Court sentences Pastor to death for murder

AN Ondo State High Court has sentenced one Pastor Kolawole Samson to death by hanging for the murder of Ayo Olaniyi in Okeigbo council area of the state four years ago. 

Delivering judgement, the trial judge, Justice Ademola Bola held that Pastor Kolawole was guilty of inflicting injury on the deceased’s head with a cutlass at Gberinlegi Village, via Okeigbo, which later led to his death at the hospital.

The state Attorney General and Justice Commissioner represented by two government counsel Mr Olusegun Akeredolu and Mrs Omotola Ologun, had told the court that the accused had on 3rd of March, 2016, inflicted deep cut injury on the head of the deceased.

They said that the injury was inflicted on him when he went to hunt for frogs with three other friends at a fish pond owned by the convict. According to them the offence was contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Laws of Ondo State (2006).

The accused person claimed he was not guilty of the offence. However, in his judgement yesterday, Justice Ademola Bola ruled that all evidence adduced before the court during the trial in the last four years, showed that the accused was guilty of killing the deceased person.

Justice Bola thereafter ruled that Samson Kolawole should die by hanging

Meanwhile, in another development, two men have been sentenced to seven days community service by an Akure Magistrate court for violating the state government order on COVID-19 pandemic. 

 They are Shadrach Adi 35, and Bidemi Samuel, 26.

The accused persons were arraigned on one count charge of disobeying the order of the state government.

Police prosecutor, S. Kolawole said they committed the offence on May 27 at about 9: 50pm at Ayede Ogbese.

They both pleaded guilty and the trial Magistrate, O. Bukola sentenced them to two hours community service per day for seven days to serve as deterrence to others in the state.

 Five others charged with them who pleaded not guilty were granted bail in the sum of N50,000 each with one surety in like sum. The matter was adjourned till June 5, this year for hearing. (Vanguard)

NCDC Announces 387 New cases, 254 Cases in Lagos.

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 387 new cases in Nigeria, bringing the total number of cases to 9302.

NCDC in a tweet on Friday night confirmed that Lagos accounts for 254 cases, 

FCT-29

Jigawa-24

Edo-22

Oyo-15

Rivers-14

Kaduna-11

Borno-6

Kano-3

Plateau-2

Yobe-2

Gombe-2

Bauchi-2

Ondo-1

It said: “As at 11:46 pm, 29th May, there are 9302 confirmed cases in Nigeria. 

Meanwhile, 2697 patients have now been discharged from various treatment centres, while 261 patients have died of the disease.”

FG to pay jobless youths N20,000 monthly to sweep markets, clear drainages

In a bid to curb the high rate of unemployment in the country, the Federal Government has rolled out a scheme which will see unemployed youths in rural areas earning N20 ,000 per month , The PUNCH reports.

The youths will be engaged in the clearing of drainages , sweeping markets , road maintenance , traffic control, and cleaning of public infrastructures like health centres and schools.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN ), said this at a news conference on Thursday.

Keyamo said the scheme targeted 1 ,000 youths each from the 774 local governments across the country.

The minister said the programme is one of the biggest social intervention schemes to be carried out within a short period of time by any government in the history of Nigeria.

The PUNCH reports that the scheme , known as the Special Public Works Programme in the Rural Areas , is domiciled in the National Directorate of Employment for implementation and is expected to take off in October.

The minister ’s speech read in part , “ The pilot programme earlier approved by Mr . President was designed to mitigate lack of job opportunities in the rural areas through a short - term engagement of 1 ,000 unemployed persons per local government area for a period of three months.

“ It is a dry season/ off - season transient job programme and was originally designed for the rehabilitation /maintenance of public and social infrastructure. Participants were to be paid an allowance of N 20,000 monthly and were to be recruited largely from the pool of unskilled persons resident in those rural areas.

“ This pilot scheme was approved to be implemented in five local government areas in eight states namely : Adamawa , Borno, Ebonyi , Edo, Ekiti , Jigawa , Katsina and Kwara . Beneficiaries are engaged in: drainage digging and clearance, irrigation canals clearance, rural feeder road maintenance , maintenance of the Great Green Wall nurseries and orchards in Borno, Jigawa and Katsina states ; traffic control , street cleaning , cleaning of public infrastructure like health centres , schools and the likes. A total of 40 ,000 direct transient jobs were expected to be created in the eight pilot states.”

Keyamo said the Special Public Works in the Rural Areas is an employment- intensive technique acquired and adapted by the National Directorate of Employment from one of the capacity - building collaborations with the International Labour Organisation in the late 1980 s to the middle of the 1990 ’s.

The minister said for the purpose of transparency and accountability in the process, the President has approved the use of select banks to register and collate data of the beneficiaries.

“ The banks will open accounts for all beneficiaries and in the process obtain Bank Verification Numbers for those without accounts.

“ All payments would be made from the Central Bank of Nigeria directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries ,” he added.

(The Punch)

AFDB: Obasanjo hits US over call for Adesina’s probe

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has blasted the United States of America for insisting on “independent investigation” into allegations of favouritism and others against President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina.

The US Treasury Secretary has called for investigation into the 16 allegations after Adesina, who is seeking reelection, was cleared by the Ethics Committee of the Board of Director and Chairman of the Board of the Governors of the bank.

The former President lamented: “The US treasury secretary disparaged the bank and ridiculed the entire governance system of the bank which has been in place since 1964.

“This is unprecedented in the annals of the African Development Bank Group.

“If we do not rise up and defend the African Development Bank, this might mean the end of the African Development Bank, as its governance will be hijacked away from Africa.”

He called for solidarity in the fight to preserve the independence of the bank, stating the former African leaders should issue a joint statement “to support the laid down procedures embarked upon to evaluate the allegations and recommend that the Board of Governors as well as the Ethics Committee of the Bank should firmly stand by their process and its outcome.”

Obasanjo added it is “critical” to emphasise the need for the AfDB to remain an “African-focused development bank rather than one which serves interests outside Africa. (The Nation)

15 NYSC members in Ekiti to repeat service

Fifteen Corps Members of 2019 Batch B, Stream ‘1’ who served in Ekiti State would repeat the compulsory one- year service for absconding from their Places of Primary Assignments (PPAs), the state NYSC coordinator have disclosed.

The NYSC Ekiti State Coordinator, Mrs Emmanuella Okpongete, disclosed yesterday in Ado-Ekiti during the passing-out exercise of the corps members that 26 corps members also bagged extensions for various offences during the service year.

“Out of 2,282 Corps members, 15 absconded and will have their service year repeated, 26 got an extension for various offences and three outstanding ones that have done well are recommended for State Awards.

“The punishment for their offence is to repeat their service year and refund whatever allowance(s) they might have collected,” she said.

The coordinator further said on the other hand, 16 corps members got Commendation letters for outstanding work in their places of primary assignment, while one corps member died due to ruptured appendix.

On measures to ensure that social and physical distancing was maintained during the issuance of certificates, the coordinator said the event was designed in a way that not more than 20 corps members attended at once. (NAN)

Nigeria records 182 new coronavirus cases, total now 8,915

Nigeria has recorded 182 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 8,915.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) disclosed this on Thursday.

Data from the NCDC showed that Nigeria currently has 6,064 active coronavirus cases.

It said: “On the 28th of May 2020, 182 new confirmed cases and five deaths were recorded in Nigeria.

“No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.

“Till date, 8915 cases have been confirmed, 2592 cases have been discharged and 259 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

“The 182 new cases are reported from 16 states- Lagos (111), FCT (16), Akwa Ibom (10), Oyo (8), Kaduna (6), Delta (6), Rivers (5), Ebonyi (4), Ogun (4), Kano (3), Plateau (2), Gombe (2), Kebbi (1), Kwara (2), Bauchi (1), Borno (1).”