Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has signed a bill prohibiting production, sale, and consumption of alcohol in certain areas.
Ahmed gave his assent to the Ilorin Township (Prohibition Against the Production, Sale, and Consumption of Liquor in Certain Areas) Law, 2018, as passed by the Kwara State House of Assembly.
Under the law, no person will be allowed to produce, sell, store or openly consume alcohol within specified areas in the metropolis.
The bill stipulates that any person who contravenes the provision of this law shall be guilty of an offense and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N100, 000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both.
Kess Billions, a 29-year-old suspected leader of a vicious robbery gang terrorizing Accra, Ghana, has been arrested by the Ghanaian police. Kesiena Blessing Kagi, alias Kess Billions, was arrested at his hideout at Community 20 in Tema on Friday, March 9, 2018.
The Delta State big boy, Kess Billions, as he was popularly known among his fellow criminals, was on the police wanted list for the robbery of a forex bureau at Teshie on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
Kess Billions was also said to have led a gang of robbers to attack a company at Community Nine Light Industrial Area, Tema. The IGP said other suspects in the forex bureaux robbery gang, Prince Wanganga, Gift Wanganga, alias Festus; John Ani, Prince Yfuah and Okoro Amulley had been arrested earlier.
He said Kess Billions and the other five suspects were all Nigerians. He said a check on Kess Billions’s passport, number A07598838, revealed that he was a native of Warri. Kess Billions frequently comes to Ghana, with his last being on January 19, 2018, with a 90-day stay permit.
Delta State big boy, Kess Billions was declared wanted by the Ghanian police force last week. According to the Ghanaian police, Kess led his gang to rob a bureau de change and carted away with a huge sum of money.
His gang struck again and attacked a company on the 16th of February, 2018. They also left with a huge sum of money. According to previous reports Kess is believed to be currently hiding in Aflao, Ghana or Nigeria.
The police have issued a red alert on him, requesting for anyone with information about him to report to them.
See the posts the police shared on Twitter last week below:
This is not the first time Nigerian citizens in Ghana have be arrested or declared wanted for robbery, In a previous report, Police in Ghana arrested two Nigerian citizens, Ndubueze Odoemenam and Chiokoko Amadie for bank robbery.
Popular physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76. He died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday, his family said.
The Briton was known for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular science books including A Brief History of Time.
At the age of 22 Prof Hawking was given only a few years to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease.
The illness left him wheelchair-bound and largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser
In a statement his children, Lucy, Robert and Tim, said:
“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.“He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years.”“He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.’ We will miss him forever.”“I think my greatest achievement will be my discovery that black holes are not entirely black,” he said, adding how that discovery would be critical to “understanding how paradoxes between quantum mechanics and general relativity can be resolved.”
They praised his “courage and persistence” and said his “brilliance and humour” inspired people across the world.
Prof Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology as a union of relativity and quantum mechanics.
He also discovered that black holes leak energy and fade to nothing – a phenomenon that would later become known as Hawking radiation.
The scientist gained popularity outside the academic world and appeared in several TV shows including The Simpsons, Red Dwarf and The Big Bang Theory..
Hawking was considered one of the leading voices in science because of his extensive research and work related to understanding the universe.
“I never expected to reach 75, so I feel very fortunate to be able to reflect on my legacy,” Hawking said in a BBC interview last year.
He made several major discoveries throughout his career, and once said said his greatest achievement was his discovery that black holes are not entirely black.
Alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, today filed a fresh suit at a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking N1 billion damages against the Police over alleged unlawful sealing of his property in Lagos.
The suit, filed by his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has as the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police, Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), Abba Kyari, an assistant commissioner of police and Phillip Rieninwa, a deputy superintendent of police, as respondents.
The applicant is seeking a declaration that the forceful seizure, confiscation and sealing of his property by the respondents without any court order is illegal, wrongful and unconstitutional. He wants an order compelling the respondents jointly and severally to immediately and unconditionally release the properties as listed in the motion papers.
In addition, he is asking the court for an order compelling the respondents to immediately and unconditionally unseal and vacate the applicants two residential houses located at highbrow area of Magodo in Lagos.
Other reliefs are an order compelling the respondents to severally and jointly tender an apology to the applicant and to pay him the sum of N1 billion being general and exemplary damages for the alleged forceful seizure and confiscation of the applicant’s property without court order.
A perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from tampering or taking any action against the applicant or any of his properties in relation to this case.
Some of the properties listed in the application include N50 million cash, two residential duplex, brigade wrist-watch worth 170,000 dollars, a phone worth 30,000 dollars and five pieces of Saphono Rucci Diamond rings worth 100,000 dollars.
Others are three Italian travel bags worth $55,000, 10 Spanish shoes each worth N2.5 million, 20 KVA inverter set worth N10 million, two sets of dinning table worth N8 million.
The applicant also wants N4 million as cost of action against the respondents.
Evans was arraigned by the police before a Lagos High Court in October 2017 on a 40-count charge bordering on kidnapping, robbery among other offences.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit which was filed on Tuesday about 11.35 a.m.
An explosion went off this morning near a convoy carrying Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, who is visiting the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority initially blamed Hamas for the explosion, which it said targeted Hamdallah's convoy.
Later on, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke with Hamdallah and the two agreed that Israel and its collaborators are responsible. The Palestinian leaders also agreed that General Tawfiq Abu Naim, head of Gaza's Interior Ministry, will lead the investigation into the incident.
Hamdallah entered the Strip at 10 A.M. with Palestinian intelligence chief Majid Faraj for a visit that was planned five months ago. The purpose of the visit was to open a waste treatment plant that the Palestinian Authority helped finance.
According to reports, several people were lightly wounded in the incident. Gaza's Interior Ministry also spoke saying several suspects have been arrested and a manhunt is underway.
Less than 24 hours after United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson visited President Buhari at the Presidential villa in Abuja, on the final leg of his African tour, he has been sacked by President Donald Trump.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo will be replacing the former Exxon Mobil chief executive, as President Donald Trump also picked deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel to run the spy agency.
Announcing Rex Tillerson’s sack on Twitter, President Donald Trump wrote;
Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!
The burial reception in honour of a 111-years-old woman in Boboroku community in Delta state, reportedly turned into a food fight and reportedly left a policeman identified as Imomoh dead.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the clash between youths of the community and a team of soldiers deployed to maintain peace at the event, occurred after the youths tried to disarm two soldiers, who had tried to restore orderliness in the area which became chaotic as foods and drinks were shared.
The late policeman, who resides in the community and reportedly tried to intervene during the rowdy session between the soldiers and the youths, was hit by a bullet which resulted in his death, another was reportedly shot on the leg as others sustained various degrees of injuries.
Vanguard also reported that the windscreen and windows of at least five cars, including one hilux belonging to the soldiers, were also destroyed by the youths who went berserk over the incident.
Paul Amodu who was present when the incident occurred, said;
“The soldiers were called in to restore calm after the youths in the community tried to hijack food meant for guests at the reception.
Vexed by the presence of the soldiers, the youths turned their anger on them, leading to fisticuffs amidst gunshots by the soldiers, during which Imomoh was said to have been hit by a bullet; he slumped and died.
The death of the policeman enraged the youths who went wild, attacking guests and destroying vehicles.
The soldiers had to apply minimum force in trying to defend themselves by shooting into the air to scare the rampaging youths, who were trying to disarm them leading to the shooting of one person in the leg.”
Eyewitnesses further claimed that seeing what had happened, the trigger-happy soldiers fled the scene of the incident.
Residents of Ijesha, Surulere area of Lagos, reportedly stumbled upon the corpse of a yet to be identified man this morning, who was thrown into the canal after killed.
Sources claimed the eyes of the deceased was plucked out, in the incident which seems to be carried out by a ritualist.
Few weeks ago, it was reported that a jilted man, Olorunwa Ogundare vented his anger on his estranged lover, Shade Taiwo by using a broken bottle to damage one of her eyes in Lagos, PM Express has reported.
The sad incident took place at Ipodo Street in Ikeja, Lagos where they resided. According to the report, the victim’s left eye was forcefully plucked out with the bottle, which had partially blinded her as doctors said she cannot see with the eye again.
Police sources said the victim and the suspect were lovers until recently when they had disagreement and Taiwo left Ogundare for another person. However, her decision did not go down well with Ogundare who had earlier vowed that he will deal with her. But the victim did not know he had planned to blind her.
On the day the incident happened, they had little disagreement and Ogundare did not waste time before he picked a bottle, broke it, stabbed her on the eye and drew it out. She was then taken to a hospital where it was confirmed that the eye was badly damaged.
The matter was reported to the police and Ogundare was later arrested and charged to court. He was charged before Ikeja Magistrates court for the alleged offence.
The suspect however pleaded not guilty. The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum. He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition.
Inspired by the need to alleviate the gnawing poverty and hunger in the streets of Lagos, a charity home, The Candlelight Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has set up a soup kitchen catering to the needy, homeless and the working poor within the Surulere area as a measure to mitigate the menace of hunger-related crimes in Lagos.
“We exist as an answer to the call of many Nigerians in poverty and hunger as even many who have jobs are still unable to eat,” says Uzoamaka Okeke, the executive director of the foundation.
The typical service day, by 11am, at No. 39, Oyekan Road, off Ogunlana Drive address; what you find are different set of people throng clamouring: “We are hungry! When will the food be ready?”
They murmur until the gate is thrown open for time to have their free meals.
A hall inside the fenced bungalow, filled with plastic chairs and tables arranged like a restaurant is the place where the hungry citizens have their stomach filled with a free meal, dished out on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Beneficiaries who trek from far places usually arrive at the foundation in weary, but leave with brighter countenances.
The crowd of jobless men and women who storm The Candlelight Foundation for free meals every Monday, Wednesday and Friday depict the despairing situation that pervades the city of Lagos.
“Hunger does not care whether you are jobless,” says Okeke, “once hunger hit you, you must find something to eat. Some of the working poor and disadvantaged individuals don’t know where their next meal will come from; this sometimes leads them to do some extreme things to survive.”
Laila with Uzoamaka Okeke, the executive director of Candlelight foundation
A society where hunger is rampant is usually prone to strife, she stresses.
Emphasizing the importance of regular meals, she notes:
“If you do not eat, you can hardly do anything, you cannot be productive because you are not able to focus on anything and you can hardly think straight.”
Okeke underscores the futility of striving to fulfil other needs on an empty stomach.
“That is why The Candlelight Foundation is planning a Walk Against Hunger in May,” she says.
With fact and figure, Okeke sketches a picture of a typical day at the charity home.
“We feed about 160 people or more each service day (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) within 30 minutes of our opening the door. Once it’s 11 am, don’t even allow us to open the gate fully, they push their way in.”
The benefactors are required to write their names and thereafter take their seats.
The starting menu was Jollof rice and fish. Over time, beans and garri were introduced into the menu and they are exploring options of swallow.
“Benefactors are not permitted to take the food away, they must eat it on the premises,” she states, “and, many people have told us how it has helped them so much.”
One of The Candlelight’s many plans is to operate a full-fledged homeless shelter, “where people who don’t have a house can come in and sleep, get up in the morning and go about their day, and come back in the night to sleep.”
Such arrangement excludes permanent residency, but includes free feeding, according to Okeke. Included in the plan, she says, is a vocational centre where “we will also provide adult education and rehabilitation centre.”
While the foundation solicits supports, both cash and kind, from donors, the founder presently sponsors it.
“Nigerians have a misconception that opening an NGO is an opportunity for money laundering. We hope that people will be able to look a bit deeper into our activity and understand our purpose. We have no political motives, neither are we set up for money laundering. We have no ulterior motive other than the desire to help these people, to change their mindset, to give them an opportunity to know that somebody still cares and that somebody is still interested in their future,” she articulates.
She unravelled other plans in the offing.
“We want to open a literacy centre and we are already in the process with the Ministry of education to get it permitted to run the Literacy Centre. That way, people can get to learn basic math, basic English, basic reading skills and something called civic education. That part is actually the most important for us because it’s the education of being patriotic or being a productive member of a society.”
Bus driver Frank Onochie is one of the regular beneficiaries since he became aware of the foundation two months ago. He says,
“My neighbours and my children told me about it. At first, I didn’t believe them about this free food.
“I didn’t believe until my daughter told me that the food is good. Giving them the benefit of doubt, I came, and seriously, I enjoyed the food. Since then, I have been coming here twice a week, especially when I am off duty. It is a relief to me because if I want to eat outside, I will spend close to N300. Now, I save the money and give it to my children to take to school.
“If we have this kind of thing in about four places, I think it will reduce hunger, poverty, and crime. When you are hungry and thinking of how to make money to eat, the situation is bleak if you have no job. But if you have a place to eat before nightfall, there is hope. This foundation has become our place of hope.”
