[dropcap]A[/dropcap]bout 4 persons have been reported dead after a kerosene lantern exploded on Sunday in Calabar, Cross River State capital. The victims, 4, were members of the same family living in a 2 bedroom apartment at 124 Murtala Muhammed Highway, Ikot Omin in 8 miles. The victims were, Mrs Nseobong Uduak (Mother), Miracle 10, Silas 3 and a two month old baby, whose name could not be ascertain were seriously burnt to dead.

According to our source, the kerosene was adulterated and sold to the family. The victims who were rushed to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, Calabar had severe burnt and could not survive it.The two bed room apartment occupied by the victims was razed and property worth millions of naira destroyed. An eyewitness who gave her name as Rachel Akpan, blamed the incident on adulterated kerosene which, she said, exploded as one of the deceased children, Miracle, was about filling the lantern with kerosene.

Her words, “I was inside my apartment when I heard something exploded like bomb, and as I rushed outside, I saw my neighbour’s house engulfed with smoke and uncontrollable flame of fire just within a twinkling of an eye. One of our neighbours said that before the explosion, she heard the young woman, Nseobong Uduak, telling her first son, Miracle, to fill the lantern with kerosene.
“Everybody was battling on how to put off the inferno and rescue the victims, but before we could do so, Silas and the baby had been burnt to death. Miracle and the mother were rushed to the Teaching Hospital but both gave up the ghost.
“Some neighbours put a call through to the State fire service but that help never came and the neighbours managed to put out the fire all by themselves”.

She expressed surprise that the fire service has not been forthcoming in terms of rescue during emergencies.
A Resident, who gave his name as Evangelist Jeremiah Joshua, expressed surprise that cases of kerosene explosion was becoming too rampant in Calabar and therefore called on the Federal Government to ascertain the source of kerosene supplied to the masses for domestic usage.

He said, “Most times, the kerosene was bought from filling station as we are advised to do and not from road sides. Even those selling by road sides also buy from filling stations but the question is; why is kerosene exploding these days? Nigerians had used kerosene since it became a nation.

“The federal government should explain to Nigerians the cause of kerosene explosions in the country”, he stated.
Several cases of kerosene explosions were recorded in the year 2017, with majority from Calabar. Others from Ikom, Obanliku, Yakurr, etc. But why adulterating kerosene? A commodity used on a daily basis, is the question that is begging for answers.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr Muhammad Babandede, on Monday said that 16,387 Nigerians  were deported from Libya, Saudi Arabia and other countries in 2017.

Babandede stated this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the findings by members of a Federal Government Delegation to Libya. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama had on Jan. 5 led a delegation on fact finding mission to secure the release of Nigerian migrants stranded in Libya.

Other members of the delegation which include  Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking Persons, Julie Okah-Donli and Director General of National Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja

Others are Sadiya Umar-Farouk, Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.

Babandede said that out of the number, 5,908 Nigerians were deported  from Libya, 3,836 others were from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 6,643 from other countries. “I want to state that in 2017 alone we received 5608 deportees, specifically from Libya.

“So if you add to the number we received on Jan.7,  which was 485 from Libya it  will give you 6,393 deportees from Libya alone,” he said.

He said that between January 2017  and January 2018,  3,498 men, 2,684 female, 211 minors were deported from Libya

“I don’t want us to look at it as if it is only in Libya the deportees are coming from. We have deportees from   Saudi Arabia.

Surprisingly, we had a total of 3836 deportees in 2017 alone.

“You know Europe has been deporting. The highest number of deportees came from South Africa, Italy and Austria. “The total number we have from  other countries is 6,643, which is greater than the total coming from Libya.

“So grand total of person deported to Nigeria in 2017 is 16,387. We are afraid this might continue or even be higher in 2018,” he said

He explained further that it was not only Nigerians that were held up in “Libyan slave camps” as being reported.

Babandede explained that there were Nigerians who were victims of traffickers, who were sexually exploited and also there were smuggled persons, who were victims of smugglers.

“There are regular Nigerian migrants in Libya living legally with all their documents  and doing their businesses.

“The Minister of foreign affairs met with the Nigerian community in Libya we had interaction meet during the visit.

“We don’t want everyone to think that every Nigerian in Libya is in slave camps, or that every Nigerian in Libya is being exploited.

“There are Nigerians who are working in factories, in oil companies, in construction companies and the minister met them,” he said

He explained that the issue of bother was beyond Nigeria because Nigeria belonged to ECOWAS community which allows free movement for members

Babandede said that people become illegal migrants not because the border was not controlled but because of greediness and urge to travel at all cost

“There is greed for people to travel, we need to educate the people, we need to educate parents that Europe is not a paradise.

“We need to tell them of the dangers that lies ahead.  The desert is hot, the sea is not a river to cross. The media needs to do more to show how dangerous the desert or the sea is.

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t has been mass jubilation in Omoku in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni local government and environs in Rivers state as the 6 Division Nigerian Army Port Harcourt announced the killing of the notorious cult leader and kidnap kingpin, Don Waney, at his hideout in Enugu state.

In a statement, the Army stated that in the early hours of Monday, 20th November, 2017, troops of 6 Division Nigerian Army, acting on credible information from some patriotic members of the public raided the evil Don Waney enclave in Omoku, ONELGA Rivers State where shocking discoveries of assorted weapons, dynamites, bags of suspected cannabis, full military camouflage uniforms, military boots, military communication radios, 10 human skulls and human bones were discovered.

”Additionally, in continuation of the operation on Tuesday 21 November 2017, the troops also exhumed decomposing bodies of some of his victims in his shrine in the glaring eyes of the media who were invited to witness first hand. Perhaps not satisfied with the numerous lives of innocent citizens he took, Don Waney masterminded the despicable New Year day mayhem in Omoku in which he led his notorious gang of criminals to murder 23 peace loving citizens of Omoku when they were returning from Cross Over Service at about 1:30am on Monday 1st January 2018.”

The statement signed by Colonel Aminu Ilyiasu, Deputy Director Army Public Relations said after intense surveillance activities on him and his gang by the Department of State Services (DSS), Rivers State Command, revealed that after committing these atrocities he relocated to a neighbourhood within Enugu Town in Enugu State where he rented an apartment and started living among unsuspecting neighbours within the community.

The army stated further that from the relative safety of his newly-rented apartment, Don Waney was already perfecting plans to wrought another mayhem in Omoku in which he was to attack churches, schools, Army and Police locations and the residences of the generality of the already traumatized people of Omoku. However, following the discovery of his new Enugu neighbourhood hideout by the DSS Rivers State Command, a combined team of troops of 82 Division Nigerian Army Enugu and personnel of DSS Rivers State Command raided the hideout to arrest him and his other accomplices.

Incidentally on sensing that the combine team were closing in on his residence, Don Waney, his Second- in- Command (Ikechukwu Adiele) and another gang member (Lucky Ode) attempted to escape through the back exit of the apartment and were shot down by the eagle eyed troops in the process. One of them died on the spot while the other 2 who sustained gun shot wounds eventually died while being evacuated for medical attention.

”The remains of Don Waney and his cohorts were brought back to Port Harcourt Rivers State by the combined team and handed over to the Rivers State Police Command for further action. To this end, the authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army Port Harcourt wishes to use this opportunity to extend their condolences to the families of all the victims of the evil Don Waney and his gang.

”We also wish to solicit your further cooperation in volunteering useful information to track down and arrest the remaining gang members so as to bring them to justice for a peaceful, prosperous and secured Omoku community, ONELGA, Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta region. You are kindly requested to disseminate this information to the general public. Thank you for your usual cooperation.

It would be recalled that the President Muhammadu Buhari was so concerned about the Omoku massacre on new year day that he sent a presidential delegation led by Lt. General Abduraham Dabanzzua, Minister of Interior, who visited Governor Nyesom Wike in Government House Port Harcourt and and the scene of the Omoku massacre.

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n Behalf of my family and my Isu Ancient Kingdom,I want to congratulate Hon Loius Ndukwe for his Re-election as the Executive Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government , and my Councillors Hon. Tony Nweke , Hon. Emmalarry and other elected councillors for this mind-blowing victory. The Oshimili North people have spoken and spoken loud and clear. They have overwhelmingly placed their confidence in you as the man to lead them for the next 3 years. It is my hope that you would seize on this opportunity to correct the errors of the last 3 years and work tirelessly to improve the lives of Oshimili North people.
It hasn’t been easy. Some of you must have received all sorts of insults and created loads of enemies during the course of canvassing support for votes in one way or the other, some of YOU had sleepless nights, some were restless all through, those who were “Orobo” before the Election has turned to “lekpa” due to stress and so on and so forth. Hence, we thank God who made it possible for Delta State to conduct a violence-free peaceful and successful Local government Election.
Now that the Election has come and gone and the mandate has been given to the chosen one, I want Hon. Loius Ndukwe to see his victory as a rare second opportunity to make every nook and cranny of Oshimili North Local Government a better place to be. I want you and your Councillors to see this overwhelming victory as a driving force to further transform Oshimili North LGA.

“Congratulations to Hon. Loius Ndukwe for winning the January 6th, 2018 Local Government election.

His Eminence,
Celestine Okafor
The Ikwele of Isu Ancient Kingdom

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]r Stephen Chukwudi Anyanwu got married to his heartthrob Anastatia Eseanobi on December 2nd, 2017. The ceremony kicked off with a Traditional Marriage at Egbe Street, Umunkwo, Asaba, Delta State. Mr Stephen Chukwudi Anyanwu is a lucky man to have found Anastasia who is a unique definition of beauty and brains and this union would forever be blessed.

See pictures below: