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Ugandan Olympian, Rebecca, hospitalised after boyfriend set her afire

Mustapha USMAN
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Ugandan Olympian, Rebecca, hospitalised after boyfriend set her afire

UGANDAN athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, has been hospitalised after her boyfriend Dickson Ndiema Marangach, allegedly doused her with petrol and set her ablaze.

Rebecca, who has represented Uganda in several international competitions, including the just concluded Olympics, was attacked at her home in Endebess, a small town in western Kenya, where she had been training.

AP reported that the Trans Nzoia county police commander, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, said that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, bought a Jerry can of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze during a disagreement Sunday, September 1.

The 33-year-old marathon runner suffered burns to more than 75 per cent of her body.

Cheptegei was said to have been rescued by neighbours following the incident, which occurred on Sunday, September 1, at her home.

The alleged assailant and her partner, was also injured by the flames, according to police.

The two are currently receiving treatment at Moi Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where Cheptegei was admitted to the intensive care unit on Monday.

“The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” Kosiom was quoted as saying.

While the police said investigation was underway, it noted that the  athlete and Marangach were a couple who “constantly had family wrangles.

Cheptegei placed 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics and also secured a gold medal at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.

This latest incident was coming about eight months after another Ugandan athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat was stabbed to death by assailants in Kenya in December.

In April 2022, another female runner, Damaris Mutua, was found strangled in her home with a pillow over her face in the Rift Valley town of Iten, Kenya.

This incident occurred a few months after Agnes Tirop, a record-breaking long-distance runner, was found stabbed to death in the same town.

Tinubu, Radda, Saraki, others mourn as Yar’Adua’s mother passes on at 102

Mustapha USMAN
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0
Tinubu, Radda, Saraki, others mourn as Yar’Adua’s mother passes on at 102

NIGERIAN leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, Katsina Governor Dikko Radda, and the former senate president Bukola Saraki, have expressed their condolences to the family of the late Dada, mother of former Nigerian president Umaru Yar’Adua.

Dada Yar’Adua died in Katsina late on Monday after a protracted illness at the age of 102.

Dada’s death comes 14 years after the former president’s passing and 27 years after her eldest son, Shehu Yar’Adua, a military general, who died on December 8, 1997.

Her death was announced by Abdulaziz Yar’Adua’s media aide, Abdul Hassan, one of the deceased’s sons in a statement, on Tuesday.

According to him, the funeral prayer for the deceased will be held on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the residence of Musa Yar’adua in Katsina.

Leaders mourn

Reacting to her demise, President Tinubu in a statement on Monday night, September 2, by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and the people of Katsina State.

While mourning the matriarch, Tinubu extolled her legacy of compassion, faith, honesty, and good fellowship.

“President Tinubu prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased and affirms that the matriarch of the Yar’Adua family will always be remembered for the support, peace, joy and comfort she offered to many,” the statement reads.

Also, the Katsina State governor, Dikko Radda, mourned the death of Dada, assuring of the readiness of his government to support the family, especially in their moment of grief.

A statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Ibrahim Kaula-Mohammed, noted that upon receiving the news of Dada’s demise “my boss immediately cut short his engagements in Daura and rushed to Katsina to stand in solidarity with the bereaved family during this difficult time.”

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, also expressed condolences on the passing of Dada.

Barau, in a statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, prayed Almighty Allah to forgive her shortcomings and admit her to Jannatul Firdausi.

He also urged senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua and all those she left behind to take solace in the fact that she lived a righteous life dedicated to the service of Allah and humanity.

Also, former senate president, Bukola Saraki, while mourning the deceased in a post on X, noted that Dada was a ‘true matriarch.’

He said, “Her warmth, grace, and compassion were boundless, extending to all who had the privilege of knowing her.

“My last encounter with her in Katsina is a memory I will always treasure—filled with her kindness and wisdom. It was a reminder of the remarkable person she was.

“Today, I join the nation to mourn the passing of this incredible woman. May Almighty Allah (SWT) grant her a place in Al-Jannah Firdaus. My thoughts and prayers are with the Yar’Adua family during this difficult time.”

Similarly, a former senator, Shehu Sani, described the late Dada as a participant and a witness to history. 

He also noted that she was a marathoner who raced through all vegetation.

“She had been through all seasons of life; joy and sorrow, uphills and downhills.She had been through calmness and turbulence of the sea of her country.

“She was a woman who married a great man and gave birth to greater children.She was an endowed woman,a blessed woman who also blessed others to greatness.She walked through life giving men who came across her the wings they need to fly,” Sani said in a post on X.

Dangote refinery begins operation, to supply 25 million litres in September

Mustapha USMAN
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Dangote refinery begins operation, to supply 25 million litres in September

THE Dangote Refinery has officially commenced operations, with plans to supply 25 million litres of petrol to the Nigerian market this September, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The Regulatory Authority made this known in a statement on Tuesday, September 3, that this will rise to 30 million litres from September.

The NMDPRA said it met with the NNPCL to agree on local crude supply to the refinery.

“At the NMDPRA headquarters in Abuja, NNPCL reached an agreement to commence crude oil sale and supply to Dangote Refinery in local currency.

“The refinery is now poised to supply an initial 25 million litres of PMS into the domestic market this September. It will subsequently increase this amount to 30 million litres daily from October 2024,” the NMDPRA said on its X. 

The ICIR reports that the Dangote Refinery, located in Lagos, has been in the spotlight since its commissioning earlier this year. 

The facility, which has a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is anticipated to transform Nigeria’s oil sector by processing crude oil locally rather than relying on expensive imports.

Dangote speaks…

In a live broadcast on Tuesday, Dangote said the supply of petrol into Nigeria would change the country’s energy landscape.

Expressing gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving the sale of crude in naira to local refineries, Dangote noted that many people doubted the $20 billion refinery would ever begin petrol production.

He added that the capacity would meet local demands and those of countries of the sub-Saharan Africa

The ICIR reported that sales of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery in naira will commence on October 1, 2024, according to the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun.

The directive came after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) intervened in the accusations and counter-accusations between the Dangote refinery and the regulatory authorities in the oil sector over the selling of crude to the refinery.

The ICIR reports that the management of the Dangote refinery had lamented not getting crude oil supply to its refinery, forcing the company to source crude from the United States and other countries to serve its 650,000-capacity nameplate refinery.

Medical doctors raise alarm over continued attacks on practitioners, healthcare centres

Mustapha USMAN
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Medical doctors raise alarm over continued attacks on practitioners, healthcare centres

SOME Nigerian medical doctors have raised alarms over the deteriorating state of their mental health and well-being due to increasing threats to their safety.

They particularly deplored the increasing rate of abductions and kidnappings of their colleagues across the country.

A cross-section of the doctors who spoke in separate interviews with The ICIR, noted that while there have been cases of attacks on healthcare centres and medical practitioners, little or nothing has been done to protect their lives.

They added that some of those who were unfortunately abducted remain in captivity or have been killed.

The ICIR reports that the health sector is grappling with a surge in insecurity, leaving many doctors fearing for their lives.

This is happening at a critical time when the doctor-to-patient ratio is alarmingly low, exacerbated by the mass exodus of medical practitioners from Nigeria.

The ICIR reported that in 2003, there were 2.65 doctors available to attend to every 10,000 people in the country.

The number peaked at 4.49 in 2016 and slightly decreased to 3.81 in 2018, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) records.

The situation in 2024 has not improved, as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) President, Bala Audu, noted that this ratio has deteriorated to alarming levels.

According to him, Nigeria’s doctor-patient ratio is approximately 1,000 per cent below the WHO recommendation.

While several factors contributed to this, the worsening insecurity and poor working conditions are now believed to be one of the major problems making it difficult to provide adequate care in Nigeria, as they noted that the few medical doctors left in the country may now reconsider their stay in the country over the insecurity threat.

Spotlight on Ruqoyat Popoola’s abduction

Eight months have passed since the abduction of Ruqoyat Popoola, a resident doctor at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, yet she remains in captivity, with no clear indications of her release.

Her abduction has led to growing concerns, as both family and her colleagues, resident doctors, have continued to protest and appeal to authorities to secure her release.

The ICIR reports that Ruqoyat, 25, was abducted on December 15, 2023, along with her husband and nephew, Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, a student at the Air Force Technology Institute.

However, her husband was released after paying a ransom.

While The ICIR cannot independently confirm the amount paid by her husband, reports have it that the kidnappers demanded for N60 million before they released Popoola’s husband.

Since the incident, according to NARD, the abductors have called severally and occasionally allowed some family members to speak to them.

Protests, strike…yet no headway

Meanwhile, in response to what is perceived as little government effort to secure Popoola’s release, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) embarked on protests in all tertiary hospitals across the country.

The ICIR reports that NARD members, Osun State University Teaching Hospital chapter, staged a protest to demand Popoola’s unconditional release.

The doctors who trooped out in their numbers on Friday, August 16, said if their demand for the release of their colleague was not met, they would have no option but to down tools.

Others in states such as the FCT, Kano and Ogun, also embarked on a solitude walk and protest for Popoola’s release, and further threatened a nationwide strike if she is not free by August 26.

The association, consequently, embarked on a seven-day warning strike, which began at midnight on Monday, August 26.

According to Punch, the NARD President, Dele Abdullahi, on Sunday, August 25, said the decision was made during the group’s emergency national executive council meeting.

According to him, the strike would ensure that NARD members suspend all services in hospitals, including emergency care.

However, the federal ministry of health and social welfare threatened to invoke a “no work, no pay” policy on the National Association of Resident  Doctors (NARD) over their one-week warning strike.

The ministry said in a statement signed by its assistant director of information and public relations, Ado Bako, on August 29, that the  doctors’ strike was premature and counterproductive.

“Over the past months, the ministry, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, including the office of the National Security Adviser, (NSA), have been working tirelessly to ensure the immediate and safe rescue of  Ganiyat Popoola. High-level discussions and coordinated efforts are currently under way and we remain confident that these measures will lead to a positive outcome.

This, doctors, who spoke with The ICIR, said is not the best approach to address the ongoing matter, noting that the federal government’s action may trigger a comprehensive strike from the NMA.

Trauma of abductions, attacks on healthcare doctors

The plight of Nigerian doctors has worsened over the past few years, with abductions and attacks on healthcare centres that do not look like it will subside soon, according to medical doctors who spoke with The ICIR.

Many of these doctors are now living in constant fear, with their sense of duty being nearly overshadowed by concerns for their safety.

Speaking to The ICIR, Daniel Ekeleme, a medical practitioner, expressed deep frustration over the increasing abductions of doctors across the country. “It’s quite unfortunate, the rate of kidnappings of doctors presently in the country. We are talking about a female doctor who has been kidnapped for quite a long time, and yet nothing has been done regarding that. It’s not only that; recently, there have been other cases,” he lamented.

On the impacts of the attacks on medical practitioners and patients, Isah Tijani, another medical doctor, who is also the president of the Association of Resident Doctors, Kano, noted that the rising incidents of abductions and insecurity have severely led to significant challenges in delivering quality healthcare in the country.

“So, basically the security, social security and security of lives and property is one of the basic necessities that government should provide to citizens.

“Wherever you want to practice, you need to be comfortable both physically and mentally.

“Whenever there are issues like this arising from abduction and whatever may be, doctors may not have the mental stability to practice properly.”

Tijani emphasised that the mental well-being of doctors is crucial for the proper treatment of patients.

“When issues like abduction arise, doctors may not have the mental stability to practice properly. If a doctor is not mentally stable, they may treat patients wrongly,” he warned.

He stressed that the fear of being targeted has also led many doctors to avoid working in areas notorious for kidnappings and banditry.

“Doctors will tend to run away from such areas, especially when they have options,” Tijani noted.

Kidnappings fuel fear, mass exodus in Nigeria

Ekeleme  who is the Abia State NMA vice chairman, highlighted the growing fear among healthcare workers, especially doctors, who are often called to work in rural areas or at odd hours to save lives.

He noted that the rising threat of abductions has made many doctors hesitant to fulfill their duties.

“The problem is that it creates this fear among healthcare workers, especially doctors going to work in rural areas or coming at all time to give service delivery.

“Some of them are called at different times of the day, sometimes very late at night to come and save lives but then when you remember that you are now an endangered species that you can be kidnapped,” he said.

According to Ekeleme, the impact of these kidnappings extends beyond personal safety, as it also affects the morale and availability of doctors.

While questioning the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security apparatus, he noted the lack of action to rescue kidnapped medical practitioners.

“So far, nothing has been done. With all the security apparatus that we have in this country, it’s so unfortunate we now have to resort to strikes to press our demand for the rescue of kidnapped medical practitioners. It’s very unfair.”

Ekeleme also linked the rising insecurity to the increasing rate at which doctors are leaving the country.

Also, Tijani, noted that the reason of the mass exodus of Nigerian doctors could now be traced to insecurity in the country, noting that other countries attracting Nigerian doctors are providing better security and remuneration.

 

Nigerian private sector businesses experiencing stagnation – report

Ehime ALEX
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Nigerian private sector businesses experiencing stagnation – report

BUSINESS activities in the Nigerian private sector failed to improve and were broadly stagnant in August.

This is according to the latest Stanbic IBTC Bank’s latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report released on Monday, August 2.

Although the PMI figure ticked up to 49.9 points in August from 49.2 points in July, still it remained at the contraction level for the second consecutive month.

In July, business activities recorded a headline PMI of 49.2, down from 50.1 in June and below the 50.0 no-change mark for the first time in eight months, The ICIR reported.

A PMI reading of above 50.0 signals expansion in business conditions while below 50.0 points to a contraction.

“Although new orders returned to growth, the rate of expansion was only modest and insufficient to result in a rise in business activity, which fell fractionally.

Employment continued to increase, however, as firms worked through outstanding business at a faster pace,” Stanbic IBTC stated.

It attributed the cause of failed business activities growth in the review month to rising input costs and surging inflation rate which propelled firms to increase their selling prices at a faster pace.

“Input costs rose rapidly again midway through the third quarter. The rate of purchase cost inflation hit a five-month high amid increases in prices for materials and transportation, with cost pressures exacerbated by currency weakness.

“Staff costs were also up as firms increased pay in response to higher living costs. Higher input costs were often passed on to customers, and output prices subsequently increased at the sharpest pace in five months,” it stated.

Stanbic IBTC, however, reported that there were some signs of encouragement as new orders returned to growth.

It said new business was up slightly, reversing a decline seen in July, and that the pace of expansion was much softer than the series average.

It also stated that new business rose across three of the four monitored sectors, the exception being services.

“Employment also increased, extending the current sequence of job creation to four months. Although modest, the latest rise in staffing levels was the fastest since last November.

Rising staffing levels and muted new order inflows meant that firms were able to deplete their backlogs of work at the joint-fastest pace since June 2022,” the report added.

Commenting, the head of Equity Research West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Muyiwa Oni, said, “The stagnation in overall operating conditions was in line with the trend in business activity; Nigerian companies posted a fractional reduction in business activity during August, as was the case in July.

“Although a renewed expansion of sales led some companies to increase their output, others reported that demand remained weak amid marked cost pressures.”

He said further that activity rose in the manufacturing wholesale and retail categories but fell in agriculture and services.

“On purchase prices, respondents noted higher costs for materials, most notably animal feed and paper, while logistics and transportation were also a source of inflation amid higher fuel prices.

“Some panelists noted the weakness in the USD/NGN pair. The rate of output price inflation also quickened to a five-month high in August as just under half of all respondents signalede a rise in charges. The increase in output prices reflected the pass-through of higher costs to customers,” Oni added.

Come clean with petrol pump price, Falana tells Tinubu, NNPCL

Ehime ALEX
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Come clean with petrol pump price, Falana tells Tinubu, NNPCL

THE chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Femi Falana, has asked President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to be honest with the surging pump price of petrol across Nigeria.

Falana, a senior advocate and human rights lawyer, also called on the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, to desist from saying that the government could not curb the activities of people smuggling petroleum products to neighbouring countries.

He said this in a statement titled, “Re: Why smuggling of fuel from Nigeria to neighbouring countries cannot stop — Oil Minister,” issued by ASCAB, on Monday, August 2.

He noted the Federal Government had acknowledged fuel smuggling from Nigeria to neighbouring countries was an issue that could not be entirely eradicated, pointing out that Lokpobiri highlighted this at the 2024 Energy and Labour Summit in Abuja.

He said, at the meeting, Lokpobiri claimed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) lacked the funds necessary to rebuild the nation’s ageing pipelines, contributing to the problem.

“Mr. Lokpobiri should be advised to stop exposing Nigeria to ridicule by saying that the Federal Government lacks the capacity to curb the nefarious activities of smugglers.

“The Federal Government should come out clean if it has added to the monumental suffering of the Nigerian people by increasing the price of PMS. After all, from less than N700 in July, a litre of petrol has since risen gradually to above N1,000 in most filling stations since the beginning of August. The upward trend of the price of PMS has continued with no successful attempt to stop it as of today,” Falana stated.

The minister’s argument that selling petrol to marketers at about N600 and blame on the lack of funds necessary to rebuild the nation’s ageing pipelines are not tenable, Falana argued.

He said, the minister, on July 13, 2024, disclosed to Nigerians that the Federal Executive Council awarded a $21 million contract for the metering of 187 crude oil flow stations in Nigeria to enable it to properly account for the country’s production and exports.

The minister also revealed the council awarded another contract for the deployment of software that would enable the government to monitor the movement of Nigeria’s crude from the point of loading of every cargo in Nigeria up to the point of the cargo’s destination.

“It is a major development that has never happened in this country. And this project is meant to be completed within six months, within 180 days,” Falana quoted the minister as having said.

Having awarded these contracts, complemented with advanced cargo tracking technology, Falana maintained that “the Federal Government cannot turn round to say that oil theft and smuggling of petrol out of Nigeria to neighboring countries will continue unabated to the detriment of the national economy.”

He stressed that apart from the acquisition of the software to stop the smuggling of petroleum products from Nigeria, the NNPCL had embraced the suggestion to establish mega stations in the neighbouring countries.

Both policies were, however, discarded by the NNPCL in order to boost the smuggling of PMS from Nigeria, he said.

Falana recalled the Federal Government had in 2010 entered into a public-private partnership with a private company called TPMS to operate the policy arrangement which dealt a heavy blow to the smuggling of petrol and oil theft, however, the arrangement was terminated in 2011 and since then all efforts to restore the Cargo Trafficking Note have been frustrated.

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He noted further that on August 9, 2018, FEC approved the installation of technology monitoring schemes and structures under the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) for N17 billion.

The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, revealed that the deployment of the automated fuel system management and censor network would ensure 100 per cent tracking and monitoring of petroleum products as the system would enable Nigerians to know how much petrol is consumed in Nigeria, volumes of products moved out illegally, and the whole impact on Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

However, the automated fuel system management was never installed, while the contract sum of N17 billion was stolen, Falana added.

ACES announces scholarships for aspiring editors

Blessing OTOIBHI
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ACES announces scholarships for aspiring editors

ACES, the Society for Editing, is accepting applications for the Bill Walsh Scholarship and the ACES Education Fund Scholarship.

Six scholarships will be awarded through the ACES Education Fund.

Students applying for the Bill Walsh Scholarship must demonstrate excellence in news editing. The winner of this scholarship will receive US$3,500 plus financial aid to attend the ACES national conference.

College juniors, seniors or graduate students interested in editing as a career are eligible for scholarships.

Five ACES Education Fund Scholarships will be awarded to students who excel in critical thinking about written materials in any field.

Four of these winners will receive US$1,500 each and US$2,500 will be awarded to the student chosen as the Aubespin Scholar.

All five winners also are eligible for aid to attend the ACES conference.

The organiser says, “Since 1999, the ACES Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation, and its predecessor have awarded more than 150 scholarships to deserving students who have a passion for editing”.

“The Walsh Scholarship honours the late Bill Walsh, a longtime copy editor at the Washington Post and active member of the ACES Education Fund Board of Directors”.

The application deadline for the submission of application is November 15, 2024.

Interested applicants can apply here.

Police declare Briton, Nigerian wanted for attempting to overthrow Tinubu

Bankole ABE
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Police declare Briton, Nigerian wanted for attempting to overthrow Tinubu

THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF), on Monday, September 2, declared a British national, Andrew Wynne, and a Nigerian, Lucky Obiyan, wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu.

According to the police, the British national, also known as Andrew Povich, was accused of building a network of sleeper cells to overthrow the government and plunge the nation into chaos.

The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed these in a statement.

Adejobi said Wynne rented a space at Labour House and established a school to serve as a decoy.

He said the Nigeria Police Force had launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of foreign national and subversive elements plotting to undermine the democratically-elected government in Nigeria through unconstitutional regime change and orchestrating violence across the country.

He added that following extensive intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies, nine suspects had been apprehended, who received substantial financial backing from foreign sources to destabilise the country.

“Preliminary findings suggest they orchestrated and funded violent protests, disseminated false information, and engaged in other unlawful activities to create anarchy and justify their illegal plot to overthrow the democratically-elected government.

“Investigations have identified a foreign mercenary, Andrew Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey), a British national, who built a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos. He rented a space at Labour House, Abuja, for an ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and established ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ as a cover for his subversive activities.”

Adejobi said documentary evidence and confessions revealed that Wynne provided finance and operational guidance to allegedly topple an elected government in the country.

According to Adejobi, the suspect mobilised and deployed several billions of naira to his Nigerian collaborators, urging them to mobilise the public to violently storm police facilities and military barracks, anticipating a bloodbath that would instigate international condemnation of the Nigerian government.

“These acts are in clear violation of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and other relevant laws,” the FPRO added.

Adejobi said Wynne and his local collaborator, Obiyan, had fled the country.

The Labour House, Abuja where the suspect was accused of operating in the office of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)

Recall that on August 29, the police invited the president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, for alleged terrorism financing.

In an invitation letter signed by Adamu Muazu, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) on behalf of the deputy commissioner of police, IRT, the police requested Ajaero’s presence for questioning.

The police further warned that an arrest warrant would be issued if he failed to make himself available.

Responding, the NLC convened an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, resolving to request a time extension from the police to consult with its legal team.

Subsequently, a formal letter from Femi Falana’s chambers was submitted to the police.

Falana, a senior advocate, in the letter addressed to the inspector general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, through the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Mohammed Ahmed Sanusi, explained that Ajaero had fixed a meeting for August 20, before the police invitation was sent to him on Monday, August 19.

He promised Ajaero would be available at the police headquarters on August 29.

Ajaero however arrived at the IRT office some minutes past 10 am on August 29 and left at 11.15 am on the same day after writing his statement.

 

 

Canadian-Nigerian woman arrested for threatening to kill fellow citizens

Itoro ETUKUDO
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Canadian-Nigerian woman arrested for threatening to kill fellow citizens

A CANADIAN-NIGERIAN woman, Amaka Sonnberger, has been arrested by the Toronto Police for threatening to kill her fellow citizens.

The 46-year-old made a video, vowing she would poison the Yoruba and Benin people in Canada.

According to the Toronto Police Service, she was arrested on Sunday, September 1.

“On Sunday, September 1, 2024, Toronto Police arrested Amaka Sonnberger, 46, of Toronto. She has been charged with uttering threats.,

“She is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice, 2201 Finch Avenue West on Monday, September 2nd, 2024, at 10:00 am in courtroom 107., Charged with uttering threats, Sonnberger will face a judge at the Ontario Court of Justice.

While the case is still being treated as a hate-motivated offence, the Toronto police noted that the service is making the public aware of the arrest.

“On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Toronto Police received a call for a threatening incident. It is alleged that the accused posted online content on or about August 25, 2024, threatening death to specific members of the Nigerian community,” the statement added.

The chief executive officer of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission had earlier revealed the identity of Sonnberger after the video where she made the threats surfaced online.

“Record me very well, it is time to start poisoning the Yoruba and the Benin. Put poison for all una food for work. Put poison for una water, make una dey kpai one by one

“I want make Ndi Igbo get that heart of wickedness. Una too dey quiet. Enough is enough! If you have any means of kpaing them, kpai them commot for road,” Sonnberger said in the video.

Fire guts Katsina Government House

Mustapha USMAN
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Fire guts Katsina Government House

A FIRE outbreak razed down part of the council chamber of the Katsina Government House in the early hours of Monday, September 2.

The chamber is attached to the governor’s office, where he meets with important dignitaries.

The cause of the fire remained unknown, while details were sketchy when filing this report.

The chief press secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Mohammed, while speaking with The ICIR, noted the state governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, was not in the office when the incident happened.

He explained that the governor attended a zonal town hall meeting outside the Katsina town while the fire raged.

“First and foremost, the governor wasn’t in the office. We were having a public engagement on the 2025 budget where he wanted to get feedback from the citizens on what they expected to be in the budget. We just finished from Funtua and we are now in Daura.

”So just on our way to Daura, we heard about the unfortunate incident in the Government House. I don’t have full details of what happened because I am not in Katsina town.

“But I learnt that it’s only the council chamber that was burnt, which is just part of the governor’s office,” he told The ICIR.

Meanwhile, according to Punch, a source named Alhaji Bashir, whose house is near the Government House in Katsina, confirmed that the fire began around 6 a.m.

He said, “I saw a fire service truck rushing in. I was in my house as early as 6 am after prayers, a fire service truck rushed into the Government House, and I later learnt there was an inferno inside the red chamber where Governor Dikko used to host guests.”

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