Rivers House Assembly Beater Chidi Lloyd gets Bail, To Be Flown Abroad

A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt yesterday granted the Majority Leader, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, bail in the sum of N10 million.

This came 72 hours after he was granted bail by an Ahoada High Court.

But tension enveloped the Port Harcourt High Court yesterday as some youths threatened to attack officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

More than 2,000 youths, believed to be Lloyd’s supporters, caused panic in the court premises, as they accused the EFCC agents present in the court of trying to re-arrest the lawmaker after his release.

The youths sealed all the entrances to the court premises, threatening fire and brimstone should the anti-graft agents harass or attempt to take the majority leader away.

“If he had any other case to answer, the anti-graft agency could arrest him when he has regained his freedom, but not now. We will resist all attempts to victimise him by anybody under any guise,’’ one of their leaders told our correspondent.

The trial judge, Justice Letam Nyordee, later gave the bail order after Lloyd’s lead counsel, Mr. Beluolisa Nwofor (SAN), had on Tuesday filed a bail application.

Nyordee said the offences, including attempted murder, assault, intent to maim and destruction of government property, were bailable and not punishable by death.

The judge, however, ordered that the accused to deposit his international passport with the court.

Other conditions for his bail include three sureties in like sum; two must have landed property with proof of ownership within the jurisdiction of the court.

“At least, one of the sureties must be a senior civil servant of Grade Level 16 and above, in the state civil service,” the judge held.

The court later adjourned till November 21 for hearing on a motion to dismiss the information provided by the police.

Nwafor, who commended the judge for the bail, faulted the order that the accused should deposit his international passport with the court.

Also, the Attorney- General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms, hailed the decision of the court while also warning the EFCC to obey subsisting orders barring them from scrutinising state accounts.

He said: “Today, the court saw it fit to grant bail to the accused person, Honourable Chidi Julius Lloyd, and adjourned till November 21, 2013 to take a motion filed by the defence to cease the matter or hear the matter if that motion is not taken.

“Bail is at the discretion of the court. Whatever condition the court gives, the court must have looked at it to say that it will best secure the attendance of that person.’’

Meanwhile, the leadership of the state House of Assembly said it was looking at the option of flying Lloyd abroad.

The Deputy Speaker, Neyii Kwanee, who disclosed this, said it was to ensure Lloyd gets the required medical treatment for his condition which, he said, was becoming worrisome.

Customs officer kills Driver, Injures two others

A trigger-happy customs officer has killed a driver at Seme border area of Lagos and injured two others.

The deceased, identified as Friday Poku, was shot in his red Volkswagen Jetta car marked GGE 81 AH along other occupants of the vehicle on Tuesday.
The incident occurred barely three months after a similar one happened in which a middle aged man was killed in the area.
The incident sparked off protest as angry youths set fire on the road thereby preventing motorists’ access to the border.
Many custom officers fled for fear of being attacked by the angry youths.
An eye witness, who did not want his name mentioned, said: Poku was flagged down by the customs officers at a check point at Gbetrome area of the border.
“Though no one knew what transpired between the deceased and the customs officers, everyone was shocked when one of the officers pulled out a pistol and fired the victim twice at close range.
“The victim, who had earlier alighted from the vehicle, slumped and died on the spot, while his friends, who attempted to apprehend the triggerhappy officer were injured as his colleagues fired at them.
“Nobody knew what transpired between the victims and the custom officers. All we saw was that one of the officers pulled out his pistol and fired twice at the deceased.
“The team fled the area when they saw the victim had slumped in a pool of his blood. They ran away in different directions and abandoned the victim by the roadside.”
The angry youths, however, headed toward the customs barracks not too far from the border post.
They barricaded the major road and chanted war songs. It took the prompt intervention of the police to return normalcy to the area.
The body of the deceased was taken away by the protesting youths, demanding that the killer customs officer should be handed over to them for peace to reign.
Vowing to stop what they described as an unprovoked attack on villagers by customs officers, the protesters shattered the glasses of a police patrol van.
A youth leader, who identified himself as Dosu, said they would prevent attempts to sweep the killing under the carpet.
He said: “Enough is enough of this wanton killing. We want the controller to hand over the killer to the police to investigate the matter.
“Why is it that the officers involved in the incident have not gone to make statement at the station since the matter is homicide?
“Why is it that the vehicle belonging to the deceased was taken away by customs and not the police? This is to afford the customs the opportunity to conceal vital evidence that might unravel the situation that led to the death.”
A police report claimed that Poku was killed by some customs men at Gbetrome area of Seme.
The Custom Public Relations Officer (PRO), Seme Command, Ernest Ollotah, however, said the controller had set up a panel to investigate the matter.
He said he was not aware of any killing, but that the command was investigating a case of an attempt to disarm some customs officers by smugglers who fled the area after they were repelled by security men.
Ollotah said: “I am not aware of any killing, but we are investigating an attempt to disarm some of our men by smugglers. However, we will make the outcome of the investigations known to the public.”

Despite Winning The AFCON Nigeria remains 35th in FIFA ranking

Drops one spot in Africa

Nigeria have remained on the 35th position in the latest FIFA ranking released yesterday, but dropped a step on the African rung of the ladder to a fifth place from the fourth she occupied last month. Mauritania had made the biggest rise in FIFA’s latest world rankings.
The West African nation moved up 21 places to break into the top 50 on the continent, sitting in 40th position in the global list.
Their victory over Senegal in a two-legged qualifier for the African Nations Championship had helped them rise to 151st position in the world. In contrast, Equatorial Guinea had slipped more places than any other side, falling 32 places to drop out of the top 25 in the continent, at 25th place, and 99th in the world. FIFA’s next rankings for August would decide the seeding for the African play-offs for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Top 10 in Africa: 1 Ivory Coast (18 in the world) 2 Ghana (24) 3 Mali (32) 4 Algeria (34) 5 Nigeria (35) 6 Cape Verde Islands (36) 7 Burkina Faso (48) 8 Cameroon (51) 9 Tunisia (53) 10 Zambia (60)

Burnt to death by jealous lover

 23-year-old corps member set ablaze by man dies

A 23-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Buguma area of River State has been burnt to death by her male lover, after she ended their affairs over the man’s jealous attitude.
The victim, Miss Winifred Amarachi Oke, who graduated from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State with Second Class upper division, in Home Economics and was posted to River to serve, died of first degree burns she sustained in the mid night attack by her lover.
The deceased was a native of Amawom, Oboro in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. Meanwhile, the Police in Port Harcourt, River State capital, are currently questioning the suspect, whose name was given as Ogbonna, an undergraduate of Michael Okpara Univeristy, who hails from Ovim, in Isikwuato LGA of Abia State, on why he set her female lover ablaze.
Winifred’s father, 53-year-old Okechukwu Onyeze Oke, told Daily Sun, amid tears, that they did not know Ogbonna, as he had not come to them to ask for the hand of their daughter in marriage. He wondered why the man should be jealous, to the point of wasting the life of their promising daughter, who they laboured for 23 years to bring up.
The man stated that he learnt that whenever Ogbonna saw their daughter with anyone he would go violent and as a result, their daughter asked him to stay away from her, as she could no longer tolerate the level of jealousy he was exhibited. He said that Winifred was rushed to University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, after she was burnt in her room, where she died days after.
He told Daily Sun that the body of his daughter was transferred from the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia on Wednesday evening, August 8, with an NYSC ambulance. Mr. Oke said that Ogbonna allegedly poured petrol into the room Winifred was sleeping, through window, at about 1am and threw in a lighted match, thereby setting the room ablaze.
He said that when the fire raged, Winifred’s neigbours raised the alarms, leading to rescue efforts. When the fire was put out, the lady had been burnt from waist downwards.
According to Oke: “On July 19, somebody called my number at about some minutes to 7am, saying I should come to Port Harcourt, that my daughter had an accident. I inquired of the type of accident. He said that she had an accident in Port Harcourt. You know, she is a youth corps member.
I tried further to find out. He said somebody poured petrol into her apartment and set the house ablaze. “Before doing that, he (the suspect) first locked the door from outside and poured petrol into the room through the window, at about 1am and set her room ablaze. We had to go. Her mother had to go first. When we got there, she (Winifred) was critical. She had severe burn.
The fire burnt her waist down to legs and other parts of the body, including the tummy. She was taken to the UPTH by her fellow corps members. She was taken to the theatre for plastic surgery on her legs and she remained in the intensive care unit (ICU). She was on oxygen until Wednesday, July 31, 2013, when she died about 5.30am.
The suspect has been apprehended by the police. Oke said the family could not understand why the suspect could go to the extent of killing Winifred, when they don’t even know him as a prospective husband to her.

Corps member dies as boat capsizes in Ondo

 
 Another tragedy as a National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member serving in Ondo State drowned in a boat mishap yesterday in Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government.

It was learnt that the incident occurred when the speed boat conveying the corps member, identified as Juliet Okorocha, and other passengers from Lipate to Igbokoda caught fire.

The boat capsized as the passengers struggled to get out.

A witness blamed the accident on overloading, saying the boat was carrying more than its capacity.

The witness said it took the intervention of the Marine policemen and other security agents in the area to rescue seven of the eight passengers.

He, however, said efforts of the local divers and the policemen to find the corps member were fruitless.

Okorocha’s body, according to him, was recovered 24 hours later.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wole Ogodo, blamed the corps member’s death on her inability to swim.

Ogodo said help came on time for the victims, adding that the local divers tried to rescue the young lady but could not find her until her body was discovered the next day.

The police spokesman said the corps member’s body had been deposited at a mortuary in Okitipupa.

He said: “She was coming to Igbokoda town from the place she was serving in the riverine area.

“The speed boat that conveyed them caught fire on motion… I think they were eight on board, but she was the only one who lost her life because of her inability to swim and she was not rescued on time. It is very unfortunate.”

Effort to reach the state NYSC Coordinator on the development was unsuccessful.

C. Ronaldo Hits Back: I Do My Talking On The Pitch

The Portuguese striker, who scored two goals in Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Chelsea, says he has refused to let former boss Jose Mourinho’s comments affect his game
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has stressed that events taking place off the pitch do not affect him as he prefers to let his football do the talking for him.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s jibe earlier this week that the Portugal star is not ‘the real Ronaldo’ led to controversy ahead of Wednesday’s International Champions Cup final between both sides, but the 28-year-old has remained unperturbed by his former boss’ taunts.

Ronaldo already stated on Monday that Mourinho’s comments did not deserve a reply and remained calm again on Wednesday after helping Madrid to a 3-1 win over Chelsea with two goals.

“I do my talking on the pitch. Things that happen off of it do not affect me,” the Portugal international told reporters.

“I just aim to help Real Madrid to achieve its objectives and what happens away from there does not hurt me.”

Ronaldo then went on to discuss Madrid’s Champions League ambitions this season and stressed that they still have plenty to do before they can think about an historic 10th European crown.

He added: “There is a long way to go, we will try to do our best. We have a good team and the new players are very good and hopefully the Decima will come this year.”

Source: Goal.com

Man 'Shot Wife And Put Picture On Facebook

Here is how SkyNews are Reporting the Incident A Florida man who allegedly shot his wife before posting a photo of her body on Facebook has been charged with murder. Read More



Derek Medina, 31, turned himself into Miami-Dade Police telling them he had shot Jennifer Alfonso, 26, at their south Miami home after she said she was "leaving him".
When officers responded to the home, they found her body, as well as her 10-year-old daughter, who was unharmed.
According to a police statement, the couple became involved in a heated argument in an upstairs bedroom where Medina armed himself with a gun and pointed it at her.
He said his wife left the bedroom, returning later to say she was leaving him.
He says he went downstairs and confronted her in the kitchen, when she began punching him.
He claims he went back upstairs to get his gun and confronted her again, at which point she grabbed a knife. Medina said he was able to disarm her and put the knife in a drawer, but that when she began punching him again, he shot her several times.
A post on his Facebook page later read: "I'm going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife love you guys miss you guys take care Facebook people you will see me in the news."
The next and final post, called "Rip Jennifer Alfonso", was a gruesome photograph showing a woman in a black leotard slumped on the floor.
She looked like she had fallen backwards, with her legs bent to her sides and blood on her left arm and left cheek.
The photo was up for more than five hours before Facebook removed the page late on Thursday afternoon.
"The content was reported to us," a Facebook spokeswoman said. "We took action on the profile - removing the content and disabling the profile, and we reached out to law enforcement. We take action on all content that violates our terms, which are clearly laid out on our site."
The couple first married in January 2010, divorced in February 2012 and then remarried three months later.
On a personal blog, someone named Derek Medina touted his e-books on subjects ranging from saving marriage through communication to "humans who are gifted and can see the supernatural spirit ghost world we live in".
Neighbour Phil Eby said he did not know the couple very well but expressed surprise at the shooting.
"I met him a couple of times. He seemed like a pretty nice guy," he said. "But I don't remember her at all."

 Source : SkyNEWS