Sabinews Evening News Update for June 5, 2015

Oil prices rise after OPEC keeps low output target

Oil prices rose on Friday, breaking a two-day losing streak, after OPEC ministers kept their existing oil production target for another six months at a level below current output.

The12-member group agreed on the deal at OPEC’s biannual ministerial meeting in Vienna. Saudi Arabia’s oil minister Ali al-Naimi said the 12-member group had agreed to maintain their production target at 30 million barrels per day (bpd). Read more

NSCDC shuts 15 illegal guard companies in Anambra

The Anambra Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has shut down 15 illegal security guard companies operating in the state.

Assistant Commandant-General (ACG) Ben Dikuro made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Friday. Dikuro warned that the organisation would not live any stone unturned in making further arrests and closures of illegal security companies in the state. Read more

Thabo Mbeki, others approved alleged $10m ‘bribe’ for FIFA

The highest levels of South African government approved a $10 million dollar payment that US investigators suspect was a bribe to get the 2010 World Cup, media reports said Friday.

Then president Thabo Mbeki and foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma approved the payment which the authorities again insisted Friday was for a legitimate development project in the Caribbean. Read more

World still unprepared for global pandemic after Ebola, says Medical Charity

The global health system is unable to handle another mass epidemic like the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a Medical Charity Organisation has said.

In a statement by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the organisation founded by medical practitioners, urged wealthy nations to develop coordinated response plans and drugs to fight neglected diseases. Read more

Maggi noodles unsafe, says India’s Health Ministry

India’s Health Ministry on Friday ordered the removal of Nestle’s popular Maggi brand of instant noodles from stores across the country, saying the product had failed safety tests.

Nestle said that it would withdraw the product from Indian shop shelves in spite of stating the noodles were “safe to eat’’. Read more

INTERPOL issues Red Notices for Warner, other former FIFA officials

International police organisation INTERPOL has issued Red Notices, or international wanted persons.

The alert is for two former officials of world soccer’s governing body, FIFA, and four corporate executives for charges including racketeering conspiracy and corruption. Read more

NUPENG asks FG to rehabilitate railways for petroleum haulage

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has promised to continue to train and re-orient tanker drivers on safe driving to reduce accidents on the roads and also asked the Federal GOvernment to rehabilitate railways for petroleum haulage.

The union gave the assurance in a statement signed by its President, Mr Igwe Achese, on Friday in Lagos.

The statement said that the training would be frequent, following recent fuel tanker accidents in Onitcha, Anambra and Lagos, Lagos State. Read more

Warner ‘fears for life’ over FIFA scandal

Disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner has said he fears for his life and can prove a link between football’s governing body and an election in Trinidad and Tobago.

Warner, one of 14 people wanted by US authorities as part of the corruption scandal rocking world football, said he had an “avalanche” of secrets that include details on FIFA’s outgoing president Sepp Blatter. Read more

E-classroom excites secondary school students in Lagos

School children from Girls Senior High School, Agege, Lagos on Friday expressed satisfaction with the introduction of online training into their scheme of work.

The school is one of the beneficiaries of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC’s) e-classroom, meant to introduce the students to e-learning. Read more

Court remands mother, 23, for stabbing son to death.

An Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun on Friday remanded a 23-year-old mother, Funmilayo Adeyanju, in prison custody, over alleged murder.

Adeyanju was arraigned for allegedly killing her son, Emmanuel Jumpy, aged 3, by stabbing him to death with a knife.

The Magistrate, Mr Folarin Iroko, said the accused should be remanded in prison, pending advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the murder charge. Read more

JTF seizes vessel laden with 1,500 metric tons of AGO in Bayelsa

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, has impounded a vessel laden with 1,500 metric tons of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, an official said on Friday.

Lt. -Col. Ado Isa, spokesman of the JTF, told reporters at the task force’s headquarters in Yenagoa that the vessel registered as MV Europort, was seized at Foropa waterways in Bayelsa. Read more

UN rights chief seeks justice for abuse by Boko Haram, Nigerian army

The UN rights chief on Friday denounced rights abuses by both Boko Haram Islamists and the Nigerian military and asked the country’s new president to punish offenders.

“Civilians in northeast Nigeria have been living through horrifying acts of cruelty and violence by Boko Haram. These include wanton killings, summary executions, forced participation in military operations –- including the use of children to detonate bombs, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual violence, including rape,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said. Read more

Man, 25, remanded for allegedly stabbing friend to death in Lagos

An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has remanded a 25-year-old, Akeem Alabede, at Ikoyi Prisons over alleged murder of his friend, Azeez Lawal.

Magistrate E. O. Ogunkanmi gave the order at the arraignment of Alabede, who was charged with stabbing Lawal to death with a broken bottle. Read more

APGA holds national convention on Saturday in Awka

As the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) holds its national convention on Saturday in Awka its stakeholders have predicted that the party will come out stronger.

Some stakeholders said, on Friday, that the party would elect new national and state officers at the convention slated for the Women Development Centre, Awka. Read more

Yola blast: Hospital seeks blood donation from public

The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, has called on members of the Public to donate blood to victims of Thursday’s bomb blast that occurred at Yola Market.

The Public Relations Officer of the centre,Malam Mohammed Dodo, made the call Friday in Yola in an interview. Dodo said the hospital blood bank and other facilities such as drugs had been overstretched as a result of the incident. Read more

Fayose inaugurates 5th Assembly

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Friday proclaimed the opening of the 5th Assembly and charged the lawmakers to enact quality legislation.

Fayose, who gave the charge at the Assembly complex, Ado-Ekiti, said the proclamation was in accordance with Section 105 Subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution. He charged the lawmakers to be diligent with the new assignment by making laws that would bring about turnaround development of the state. Read more

Eradicate Poverty To Eliminate TB – NIMR D-G Tells Govt

Prof. Innocent Ujah, Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, on Friday said improvement of the socio-economic status of Nigerians would enhance the elimination of Tuberculosis (TB) in the country.

Ujah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that TB was a worldwide problem, particularly in developing countries such Nigeria where the poverty level was still high. Read more

17,000 Children, 800 Mothers At Risk Of Death Daily – NGO

The survival of 17,000 children and 800 mothers is at stake every day if leaders and heads of states do not take decisive action at the G7 summit in Germany, Save the Children, an NGO, has warned.

This is contained in a statement by the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) ahead of the 41st G7 Summit scheduled to take place at Schloss Elmau, Germany on June 7 and June 8. Read more

Buhari has no hand in impeachment crisis – Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has absolved President Muhammadu Buhari of complicity in the long-drawn impeachment crisis in the state.

Fayose claimed that security report available to him revealed that Buhari was never part of the plot to impeach him from office. The governor made the revelation on Friday during the inauguration of the Fifth House of Assembly with a warning to the new lawmakers to avoid what he called “mindless power struggle” with the Executive. Read more

Wike appoints Jonathan’s minister as SSG

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has appointed the immediate past Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Kenneth Kobani, as Secretary to the Rivers State Government.

Kobani, a former Rivers Commissioner for Finance, who served in ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet for about three months, hails from Bodo-Ogoni in Gokana local government area of the state and he is succeeding George Feyii, also an Ogoni. Read more

Scarcity: DPR investigates petroleum depots in Lagos

The Department of Petroleum Department (DPR) might have commenced investigation on erring petroleum products marketers following the subsisting national energy crisis and its effects on Nigerians.

A source close to DPR management told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the orgnisation was only being proactive in the face of the national energy crisis. The source said that DPR was aware of the illegal activities of petroleum marketers, especially the sale of products above government approved price. Read more

Kidnapping: IGP deploys 350 policemen to Kogi

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, has deployed 350 policemen to Kogi State to assist the state police command in its effort to combat kidnapping and other crimes in the state.

The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, disclosed this on Friday while parading 13 armed robbery suspects arrested between May and June this year at the state Police Command headquarters in Lokoja.

Those paraded included two people from a gang that allegedly attacked two policemen in the state. Read more

Saraki faults NIS recruitment probe by 7th Senate

One of the front line contenders for the office of Senate President in the incoming Eighth Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, on Friday faulted the poor handling of the ill-fated Nigerian Immigration Service Recruitment by the leadership of the Seventh Senate.

Saraki, in a statement in Abuja to mark the end of the Seventh Senate, noted with great concern that the Senate did not act on the report of the probe it instituted on the unfortunate incident, during which many young Nigerians lost their lives. Read more

Police free Kebbi’s 100-year-old woman from kidnappers

A 100-year-old woman, Hawwau Amarea, who was kidnapped by gunmen at Kudin village of Mahuta Local Government Area of Kebbi State, has regained her freedom.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 10, Sokoto , Alhaji Bala Hassan, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Sokoto on Thursday. He said Amarea was freed by the operatives attached to the new anti-kidnap squad set up to apprehend those involved in the nefarious act. Hassan stated that the kidnappers demanded N10m ransom. Read more

I-G Tasks New Adcs, Csos On Professionalism

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has charged newly appointed Aides-De-Camp (ADC) and Chief Security Officers (CSOs) attached to state governors to be professional in their duties.

A statement issued by the Police spokesman, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, on Friday stated that Arase gave the charge when he declared open a two-day induction course for the ADCs and CSOs. Arase further charged them to maintain the standard dignity of the force. Read more

Al-Makura appoints media aide

Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Friday appointed Alhaji Tukur Ahmed, a veteran journalist, as his Chief Press Secretary.

The appointment is contained in a statement signed in Lafia by the Secretary to the State Government, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed.

The statement urged the new chief press secretary to use his office to project the government and people of the state. Read more