DSS arrests activist, Chido Onumah

Nigeria’s State Security Service, SSS, has arrested a journalist and author of we are all Biafrans, Chido Onumah, Sunday, at the Abuja airport.

Mr Onumah, a journalist and author, was arrested at the Abuja airport on Sunday evening, according to reports on PREMIUM TIMES.

The report stated that Chido Onumah returned to Nigeria from Spain where he recently bagged a doctorate in communication studies.

On arrival via a Lufthansa airline and waiting for his luggage SSS officials accosted him the report stated.

The report claimed that Mr Onumah, at about 5:00 p.m., was taken to the SSS headquarters in Abuja.

Mr Onumah, author of We Are All Biafrans, is a regular columnist and is an editorial board member of PREMIUM TIMES.

He has, according to the report, been using his writings and his civic whistleblowers’ network, to call for good governance and anti-corruption in Nigeria. He is also an advocate for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation.

The reported stated that the SSS is yet to give any reason for Mr Onumah’s arrest. Efforts to reach the SSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, were not successful on Sunday evening. He did not pick calls to his phone.

Police rescue over 300 chained children from torture house in Kaduna

Over three hundred persons chained together in Rigasa, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been rescued by police officers.

The over 300 which included children were rescued following a raid at a home allegedly used as an Islamic Centre.

They were evacuated from the premises in about 15 Danfo buses to the Police headquarters.

Some of them according to the force are said to be from Burkina Faso, Mali and other African countries.

Among the inhabitants were children who confess to be abused homosexually, while elderly say they subjected to daily recitation of the Holy Quran and prayers with torture. With chains on their legs and scars of injuries from torture, they disclose that Thursday evening’s unbundling of the place is liberation from slavery.

Bello Hamza 42 years old another inmate said, he was tricked to the centre by his family who are interested in taking over my shared of our inheritance.

In his words: “I have spent three months here with chains on my legs. Am supposed to be pursuing my Masters in University Pretoria South Africa. I got admission to study Applied Mathematics, but here I am chained.

“They claim to be teaching us Quran and Islam, but they do a lot of things here. They subject the younger ones to homosexuality.

“This is supposed to be an Islamic centre, but trying to run away from here attracts severe punishment; they tie people and hang them to the ceiling for that, but engaging in homosexuality attracts no punishment.

“Within my short stay here, somebody had died as a result of torture. Others have died before my coming due to poor health and torture. They give us very poor food and we only eat twice a day; 11:00am and 10:00pm.

“They have denied me alot of things here. I am a family man, I have responsibilities, but I am chained here not knowing what is happening to my family members.

CP Ali Aji Janga while briefing newsmen at the site said, “we received an information that something is going on in this rehabilitation centre or Islamic center. So, I sent my DPO here to check what was going on. On getting here, we discovered that, this is neither a rehabilitation centre or Islamic school.

“You can see it yourself that, small children, some of whom are brought from neighbouring African countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and others and from across Nigeria. Most of them are even chained.

“These people are being used, dehumanized. You can see it yourself.

“The man who is operating this home claimed that, parents brought their children here for rehabilitation. But, from the look on things this is not a rehabilitation centre. No reasonable parent will bring his children to this place.

“So, we are going to investigate them and get to the root of the matter. We will find out the real motive behind this centre, and if they are found wanting they will be charged to court.

“But first, we are evacuating all the people from this place to our station and we will make announcement for parents to come and recover their children.” He said.

Meanwhile, the Proprietor of the centre simply identified as Malam said, all they do in the centre is teach people Islam.

According to him, “All those allegations of torture, degumanization and homosexuality are false and mere allegations. We do nothing here other than teaching people Islam.

“They don’t do anything other than, recitation of Qur’an, pray and worship God. Those chained are the stubborn ones who attempt running away. Those who don’t attempt running away are not chained. Some were chained before and after settling down, they were freed.

“Most of them were brought by their parents from across the country and others from outside the country.” He said.

EFCC smashes N2bn ponzi scheme in Port Harcourt, owner on the run

Some of the operators of the scam at the Blue Key Investment Club

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt’s Zonal Office have arrested 19 staff of a fake investment company floating an alleged Ponzi Scheme that has defrauded members of the public to the tune of N2 billion.

The Chairman of the company, Neenwi Swanu is on the run.

The company, Bluekey Investment Club, operating from Sonia Mall, 42 Woji Road, YKC Junction, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission( CAC) as a software development and general contracting firm, but veered into an interest-yielding Ponzi Scheme, promising to the gullible, ten percent (10%) weekly returns on investment over six Months.

The Scheme also promised total returns of invested capital after six Months.

Nineteen staff of the company were rounded up on Friday, August 30, 2019 in Port Harcourt.

Among them are five Principal Officers: Princess Tsaroigbara, who is the Public Relations Officer, Onwusa Frances Chineze, Accountant); Naabe Gunugu, Payment Confirmation Staff and Tambari Success, Customer Service officer.

Married mother of 4 dies after taking abortion drugs administered by younger lover

A 29-year-old mother of four children, Mrs Chinasa Odah, a native of Inikiri Effum community, in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has died after she allegedly took drugs for abortion.

She was said to have bled to death at Sudan Hospital on Saturday, August 24, 2019.

Our correspondent gathered that the woman had been sneaking out to have an affair with her 25-years-old boy-friend, identified as Monday Mgbada, who allegedly impregnated her and administered the abortion pills on her.

A community source told City Round that the woman started bleeding and her husband, Michael Odah, rushed her to Sudan Hospital in the area, where a doctor on duty, confirmed that she had taken a substance capable of damaging her womb.

The case was said to have been reported to the police station in Effuim and the suspect was immediately arrested.

“Chinasa was bleeding from her private parts. When she was questioned, she opened up that one Monday Mgbada impregnated her and administered abortion drugs on her. As soon as she made that statement, she gave up the ghost,” the source said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ebonyi State, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident. She, however, said the matter was still under investigation.

She said, “The man has been arrested and investigation is ongoing. The suspect will be arraigned after investigation. The woman is 29 years old and has four children before going for extra martial affairs. The man will be charged with murder.”

@ Punch Newspaper

I have lost my manhood, Wadume cries out

Hamisu Bala Wadume, the kidnap kingpin, rescued by soldiers from the hands of policemen have revealed how one of the bullets shot by military officers injured him.

The kidnap kingpin said that the bullet damaged his scrotum and left him sterile and ever since, he has been unable to use his manhood due to the injury.

The kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, also known as Wadume, had made more revelations about what transpired during his rescue from the hands of police operatives by soldiers on Wednesday, August 7, and how the experience has affected him.

In a recent confession, Wadume said that one of the bullets shut by soldiers at members of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) that detained him on that fateful got to him and damaged his scrotum, leaving him sterile ever since, The Nation reports.

Narrating the experience, Wadume said: “I was arrested by the police in Ibi on August 7. The police said I am a kidnapper and they handcuffed my hands and legs.

“On our way, we passed through an army checkpoint and after identification, they allowed us to go. We passed the second checkpoint which had mobile policemen and they also allowed us to pass.

“At the third checkpoint, we wasted a little time but they allowed us to go after the policemen told them they were detectives on assignment.

“Five minutes after we left that point, an army patrol vehicle started shooting at us. Our vehicle got hit, somersaulted severally times and crashed.

“When the bus stopped, all of us came out alive, except for bullet wounds. A bullet hit part of my scrotum.

“When I ran to my uncle in Kano state, he called a doctor to treat the bullet wound that affected my private part.

“It is possible, I cannot use it (manhood) again because of the damage and I have discovered that when I wake up in the morning these days, I no longer have erection.”

NECO releases 2019 SSCE results

The National Examinations Council on Tuesday released the May/June 2019 Senior Secondary School Examination results.

The NECO Acting Registrar, Mr Abubakar Gana, made the announcement at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State, adding that 71 per cent of candidates obtained credits in English Language and Mathematics.

It will be recalled that over one million candidates sat for the examination and had been clamouring for the release to enable them to begin admission for the 2019/2020 academic year.

TV anchor apologises after comparing black co-host to a gorilla

(CNN) — A morning TV anchor in Oklahoma apologized a day after likening her black cohost to a gorilla.
Alex Housden said a gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo "kind of looks like you" to her colleague, Jason Hackett, at the end of a feature on KOCO-TV, a CNN affiliate, on Thursday.
She addressed what she called hurtful comments on the next day's show.

"I said something yesterday that was inconsiderate, it was inappropriate, and I hurt people," a tearful Housden said to the audience and Hackett.
"And I want you to know, I understand how much I hurt you out there and how much I've hurt you. I love you so much, and you have been one of my best friends for the past year and a half. And I would never do anything on purpose to hurt you. And I love our community and I want you all to know, from the bottom of my heart, I apologize for what I said. I know it was wrong and I am so sorry."

Housden did not address the racism implicit in her comparing an African American to an ape.
Hackett accepted the apology on air and acknowledged the pain caused.
"It cut deep for me and it cut deep for a lot of you in the community," he said.