Lagos police kill 78 robbers in one year

November 28, 2014 

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti
| credits: http://newtelegraphonline.com

The Lagos State Police Command on Thursday presented crime statistics from November 2013 to October 2014, showing that about 78 robbers were gunned down by officers of the command.

The statistics also showed that within the period, no fewer than eight cops were killed.

The state Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, at the 8th Town Hall Meeting on Security on the Lagos Island, said the robbers and the police officers lost their lives in different shootouts between the police and the men of the underworld.

He added, “But the police were able to arrest 423 armed robbers in the last one year, while 372 armed robbery incidents were foiled. Our men recovered 255 arms, 4, 043 ammunition and 560 stolen vehicles.”

The Lagos police boss explained that 833 vehicles were stolen in Lagos in the last 12 months, adding that 358 vehicles were snatched by robbers at gunpoint, while 468 were stolen from where they were parked and seven others driven away.

He said, “There were 68 armed robbery incidents in Lagos in the last 12 months, while 280 people were murdered in Lagos in the same period. The high cases of murder in the state were due to the activities of street gangsters and rivalry clash, motor transport unionism, thuggery, youthful exuberance, unemployment and politics.

Speaking at the event organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Governor Babatunde Fashola, said the fund was for adequate security of residents.

Fashola appealed to corporate bodies and individuals to continue to support the STF, saying any setback could have untold consequence.

“There is more to be done. We have started some. We intend to provide modern patrol vehicles. We intend to undertake prison service reforms by building a 21st Century prison and we have completed the design.

“We are also developing the investigative capacity of law enforcement through training and support, with the aim of providing them with forensic capabilities,” he said.

Executive Secretary, STF, Fola Arthur-Worrey, said although the fund received fewer donations, it was still able to contribute significantly to the security machineries in the state.

Fears over Pele’s health downplayed

November 28, 2014

 

Concerns over Brazilian soccer legend Pele’s health have been downplayed by the 74-year-old’s representatives after his condition was feared to have worsened.

Pele was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo earlier this week with a urinary tract infection. He recently underwent surgery to remove kidney stones at the same institution.

The hospital issued a statement Thursday explaining Pele had been moved to “a special care unit” as his condition was “unstable.”

But in a conversation with CNN, the three-time World Cup winners’ agent insisted Pele was transferred to afford him greater privacy as he continues his recovery.

The hospital had earlier said Pele was moved to ensure he receives the best possible care.

“Patient Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) remains in the hospital in an unstable condition,” read a statement from the hospital.

“To make sure he gets the best care, he was transferred for monitoring to an intensive care unit.”

Pele is considered one of the greats of world soccer, winning three World Cups for Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

The Brazilian is also one of the most globally recognized faces in sport

Pope Francis begins Turkey visit

November 28, 2014

Pope Francis has begun his first visit to Turkey in a trip aimed at building bridges with Islam and supporting the Christian minorities of the Middle East.

On Friday, Francis will spend the first of three days in Turkey in the capital Ankara, notably holding a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at his newly constructed presidential palace.

Francis is to travel to Istanbul on Saturday and Sunday, visiting key sites of the city’s Byzantine and Ottoman heritage as well as meeting the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

On Saturday Francis is to visit Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine-era church that was turned into a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and now serves as a museum, and the Ottoman-era Sultan Ahmet mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque.

The Christian community in Turkey is tiny – just 80,000 in a country 75 million Muslims – but also extremely mixed, consisting of Armenians, Greek Orthodox, Franco-Levantines, Syriac Orthodox and Chaldeans.

Francis, 77, is expected to raise his concern about the plight of Christian communities throughout the Middle East amid the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Some 2,700 police are set to supervise his visit in Ankara, a number that will rise to 7,000 in Istanbul.

There have also been calls on Francis not to meet Erdogan at his presidential palace, which is seen by critics as an authoritarian extravagence with 1,000 rooms and cost at least $615m to build.

But the Vatican has refused to be drawn into the polemic, saying it is merely accepting the invitation by the hosts for Francis, who will be by far the most important visitor so far at the palace.

UN declares emergency in Gaza over floods

November 28, 2014

The United Nations has declared a state of emergency in the Gaza strip after two days of heavy rains and flooding in the war-battered enclave.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) declared the state of emergency in Gaza city on Thursday, after torrential rain overwhelmed some areas and caused flooding.

“Hundreds of residents in the flooded areas around Sheikh Radwan storm water lagoon have evacuated their homes,” the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said, referring to a northern district.

UNRWA said it closed 63 schools and was supplying “emergency fuel to municipalities, water, sanitation and health facilities”.

Robert Turner, UNRWA director of operations in Gaza, said the agency was “very concerned about such severe storms this early in the season and on the back of unprecedented damage and destruction” from the war.

“Such devastation exacerbates the already poor humanitarian situation for refugees and non-refugees in Gaza, which is dealing with the aftermath of a recent conflict and an acute fuel and energy crisis,” it said.

An estimated 100,000 Palestinians remain homeless in Gaza three months after Israel ended its offensive on the Gaza strip.

Gaza’s 1.8 million residents have endured daily electricity blackouts, with major pieces of infrastructure, from roads to sewage treatment plants, still seriously damaged.

Polls open in Namibia elections

November 28, 2014 b

Polls have opened in parliamentary and presidential elections in the southern African nation of Namibia, expected to deliver a comfortable win for the ruling party, which has been in power since independence in 1990.

About 1.2 million Namibians, about half the population, were eligible to vote in Friday’s elections at several thousand polling stations, which are using electronic voting machines instead of the old ballot paper system.

Sixteen political parties and nine presidential candidates were the race; final results were expected within 24 hours of the 9pm local time (1900 GMT) close of voting.

The presidential candidate of the ruling SWAPO party is Hage Geingob, the incumbent prime minister, who campaigned for independence decades ago at the UN.

If elected, he would succeed President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms.

Namibia enjoys political stability and benefits from major diamond and uranium reserves as well as revenue from tourists drawn to its stark landscapes.

Geingob has acknowledged Namibia still has high poverty and lacks adequate health facilities.

Geingob would be the first president from the ethnic Damara minority.

Pohamba, the current president, belongs to the Ovambo, the biggest ethnic group in Namibia.

Roy Keane quits as Aston Villa assistant manager

November 28, 2014

 

Roy Keane has stepped down as Aston Villa’s assistant manager after less than five months in the role.
Keane, who is also Martin O’Neill’s No.2 with the Republic of Ireland, had been working alongside Villa boss Lambert since July 1.
But the former Manchester United captain says taking on both jobs has proven to be too much of a strain.
“Ultimately, my roles with Villa and Ireland and combining my commitment to these have become too much,” he said in a statement.
“It isn’t fair to either Villa or Ireland, so I’ve made this decision.
“I’d like to thank Paul for giving me a great opportunity to come to a brilliant football club, I’ve really enjoyed my experiences at Villa and I wish the management team, the players, the supporters and the Club nothing but the best going forward.”
Lambert added: “Roy came to me this morning and he informed me that, ultimately, the difficulty of combining both roles has prompted his decision, which I respect totally.
“In the brief period we have worked together he has been great in the role and I understand his reasons for leaving.”
The Villa board were also quick to thank Keane for his efforts at Villa Park, with CEO Tom Fox adding: “We thank Roy for his time at the Club and we wish him the best with Ireland.
“Our focus now will be on working with Paul to identify the right person to work alongside him and to help us continue on our journey to return the Club to its rightful place in the Premier League.”

63 senators back plan to impeach Jonathan

November 28, 2014

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: File photo

SIXTY-three senators as of Thursday have signed up to the plan to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan in the upper legislative chamber, The PUNCH learnt in Abuja.

One of the arrowheads of the move to remove Jonathan in the Senate showed our correspondent the list containing the signatures of the senators.

The source said eight Peoples Democratic Party senators were among the signatories to the planned impeachment notice.

There are 109 members in the Senate.

An All Progressives Congress senator from the North-West zone, who asked not to be named,told our correspondent that the lawmakers’ major grouse was the President’s handling of the economy and political affairs of the country.

The senator cited poor implementation of the national budget since 2011, alleged high level of corruption and “gross disregard” of the legislature at both the federal and state levels as topping the list of lawmakers’ anger against Jonathan.

Asked whether he realised that the process of impeachment could be tedious and cumbersome, the senator said, “ We know and we are prepared to show the President that we have responsibility to the people and the nation in general.

“We are prepared to lay the impeachment notice anytime from next week. Meetings are already being held.”

Senator Ibrahim Musa (APC Niger North) confirmed that there were moves by some members of the Senate to initiate impeachment proceedings against the President but failed to give details.

“I think there is something like that but I don’t have the details, it is still coming as a rumour,” Musa said.

But The PUNCH learnt that the impeachment move against the President had really gained momentum with the APC senators mobilising themselves to carry out the exercise anytime from next week.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that some PDP senators, who were initially at the forefront of the struggle, had retreated following the intervention of the senate leadership and the promise of automatic tickets by the party.

It was learnt that the PDP senators had been pleading with their APC colleagues to hold on till next week pending the outcome of the moves by the senate leadership to ensure the realisation of the automatic tickets agreement they had with the PDP and Jonathan.

An APC senator told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that the impeachment letter contains the signature of both the APC and PDP senators.

He explained that the letter could not be laid on the floor of the senate because some PDP senators appealed to them to delay the action.

He said, “The truth of the matter is that the impeachment notice would have been laid if not for our colleagues in the PDP who pleaded with us to delay the process pending when the senate leadership would come up with the result of its efforts at securing automatic tickets for them.

“In any case the process had started but if we submit the letter now, the signatures of the PDP senators will be there and the party might want to use that as an excuse to deny them their automatic tickets.”

The PDP senators contacted by our correspondent on the issue declined to make comment.

However, one of them who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the process of impeachment had not been suspended.

Austerity: FG to raise N480bn through luxury tax, others

November 28, 2014

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The Federal Government is targeting additional revenue of N480bn within the next three years from the implementation of the tax on luxury goods and other austerity measures recently announced by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The minister had on November 16 announced the measures following the persistent drop in the price of crude oil in the international market.

Speaking at the fourth edition of the Capital Market Committee retreat in Abuja on Thursday, Okonjo-Iweala listed the areas where the amount would be generated to include taxes on luxury items as well as stoppage of abuses of investment incentives, such as exemptions and waivers.

The luxury goods being targeted for taxation, according to Okonjo-Iweala, include private jets, yachts, expensive vehicles and alcoholic beverages.

The minister also said the Federal Government would assist the Nigerian Customs Service to block existing leakages and loopholes in order to generate more revenue.

Other areas that would help boost revenue, she said, included remittance of surpluses to the treasury by all agencies of government in line with all extant laws establishing them; and the strengthening of tax administration to boost non-oil tax collections.

She said, “On the revenue side, a lot of work was already underway prior to the fall in price to improve non-oil revenue generation.

“There are also ongoing efforts to ensure that all agencies of government comply with all extant laws relating to their remittance of surpluses to the treasury, including the strict implementation of Mr. President’s directive on agencies and parastatals’ remittances to the treasury.

“This is crucial as many agencies have not been remitting surpluses to the treasury as they should. In this regard, I recently met with the managing directors of banks to ensure their collaboration and compliance.

“Still on the revenue side, we are looking at our policies on investment incentives, and waivers and exemptions, and are working with the National Investment Promotion Council to stem the tide of abuses.

“Over 30 per cent of companies operating under pioneer status abuse their tax exempt status. We shall also look at Customs to plug existing leakages and loopholes to enhance revenues.

“We are also introducing surcharges on certain luxury goods in the country, not only to raise additional revenue but also to ensure that the better-off in our society contribute a little bit more to easing the pain resulting from the current economic headwinds.

“In summary, our aim on the revenue side is to raise an additional N480bn ($3bn) over the 2014 base in the next three years.”

The minister, who spoke on the theme, “Competing in an uncertain world,” told the audience that the drop in oil price would not in any way rattle the economic management team because the situation had been expected since 2008 during the period of the global financial crisis.

For instance, she recalled how in 2012 she predicted that the persistent rise in price of oil was not “sustainable” owing to what she described as “possible reduction in global oil demand and increased global oil supply as new discoveries in Africa and elsewhere come on stream.”

However, she assured Nigerians that the economic management team was currently equal to the task of ensuring that the economy did not collapse with the decline in oil prices.

As a strategy, she said the government was adopting a scenario based approach to address the decline of oil prices on the economy.

She noted that as each scenario plays out, additional measures would be unveiled to cushion the impact.

She said, “As a central part of our strategy, we have revised our oil price expectations over the short to medium term.

“We have lowered our benchmark oil price assumption to $73 per barrel after some careful analysis of the possible future direction of oil price as well as the soft floor price for shale oil, which is estimated at about $75 per barrel.

“But let me clearly state that we are not taking a point-estimate position as regards the future price of oil. We fully recognise that oil prices may fall lower or even rebound. Prices could fall to $70 a barrel, $65 or even $60. Prices could also rebound to $75 – $85 a barrel.

“What we did was to work within a range of $60 – $85 thought possible by analysts, put a package of measures around an estimate at the midpoint of that range, that is, $73, and then build additional measures for scenarios at $70, $65 and $60 a barrel.

“The best way to manage uncertainty is to take a scenario-based approach to be ready for alternatives that may occur.”

In all of these, she said that the interest of ordinary Nigerians would be adequately protected by the government, noting that efforts had been put in place to strengthen tax administration to get more revenue from the well-off in the society.

On the recent devaluation of the naira, the finance minister said the move was timely as it would help complement the austerity measures being implemented.

She said, “Our fiscal measures will also now be accompanied by appropriate monetary policy measures as we have always stressed.

“As announced yesterday by the monetary policy authorities, the Monetary Policy Rate and Cash Reserves Requirement on private sector deposits have been hiked to 13 per cent and 20 per cent from 12 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, while the RDAS mid-rate has moved to N168/$ from N155/$, and the band around it widened to +/-5 per cent.

“With these moves, the CBN has shown commitment to complementing the measures outlined by the fiscal authorities to deal with the current challenges and uncertainties facing the country, so the economy can be stabilised.”

Tambuwal: Agbakoba, other SANs seek IG dismissal

November 28, 2014

 

 

Olisa Agbakoba

The All Progressives Congress, some Senior Advocates of Nigeria including Olisa Agbakoba, Yusuf Ali and Niyi Akintola, have called for the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, over his refusal to acknowledge Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The APC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Abba had shown that he was ‘partisan’ and would not be able to ensure a free and fair election next year.

The statement partly read, “‘Abba is presiding over perhaps the most-partisan police force ever in the history of our nation. He has thrown professionalism, neutrality and fairness to the winds and made the police a willing tool in the hands of a frenzied executive. He cannot be trusted to ensure a level-playing field for all parties at the next general elections, hence he should be removed immediately.”

The APC said by refusing to recognise Tambuwal who was duly elected by the 360 members of the House of Representatives, the police boss had “thumbed his nose at the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The party added, “By refusing to recognise Tambuwal as the Speaker, the IG has also indicated he does not recognise the entire House of Representatives. For a man who was not elected by anybody to make this impertinent assertion about elected representatives of the people is tantamount to treason.

“Abba has shunned all pretences to neutrality, professionalism and decency and he is no longer fit to occupy the important office of the IG.”

The APC alleged that Abba was acting the script of the Presidency in trying to unlawfully remove a duly-elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The APC said, “Shortly after the incident, the Police spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the police acted the way it did because it got intelligence report that ‘’hoodlums and thugs’’ were coming to invade the House.

“Now, Abba said it was because Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and the APC were coming to invade the House. This is a most shameful lie from the highest police officer in the land, and it is a terrible dent on the image of the police under Abba.

“One wonders why the police were so concerned about the security of the National Assembly that it engaged in selective granting of passage to the principal officers of the Assembly. The Senate President was allowed to enter without qualms, just like the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. But when the Speaker came, he was locked out. That speaks volumes about the intention of the police.”

In his own reaction, Akintola (SAN), said the IG erred by saying that it was wrong to recognise Tambuwal as the Speaker, on the excuse that the matter was in court.

He said, “The IG cannot turn himself into a court of justice to be interpreting the law. It is left for the court to interpret it one way or the other; it is not open to anybody. I think the attitude of the IG calls for concerted effort of all Nigerians to put him in check. The impunity and the derogatory remarks of the IG, if allowed to go unchecked, he will extend it to the President of the Senate, he will extend it to the CJN and he will even extend it to the Vice President.

“So to me, it is not even Tambuwal that is affected and it is very unfortunate because I would have expected that by now members of the National Assembly should have relieved him of that position. The IG is simply not mature enough to lead an organisation like the Police. All Nigerians should rise up against the impunity of this man called Abba.”

He added that the issue was not about Tambuwal but about democracy.

“And I am of the opinion that members of the National Assembly should rise up to the occasion and the man should be sacked, anything short of that, they should all go back to their respective homes until the man resigns,” Akintola added.

Also, Yusuf Ali, (SAN), said though both the Nigeria Police and the IG were supposed to be insulated from politics, Abba had demonstrated beyond any doubt that he was partisan.

“For whoever is the occupant of that office to be partisan, it is dangerous for our democracy. And that is part of the problems that we have in this country, we don’t have institutions. We only have government departments and loyalists, not to Nigerians but to individuals in government.

“It is quite unfortunate that the number one police officer in this country took it upon himself to assume the position of the court of law that pronounces the seat of the Speaker vacant and it is even more disappointing and pathetic that he is a lawyer, who is expected to know better.

“What happened yesterday was arrant insubordination,” Ali said.

For Agbakoba, the IG was wrong because the court had to pronounce the question of the Speaker’s resignation and until the court makes that pronouncement, clearly the Speaker would be entitled to be addressed as the Speaker.

“The IG was also wrong to have caused the raid of the National Assembly, so I think altogether, the IG has been acting as if he is politically-motivated and it is very dangerous. The IG was wrong to say he could not recognise the Speaker because the matter is in court.”

Also, the members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, on Thursday insisted that the action of the police was a clear invitation to anarchy and that the continued denigration of the legislature was dangerous being the most important symbol of democracy.

The Acting National President of PASAN, Mr. Mohammed Bala, who stated this at a news conference in Abuja, therefore advocated a constitutionally empowered Sergeant-At-Arms, who would be solely responsible for the security of the legislature.

Blast kills five soldiers, 35 others in Adamawa

November 28, 2014

Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Minimah

No fewer than 40 people, including five soldiers and a local hunter, were reported to have been killed following a bomb explosion on Thursday morning around Mararaba-Mubi area of Adamawa State.

Eyewitness told newsmen in Yola, the state capital, that a combined team of the military and local hunters patrolling the area after they had successful recaptured Mubi from the insurgents were mostly affected.

It was learnt that the bomb planted by the insurgents exploded and killed the 40 people instantly.

According to the eyewitness, the scene of the blast was a busy area where people returning to the town after the recaptured of Mubi gathered to do one business or the other.

The source added that the explosive might have been planted by members of the Boko Haram on the eve of the day and it went off while people, including soldiers, gathered in the morning to strategise on their next line of action.

According to the eyewitness, who spoke to newsmen on the telephone, the military had converted the venue of the blast to a checkpoint, since there was always heavy presence of people at the spot most of the time.

“My house is some metres from the scene of the incident. I stood outside my compound, watching the suburb. And all of a sudden, I heard a loud bang which shook the entire surroundings.

“The few people that were returning to the area started fleeing and the area was immediately cordoned off by the military,” he maintained.

The explosion prompted the military authorities to declare the area “a no go place” and advised returning villagers and passersby to be extra cautious along the routes.

The authorities also cautioned the people to be wary of strange objects and polythene bags within their vicinity, advising that they might be explosives fashioned out to look attractive for unknown victims.

Meanwhile, hundreds of local hunters keeping vigil with the military in the recovered areas from the insurgents in Adamawa State have vowed to ensure that they will chase the sect members out of the area.

The hunters, who were returning to the recaptured areas of Mubi and its environs, told newsmen on Thursday in Yola that their major pre-occupation was to ensure that the area was completely secured for the inhabitants to return to their homes.

The leader of the hunters, Young Moris, pledged that they would do all they could to ensure that Michika and Madagali were rid of the insurgents.

On the constraints faced by the group, Moris lamented that considering their personal sacrifices to their motherland, the state government’s gesture was not encouraging, especially in the area of mobility and feeding.

He advised politicians in the corridors of power to stop sabotaging the efforts of the government and stop playing politics with the insurgents.