A Nigerian man, Steven Opeyemi Moses, has cried out after a DNA test revealed that he is not the biological father of a child with an SS genotype, which his wife had claimed was his.

Moses had appeared on a Nigerian-based TV courtroom show last year to present the matter.

He revealed on the show that his wife gave birth one year after marriage, only to discover that while he was AA, his wife, who was AS, had an SS-carrier son. During the hearing, the judge reportedly ordered a DNA test to be carried out, and the DNA analysis revealed a 0% probability of paternity, indicating a negative result.

Following a clip shared by an X user, Moses provided an update revealing that his ‘wife’ has since refused to undergo a maternity test.

He made this known in a series of posts on his X account (@SteveMosoes) on Monday.

He wrote: “I am still in awe of how we got here. We got married precisely on May 21, 2016. A year down the line she got pregnant and gave birth on her birthday November 8, 2018. The first crisis the body had we spent thousands in hospital and that’s when we first discovered he was SS.

“At this point I was confused. She first told me it was the enemy that was doing us through the boy. I didn’t believe and at the same time I didn’t argue with her. I started making my research if it was possible for AA + AS to produce SS.”

“I saw some rare occasions of extreme weather conditions but it wasn’t possible in Nigeria as a result of good weather. I spoke to few councillors and midwives in Ifako General Hospital and Lagos State teaching Hospital.

“We kept on living together, & we kept praying & fasting and nothing change. The boy kept on going through crisis. At this point we were already out of cash and could not afford a DNA test because I was already uncomfortable, having confirmed from many sources that it was impossible.

“For me to produce SS even when I marry SS as a AA. So I started voicing my displeasure out to my friends and one of them pointed me to Justice Court that they will do the DNA test for free. So I contacted them and arranged a sample for me and the boy for Paternity test.

“Paternity test results came out in December, and we had a court session where it was unveiled as seen in the video. Since December, she has been dulging and refusing to pick calls from Justice Court to carry out the Judge verdict to run a maternity test.

“So as I write this story, Justice Court has not been able to reach her over the phone. She is not picking calls. One funny thing in all this is, in November last year. Her family got me arrested from Ajuwon Police Station because I was not dropping upkeep for the said child.

“It took intervention of our family lawyer to get the case out of police station. I remember the police were supporting her. In December, DNA results came out and it was negative. The need to clear herself arises and she went into isolation.”

He also dismissed the possibility of a ‘child-swap’ at the hospital.

“The above video shows the last part that says ‘Is the child swap in hospital?’ It may be possible, but the chances are slim. I was present in the labour room and there were only two woman in labour that day. It wasn’t a hospital; it was Ojodu Health Center at Gbadamosi, Ojodu.

“The other woman already gave birth while she was in labour. I remember following the nurse to clean him up & collected him back. I dropped him beside her on the bed waited for her sister to come and then I left to cook something for her. Honestly, this marriage wrecked me.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has released its timetable and schedule of activities leading to the party’s selection of a candidate on April 25, 2024, ahead of the November 16, 2024 governorship election in Ondo State.

The APC timetable released late Monday was signed by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaimon Argungu.

According to the party, the sale of nominations, expression of interest and delegate forms for contestants will begin on April 3 and end on April 10, 2024, while the primary election is slated for April 25, 2024.

The APC pegged the price for the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at N10m and N40m respectively for Ondo.

The party stated that female aspirants and persons living with disabilities are to pay for Expression of Interest while the Nomination Form is free.

“Youths from 25 to 40 years are to purchase Expression of Interest forms with a 50% discount on Nomination Forms,” the APC stated.

Contenders for the APC ticket in Ondo include Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, former Ondo deputy governor, who succeeded the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu after the latter’s death on December 27, 2023.

A former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Wale Akinterinwa; as well as Senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim, also want the party’s ticket.

Ondo and Edo are two of the eight states where governorship elections are held off-season due to litigations and court judgements.

The others are Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi and Osun.

President Bola Tinubu is preparing to initiate a novel three-step approach for evaluating the performance of Ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) as he approaches the completion of his first year in office.

This innovative strategy aims to incorporate public opinion into the decision-making process regarding the retention or dismissal of cabinet members and key agency leaders by May 29, 2024.

Insiders from the Presidential Villa in Abuja disclosed to BusinessDay that the President intends to launch the feedback platform on Tuesday.

This digital platform is designed to gather assessments from Nigerians on the performance of each minister and their contributions to the administration’s objectives.

However, the inauguration of this feedback mechanism has been postponed to the following week.

The delay allows for the finalization of necessary preparations by the office of the Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, led by Hadiza Bala-Usman.

This extension is to ensure the platform is fully operational and capable of capturing comprehensive and insightful feedback from the citizenry.

The source said, “This will be done at three different levels. First, you have members of the public who can through the platform, get relevant information on the President Bola Tinubu’s targets for each Ministry and through that give feedback on the performance of each Minister based on the targets provided.

“The next stage will be evaluation carried out by the Policy Coordination office, and lastly, a group of Consultants will also give their assessments on the Ministers performance

“So, these will be the basis for determining which Minister stays and those that will leave the cabinet because of poor performance.”

Bala-Usman had earlier in the year indicated that President Tinubu “will drop ministers who do not deliver on their mandates.”

She had stated this at the opening of a technical retreat organised for delivery desk officers of federal ministries, to train them on implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.

Usman warned that “President is serious about delivering on his promise to make life better and easier for Nigerians.

“You must understand that as ministerial delivery desk officers you are the engine room that will provide that feedback and constantly track ministerial progress and report challenges and bottle to the CDCU.”

The retreat, according to her, “was to introduce the delivery officers to the framework of the delivery chain for progress tracking and build the officers’ capacity on monitoring of the delivery plan”

The President had tasked the Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, soon after the Ministerial retreat on November 3rd, 2023, to “immediately activate the performance tracking system in a way that maximally leverages on cutting- edge digital innovation to provide real time oversight capability for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

The President also charged the Ministers to demonstrate diligence, innovative thinking, commitment, and an unrelenting focus on resul, added that “I want to reiterate that the Renewed Hope Agenda is about more than just economic growth.

“It is also about building a more just and equitable society for all Nigerians. It is about creating jobs, improving education and healthcare, and reducing poverty. It is about ensuring that all Nigerians have the opportunity to succeed.

“I know that we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am confident we can achieve our goals. We have a strong team in place, and we are committed to working together to build a better future for Nigeria.

“Let me remind you that our people are not interested in excuses, political games, or procrastination. Neither am I. They are interested in tangible results. They seek solutions to the problems that have long plagued our great nation. The challenge before us demands that we must put aside personal ambitions and focus on adhering to the performance bond we have all signed up to on this day. These performance bonds represent a contract we must uphold.”

The President also emphasized the importance of data in governance, saying: “Data is the life- blood of effective governance. It enables us to understand the challenges we face so that we can design and implement effective solutions as well as monitor and evaluate our progress. Without data, we are flying blind.”

It was also gathered on Monday that the Policy Coordination Office will rely mostly on the recommendations made at the first Ministerial retreat, in assessing the achievements of each Minister.

The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) began a three-day national mourning period on Monday to commemorate the 17 soldiers who were killed by angry youths in Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State.

Naija News reports that the soldiers who were deployed on a “peaceful and mediatory mission” were killed during a communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities.

Among the deceased are Lieutenant Colonel Abdullahi Hassan Ali, the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion Oleh, Major Gembu Shafa, the JTF Commander in Bomadi, along with another Major and a Captain, making up the total of 17 killed.

To commemorate the lives of heroic personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation, flags will be flown at half-mast across all military installations nationwide, symbolizing respect and mourning.

According to sources, a communication has been dispatched to the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force conveying this instruction.

The source said, “A directive has been issued by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa to the three Services to that effect.

“From Monday March 18, 2024, up till March 20, 2024, all colours, (flags) are to be flown at half-mast in honour of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) personnel Killed In Action (KIA).”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has warned the Okuama community in Delta State that they should brace themselves for the full force of legal repercussions.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Rt. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has appealed to the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, to call off their 7-day warning strike, which started on Monday.

The Minister also expressed displeasure at the action of the unions, which she described as a total disregard of Federal Government’s concerted effort to address the concern of the unions.

A statement issued by Olajide Oshundun Director, Press and Public Relations, quoted Hon. Onyejeocha as saying that “the Ministry was not officially notified by the unions of their intention to proceed on a 7-day warning strike. This is contrary to the provisions of section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act.

“However, when the Ministry got wind of the intended warning strike, it reached out to the leadership of the unions for an emergency meeting in order to avert the strike. Unfortunately, a physical meeting could not be arranged between the unions and the federal government, but a tele-discussion took place between their leadership and the Ministry.

“Consequently, the Ministry suggested another date, Monday 18th March, for a proper conciliation meeting, believing that on the basis of that discussion, the intended strike would be put on hold pending the outcome of the meeting; but this date was rejected by the unions.

“The Minister has always maintained that strike does not serve any useful purpose and should only be resorted to as a last option after exhausting every conciliation effort.”

She appealed to the SSANU and NASU to step back from their hard-line stance and meet the federal government at the table for conciliation.

The Minister also appealed to all Nigerians to always take steps that are beneficial to the well-being of the country and the citizens.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, joined Muslims at the Central Mosque in Maraba-Nyanya in Abuja to participate in breaking the Ramadan fast.

In a now-viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter), the former Governor of Anambra State sat beside a child on a mat while sharing a bowl of rice with the boy.

The viral video also showed almost 1000 people at the mosque waiting to break their fast while others watched as the LP presidential candidate fed the child.

The Ramadan season is regarded as a month of charity and communal sharing, especially for people in need. During this time, Muslims also self-reflect and increase their acts of worship and devotion.

It is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is said to be one of the pillars of Islam. The Ramadan period usually lasts between 29 and 30 days based on the sighting of the crescent moon.

See the video below.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has warned Nigerians against the practice of employing underage housemaids.

Naija News reports that during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the agency’s Director of Legal and Prosecution, Hassan Tahir, stressed that engaging in such a practice is against the law.

He offered the advice in response to employers of domestic workers facing challenges with their employees, which sometimes escalate to causing injuries.

He stated that according to Section 23 of the Trafficking in Persons Act, TIP, employing a child as a domestic worker is deemed unlawful, constituting an offense under the law.

Tahir quoted Section 23 of the TIP Act as saying, “Any person who willfully employs, requests, recruits, transports, harbours, receives or hires out a child as a domestic worker commits an offence and is liable to conviction of imprisonment for a minimum term of 6 months, and not exceeding 7 years.”

However, the director advised that those interested in employing a house help must ensure fair treatment, including providing shared accommodations and schooling with the master’s children.

Tahir said, “The domestic worker must attend the same school with your children, eat the same food with your children, wear the same cloth with your children, he or she must be treated equally with your children.

“There could be a situation whereby you employ a child and at the same time inflict injury on him or her, if you want to violate their right, please don’t do that, and if certainly you do, NAPTIP will do the needful.“

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, has said the country needs a new constitution rather than an amendment to the 1999 Constitution.

Ozekhome stated that no amount of amendment can cure the flaws in the 1999 constitution following the set-up of Committees to review and amend the country’s law by the National Assembly.

He said this on Monday during a National Constitutional dialogue in Lagos in honour of the late Ben Nwabueze, the Pioneer Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The senior lawyer asserted that military leaders handed over the current constitution to Nigerians and that a new constitution should be created through a referendum.

Ozkehome added that a new constitution will make provisions for the creation of state police, stating that the argument for abuse of state police is not tenable.

He said: “But will their (national assembly) work amount to what we are looking for? Is it just the amendment of the constitution that is our problem? Can you amend a bad document? Can you amend a fundamentally flawed document?.

“My humble answer is that you cannot. One million amendments, multiple by one million amendments of the present fundamentally flawed constitution, cannot cure the original sin.

“What is that original sin? It was imposed on you and me militarily by a military junta led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and 28 members of the provisional ruling council.

“It was never subjected to the referendum of the people. Guess what? The present constitution was attached as a mere schedule to decree number 24 of 1999.

“So the constitution you are using is a mere schedule attached to a decree. How can you amend it? How do you cleanse it? Nigeria must own their own constitution through a popular referendum of the people.”

A leading figure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, Stanley Ekezie, has blamed the electorate’s decisions in the last general election squarely for Nigeria’s ongoing economic hardship.

Naija News reports that Ekezie made this comment during an interview in Owerri, Imo State’s capital on Monday.

The PDP chieftain’s comments come as Nigeria grapples with significant economic challenges that affect citizens across all socio-economic strata.

“Blame Nigeria’s electorate for the current economic crisis. Nigerians prefer to take peanuts in lieu of good governance,” Ekezie stated, highlighting a culture of vote-buying that plagued the last electoral cycle.

According to him, this practice saw voters willingly exchange their votes for immediate monetary rewards, paving the way for unqualified individuals to assume positions of power.

Ekezie argues that this phenomenon not only undermines the democratic process but also sets the stage for governance that lacks accountability and foresight, directly impacting the nation’s economic stability.

The consequence, he notes, is the widespread economic hardship currently experienced across Nigeria, a direct fallout from the electorate’s decisions.

The former aspirant for Okigwe North Federal Constituency further lamented the cyclical nature of this issue, warning that without a significant shift in the electorate’s approach to elections, the economic situation is unlikely to improve.

He warned that“The situation will persist so long as the wrong people continue to occupy the seat of power.”

The founder of the Mount of Solution Redeemed Church (MSRC), Apostle Elisha Asuquo and the pastor in charge of the church, Aniekan Ibanga, have been shot dead by gunmen, in Ikot Ekang, a community in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state.

Naija News learnt that the tragic incident occurred when the gunmen stormed the National Headquarters of the Church at about 7:30pm at the weekend, disrupting an ongoing Parish meeting.

The unidentified gunmen reportedly left through the Abak-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway after committing the crime.

It was gathered the late Apostle Asuquo hailed from Adiasim in Essien Udim Local Government Area, while Pastor Aniekan Ibanga, was a native of Ikot Obioikpa village, Afaha Obong Clan, in Abak LGA.

A community leader in Ikot Ekang, Bishop John Jeremiah Kpongkpong, in an interview with Leadership, described the killing of the two clerics as shocking, noting that such an ugly incident had never happened in the community before.

According to him, Apostle Asuquo was handling a crucial and heated marital reconciliation matter between a lady and her estranged husband before the sad incident.

He said, “It was around 8 p.m., I was attending a church programme when somebody called and asked me whether I had heard that Prophet Elisha and his Pastor had been shot dead. While still on that call, another person came in and told me that Prophet Elisha and Pastor Aniekan had been killed.

“I had to close from the church and rush to the palace of the Village Head to inform him of what had happened. After informing the Village Head, he instructed me to call the Police, which I did.

“On getting to the Church premises, I saw many people gathering while Policemen from Abak Division were performing their duty.”

Also speaking on the incident, the Youth President of Ikot Obio Ikpa Village, Alphonsus Alphonsus Okoro, described the killing of their son as painful and a great loss.

He further called on the two villages to cooperate and investigate the matter to bring the culprits to book, to which the Youth President of Ikot Ekang village, Godwin Adahada, agreed.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the state police command, CSP Odiko MacDon, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayirara, had ordered a manhunt for the suspects.

He assured that the ongoing discreet investigations would culminate in the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the culprits.