There was pandemonium on 24 Road, in the Igbogbo, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, after suspected cult members shot dead four persons.

It was learnt that the six-man gang arrived in the community on Friday around 8pm on two motorcycles.

PUNCH Metro learnt that a 63-year-old native doctor, identified as Rasheed Yusuf, aka Low Banger, who was walking along the road, was the first to be killed.

The attackers were said to have also shot at Rasheed’s wife, Falilat, and a two-year-old girl, Kehinde.

The duo, however, survived the attack.

The cultists further reportedly waylaid and shot dead two men, identified as Yusuf Cisco and Lukman Apetu, who were returning from work on a motorcycle.

A yet-to-be-identified resident was also reportedly killed during the shooting spree which left many residents injured.

Policemen from the Ikorodu division and members of a vigilance group in the area were said to have arrived at the area to remove the corpses after the attackers left.

When PUNCH Metro got to the area on Saturday, most shops and houses on Tobalase and Olubuse streets, as well as Awotunde Lane, were locked.

A crowd of sympathisers was observed at Rasheed’s house.

Our correspondent learnt that Cisco, another victim, was buried on Saturday in accordance with Islamic rites.

A relation, who did not want his name in print, said the gunmen were on a reprisal, adding that they decided to pass their aggression to residents when they didn’t meet their targets.

He said, “Baba (Rasheed), a well known native doctor in this area, was walking to his son’s shop on Tobalase Street when he heard the gunshots. He was about warning his children to lock the doors, when the gunmen shot him.

“They also shot at his wife and a little girl. We rushed the woman and the child to a public hospital where they are still receiving treatments.

“After leaving that spot, they shot at three young men returning from work. Two of them died that evening, while the third died in a hospital later. People were injured by the sporadic shooting. A man, Baba Ogo, was injured in the stomach.”

A resident, who gave his name only as Qudus, said the cultists came in from the Ebute area of Igbogbo.

He said, “The cult guys are from Ikorodu town. They came in from the Ebute area. We do not know the gang they belong to. Some Onyabo (vigilance group) members have been patrolling this area, but they are arresting innocent residents.

“When we went to bury one of the deceased today (Saturday), the gunmen still shot at someone in the cemetery.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the deaths.

She added that the police had arrested three suspects.

She said, “Three suspects have been arrested. They will soon be transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja. The command is on the trail of other suspects.

source: punch ng

JAMB makes a U-turn, withdraws candidates’ lists sent to varsitie

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has withdrawn the list of recommended candidates for admission it earlier sent to universities and other tertiary institutions.

The announcement was contained in a statement by the spokesperson for JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, on Sunday in Abuja.

According to him, the decision was to ensure that universities perform their statutory responsibility of selecting candidates and referring them to JAMB for confirmation.

This, JAMB stated, should be done in consonance with the admission criteria of merit, catchment area and educationally disadvantaged states as directed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, during the policy committee meeting.

Benjamin said the earlier list was sent to help fast-track the process of admission so as to allow other tiers of tertiary institutions conduct their admission for the 2016/2017 academic session.

“Candidates should not panic because this is part of the process of the 2016 admission exercise. JAMB regrets any inconvenience this decision would have caused the tertiary institutions,” he stated.

The Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, had while given admission conditions for the 2016/2017 academic session, said  it would only give approval “after appropriate screening of the candidates by the institutions had been done.”

He added, “JAMB wishes to state that the latest list of candidates sent to all the tertiary institutions contains candidates who qualified for screening based on the individual institutions’ capacity. It’s not in any way an admission list.

“However, if this list is not sufficient for the need of any institution, such institution can source from the omnibus printout earlier sent to them by the board.

“The public and all tertiary institutions should note that admission will only be approved by the board after appropriate screening of the candidates by the institutions.

“The list which is made up of candidates who met the national cut-off point within the set criteria are sent to the institutions. Again, for purposes of clarity, all institutions that have need for more can source from their omnibus printout as stated above. The candid intention of the board is to ensure that available spaces are adequately utilised.”

Our correspondent reports that the Federal Government had clarified its ban on Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and the general admission procedures, saying it “does not in any way affect the statutory role of the senate of any university or the academic board of any tertiary institution conducting its admissions.”

Adamu had made the clarification in a statement by the Deputy Director (Press and Public Relations) in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Ben. Bem-Goong.

He said the clarification became necessary “following conflicting reports in the media over the roles of universities and JAMB in admission under the new dispensation.”

According to him, the role of JAMB is to conduct the UTME, compile the list of candidates whose scores meet the cut-off marks (180 and above) and send same to the universities

source: punch ng

It Was Easy To Snub Arsenal’- Vardy

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has revealed it was an easy decision to remain at the club over a proposed move to Arsenal.

The England international was believed to be heading to the Emirates after the North London club triggered his contract, but the player eventually signed a contract with the reigning champions during the Euro 2016 tournament.

Now the 29-year old striker has revealed he was never close to joining Arsene Wenger’s team, insisting it was an ‘easy’ decision to stay his present club.

“[Turning down Arsenal] wasn’t that big when I think about it. It was quite easy and this is where I want to be,” He told Sky Sports.

“I was away with England so a move to Arsenal wasn’t close.

“No I didn’t speak to them.

“There’s a lot of unfinished business here. I feel that the club is only going one way and that is forward, that’s why I want to be a part of it.”

source: information ng

EKO Disco Throws National Theatre In Darkness Over N9m Debt

Electricity supply to the National Arts Theatre in Lagos has been disconnected by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDC) on Sunday over unpaid N9m debt.

Mr Idemudia Godwin, General Manger, Media Communications of EKEDC, disclosed this in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), as he added that the complex was disconnected after several appeals and demand notices went unheeded.

According to him, the debt is an accumulation of unpaid bills over time. We don’t disconnect without serving notice.

“Besides, we recently ran a newspaper advertisement informing all EKEDC debtors of Ministries and Departmental Agencies (MDAs) of our intention to disconnect them.

“We have commenced disconnection of all historic debtors, including residential, commercial, industrial and government establishments within our network,” he said.

The EKEDC spokesman said that the gigantic debts owed by some customers is taking its toll on the company, adding that it is seriously impacting negatively on the entire value chain in the power sector equation.

he said only 25 per cent of this debt actually belongs to DISCOs, the rest is for other companies in the value chain— generating companies, bulk traders, gas suppliers, among others.

“So if you do not pay and you accumulate debt, what you are looking at is a possible total collapse of the entire power sector. That is what we seek to avert by this action. We need this fund to energies the power sector; to ensure electricity supply and to grow the sector,” Idemudia said.

source: information ng

Flood kills 14 wedding guests

At least 14 people were killed Saturday when a vehicle carrying wedding guests was washed off a mountainous road by floodwater and flung into a gorge, an official said.

“Dead bodies of 14 people had been retrieved, most of those killed and wounded were women and children,” Rahimullah Mehsud, a local government official of Khyber tribal district, where the incident took place, told AFP.

The accident happened when a pick-up truck carrying the groom’s party of more than 20 people was hit by floods in a remote village of Khyber, one of Pakistan’s seven tribal districts bordering Afghanistan.

Mehsud said a search was ongoing for the missing but rescue workers and residents were facing difficulties as the “area is remote and mountainous”.

He added: “We have no exact number of those travelling in the Datsun pick-up but residents told us there were more than 20.”

The heavy monsoon rains began earlier this month, drenching the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and central Punjab provinces, which have been badly affected by flooding in recent years that some scientists have linked to climate change.

source: punch ng

Nigerian children rescued, mum drowns at sea

Two unidentified Nigerian siblings aged 11 and 10, were rescued in the Mediterranean on Friday after losing their mother while on a dangerous journey to Europe.

The heartbreaking photographs of the boy and girl by Associated Press were published by Dailymail as  they sobbed and comforted each other aboard a rescue boat.

According to Dailymail, the children were part of 150 migrants rescued by an NGO’s boat while trying to make the journey from Libya to Europe aboard an overcrowded craft.

A leading migration group had said more than 3,000 people had died while trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, nearly a 60 per cent increase from this time in 2015.

The latest rescue came after Italy on Thursday launched a hard-hitting campaign on the Internet, TV, radio and social media to warn African migrants of the many dangers they face in trying to reach Europe.

 source: punch ng

PSG target Real Madrid’s Jese

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Unai Emery said Saturday that the French champions could sign Real Madrid forward Jese Rodriguez before the end of the transfer window.

The 23-year-old would provide support in attack to Edinson Cavani for PSG, who saw talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic leave at the end of the past season before joining Manchester United.

“It’s a possibility, as are other opportunities in the transfer window,” Emery said during PSG’s tour of the US.

“I know Jese well, the club knows Jese well, he is a good player.”

Jese scored five league goals for Real last season, but struggled to force his way past Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo to get into the starting line-up.

PSG play Premier League champions Leicester City on Saturday in California in their final International Champions Cup friendly, before opening the domestic season in a week’s time against Lyon in the French Champions’ Trophy.

AFP

Many Killed As Military Bombards Lagos & Ogun Creeks

Scores of militants have been reportedly killed in a joint military operation code-named “Operation Awatse” launched in the Arepo area of Ogun State and some parts of Lagos.

The operation is to flush out the suspected militants that have been terrorising residents in the area.

There has been a lot of commotion. The Nigerian Air Force bombarded Fatola, in Arepo, which is the base of the militants, a resident confirmed.

They are shelling the place with fighter jets. Some soldiers also surrounded the area to make sure that if any of the militants should run out, they would be gunned down.

Another resident of Imushin area of Ogun state told Punch that the attack started sometime around 6pm on Thursday evening.

“An aircraft had actually been surveying the creek for the past three days. But a second one joined this evening around 6pm. All we heard was a sudden bomb blast released from the second aircraft.

“But it appeared that some of the militants had fled into the bush. There are four major bases of the militants in the creek and they are led by two men- OC and Agbala. If the military can get these two people, then they would have succeeded in clipping the wings of the militants,” the resident said.

The Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar also confirmed the operation, adding that it is a routine operation for the purpose of denying the vandals and other criminal elements from causing terror in the area.

Abubakar added, “The operation was initiated by the defence headquarters to dominate the area with a view to flushing out all manners of criminals including militants and saboteurs. The operation involved the joint forces of the navy and army and it has been successful.”

According to the Lagos Police Command’s Spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos: “The Nigerian military and policemen from the Lagos and Ogun commands are part of the operation. We are sweeping through the waterways where we share boundaries to end the activities of the militants. It is a continuous exercise and we cannot tell the number of casualties.”

source: naijaloaded

Omg! See The Notorious Robbers Caught Terrorizing Abuja Residents (Photos)

The police have finally arrested more than five deadly armed robbers who have been terrorizing Abuja residents at night.

The Police Command in Abuja has arrested notorious and deadly armed robbers terrorizing people in Kano road, Abuja. The robbers were caught and paraded on Wednesday.

The police recovered deadly weapons including masks, cell phones, foreign currencies and other stolen items.

source: naijaloaded

Photos:- OAU New Acting VC Visits Ooni Of Ife

The newly elected and appointed Vice Chancellor of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Professor Anthony Elujoba, has paid courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Elujoba, was announced victorious last week as the acting vice chancellor of the OAU, after series of protest and agitations by workers of the institution over alleged imposition of Professor Salami.

As a tradition, after appointment of VC, and confirmation by the Federal government on Monday, Professor Elujoba made a tour round the University hostels and facilities on Wednesday, after which he proceeded to the palace of the Ooni on a thank you visit.

See pics of the VC inside Ooni’s below :-