[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Kano state Police Command says it has arrested a couple and a nurse for buying a five-year-old boy.
DSP Magaji Majiya, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command disclosed this to newsmen while parading the suspects in Kano on Wednesday.
Majiya said that the suspects were apprehended on Oct. 10 following a tip off by one Hajiya Fatima who offered to sell her baby in order to plot for the suspects arrest.
“We received information from Hajiya Fatima that someone wants to buy her baby. So we told her to tell them she has agreed to sell the boy. “The suspects bought the baby at the rate of N15,000 and paid N13,000 as part payment.”
The PPRO said that one of the suspect, Itopam Pious, who claimed to be a nurse at ECWA Eye Hospital Kano, was arrested while trying to confiscate the baby from his mother. According to him, the nurse intended to buy the baby for a couple, Mr and Mrs Charles Bob-manuel, who came to Kano from Rivers State to adopt a baby because they were married for 12-years without a child. Majiya added that the nurse confessed to have committed the offense, while the couple denied the offense.He said that investigation is still ongoing, adding that the suspects would be charged to court.
“The couple told the Police that the nurse was deceiving them, that they came to Kano orphanage home with all their supporting documents to adopt a child legitimately and that they don’t know Hajiya Fatima,” Majiya said.
[dropcap]V[/dropcap]ery few people appreciate their purpose in life and still understand the components of that purpose.Deputy Comptroller Gaya Y.M, Area Project Manager, Apapa Customs Command, Lagos will stand out among the few who had more than a fleeting nation of their sojourn on earth. He is a rare breed who viewed life solely from the perspective of his God, and knew that life’s purpose can only be fulfilled when self-will is surrounded to Almighty. DC. Gaya is a very supportive, encouraging and inspiring fellow; whatever he sets his mind on, he does passionately and quietly. He is a loving, kind-hearted man and this shows in his dealing with all that come across him, including his fellow officers.
DC. Gaya Y.M, APM, Apapa Customs Command, Lagos
To be rated as one of the best customs officers in the country can never be a mean achievement. One peculiarity of Gaya Mohammed is that he operates with synergy in his relationship with not only customs officers but also officers of other sister agencies in commands he has served.This amiable fellow is a man who has been identified as being effective and efficient in carrying out his official duties. He a crusader of integrity who believes in efficiency and improved revenue generation as well as zero tolerance for corruption.
A graduate of University of Sokoto with BSc. degree in Economics and Masters Degree in Business Administration. A native of Dundun in Kano state.Professionally, DC. Gaya who is vast in customs operations has attended several courses both locally and internationally like the Crown Agents, Accra, Ghana in 2010.
Since he joined the Nigeria Customs Service in 1990, he has moved through ranks in several commands where he served in various capacities and has made very remarkable achievements like Borno state, Murtala Mohammed International Airport customs command, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Rivers state as Area Project Manager, Abakiliki out-station as Patrol Team Leader and Apapa command, Lagos where he is currently operating as Area Project Manager . He has always exhibited resilience in any command he serves by ensuring improved compliance level through system monitoring and increased revenue generation.
If competence as an Area Project Manager (APM) is anything to go by, Deputy Comptroller Gaya Y.M. can be described as an epitome of technical knowledge within the Nigeria Customs Service based on his professional experience which has manifested itself when he realized N1.2B from a reputable Telecommunication company into the Federal Government coffers as officer in charge of Query & Amendment.DC. Gaya and his group have also recovered N5.5B in a single transaction by an Offshore Oil company through excise control and development and that has been commendable as it is a very remarkable achievement in the history of Nigeria Customs Service.
In his exploits as the Area Project Manager (APM) in Onne Customs Command of the service where he was privileged to serve under several Area Controllers such as Comptrollers Richard Oteri, Mohammed Mogaji, Gummi Hamzat,Babani A.T several monumental achievements of the command could be traced to the unseen hands of the amiable Deputy Comptroller, Gaya Y.M., an erudite and articulate customs officer who is thoroughly diligent when carrying out his duties.Based on the report made available to Grassroots Publishers, Gaya’s deployment to head the CPC/ASSYCUDA Unit of the command where he served for about 5 years,the revenue profile of the command which before then stood between N4 billion to N5 billion and in some rare cases N7 billion per month was seen to have over the time shoot up incrementally to about N8 billion, N9 billion, N10 billion per month. This feat was attributed to his resolve to have prudently plugged several loopholes, which eventually led to increase in compliance level of trade. Several loopholes that were capitalized on by economic saboteurs were said to be detected by his led team and consequently plugged, and this in the long run had improved the revenue performance of the command.
His recent transfer to Apapa command of the service widely acclaimed to be the highest revenue earning command as APM in the last general redeployment of Deputy Comptrollers of Customs cadre once again is an attestation of professional competence garnered over the years which has endeared him to the highly elevated technical position.
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igeria’s reigning king of the tracks, Seye Ogunlewe, has landed a brand endorsement deal with financial giant, United Bank for Africa (UBA). Koye Sowemimo, Head of Sports, Temple Management Company (TMC), in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to ensuring that star athlete achieved his purpose to become a truly global champion.
Grassroots Publishers online reports that Seye’s new deal is an icing-on-the-cake in a year he worked very hard to retain Nigeria’s national 100m title for the third successive year.
The statement said that Seye, represented by the leading talent, TMC, said he was eager to be a better athlete and inspire young kids.To actualise his new task, he teamed up with UBA Foundation to inspire school children at Victoria Island High School, Lagos on the Read Africa Initiative.
NAN reports that the foundation which was launched in 2011, has been helping to rekindle the dwindling reading culture amongst African youths as they pursue their education.The track & field champion alongside Bola Atta, CEO, UBA Foundation read excerpts of books and shared his experience as an athlete to inspire the children to become the best they could be. Seye revealed: “I am delighted to be part of ubagroup corporate social responsibility campaign, Read Africa.“I believe every child should live his or her dream with the right balance of education and passion for what you like to do.’’He added, “I heard kids today say they want to be Doctors, Lawyers, Pilots. My message to them is work hard to accomplish anything.’’
Seye Ogunlewe is a professional sprinter and the reigning fastest man in Nigeria, after a record 10.12 secs in the men’s 100m final at the All Nigeria Championships in Sapele, Delta.
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]overnor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and members of the state Executive Council gave a standing ovation to President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in appreciation of approval of a Transaction Advisor for the Bakassi Deep Seaport project.
News of approval of the transaction advisor for the multi-billion naira project was announced to the executive council at the Council Chambers by the governor, moments after a presentation by Siemens, which seeks to invest in the state.A loud, standing ovation ensued, which the governor said was the least the state could do in appreciation of a president who has special love for the state.
“As the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria receives a standing ovation in this executive chambers, I want to appreciate him for graciously keeping to his promise by appointing a transaction advisor for the people of Cross River, for the uptake and starting of the Bakassi Deep Seaport project.“It is a classical demonstration of the president’s commitment to his words,” said an excited Ayade. During the groundbreaking ceremony for the project, Buhari promised to assist the state in its actualisation.
Ayade said “the people and government of Cross River State are grateful to President Buhari for helping us to achieve this feat within record speed of two years.” He explained that the appointment of the transaction adviser for the project means that work will soon commence on site.He seized the occasion to also express gratitude to Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, who, he said, stopped at no point in putting pressure on his entire team to get the transaction advisor approved.
On what the development means for the state, he said: “For us as a state, it puts an end to the dreaming phase. Now, we are in reality; thank God to president Buhari and the Transport ministry that made it possible.
“Preliminary reclamation works will commence soon while commencement of the actual work will also start this year.”
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he names of a total 247 officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) who committed one offence or the other who have been either dismissed, demoted, cautioned or forcefully retired have been release.This is the first time the service will release all the names of affected officers in one swoop.
The list was contained in an internal publication of the service called ‘Monthly Order’.The Publication which was suspended since 2015 as Col. Hameed Ali took over, resurrected this month with the backlog of both past and present officers of the service who have cases to answer since Ali took over.The list also contains dismissed officers who were connected to the various arms imports into the country in the last nine months.
Meanwhile the Nigeria Customs Service has commenced publication of the monthly orders for circulation to all commands and formations of the service nationwide.The monthly order, which is a summary of major management decisions and relevant information for all its officers, is published by the headquarters of the service. Confirming this development, spokesman for the service, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah described the publication as a literature for internal circulation aimed at keeping officers abreast with relevant information that can be of use to them in the course of service.
On the insinuations that the customs recently embarked on a mass sack of some of its officers as recently misconstrued by a section of the media who saw a list of customs officers with disciplinary cases that has been dispensed with, Attah said, ”Information found in the monthly order to contain names of over 200 officers who had disciplinary cases and were either made to face various degrees of sanctions or exonerated, is a product of old decisions taken on many cases in the past.
”The list looks long because for a while the monthly order was not printed and a backlog of information had to feature in the revived edition. The list is actually longer than what was published.”More information will continue to feature in subsequent editions of the monthly order and it may include more names of persons affected by several management decisions in the past, like promotions, redeployment, retirements, dismissals and other actions that affects the service operatives’.
”It is purely an internal communication material within the service for information and ease of references among service personnel in the customs”.
Attah who reacted to insinuations that the service may have carried out a mass sack of officers, also added that the Controller General of Customs zero tolerance for corruption drive remains in full gear even as officers are keying in, in compliance with the agenda.
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]omptroller Aremu A.M , the present Controller in charge of Ports Terminal Multiservices Limited, (PTML) Customs Command, Lagos fits into the mold where scholars conclude that great men and women achieve success through hardwork and resilience. She remains the luckiest in terms of favourable circumstances. She is one of the few officers that have served round trip the most successful commands in Nigeria. Compt. Aremu is not disposed to unnecessary talks and frivolities; a no nonsense woman who had all through her leadership role in the service proved herself to be a leader that matches words with actions.There has never been any empty promises in her role as she ensures that she carries out her words to the letter.
Compt. Aremu A.M CAC, PTML Customs Command, Lagos
Since she was redeployed as the Customs Area Controller of PTML Customs Command in May, 2017, she has magically turned around the operations of the command revenue wise with unprecedented revenue generated since she took over. She has hitherto raised the performance bar of the unit to an exampled level in the history of the command. This is due to the fact that the refined officer is adjudged according to industry watchers to be a revenue oriented officer as well as her encomiums emanated from commands with performance based on revenue. Many senior customs officers hailed the Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) led management’s decision of redeploying Compt. Aremu to the PTML Customs Command to pilot the affairs of the unit knowing fully well she is a great performer and a goal getter; bearing in mind that the command is one of the nerve centres of the Nigeria Customs Service.
When the Grassroots Publishers paid her a visit, she said that her aggressive approach and the proactiveness of the Command officers have resulted to increase in revenue generation of the command adding that Nigeria Customs Service main target is revenue generation and trade facilitation with much efforts and emphasis on blockage of revenue leakages through 100 percent examination of cargoes.
Compt. Aremu said that since her assumption of office at PTML having served in several other commands including Apapa Customs Command, she has vigorously pursued an aggresive approach through resilience, and discipline towards 100 percent examination of cargoes to sustain continuous increase in revenue generation at the command. This is evident in the recent records on revenue generated at the command and made available to Grassroots Publishers.In the month of August, 2017,the command generated N10.16 billion as against N6, 284 billion generated in the corresponding period of 2016 representing an increase of N38.14 billion. The amount according to her was the highest revenue collected in a single month in the history of the command.In the month of January 2017, the command collected N6.933 billion while N4.734 billion was collected in 2016. In February, N5.074 billion was collected as against N3.847 generated in the corresponding month of 2016.For March and April, N9.036 billion and N5.751 was generated while N4.856 billion and N4.138 was collected respectively in the same period of 2016. In the month of May, N6.785 billion was collected as against N4.792billion collected in 2016 while in months of June and July, 2017, N7.166 billion, and N8.647 billion were collected as against N5.110 billion and N4.926 billion recorded in 2016 respectively.
On Inter-Agency collaboration, the CAC said she had visited and had meetings with other government agencies for a good working relationship. Speaking further, she commended the efforts of the officers and men of the command saying they are hard working, focused, sincere and above all, have drive for excellence.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hings seem not to be at ease with 21-year-old Watford star, Isaac Success, after claiming to have been duped by four commercial sex workers he met in a strip club in London’s West End to spend the night with him. The premier league star had not played in Watford’s 2-0 win at Southampton on September 9 but enjoyed a night out the following day in London, when he met the girls.
The Nigerian striker gave the four prostitutes (Michaela Carter, Ms Alexis Domerge and two others) £500 each (which is approximately one million naira), for a night with him at a hotel after he boasted of his prowess to the ladies.
As a result of the excess intake of two bottles of Baileys liqueur straight from the bottle, he was unable to perform, despite everything they could think of to try and rouse the player but to no avail.
After about 90 minutes of inaction, the ladies notified him of their intention to leave, this got Success frustrated because the ladies declined giving him an extra time. He angrily demanded his money back.
However, things started to get nasty when disagreement ensued. There was a lot of screaming which woke the entire patron of the hotel. The hotel then sidelined them out. The star, who earns £30,000 a week, was arrested in the Hertfordshire hotel lobby after police were called following an allegation of assault.
It is claimed Success admitted to police he paid the girls for sex and he was put in handcuffs while claiming he had been cheated out of his money.
Meanwhile, Success, who signed for Watford for £12.5million in July 2016, told his bank to block the payment to the escorts. A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police confirmed they are investigating an allegation of assault reported to have happened at 6.30am on September 11.
He had since been arrested and de-arrested and inquiries are ongoing.
The new Lagos State Commissioner of Police Mr. Imohimi Edgal has tasked the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force SP Olayinka Egbeyemi to completely eradicate all criminal hideouts/black-spots across the State. SP Egbeyemi discolsed that the Commissioner of Police has mandated him and other Divisional Police Officers to wipe out all criminal elements from their hideouts across the State.
He stated that the new Commissioner of Police is poised at tackling all criminal challenges and making sure that criminal elements were no longer allowed any free reign: they will not be given freedom of space to practice any of their criminal acts. The Chairman listed areas to be raided as directed by the Commissioner of Police to includes Egbe-Idimu, Iyana-Ipaja (Abule-Oki & Car-wash), Ikotun, Mushin, Bariga, Apapa, Orile-Agege, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Lagos-Island, Oshodi, Pen-cinema, Berger, Oyingbo, Mile 2, Fadeyi and Ojuelegba. SP Egbeyemi stated that government would not fold it’s arm and watch criminals destroying huge investment already expended on infrstructural development across the state.
The Lagos Police and operatives of the State Task Force in a joint operation over the weekend arrested about 50 suspected criminals and confiscated 48 bags of illicit drugs in the Akala area of Mushin as part of the state’s policy to eradicate criminal hideouts in Lagos. The mid-night joint enforcement operation was led by Mr. Soji Akinbayo, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force SP Olayinka Egbeyemi as well as all Divisional Police Officers under Area ‘D’ command Mushin.
Speaking on the operation, the SP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that 44 males and 6 female suspected notorious criminals were arrested during the raid. He disclosed further that 48 bags of substances suspected to be Indian hemp with packs of other illicit drugs such as ‘Novalyn with Codeine Cough Syrup’ and ‘A tuxil-c cough & cold with Codeine’ were recovered during the midnight raid.
SP Egbeyemi stated that the Task Force and Lagos Police Officers are battle-ready to maintain ‘Zero Tolerance’ on criminal activities across the State as initiated and directed by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal.
He commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for giving priority to security challenges in the State by supporting the Nigerian Police including Lagos State Task Force with needed working materials. One of the suspected male notorious criminals Sunday Adesoye a.k.a Malboro confessed that ‘Akala’ serves as a ‘Central Market’ for Indian hemp and illicit drugs to all miscreants and hoodlums across the state
He stated further that he sold an average of N500,000 worth of Indian hemp with other illicit drugs per day to his customers from Obalende, Oshodi, Pen-cinema, Apapa, Lagos Island, Fadeyi amongst others. A female suspect Mrs. Basirat Jimoh a.k.a Iya Suzzy, who hails from Ibadan in Oyo State, confessed to have been trading in Indian hemp and other illicit drugs at Akala area for over 17 years but denied being involved in any criminal activities.
All the arrested suspects have since been charged before Magistrate Lateef Owolabi of the Lagos State Mobile Court on a 3-count charge of Unlawful possession of weed suspected to be Indian Hemp, Trading in Indian Hemp and Conduct likely to cause Breach of Peace and Disorderly manner.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Barrister Oluremi Kuku disclosed that after the 50 suspected notorious criminals including six females pleaded ‘Not Guilty’ before the court, the Magistrate granted them bail and the case was adjourned to 15th of November, 2017 for further hearing. The Lagos State Office of the Public Defender however provided free legal representation to the 50 accused through Barrister Bashiru Abdulsalam who appeared on their behalf during the trial.
Mr. Ganiyu Sekoni Balogun The National President of ATBOWATON
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Association of Tourist Boats and Water Transportation of Nigeria (ATBOWATON) has described the claims made by the marine police that it recovers between 10 and 15 corpses on daily basis in parts of Lagos waterways as not totally true. The National President of the association, Mr. Ganiyu Sekoni Balogun who stated this in a chat with our correspondent in Lagos said that even if something like that existed, it was exaggerated by the police.
Balogun further doubted if there is any accident that happens on the waterways that will not get reported by the media adding that even if there is, it may be such insignificant that it didn’t catch the fancy of the journalists.
He said,”I hope the police will not see it as if I am against them but that is not completely true because that will scare a lot of people away from the waterways. If that is true, 15 corpses? It is not 15 rams, it is not he-goat or she-goat.“Just like you asked, is that not being exaggerated? Somebody jumped into the water last time and committed suicide, is that the fault of the operators? He is not a passenger, somebody decided to take his life and jumped into the water. If that corpse was found undetected, it doesn’t mean that was an accident on the water.
“Besides that, when an accident happen today on the waterways, it is unfortunate that when a small or big accident happens on the water, the way it will be spread all over, meanwhile on the road, almost every two hours, there are accidents here and there across the country but it is not being highlighted like that”.
He informed that they were going to to the media on the way they report marine accidents noting that while they would not stop them from reporting marine accidents but they should not paint the picture that waterways transportation is not safe.
“Recently, I doubt if there is any u reported accident on the waterways. Maybe about 10 years ago, it may not be reported but now, especially with the new government that we have and the journalists these days, they look for stories of what is happening including the positive and the negative especially with these our mobile technologies, I can send you what I saw today and by tomorrow you put it on air.
“So, I doubt if there is, even if there could be, maybe 5% of the accidents on the waterways that are not reported. You know accidents have levels, any one that doesn’t claim life may not be reported. If a boat runs into an iron or into an object on the water and it breaks and the boat sinks, eventually almost all the people in the boat are safe and no course for reporting it to the police and there is no journalist there at that time it happened, it may not be in the news.
“But life is involved, definitely, the police will be involved and then the reporters will get it and it will be reported”, he said. Balogun who is also the Managing Director of Tarzan Boats however thanked the marine police for her quick intervention which led to the swift recovery of his snatched boat within hours of attack adding that “that was the first time in the whole history of marine business that they (robbers) took a boat and the police recovered it that same day and the engine was also recovered”.
He continued,”No boat that was stolen in the past and was recovered alongside the engine, you only see carcass but that one, I give kudos to them and thank the Governor of Lagos state who provided that both for them. That is why I am saying that there is no reason why the federal, state and local governments cannot work together if our target is to provide an enabling environment for the operators and a safe water transportation for the people of the state and the country at large”.
[dropcap]“M[/dropcap]onkey Tail,” though an unlikely sounding moniker, is simply a drink made of ogogoro (local gin) left to brew in igbo (marijuana leaves, stems, roots or seeds) for a few days or more, producing varying units of intoxication (UOI) for the user. The beverage gives users two different kinds of “highs” simultaneously with unpredictable outcomes, especially for a novice and depending on the alcoholic content, igbo potency and amount consumed. There is also the case of synergy where ten UOI of ogogoro plus ten UOI of igbo can cause thirty seven UOI when consumed.
Today, Monkey Tail is seen by Nigerians as popular masculine drink. Street boys are believed to abuse it recklessly, mostly as an agent of Dutch courage and ‘escape’ from the trials of street life. While at the higher echelons of the social structure, gentlemen are most likely to drink it responsibly and mostly for sexual purposes. Women who drink Monkey Tail would by default be perceived to be wayward or unwomanly.
Grassroots Publishers online uncovered that Monkey Tail throughout the 1980s and 1990s was a common ‘date-rape’ drug in Nigeria. At tertiary institutions of learning or in towns, the parties thrown by young men often served “punch”. Similar to the punch cocktails, the variant in question was mostly a concoction of Monkey Tail (primary ingredient), other spirits, dessert wine, Ribena, bits/slices of fruit and sometimes Guinness or palm-wine. Sweeteners and other additives were introduced to mask the sickly taste of marijuana. Some desperate guys even added barbiturates.
At the parties, usually small and intimate, called “mellows”, decent food would be served to all the girls with the fruity and delicious “punch” before any male. The girls loved the punch especially when ice was available. The unwitting girls were having a good time for all they cared. Then the dancing would start in earnest and within an hour one could observe all the social inhibitions of the girls had fallen flat with them laughing at each other’s antics. Not too long after that they would simply pass out.
Whatever happened to those girls often remains a secret to this day, but one source who spoke to Xclusive Magazine on condition of anonymity confessed that the primary purpose and outcome of the parties was rape. A lot of girls had compromising photos taken of their naked bodies or engaged in sex with a guy whose face could not be seen while theirs were. Many of these girls ended up being blackmailed for money and sex by the party throwers. In fact, it was claimed that many thousands of girls were forced into part prostitution as a result of the ensuing blackmail.
The source volunteered the information to Xclusive Magazine after openly confessing his sins to an undisclosed church congregation. He said he had discovered what is now known as Monkey Tail as a date rape drug by accident. He had given it to two girls who visited him on their insistence at his one room apartment in Benin-City while he was a teacher there in 1979. He went to have sex with the girls as they had become unconscious and he spread passed the word.
It was a scheme he and his friends exacted for several years on women with increasing sophistication, especially while he was an undergraduate. He also possessed many compromising photos of naked women. Today he claims to be totally repentant and seriously regrets his actions.
Monkey Tail has certainly had a silent but evil history. What is it used for these days?
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