Rivers State Commissioner For Power, Augustine Wokocha Kidnapped

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The commissioner in charge of power, Augustine Wokocha, was kidnapped over the weekend.

Police sources told Saharareporters that Mr. Wokocha was kidnapped with the librarian of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku in Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni local government area. Also, kidnapped was Dr. R F Quadri and the school's director of Academic Planning and Statistics, Dr. Richard Ihua Maduenyi.

The commissioner was kidnapped as he was returning from Ahoada town some 35 miles from Port harcourt the Rivers state capital. Family sources stated that Wokocha was seized around 6:30 PM on Ahoada-Omoku road in the state.

 A police source said the kidnappers are yet to make any demands for ransom. The governor of Rivers state Rotimi Amaechi has reportedly suppressed the kidnap story from getting any media attention in the state.

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Aluu-4 were NOT armed robbers, they were set up - IG of Police

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The Inspector General of police, Mohammed Abubakar, said today that the four UNIPORT students lynched by a mob in Aluu on 5th October, were not armed robbers.

In a statement released by the IGP today, he said investigations conducted by the police so far revealed that Tekena, Llyod, Ugonna and Chiadika had gone to Aluu that morning to demand for money allegedly owed to them by a guy named Coxson Lelebori Lucky, also known ‘Bright’, and it was Bright who raised a false alarm that they were armed robbers. And you all know what happened next..they were all brutally killed. 

The IGP also said in the statement that Coxson/Bright has disappeared, but promised to track him down. The statement mentioned 4 suspects as being directly involved in the killing. They are: Chigozie Samuel Evans, Felemo Solomon, Cynthia Chinwo, and Ozioma Abajuo. They said the Aluu community chief, Alhaji Hassan Welewa was the one who incited the mob to unleash terror on the young boys.

ALUU4: How Vigilante Overpowered Police AT The Scene, Names Of Arrested Suspects

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The police have now admitted to being present at the scene of the gory murder of 4 UNIPORT students in ALUU village, the police claim the locals overpowered them and had brutally murdered the boys before they could go to their stations to get extra men for backup (No communication??). Anyway the did has been done, here are names of those arrested so far:

VIDEO: Mom Sentenced to 99 Years in Prison for Beating Child

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A Dallas judge today sentenced Elizabeth Escalona to 99 years in prison for beating her 2-year-old daughter into a coma and gluing her hands to a wall because of potty-training problems. Escalona, 23, had pleaded guilty in July to a felony count of injuring a child and admitted earlier this week to abusing daughter Jocelyn

Nollywood Actor, Nkem Owoh Battles Widow Over Land

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A secondary school teacher, Mrs. Gloria Ayogu, on Sunday said she would consider legal actions against Nollywood actor, Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, if he failed to pay damages for allegedly demolishing her house in Enugu State.
Ayogu, a widow and an employee of Federal Government College, Enugu, has since 2008 been at war with Owoh over a piece of land at 9, Ikpeama Street, Emeheluaku Layout, Trans-Ekulu in Enugu metropolis.
The widow said she had long reported the case to the police and vowed to see the matter to the end.
She said her late husband bought and registered the landed property before he died in 2004.

She claimed, “Osuofia and his thugs appeared in 2008 and threatened me for four years against building on the land.”

Nigeria worst performer among African powerhouses – Mo Ibrahim Index

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Mo Ibrahim, founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
| credits: dailypost.com.ng

Nigeria, again, got a poor rating in the 2012 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, published on Monday by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

The country was scored low in human rights, political freedom, transparency and accountability.

Other African countries that got the bashing of the foundation were South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.

This information came as the Mo Ibrahim Prize committee announced that none of the continent’s recent former leaders won the £3.2m award for “excellence in African leadership” set up by Sudanese-born billionaire, Mo Ibrahim, in 2007.

In the rankings by the Foundation, the four countries performed woefully in safety and rule of law, and participation and human rights – two of the four categories used in assessing good governance across the continent.

For Nigeria to grow

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Nigeria’s 52nd independence anniversary celebration has come and gone. It was the second year in a row that a low-keyed celebration would take place within an over-fortified Aso Villa. Regardless of the government’s excuses, everyone knew that security threats were largely responsible for its action. Besides, a highbrow celebration would have raised questions as what exactly was being celebrated.

A dominant theme in the post-anniversary analysis is lamentation over Nigeria’s lack of growth despite abundant oil resources and highly skilled professionals in all fields of human endeavour. How could a nation that loaned its professionals to other African

UNIPORT Students Burnt Alive: Fresh Crisis Brews In Aluu Community

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Fresh crisis may erupt in Omuokiri-Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, where four students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) were murdered on October 5.

UNIPORT students are believed to be planning more attacks on Omuokiri-Aluu, in spite of the closure of the university following Tuesday’s violent protest. Besides, it was learnt yesterday that some ethnic groups in Rivers State, where the victims hailed from, were gearing up to avenge the murder.

Omuokiri-Aluu is still deserted, with policemen massively deployed in the area, to prevent a likely breakdown of law and order.

Two of the lynched students hailed from Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, where First Lady Jonathan hails from.

Liberal poll numbers climb over NDP as leadership starts

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Focus on the Liberal leadership race appears to have breathed new life into the party, even if the race doesn't officially begin until Nov. 14, a new poll shows.
A Nanos Research survey reveals the Liberals have picked up almost six points over the Opposition New Democrats in the past month, and are edging the NDP for overall support for the first time since April 2012.
The new poll shows support for the Conservatives remains steady at 33.3 per cent, with the Liberals at 30.1 per cent, the NDP at 27.9 per cent, the Bloc Québécois at 4.7 per cent, and the Green Party at 2.9 per cent.
The telephone survey of 1,000 Canadians was conducted between Oct.4-11 and is considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Fuel subsidy fraud: FHC denies Uba, others bail

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A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday denied a motion ex-parte filed on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of  Capital Oil and Gas Ltd., Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, and four others, seeking their release on bail.

Mr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), counsel to the applicants, in the bail application, argued that the action of the police Special Fraud Unit in detaining his clients since October 9 was a violation of their fundamental rights.

According to him, the action of the respondents is reprehensible, barbaric and a clear contravention of Section 36 (4) (5) (a) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Uba, Nsika Usoro, Godfrey Okorie, Chibuzor Ogbuokiri, and Joseph Orji,, were on October 11 arraigned by the SFU over an alleged N43.29 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

The SFU had accused the men of economic sabotage, obtaining money by false pretences, stealing of N43.291 billion, property of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, money laundering and forgery.

The four other defendants are employees of Capital Oil and Gas.

The defendants, who appeared before Magistrate Martins Owumi of a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, were ordered to be remanded in SFU custody for 14 days.

In his ruling, Justice Okon Abang declared that the order sought by the defendants was not possible in law.

According to him, it will be just to hear the respondents before taking any decision on the issue of bail.

Citing Order 26 Rule 10 of the Federal High Court Procedure Rules, Abang also converted the ex-parte application to a Motion on Notice, and ordered that hearing notices be served on the respondents.

Abang also ruled that the respondents were at liberty to file their responses to the converted motion on or before 12 noon Oct. 16, and that the application would be argued without fail on that date.

The case was adjourned to October 16 for continuation of hearing.

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NLC, TUC back Mimiko’s re-election bid

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Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mrs. Bosede Daramola, said in Akure on Monday that workers and artisans across the state would lead the rally for the second term bid of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.Daramola told journalists in Akure that on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, both NLC and TUC would “celebrate Mimiko for flying the Labour Party flag higher and for making the workers proud in terms of workers’ welfare which is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.”

She said the NLC would lead over 120 leaders of all industrial unions under its congress while the TUC would lead over 38 leaders to the rally which would hold simultaneously with the LP mega rally in Akure at the same venue.

She enjoined all workers’ unions in the state, artisans and lovers of democracy and good governance to come out and join the rally for Governor Mimiko’s re-election.

The rally will be the third to be held in support of Mimiko by workers in the last three months.

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Five clubs in chase for Ashley Cole

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Ashley Cole is prepared to begin contract talks with up to five interested foreign clubs in January if an agreement is not reached to end his contract deadlock with Chelsea.

Cole, 31, is hoping that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich can be convinced to change his policy of only offering one-year deals to players over 30, with the England defender having already rejected the prospect of a short-term extension, ESPN reports.

There are no new talks planned imminently, but the two parties will meet again before Christmas in a bid to end the stand-off.

There is no fall-out or rift between Cole and club chiefs over the negotiations, with the former Arsenal star remaining “calm and collected” over discussions and viewing the option of talking to other clubs as a last resort.

Cole would like to end his career at Stamford Bridge and could be convinced to settle for a two-year-deal if it was offered.

If an agreement cannot be reached, Cole may reject the opportunity to sign a pre-contract agreement in January and wait until the summer before finalising his future in a bid to convince Chelsea that he is deserving of his demands.

Didier Drogba adopted a similar approach last season before quitting for Shanghai Shenhua

A similar situation faces Frank Lampard, 34, but while the midfielder might be tempted to stay on a year-to-year deal rather than take up a lucrative offer in the MLS, Cole is not willing to consider such an option.

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Ekiti shuts131 substandard schools

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Ekiti State Government on Monday directed the closure of 131 private schools which, it said, were substandard.
The order, which was given by the state Ministry of Education, affected both primary and secondary schools.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the directive followed the expiration of the six-month ultimatum given to their proprietors to regularise their operations and upgrade their facilities.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Eniola Ajayi, who made this known while addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, said that owners of the affected schools had been warned severally to properly register them.
She said the schools were given six months deadline to meet the standard set by the state government for the running of private schools.
Ajayi, however, said that the proprietors of the affected schools remained indifferent to the directive.
She reiterated the commitment of the government to the provision of a conducive learning environment that would enhance the performance of students.
The commissioner said that government would not compromise the future of the children in the state under any circumstance.

Canada condemns Kaduna killings

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The Government of Canada on Monday condemned the killing of over 20 villagers in Dogon Dawa, Kaduna, North central Nigeria.
Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada; John Baird in a statement sent via electronic mail described the attacks as a “heinous act” which Canada condemns.
He said, “I’m troubled and shocked by reports of today’s deadly attacks on Muslim worshippers in the Nigerian village of Dogon Dawa. Canada strongly condemns these heinous acts.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

PENGASSAN asks FG to stop casualisation in petroleum sector

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Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria on Monday urged the Federal Government to stop casualisation in the petroleum sector.

PENGASSAN National Industrial Relations Officer, Chika Onuegbu, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt.

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