A businessman, Mr Ayodele Olaoye has narrated before an Ikeja High Court how a purported female student of the Lagos State University, Esther Phillips, allegedly conspired with some persons to kidnap him.

Olaoye, who was testifying at the trial of the seven suspects who allegedly kidnapped him, said the kidnappers collected a N5 million ransom from his parents.

Phillips was charged to court alongside Patricia Nna, Kingsley Okonwa, Osita Adigwe, Uzochukwu Ezioha, Jude Sunday and Michael Olarenwaju by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on a seven-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and neglect to prevent felony.

Led in evidence by Mr Ade Ipaye, the Attorney General of Lagos State and Commissioner for Justice, Olaoye said he met the first defendant, Phillips in February 2012 at Pegas Club in Opebi, Lagos.

He said the first defendant gave her name as Jane and claimed to be a student of Lagos State University (LASU).

Olaoye said he had sex twice with her and they became friends.

He said on 22 April, 2012, she asked him to come and know her hostel in LASU and he agreed because he “trusted her”.

According to him, he drove his Nissan Murano SUV to pick her up at GT Bank in Opebi and they started driving towards LASU with Phillips giving the directions.

Olaoye said:”We later picked up Nna (second defendant) at Dopemu. She told me that the lady was her school mate.

“After driving for sometime, they told me to stop at an isolated place because they were feeling pressed.”

The witness said immediately he stopped the car, the trio of Okonwa, Adigwe and Ezioha, entered the car through the back door.

Olaoye said they were armed with a battle axe and knives and dragged him to the back seat.

“They took my mobile phone, wrist watch and necklace.

“After that I  was tied up, blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination by the first to fifth accused persons.

“They told me to cooperate or they will kill me. Phillips specifically told me to try and convince my parents to pay the money or the guys will kill me,” he said.

The witness said he was incarcerated for four days, adding that the accused persons called his parents demanding for 400,000 US dollars as ransom.

According to him, his father, Mr Segun Olaoye, later paid the sum of N5 million to them which they shared among themselves.

He said it was while they were sharing the money that he was able to sneak outside the house where he was being held and escaped.

“I took a motorcycle and told him to go and drop me at my father’s office at Gowon Estate in Iyana-Ipaja.

“After that I wrote a statement to the police but I can’t remember the exact date or the particular police station,” Olaoye said.

The trial judge, Justice Akinlade Olabisi adjourned the matter till tomorrow for  continuation of trial.

—Henry Ojelu

Nigerian airlines are in a fierce competition amidst dwindling passenger traffic and skyrocketing air fares. But stakeholders say their efforts at attracting more air travellers remain too little and even ineffective.

At various times this year, Nigerian airlines embarked on promotional activities meant to bring back the fleeing passengers. But air travellers seem unconvinced as many of them continue to hit the roads and snub airlines whose prices continue to hit the roof and their services remain poor.

Throughout the month of April, Dana Air slashed its fares to N12,100 on its Lagos – Abuja – Lagos route. Aero Contractors quickly followed suit this month and has now crashed its fares to N9,999 for the remaining two weeks  in the month of May when the booking is made online. Arik Air is also pursuing a robust online booking and is offering passengers cheaper fares on the internet.

A passenger with a return ticket on Arik Air ends up getting a 30 percent discount on the return leg of the trip while the airline has continued to claim that its in-flight service is excellent with the most comfortable legroom in the industry. Arik also boasts of the youngest fleet in the industry with an average aircraft of five years old.

Dana Air recently launched check-in services with its ‘Roving Agent’, a mobile device which allows guests to be checked-in on arrival at the airport by mobile airline staff.

Strapped with tablet PCs and mini printers, the airline’s mobile check-in agents can now issue boarding passes to guests even before they reach the check-in counter. This new initiative complements the airline’s existing check-in counters and online check-in service.

Besides, Dana claims that its unique selling point is the customer service – from the point of contact up till boarding and arrival at destination. The airline says it always ensures that passengers are well treated while safety is given priority.

Aero Contractors says it has the highest aircraft utilisation in the domestic market than any Nigerian airline as well as more passengers per flight than any other carrier in the country.

Besides, Aero says it gives customers more opportunities to book, pay, check in online than any domestic carrier in Nigeria.

Aero claims its online dominance gives customers more options and choices and enough time to focus on more pressing issues. Aero’s options include the SMS, smart phones and Internet.

The key ingredient of Aero is its online products which are second to none in the sub region, the airline often boasts.

Overland airline claims it goes to hinterland where Dana, Arik, Aero or Med-view airlines do not go. But despite all these offers and services, passengers have remained unmoved partly because air fares have remained too high in Nigeria with promotional fares lasting only a few days or weeks.

Their offers have remained cosmetic while the real issues have remained unattended to.

We expect Nigerian airlines to offer passengers affordable fares  and better services. Daily, passengers are delayed for hours at airports and sometimes, their luggage are stolen.

The issues of affordable fares, compensation in case of flight delays and cancellations should be addressed if Nigerian airlines want more Nigerians to patronise them.

We believe that the N60,000 air fare from Lagos to Abuja and back remains beyond many Nigerians who rather choose to travel by road and pay about N10,000 only for the same journey.

By Bilikis Bakare  

The quest for economic prosperity and improved standard of living has led to myriads of domestic problems world-wide, chief of whom is poor parenting. This has resulted in the perpetration of social vices such as kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, suicide bombing, prostitution and raping of innocent girls and women among others. Invariably, the affected youths will become a menace to the society due to their evil practices as they turn to miscreants and street urchins popularly referred to in local parlance as “area boys”.

In traditional African society, it is believed that although two people come together to bring forth an offspring, many people will partake in guarding and guiding the child to maturity. But due to the so-called civilization and the adoption of western lifestyle, communal form of living is going into extinction as people now distance themselves from their relatives and extended family members. ‘I don’t want any family problems’ is now a common expression that one now hears from the so-called educated elite.

The usual practice of learning from the wise to become wise is now a thing of the past as youth delinquency is now on the increase in our society. We are now in an era of absentee parenting; children are now left in the care of nannies and maids who are themselves a little more than a child to instil bad values in the wards left in their care. Oftentimes, these children are abused by their supposed guardians. Therefore, in order to bring the youths back on the right track and to maintain peace in the society, mentoring remains one of the main effective tools.

Mentoring is a relationship where a less experienced person learns from a more experienced one over a period of time. It is impossible for someone to learn or discover everything and not want to learn from the people around. Indeed, life is even too short for one to learn or know everything all alone. From birth till date, people that we have come across have been instrumental in one way or the other to what we have achieved in life so far. A mentor can be younger or older; the most important thing is that the mentor should be able to impact on the life of the mentee to the extent that the former will turn the destiny of the latter around for good. Parents can also be mentors to their children by intimating them with their past mistakes and failures, which they had paid dearly for, in order to prevent the children from falling into same trap.

In the years gone by, it is a thing of pride for a person to be called a mentor, but the reverse is the case these days as people do not want to mentor because they are afraid the mentee may be greater and more successful than them in future. Little do those people realise that when someone dies, it is the belief in Africa that angels are sent out to listen to tributes that flow from people around and report back to the Almighty God. These tributes will form part of what he would be judged by on judgment day.

The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was a mentor to many people, some of whom are not blood relations. At his death and even till date, encomiums still pour in for him on his memorial. Some of those he mentored including his children have never failed to celebrate his birthday even after his death. Same goes for Professor Chinua Achebe who died recently. People, all over the world, who have been inspired one way or the other by his writings or his books, showered him with encomiums at his death.

There are other benefits that accrue to the mentor which includes sense of satisfaction, literarily changing lives and destinies of the mentee, giving back what others had given you and also making the mentor skilful in areas of expertise. If one takes into cognizance all these benefits and more, the idea of mentoring should be an exciting adventure of helping people to get ahead.

Even in the animal kingdom, the lion is called the king of the jungle not because he is the strongest, heaviest, the most intelligent or the wisest but because he is a team player. A lion will always alert other lions if there is a prey to be devoured, therefore a lion does not take credit for any success achieved alone. This shows that there is strength in unity.

Elderly people in the community should take it upon themselves to identify a disaster waiting to happen in youths, so that they will be able to nip it in the bud by being open, honest and freely sharing their experiences and knowledge. This will empower the youths to make choices. Also, an aspiring mentor should be ready to serve as a backdrop for the mentee by steadfastly standing behind the latter through thick and thin in order to achieve success.

Peace has become elusive in Nigeria today because there is dearth of mentoring and mentors. If the affluent and gifted people in the country have been taking it upon themselves to mentor the disadvantaged ones, the country will by now be a better place to live in. The same goes for parents. If they have not been shirking their responsibilities by running after money, power and material wealth, the country would have been blessed with responsible and godfearing youths that will respect the sanctity of fellow human lives.

Also, individuals should learn to plan their families. A situation where people that earn meagre salaries or low incomes give birth to children that their income cannot adequately catered for, should be discouraged, because the excess ones will not receive adequate care. It is this category of children that often turn out to be social misfits.

Therefore, it is now time to go back to the drawing board to identify and address the causes of the moral decadence among the youths and tackle them promptly. Parents, care givers, guardians and governments at all levels should organise a stakeholders’ conference in order to bare their minds and find a lasting solution to moral decadence among the youths.

It is equally important that moral instruction becomes an important subject in our schools. Right from the early years, students should be exposed to some moral values that will be part of them as they grow older. Parents should also make it a duty to inculcate religious practices in their children in their formative years by taking them along to their religious meetings.

The youth represents the very essence of every nation; put them on the right path and the nation will be better off. If we are to achieve the much needed national development and social rebirth, we need to give utmost attention to the all round well being of our youth.

•Bakare is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.  

By Peter Claver Oparah

When he entered the conclave, in the wake of the historical resignation of Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis (then Cardinal Bergoglio), like the nearly 120 Cardinals that made up the conclave, went with his little briefcase containing essentials he may need for the period of time the conclave will last. This was televised live to the entire world. Since  he emerged, after two days, as Pope Francis, no one has known or seen him go back to his native Argentina, either to take his personal belongings or check on his father’s heirloom, lands and estates. Recall that Pope Emeritus Benedict had not visited his native Germany since he voluntarily abdicated the Papacy on February 28. He may not even visit Germany again in his life time as he lives in a sequestrated monastery at the Vatican. The late Pope John Paul II lost his last earthly close relative, his father, when he was barely eighteen. This was after the death of his brother Edward but he went on to become a priest and reached the very zenith of priesthood, which is the Papacy. At his death in 2005, he was known not to have left any earthly possession except his private mails, which he instructed his Secretary to burn at his death. He was not known to have gone to his native Poland to inspect or supervise his family estate, lands or businesses.

That is how it is for every Catholic priest. He is ordained for the Church and exists for the Church. By Church, I mean the Holy Catholic Church and not the church where he is born or is raised. By my understanding, a Catholic priest can be called upon to work anywhere his services are needed. He exists and lives his life at the behest of the Church, exercised through the delegated authority of the local ordinary, which is the Bishop of the Diocese where he works. A priest can work for a diocese other than the one he is born into. That becomes his diocese and if he dies, he is buried there. He may be required to work in a different diocese from the one he is born and where duty calls, he moves without question. He belongs to that diocese for life and when he dies, he will be buried in that diocese as his body may not even be laid in state in the diocese of his origin. A priest, on ordination, takes the vow of poverty, obedience and chastity. This forbids him from owning properties, estates, wives, children or heirlooms or to inherit his father’s estates or properties.   As it is with priests, so it is with bishops and even the Pope. While a priest, he is expected to live on the goodwill of the Church and the community of the faithful. That is the rule for Bishops and even the Pope.

This is why I find really disturbing the on-going slugfest over who should succeed the late Bishop Victor Adibe Chikwe as the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara (Mbaise) Diocese. Since this battle was kicked off with the announcement of Msgr. Peter Ebele Okpalaeke as the second bishop of Ahiara, and the rejection by a section of the Catholic community in the diocese, I had maintained a studied silence over the issue. I had rather decided to study and perhaps learn more from that issue than interfere but above all, I prayed silently and wished that the combatants will do their best and let the wheel of progress roll on. Since the issue started, I had read extensively  the submissions of the section of Mbaise people that rejected the appointment of Okpalaeke and the often engaging, deep and incisive reactions from others, mainly Catholic priests, from outside the diocese. Curiously, as I read, I had not found any opinion or any voice outside Mbaise support the rejection of Okpalaeke.

In all I read, I had been nit picking to see where any egregious infraction that impedes the choice of Okpalaeke could be advertised. I had read deeper to see if there is any impediment that would prevent him from being a Catholic bishop to the faithful of Ahiara diocese. I had searched for any hefty indiscretion that endangers his capacity to be an effective bishop for the people of Ahiara diocese. I believe such indiscretion should be founded on very strong reasons to sustain any strong opposition against his candidacy for the Bishopric as being touted by a section of the Catholic community and the huge number of non Catholics that have tapped into this issue for reasons best known to them. Curiously, I have not seen any such malfeasance. I have not seen any scandal and I have not seen any dent in the tons of paid adverts, features and opinions sent forth by those who have sworn that Okpalaeke will not be Bishop of Ahiara. In fact, in its first noted public statement on the rejection, these combatants made up of some priests and lay faithful have said they were not opposing Msgr. Okpalaeke’s candidacy as an attack against him as they said they found nothing wrong about him as a person. So what is firing the unusual obduracy so far displayed by these people?

They said they will never accept Okpalaeke because he is not from Ahiara, that he is from Anambra and they have gone further to allege what they call a deliberate policy of forcing Anambra priests on many dioceses in and outside the East. They have gone further to say that Okpalaeke is not qualified to shepherd the teeming faithful in Ahiara because, as they put it, he doesn’t speak our language or understand our culture. In a nutshell, these form the corpus of their opposition. I have continued to search for more beefy reasons to tag along them and have found out that the many press statements and features they have brought out on this issue revolve around these issues. Strictly speaking, and in line with Catholic traditions, are these weighty enough to disallow Okpalaeke from being Bishop of Ahiara? I don’t think so. Given historical evidences and with our knowledge of the Catholic priesthood and the general history of the Catholic Church, are these sufficient reasons to withdraw the candidacy of Msgr. Okpalaeke? I don’t think so and I feel that those that are sworn to the opposition of Msgr. Okpalaeke’s candidacy should advance further reasons to ground their positions.

I am a Catholic from Ahiara diocese and I remain in full communion with the Catholic Church. To be fair to it, the Catholic Church has had least considerations for place of origin in deciding where its priests or bishops work. Why should it when it professes one Faith, one Baptism and one Father who is God? A priest once ordained becomes a member of the church. It does not assign roles to its priests on consideration of where one comes from. In other words, when ordained, a Catholic priest is primed to work in any part of the world. It may be true that most bishops particularly in the Eastern parts of the country are from Anambra, as insinuated by those that oppose Msgr. Okpalaeke. It may be true that Msgr. Okpalaeke was favoured over priests from Ahiara, in consideration for who succeeds Bishop Chikwe. It is true that Ahiara has one of the highest density of Catholic priests in Nigeria.

It is true that Ahiara has one of the highest density of Catholics in Nigeria. These facts have been well rehearsed by those that want someone from Ahiara as the next bishop of Ahiara. However, none of these facts dents the suitability of Okpalaeke for the Bishop of Ahiara. None is weighty enough to disqualify him for the position and those opposing him, especially the priests among them, know this fact. Okpalaeke is a priest of the Catholic Church and that qualifies him to be bishop of any diocese in the world. It is trite to insist that it must be ‘our son’ or nobody else as the provocateurs of the succession crisis in Ahiara are insisting. Their position finds no known anchor in the ordinances, practices and authorities of the Catholic Church. It is alien to the Church and that is why Ahiara priests work all over the globe.

Coming nearer home, it is an incontestable fact that more than sixty five per cent of Catholic bishops in Nigeria work in dioceses other their diocese of origin. It is an incontestable fact that more priests from Ahiara’s rich pool of priests work in several dioceses all over the world and in different religious congregations. If these were true, how can those opposed to Okpalaeke justify their position on the flimsy basis of ‘he is from Anambra’ or ‘he does not speak our language’ or ‘he does not understand our culture’? Okpalaeke, on my last check is Igbo, he speaks Igbo and is part of that culture, even when we insists that the Church is not a cultural platform. Igbo is a uniform people, with a single culture and language, albeit with slight dialectical variations so it is an abomination to hurl those charges on Igbo just because you want to strengthen a weak point. So if we must disallow Okpalaeke from Bishop of Ahiara on these flimsy grounds, what happens to the multitude of Ahiara born priests working in various parts of the world? Deport them to come and become parts of the okpulo inheritance syndrome that is firing the present tussle?

I know that the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, as a group and individually, has worked round the clock to solve this issue. I know that respectable Priests and Bishops have made rounds to Mbaise to clear this mess. But after each intervention, all you get is one belly-churning publication or the other, alleging injustice and name calling. I have tried my utmost best to understand the grouse of these agitators beyond the flabby articulation put forth so far. It is just repetition of why it should be ‘one of us of no other person’ and when you press it further, everything is collapsed into the magic word, ‘injustice’ and you begin to wonder if the issue is really about injustice. If it is, why is it that more than 65 per cent of Catholic Bishops in Nigeria work in dioceses outside their diocese of origin? When had justice in the Catholic Church been watered down to restricting priests and bishops to their home dioceses?

As it is, by the appointment of Okpalaeke as Bishop of Ahiara, he automatically becomes a citizen of Ahiara. If and when he dies, he would be buried in Ahiara and this conforms to the practice of the Catholic Church so why are we breaking our heads over nothing? Why have we willingly allowed agent provocateurs, fifth columnists into our barn such that they make rounds vilifying the Catholic Church and treating its traditions and practices to trampling? I ask this because I found out that those who have been most fanatical in this warfare are non-Catholics, self confessed traditionalists, people of doubtful Catholicity and those who have publicly renounced their communion with the Catholic Church. They have been carrying on as if their lives rest on the appointment of an Mbaise man as Bishop of Ahiara and shockingly, they are in cahoots with a section of priests and lay Catholics.

I do not see the protest of a section of Ahiara priests and lay faithful to Okpalaeke’s emergence as out of place. It  is natural and should be limited to protests from which some useful lessons should be drawn. But then, they missed the opportunity to press the finest point in their position, which I believe, is asking why Mbaise priests cannot be Bishop of other dioceses. What prevents an Mbaise priest from being the Bishop of Awka or even the Archbishop of Onitsha when these positions become vacant? This was a beautiful ground the agitators for a native Bishop for Ahiara missed in the pent up obduracy to insist they must have their way.

I feel the church however takes note of this salient point and move on. Those who are agitating for a native bishop should rest their war machine and work for the progress of the church. All those who are engaged in this battle should call the truce and embrace peace so that we all will further the ends of development for the diocese and Mbaise land. Equally, those on the other side who are murmuring that ‘they rejected our son’ are misguided because they did not take into consideration the sentiments of a people just coming in contact with such succession reality.

We should put this squabble behind us because it is meaningless. Let us embrace Msgr. Okpalaeke as our brother and put forth our well known Mbaise warmth and conviviality to him. I know my people are capable of this and know when to end a battle. Let the new Bishop start his work, with an urgent mission to pursue reconciliation and peace among the fractious divisions that have developed amongst our people. Let all hands get on the deck and let everybody put the past behind to work for our people. Welcome, Msgr. Peter Ebele Okpalaeke to Ahiara Mbaise and long may your reign be!

•Oparah wrote from Lagos. •E-mail:peterclaver2000@yahoo.com

A star-studded Green Eagles team led by Austin Jay Jay Okocha beat their counterparts from the entertainment industry 5-3 yesterday in a novelty football match to honour movie icon, Fred Amata on his 50th birthday.

Okocha, who played the whole 90 minutes of the game at the Campus Square pitch, Lagos Island, inspired his side with a hat-trick, while, former Eagles’ coach, Samson Siasia and Friday Ekpo also scored one goal each against a side captained by the celebrant, Fred Amata.

Okocha first puts his side ahead with two early goals in the 4th and 15th minutes of the game with superb strikes. The entertainers, however, had the opportunity to reduce the tally when a controversial penalty was awarded to them. But Amata was denied the spot by the Ex-Eagles shot stopper.

After the thrilling encounter, Okocha received the highest goal scorer plaque, while Fred and Oreva Amata received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Most Outstanding Player laurels respectively.

Other ex-Eagles stars on parade included Peter Rufai, Victor Ikpeba, Ben Iroha, Friday Elahor, Obi-Gold Nwosu, Henry Nwosu, Mutiu Adepoju, Waheed Akanni and Emeka Ezeugo. Joe Erico was the team coach.

Some of the celebrities in Amata’s team are; Ali Baba, AY, Okey Bakasi, Afiz Oyetoro a.k.a. Saka, Chinedu Ikedieze (Aki), Osita Iheme (Pawpaw), Frank Edohor, Kcee, Moses Ewang and Akpororo.

—Bayo Adetu

Back pain forced Andy Murray to retire midway through his second-round match at the Italian Open yesterday. He may have to sit out the French Open, too.

Rafael Nadal began his bid for a seventh Rome title by cruising past local hope Fognini of Italy 6-1, 6-3 in just 61 minutes, and two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova eased past Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-2.

Meanwhile, rising Polish player Jerzy Janowicz upset eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 7-6 (5) then celebrated by ripping his shirt apart, showing off his muscular physique.

Murray, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, walked off the court after winning the second set against Spanish opponent Marcel Granollers.

‘’I have an issue with my lower back, it’s been an issue for a while,’’ Murray said.

Murray took a long injury break early in the second set, getting his left thigh and lower back massaged.

Granollers won the first set 6-3 and Murray won the second 7-6 (5).

This tournament is a key clay-court warm-up for Roland Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam, which starts on May 26.

‘’I would be very surprised if I was playing in Paris,’’ Murray said. ‘’I need to make a plan as to what I do. I’ll chat with the guys tonight and make a plan for the next few days then make a decision on Paris after the next five days.

Murray called for the trainer while trailing 2-1 in the second set. He then lost the next two games to trail 4-1 before battling back to force a tiebreaker.

‘’I want to make sure it goes away,’’ Murray added. ‘’It’s been a problem since the end of 2011 but it got bad during last year’s clay season.’’

Nadal will next face Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis, who reached the semifinals in 2010.

Gulbis routed Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-1, 6-1. Early in the second set during an argument over a line call with the chair umpire, Troicki dragged a cameraman out onto the court to shoot the ball mark.

Sharapova now meets 16th-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States, who rallied past Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Stephens reached the Australian Open semifinals in January with a win over Serena Williams.

Commssioner for Sports in Lagos, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, has advised players of the Lagos Junior League to emulate the exemplary qualities of former Nigerian international, Victor Ikpeba as they aspire to become great in football.

Oshodi, who was elected President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, NTTF on Tuesday during sports federation elections in Abuja, wants players of the Junior League to see the Prince of Monaco-as Ikpeba was fondly called in his playing days- as a role model who rose from the ranks to become African Footballer of the Year award winner.

According to Oshodi, the Lagos Junior League is the future of Nigeria football and it needs to be reciprocated across the country.

The Commissioner was given this piece of advice to the players during the award ceremony organised by the management of the League for President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Aminu Maigari, players and coaches of the Junior League at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos last weekend

Oshodi noted that the League has produced players for the nation’s Golden Eaglets and the Flying Eagles, adding that management team of the League would work with notable football technocrats in a couple of months prior to next season on the need to eradicate age-cheat, soccer hooliganism.

He explained that the presence of NFF boss at the award ceremony showed that the state is on the right track of redeeming the image of Nigerian football, stressing that in five years, the success of the League would encourage most clubs in Nigeria Professional Football League and the National League clubs to start their youth football academies.

—Taiwo Adelu

A faulty mast that collapsed has killed a 52-year old man in Marina area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria during a heavy rainfall.

The man, Mr. Adeolu Adeleke was killed instantly when the mast fell on him at 52, Marina, while the mast belonging to Jubilee Savings and Loans Limited also damaged structures in the area.

The incident took place on last Friday after a heavy rain in the area.

Following the incident, the Lagos State Government has issued two months ultimatum to banks, internet service providers, among others to replace their faulty masts or face the wrath of the government.

At a news conference on Wednesday, the General Manager, Urban Furniture Regulatory Unit, UFRU, Mr. Joe Igbokwe lamented that death caused by faulty masts had become a recurring decimal in Lagos metropolis for sometime now, saying that death toll had been increasing.

Igbokwe said the government had come up with a prototype mast that it wants banks, internet users and others to adopt and build, stressing that UFRU expects that the operators would change their minds in their interest so as to avoid incurring the wrath of Lagos State Government.

“We have severally engaged and dialogued with banks, internet service providers and other small users who use these local masts to boost their communication systems to see the need to employ new ways of building these structures to stem the tide of these tragic incidents, but they will not listen.

“We have carried out series of structural integrity tests on some of these structures and reports made available to them. Our findings from the just concluded structural integrity tests on some of the masts within Lagos metropolis have shown that nearly all masts in the state used by banks and other companies are not only defective, but accidents waiting to happen at the slightest wind storm,” he explained.

Igbokwe said the report exposed the causes of this failure to include bad foundation, rusted joints, bad height, space problem, abandoned mast, weather condition, lack of maintenance and use of inferior materials.

According to him, “we have also made it known to them that these tragic incidents of masts collapse and their attendant grave consequences could be reduced to the barest minimum if the operators and other users will listen to us and adopt UFRU standards and specifications.”

He said the time had come for UFRU to wield the big stick, saying that the government did not need to beg its residents to obey the law for the common good of all.

“Insurance companies and other local users must evacuate their old disused and dangerous masts to save lives and property. They have 60 days to go round their branches, remove outdated masts and seek permit to erect new ones. If they fail to do it, UFRU will carry out the task and the companies involved will pick the bill. Enough is enough,” he warned.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga

Three persons, Michael Taiye, Moses Chukwuemeka and Efetaire Jonathan have been sentenced to death by hanging by three separate courts in Delta State for armed robbery.

In the first case, Michael Taiye, a bricklayer, of 21, Ekpan Street, off Okere road, Warri, was convicted by an Effurun High Court, haven found him guilty of the three-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms brought against him by prosecution.

According to the prosecution, Taiye was arrested by men of the Ekpan Police command after sustaining gun shots injuries in a gun battle with the patrol team the 11January, 2006 while returning from a robbery operation.

Items recovered from him include a short double barrel gun with live cartridge and a white Volvo car which they earlier snatched from the owner. The police also recovered three other guns after searching the abandoned vehicle.

It was reported that the four-man gang refused to stop at a check point mounted by the police which aroused the suspicion of the security agents and which led to a hot chase while the fleeing gang opened fire on the police.

In his confessional statement to the police, Michael Tauter admitted to committing the offence and also fingered a man called Andrew who was among those that escaped as their gang leader and armourer.

The trial judge, Hon. Justice G.E. Gbemre while delivering the death verdict said: “there is always a day of reckoning and for the accused, today is a day of reckoning as prosecution left no one in doubt as the essential ingredients of armed robbery against the accused was proved beyond  reasonable doubt. I thereby find the accused guilty of conspiracy, armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms.”

He was subsequently sentenced to death on the count of conspiracy and armed robbery while he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms.

In another development, Moses Chukwuemeka, a trader from Ebonyi State, was sentenced to death by hanging for armed robbery by an Asaba High Court.

Chukwuemeka was on trial on a one count charge of robbing his victim of his commercial motorcycle while armed with a cutlass, after pretending to be a passenger, an offence he reportedly committed in 2009 behind the Ivories Golf and Country club, Asaba.  Also to die by hanging for armed robbery is 32-year old Efetaire Jonathan who was convicted by Justice M. Mukoro of Warri High Court.

The convict, a commercial bus driver who hails from Ovwian, Udu LGA, with three others now at large, robbed Tommy Etejire of his RAV 4 SUV on 21 January, 2011, at Upper Erejuwa,Warri within the Warri Judicial Division.

According to prosecution, the convicted armed robber and his other gang members now at large, also held the owner of the car hostage and demanded for a ransom of N30 million but negotiated to N1.2 million which was paid by his family before he finally regained his freedom.

They were however arrested when they attempted to sell the SUV to a popularly car dealer known as “Chief” at Agbor before the Police who suspected their movement at a police check point around Ugorhu junction at Okpe, arrested him.

During trial, the victim narrated before the court that he was about entering his Toyota RAV 4 SUV at Upper Erejuwa, Warri, on the fateful day when he was robbed by the convict and three of his gang members.

Efetaire, who before the incident resided at 19, Samwarri Street, Warri, was convicted and sentenced on a four-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and demanding with menace.

—Jethro Ibileke/Asaba

At least 1,708 beggars and destitute have been expelled from Lagos State to their various states and countries by the Lagos State Government, says Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru.

Speaking at a ministerial press conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, Southwest Nigeria Thursday, Badru disclosed that “1,708 beggars and destitute were either transferred to their states of origin, or repatriated to their countries for reintegration.”

He said the rehabilitation department of the office dealt with the issues of begging and destitution in the state and that in line with the state government’s policy of ridding the streets of Lagos of beggars and destitute, the office had consistently embarked on an aggressive raid of beggars, mentally challenged and destitute from the streets, highways and over-head bridges of Lagos.

Badru stated that the mode of getting this category of persons into the rehabilitation centres is by referrals from members of the public and rescue operations carried out by the Office of Youth and Social Development.

“In the last one year, a total number of 3,114 beggars/destitute/mentally challenged were rescued in day and night operations. 2,695 were taken to the Rehabilitation and Training Centre, Owutu, Ikorodu, where the state government has made provisions for facilities to help in turning the lives of the destitute/beggars around, while the mentally unstable are given medical attention.

“Forty-eight children and toddlers were transferred to the Child Protection Unit; another 48 street children cleaning wind shields at traffic lights were rescued and transferred to the Special Correctional Centre for Boys, Oregun; eight were transferred to the Child Transit Home, Idi Araba while 315 Persons (203 male and 54 female) suspected to be criminals were however handed over to the Task Force for prosecution.

“Four hundred and three persons were released to their relatives through written applications. 123 complaints on begging and destitution via rescue hot lines were received from members of the public in the last one year, and were promptly responded to,” he disclosed.

According to Badru feedbacks were often received in recognition of the positive impact of the services rendered which was also aimed at reducing crime rate in the state, while appealing to members of the public to desist from giving alms to beggars/ destitute on the street as they constitute a menace and nuisance to the society.

He further enjoined members of the public who might wish to help the less privileged in the society to donate their widow’s mite to any registered orphanage, motherless babies’ home or government social welfare institution.

On adoption and fostering services, the special adviser disclosed that from April 2012 till date, 806 applications were received from prospective adopters out of which 740 were local and 44 international, while 15 applications were received for relative adoption and six were received for fostering and one for guardianship.

“Prospective adopters were screened in order to determine their suitability for adopting children; 350 provisional approval letters for adoption were granted. The Child Protection Unit has a critical role in ensuring that adequate care and protection are provided for vulnerable children such as abandoned, homeless, abused or other children whose right and privileges as entrenched in the Child Rights Law have been trampled upon.

“The unit is responsible for the rescue/referral of all abandoned babies/ lost but found children in the state to registered orphanages. It also carries out child audit on the registered orphanages in order to conduct a case review of the children in the homes. This is done with a view to decongesting the homes and discouraging institutionalization,” he explained.

Badru added that his office currently liaises with countries regarding international adoption. These countries are Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga