Senator accuses journalists of phone theft

Journalists who covered the official visit of the Senate Committee on Privatization at the Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Kano, were embarrassed on Wednesday when they were searched for a missing phone.

The phone belonged to the Chairman of the committee, Sen Gbenga Obadara.

The incident happened shortly after the chairman addressed the newsmen at the headquarters of the company.

Trouble started when he raised an alarm that his cell phone was stolen at the conference hall of the company, venue of the briefing.

Following this, the main entrance of the conference hall was closed, to enable security agents to search all the newsmen that attended the occasion.

However, moments before the search began, the senator who had already left the venue, discovered the phone.

The announcement of the discovery was made by a member of the entourage.

However, the company’s Head of Corporate Communication, Alhaji Muktar Baffa, apologised to the newsmen.

The committee was in Kano to assess the performance of the company.

The Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Edwin Olofu, directed its members to boycott activities of the company until an official apology was tendered.

According to him, the action is an attempt to tarnish the image of journalists working in the state.

source:pm news

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Keshi: I will always be Proud of My Eagles Achievements

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Former Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has said that he is proud of his achievements during his spell as Nigeria’s manager.
In a chat with ESPN football pundit, Colin Udoh, the former Togo and Mali gaffer said that despite criticism of him in the media that he drew most of Eagles last matches, he did what most indigenous coaches were afraid of doing at the Eagles job.
“People keep saying I drew a lot of matches. But how many Nigerian coaches agreed to play friendly matches all the time. Or to use home-based players without fear but people don’t see that. Every time it’s Keshi this and Keshi that.
He also said he was happy that the drama was finally over, as was his family.
“I am not bitter. I’m just disappointed in some of you,” he pointed out, referring to journalists. “Now people can stop talking about Keshi.”
Speaking also about those accusing him of name-dropping to harass the Nigeria Football Federation chiefs into doing his bidding, Keshi insisted that he had no access to President Goodluck Jonathan during his time on the job.
“Then they say I always try to use the President against them. President that I cannot even see!”
Keshi revealed some of his handicaps while on the Nigerian job.
“How many good pitches do we have in this country? We say we are a football nation and we don’t even have good training pitches for the national team, or good field to play on.
“Instead, there are artificial pitches everywhere, even the new stadium in Uyo, it was when I heard from the governor (Dr Godswill Akpabio) that they wanted to lay artificial turf on the facility that I had to shout and tell him no way. That was why we now have natural grass on that pitch there. But why should I be the one to say it? Where are the journalists?” queried the ex-international fondly called the Big Boss.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Football Association yesterday rubbished speculations that the country desperately needed Keshi to handle the Walya Antelopes. They said that they never approached Keshi nor even receive any application from him.

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Policeman killed by Okada rider for seizing his bike

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A police corporal, Joseph Ebosele, has been confirmed dead at a Lagos hospital after he was hit with an iron rod by a motorcyclist, Bakare Lukman, in the Meiran area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that around 11pm on October 11, 2014, policemen on patrol arrested Lukman for contravening the traffic law which prohibits the movement of commercial motorcycles after 10pm.

It was learnt that after seizing Lukman’s bike, the team leader of the policemen handed it over to Ebosele to ride to the station.

Our correspondent learnt that a furious Lukman reportedly escaped police custody, caught up with Ebosele and attacked him with an iron rod.

A source told our correspondent that the 35-year-old deceased and his colleagues were responding to a distress call when the incident occurred.

He said, “The policemen were in their station when they received a distress call. They went there and were returning when they sighted Lukman riding the bike around 12 midnight.

“They queried him and when he could not give a satisfactory answer, they decided to confiscate the motorcycle. They also arrested him, but he escaped along the way.

“Lukman then waylaid them. He attacked the police corporal on the head, with an iron rod and rode away on the bike.”

He said the other policemen noticed that their colleague was nowhere to be found and decided to trace him.

They were said to have met him unconscious and rushed him to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Our correspondent learnt from a police source that the police recovered the suspect’s cap at the scene which they used in tracing him to the motor park.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Lukman’s friends identified the cap as belonging to him.

Further investigations were said to have led the police to the suspect.

Our correspondent learnt that Lukman confessed to the crime.

Lukman, a resident of Olajumoke Street, in Obafemi Owode Local Government area of Ogun State, told the police he had hid in the dark inside a mechanic shop from where he monitored the movement of the police patrol van.

He said, “After they seized the bike I went ahead of them and stayed in a mechanic shop. It was there I saw an iron rod which I took.

“While waiting on Meiran Road, I saw their van pass by, then I saw the policeman riding my bike.

“I used all my strength to hit him with the iron before fleeing with my bike.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Keneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.

He added, “The bikeman is in our custody now, and investigations are ongoing.”

Source: PUNCH

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