AWAY 9JA Blog

Monday, 2 September 2013

Two Men Fight Over Woman And Her Five Children

Two men, Anyaso Udeh from Abia State, and another man identified as Gabriel from Delta State, are locked in a fierce battle over a grandmother, Mrs Patricia Osadebe, and her five children over who among them is the rightful husband and father of the five children delivered by the woman in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Both men claimed to have married Patricia and had children from her. Gabriel said he married Patricia and paid her bride price and so, she is his legitimate wife and the children belong to him.
Udeh on his part claimed that despite the fact that he did not pay Patricia’s bride price, he is the biological father of the five children.
According to Patricia, she married Gabriel more than 20 years ago and they had a daughter who is now married and has kids. She later left Gabriel in Delta State and came to Lagos and lived with Udeh from Abiriba in Abia State as husband and wife and had five children and she decided to go back to her former husband, Gabriel, last year, with her five children and claimed that the children belong to him.
Udeh is pleading that if Patricia has decided to go back to Gabriel, her family should allow him take custody of his children in the interest of peace and justice.
When Gabriel was contacted, he said he had taken his wife and children back and declined to make further comment.
The head of Patricia’s family in Lagos, Chief Agumba said the family does not recognize Udeh because there was no proper marriage between him and their daughter, Patricia. and since Gabriel properly married her according to their culture and tradition in Delta State, the children belong to Gabriel. He said Gabriel is recognized as her husband and if indeed Udeh wanted to marry Patricia, he would have paid the bride price to the family.

Taraba political logjam ridicules Nigeria’s democracy—Tsav

Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, has described the ongoing political logjam in Taraba State as a sad development and a ridicule of the Nigeria’s democracy.

Tsav who spoke yesterday with Vanguard said the development was a clear indication that the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, was on the part of disintegration because “it is a house divided against it.”

He said: “The ongoing drama in Taraba state is a sad development and a mockery of our democracy . It is visibly clear that Governor Danbaba Suntai is mentally sick from brain damage. Anyone with such medical condition can hardly perform duties requiring brain work; the functions of a governor requires brain and concentration. Suntai looks physically and mentally unstable to perform the duties requiring thinking and concentration.

”Instead of allowing him to properly recover from illness, a group led by his wife is anxious that he resumes his duty as governor. They do not care if he is fit or not, they even seem to be introducing religious bigotry into the drama.

”Unfortunately, the PDP is silent over the drama. The party has problems with arithmetic like in the case of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election where 16 is said to be higher than 19 and also the Rivers State anti Amaechi legislators.

“The PDP seems to be asleep. Perhaps they will wake up to declare that 16 of the 24 Taraba State legislators are wrong, it is sad and a mockery of our democracy.”

2006 census controversy: CAN tells Jonathan not to sack Odimegwu

… says 2006 census manipulated to favour North
ABUJA—The Christian Association of Nigeria, Sunday, warned President Goodluck Jonathan against being used by Northerners to sacrifice chairman of National Population Commission, Chief Festus Odimegwu, ahead of 2015 election, following the revelation of the true nature of 2006 census by the latter.

Odimegwu had described the 2006 census results as incredible, and his declaration earned him a query from the Office of the Government of the Federation.

CAN called on the Federal Government to withdraw the query and tender an apology to Odimegwu in the interest of fairness, insisting that 2006 census results were cooked to favour the north .

The association also decried the politicization of Odimegwu’s comment, saying they were ploys by the North to blackmail President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 general elections.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of CAN in the 19 Northern states and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, said the call by Arewa Consultative Forum and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State for the removal of the NPC boss before the 2016 census because he was a southerner was misplaced.

He said: “The call by ACF on President Goodluck Jonathan to make sure that Odimegwu does not supervise the 2016 census is misplaced.FESTUS-Odimegwu

“The question we are asking is: which part of the North are they saying has higher population? Since when has ACF become a political party that every time they will always dabble into politics?

“We in CAN hereby demand that the Federal Government should withdraw the query issued to Odimegwu with immediate alacrity. Why would the government be blindfolded by Kwankwaso?

“The government should also apologize to Odimegwu; Jonathan should make sure that nothing happens to him. We are surprised that Jonathan is allowing himself to be intimidated by the Islamic North.

“Before the 2006 census, we confronted the former chairman of NPC, Mr. Samuila Makama from Plateau State on why religion and ethnicity are not included in census matters to be able to ascertain who is who in Nigeria and the man was sweating.

“We wanted to know which tribe and religion exist in Nigeria and that this information must be included in census data. The man was sweating. The North then blackmailed and intimidated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo that if the indices were not removed, they won’t participate in the exercise.”

According to him, although there was a census that was conducted during the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s administration, Lagos State was given a figure more than Kano.

Oibe, however, added that thereafter, the late General Sani Abacha came and split Kano into Jigawa and Kano states.

He said: “As at today, half of that Kano is more than Lagos. So are we saying that Lagos is not growing, meaning that it’s only the core North that is growing?”

No more Black Heritage this year – Soyinka

The Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said that a second phase of the Black Heritage Festival 2013, tagged Homecoming has been cancelled.

The first grand homecoming event, which was earlier scheduled to take place in Lagos in October, would have seen some 50 Brazilians return ‘home’ in a pool of some cultural spectacles.

But Soyinka, who is the consultant to the festival, said at a press conference on Monday that the programme had been shifted to next year due to a drastic cut in budget by the Brazilian Government, which would have sponsored the delegation.

According to him, the expected 50 delegates have been cut to four.

He added that the organisers had initially slated the homecoming event for next year, but the Brazilians said they would be ready in October.

He noted that preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which the country will be hosting next year, must have informed the drastic cut in the budget for the art and culture project.

Soyinka also said that a colloquium that was supposed to hold during the programme had also been moved to 2014, when the Black Heritage Festival would hold.

I’m at Liverpool to do a job – Moses

Super Eagles attacker, Victor Moses, has said that he joined English side Liverpool to do a job. The Nigerian joined the Anfield side on Monday in a last day transfer from Chelsea. The winger is on a year loan move.

Moses said, “First and foremost, I’m delighted to have made the loan from Chelsea to a big club like Liverpool. The most important thing is for me to be professional about it and I’m here to do a job for the club.

“The target is to get into the top four and for the club to compete in the Champions League – and I’m delighted to be here.”

The 22-year-old, who scored 10 goals in 42 appearances for Chelsea after joining from Wigan Athletic last year, was at Anfield on Sunday to watch Liverpool beat Manchester United 1-0 in a Premier League match. Liverpool’s victory over United left them two points in front of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League and meant that they were the only team in the division with a perfect record so far this season.

The former Wigan player could not hide his excitement immediately after he was signed on Monday. He sent out a personal message to his fans via his Twitter handle.

He wrote, “Really excited to be joining Liverpool this season and can’t wait to make my debut now.”

Moses transfer turned a bit of surprise after Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had said he was delighted by his work rate. Mourinho spoke during at their pre-season tour of the USA.

Mourinho said in July, “Victor (Moses) has been terrific. He is another one who is working very hard. He hasn’t missed a single minute of a training session.

“I think Victor is a very good option for us. In Victor’s position we have Hazard, (Kevin) De Bruyne, Schurrle – it’s a position where a coach can make a change during a match and give new life and fresh blood to the team. He is a player who makes the squad stronger and gives us options.”

Liverpool kick-started Monday’s transfer deadline day in England by making three signings. France international Mamadou Sakho and Portuguese centre-back Tiago Ilori arrived at Anfield on permanent deals while, Moses was signed on a season-long loan.

Liverpool boss Bredan Rodgers, speaking after the United match, said reinforcements were necessary if Liverpool were to continue their excellent start to the season.

“We need that depth and more numbers. If we can get them over the line, they are quality players. And having competition for places is a nice problem to have.”

We’re not vandals, we only assisted them – Suspects

The Nigerian Navy has arrested five suspected pipeline vandals in Makoko area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that naval operatives from NNS BEECROFT, arrested the suspects while they were transporting fuel allegedly siphoned from ruptured pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Naval authorities said 13,500 litres of petrol contained in 270 jerry cans and two canoes were recovered from the suspects who claimed that they were only helping a man to convey the items for a fee of N3,000 each.

Among the suspects were two nationals of Benin Republic, Juten Seiki and Joseph Logbo, and three others – Bababo Oritshebinomi, Segun Okimiji and Victor Sopha.

Parading the suspects, the Commanding Officer, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Chris Ezekobe, stated that the suspects were arrested based on an intelligence report about their activities in the area.

He said, “Based on the information, a naval patrol vessel from Atlas Cove was deployed in the area and at the time of the arrest, about 270 fifty litres of plastic jerry-cans filled with PMS, and 40 empty ones were found in their possession.”

Ezekobe, who stated that the war against pipeline vandals was an ongoing one, vowed to bring all those arrested to book.

He said the suspects would soon be handed over to the security agency with the constitutional mandate to prosecute them.

The suspects however denied being pipeline vandals, saying they ignorantly helped the vandals to convey the products.

Logbo, who claimed to be a canoe operator, said, “I have been using the canoe to earn a living to take care of my wife and child.

“Like all paying passengers, one man approached me and asked for the use of my boat for an agreed fee. Since I did not know him well enough to give out my boat, I opted to convey them.

“That was what I was doing when the navy apprehended me and brought me here. I don’t know anything about the act. I didn’t know the products were stolen.”

Another suspect, Sopha, said he was paid N3,000 by the vandals, who are presently at large, to transport the products.

He said, “I really don’t have anything to say except that some people paid me to convey the kegs. I don’t even know them. I was paid N3, 000.

“I met them in the middle of the lagoon. They said their boat was about to sink from the weight of the cargo and they needed help.”

Timothy, on his part, said this was his first time of attempting to help the vandals. He said, “I have a fishing boat which I rent for N5, 000. I was fishing when I came upon them and they asked me to help them with the cargo.

“I told them I could not rent my boat out to strangers, so I joined them load the products in my boat. It was then we were arrested.”