July 2021 – Page 32 – Crime Facts

Post Date : July 22, 2021

REVEALED: Abuse of paracetamol damages liver –Physician

A medical expert, Dr. Fred Unuigbokha, says that the abuse of paracetamol can damage the liver and lead to hepatitis, a condition that has to do with the inflammation of the liver. The resident medical practitioner said this on Thursday while speaking on Nigerian Info 99.3 FM Morning Crossfire show, monitored by The PUNCH. Speaking on the rate of hepatitis in Nigeria, the doctor said that acetaminophen, popularly known as paracetamol, can be dangerous to the liver when it is used “beyond a certain dose.” Unuigbokha warned that chronic use of the painkiller can lead to the untoward outcome. “You could take a very high dose acutely and have a problem with your liver, most especially if your liver already has a problem before. “So you can take this high dose that other people have been taking and are getting away with and you might not get away with it,” he said. He further explained that paracetamol could damage the liver without any visible effects, but with the presence of other factors, the effects may lead to hepatitis. Drugs like paracetamol are part of the non-infective causes of hepatitis. Alcohol is also one of the non-infective causes of the condition, according to the physician. The doctor further warned that people should desist from taking medications indiscriminately simply because they have access to the drugs. “People actually do not know that they do not just wake up and put any drug into their mouths because they have access to it. “This is why we are vying for drug regulation. People do not know that paracetamol is a drug that can actually damage your liver,” Dr. Unuigbokhai said.

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Sacked Winners’ Chapel Pastors ‘unfruitful, blatant failure’ – Oyedepo

Founder of The Living Faith Church International aka Winners’ Chapel Bishop David Oyedepo has broken his silence on the recent sack of over 40 pastors by the church. He was reacting to allegation by one of the affected Pastors, Peter Godwin, that they were sacked for not generating enough income. Godwin, who was in one of the church’s branches in Ekiti State, had claimed: “I was told by the management that the church doesn’t operate at a loss. “They also told me that the total income that is being generated from my station should be able to cater for my welfare and accommodation, so as a result of low income, I’m hereby dismissed.” Nigerians reacted massively to the issue on social media with some stating it was within the rights of the church to hire and fire while others said the church was wrong to use income generation to evaluate pastors. Speaking to the church on the matter, Oyedepo said the sacked pastors were “unfruitful and blatant failure.” He said: “People are confused about our Ministry. I learnt some fellows said, “you know, they are not bringing income, that is why they asked them to go”. “We asked you to go because you are unfruitful. Unfruitful! Blatant failure. Doing what there? We have no patience with failure here. “When we employed 7,000 people at a time, social media was dead. “We have more employees in this organisation than most of the states. No one is owed a dime salary and we don’t borrow, we don’t beg. Ask our bank whether we take overdraft. “We are covenant bound, working in the light of God’s word, enjoying an open Heaven.” He said the sack was not about money. According to him: “Money? Nonsense. We have never lacked it and yet we have never prayed for it. “We are just simply obeying God and He is backing up what He is asking us to do. Awesome God.”

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Supporters assemble at Benin Republic court ahead of Sunday Igboho’s arraignment

Supporters of Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly referred to as Sunday Igboho, were seen in their large numbers at Cour De’appal De Cotonou on Thursday. The supporters said they were in court ahead of the arraignment of Sunday Igboho, who was arrested in the country on Monday. The Yoruba-speaking supporters demanded that Igboho should not be returned to Nigeria, saying that he had committed no offence. There had been reports that Igboho may be arraigned today before a Court of Appeal in Benin Republic. As of the time of filing this report, Igboho was yet to arrive at the court. Our correspondent gathered that the rights activist was held by Brigade Criminelle in Cotonou after he was arrested at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou, Republic of Benin, with his wife on their way to Germany on Monday night. On Wednesday, there were protests in Ibadan, Cotonou and London against Igboho’s arrest. In Ibadan, armed policemen dispersed his supporters who protested in the city. The protesters marched through the road leading to Soka area to the Soka bus stop along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where they sang and demanded the release of Igboho. The protesters were bearing placards with various inscriptions. A street hawker at the Soka bus stop told one of our correspondents that Igboho supporters said the Federal Government should not kill Igboho the way the winner of the June 12, 1993 election, Chief Moshood Abiola, was allegedly killed. The hawker said the protest grounded traffic in the area and some motorists had to take alternative routes. A resident of the area, Musbau Ogunbiyi, said the protest started at about 1:50pm. He said, “The policemen came in about four patrol vans and a car. They shot in the air and chased away the protesters.” But another resident, Taye Adeoti, said the protesters marched towards the Challenge area after spending some minutes at the bus stop. One of our correspondents observed that the armed police had taken over the place around 3:30pm when he arrived there. In Cotonou, Republic of Benin, some Yoruba people in the city stormed the country’s court where it was believed the extradition hearing of Igboho would hold. The protesters were seen singing solidarity songs and demanding freedom for Igboho in a video on the Facebook page of Olayomi Koiki, Igboho’s media aide. The agitators also demanded an independent nation of Yoruba people, saying they had confidence in Benin Republic justice system. In the two-minute video, an unnamed speaker told supporters of the activist to be calm, saying that “Igboho is alright, but has not gone to Germany” as being speculated. “We are in Cotonou at the moment where the extradition case of Sunday Igboho will hold. Baba is fine, but the case has not been decided,” the speaker who spoke in Yoruba said. Also, the Yoruba nation protesters in London stormed the British parliament to protest against the arrest of the activist. In a live video by Heritage media on Facebook monitored by The PUNCH, protesters were seen with the Yoruba nation flag, placards and branded T-shirts with inscriptions such as #Leave Our freedom fighters alone, stop extrajudicial killings in southern Nigeria, Free Sunday Igboho, I stand with Sunday Igboho. An unnamed speaker urged the supporters of the activist to be calm, saying “Igboho has not gone back to Germany as has been speculated. He is still in Cotonou. “We are calling on the regime of Muhammadu Buhari to leave our freedom fighters alone. We are tired of the killings in Yorubaland. Enough is enough.” Details later… Credit: The Punch

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Makinde: Security agencies must inform Oyo before any operation in the state

Seyi Makinde, Oyo governor, says the state will hold on to the firearm seized during the invasion of Igangan by men of the Nigeria Customs Service NCS) until the federal government gives him audience to address the issue. The raid led to the death of the commandant of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, in the area and two other persons. Local security forces repelled the night invasion, claiming that they thought the assailants were herdsmen. But NCS later came out to say its operatives chased smugglers to the area, leading to a gun battle between local security and its men. Makinde said federal security operatives must henceforth inform states before carrying out any covert operation to forestall deaths, and injuries to residents of the state. He said if the state was informed of the NCS operation, it would have made necessary effort to ensure a smooth operation for the federal forces. “On security, most of the data in the past months shows that things are now improving. The Igangan incident, some days ago, was only falsified by some people who were saying that Fulani herdsmen had invaded Igangan again. The truth is actually about the NCS and smugglers. They know each other,” he said. “Customs officials were accused to have entered Igangan, which is not a border town. But we are working with federal authorities and they have arrested most of them. “The gun that was collected is still with us. I said I won’t release it until I get the attention of the federal authorities. “In the Constitution of Nigeria, Oyo State is a federating unit. We are not saying federal agencies should not carry out their operations here. But they must tell us; they must inform us. They may not disclose the details of the operation to us, but we must know about it. “If we had known about the operation, we would have pre-informed the security detail in the town and those who died could have been alive. The Amotekun coordinator that died in Igboora would have still been alive today. “How can you go operating in an unidentified vehicle in a town where the security tactics have been heightened? As they wanted to enter the town, they were confronted because we have heightened security in all of those places. “So, we will keep appealing to them and to our people that false information won’t help anybody. Nobody will profit politically from the security issues we are faced with. It is our collective responsibility. The people will play their part and the government will play its own part.” The governor said a sum of N330 million will be spent on security in all the 33 council areas of the state. “We said each local government should set up a security committee, which should include traditional rulers and voluntary people willing to police their areas,” he said. “I encouraged them to budget N10 million to service the committee every month. For the entire state, that’s N330 million per month by all local governments, excluding what we are doing generally at the state level.”

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Igboho: Ilana Oodua releases manual for Yoruba nation agitation

The Umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, has released a manual for any persons willing to join or champion the Yoruba Nation agitation. The 37-page manual, exclusively obtained by The PUNCH, contained the dos and don’ts for agitators, including the reason for the agitation. This is coming barely three days after a Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Igboho was arrested at the airport in Benin’s capital Cotonou. Signed by its leader, Professor Emeritus Banji Akintoye, the manual also contained conditions that must be met when holding a rally or protest. It explained that the need for collaboration between Yoruba Nation and other self-determination groups across the world. “The following is a guide or manual for the use of all Yoruba patriots engaged in the struggle for Yoruba self-determination. It supplies to all supporters of the self-determination struggle the kinds of information that they will need to prosecute the struggle; and it supplies guides to the struggle’s strategies and methods,” part of the manual read. The manual also provided the basic details of the Yoruba nation’s reasons, part of which were given as “the Yoruba people’s devastating experiences in Nigeria, the progressive (and now almost total) destruction of democracy in Nigeria, the primitive and blood-curdling agenda of ethnic cleansing and genocide in Nigeria, the constant human brutalisation, pains and death and regime of crimes against humanity in Nigeria”. Part of the manual read, “We, Yoruba, lead in the choice of the peaceful and law-abiding path to our goal of a separate country of our own. And we the servants of the Yoruba nation in this struggle faithfully operate, and will always faithfully operate, with methods of peaceful organization, peaceful demands, peaceful propaganda, peaceful protests, peaceful legal actions, peaceful political persuasion, and peaceful negotiation. “We will push for negotiating tables, and never push for street brawls or any other kind of conflicts. And if we find, among our people, any nationalist activist person or group that is inclined towards violence, we will encourage them to turn instead to peaceful and law-abiding means. “After careful studies of the records of separatist movements in our world, we are persuaded that the peaceful approach is more likely to succeed. Various nationalist agitations in various countries of the world have, in the course of the past century, employed violent means at various times while striving to achieve their nationalist goals. “Yoruba groups engaged in serving the Yoruba nation need to note carefully that none of these uses of violent or terroristic methods achieved their purpose of self-determination or autonomy for their nations; all they succeeded in doing was to generate confrontations and wars with the governments of their countries. “Young nationalist agitators, being young, are naturally attracted to tough and rough activism. From only proudly proclaiming the virtues of their own nations, youthful nationalist activists commonly tend to lapse into insulting other nations, into needless bragging and boasting, into daring or challenging other nations, or even into daring and challenging their country and its government – all of which actions tend to provoke avoidable conflicts, hostile governmental actions, and even wars. Our Yoruba youths must learn the truth that the use of rough and violent means does not usually confer success – and, indeed, that it is usually more likely to prevent success. “Emulating the kind of peaceful processes employed by nationalist movements that have achieved various grades of success in our times –the Scots, Welsh, French Canadians, Czechs, Slovaks, Timor Leste and others – our various Yoruba self-determination groups and organizations must operate peacefully. Altogether, we Yoruba must demonstrate our Yoruba nation’s civilization and maturity, while resolutely and irrepressibly pushing our way forward to the great goal of Yoruba strength, self-determination, self-fulfillment and prosperity.”

Post Date : July 22, 2021

BREAKING: Igboho’s extradition hearing holds today

A court hearing over the extradition of embattled Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho by the Beninoise authorities will hold today, The Nation has learnt. Igboho, is currently held by operatives of Brigade criminelle in Cotonou. He was arrested on Monday night while attempting to fly to Germany with his wife, Ropo. The Nation had reported that the court hearing scheduled for Wednesday failed to hold. The self-acclaimed freedom fighter was not brought to Court for the hearing by the Beninoise authorities. The hearing holds by 10am at a Beninoise Court. Igboho’s spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki in a live update on early Thursday monitored by The Nation, explained that his principal’s hearing will hold today. “I can confirm, he will have the opportunity to be heard at the Benin Republic court, they respect international law. It will be held today (Thursday) by God’s grace. “The sitting will be held at 10am in the morning at the Benin Republic court. “The court will determine the fate of the extradition and we’ll also have the opportunity to present our case especially on the personality of Igboho. “We know the magnitude of what the Nigerian government is trying to do if they try to get hold of Igboho but they will fail, by God’s grace “Their intention was to capture him (Igboho), but God fought for him,” he said.

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Reps panel recommends arrest warrants on Emefiele, Kyari, others

The Committee on Public Accounts has prayed the House of Representatives to issue warrants of arrest on Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Melee Kyari; Sole Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Effiong Akwa; Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Elias Mbam, and 50 others. The committee in its report on the audit reports by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation for years 2014 to 2018, which is awaiting consideration by the House, heads of 54 ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government allegedly refused to answer audit queries. Consequently, the committee, which is chaired by Oluwole Oke, prayed the House ‘that all Chief Accounting Officers of the 54 government agencies listed on pages 4 to 6, that refused appearance to defend their positions during the public hearing without any written reason, prominent among them are CBN, NNPC, NDDC, RMAFC, etc., should be issued a warrant of arrest to compel their appearance to respond to the matter within a week in line with Section 89 (d) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).” In the report containing 30 recommendations, the committee recommended several serving and former managing directors, directors-general, directors of finance and accounts/administration for prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while asking various MDAs to make refunds for failing to account for funds. For NIMASA, the committee stated that the ‘reckless and deliberate refusal’ by the management of the agency to render their audited accounts for the past five years (2005 – 2019) was a violation of Section 85(3)(b) of the 1999 Constitution. “All those in office that were responsible should be disciplined and referred to the EFCC in line with Financial Regulation 3129 of 2009,” it said. The committee said the management of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria should be cautioned to desist from the late rendition of their audited accounts to the auditor-general’s office. In the case of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company, the committee said the managing director and the officers involved ‘should be sanctioned accordingly’ for not submitting the agency’s audited accounts from 2012 to 2019. Others who failed to render their audited accounts and to be sanctioned include the Security and Exchange Commission (2014 – 2018), Petroleum Equalisation Management Board (2017 and 2018 as of 2020), the Federal University of Technology Owerri (delayed 2011 – 2014 and non-rendition of 2016 – 2018), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (2014-2018), and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (since its inception in 2013 to date).

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Okonjo-Iweala: Inequity in vaccine distribution unacceptable

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), says the current inequity in vaccine distribution by developed countries is “not acceptable”. World leaders are clamouring for vaccine equality to combat the global pandemic. In June, Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, had advised African nations to start producing and not beg for COVID-19 vaccines. Speaking in an interview with CNN via zoom on Wednesday, Okonjo-Iweala addressed inequity in the distribution of vaccines. She also talked about the role of the WTO to ensure free trading on the manufacturing and availability of vaccines and Pfizer’s announcement to start manufacturing in Africa. “The current inequity we see is not acceptable by stretch of imagination, I mean the good news is 1.1 billion more doses were produced in June, 45 percent higher than May. The bad news is that of this amount to only 1.4 percent went to Africa, and only 0.24 percent to low-income countries,” she said. “However, there is a donning on everyone, including rich countries and manufacturers. It is in the interest of rich countries to support poor countries to get good access. We are hoping that this donning will lead to changes.” Speaking on the role played by the WTO in getting more vaccines to developing countries, the director-general said “everyone” is happy about the responsibility shouldered by Pfizer, by starting to manufacture vaccines in Africa. Although she slightly faulted the obvious reasons that caused the development to happen late, Okonjo-Iweala said she recognises the “difficulties” facing manufacturers in terms of access to raw materials, supplies, supply chain and quality partners. “The WTO is really playing a role in trying to make sure we get access to vaccine in trying to make sure we boost production, so members and manufacturers are interested in free trade because any blockage of supply change means we cannot scale up production,” she said. “Actually in the meeting we had today, there was a universal call for free trade, free movement of goods, and services with respect to vaccine manufacture and the WHO is playing a very strong role in that. “We are all very happy about the Pfizer announcement which came today, it was during a meeting here in the WTO, where we assemble manufacturers that the announcement came. “I think if you talk to manufacturers, they will tell you about the difficulties they have in access to raw materials and supplies, difficulties with supply chain and finding partners. “These are some of the reasons they gave: vaccines are very difficult to manufacturer, and you have to find quality partners. This would have been good had it happen faster and sooner. Some vaccines companies like AstraZeneca, J&J reached out earlier and established manufacturing partnerships in different parts of the developing world.” According to CNN, Only 13.2 percent of the world is fully vaccinated, and about 44 percent of the people in the EU have been fully vaccinated, while 50 percent in the US have done the same, but only 1.5 percent have received the necessary doses in Africa.

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Muslim leader lauds Uzodimma over security

As residents of Owerri have continued to witness peace, the Chief Imam of Imo State, Sulaiman Njoku, has lauded the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, for his efforts at tackling insecurity and uniting people of varying religious backgrounds, including the Northern community in the state. The Muslim leader disclosed this while interacting with newsmen in Owerri, on Wednesday, while marking the end of their Eld- El- Kabir celebration in the state. He urged the Muslim faithful in the state to seize the opportunity of the celebration to pray for the state and support the efforts of security personnel for lasting peace. ‌ He said: “I commend Governor Hope Uzodimma for his peace initiatives which have united all residents of the state irrespective of religious and other affiliations.” Njoku described the Eld-el-Kabir as a celebration of sacrifice while urging Nigerians to make needed sacrifices for national peace and cohesion. Speaking, the National President of the Muslim Christian Youth Council of Nigeria, Mr Emmanuel Ifuma, noted that dialogue and tolerance are bedrocks for peaceful coexistence. He urged youths to embrace and not allow themselves to be used to promote violence, ethnic or religious acrimony. Ifuma also urged the Muslim faithful in the state to remain peaceful in line with the spirit of the celebration. YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE True! Consuming Rotten Tomatoes May Cause Liver Cancer CLAIM: A Facebook user claims that the consumption of rotten tomatoes, popularly known as Esa in South-West Nigeria, can cause liver cancer. VERDICT: The claim that the consumption of rotten tomatoes can cause liver cancer is true. The WHO noted that consuming mycotoxins found in rotten tomatoes can lead to long-term effects such as immune deficiency and cancer. FULL STORY: A Facebook user, Adebisi Yusuff Adebayo, in a post, claimed that rotten tomatoes contain fungi which produce a toxin that may cause liver cancer.Muslim leader lauds Uzodimma over security Muslim leader lauds Uzodimma over security.

Post Date : July 22, 2021

Abia relaxes curfew in Aba, Umuahia, others

Abia State Government has announced further relaxation of the prevailing curfew in the state. In a special announcement authored by Barrister Chris Ezem, the Secretary to State Government, the state government said this was “following marked improvements in the security situation of the State and surrounding ones,” adding “Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has approved the relaxation and adjustment of subsisting curfews across the state.” Read Also Ikpeazu launches social identity scheme in Abia Abia professionals demand N30bn Paris Club utilisation from Ikpeazu Bayelsa imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on Nembe LGA In Aba, Umuahia, Ohafia, Bende, Umunneochi and Arochukwu LGAs, the curfew is now 12 midnight to 6am daily. The state government appreciated the citizens over their support and cooperation which it said have led to the improvements of security in the state and advised all to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movements or activities to the relevant security agents who are to also ensure strict compliance with the new curfew regimes which take effect from Thursday, 22nd July, 2021.