A Yoruba leader and Head of Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Struggle, Prof. Banji Akintoye, has tendered unreserved apology to the victims of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in Yorubaland. Akintoye, who is a professor of History, said some of the victims of the slave trade placed a curse on the future generation of Yoruba people for colluding with the Whites to sell them into slavery back then. Akintoye, in an open letter to the Yoruba people which he personally signed and made available to journalists through his Communications Office, on Sunday, said “the Holy Spirit told him that the spirits of those our forefathers sold for peanuts to Portuguese and Dutch people as slaves are behind the lack of growth, development, progress, peace and unity in Yorubaland, and among the Yoruba people.” He said the unholy collaboration between the then leaders of the Yoruba people and the Portuguese and Dutch businessmen who came to Africa for the business of slave trade in 18th century led to the selling of many into slavery and great agony. He said over one million Africans, including the Yoruba people, were exported to Europe and America as Slaves by Europeans, who brought salt to Africa in 18th Century through Porto Novo and Whydan Kingdom in the present-day Benin Republic through the collaboration of some local warriors. “The curses placed on the Yoruba people by victims of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, many of whom jumped into the Atlantic Ocean during their forced trips to Europe and America, needs to be cleansed in order for the Yoruba people to enjoy God’s favour, cohesion, unity and progress. “Predating colonialism and slavery in Africa in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Yoruba race had engaged in internal conflicts, resulting in marauding, intra-tribal and internecine warfare. Historians mostly agree that such civil unrest did not result in commercialization of human captives until the era of colonialism and slave trade on African soil. Yet, we have to agree that foreigners did not do this without the cooperation of some of the indigenous people, the Yoruba. “According to the revelation referenced above, a segment of the captive Yoruba sons and daughters hauled into slavery looked back and placed a curse on the land and the people that violated their humanity by selling them into slavery. “Furthermore, Holy Spirit revealed that some among the Yoruba captives committed suicide by jumping off the captive ships into their deaths deep into the Atlantic Ocean, while others simply placed the curse and endured the shame by continuing the captive’s journey. For this, the need for reconciliation and unreserved apologies is real and past due. “Against this backdrop of the atrocity of historical proportions unleashed against the peoples of Black Africa, which escalated into full-blown slavery, the current generation of the Yoruba seeks to tender an unreserved, heart-felt apology on behalf of our past generations of forefathers, monarchs and chiefs who participated in slavery. “Also, those who folded their hands in helplessness and hopelessness, those who looked the other way when they could have spoken or stood against the perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity, and those who cooperated and/or benefitted from the sales of their brothers and sisters, children, parents, friends and neighbors. “Words alone cannot atone for the immeasurable amount of suffering endured by our brothers and sisters during the forceful passages into the New World as they entered the narrow passage that ushered them into the journey of no return. Yet, words have to be offered to express remorse, regret and above all, to ask for forgiveness that could only come from the heart, and straight from the throne of grace.” According to Akintoye, although the crime was committed many years ago, the effect of the bitterness might still be the reason for lack of unity and development in Yorubaland. “Having said all that, we say it from the bottom of our hearts that we sincerely understand if you still nurse the hurt and feel the pain; after all, years may heal the wound, but the scar may always remain. All we can say is to appeal that you please forgive our forefathers on whose behalf we tender these apologies; and to forgive us as offspring of our erring progenitors. “May God bless you, lighten your burdens, redeem time for you and generations to come after you and heal our land. Above all, may the Lord of the Universe forgive the Yoruba race and move it into a new dispensation in its onward march towards the attainment of redemption and enjoyment of its potential, Amen,” he added.

  Hundreds of hapless patients who had converged from different parts of Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State, were Sunday, frustrated when a team of medics coming to attend to them were prevented by a group of armed youths suspected to be thugs from accessing the venue of the exercise. The ongoing free medical/surgical outreach was sponsored by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Professor Greg Ibe. According to sources close to the APGA candidate, the fierce-looking armed youths suspected to be political thug of a governorship candidate from the area stopped the 50-man from gaining entry into the Abayi Council Hall, venue of the free medical outreach. According to the source, the violent youths claimed that they had earlier booked the venue for a celebration of New Yam festival. But upon inquiries, the source continued, it was gathered that the said event by the youths was rather scheduled for a date in September. Coordinator of the Prof Gregory Ibe Medical and Surgical Outreach, Dr Ojum Ogwo, who confirmed the incident, said that every plea to the youths to allow the medics entry to the hall to attend to waiting patients fell on deaf ears.   He regretted that not even the health conditions of the innocent patients moved the thugs, describing the sad development as strange. “The youths frustrated every effort to resolve the issue, threatening that they were directed by a governorship candidate to attack the medical team if they insisted on continuing with the exercise”. He explained that the frustrated medical team later withdrew to a safe place in Aba, taking with them the medical supplies meant for Osisioma. Dr Ogwo expressed disappointment that politicians out of desperation for power could put their subjects’ life at risk describing it as politics taken too far. He recalled that the free medical outreach is a social intervention programme initiated by Professor Ibe since 1991 to give indigent members of society opportunity of receiving free quality medi-care. The Head of the team disclosed that no fewer than 10,000 persons had benefited from the ongoing 2022 edition of the exercise which started on August 2nd. According to him over 3,500 eye glasses have also been distributed in 12 Local Government Areas so far covered since the exercise started. The free medical outreach targeted at 20,000 patients is to go round all 17 LGAs in the state.

  Youths tortured two widows, Mrs Martina Osom and Mrs Rose Akom, to death after accusing them of witchcraft, in Cross River State. The incident occurred on the morning of Saturday, August 27, in Ebbaken community in Boje, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, about 300 kilometres from Calabar, the state capital. An eyewitness, a son-in-law to one of the windows, who craves anonymity, narrated to Vanguard that both women, devoted Catholics, were returning from early morning prayers when the youths accused them of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft. He said: “They met my mother-in-law within the Church environment. As it was her tradition to weed and clean up the Church vicinity every Saturday immediately after the Morning Mass. “The youths accused her of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft and she denied the allegation. “But they went ahead and beat her severely, ordering her to confess that she is a witch. But her passionate appeal to them that she was innocent fell on deaf ears.” He said the other woman, Mrs Rose Akom, was also dragged to join his mother-in-law and inflicted with same torture, ordering her to confess to allegations that she is a witch. “They were both tied with strong ropes and beaten in the rain all through the day until they died,” he added. He said no arrest had been made and the culprits are walking free in the community. “That was what happened in this civilised era in this community,” he lamented. Several calls and text messages sent to DSP Irene Ugbo, the Cross River State Police Command spokesman, were unanswered.

  L-R: Nnamani, wife, Tikhir, police officer A Nigerian man, Emmanuel Nnamani and his Indian wife, Suchim Tikhir have been arrested in Delhi, India for allegedly duping a government employee of Rs 30 lakh approximately N15,838 million. The couple was arrested from Delhi’s Maidangari area by Cyber Crime and Economic Offence Police on Saturday. ADVERTISING A report from the Times of India said earlier this month, that a Nigerian identified as Samson Emeke Alika was nabbed in connection with the case. The complainant alleged that he came in contact with a woman who claimed to be from the United Kingdom through Facebook and they began chatting through WhatsApp. The woman then informed the complainant of having sent a gift of huge value containing gold biscuits, a Rolex watch and an I-phone. Not quite long, the complainant who fell victim received a call over the phone, as the caller identifying himself as a Customs Officer said that a gift of high value in his name has arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) from London, demanding he had to pay Customs charges to receive the gift. The complainant kept depositing money in Rs 2 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, and Rs 4 lakh at different instances to the tune of around Rs 30 lakh which is N15,838 million. According to the report, the complainant made a complaint at Balasore Cyber Police Station when he realised he had been duped. After probing into the matter, Balasore Cyber Police Station arrested Alika from New Delhi earlier this month. It stated that his passport had expired in 2018 and another passport in his possession appeared to have been forged. Additional Superintendent of Police, Amresh Kumar Panigrahi said the police have seized two laptops, one Hyundai i20 car, one Dangal, two invalid passports, one SBI passbook, two gold chains and seven mobile phones from the couple. The three suspects worked as a team to defraud the victim from the Balasore district. Panigrahi said an investigation still continues to arrest other people that are involved in the matter.