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(Nigeria) Twenty children died in road traffic accidents between December 19 and December 28, while 75 others sustained injuries from the crashes, the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, said on Monday. This information is contained in a statement issued by Mr Jonas Agwu, the FRSC’s Public Education Officer. The statement said that 144 children of the 239 children involved in road accidents during the period were rescued unhurt. It would be recalled that the FRSC on December 19 began a Special Patrol for the Christmas and New Year celebration tagged ``Operation Zero Tolerance’’. The commission deployed 34,000 personnel and equipment in critical and major highways across the country as well as four helicopters for aerial surveillance. The FRSC had said on December 24 that 107 died and 1,398 persons were in 214 road accidents between December 19 and December 23. It said that the figures represented a reduction in the number of deaths and injured when compared to 156 deat

(Nigeria) Some telecom subscribers have expressed dissatisfaction with the poor quality of services of GMS service providers in the country during the Yuletide, reports News Agency of Nigeria. The subscribers said they were unhappy as they were not getting value for their money from the service providers. Mr Ilemona Umoru, a graphic designer, said that the services from the networks were poor, adding that he could hardly make complete calls without problems. ``You find that when you try to call someone, especially in this season, you can hardly hear the person at the other side. ``You never have the satisfaction of talking to someone, it’s either the call gets cut half way into your conversation or you would be hearing some kind of unpleasant noise at the background. ``The regulators should sanction them or there should be a limit of the number of subscribers they should have because I think that part of the problem is because the networks are over loaded. Another sub

(Nigeria) A Surulere Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos, on Monday rejected the 'guilty plea' by one Rasak Abdulahi, a bricklayer charged with stealing. The prosecutor, Insp Gabriel Ekundayo had alleged that Abdullahi stole N50,000 given to him to buy cement by one Mr John Egbuta for a project. He told the court that the accused took the money and did not return to the project site until six days later when he called Egbuta to inform him that the money was stolen. The prosecutor said that the offence, committed at No. 30 Chief Natufe St., Surulere, contravened Sections 285 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State. The Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Olajuwon, however, faulted the prosecution charges, saying that the facts as presented did not show any evidence of stealing. She said going by the facts of the case what happened was a breach of contract and not theft. The magistrate therefore rejected the guilty plea of the accused and adjourned the case to January 20, 2014 for

(Nigeria) A teacher, Mohammed Ibrahim, 27, on Monday appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate Court in Lagos, charged with the defilement of two pupils aged six and seven years old. Ibrahim, who resides at No. 2, Olaosebikan St., Lawanson in Surulere, Lagos, is facing a charge of defiling two minors. The Prosecutor, Inspector R. Odigie, said that the crime was committed on December 18 at  11.00 a.m. at Al-adab Nursery and Primary School, Abalti Barracks, Surulere, Lagos. He said that the accused took the two pupils to the school toilet and forcefully had unlawful carnal knowledge of them. "The victims screamed for help and they were rescued by another teacher in the school. The eyewitness reported the accused to the headmaster,” he said. The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Section 137 provides that any person, who has unlawful sexual interco

(Nigeria) Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, has formed three political parties for the Ogonis. In his New Year message, MOSOP President/Spokesman, Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, said “after thorough review, I welcome the step, because I believe indigenous political parties will transform the political climate in Ogoni, and inspire true representatives to respect the people’s aspirations. “If the parties so desire, they forge pre-approved and incorruptible alliances with outside political parties and actors, within and outside Nigeria in accordance with Ogoni Bill of Rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” Invoking the United Nations Declaration, Diigbo said the move “will enhance harmonious and cooperative relations between the State [Nigeria] and indigenous peoples [Ogonis], based on principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, non-discrimination and good faith.” He said he was optimistic that true representativ

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting  in Lagos on Monday granted bail in the sum of N200 million each, to a Briton, Gareth Wilcox and Johnson Adebami, charged with N15 billion fraud. Wilcox, a former Managing Director of Ibom Power Company and LYK Engineering Company, is standing trial alongside Adebami, a former Managing Director of the defunct Gulf Bank Plc, on a 21-count charge bordering on alleged fraud. Also charged along with them are, former the legal adviser of the bank, Uche Uwechia; Ibom Power Company and LYK Engineering Company, owned by Wilcox. Ruling on the bail application, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, granted Wilcox and Adebami bail in the sum of N200 million each, with two sureties each in like sum. The judge ruled that each of the sureties must possess landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, present two years tax clearance certificate and depose to an affidavit of means. He also ordered Wilcox and Adebami to deposit their i

(Nigeria) Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Monday urged political office holders at all levels to brace up to the challenges of nation building to make Nigerians better in 2014. This is contained in a New Year message signed by Atiku’s Media Officer, Mr Paul Ibe, in Abuja. The former vice president, while congratulating Nigerians for the New Year, described as unacceptable the worsening poverty in the country. This, he noted, was taking its toll on the ordinary citizens, adding, however, that, with hard work and dedication, elected leaders and public servants could rise to the challenges of national development and economic prosperity. He said that doing so was critical to redressing the deepening poverty of ordinary Nigerians in 2014. He urged Nigerians to face the future with optimism, adding that the New Year would bring good tidings to the country. Atiku thanked God for keeping Nigerians together, despite the country`s myriad of security, political and socioe