Labenas: Imo poly student steals N19m car, sells it for N30...

Labenas: Imo poly student steals N19m car, sells it for N30...: A 26-year-old student of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Johnbosco Ashiegbu, and 34-year-old Chinonso Ewurum, have been arrested by operat...

Nigeria, The 2017 Budget, And The Dawn Of Abundance - by Yemi Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has addressed Nigerians on plans that the government hopes to put in place with the current budget to restore the economy of the country.

Yemi Osinbajo

 

A short while ago, I signed the 2017 Appropriations Bill into law. This is an important milestone in our economic recovery and growth plan laid in April by President Muhammadu Buhari.

I would like to express my appreciation to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as the entire leadership and members of the National Assembly for completing work on the 2017 Appropriations Bill.

The process of preparing and processing this Bill was much smoother than that of the 2016 Appropriations Bill. On the executive side, there were no allegations of errors, or mistakes, and there was a significant improvement in the quality of the preparation, as well as the presentation.

I wish to commend the Ministry of Budget and Planning for such a remarkable improvement over a single budget cycle.

On the side of the National Assembly, I wish to commend the collaborative spirit of the engagements our MDAs had with their various committees, and with the leadership, during the budget defence sessions. There were far fewer reported cases of acrimony, or hostile wrangling this year, than in the past.

From the reports we received, the sessions were generally conducted in a friendly atmosphere. There is no doubt that our democracy is maturing.

However, the final presentation and the signing of the budget has been considerably delayed. This was largely due to disagreements we had about the changes introduced to our 2017 Budget proposals by the National Assembly.

The executive took the view that the changes fundamentally affected some of our priority programmes and would make implementation extremely difficult and in some cases impossible.

I must say that the entire leadership of the National Assembly led by the Senate president and the Speaker, adopted a commendably patriotic and statesmanlike approach to our engagements on resolving these critical issues.

In sum, the engagements yielded acceptable results; the most important being that the leadership of the National Assembly has given us a commitment that they will re-instate the budgetary allocations for all the important executive projects, such as the railway standard gauge projects, the Mambilla Power Project, the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, etc. which they had reduced to fund some of the new projects they introduced.

This re-instatement will be by way of an application for virement by the executive, which they have agreed will be expeditiously considered and approved by the National Assembly.

It is as a result of that understanding and the outcome of our detailed engagements that we feel able to sign the 2017 Appropriations Bill into law today.

I am also pleased to mention that, in our discussions with the leadership of the National Assembly, we have jointly resolved to return to a predictable January to December fiscal year.

It is a particularly important development because this accords with the financial year of most private sector companies, underscoring the crucial relationship between government and the private sector.

The 2017 Budget, which I have signed into law today, is christened “Budget of Economic Recovery and Growth” and reflects our commitment to ensure strong linkage between the medium-term Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and the annual budgets.

Therefore, on the understanding that we will be submitting the 2018 Budget to the National Assembly by October 2017, the leadership of the National Assembly has committed to working towards the passage of the 2018 Budget into law before the end of 2017. I must, once more, express my appreciation to the leadership of the National Assembly, for the collaborative spirit in which these discussions were conducted.

The 2017 Budget, which I have signed into law today, is christened “Budget of Economic Recovery and Growth” and reflects our commitment to ensure strong linkage between the medium-term Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and the annual budgets.

It is designed to bring the Nigerian economy out of recession unto a path of sustainable and inclusive growth. The budget has a revenue projection of N5.08 trillion and an aggregate expenditure of N7.44 trillion. The projected fiscal deficit of N2.36 trillion is to be financed largely by borrowing.

Let me assure those who have expressed concern about the growing public debt that we are taking several actions to grow government revenues, as well as plug revenue leakages. This is because, notwithstanding the fact that our borrowings are still within sustainability limits, we are determined, in the medium term, to reduce our reliance on borrowings to finance our expenditures.

Details of the budget, as approved by the National Assembly, will be made available by the honourable Minister of Budget and National Planning.

As you are all aware, our economy is already signaling a gradual recovery as growth is headed towards positive territory. The first quarter GDP, at -0.52 percent, compares favourably with -2.06 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

Inflation is declining, down to 17.24 percent from 18.74 percent as at May 2016. Our external reserves are now US$30.28 billion as at June 8, 2017, up from US$26.59 billion as at May 31, 2016.

We are also gradually instilling confidence in our exchange rate regime. This improvement in GDP growth and other macro-economic indicators is largely attributable to our strategic implementation of the 2016 Budget, as well as stronger macroeconomic management and policy coordination.

I am confident that the 2017 Budget will deliver positive economic growth and prosperity – one that is self-sustaining and inclusive. In this regard, the 2017 budget will be implemented in line with our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

Over the 2017-2020 plan period, we are focusing on five (5) key execution priorities, namely:

● Stabilising the macroeconomic environment;

● Agriculture and Food security;

● Energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products;

● Improved transportation infrastructure; and

● Industrialisation through support for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).

The 2017 budget includes provisions that reflect these priorities.

To demonstrate our commitment to following through our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, the 2017 budget allocates over N2 trillion to capital expenditure, principally infrastructure.

For instance, we are committing over N200 billion to improving transport infrastructure such as roads and rail; over N500 billion for investments in works, power, and housing; and N46 billion for Special Economic Zone Projects to be set up in each geopolitical zone.

Our path to progress and abundance is clear. The tools are in place and the resilient, resourceful and hardworking Nigerian people are set to go. I have no doubt that by the grace of God, the bleakness of recession is about to witness the uplifting dawn of abundance.

The signing of the budget today will trigger activities in the domestic economy which will lead to job creation and more opportunities for employment, especially for our youth. And, as I indicated earlier, we will be returning to the National Assembly to seek upward adjustments by way of virements in relation to a number of critical projects which have received inadequate provision in the budget just passed by the National Assembly.

We acknowledge that government alone cannot achieve the overarching goal of delivering inclusive growth; that is why the 2017 budget provides a lot of opportunities for partnerships with the private sector.

To help the private sector thrive, we are determined to create an enabling business environment. We are already recording verifiable progress across several areas, ranging from a new Visa-on-Arrival scheme to reforms at our ports and regulatory agencies.

The online business registration process has reduced time required for business registration from 10 to two days. It is expected that the Executive Order on transparency and efficiency in the business environment will make it even easier for investors to get the permits and licenses they require for their businesses.

Pursuant to our commitments to the Open Government Partnership, we recently issued an Executive Order that will promote budget transparency, accountability and efficiency. We want to make the federal budget work more efficiently for the people.

Thus, beyond the huge provisions for investments in critical infrastructure, we have mandated government agencies to spend more of their budgets on locally produced goods. This will open more opportunities for job creation with benefits for government in the form of tax revenues.

We are also working hard to improve our revenue collection efficiency so that we can achieve our revenue projections. While we are deploying technological tools to enhance collection, the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) will continue to contribute significantly to improving transparency and accountability over government revenues.

Our fight against corruption is yielding positive results. Some of the recoveries are included in the 2017 Budget, which will be expended on identifiable capital projects.

Already, we are beginning to see some improvement in the quality of public expenditure. This is great motivation for us to remain resolute in our fight against corruption so that economic prosperity is enjoyed by all Nigerians.

Let me reiterate that the implementation of our 2017 Budget will bring added impetus to our ongoing economic recovery. We will intensify our economic diversification efforts in our bid to expand opportunities for wealth creation and employment, thereby creating inclusive and sustainable growth.

Our path to progress and abundance is clear. The tools are in place and the resilient, resourceful and hardworking Nigerian people are set to go. I have no doubt that by the grace of God, the bleakness of recession is about to witness the uplifting dawn of abundance.

God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Imo poly student steals N19m car, sells it for N300k to ‘have a good life and take care of his girlfriend’

A 26-year-old student of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Johnbosco Ashiegbu, and 34-year-old Chinonso Ewurum, have been arrested by operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Imo State for allegedly stealing two vehicles.


The police claimed that the vehicles stolen by Ashiegbu and Ewurum included a N19m Hilux van belonging to the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, adding that the suspects sold the vehicle to one Nnamdi Ejinkeonye in Onitsha for N300,000.

The other vehicle, a Toyota Camry, the police said, was stolen by the suspects in the Imo Housing Estate axis of Owerri, where it was parked by its owner.
The Toyota Camry, valued at N3.9m, was said to have also been sold to Ejinkeonye for N350,000.
The undergraduate, who hails from the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, said that he took to the crime so as to raise money to “sort out my results in school.”
He said,

“My desire to sort out my results in school led me into crime. After arranging my results in school, I used the remaining money to live a good life and to take care of my girlfriend.”

He explained that while he got N30,000 from the sale of the Hilux owned by the government, he realised N285,000 from the sale of the Toyota Camry.
A police source, who spoke to Southern City News on condition of anonymity, said the suspects were notorious for using fabricated keys to open peoples’ cars, which they usually sold at Onitsha Market.

Why Blogging Is a More Lucrative Job Than Banking - Popular Blogger, Laila Ijeoma Speaks Up

A popular Nigerian blogger, Laila Ijemoa, has spoken out about why blogging is a more lucrative job to do than banking.

 

Laila Ijeoma

 

In the Nigerian blogosphere, Laila Ijeoma commands a lot of respect, not just because she owns  www.LailasBlog.com; an entertainment website that reports trending Nigerian news read by millions monthly. On June 30, 2016, Laila took a bold step of abandoning her over N5million per annum bank job to become a full time entertainment blogger; risking everything to take a gamble on her passion.

 

She traded her lucrative job to pursue what was still at that time, just a hobby she was passionate about, but today, the decision has become one of her best turning points. In a chat with Saturday Woman, she says she has no regrets a year after taking this huge leap of faith as she now has all the time to focus on her family and continue to grow her blog even bigger.

 

Why did you dump your bank job for fulltime blogging?

 

I started blogging as a joke in 2012; I wasn’t looking for money because I was already gainfully employed at that time. All I wanted was an outlet to share my life with Nigerians, inspire them with my stories. So I started a Facebook group called, ‘True love for my man’- that should be around 2010.

 

That was the first social media account I used to gather people together and we chatted about love and heartbreak. My big dream had always been to have a top Nigerian talk show, so I later started a show on radio. I eventually had to put it on hold because it was so demanding.

 

Being married, a mum to 3 boys, working at the bank, there was a lot to do in just 24 hours every day and the whole schedule nearly ‘killed’ me, so I had to drop the radio show. Along the line, I discovered blogging through a colleague at the bank where I worked; he owned a blog, after he introduced me to it that fateful day, I got hooked. I realized I could reach out to people through it with much less stress compared to a radio show.

 

I told him I would love to have mine and he helped me set it up. I didn’t even take it serious then. But as I kept on sharing stories, and I read comments from my audience, I knew this was what I was born to do. I have always been a science student in school, I knew nothing about blogging, and I had zero celebrity friends, zero celebrity sources for my stories but I didn’t let that stop me.

 

How difficult was it juggling being a banker, blogger, wife and mother of three boys?

 

It was a crazy, hectic schedule! On a daily basis, I woke up 4am; go to bed sometimes 12 midnight. And the next day, I still have to go to work. No excuses. I was able to run my life like that for four years because I was purely fuelled by passion. I just love blogging, there’s this irreplaceable, beautiful joy it brings me.

 

As with every new venture, the beginning is usually slow.

 

How long did it take for your traffic to skyrocket?

 

It took about 6 months after I made the first post on my blog for my traffic to start skyrocketing.

 

Did the traffic immediately translate to money for you?

 

No it didn’t. My traffic didn’t translate to so much money till 2014. That was the year this particular company contacted me and ran an advert with me that lasted for a full year and changed my life.

 

Would you say blogging is lucrative in Nigeria?

 

As long as you are a passionate blogger, as long as you are in blogging because you enjoy what you are doing, as long as your blog, its concept, its contents are original, not a rip off of another blogger’s website;   blogging is the best thing that can ever happen to you. The rewards will blow your mind! It’s already an open secret that blogging can make you a billionaire. You get lots of free stuff from brands too. People just call you up.

 

They want to advertise on your website and they are handing out their products and services to you for free so you can review them and share with your readers. Then you have the best reward; you are recognised as a voice that can start a change. You are respected. People want to read what you have to say about a situation. Readers are so addicted to your blog that they wake up in the morning and can’t wait to read what is on Laila’s Blog today. As a blogger, you can comfortably work from home in your pyjamas.

 

So you prefer blogging to banking?

 

I did banking for 10 years in one of the best banks in Nigeria and I enjoyed it. But I wasn’t self-fulfilled, I wanted more. Again, I was already blogging for over 3 years alongside my day job. Truth is as time went on, it became harder running my blog, bank job, family and taking care of myself efficiently. I wanted to wake up in the morning to the joy of knowing that all I had to do for that day was write about the trending stories in Nigeria and not miss any story just because it happened while I was offline. I also wanted to spend more time with my very supportive husband and children every day.

 

How would you compare your income now to when you were a banker?

 

It has been tremendously rewarding, spiritually, family-wise, and financially. You know with a steady day job, you don’t have to worry about getting your paycheck at the end of the month. There are days I worry- what if I don’t make money this month? That was why before I quit my bank job, I made sure I saved up my salary and had at least 6 months’ salary set aside. I actually had a full year salary saved up before I made the leap and resigned.

 

If you don’t plan properly, things can actually go wrong and your dreams won’t come out the way you planned them; you will fail and life will become miserable. I’m so glad I conquered my fears of what if something goes wrong and took the leap. My friends, family, parents thought I was crazy when I first mentioned it. But after they saw I wasn’t going to quit blogging and that I had prepared for the worst; they rallied round and supported my decision to leave banking. Having them behind me made me stronger and I left.

 

Any regrets so far?

 

None whatsoever; my income tripled. My kids wake up in the morning they see mummy. Mummy takes them to school, mum brings them back, mum tucks them into bed every night, mummy helps them with their school assignments, things I couldn’t do before. I love what I do now and it gives me so much joy. I just miss my former colleagues once in a while.

 

What are the challenges you face as a blogger, especially those peculiar to the Nigerian blogosphere?

 

My biggest challenge is internet network; there are times I wake up to blog and I discover my internet isn’t as fast as I need it to be. Sometimes, it’s entirely down so I can’t even blog. Second challenge is power; a laptop is to a blogger what the Bible is to a Pastor. Laptops can only work if they are charged. Because I am online at least 18 hours daily, I spend a lot on fuel for generators.

 

What stands you out from other bloggers?

 

You can be very sure that out of the over 50 stories you read on Laila’s blog in a day, at least 50% are our original stories. Again, we deliver stories as they are happening. You will read breaking news, trending stories first on Laila’s blog before they appear on other websites.

 

In your estimation, what’s the future of blogging in Nigeria in the next five years?

 

With a computer today, anybody can build a global business from his/her bedroom, with a bit of creativity and sheer determination.

 

Every day, we have over a hundred new bloggers coming online. Vlogging is now a huge thing! Five years from now, I see more younger people doing big things, conquering boundaries, becoming millionaires through blogging in Nigeria. I also see blogging in Nigeria becoming more professional. I am a registered member of this CAC registered bloggers’ association called The Guild of Professional Bloggers in Nigeria.

 

Aside blogging, any future plans?

 

I have this huge passion for taking care of orphans and vulnerable children, kids under the age of 18 years who are at high risk of lacking adequate care and protection. Right now I have 10 under my care, children my husband and I take care of. We have plans of taking that number up a notch.

 

Any tips for upcoming bloggers who look up to you?

 

One Mr. Mohammed Mustafa Ahmedzai once said ‘The easiest job on earth is starting a blog but the toughest job is maintaining it.” And this is simply because patience matters in blogging, and most upcoming bloggers don’t have that! Experienced bloggers will tell you that you should only start to think about making money from your blog at least after 6 months of blogging.

 

But every day, I get emails from new bloggers with 1-2 month old blogs asking you how to apply for Adsense. These new bloggers apply for AdSense and most times, they are rejected and you see them quit blogging. From the day anybody starts blogging till the day he/she ends her blogging career, there are lots of problems you’ll face.

 

Solving these problems and moving ahead is not easy as it sounds! And that’s another reason upcoming bloggers quit blogging easily. So my first tip for them will be to have patience. Without it, their eyes shall not see the billions blogging can drop in their bank accounts. If your main reason for blogging is money and you have no patience for earning it, then you’re not going to earn from blogging at all!

 

What’s your biggest wish in life?

 

I wish to make the world a better place by saving abused and vulnerable children and making sure their oppressors get severely punished for their wickedness.

 

Man who killed a 4-year-old girl is shot dead and hung from a crane in chilling public execution (Photos)

A sick paedophile who raped and killed a four-year-old girl has been shot dead and hung from a crane in a chilling public execution in Yemen today.

Yemenis gathered in the country’s capital Sanaa to witness the gory spectacle after the condemned man was found guilty of the monstrous crime.
Hussein al-Saket, 22, was convicted of abducting, raping and murdering a four-year-old girl, who he later buried, according to Rajeh Ezzedine, a judge who attended the execution.


Ali Ayedh, the victim’s uncle, said Saket “took part in the search for the girl before being unmasked” as her killer during the police investigation.

He said his public execution would act as a “deterrent for criminals”.


Saket was brought to Tahrir Square in Sanaa which the Shiite Huthi rebels have controlled since 2014 – before being forced to lie face-down on the ground.
A cop then stood over him with an AK-47 assault rifle before firing down repeatedly into his body.
The policeman shot him through the back with five bullets aiming for the heart, before his bloodied corpse was strung up from a crane for all to see.

Buhari Sets Guiness World Record, Becomes First Elected President Resident In Another Country - Reno

Popular Nigerian writer and ex presidential aide, Reno Omokri has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari's continued stay in London.

Reno Omokri

 

President Muhammadu Buhari must be congratulated because he has set a new Guinness World Record: President  Buhari has become the first elected president of a country to become resident of another nation while still in power! Shame on all those haters who say President Buhari has not achieved anything in over two years of being in office. Is this not an achievement!

 

And where are all those shameless critics who keep comparing President Trump to President Buhari? The two of them are not mates at all.

 

Not only is President Muhammadu Buhari older than President Donald Trump, in a comparison between them on an elementary matter like jobs we find that according to the latest US job report from the United States Department of Labor, the US economy has added 1,074,000 under President Trump while according to to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian economy lost 4.58 million jobs in President Buhari’s first year!

 

This is no mean task! It is easy to do what Trump did and make jobs appear, but it is much harder to do what President Buhari has done and make jobs that someone produced disappear!

 

And as President Muhammadu Buhari continues to make London Nigeria’s new Federal Capital Territory, his rapidly shrinking horde of supporters want us to feel sorry for him by selling the narrative that what is happening to him could happen to anyone.

 

That is true enough, but make no mistake, President Buhari does not deserve our sympathy. When the shoe was on the other foot, he called on the Executive Council of the Federation to declare the late President Yar’adua incapacitated and failing that, for the Senate to impeach him.

 

His exact words on March 9, 2009 were “If the Executive Council of the Federation had acted in accordance with the constitution, by invoking the necessary sections to declare the President incapacitated, we would not have found ourselves in this present situation.”

 

Again, when he thought he could be sanctimonious without proving his sainthood he decried the practice of government officials going abroad at public expense for medical treatment.

 

His exact words on April 27, 2016 were “While this administration will not deny anyone of his or her fundamental human rights, we will certainly not encourage expending Nigerian hard earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad.”

 

Today he is spending his 96th day in London and “expending Nigerian hard earned resources” on himself. If these are not prima facieevidence of hypocrisy, then I am as old as Robert Mugabe!

 

And I must say that I was not really surprised that the Buhari administration brutalized popular musician Charly Boy and his #ResumeorResign group who were beaten, tear gassed and slapped at the Unity Fountain on Tuesday the 8th of August 2017.

 

What less can one expect from an administration that killed 347 shiite men, women, children and infants in cold blood on December 15, 2015?

 

The incident at the Unity Fountain involving Charly Boy and others only proves that dictators may grow old, but they do not grow into democrats!

 

And the Senate lost a chance to side with Nigerians when it described the Charly Boy led group as “unreasonable”.

 

‪If Charly Boy’s group is unreasonable for demanding that President Muhammadu Buhari #ResumeOrResign was President Buhari also unreasonable when he demanded that the late President Yar’adua resume or be impeached on March 9, 2010?

 

President Muhammadu Buhari himself, his side kick, Nasir El-Rufai, and other top shots of the present All Progressive Congress led government protested against the Jonathan administration but were never tear gassed or harassed!

 

In the case of El-Rufai, woe betide you if you dare hold a press conference in Kaduna. You may end up being treated worse than Senator Shehu Sani and his guests!

 

I mean, we are not allowed to see President Muhammadu Buhari. We are not allowed to hear from President Buhari. We are not allowed to protest against President Buhari. Yet President Buhari’s government wants us to pray for President Buhari’s health!

 

And the most ridiculous part of the saga is that the Presidency has the guts to tell Nigerians that it is disrespectful to ask after the President’s health status and that he is entitled to his privacy as a ‘private citizen’.

 

Is the Presidency not ashamed to call President Muhammadu Buhari ‘a private citizen’? He is staying at ‘Abuja House’ not ‘Buhari’s House and we the citizens of Nigeria are paying for his treatment. He is NOT a private citizen. Yesterday he released a statement condemning the Ozubulu massacre and assuring us of our safety. Which private citizen does that?

 

Nigeria is tired of a part time President. Nigeria is tired of a free lance President. Nigeria is tired of a private citizen President!

 

In fact, I suddenly feel inspired to write a book titled How To Identify A Dictator: He uses your tax money to pay for his medical treatment yet you are not entitled to know his medical condition. When it suits him, he is a public official. When it does not, he transforms to a private citizen. Yet his government instructs you to pray for him. No, I am not talking of Kim Jong-Un here!

 

That President Muhammadu Buhari’s Anambra statement assuring Nigerians of their safety though! How can a private citizen in London assure another private citizens in Nigeria of their safety? And what is the point in having an acting President in charge when the London based private citizen President is issuing statements. Has he resumed from London? Nigeria is getting mixed signals from the Presidency. Has the President resumed from London or is the acting President still acting?

 

President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to the National Assembly to make Professor Yemi Osinbajo acting President, yet he is still releasing statements as Nigeria’s President. Is he a freelance President? Osinbajo is either in charge until President Buhari returns or he is not in charge at all. In fact, I don’t know why people still pay to watch Game of Thrones on Cable TV when they can watch it for free at Aso Rock?

 

And a week after it became public knowledge that an anti Igbo hate song is circulating in parts of Nigeria we have radio silence from the Presidency. Vacationing President Muhammadu Buhari, who condemned the Ozubulu killings in a statement, has nothing to say about the anti Igbo hate song.

 

How won’t the anti Igbo hate song take root when the Arewa Youths who gave the Igbo quit notice are walking around freely in public. In the wake of the anti Igbo song, I remind the Buhari administration that we have not forgotten the speed of their one sided arrest during the Ife Yoruba Hausa clash!

 

Obviously, this administration is very quick to go after real or imagined enemies of the Buhari administration but is slow to act against Nigeria’s enemies, if at all they even act.

 

Look at the difference in the way they treated the Charly Boy group and the Arewa Quit Notice group. Look at the speed at which they arrested the Buhari dog man. But what have they done against Fulani herdsmen?

 

According to The PUNCH Newspaper, half of Nigeria’s 71 million hectares of arable farmland is not being cultivated because farmers have abandoned their farms due to the activities of herdsmen. In Benue state alone, the Governor says 1800 farmers have been killed by herdsmen in the last three years (no wonder he says we are all sick because of Buhari’s sickness). According to the Global Hunger Index, the Jonathan administration reduced hunger in Nigeria from 16.3 in 2005 to 15 points in 2013 (please Google it).

 

But guess what? Under the Buhari administration according to the latest Global Hunger Index, 32.9 per cent of Nigerian children under the age of five suffered stunted growth due to hunger and malnutrition. By halting attacks by herdsmen, the Buhari administration can immediately and dramatically increase the amount of food grown in Nigeria and push prices down. Yet what is this administration doing to halt the herdsmen crisis? I do not know. If you do, maybe you can tell me!

 

***

Reno’s Nuggets

 

When you hear someone’s success story, don’t get jealous. Instead, get zealous about creating your own success story. If your friend is ‘jealous’ of your success story, know that he was never your friend. He was a fake friend. So how do you deal with fake friends? Fake friends always desert sinking ships. So if you want to identify your fake friends, just pretend that your ship is sinking #RenosNuggets

 

Reno Omokri is a Christian TV talk show host and founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center and the Helen and Bemigho Sanctuary for orphans. He is the author of the worldwide amazon #1 bestseller (Conspiracy Theory) Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies and three books, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, Why Jesus Wept and Apples of Gold: A Book of Godly Wisdom.

Billionaire Kidnapper, Evans' Criminal Activities in South Africa Exposed as More Wealthy Kidnap Suspects are Arrested

New revelations have shown how the suspected billionaire kidnapper, Evans was involved in shady deals in South Africa as more suspects are nabbed.

Evans

According to The Nation, ongoing police investigation of the suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, has revealed that he was also involved in crimes in South Africa, it was gathered yesterday.

That is besides his alleged illegal procurement of a Ghanaian passport that bears his passport photograph but a Ghanaian name.

Police spokesman, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, said that the investigation has also led to the arrest of more associates of Evans who were found to be probably wealthier and living bigger than him.

Evans is spending his second month in police custody and is expected to be formally charged within the next one month, Jimoh said.

He said: ”You may recall that a Federal High Court granted us a three month remand warrant for Evans. We are just into the second month now and before the expiration of the third month, it is expected that we should be taking him to court.

“The little time is to ensure that we conduct a thorough and detailed investigation. This is somebody that committed crimes across several states and even went outside Nigeria.

“You may recall that he illegally acquired a Ghanaian passport with a Ghanaian name but with his passport photograph.

“He was also fingered for involvement in other crimes in South Africa and other places. So we need a little time to properly round things up and ensure that he is properly prosecuted because Nigerians will not be happy if we lose such a case in court on the basis of technical matters.”

He said relations of former victims of Evans’ are among those being detained by the police.

They are suspected of giving information about the former kidnap victims to Evans.

He advised the public to be security conscious at all times to avoid falling prey to kidnappers.

His words: “He (Evans) did things with lots of such people and we have lots of suspects who had collaborated with him in one way or the other; we even have other prime suspects apart from those that were arrested with him and paraded.

“In the course of this investigation we have other prime suspects including people who broke away from Evans’ gang to start their own gang – they left Evans to go and do a similar (kidnapping) business.

“Some of the suspects we later picked after detectives’ interactions with Evans are even living larger than Evans.

“We are going to ensure that we don’t make things public until we gather all our evidence towards securing a conviction in court.

“I won’t give you figures but they are many suspects; there are a lot of accomplices, lots of former gang members and lots of other people that have in one way or the other facilitated the offences committed by Evans and others.

“There is a special group of criminal suspects that are referred to as ‘catchers’; in criminal syndicates, they are the people that identify targets and give information about innocent, law-abiding people and more of such suspects are being rounded up.

“Part of our investigation reveals that Evans himself jogs round the estate where he lives every morning and uses that opportunity to assess information on those potential victims that have what they describe as ‘kidnap value’.

“It was after his arrest that some of his surprised neighbours realized that it was this man that used to jog around; that is why security-consciousness necessitates that every citizen should be alert and see things beyond their noses now.

“Sometimes, it is easy to jeopardise your security by being a good Samaritan through acts like offering someone a lift in your car because there are persons who can take advantage of your kind or welcoming nature.

“All citizens equally need to know where potential help can come from in security emergency situations like where police or other security people are located, the right telephone numbers to call and so on.

“The Inspector-General of Police is taking the battle to criminals but maximum security is achieved through the alertness of everybody in the interest of everybody and such attitude goes a long way to prevent many people from becoming victims of criminality.”