 22 for mention.

Source: NAN

By Polycarp Auta

No fewer than 200 professional golfers have stormed Jos, the capital of Plateau State, for the 2018 governors cup.

Mr Tang Dapoet, the Captain of Lamingo Golf Glub, said this at the opening of the tournament in Jos on Tuesday.

According to him, participants are drawn from all over the country and beyond.

In the last years edition, we had 96 professional golfers that participated, but in this years tournament, over 200 from all over the country and beyond are participating, he said.

Dapoet said Gov. Simon Lalong had made significant strides in promoting golf in the country, hence the rationale behind the tournament.

Declaring the competition open, Gov. Lalong said the tournament had since its inception in 2016 shown that Plateau was peaceful.

When we started this competition in 2016, people forget there is crisis in the state and this goes to show that Plateau is peaceful, he said.

The governor said that Plateau would soon become the home of golf in Nigeria, adding that the serene weather had placed the state in a vantage position

Lalong disabused the minds of Nigerians that golf is a game for the elite, saying that it is not reserved for the rich.

Golf is not a game for the elite; anybody can be participate because it helps you keep fit and healthy, Lalong said.

Source: NAN

By Glory Abuh-Adejoh

The National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Tuesday dismissed a suit seeking a declaration of wrongful termination and relief of N20 million as damages, by a driver, Henry Onyiwealehi.

Justice Rakiya Haastrup in a judgment dismissed the case for inability of the claimant to prove that there was breach of his contract of employment.

The judge said the totality of evidence shown by the claimant from the conditions of service, which is the fundamental document in relation to the claimants employment, did not show breach in the contract of agreement by the defendant.

She held that it was the same document that was used by the court to determine the wrongfulness or otherwise of dismissal.

Haastrup also held that the issue of general damages of N20 million, because the claimant failed in his main relief on wrongful termination of employment, cannot succeed in his relief for general damages.

She also dismissed the counter claim of N21 million by the defendant.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the claimant, a driver with an Abuja-basedwas sent to the bank on June 6, 2016 to make a cash withdrawal of N1 million by the defendants accountant.

The claimant however alleged that an unknown person snatched the cash from him on his way back to the office in a public vehicle.

Innocent Nnabuihe, the defence counsel in his submission, alleged that the claimant failed to carry out instructions given to him by the companys accountant, to call him to pick him up from the bank.

Nnanuihe said the claimants negligence in discharging his official duty was the ground for his dismissal and the counter claim sought by the defendant.

Source: NAN

A seven-year-old boy, Ryan, who is a toy reviewer is the biggest earner on You Tube, grossing 17.3 million or $22million in a year, Forbes has revealed.

Ryan of Ryan ToysReview beat famous YouTubers including Jake and Logan Paul and Swedish gamer PewDiePie to top the list compiled by Forbes.

His channel, which involves him opening toys and then playing with them, has more than 17 million subscribers.

The unboxing trend, where YouTubers open, describe and review new toys, tech products and games, has become increasingly popular on the video site.

Ryan and his family, including younger twin sisters who first appeared on the channel when they were a few weeks old, also make educational videos on topics including tornadoes and astronauts.

His videos have a total of almost 26 billion views over three years, with the most popular video on his channel seen 1.6 billion times, and the less-watched videos attracting at least 30 million views each.

Ryan, who started making the videos at the age of three, makes money from advertising revenue and also recently launched his own Walmart line of branded merchandise.

His parents do not disclose his last name or the city they live in, and say they will stop making the videos when their son no longer enjoys it. Fifteen per cent of his earnings are put into a bank account to access when he becomes an adult.

The Forbes list includes several users who record themselves playing video games and commentating, another popular format.

The most famous of these, PewDiePie, also known as Felix Kjellberg, earned $15.5m (12.2m) in the year to June. This is despite controversy over anti-Semitic videos posted to his channel, which led to him losing a deal with Disney last February, where he previously had his own network.

*Reported by

Source: NAN

By Afusat Agunbiade-Oladipo

A 62 year-old driver, Ibrahim Sanni, who police accused ofintimidating a passenger with witchcraft, on Tuesday, appeared in an Ilorin Magistrates Court.

The Prosecutor, Insp James Odaudu told the court that the complainant,Ayobola Suleman, boarded a cab from the post office to Geri-Alimi and an argument ensued between them over change.

Odaudu alleged that the accused during heated argument, brought out a snail shell and robbed it where the passenger was seated and also recited an incantation.

He said the complainant, got scared and raised an alarm.

He said the accused appeared before the court on a one-count charge of criminal intimidation which contravened section 397of the Penal Code Law.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Magistrate Aluko Muhammed, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.

He adjourned the case untill Dec. 20 for further mention.

Source: NAN

Rice importation into Nigeria would end by 2020, the Policy Adviser of the John Kufuor Foundation (JKF), Hon. Abraham Dwuma, has said.

He also said that Africa Rice Advocacy Platform (ARAP) under the JKF was also focused to achieve zero importation of rice on the continent.

Dwuma told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin that the Africa Rice Advocacy Platform (ARAP) had created a rice value chain to achieve this.

Two years from now, Nigeria should have no business importing rice because I have travelled the length and breadth of the country and I know the potentials.

Kebbi State alone can produce all the rice Nigeria needS; talk more of Sokoto and even Kwara.

For, example, in Akwa Ibom, they have one of the best lands for rice production.

When we came to Nigeria, farmers were doing 1.5 tonnes per hectare, now they are doing six tonnes per hectare two times in a year.

We believe that with this platform, we will get there, Dwuma said.

He said the foundation was borne out of the desire of former Ghanaian President, John Kufuor, to ensure that African farmers earn a living from rice production.

When Kufuor won the World Food Prize, he said he realised that African farmers need a voice, then, if they need a voice, we have to bring them together.

So, there was a need to do what we call the advocacy platform in four chosen countries; Ghana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania and Nigeria.

Through this platform, we are not only talking to the government but to the farmers to improve their quality, their quantity and their work, Dwuma said.

He, however, noted that for the value chain to be sustainable, it should be supported by business modules.

What we are doing now is that we are creating the rice value chain and for this value chain to be sustainable, we need to be supported by business modules at all levels of the cabin.

We are creating what we call business modules. For instance, if someone is an input dealer, he will be able to bring the right input to farmers and the farmers are being educated to do it well, he said.

Also speaking, Secretary General of ARAP, Alhaji Abdulrauf Lawal, said the platform had made rice production easy in order to halt importation.

It is a pity that we spend over a billion naira per day to import rice, that is N365 billion per year which can be used to venture into other things like youth employment and improvement of social amenities.

We are using this much to import when we can plant rice in Nigeria; we have various types of rice; swamp rice and irrigated rice that will start growing with good water and climate.

With the value chain that we are creating now from production, processing to marketing and consumption, it will get better, he said.

Lawal, who doubles as the Deputy National Vice President of Nigeria Rice Advocacy Platform, however, noted that the platform was collaborating with the state chapters of the platform to support them.

The platform was established in 2013 and it comprises of the seed producers, the mechanisation providers, the financial institutions, the processors and the farmers.

We give the state chapters technology, seedlings and inputs for them to produce well because if the input isnt good, the products wont be good.

We are also making their job easier by mechanising them to remove drudgery in rice farming, Lawal said.

He, however, appealed for sponsorship for the platform to achieve its aim.

Our major source of funding is Kufuor, but it is not enough, we need more people like him, most especially within Nigeria.

If Nigeria develops, the West Africa sub-region will develop; we will be a net exporter of rice, Lawal said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Police Force has deepened its role in the anti-terrorism war in the north east, with the deployment of 2000 men to join Operation Lafiya Dole.

The men are made up of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Counter Terrorism Units (CTU) Personnel of the Force and the Sniffer Dog Sections.

The men, who are already on ground for the past few days, will be engaged in military duties, said the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

The Nigeria Police Force is fully committed to the fight against insurgency and will do all it takes in collaboration with the Military to bring a quick end to Boko Haram insurgency and crisis in the North East, according to a statement by Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman.

This new deployment is consistent with Section 4 of the Police Act and Regulations which specifies the general duties of the Nigeria Police Force, he said.

The deployment is also to support the strength of the Military to defeat the Boko Haram Insurgency, Moshood said.

Until the fresh deployment of additional men, the Nigeria Police Force had in Borno State, 2961 policemen. There is also a Mobile Squadron also based in the state.

In neighboring Yobe, the police stationed 1638 men under 26 mobile force units and there is another mobile Force squadron.

There are 18 mobile Force units in Adamawa, comprising 1134 men Units, in addition to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron.

The Counter Terrorism Units of the Force has deployments of over One Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty (1,250) specially trained Counter Terrorism Police personnel. The Police Anti-Bomb Squad has about Three Hundred (300) personnel while over Hundred Sniffer Dogs are working with the Military in the fight against Insurgency in the North East.

It is of significant note that the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Personnel, Counter Terrorism Units (CTU), Anti-Bomb Squad (EOD), Sniffer Dog Sections, the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and conventional Police personnel have been fighting along with the Military in the front line against Boko Haram insurgency and also providing security for restoration of law and order in the North East, security for all the liberated towns and villages in the North-East, escort of Foreign and Local Humanitarian workers and relief materials, protection of IDP camps and security of public and private infrastructures.

The Police Air-wing Surveillance Helicopters and crews are also deployed to support most of the operations of Operation Lafiya Dole throughout the North East in the fight against insurgency in the North East.

Source: NAN

Turkish Foreign Ministry has issued aadvisory for citizens traveling to Francethem against ongoing violent protests in Paris and across the country.

Thepublished Dec. 2 on the official website advised citizens who live in France and willto the European country to avoid areas of demonstrations, and not to be in places which could endanger their safety.

It also asked Turkish citizens to exercise caution while traveling through highways and intercity roads, citing recent closure of roads, barricades, and blockades.

The ministry also advised citizens living and traveling to France to follow local media, to follow further warnings of our French authorities, our ministry, our embassy in Paris.

Thousands of vest protesters have gathered in Paris and several other cities for the last two weeks to protest French President Emmanuel Macrons controversial fuel tax.

Demonstrators, who generally live in rural areas due to high rents in the city center, have demanded from Macron a reduction in fuel taxes and to make economic arrangements that will ease their lives.

The French police on Saturday cracked down on protesters around the famous Champs-Elysees Street in capital Paris with tear gas and water cannons.

Demonstrators set a large number of vehicles and trash cans ablaze and pelted stones and bottles at the police.

They called for Macrons resignation and sprayed slogans against him on the walls.

Some tried to cross the security barriers to the Elysee Palace but police blocked them using tear gas.

Streets in several cities were closed for traffic.

According to French authorities, around 5,500 protesters marched onto streets in Paris.

So far, at least two people have been killed and 890 people injured, while 158 of them are security officials, as well as 1,081 people have been detained and 9 protestors were sentenced to four months in prison during over two weeks of demonstrations.

Source: NAN

Oil prices soared more than five percent on Monday after Russia and Saudi Arabia renewed a pact to cap output, while the US agreed to halt raising tariffs on Chinese imports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have agreed to extend our agreement to limit production as prices slump on global markets.

An existing deal committing OPEC and non-members to cuts expires this year.

While there was no announcement on how much would be cut and for how long, the pact between the worlds two biggest crude exporters was cheered by oil traders, with Brent jumping $2.82 to $53.75 and West Texas Intermediate up $2.98 at $62.44 on Monday.

While we still need to know by how much OPEC will curb its production, Putins comment does clear a barrier for OPEC in stabilising prices as Russia has been ambiguous about its stance, Ahn Yea Ha, a commodities analyst at Kiwoom Securities told Bloomberg News.

Both main contracts have plunged by about a third since hitting four-year highs at the start of October, hit by a number of factors including easing demand, high production, softer-than-expected US sanctions on Iran and a global growth slowdown.

Another major reason for the sell-off has been the ongoing trade row between China and the US, which has seen the worlds top economies swap tariffs on imports worth hundreds of billions of dollars fuelling fears about the impact globally.

However, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on Saturday announced a deal that will see the US hold off raising levies on Chinese goods on January 1 and China promise to buy more from the US, while entering a 90-day period of talks to bring an end to the dispute.

Traders are now looking ahead to a weekend meeting of OPEC and key non-OPEC members in Vienna, where they will make an announcement on their cuts plans.

Most analysts expect a cut of around one million barrels per day, but some say this may not be enough to arrest the decline in prices.

Its a huge week not only for oil markets but capital markets in general, said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA.

Post-G20 sentiment is a bit more positive than expected but still very much work in progress, so perhaps the most crucial event in December next to (Britains) Brexit vote could very well be the OPEC summit.

Source: NAN

Qatar is quitting the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from January 2019, Saad al-Kaabi, the countrys energy minister said on Monday.

The decision to withdraw from OPEC came after Qatar reviewed ways to enhance its role internationally and plan its long-term strategy, al-Kaabi told a news conference in Doha.

Qatar, one of OPECs smallest producers but the worlds largest liquefied natural gas exporter.

Qatar has decided to withdraw its membership from OPEC effective January 2019 and this decision was communicated to OPEC this morning, al-Kaabi told a news conference, adding that Qatar would still attend an OPEC meeting in Vienna this week.

The announcement comes ahead of the meeting by OPEC and its allies including Russia on Dec. 6-7 to discuss cutting supply.

The minister said the decision was not easy as Qatar has been in OPEC for 57 years, but that the countrys impact on OPEC production decisions was small.

He stressed that Doha would continue to abide by all its commitments like any other non-OPEC oil producer.

The withdrawal decision reflects Qatars intent to focus its efforts on developing its natural gas industry, the minister said, as the Gulf Arab state moves to increase LNG production from 77 million to 110 million tonnes annually.

He said the decision was not linked to a political and economic boycott of Qatar imposed since June 2017 by OPECs de facto leader Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states.

Qatar, which joined the OPEC in 1961, has frosty relations with two Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

The small Arab country, touted to be the richest, will not be the first to quit the organisation that has been losing its influence as an oil cartel, since it was founded in September 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Ecuador, which joined in 1973, had suspended its membership twice.

Indonesia suspended its membership in January 2009, reactivated it again in January 2016, but decided to suspend its membership once more at the 171st Meeting of the OPEC Conference on 30 November 2016.

Gabon terminated its membership in January 1995. However, it rejoined the Organization in July 2016.

The five founding countries of the organisation were Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

These countries were later joined by Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962), Libya (1962), the United Arab Emirates (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador (1973), Gabon (1975), Angola (2007), Equatorial Guinea (2017) and Congo (2018).

This means that, currently, the Organisation has a total of 15 Member Countries.

Source: NAN