Unknown gunmen have kidnapped a priest of the Otukpo Catholic Diocese, Reverend Father David Echioda in Benue state.

According to reports, the incident occurred in Allan Akpa community of Otukpo local government area of Benue state on Sunday, March 1.

Father Echioda was said to have been kidnapped while on his way from Utonkon in Ado local government area of the state where he had gone on missionary assignment.

An unnamed source quoted in the report said the cleric ran into the gunmen, who seized his phones and also took him in his car to an unknown destination.

A motorcycle rider who ran into the scene and escaped being kidnapped too was the one who broke the news.

“The kidnappers are yet to open contact with anyone while the whereabouts of the priest is still unknown,” the source said.

The director of information, Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Father John Okopopu and the Benue police command spokesperson, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed the abduction of the priest.

Recall that heavily armed men on Friday, February 14, kidnapped a priest of the Uromi Catholic Arch Diocese, Rev Father Nicholas Oboh in Benin the Edo state capital.

Chancellor Uromi Diocese, Rev Father Osi Odenore, revealed this in a statement he posted on his Facebook page. “We are sure he is alive, and since the incident, steps have been taken to ensure that Rev Father Nicholas Oboh is released without no harm,” he wrote.

Source: Legit NG

The 73-year-old man, Chief Oforbuike Ani, a native of Amodu Akunanaw in the Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, who died after a widow allegedly plucked out his eyes, has been buried.

The 38-year-old widow and mother of five, identified as Blessing Nwatu, was alleged to have hit the old man with a brick, where he was sitting in his compound on February 21, 2020.

After the victim had fallen down, Nwatu allegedly used a knife to pluck out his eyes and left him in a pool of his own blood.

It was gathered that neighbours, who got wind of the incident, called one of Ani’s sons living in Enugu, the state capital, who came and took him to hospital, where he died on February 28.

Our correspondent, who visited the Okpebe community in Amodu on Tuesday during the victim’s burial, reported that residents described the incident that resulted in the man’s death as a taboo.

One of the sons of the deceased, Barry, told PUNCH Metro that his father’s killing hit him like a thunderbolt, but thanked God that the perpetrator had been arrested.

He stated, “On February 21, 2020, I received a call from my father’s best friend that I should come home immediately because my father was seriously ill. I thought maybe it was his usual illness. So, I rushed home.

“While on my way to the village, I started receiving calls that I should come home because a woman used a knife to pluck out my father’s eyes.

“When I got home, I saw my father lying down in a pool of blood in the compound with his two eyes plucked out. I asked a woman I saw in the neighbourhood where the perpetrator was, but she advised that I should take my father to hospital first. I took her advice and rushed my father to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla.

“I met a doctor at the Emergency Unit and he asked me what happened to my father; I could not tell him much, because I didn’t have the details and he told me to get a police report before the hospital would start treatment.”

Barry explained that he begged the doctor to commence treatment to save his father’s life, while he went to police station to report the incident.

He added, “He accepted to commence treatment and I went to the Agbani Police Division, where I reported the incident. Immediately the DCO saw the pictures of the incident, he followed me to the hospital to see my father. It was at the hospital that the DCO called his men to go to my community to arrest the perpetrator.

“When I left the hospital with the DCO, I got a call from the doctor asking me where my father’s eyes were and if I picked them. I told him no and he said that I should go and bring the eyes. I came back to the village but could not find them. I went back to tell the doctor that I couldn’t find them.

“Since February 21, 2020, the doctors started battling to save my father’s life, but on February 28, he passed away and because he had instructed that his body should not be kept in the mortuary, we had to bury him today (Tuesday) according to his last wish.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the incident, told our correspondent that the perpetrator had been arrested and was charged on Friday and remanded in a correctional centre.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has denied sponsoring 300 guests with public funds to mark his mother’s 90th birthday in Dubai.

Gbajabiamila, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, on Monday, said only family members and close friends attended the celebration.

The statement read, “The story carried by Sahara Reporters on Monday, March 2, 2020, alleging that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, used public funds to take 300 guests to Dubai for his mother’s birthday is categorically false.

“The Speaker, his family and a few friends were in Dubai to celebrate the 90th birthday anniversary of Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila, the Speaker’s mother.

“For the record, this event was strictly for family members and a few childhood friends, for which no public funds were appropriated or expended. Indeed, not a single politician or a legislator was present at the event.”

SaharaReporters had, in the report, alleged that the “fanfare and lavish celebration” to mark the woman’s birthday was expected to run from March 2 to March 10 in the glittering Arab city.

The report further alleged that Gbajabiamila could be spending “well over N500m” on the celebration, “going by the calibre of guests that would be gracing the occasion.”

The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has warned that the Ndigbo will not fold their arms and allow Fulani herdsmen to continue to harass, rape and kill her people in their land.

The President General of the Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia Nwodo, in an open letter to the Inspector-General of Police, titled, ‘The road to anarchy,’ on Tuesday, said Igbo were ready and capable of defending themselves from any aggression.

“We are law-abiding, hospitable and always ready to coexist with others as friends and brothers but not as foes and at a supreme price. Enough is enough,” Nwodo said.

Nwodo, who narrated how two Fulani boys openly wielded AK-47 rifles in Anambra community and Commissioner of Police in the state refused to arrest those boys, “because they came from a particular section of the country.”

The Igbo apex body asked the Inspector-General of Police, “Is the bearing of unlicensed firearms no longer illegal and therefore punishable in breach in the laws of this country?

“The behaviour of the police probably explains why it is only police commissioners from a particular part of the country that are posted to Igbo land. This also tends to lay credence to the fears being harboured by our people that even the military laying siege to Igbo land are here to protect the interest of an ethnic group. Not only have Ndigbo been marginalised in this country, they are even being pushed to the brink. It is always said that no country survives a second civil war.”

Source: Punch NG

Controversial actress, Tonto Dikeh took to social media to reveal what she did when she found that her ex is bisexual.

The actress wrote that she “walked out” when she discovered her ex is a “bisexual man”.

She wrote on Instagram: “You wake up one day and you discover you are married to a bisexual man…. what would you do? I walked out.

“For those who say God forbid, well I hope you know that 60% of the men you/we marry sleep with men,” she added.

View this post on Instagram

You wakeup one day and you discover you are married to a BISEXUAL Man.. . . . WHAT WOULD YOU DO? . . I WALKED OUT... . For those of you who says GODFORBID well I hope you know that 60% of the men you/WE marry SLEEP WITH MEN.. . Or y’all still casting and binding FOR CHANGE🤪 . . #BoysNightOut #BoysTrip #Outwiththsboys 🤪🙂🤣🙈🥵🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

A post shared by KING-Tonto Dikeh (@tontolet) on Mar 2, 2020 at 4:17am PST

Her revelation shocked Twitter users even though she didn’t call names.

Popular OAP, Daddy Freeze, on whose platform Tonto once made a shocking revelation about her ex, Churchill Olakunle responded by saying he doesn’t doubt Tonto’s claim.

He wrote: “Hmmm people have been suggesting this for years… I think this should be investigated, there are way too many stories. I’m not sure I doubt her claim…”

Maurice Iwu, former chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission and professor of pharmacognosy got the assurances of two Nigerian ministers on Monday to support his team on their drug project for Wuhan coronavirus.

Based on evaluation, his research effort may be boosted with a N36m grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Iwu told the ministers that the purpose of his visit was to formally brief him on his team’s efforts toward finding a treatment for the Wuhan Coronavirus.

He disclosed that the lead drug discovery project included the chemical isolation and characterisation of naturally occurring compounds and subjecting them to a bioassays for the identification of potentially useful-drug-led molecules.

He said the approach was the use of a network of eminent scientists and leading laboratories to target particular disease, especially neglected tropical, emergent and orphan diseases.

He also said those included leishmaniasis, Ebola virus, Dengue fever virus, chikungunya virus, corona virus and tacaribe virus among others.

He said he came to ask for assistance from Nigerians on the project.

Both Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology and Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, Minister of State for health pledged support.

Onu said his Ministry would give all the support it could to Prof. Maurice Iwu and his team, working under his Bioresources Development Group, of which he is the chairman.

The minister said that some time ago, the ministry had given a charge to Nigerian scientists knowing they were capable to provide solutions to COVID-19.

Onu said he had tasked them on finding solutions to problems, whether regional or international, and that such problems should not always be left for other people from foreign nations to solve.

“That is why we said that within the resources available to the ministry we are ready to make available N36 million to any scientist who can help us.”

The minister further said that the money was to support any genuine Nigerian scientist with possible treatment for either Lassa fever or COVID-19.

Onu also said that the ministry was very happy that Prof. Iwu had come to it with the “compound he isolated about five years ago”.

He further said that he was happy that Iwu had already entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the U.S. on this project as regards his patents.

Onu called on the Nigeria Academy of Science to come and assist in the project.

He noted that there was a committee set up with the best mind in this area and he believed the committee was ready to start work.

He expressed happiness and optimism that the “compound’’ would be readily available to it for certification.

He said after being advised by the committee the ministry would be ready to give all the support.

According to the minister, Nigeria has the largest concentration of black people in the world, the largest economy in Africa, the largest population in Africa and the largest market.

“ But we believe we have one of the most intelligent people in the world, hence we should also be able to make contributions,’’ he said.

Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, Minister of State for Health, who was present during the visit, thanked Prof. Iwu and his team for coming up with the identification of the potential treatment agent for coronavirus.

“We must start from somewhere and it is important for us to appreciate that if Nigeria must grow, if Nigeria must develop, it is Nigerians that will develop Nigeria,’’ he said.

He said that the Federal Ministry of Health would partner and collaborate with Iwu on the project.

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has made his Nollywood debut, featuring in movie series, titled: “Silent Prejudice.”

Fani-Kayode announced this on Monday, saying that he joined some of the Nollywood greats like Larry Koldsweat, Obi Idejimba and T.T. Temple on set last Saturday and making a cameo appearance in his debut movie which is a series titled “Silent Prejudice”.

“We were on set the whole afternoon and, though gruelling, it was a great experience and tremendous fun! Many do not know just how hard actors work and the energy and discipline that goes into their craft. Being a thespian is no mean feat.

“It requires total dedication and focus and, having been through what I experienced on Saturday, my respect for them is boundless. My friends, brothers, colleagues and fellow politicians, Chief Dan Iwuanyawu and Senator Dino Melaye appear in the series as well, as does our respected and much-loved big brother Governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife, so I was not alone,” he said.

“Thankfully the producer, Mr. Chris Oge Kalu, guided us beautifully and taught us all we needed to know.
My beautiful wife Precious (@snowhiteey) was also on set with us and encouraged me immensely. She appears in the movie too!

“Season 1 is already being aired on AIT on Wednesdays at 9.00pm and Season 2, in which I appear, will soon be aired. The series is about the evils associated with the Osu cast system and has the full endorsement and participation of the Nigerian Human Rights Commission whose Executive Secretary, Mr. Tony Ojukwu, also makes an appearance,” he added.

The management of Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, has debunked claim by Lafarge Plc that the Italian who brought Coronavirus to Nigeria first slept at the hotel before coming to the company in Ogun State.

The Lagos Airport Hotel management described the report as a lie and untrue, as no Italian ever visited the hotel as claimed by Lafarge.

Lafarge’s Industrial Director, Segun Soyoye had said in a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that “The Italian came for a business visit. He was in Lagos on Monday and slept at Airport Hotel, Ikeja. Our driver took him there, and when we observed abnormal temperatures and symptoms, we quickly instituted an Emergency Response Team which is led by the Company’s CEO; we have to find a way of analysing and identifying not only the Italian but also the other contacts.”

But the Managing Director, Lagos Airport Hotel Limited, Ikeja, Kayode Bakare, told newsmen on Monday that it was shocked to read such report online, saying that it was not true.

“The management of Lagos Airport Hotel Limited, Ikeja, wishes to state categorically that at no time did the Italian who was in Nigeria on a business meeting to Lafarge Plc lodged at Lagos Airport Hotel Limited, Ikeja.

“The hotel’s manifest for Monday, 24th, February, 2020, when the Italian arrived Nigeria and in deed for the entire week is there for anyone to crosscheck,” he said.

Bakare showed newsmen the manifest for that day which had 21 customers who lodged in the hotel and they were all Nigerians.

“We therefore want to seize this opportunity to debunk any rumour that the said Italian man was accommodated in our hotel on the said date,” Bakare said.

Bakare added that “the Management of Lagos Airport Hotel Limited, Ikeja, urged the entire public and all our esteemed customers to completely disregard this untrue publication credited to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while assuring them of their health and safety as they continually patronise our hotel.”

Two more foreign nationals suspected to be carrying the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from a high-risk country in Asia have tested negative in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said on Monday.

The Governor disclosed that series of medical examination at the State’s bio-security facility conducted on the two patients, who were brought from Ogun State over the weekend, did not show any sign of COVID-19 infection.

Sanwo-Olu made this known during an advocacy meeting held at the Banquet Hall in State House, Alausa, with all 57 council chairmen, community health officers from all councils, representatives of Community Development Association (CDA) and Community Development Council (CDC) across Lagos. All Progressives Congress (APC) members led by the State chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, attended the event.

Addressing journalist after the meeting, the Commissioner for Health, @ProfAkinAbayomi disclosed that the contact list of the index case of COVID-19 in Lagos is over 100 and increasing daily. pic.twitter.com/JoTFsMSikO

— LSMOH (@LSMOH) March 2, 2020

The Governor, who spoke in Yoruba dialect, observed that the condition of the Italian national tested positive to the virus last Friday was improving, saying the Incident Command Centre was satisfied with recovery of the infected patient.

Sanwo-Olu said the aim of the meeting with the local government stakeholders was to engage them in propagating accurate information on the virus at the grassroots and also to cascade down communication on how to prevent the human-to-human transmission in case of potential outbreak.

He said: “We have called for this meeting as part of proactive measures we are taking to prevent the spread of coronavirus to our local communities. It is no more news that we are managing a case in Lagos, but the situation does not call for panic. One of the lessons we learnt during the outbreak of Ebola virus six years ago is that, the grassroots was adequately sensitised and prepared.

“We are bringing the lesson back in this period when we are dealing with another highly contagious virus. We don’t want to record any loss of life to this virus. My administration places premium value on human life, which is the reason we have upgraded facilities at our bio-security centre and Infectious Disease Hospital to stop the spread of the virus. But, we believe we will achieve better results in this effort if people at the grassroots are properly sensitised on how to protect their communities from the virus and other contagious diseases.

"We are unrelenting in our quest and we are still trying to find the remaining passengers on that aircraft and every day we are finding more. Our contact list now is over a 100 and it increasing everyday”, Abayomi said. pic.twitter.com/EHVcyZyRMi

— LSMOH (@LSMOH) March 2, 2020

“Government is doing its best to stop coronavirus, but Government cannot do it alone. It requires collective responsible of everybody living in Lagos to stop the virus. Therefore, what we are doing today is to cascade information on coronavirus down to people in our various communities and towns. We want every resident of the State to have first-hand information on the virus and how to report any possible case to the authorities.”

The Governor asked the stakeholders to disseminate the information to members of their respective communities and sensitise them on how to get information from official sources. He also urged them not to be advocates of misinformation and fake news that may send panic to their neighbours.

He said the State Government would maintain open line of communication with the public on the progress being made in containing the virus, advising members of the public to disregard any piece of information that did not come from official source.

Sharing more updates on the case being managed, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the Government had intensified its search for all persons that had interaction with the isolated patient.

Abayomi disclosed that the Incident Command Centre was still investigating possible transmission of the virus, pointing out that the Centre had identified all the local contacts that interacted with the patient, including some passengers in the aircraft and six other persons who came in contact with the carrier at the airport.

He said: “There were 159 passengers in the aircraft and six people that came in contact with him at the airport. There are 25 people who came in contact with him at the factory; there were two drivers and an ambulance driver. We have quarantined those identified so far at our medical facilities and some of them at home. We are calling them twice a day to check if they are okay. If they develop symptoms, we will bring them to our bio-security facility for test.

“We have identified all of these people except some of the people on the aircraft who have either gone back to Europe and other states. Some of them gave us false information on the phone. We are still trying to find the remaining passengers on that aircraft every day. Our contact list is over 100 persons and this number is increasing every day.”

Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested one Ejike Okata, the suspected killer of his neighbour, at a motor park in Ijebu-Ode.

Okata, 27, who hails from Onueke in the Eza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was arrested 48 hours after he allegedly killed his 50-year-old neighbour, Adeyiba Oladipo, in the Ayegbami area of Ijebu-Ode over a dispute.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this in a statement on Sunday.

Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested on Sunday at the Mobalufon junction motor park, while running away to his village in Ebonyi State.

According to him, the suspect reportedly dealt machete blows on Oladipo during a minor argument on Friday, which led to her death.

Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested following a report by the deceased’s brother at the Obalende Police Station, Ijebu-Ode, on Friday.

The brother reported that his sister, who resided in the Ayegbami area of the city, was cut with a machete by her neighbour over a minor argument.

The PPRO added that the complainant told the police that the suspect ran away immediately after the incident.

He said, “Upon the report, the DPO, Obalende Division, CSP Omonijo Sunday, mobilised his detectives to the scene, where the corpse of the victim was recovered and taken to the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

“A serious manhunt was launched for the fleeing suspect. The efforts of the detectives yielded a positive result on Sunday, March 1, 2020, when the suspect was about to board an Ebonyi State bound vehicle, but he was apprehended by policemen, who had already laid an ambush for him due to intelligence information that they already had about him.

“On interrogation, the suspect, who hails from Onueke in the Eza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, confessed to dealing machete blows on the deceased, because she accused him of stealing a phone, which infuriated him.

“He confessed further that he cut off the woman’s two hands because she wanted to struggle with him and collect the machete.”

Oyeyemi added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Kenneth Ebrimson, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution.