Another pandemic deadlier than Coronavirus coming soon —WHO

WORLD Health Organisation’s Head of Emergencies Programme, Dr Mike Ryan has warned public to becareful over their health as another pandemic deadlier than Coronavirus coming soon.  

Ryan who spoke at a press conference, said: “Although the Coronavirus pandemic has been very severe, it was not yet the big one. This is a wake-up call. We are learning now how to do things better in science, logistics, training and governance, how to communicate better. But the planet is fragile.

“We live in an increasingly complex global society. These threats will continue. If there is one thing we need to take from this pandemic, with all of the tragedy and loss, is we need to get our act together. We need to honour those we’ve lost by getting better at what we do every day.

“This pandemic has been very severe; it has affected every corner of this planet. But this is not necessarily the big one,” he stated.

I warned against reopening schools — NMA President

President of  the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Prof Innocent Ujah, yesterday, said his warning against the reopening of schools in view of the second wave of the Covid-19 was seen as being against the progress of the nation’s education sector.

This came as the World Health Organisation, WHO, warned that the world should prepare for a more deadly virus than the coronavirus, saying that the Coronavirus pandemic was serving as a wake-up call.

Decrying the infection rates on school children, Ujah said: “When the government wanted to reopen the schools, I cautioned them and said if the schools must be reopened,  there must be necessary preparation to prevent the children from contracting the virus.  “One parent wrote the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 that I don’t want people to go to school and that I was being wicked. Now, we all know better, a lot of children who sat for the last WASSCE were infected.” 

Ujah lamented that some corp members have also been infected. “These are some of the things that could have been prevented if sufficient precautions were taken before reopening the schools.” He also lamented the disregard for social distancing by Nigerians, saying this had also contributed to the rising of Coronavirus cases.      

He stated that social or physical distancing  has failed. “It would be recalled that during the campaign for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, people were falling over each other. If you go to the market places, social distancing protocol is not being observed. In that case, are we prepared? He said that the country needs to do a lot of sensitisation to ensure that Nigerians comply with all the Coronavirus protocols.

Boko Haram landmines kill 11 Nigerian security personnel

Landmines planted by Boko Haram jihadists have killed 11 security personnel, including four soldiers in Borno State, security sources have said. 

Seven hunters recruited to help the military fight the Islamist insurgents were also killed on Tuesday when their vehicle hit a landmine in the village of Kayamla, outside Borno State’s capital Maiduguri. 

“Seven hunters died in the explosion and nine others are badly injured,” Babakura Kolo, the head of a local anti-jihadist militia, told AFP.

“Their vehicle hit a landmine as they were pursuing Boko Haram insurgents,” he added.

Another local militiaman confirmed the incident.

Four Nigerian soldiers were killed on Monday when their vehicle hit a landmine planted by Boko Haram fighters in Logomani village near the border with Cameroon, two security sources told AFP.

There has been a sharp increase in attacks in northeast Nigeria since the start of the month.

Last week 40 loggers were kidnapped and three killed near the Cameroonian border.

On Christmas Eve, Boko Haram killed 11 people, burnt a church and seized a priest in a village near Chibok, where it notoriously kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls six years ago.

Boko Haram and a splinter group known as ISWAP have killed 36,000 people in the northeast and forced roughly two million to flee since 2009, according to the United Nations.

Customs kill one in Ogun

Pandemonium broke out in Osu town, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, yesterday, when the Federal Operating Unit, FOU, of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, allegedly killed a middle-aged man.

It was gathered that the men of the FOU of the Nigeria Customs Service were chasing some suspected smugglers when their vehicle hit one Mumuni Juwon, a lotto operator, who died instantly.

It was also gathered that immediately the incident happened, the Customs personnel abandoned the victim and their vehicle.

A source said when the people discovered that the Customs men had fled the scene, they drove the vehicle and the corpse to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta.

An elder brother to the deceased, Muftau Mumuni, lamented that his younger brother was just from a bank where he had gone to lodge money collected from the previous day sales when he was hit by the customs men.

He lamented that immediately he was killed, they abandoned their vehicle and allowed the young man to die.

A legal practitioner, Ganiyu Kusimo, who condemned the killing, called on the government to check the excesses of the customs men, who kill innocent Nigerians on the pretext of carrying out their legal duties.

“Imagine, the young man was killed in his prime.He had two kids and a young wife with an aged mother. Who will now care for those he left behind? I think the government needs to caution these people seriously.

“If you give a man a mile, I can assure you that he will go the extra mile. The rate of evil being perpetrated by these people are just too much, but with this, we will ensure that justice is done.”

Contacted, spokesperson of the Federal Operating Unit of the NCS, Peter Duniyan, promised to get back to our correspondent when he has the details of the incident.

Meanwhile, Ogun State House of Assembly has sought the immediate intervention of Governor Dapo Abiodun alongside members of the National Assembly from the state on the need to address the incessant killings of innocent residents of the border towns in the state by officers and men of Nigeria Customs Service.

The speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, made the call while responding to the presentations of the state lawmakers from Ogun West senatorial district.

Oluomo noted that the killing of innocent people by the customs personnel had become a major issue that required the immediate interventions of political leaders in the state and at the national level, cautioning that the state borders should not be turned to Bakassi.

According to him, there was a need for the men of the Customs to always adhere to the standard rules of engagements, to avoid the killing of innocent people in the State.

Man in court for biting girlfriend's breast during scuffle

A 25-year-old man, Chibuike Njokwu, who allegedly bit his girlfriend on her left breast, during a fight,  last Wednesday, has  appeared in Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti.

The police charged Njokwu, who lives in Surulere area, off Basiri Road in Ado-Ekiti, with assault and causing grievous hurt.

The prosecution counsel, Inspector Oriyomi Akinwale, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on December 24 at about 7 a.m in Ado-Ekiti.

Akinwale alleged that the defendant, bit Ifunanya Okonkwo on her left breast, inflicting her with a deep cut.

He said the defendant, who was a boyfriend to the complainant, attacked her during an altercation.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of  Section 335 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

The prosecutor asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and assemble his witnesses.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

The defence counsel, Mr Emmanuel Sumonu, urged the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adefumike Anoma, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

She adjourned the case until January 26, 2021 for hearing. 

Demolition: 5,000 displaced traders in Festac drag govt to court amidst protests

Some displaced traders of Olorunda Oyinlola Market on 23 Road, Festac Town in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest within the premises  of the Ikeja High Court, Lagos.

The traders under the aegis   Olorunda Oyinlola Market Association had dragged the council, Lagos State government and Federal Housing Authority to court following the demolition of the market on Saturday, December 12, 2020.

They carried different placards with various inscriptions such as “All we are asking for is justice for Olorunda Market, illegal demolition of our market is executive lawlessness”, “The court is the last hope of a common man and “Save us,Valentine Buraimoh,” among others.

Speaking on the demolition, their lawyer,  Ademola Ogunlana,  said goods estimated at about N25 billion were lost to the demolition exercise.

 He said: “The demolition of the market is against the law, it is a wicked economic attack, economic sabotage and economic genocide which we are here to stand against.

“The council Chairman,  Valentine Buraimo, has acted unjustly and the step so far is capable of destroying the lives of the traders.”

According to him, the market was constructed about 25 years ago to accommodate over 5,000 traders. However, goods worth about N25 billion were pulled down without notice. 

‘’The land no longer belongs to either Amuwo-Odofin Local Government or Federal Housing Authority but had been allocated to the traders, who constructed the market with their personal money.”

Describing the demolition as a rape of justice, he said: “The council has failed in its responsibilities as the traders were given allocations with proper documentation under the supervision of the then local council.

“The market association has made efforts to discuss with the council chairman but rather than consider their plights, he sent bulldozers to demolish the traders’ means of livelihood. 

“We are before Honourable Justice Ogunsanya of Ikeja High Court, where the matter is assigned to and we are saying we cannot fold our arms or keep quite. This is our father’s land and we won’t fold our arms to watch the traders punished unjustly.” 

Also speaking, the distraught Iyaloja of the market, Mrs Stella Cookey, said the means of livelihood of the traders have been tampered with, especially at this yuletide. 

She said: ‘’There were no notices from the government in regards to the demolition exercise. There was a meeting with the council authorities few months ago where all market leaders in Amuwo Odofin were invited to the council and were told that Oyinlola market did not meet the required standard of the state government but we were yet to reach an agreement when the demolition was hurriedly  carried out.”

Installation of new Oniba violates rule of law — Ruling house 

*Urges gov to reverse installation

Three lineages of the Orootan branches of the Oduntan family of Idomila Ruling House of Iba Kingdom, Lagos, have petitioned Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos State over the installation of Alhaji Suleiman Adeshina as Oniba of Ibaland while there are pending cases in court. 

In the petition by their lawyer, Mr Adetunji Orisalade, the family contended that it was contemptuous and illegal for the government to have installed Alhaji Adesina as Oniba of Iba, while there are several issues pending before a Lagos High Court as well as the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal.

In the petition addressed to the governor,  the ruling house  stated that it is appalling and bewildered by the government’s action,  which is tantamount to a flagrant disregard of the Rule of Law.

Calling on the government to reverse the said decision and installation of the said Alhaji Adeshina as Oniba of Iba, it urged the governor to  direct all parties to adhere to the court order and await the decision of the Court of Appeal.

According to the lawyer, “the parties are unanimous and agreeable to the singular and salient fact that there exists no Chieftaincy Declaration on the Oniba of Iba Chieftaincy Stool, and that the fact of the non-existent of a valid and subsisting Chieftaincy Declaration regulating the stool of the Oniba of Iba was predicated upon the fact that the previous Chieftaincy Declaration was declared invalid by the then Hon. Justice O.A. Adefope-Okojie in Suit No: ID/607/2000 Between Chief Obadiah Olorunogbagbe Enikan  Arowolo & 2 ORS V. Yaya Olajide Abudu & 2 ORS, which is still subject of Appeal in Lagos.”

They argued that it was upon the above case that the state high court in suit No: LD/6917GCMW/2020,  Between Chief Taofeek Oloyede Oseni & 3 others Vs Arowolo Obadiah & 4 others advised the parties to first meet and spearhead the fashioning of a Chieftaincy Declaration for the Oniba of Iba Chieftaincy Stool.

“However, on December 7, 2020, our clients were stunned, to say the least, when they became aware of the alleged installation of Alhaji Suleiman Adeshina as the new Oniba of Iba despite the situations captioned above.

“With respect to your office, we view the alleged installation as highly contemptuous, unlawful and illegal, though we won’t believe that same was carried out without your excellency’s approval.

 “We are at a loss as to why a state government would go ahead to install an Oba without a customary law in place.”  Culled from Vanguard