Irate Youth raze MP's houses over unfulfilled Electoral Promises

Substantial number of angry youth in Kano on Wednesday stormed houses belonging to their Senator and member of the House of Representatives, and set the properties alight,
accusing the lawmakers of failing to fulfil theirelectoral promises.

The youth staged a violent protest early Wednesday in Gaya Local Government area of Kano State before seizing the properties belonging to Senator Kabiru Gaya, and another
owned by Abdulahi Gaya, the member representing Gaya federal constituency.

The two properties were badly burnt and destroyed, our correspondent said.The youth, initially appeared to have dispersed but later regrouped and became more violent.
They also set fire on the campaign office of Mr. Gaya, the House member.

The youth said they were angry because the lawmakers failed to provide water, electricity,jobs and roads, as they promised before theirelections in 2015.

One leader of the rampaging youth, Tanimu Sani Gaya, said before the elections, politicians from the area agreed that they would solve the problems of water, electricity and unemployment bedevilling the district.

They said one year after the polls, residents of the area still trek kilometres to get water while hundreds of youth still roam about without jobs.

The spokesperson for the police, Magazines Majiya, confirmed the attacks. He said officers were still battling to push back the youth.

FG may increase petrol price soon — Marketers

The Federal Government may soon effect an upward review
in the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly
known as petrol, oil marketers have said, attributing this to
the recent increase in the cost of crude oil at the
international market.

Crude oil price had fallen below $30 per barrel earlier this
year, but as of May 2, 2016, the commodity’s cost rose to
$45.83, according to data obtained from the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation on Saturday in Abuja.

The oil marketers also told our correspondent that the
current challenge they faced in the industry was how to
sustain the improvement in the supply of petrol across the
country.

They said they had started importing petrol as many oil
majors and a few independent dealers were accessing the
United States dollars, as promised by the Minister of State
for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.

The Corporate Affairs Manager, Nipco Plc, a renowned oil
marketing firm, Mr. Lawal Taofeeq, stated that the petrol
subsidy issue must be managed properly by the
government in order to ensure adequate sustenance of the
present improvement in fuel supply across the country.

He noted that the marginal rise in the price of crude oil
could force the government to review the pump price of
petrol upwards, particularly should the government insist on
not paying petrol subsidy to oil marketers.

“The government has been using the price modulation
technique, and as crude oil price is going up, it will be
adjusting the pump price of petrol. Any moment from now,
there may be an upward review in the pump price of petrol
to take care of the rise in the price of crude oil in the
international market.”

The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of
Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, stated that the NNPC had
ensured that petrol dealers would get the product, adding
that many marketers had also started importing the product.

On the measures so far put in place by oil marketers to
stabilise and sustain supply, Olawore said, “That is the
challenge all of us face now. The sustenance is now the
issue but we will try to sustain it.”

Niger Delta militant blow up Chevron oil facility

Militants in the Niger Delta yesterday blew up the Chevron Valve
Platform located on the high sea near Escravos in Warri, Delta
State in a renewed attack on oil installations in the country.

• Group threatens to take fight to Lagos, Abuja
• Fear grips local oil firms over falling crude prices
• Operators list ways to cushion economic downturn
• Nigeria’s growth to decline to 2.2 per cent

Militants in the Niger Delta yesterday blew up the Chevron Valve
Platform located on the high sea near Escravos in Warri, Delta
State in a renewed attack on oil installations in the country.
The attack is another setback to the nation’s oil and gas
production sector, even as the Shell Petroleum Development
Company (SPDC) is still working to restore the Forcados export
terminals after a similar attack two months ago.

Nigerian Navy spokesperson, Chris Ezekobe, who confirmed the
incident yesterday, said the attack occurred about 40 nautical
miles from the Escravos terminal, around the city of Warri.
Ezekobe said he was yet to know which militant group was
responsible and there were no immediate details of any
casualties.

The development may further reduce the nation’s oil and gas
output. But Chevron is yet to confirm if production has been
halted at Escravos and how much of the process is affected.
A source at Chevron who confirmed the attack said that the
company is working on a public statement, which was not
ready as at press time. It was learnt that the facility was completely destroyed with the use of a dynamite.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), a new militant group, has
claimed responsibility for the attack, warning that the
deployment of soldiers in the region would not deter them from
carrying out further attacks.

NDA threatened not to relent until it cripples the nation’s
economy.
A statement by the group’s spokesman, Madoch Agbinibo,noted: “The high command of the Niger Delta Avengers wants
to use this medium to thank Strike Team 6 for successfully
blowing up the Chevron Valve Platform. And we are ready to
protect the Niger Delta people.

“This is what we promised the Nigerian government. Since they
refused to listen to us we are going to zero the economy of the
country.“As for zeroing the Nigerian economy, the Niger Delta Avengers is done with the Niger Delta major oil installations. Now, we are taking the fight out of the creeks of the Niger Delta. We are taking it to Abuja and Lagos now,” he said.

Agbinibo continued: “We want to pass this message to the all
international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta that the
Nigeria military cannot protect their facilities. They should talk to the Federal Government to meet our demands else more
mishap will befall their installations.”

The group had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack on
the Forcados 48-inch Export Pipeline two months ago.
An attack was launched early this year on Escravos Lagos
Pipeline System (ELPS) connected to Chevron Nigeria Limited’s
gas network at Escravos. This negatively impacted gas supply
to some critical power projects.

The Federal Ministry of Power said the attack cut off the supply
of 160 million metres standard cubic feet per day (MMSCD) of
gas to operators of electricity generation facilities and a cut in
power supply from the affected power plants.

Meanwhile, indigenous companies operating within the Nigerian
petroleum economy yesterday raised the alarm over the
uncertainty surrounding the international crude oil prices which
has led to the deferment of investment plans or outright
cancellation of capital projects.
Their fear was based on the fact that the local content
capabilities that have been built in the industry over the years
may be in danger of being eroded if the companies do not
survive the downturn.

This is further compounded by the expectations of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) which has projected that
growth in Nigeria and other oil-exporting countries would decline to 2.2 per cent this year.

Operators stressed the need to reduce cost of operations and
projects through local capacity development, indigenous
working assets acquisitions, developing local expertise, low
maintenance and reduction of operational costs of existing assets.

According to the operators at the content workshop with the
theme “Local Content Implementation in the Nigerian Oil and
Gas Industry: A Cost Reduction Strategy,” organised by the
Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), there
should be cost-effective implementation of projects and
utilisation of local resources to reduce overall cost.
They said there should be a policy direction to focus on
sustainability of Nigerian local capacity to survive the declining
crude oil prices.

At the event, Chairman of PETAN, Mazi Bank-Anthony
Okoroafor, stressed the need for the industry to be placed on
existing in-country capacity instead of patronage, adding that
Nigeria should actively pursue reserves and production growth,
which he said, has been on the decline.

Okoroafor stressed leveraging proven Nigerian companies and
in-country capacity building, adding that proper implementation
of the Nigerian oil and gas industry content development would
significantly drive down the cost of doing business in the
industry and cushion the effects of the low prices.

He stated: “The industry has operated under the Local Content
Act regime for six years now and there is the need to take a
closer look at the implementation strategy to ensure it is
delivering the desired value to various industry stakeholders in
particular and the Nigerian populace in general. Proper
implementation of local content will lead to massive economic
transformation of our great nation.”

Chairman, PETAN Conference Committee, Ranti Omole, stated
that based on the belief of indigenous companies, the
association is partnering to reduce cost of operations and
projects in Nigeria through increased local patronage.

He said: “The industry has been undergoing challenges and
facing turbulent period for the past two years due to low prices
of crude oil and low demand. This has resulted in severe
adverse consequences in the industry as well as on the
economy of many oil-producing nations including our country.

“This has led major players in the industry to rationalise their
operations, seek efficiencies and cost-saving measures to
ensure profitability and survival of their businesses.”
Acting Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and
Monitoring Board, Daziba Obah, said with the right support and
environment, indigenous companies were best positioned to
provide services at lower cost without compromising
standards.

Obah added that there was an opportunity to leverage the low
value of the naira to source services, technology and solutions
locally at much cheaper cost.
He noted that there would be much more cost-savings if
operators develop increased project management capabilities,
stressing: “Operators will save costs by optimising existing
facilities and improving maintenance efficiencies.”

Dwelling on the role of the Federal Government to help save
indigenous companies from the pangs of crude oil prices,
former Chairman of PETAN, Emeka Ene, said that there was the
need to develop the steel sector for local production of steel
billets, coils and plate.

Ene added that government should accelerate gas infrastructure
along gas corridors to ease the availability of gas in oil and gas
parks, oil and gas free zones and other manufacturing locations
supporting oil and gas activities.
“There is the need to engage relevant agencies in foster cordial
and seamless working relationship with respect to expatriate
quota and issuance of work permit.
“There should also be a periodic industry-wide capacity audit of
local companies to establish current capacities and embark on
gap closure interventions. Research and development clusters
should be encouraged to promote the development of home-
grown technology,” he said.

According to the IMF’s April 2016 regional outlook report,
economic activities in sub-Saharan Africa have weakened
markedly, with growth for the region as a whole, falling 3.5
percent in 2015, the lowest in 15 years.
Specifically, the IMF expects the economy to slow further in

Angola, given, among other factors, limited foreign exchange
supply and lower levels of public spending, and in Nigeria as
the adverse impact of lower oil prices is compounded by
disruptions to private sector activities through exchange rate
restrictions.

The report stated: “In view of these trends, governments should
consider a set of policy options tailoring the urgency of
adjustment to the extent of domestic vulnerabilities.
“Commodity prices have fallen sharply and, for energy prices, at
an unprecedented pace. Oil and other commodity exporters are
adjusting, but given the extent of the shock they are facing,
policies are currently ‘behind the curve.’ ’’

Female Drug Trafficker arrested in Lagos

Dubai-Based Female Drug Dealer Caught Hiding Cocaine Inside Candies At Lagos MMIA Airport. Nigerian Lady Smuggles Cocaine Candies From Dubai To Nigeria, Rose Igbinoba Arrested By Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA)  At Lagos Airport

Miss Rose Igbinoba, a 24-year-old drug trafficker was arrested at MMIA Airport in Lagos yesterday on arrival from Dubai, UAE.
The suspect who hails from Edo State concealed 193 wraps of the banned drug inside 3 customized candy boxes.

The cocaine capsules with street value of over 10 million($50,000) were seized from the suspect who blamed hardship for the crime.
Rose said the man who introduced her into the business promised to pay her 0.5 million.($2,500)

A suspected member of the cartel,Chimezie Kamsochukwu Ofor, was also traced and arrested after Igbinoba confessed during her interrogation .

Gunmen kill 20 persons in Rivers State, Nigeria

Gunmen, suspected to be cultists on Saturday invaded Ula-Ukpata and Edoha communities in Ahoada East Local Council area of Rivers State, killing no fewer than 16 persons.
The Guardian gathered that the men invaded the communities about 1pm shooting indiscriminately at people.

According to an eye witness who escaped the attack, the gunmen attacked Ula-Upata communities twice. At their first attack, they reportedly killed 12 persons, and returned around 9pm during which two more persons were killed.
It was further learnt that the gunmen thereafter moved to Edoha, a nearby village, where they beheaded five persons, and made away with their heads, while the bodies were left on the road.
Briefing journalists on the issue in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo confirmed that only four persons were killed.
The commissioner confirmed that the killings occurred on Saturday night at Zion Nwoka’s compound in Ula-Ukpata community, giving the names of the victims as Mrs Monica Zion (62), Gospel Nwoka (45), Patricia Ziko (42) and Rogers Nwoka (28).
Kimo added that four patrol team of policemen has been deployed to the community to beef up security and forestall reprisal attack.
He however called on members of the public to work with the police, by giving them prompt information in tackling the menace in the society.

Teen shoot himself in head while taking selfie

Indian teenager has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while posing for a selfie with his father’s gun.
Ramandeep Singh, 15, was posing for a photograph with his elder sister on Friday night when he pulled the gun’s trigger instead of clicking the photograph.He was taken to a private hospital in Ludhiana, Punjab after neighbours heard the gunshot and alerted his parents, who were not home at the time. He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.The gun, a .32-calibre pistol licensed to Ramandeep’s father Gurkirpal Singh, was usually kept in a wardrobe in the house, according to police chief Manoj Kumar.

"The boy's father and family said that he was trying to take a selfish with his gun, "said Mr kumal
The incident is the latest of several deaths in India to result from taking a selfie, a craze that has been fuelled by Bollywood celebrities and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.
Around half of the 27 recorded deaths worldwide resulting from self-taken photographs took place in India last year.
So far this year, a man in Kerala was gored by an irate elephant while posing for a selfie at a temple in April, and a teenager in Chennai was killed by a train after posing near railway tracks.
Indians have also been killed falling out of boats, off cliffs and into canals in recent months.

Mumbai has set up 16 “no selfie zones” at popular but dangerous locations after a tragic accident claimed two lives in January.
India overtook the US this year to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market, with 220 million users, behind only China.

India’s gun laws allow citizens to buy firearms with a government-issued licence, although the process is expensive and difficult. There are six million registered guns in India, and up to an estimated 40 million illegal firearms.

Man City suffered 4-2 defeat at Southampton

Manchester City FC starlet Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice as the UCL semi-finals at suffered a 4-2 defeat at Southampton.

A Sadio Mane hat-trick inspired Southampton to a 4-2 Barclays
Premier League at St Mary's Stadium that hit Manchester City’s
hopes of confirming a top-four spot.

Manuel Pellegrini, ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Champions
League semi-final trip to Real Madrid, made a number of first-
team changes. Sergio Aguero, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and
Fernando watched the entire game from the bench, while Kevin
De Bruyne was left out.

Southampton sensed the chance of an upset and deservedly
took the lead through Shane Long, before Mane scored a fine
effort three minutes later to cap their first-half dominance.
Kelechi Iheanacho grabbed a lifeline just before the break and
City responded well early in the second half, but Mane bundled
the ball home after a scramble in the penalty area to restore
Saints' two-goal lead before completing his treble with a good
low finish 10 minutes later.

Iheanacho bent in a fine consolation, but Southampton move
to within two points of the top six, while City, who host third-
placed Arsenal next Sunday, must continue to look over their
shoulders towards Manchester United, who could close to
within a point of fourth if they win their match in hand.

Southampton set about pressing Pellegrini's much-changed
line-up from the outset, with Mane testing Joe Hart from 25
yards out with just two minutes on the clock.
Long rippled the side-netting from distance and Raheem
Sterling shot straight at Fraser Forster from 10 yards after
Iheanacho had robbed Virgil van Dijk and teed up the winger.
That stop proved pivotal as Southampton took the lead
midway through the half. Cuco Martina's ball over the top was
hooked towards the penalty spot by Dusan Tadic, and Long
arrived ahead of Nicolas Otamendi to prod low past Hart.

Southampton were in complete control and doubled their lead
three minutes later with an outstanding counter-attack goal.
Victor Wanyama released Tadic down the right, and his
perfectly weighted through-ball between City's defenders
allowed Mane to sweep low past Hart.
City had barely mustered a threat but grabbed a lifeline a
minute before half-time, as Iheanacho nodded past Forster
from close range after Southampton had failed to clear Samir
Nasri's low cross.
Iheanacho was City's brightest player and brought another low
save from Forster early in the second half after combining well
with Wilfried Bony on the edge of the area.
City’s hopes of a recovery were dealt a blow on 57 minutes as

Mane restored Southampton's two-goal cushion, reacting
quickest at the far post after Hart had deflected Van Dijk's
header on the bar.
Hart then tipped Van Dijk's overhead kick just over the
crossbar but could do nothing to deny Mane his hat-trick. The
Saints winger bagged his 10th league goal of the season as
he raced on to Tadic's low pass before slotting into the corner
at the near post.
Iheanacho curled a brilliant strike beyond Forster in the closing
stages but City could find no further response.

Nigeria Army vows to crush Fulani herdsmen like Boko Haram

In the light of the recent killings by Fulani herdsmen across several parts of the country, the Nigerian military has vowed to deal with the herdsmen the same way it treated the Boko Haram insurgency,

Niger Delta militancy and other acts of criminality.The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, gave the assurance yesterday in response to reporters' inquiries into the gruesome murder of over 40 farmers of Ukpabi Nembe Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in Enugu State by the suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Abubakar said the military would collaborate with the Nigerian Police and other security agencies to ensure the security of lives and properties in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives following the public outrage that greeted the
massacre.
He said that the security threat and challenge posed by the suspected killer herdsmen was a top priority for the authorities, and promised that those behind the dastardly acts would be apprehended.

Troops foil Boko Haram attack, kill 9 terrorists – Spokesperson

The Troops were engaged in the efforts to clear the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in the region
It was a combination of foot and mobile fighting patrols on daily basis to deny the Boko Haram terrorists freedom of action in their area of operations.
While in Bogoro, Duguno 1, Duguno 2 and 3 on Thursday, the troops on reaching Mbaraka encountered some suspected Boko Haram terrorists who engaged the patrol team in a gun battle.
The troops successfully cleared the terrorists and proceeded to Jadda village which was suspected to be a stronghold of the Boko Haram terrorists.

A statement by a spokesman for the army, Colonel Sani Usman, said a large number of the houses in the village were discovered to have the terrorists group’s flags hoisted in their domains.
The troops engaged the Boko Haram terrorists and killed four of them before discovering the pit with decomposed bodies.“It was also discovered that the terrorists held lots of people as hostage in Jadda.
“The fighting patrol team also succeeded in freeing those held hostage and recovered an AK-47 rifle with registration number OF-4814, 30 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, 12 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO)
ammunition, 14 Dane Guns, one motorcycle, two Solar panels and food storage facility. Other items include 120 litres of AGO and packs of Panadol,” the statement read.

According to Colonel Sani, a soldier suffered gunshot wound and was evacuated for further medical treatment.
He said he was already in a stable condition and responding to treatment.

Man stabbed lover to death over refusal to accept marriage proposal

http://garbyanchor.blogspot.com/2016/04/man-stabbed-lover-to-death-over-refusal.html

David Ogundele, a 45-year old engineer stabbed an MTN worker, Tosin Ashinwo, 30, to death last sunday, after he had showed up uninvited, and had been asked to leave. He also stabbed the woman's mother, though she managed to survive the brutal attack.Punch reports that Tosin who worked as a customer care representative for MTN met David after she had been transferred to Kwara State from Kano.According to the dead woman's brother, David instantly took to her and made several attempts to win her over, but she was not interested in his overtures, especially after she learnt that he already had a wife.

This did not stop David who somehow got the contact of Tosin's siblings and began to ask them them for assistance in his bid to win their sister's heart. One of such messages, as revealed by the woman's brother reads;
“Your sister is giving me a serious headache. I don’t know what to do. I love her so much but… Join me in prayers that God should soften her heart.”
He also got her mother's number, with a view to getting Tosin to love him.
Punch reports that the suspected became so frustrated after he threw a birthday party for her and she refused to show up, and also refused his car gift.
David, who is thought to have felt really embarrassed by Tosin's refusal to show up, then went in search of the woman, held a knife to her throat, forcefully took her ATM card, and withdrew money from her account.
A week afterwards, David visited her home uninvited and met Oluwatosin and her mother. He was asked to leave, and an argument ensued. He reportedly went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed the women multiple times. Thinking they had both died, he left them in the room, and went away.
The daughter bled to death, but the older woman was able to get help as she was quickly rushed to a hospital in Iliron where a surgery was performed on her.
In a conversation with a correspondent on Whatsapp, the alleged killer simply rationalised his act by saying “I was bewitched.”
Asked if Oluwatosin provoked him, he said, “It is well. What can I do now? I was bewitched. How would I attack a lady I claim to love?”
He was asked why he stabbed Oluwatosin’s mother too, he denied it and simply said, “Never”. When told that the woman survived, he said, “Thank God for her life.”
The case was initially reported at the F Division of the Kwara State Police Command, which is located few metres away from where Oluwatosin lived.
The spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed that the police are on the trail of the suspect who is still successfully evading the police.
Source :Punch