80% Nigerian women, girls in Italy sex trafficking victims — VATICAN

About 80 percent of Nigerian women and girls, who arrive Italy, are sex trafficking victims, according to Vatican news agency, Agenzia Fides.

“Hundreds of thousands of people fall victim to human trafficking every year in Africa alone,” said Monsignor Ignatius Ayau Kaigama at an international conference against human trafficking organised by Christian Organisations Against Trafficking in Human Beings, COATNET, and Catholic Charity Caritas, Abuja.
”Of the overall number of victims, 79 percent are sexually exploited and the majority are women,” said Kaigama, who is the Archbishop of Jos and President of the Nigerian Bishops Conference.

He added: “The remaining 21 percent are coerced into forced labour, and the majority of these are men.

“In some parts of West Africa, the majority of trafficking victims are children under 18. This conference must find a way to put an end to child labour in all its forms.”

He also called on the Federal Government “to declare human trafficking a national disgrace, and to take urgent and long-lasting measures to address its root causes.

“This, in light of recent reports that 80 percent of Nigerian girls that reach Italy, do so for reasons of sex trafficking.”

Fans come hard for Genevieve Nnaji after she posted this no-makeup photo of herself (SEE)

Popular star Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji recently shared a bare-faced photo of herself on Instagram and instead of praising her for staying young, fans stormed her page to accuse her of being seriously sick.
( dats her natural self Na)

Fans come hard for Genevieve Nnaji after she posted this no-makeup photo of herself (SEE)

Popular star Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji recently shared a bare-faced photo of herself on Instagram and instead of praising her for staying young, fans stormed her page to accuse her of being seriously sick.
( dats her natural self Na)

ANOTHER NIGERIAN BLOGGER ARRESTED

Our attention has been drawn to the arrest and detention of a 38-year-old blogger and publisher of an online news medium, Abia Facts, Mr. Iroegbu Emenike by the State Security Service (SSS) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at about 1:00 pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2016.

According to the wife of the blogger, Mrs. Ekaette Emenike Iroegbu, the blogger was arrested by three (3) SSS operatives who invaded their Uyo residence in a Gestapo style in a black jeep. The operatives took away the two phones of Mrs. Emenike; the bloggers own phones and laptop, etc. After ransacking their apartment, they whisked the blogger away without disclosing the reason for his arrest and their destination.

Though the Director of SSS, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Adesina informed me at about 9:04 pm on Tuesday, September 6, that he was not aware of the blogger‘s arrest, the wife of the blogger who went to the SSS office in Uyo has confirmed that her husband is being held by the SSS in Uyo.

Without prejudice to whatever reason may have motivated the arrest and detention of the blogger, it is very worrisome that the fundamental right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is being eroded at an alarming and unprecedented level since the inception of the current dispensation.

Few examples will suffice.

Emmanuel Ojo, a blogger, was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command on Saturday, September 26, 2015 on the orders of the Ogun State governor over his publication about the governor’s wife on Facebook. Blogger Seun Oloketuyi was equally arrested in 2015 over an online publication. Mr. Abubakar Sidiq Usman, a popular blogger and political commentator was arrested and detained recently by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged cyberstalking. Mr. Musa Azare from Bauchi State was also arrested recently by the Nigeria Police Force allegedly on the orders of his state governor over his critical publications on social media

The SSS and other security agencies should resist the emerging capricious proclivities of political office holders to use security agencies to clampdown on Nigerians for exercising their constitutional liberties. Democracy is being threatened in Nigeria by the rising display of intolerance to free speech.

Will the SSS and other security agencies be willing to arrest, detain and prosecute every Nigerian that is accused of making offensive or derogatory publication and statement? The security agencies should not be seen to be massaging the egos of the influential members of the society.

Those who believe that their reputation have been lowered in the eyes of right thinking members of the society should explore the legal option by seeking redress in a court of law.

While we are not yet certain about the person(s) who instigated Emenike’s arrest, it is on record that the Abia State bornblogger has been constantly harassed by the agents and officials of the Abia State Government over his publications. It is also on record that some government officials in Akwa Ibom State have been uncomfortable with some of his publications online.

We hereby call on the SSS to release Mr. Iroegbu Emenike immediately. Injury to one, is injury to all.

Thank you.

Inibehe Effiong, ESQ.
Convener, Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COHRD).

FRAUD ALERT: Commandant of NSCDC Is Not On Facebook, Civil Defence Not Recruiting

Fraudsters are operating under different guises in the social media, in a bid to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. They have opened Facebook account(s) with the photo of the Commandant General of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to deceive people.

These fraudsters are also advertising for recruitment into NSCDC on Facebook. The public is advised to beware of such fraudulent characters as the Civil Defence is not recruiting. Do not give money to anyone who claims to be representing the NSCDC with a promise to give you a job.

INEC Prepared For Edo Gubernatorial Election Despite Security Reports Asking For Postponement

Can this be real???  After all the preparation.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed on Wednesday that it is prepared to conduct the Edo State gubernatorial election slated for Saturday, September 10. The commission’s willingness to go ahead with the poll undermines requests by the police and Department of State Security (DSS) to postpone the election.

The two security agencies had on Wednesday morning threatened that “insurgents” and “extremists” would provoke violence during the election. This was disclosed in a security report issued jointly by the police and DSS. INEC officials told SaharaReporters that they heard of the "Security Report" while at a stakeholders meeting Benin City with the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations in attendance. The source further claimed INEC was 99% ready and had already distributed non-sensitive election materials across the State when the devastating report hit its officers and ad-hoc staff

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole, who was campaigning outside of Benin City, urged INEC to avoid delaying the election for too long, saying that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was going to “bury” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the contest.

Edo State PDP Chairman Dan Orbih opposed the postponement, saying such an action would put “democracy on trial.”

INEC sources speaking to SaharaReporters confirmed that neither the DSS nor the Nigeria Police Force consulted with the commission before advising it to postpone the election. INEC, however, was aware of the security report issued by the two agencies.

Saturday’s election between Godwin Obaseki (APC) and Osagie Ize-Iyamu (PDP) is expected to be tightly contested, with both camps engaging in last-minute efforts to secure victory.

President Muhammadu Buhari visited Benin City on Tuesday to address a rally in support of the APC candidate. In anticipation of the rally, the APC reportedly paid each Local Government coordinator N5 million to “mobilize” a crowd for the president Buhari though the attendance in the was impressive but it yielded poor support for APC's candidate regardless.

Meanwhile, PDP governors have been pumping funds into local government areas surrounding Benin City, claiming that the party has made progress that would defeat the APC on Saturday.

At the time of reporting, INEC has yet to make a statement officially postponing the election, although a source at the agency admitted that the security report has psychologically demobilized its workforce. However, its officials, including the chairperson and four national commissioners, plan to remain in Benin City until a final decision is made.

A Homeless boy drowns in Calabar drainage

The whole street yesterday was filled with sorrow and disguist, when the remains of a street urchin that died while swimming, was carried through the streets of Calabar, Cross River State, by his friends for burial.

The homeless boy, simply identified as Daniel, drowned, yesterday, while swimming with his friends in a drainage popularly called Big Gutter, in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

The boy, who is about 10 years old, according to one of his colleagues, drowned at 12 noon, while swimming with others in the drainage around Atu Street, where the volume of water is high.

One of his friends said:

     “He did not know how to swim. But some boys forced him into the water in Big Gutter, and he drowned.”

The body was carried by four of his friends through Target Street, heading to Bogobiri, the Hausa quarters, where they said arrangements would be made for his burial.
“We are taking him to Bogobiri, where we stay, so that we can make plans to bury him,” Effiong, one of the boys said.

He was later taken to the Goldie Cemetery, where he was buried by some adults.

Michael Ibru is dead

Michael Ibru, husband of Cecilia Ibru, former managing director of Oceanic Bank, has died.

Disclosing this in a statement, the family said he died in a US hospital in the early hours of Tuesday.

His death comes about five weeks after Felix, his brother, was buried.

The successful businessman also tried his hands in politics, contesting the 1983 governorship election of the old Bendel state. However, he lost to Samuel Ogbemudia.

James Ibori, former governor of Delta state, described Ibru’s death as “a great shook, not because the man who was born in 1930 and so was 86 died young, but because he was one of the few that actually defined the veritable Nigerian entrepreneurial spirit”.

He said the deceased was a trail-blazer who streaked through Nigeria like a meteor, lighting up the way for others to follow.

In 1956, Ibru was just a 26-year-old young man, yet he had the vision and the boldness to leave the U.A.C, and started a partnership with an expatriate, Jimmy Large, which he called Laibru,” Ibroi said via a statement signed by Tony Eluemunor, his media assistant.

Laibru successfully engaged in general trading, yet, a year later, Michael Ibru discovered some loopholes he could plug in the frozen fish market.

“Although this business was cornered by expatriate firms, Ibru plunged into it, establishing an importing company, rented and built cold storage facilities across the country, and by the mid-1960s fish business had become the traditional money maker for the Ibru organization.

“From, there, Ibru ventured into other profitable interests. He had such a Midas touch that he founded booming businesses in the fields of transportation, construction, etc.”

He also said: “The greatest lesson that Michael Ibru has left for Nigerians is that fact that he saw it as a point of duty to help his siblings develop their business empires, yet, they remained as one close knit family.

“The second lesson is that a business should not necessarily be a one-man concern. Thus, Ibru went into several partnerships with different people.

“The result is that today, the Ibru Organisation is an important segment of the Nigerian economy. In fact, it is an empire that runs from fishing to air transportation, Guardian newspapers, the hospitality business. In fact, the Ibru family-owned houses must have been one of the first private Real Estate firms in Nigeria.”

Similarly, Monday Igbuya, speaker of the Delta state house of assembly, condoled with the Ibru family, describing the deceased as a modest and strong businessman.

“Olorogun Micheal Ibru was a shrewd businessman with a good heart,” Igbuya said in a statement issued on his behalf by Henry Ebireri, his spokesman.

“Olorogun Michael Ibru as an international businessman, philanthropist, educator, a lover of children, grassroots organizer and community leader gained the respect, trust and love of the entire country and he will be greatly missed.”

RIP Sir, I lived in one of your company estate as a Child.

Can’t afford Sallah ram? Here are 4 other alternatives

Eid-El-Kabir celebration is around is corner but recession is already on the scene — hence the question around town is “how will Nigerian Muslims celebrate Sallah?”

As per tradition, every Muslim home celebrates Sallah by stocking the pot of stew with any and every kind of Islam-permitted meat while their non-Islamic friends are already deciding on the Muslim friend(s) to visit on the day when animals become meat.

But with the shape of the economy and scarcity of funds, many Muslim families may be unable to purchase rams.

So as not to go bankrupt in an effort to celebrate Sallah, here are some other alternatives to buying a ram.

Share a camel/cow

As a result of the current average price of N175,000 per ram, many will be unable to afford the animal and according to Islamic laws, ram cannot be shared.

But there’s a way out for those who can’t singlehandedly afford a ram. The same laws allow for the sharing of camels and cows by a maximum of 7 people.

Hence, you can always decide to share a camel or cow with your neighbour, friend or family and save a lot in the process.

Goat

However, if you are not big on sharing or simply do not want to share with the world, your inability to afford a ram/cow/camel alone, why not go for a much cheaper animal.

Another option is goat, an animal whose meat can be wholesome and nourishing, if properly cooked.

By choosing to purchase a goat, you can still fill two pots with enough meat for the celebration and friendly neighbours can still get a piece or two.

Chicken

If the economy is particularly tough on you, don’t attempt to break the bank because rainy days are here to stay, literally and figuratively.

The Holy Quran says: “Whoever can afford to offer Sacrifice but does not offer it, let him not come near our prayer place (Ibn Majah 3123)”.

With the current recession in the country, if you are only able to afford a chicken (or two), it’s enough to celebrate with the family.

Buy beef/whatever you can afford

Every Muslim, who can afford to offer sacrifice should go ahead and make the sacrifice but if you can’t and all that’s within you capability is a pot of soup, go ahead and celebrate with that.

You can get beef from the market to celebrate sallah with your family. One or two kilos of meat would go a long way because half-bread is better than none.

Students demand shift in election date over WAEC exam

Edo State secondary school students say they are against plan to move them to other states for Saturday’s Mathematics examination by the West African Examination Council, WAEC.
The students, who stormed the Government House in Benin, on Tuesday to express their displeasure, said that writing the test in other states because the date coincided with the election would be a great risk.

Their spokesman, Iko Emmanuel Moses, said “The plan to relocate us out of our immediate community to sit for the examination because of the election in Edo State will affect our chance to perform well.

“We find this situation very disturbing, discouraging and we cannot take the risk.

“Conduciveness of environment has a great impact on the performance and outcome of examinations for students. We enrolled for this examination in Edo State, and we have prepared for the examination in Edo State environment.

“We are used to the environment for safety, comfort, accessibility of examination centres and psychology,” he said.

Responding, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said he would pass their protest letter to the President, saying that the election was fixed by INEC, which is an independent body.

“I was not consulted when the election for September 10 was scheduled. By law, INEC has the power to make those decisions. The law doesn’t oblige them to consult with me or to seek my approval,’’ he said.

We need our best players to qualify for 2018 World Cup – Rohr

Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, has said that Nigeria need all the best players they have, for the team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Rohr was speaking during a visit to the secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, where he met with the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and other top officials.

The German said: “We will need all our best players to be at their very best. We had a good list for the Tanzania match but a couple of players were injured and we will like to look at those ones as well.

“The focus is to strengthen the spine of the team and ensure they can beat any team. The confidence has not been there because the team failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, but when results start to come, the confidence will return.

“I have been well received by my assistant, (Salisu) Yusuf as well as Imama (Amapakabo) and Alloy (Agu), and also by the backroom staff. To be received with so much warmth by the NFF Management means we are all on the same page and we can work together and live as a family.

“I have a very good feeling about this job and the people I have to work with. I am also happy that the first week went very well because the players were able to quickly imbibe our philosophy. We need to have solidarity all round. The Technical Committee members have also been great. Certainly, the National Technical Director also has a role to play. The ambience is impressive.”

Nigeria must overcome Zambia, Algeria and Cameroon, to pick the sole ticket from their group, if they hope to be at the next World Cup

Block moulders commence five days strike

The National Association of Block Molders of Nigeria has embarked on a five-day warning strike over the increasing price of building construction materials such as granite, cement and others.

According to the moulders, there is 50% increment in the price of raw materials used in moulding blocks particularly cement which went from N1, 600 to N2, 300 last week.

The President of the association, Rasco Adebowale, said the strike action was to give them the opportunity to review the price of blocks in line with the latest increment.