The Afikpo South Local Government Area Commander of Ebubeagu Security outfit, Mr Kalu Chima Ekuma also known as ‘Oyeoku’ (Setter of Fire), yesterday narrated how his 7 months old pregnant wife was killed by hoodlums in his community. The development has received lots of condemnations from members of the community, including the All Progressive Congress, APC House of Representatives candidate for Afikpo North/South in the 2023 general election, Barr. Eni Uduma Chima, among others. The deceased, Urenwa Kalu Chima, was shot dead by hoodlums in the early hours of 2:30a.m of January 1st, 2023. Narrating his ordeal, Ekuma said: “I am a Commander of Ebubeagu in Afikpo South local government. “On 1st January, 2023, I was sleeping in my bed with my wife and my two kids; Blessing Kalu Chima, 12 years old and Roseline Kalu Chima, 2 years when I heard a gunshot in front of my house which woke me up immediately. “I wallked to the window and opened the curtain and saw men with Ak-47 riffles numbering about 19 and I know them all. “Because of my wife’s pregnancy, she couldn’t run. When the door was hit the third time, I left my wife and my children in the backyard. I entered the fence and jumped the fence and landed where villagers throw waste. “I lay there and heard the last gunshot and my wife shouted and couldn’t talk again. They poured fuel on my two houses and set them on fire. “I called my PA to go and see what was happening in my house. When he got there, they had finished everything they were doing and he saw the dead body of my wife and my two kids there. “I called one of my neighbours who assisted me because I was no longer in order and they came and assisted in carrying my wife’s dead body to the mortuary and deposited it. “As I am talking to you one of the suspects is in the crack office of the state police command in Abakaliki here. Others are on the run but the police are seriously looking for a way to arrest them.” Reacting, the All Progressive Congress, APC House of Representatives candidate for Afikpo North/South Federal Constituency, Barr. Eni Uduma Chima who condemned the killing of the pregnant woman added that such a dastardly act cannot be excused under any guise. “The only thing correct in the stories being sold to the public by Mr Kalu Chima Ekuma also known as ‘Oyeoku’ (Setter of Fire), who is the Afikpo South Commander of Ebubeagu are the facts that buildings were burnt and someone killed. The rest of the narratives desperately try to link the crimes with those who participated in what happened in Ekoli-Edda and with the supporters of Barr. Eni Uduma Chima is but a fabricated hog-wash which cannot pass even the most superficial scrutiny. “The killing of a pregnant woman and wife of the Commander of Ebubeagu Security Operatives in Afikpo South Local Government Area is extremely wicked and condemnable. This barbaric act cannot be excused under any guise, and I shall invest my time, material and other resources to get to the root of the matter and cause law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to book. “I make bold to assert that the arson and killing of a pregnant woman in Amoso Edda have nothing to do with the Ekoli-Edda people, who regrettably violently reacted to the killing of a youth leader- Mr. Eseni Kalu Egwu- in Ekoli Edda. The Amoso Edda atrocities also have nothing to do with the supporters and loyalists of Barr. Eni Uduma Chima, who are currently being harassed all over the place by Ebubeagu Operatives.”

  The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has paid about N1 million to offset the medical bill of Mrs Blessing Usulor, a resident of Enugu, abandoned in a hospital. Usulor, in June 2022, was rushed to the Hopecare Medical Centre, Enugu by her neighbours when she slumped in her quarters within the IMT Campus-4 axis of Enugu. Presenting a cheque on Wednesday to the Medical Director of the Centre, Obi, who was represented by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, extolled the hospital management for putting life first before monetary consideration in terms of payment of deposit. He said that the exemplary conduct of the hospital by seeing to the survival and total recovery of the patient showed “the New Nigeria we all are yearning for”. According to him, the recovery of Usulor and the exemplary conduct of Hopecare Medical Centre is a shining example that with love and care, Nigerians have the capacity to rebuild this great country once more. “I was indeed shocked when I learnt about the Usulor story through Ambassador Ojukwu. “We have to bear each others burden, be our brother’s keeper and create a Nigeria that works for everybody and we can be proud to call our own and home,” he said. Responding, the Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Samuel Ngwu, said that she was admitted few days in June, 2022 and was brought to the hospital in a coma by neighbours living within her quarters. Ngwu noted that she stayed in a coma for a whole 10 days and her medical case was with some complications. According to him, these complications include renal failure, which involved the hospital carrying out a dialysis, diabetes complication and eventually she also developed ulcers due to a long stay in bed. “As God may have it, she recovered. In the beginning, there was no monetary deposit and my staff brought that to my attention. “And my answer was that a 22-year-old person will never die in my care because of money. “So, we continued to treat her; and after the treatment, paying the medical bill became a challenge after she was discharged on July 1, 2022. “Since then, she could not meet up with her bill and she had been here while the husband that also came with her two-year-old son later abandoned both her and her son to date. “While in the hospital all these time, she lives on handouts from other patients or relatives of other patients she meets in the ward. Earlier, today, a relative of a patient gave her N3,000,” he said. The medical director thanked Obi for the gesture, adding that “we are looking forward for a New Nigeria, where we will be led by leaders with vision like Mr Peter Obi.” In a tearful mood, Usulor, who hails from Ebonyi, appreciated Obi for identifying with “a poor and nobody” in the society. “I am overwhelmed with joy that I don’t know how to thank His Excellence for this kind gesture and remembering someone that has been abandoned. “I appreciate Dr Samuel Ngwu and the entire management of Hopecare Medical Centre that God has used to keep me alive till today. May God continue to bless and reward you all,” she added.

  Tragedy struck in Bauchi on Wednesday evening, as an auto crash claimed the lives of 18 people who were burnt beyond recognition at Nabardo Village along the ever-busy Bauchi-Jos road. The incident was said to have occurred on Wednesday at about 4.40pm. Two commercial vehicles, a Toyota Hiace Bus and a MAN Trailer, were involved in the incident. Details later…

  Air Peace Airline has urged the aviation authorities to look into the ground handling equipment that collided and damaged its aircraft elevator at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos Spokesman of Air Peace, Mr Stanley Olisa, who confirmed the incident in Lagos on Wednesday, said the aircraft was scheduled to transport passengers to Owerri from Lagos. Olisa explained that the aircraft was an Airbus A320 aircraft belonging to Air Peace with the registration number: A320 ES-SAZ. He said that the incident had led to disruption of scheduled flight operations after one of the ground handling company’s equipment rammed into one of its aircraft. Olisa said before the incident occurred, the aircraft was scheduled to transport passengers from Lagos to Owerri for a 7.00 a.m flight. He said: “This same aircraft was positioned for about 10 flights on the same day, however, the incident changed all that causing a ripple that affected the airlines schedule. “This is the third time in one month that the aircraft is grounded and we don’t know when it will be up again. “The NAHCO staff had no reason to be where he was and he was not assigned to the aircraft and how he rammed into our aircraft is still shocking. “This is going to cause revenue loss for us as an airline because the aircraft was scheduled to operate several flights today (Wednesday), but could not do so. “This has caused flight disruptions and delays hence, the authorities should investigate the incident and take necessary actions.” Olisa said the airline had made a formal complaint to NAHCO management on the incident. Reacting, the Group Executive Director, Business and Corporate Services (GED), NAHCO, Dr Sola Obabori, also confirmed the incident. Obabori said it was not possible for its staff to deliberately and maliciously damage one of its major customer’s aircraft. The official said the handling company had filed a report on the incident, adding that the company had commenced an engagement with the airline on the incident. “We have a very cordial relationship with the airline and we have been together all these years, we serve them diligently and professionally. “Our staff are well-trained, accidents do happen. You will agree with me that aircraft do crash due to human error. “In this particular case, the staff was driving on the runway to attend to another flight that arrived before Air Peace. “He was driving towards that direction and wanted to support that operation, but he committed an error in terms of processes he was supposed to follow, which he didn’t follow.” The official said that was what caused the incident, adding that the staff might had a blind spot, which prevented him from seeing well. He, however assured that the company would review what had happened so that such incident would not reoccur. (NAN)

  The 14th Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, has described late Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa as God-fearing and trustworthy personality who tells the truth to leaders irrespective of their position, stating that failure to have people like him around the leaders is worsening the country’s situation. Sanusi, who is the present Khalifa of Tijjaniyya movement in Africa, was speaking as Special Guest of Honour, at the First Bashir Tofa Memorial Lecture to mark one year of his death which was held on Tuesday evening via zoom. He said lack of appreciation of people who tell the political leadership the right thing to do for the citizens is one of the problems of Nigerian leaders, stressing that the situation has pushed the country backward. “Bashir Tofa has lived a good life that should be emulated by our present leaders; telling the truth to anybody without fear of his power or position. What our leaders don’t want is telling them the truth and this will not take us anywhere. The last interview: Bashir Tofa on his life, politics and Nigeria Tribute: For Bashir Othman Tofa, a friend, Novelist and playwright “The best prayer we can offer to any leader is for him to have good associates that will guide them to the right things. It is high time we stopped mocking our leaders indoors. What we need is to tell them the truth to do the right thing,” Sanusi said. He said the late Bashir Tofa rejected a title he offered him when he was the Emir of Kano for his dedication to serving people. “When I was the Emir of Kano, I decided to turban Bashir Tofa with the title of his late father, which is Zannan Kano. But immediately he got my message, he rushed to the palace and said he didn’t want it. He said then that at his age and level, he didn’t need any traditional title.” The guest speaker, Professor Tijjani Naniya, who discussed the life and time of the deceased said the whole of his life was dedicated to serving humanity as well as helping the less privileged. “Late Bashir Tofa has touched almost all aspects of human life. He was a businessman, a writer, a philosopher, a politician and philanthropist. His love for people to emulate him forced him into writing books. He wrote about 14 books and all in Hausa for easier communication,” he said. On her part, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations General Assembly, Amina J. Muhammed, described Bashir Tofa as a patriotic leader who believed in God to be his judge, hence never feared anyone but Allah. She urged women and youth, including the present leaders, to read through his life and emulate his good characters, values, humility and good faith. Earlier in their remarks, the chairman of the occasion and the chief host, Alhaji Shehu Muhammad, Sarkin Shanu of Kano, and A.B. Mahoud said the event was organised to remember the deceased, offer prayers for him, and reflect on his life for people to emulate him. Speaking on behalf of the entire late Tofa family, his son, Musaddiq Bashir Tofa, thanked the organisers for extolling the good virtues of their father while calling on them to keep it up as an annual event. He expressed the family’s willingness to live on the righteous paths set by their father while calling on Professor Naniya to publish the history of the family, saying the immediate family got to know many things for the first time when he was speaking. Daily Trust reports that among the dignitaries that graced the occasion were members of his family, close friends including Retired General Abdussalami Abubakar, representative of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Brig. General Halliru Akilu, among others.

  A new Canadian law has banned foreigners from buying homes in the country for two years. The law, which took effect on January 1, was passed because of a spike in home prices in Canada since the start of the COVID pandemic. There are also beliefs that foreign buyers were snapping up a supply of homes as investments, which led to the surge in prices. The ban prohibits non-Canadian citizens or temporary residents from buying residential properties, and imposes a C$10,000 fine on offenders. International students who have been in the country for at least five years, refugee claimants, and people with temporary work permits are excluded. Non-Canadian citizens who have spouses that are citizens of the country are also excluded from the ban. Ahmed Hussen, federal housing minister, said the ban is meant to discourage buyers from looking at homes as commodities instead of a place to live and grow a family. “Through this legislation, we’re taking action to ensure that housing is owned by Canadians, for the benefit of everyone who lives in this country,” Hussen said in a statement. While housing prices in Canada dipped slightly in 2022, they remain higher than a decade ago. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, average home prices in Canada peaked just above C$800,000 in February 2022 and have fallen steadily since then. Compared to 2013, housing prices were up by 48 percent in 2022. While government officials have welcomed the ban, some groups have been critical of the new law, saying it is unclear what impact it will have on Canada’s housing market.

  The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that the sale of Polaris Bank followed due process and has urged the public to disregard what it described as a misleading online publication stating otherwise. The apex bank made the declaration in a statement on Wednesday signed by its Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi. It said contrary to online reports, the divestment from Polaris Bank was supervised by a Divestment Committee (Committee) comprising senior representatives of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and the CBN as well as reputable legal and financial advisers. The CBN added that the divestment mode, process and decision received requisite board and regulatory approvals. The apex bank said that following evaluation, the promoters of the strategic purpose vehicle, SCIL emerged the preferred purchaser having presented the most comprehensive technical and financial purchase proposal and the highest-rated growth plans for Polaris Bank. In addition to passing all fitness and propriety tests, CBN said the promoters also made the highest financial offer for the bank, which was significantly above its core valuation and reserve price. See the full statement below: Sale of Polaris Bank: CBN Sets Record Straight The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to a spurious, malicious, and misleading online publication, which made several false claims concerning the recent sale of the Federal Government’s interest in Polaris Bank Ltd. Given the potentially grave implications for the stability of the bank, financial sector and the Nigerian economy, the CBN is constrained to correct these inaccuracies. For the records, the public is referred to the statement dated October 20, 2022 by CBN & AMCON announcing the sale of 100% equity in Polaris Bank to a new core investor, Strategic Capital Investment Limited (SCIL), wherein it provided copious details of the process by which the sale was conducted. Contrary to claims in the aforementioned online publication, the divestment from Polaris Bank was supervised by a Divestment Committee (Committee) comprising senior representatives of AMCON & CBN and supported by reputable legal and financial advisers. In addition, the divestment mode, process and decision received requisite board and regulatory approvals. At no time did any other party make a higher purchase offer as falsely claimed by the online publication. The entity in question, Fairview Acquisition Partners, had indicated an interest in acquiring two banks, including Polaris Bank, for a total sum of N1.2 trillion, an indicative offer which significantly discounted the existing N1.305 trillion debt owed by Polaris Bank to AMCON and so represented a material loss to the Federal Government. Notwithstanding, along with twenty-four (24) other parties, Fairview Acquisition Partners was invited by the financial advisors to participate in the sale process via the execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), the first stage of the process. The financial advisors informed the Committee that Fairview Acquisition Partners neither executed nor returned the NDA despite verbally confirming receipt of the agreement and after follow-up from the financial advisors. Therefore, Fairview Acquisition Partners did not take the opportunity to update their offer by participating in the divestment process and thus did not make a binding purchase offer for Polaris Bank. The divestment was executed based on the relevant laws, global best practices for bank resolutions, and requisite regulatory approvals. The Committee, along with its legal and financial advisers, conducted a rigorous technical and financial evaluation of the purchase proposals, assessing promoters’ fitness and propriety, offer price received vs. reserve price, funding structure and financial capacity, strategy and growth plans, amongst others. Following evaluation, the promoters of the strategic purpose vehicle, SCIL, emerged as the preferred purchaser, having presented the most comprehensive technical/financial purchase proposal and the highest-rated growth plans for Polaris Bank. In addition to passing all fitness and propriety tests, the promoters also made the highest financial offer for the bank, which was significantly above its core valuation and reserve price. SCIL’s binding offer involved an immediate upfront consideration of N50 billion and full responsibility for the debt of N1.305 trillion owed to AMCON, essentially a total purchase consideration of N1.355 trillion. This offer was the most competitive and provided taxpayers and the Federal Government with more than full recovery of its intervention cost. By the sale, the CBN and Federal Government achieved a successful, value-driven resolution of a strategic financial institution. This curiously-timed online publication deliberately misrepresents the circumstances surrounding the sale of a strategic asset of the Federal Government. Its misleading statements are obviously intended to undermine the credibility of the divestment process. It also portends negatively on the stability of Polaris Bank and risks derailing the progress made by the monetary authorities. We reiterate that the divestment from Polaris Bank was an institutional decision supervised by a Committee comprising senior representatives of AMCON & CBN, coordinated through reputable legal and financial advisers and approved by the respective leadership and boards of the two institutions. The CBN remains resolute in pursuing its mandate to promote a safe and sound financial system in Nigeria. This is for the records and attention of the general public. Osita Nwanisobi Director, Corporate Communications January 4, 2023

  The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has claimed that the Prince of Wales, who is his brother, Prince William, physically assaulted him. He made the revelation in his highly-anticipated memoir, Spare, a copy of which was obtained by Guardian UK on Thursday. In the memoir, Harry recounted how his brother grabbed him by the neck and pushed him to the ground. He said their relationship fell apart over his marriage to Meghan Markle. On Thursday, Guardian UK said, “Describing a confrontation at his London home in 2019, Harry says William called Meghan ‘difficult’, ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’, which Harry calls a ‘parrot[ing of] the press narrative’ about his American wife. “The confrontation escalated, Harry writes, until William ‘grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and… knocked me to the floor.’” Harry claimed that the incident resulted in visible injury to his back. There is stringent pre-launch security around the book, Spare, which is set to be published simultaneously across the globe next week. In December 2022, Harry and his wife also released an explosive Netflix docuseries ‘Harry and Meghan’, were the couple hit hard at UK media for criticising Meghan during her stay in London and the prince likened it to the criticisms his mother, Diana faced when she was alive. Harry said Meghan gave up her freedom and everything she ever knew to join him in his world of royalty, adding that when the time came he did the same to join her in her world. Harry accused UK media for “feeding frenzy” over his relationship with Meghan with “unconscious” racial bias and that it did not help Meghan or Diana after her 1992 divorce from Harry’s father Charles, now king. “To see another woman in my life who I love go through this feeding frenzy, that’s hard,” said Harry. “It is basically the hunter versus the prey. “The moment that she divorced, the moment she left the institution, then she was by herself,” Harry, 38, said of his mother, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. “Yes, she may well have been one of most influential, powerful women in the world, but she was completely exposed to this.” Meghan also took aim at the family for failing to counter negative press reports about her, saying “it was horrible, but I continued to hold the line, like say nothing.” The couple moved back to the US after stepping down as working royals back in 2020 with Harry also giving up his military titles.