The late chairman of DAAR Communications, which owns Africa Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower FM, Raymond Dokpesi, has been buried amidst tears in his home town, Agenebode, Edo State.
Dokepsi was buried on Thursday in the presence of his family, friends, political associates and well-wishers.
A requiem mass was held before the interment at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Agenebode.
Among those who witnessed the interment were Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and media entrepreneur, Dele Momodu.
Recall, a service of songs was held at the deceased’s residence in Edo State on Wednesday.
The funeral commenced with a “day of tributes” on Monday at The Ballroom International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Among the dignitaries who attended it were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Kogi State, Dino Melaye; Momodu; and Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki.
As of press time, guests were being hosted after the interment at St Peter’s Grammar School compound in Agenebode
Dokpesi, chairman of DAAR Communications which owns Africa Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower FM, died on May 29 at the age of 71, weeks after reportedly suffering a stroke.
A lawyer and former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch, Temidayo Eseyin, has been arraigned by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Eseyin is also an associate pastor of the Living Faith Church (aka Winners’ Chapel), was arraigned for allegedly defrauding Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State the sum of N19.3million.
Landmark University is owned by Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church.
The defendant allegedly abused his position as Attorney to Landmark University, to cheat and defraud his client (the university).
According to EFCC, he committed the offence between 2014 and 2022 when he was managing a property known as “Old Midland Building” belonging to Landmark University.
The university is situated along Emir/Obbo Road, Ilorin, which rent Mr. Eseyin collected for 8years but could not account for the funds.
In addition to this, the Commission noted that Eseyin had also allegedly attempted to sell the property without authorisation from the university.
Based on these the EFCC arraigned him before Justice Funsho Lawal of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, on a four-count charge bordering on dishonestly misappropriatimg the University of funds
“That you, Temidayo Eseyin sometime in the year 2021, in Ilorin Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly misappropriated the sum of Six Million, Sixty Four Thousand Naira Only (N6, 064,000) representing payment of rent on property known as Old Midland Building belonging to Landmark University and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 309 of the same Law,” count 3 of the charge reads but the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to the EFCC, Rashidat Alao then urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant pending trial.
Eseyin’s lawyer, Femi Makinde, however moved an application for the bail of the defendant to which Justice Lawal granted in the sum of N10million.
He was also asked to produce two sureties in the sum of N5million each.
The judge ordered that the sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and the case was adjourned as the new dates for the next sitting would be communicated to the parties.
A deserter police sergeant who was transferred out of Lagos but failed to report at his new duty post has been arrested by the police in Lagos for robbery and abduction.
Twenty-nine other suspected criminals, including cultists, traffic robbers, armed robbers and impersonators were also within the last one week arrested by the police in Lagos.
The arrested suspects were on Thursday paraded before newsmen at the state police command headquarters by the image maker in charge of the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin.
Hundeyin told newsmen that eleven (11) of the suspects were traffic robbers, seventeen ( 17) were cultists, two were armed robbers, while the other two were impersonators.
The police image maker said that the deserter policeman allegedly belongs to a gang, which uses police uniforms to kidnap some young men, driving expensive vehicles and tagging them as Yahoo Boys to extort or rob them at gunpoint.
SP Hundeyin stated that they were arrested at Oshodi area while trying to arrest a woman for an alleged traffic offence acting as Lagos State Traffic Management Authority ( LASTMA ) officials.
The police sergeant and two others are currently being interrogated at the State Command Headquarters in many abduction and robbery incidents.
The gang reportedly drove around Lagos in a Toyota Highlander SUV and posed as policemen on a routine patrol and pick unsuspecting drivers, accusing them of committing different offences .
Members of the gang were reportedly arrested after they allegedly arrested a female driver and threatened to take her to the office of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) in Oshodi, where they claimed that her vehicle would be impounded and auctioned.
It was during the negotiation on how much the woman would pay the detectives, who had been on the trail of syndicate stormed the scene and apprehended two of the suspects, while two others took to their heels.
Hundeyin said ” The syndicate could threaten to take their victims to any security formation. It could be the EFCC, LATSMA, Police or any paramilitary organization, pending the offence they alleged that their unsuspecting victims committed”.
According to the police spokesperson, the cult members were arrested in Badagry, Isolo and Ikorodu and added that three of the notorious cultists terrorising Ikorodu, led by a cultist, popularly known as ’70’ had been arrested.
The police image maker said, “We advise parents, school managements, religious organisations ,and community leaders to step up in the talks to their children to channel their energies towards better things and not cultism.”
Video: I sell food by the roadside but.. – Dagrin’s Mother Cries Out To Nigerians For Assistance
AdminLate rapper, Dagrin’s mother has cried out to Nigerians for financial assistance.
In a video making the rounds on social media, the aged woman is seen selling food by the roadside.
She, however, revealed that the business is too stressful due to her age and the money generated is not enough to sustain her family.
She stated that she moves away from certain locations when trying to fend for herself because some people might recognize her.
The late rapper’s mother said some people have urged her to reach out to Afrobeats Superstars, Davido, or Olamide for help, but they are children to her and she can’t go to beg them.
The elderly woman lamented about being poor and said her family needs suitable accommodation. She begged Nigerians to raise money for her so that she can start a business.
She said, “Please I am poor and I want Nigerians to come and help me, I currently sell food by the roadside but the stress is too much and I am getting old.
“I need accommodation, please Nigerians I need like N3Million – N5Million, I can’t go and beg Rapper Olamide for money because it is somehow as if he is not an Elder, I look at him like a son.”
Watch the video below
Media
Nigerian workers have ranked second in the world after Mexico in the global most hardworking workers with an average of 2,124 hours per worker annually.
In a report published by the World of Statistics on Tuesday, Nigeria automatically emerged as the most hardworking country in Africa.
Mexican workers who topped the chart were only four hours higher than Nigerians annually with 2,128, according to the latest report by the World of Statistics.
In Nigeria, the official hours of work for most public and private workers are eight hours which could be 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 from Monday to Friday.
Meanwhile, some organisations like media houses, hospitals, security agencies and manufacturing industries require more days and hours of their workers, as Saturdays or Sundays could be a shift arrangement.
In an informal setting, workers like market women and other traders work up to ten hours per day.
While the report was silent on the type of work undertaken, it appeared that the countries in the top five were not tech-oriented.
Three countries from Central and South America followed Nigeria as Costa Rica placed third with 2,073 hours, followed by Colombia (1,964) in fourth position and Chile fifth with 1,916.
High-tech South Korea is a surprise entry at number six with their workers putting in an average of 1,910 hours yearly, and Malta, 1,882; Russia recorded 1,874 hours; Greece (1,872) and Romania registered 1,838.
Workers in the world’s largest economy, the United States, put in an average of 1,791 hours to place them in the 13th spot while the world’s third-largest economy, Japan is a distant 30th with their workers putting in 1,607 hours annually.
Germany, Europe’s dominant economy, is in 50th place with its employees working for an average of 1,349 hours annually.
South African workers are the second on the Dark Continent with annual 1,513 hours placing them a distant 36th on the listing.
With Nigerians working 2,124 hours annually, it means an average worker uses at least five hours to engage in productive activities as compared to South African counterparts that work for four hours.
The World of Statistics— the successor to the highly successful International Year of Statistics (Statistics 2013) campaign celebrated in 2013—is a global network of nearly 2,360 organisations worldwide.
It is committed to increasing public awareness of the power and impact of statistics on all aspects of society, nurturing statistics as a profession, especially among young people as well as promoting creativity and development in the sciences of probability and statistics.
Suspected terrorists who attacked Chisu village in Mangu Local Government of Plateau State, on Tuesday night, burnt 11 persons to death.
The victims were said to have run to a house in the village for safety after they heard sporadic gunshots in the community around 11 pm but the assailants pursued them to the place and set the house on fire leading to their death.
A resident of the Chisu community who escaped the attack, Michael Bulus, confirmed the death of the villagers to our correspondent in Jos on Wednesday.
According to Bulus, the terrorists also burnt a church along Mangu-Bokkos Road and other properties before making their escape.
Bulus said, “On Tuesday, terrorists attacked Chisu village of Mangu Local government at about 11:00 pm.
“When the terrorists arrived in the community, there were sporadic gunshots, and the people started running. Some of them ran to a house belonging to a community leader. Unfortunately, the house was set ablaze by the terrorists, and 11 burnt-dead bodies were later discovered this morning (Wednesday).
“The COCIN Regional Church Council Bwai along Mangu Bokkos road in the local government was also burnt by the terrorists along with other houses, vehicles, and tricycles before they fled the community.”
Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, Alabo Alfred, did not pick up his calls when contacted on the incident.
But sources at the command headquarters in Jos confirmed that more security operatives had been deployed to the affected community following reports.
Nigeria has been ranked third among top 10 countries with the highest number of reported cases of occupational fraud recorded in industry for the year 2022.
This is according to a new research by Proxyrack, stating that the country comes behind the United States of America (USA) which has 625 and highest reported cases globally while South Africa makes second on the ranking list with 188 cases followed by Nigeria with 61 cases.
The data company, in its industry fraud index report, stated that different job sectors recorded an estimated global loss of $3.6 billion in 2022 alone, due to a sharp rise in fraudulent activity over recent years.
According to the report, cases of fraud recorded from Nigeria are banking-related, adding that industry of transportation and warehousing takes the top spot in this list of sectors with the biggest increase in fraudulent cases globally.
“Completing this top three list of the countries with the highest number of fraudulent cases is Nigeria. Located in West Africa, this country has seen its fair share of fraud in the last year, totalling 61 cases throughout 2022. Similarly to the second-place entry on this list, the most reported cases of fraud in this country are related to banking fraud in which scammers attempt to make some quick cash,” the research says.
“There has been a 20.59% increase in fraud cases between 2016 and 2022; common types of fraud in the industry include falsifying delivery documents and posing as an authentic carrier to help assist criminals in stealing cargo loads.
“The real estate industry is losing the most money as a result of fraud, with a 117.50% change in financial losses since 2016.
“64% of all fraud cases in the energy industry are as a result of corruption, followed by the manufacturing industry (59%) and the transportation and warehousing industry (59%),” the research added.
|
Rank |
Country |
Continent |
Number of Cases |
|
1 |
United States |
North America |
625 |
|
2 |
South Africa |
Africa |
188 |
|
3 |
Nigeria |
Africa |
61 |
|
4 |
United Arab Emirates |
Asia |
60 |
|
5 |
Canada |
North America |
50 |
|
6 |
Kenya |
Africa |
49 |
|
7 |
Australia |
Oceania |
38 |
|
8 |
China |
Asia |
33 |
|
9 |
Saudi Arabia |
Asia |
29 |
|
10 |
Greece |
Europe |
27 |
A Nigerian musician, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has said in his newly released song that his glory far outshines that of Michael Jackson.
He posted the song on his Instagram page on Monday, 20th June 2023.
Portable gave justification in his song for his claim that he is more glorious than him.
He stated that Michael Jackson is no longer alive and that he cannot even wear clothing himself since garments are being forced on the dead.
View this post on Instagram
Former Big Brother Naija reality star Elozonam Ogbolu has revealed that he would rather marry a village girl than a Lagos girl.
He stated this while appearing as a guest on the latest episode of the ‘Is This Seat Taken’ podcast, hosted by actress Chinasa Anukam.
The former reality star explained that he would rather settle for a lady from a remote background than marry a Lagos babe.
He added that Lagosians date themselves, and might be sleeping with each other’s partner.
Elozonam also further described dating in Lagos as “cesspool.”
He said: “Lagos is a cesspool. The person that you are having sex with is probably having sex with somebody that knows somebody that you know.
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“So, I have often told myself that if I’m gonna get married, I will just go out and meet a village girl [laughs].
“What I mean is that I will just go out of this cesspool to somewhere remote and just marry somebody because Lagos is a cesspool.”
Key Highlights
- Bill Gates said the recent surge in the number of young professionals leaving the country for greener pastures is good and healthy for the country.
- Gates said he does not believe that no one should go away, noting that completely blocking people from leaving is not a healthy thing.
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has explained that the japa syndrome is good and healthy for Nigeria as he weighed in on the recent surge in the number of young Nigerian professionals leaving the country for greener pastures.
This was made known by Bill Gates on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, while addressing a question during an interactive session with innovators on ‘Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation’ held in Lagos State.
Bill Gates said having a big diaspora that includes people coming back into business and government is a very healthy thing.
What the Microsoft co-founder is saying
- Bill Gates said, “In a sense, people leaving is a good thing, if you up the amount of training you’re doing. So you say okay, some of our doctors can go get a very high salary in the UK, the US, some of them will pay to their family broadly and some of them will return.
- “So having a big diaspora that includes people coming back into business, into government – that’s a very healthy thing. There are some cases like in medical education were subsidized by the government, you almost wish that a little bit of that resource you get overseas would help the government increase the training. Because otherwise and we see today a significant shortage in some of those skills.’’
- He added, “But I’m not someone who believes that no one should go away or that blocking that completely is a healthy thing.’’
Getting the balance is super healthy
Pointing out the similarities Nigeria shares with India and China in the export of talent, he highlighted that “many” innovative immigrant doctors had spent some time in the UK and the US as part of their training.
- The philanthropist said, ‘’But certainly India and China and I’ll say Nigeria is third on this list, this idea that people go away and do great work but then they come back, if you get that balance and figure out the education funding piece of that, that is a super healthy thing in computer science, in health, in business and other areas.’’
[Nairametrics]
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An Aba South Senior Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday remanded 60-year-old Chukwuemeka Orji at the Correctional Centre over the alleged rape of a minor.
Mr Orji, a pastor of the Assemblies of God Church in Aba is facing a one-count charge of serially raping a 13-year-old girl that lived with him.
The rape survivor (name withheld) told the court that the defendant had carnal knowledge of her on many occasions.
She said that after Mr Orji’s third time rape, she told his wife, Mercy, who reportedly confronted him over the allegation.
The survivor claimed that the pastor denied the allegation before his wife.
She said that Mr Orji, however, continued to rape her and threatened to send her back to her parents in the village in Ugwunagbo, should she expose him.
She said that the threat deterred her from telling her parents, who worship in another branch of the church, about what she was passing through.
She further said that on Thursday, June 15, after Mr Orji’s wife had gone to market, he asked her for sex but she refused on the ground that she was menstruating.
She said that Mr Orji however forced her to suck his manhood, an act she described as nauseating to her.
She said that because she could not satisfy him, he ordered her to cut the overgrown grass in their compound “as a punishment”.
She said that after the June 15 act, she went to school crying.
“It was while I was crying that my school proprietor inquired as to why I was crying and I told him the truth.
She said that it was at that point that the police were invited into the matter.
Mr Orji pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him.
After presenting his own version of the story, the magistrate, Jane Young-Daniel, called Mr Orji’s wife on cellphone, asking if she was aware of the allegation against her husband.
It was learnt that Mercy initially denied being aware of the allegation but later admitted that she heard it and confronted her husband who, she said, denied the allegation.
The police prosecutor, Mary Udoji, urged the court not to admit the defendant on bail in order to prevent him from further molesting the girl.
Ms Young-Daniel ordered that the girl be returned to her parents immediately, after she was told that she had since been staying in the custody of the police.
She also ordered that Mr Orji be remanded at the Aba Correctional Centre.
She adjourned the matter to the 6th and 18th of July for hearing.
(NAN)
The body estimated the number of Nigerian doctors who left the country for the UK in the last six years to be around 6,221.
The International College of Surgeons, Nigerian Section, has raised the alarm over the massive exodus of Nigerian doctors to the UK for greener pastures.
It estimated the number of Nigerian doctors who left the country for the UK in the last six years to be around 6,221, adding that Nigeria now has a ratio of 1 doctor to over 4,000 patients contrary to the World Health Organisation’s standard of 1 doctor to 600 patients.
The body raised these issues in a communique jointly signed by its president, Professor Akanimo Essiet and secretary general, Professor Lucky Onotai, after the college’s 56th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference held in Lagos over the weekend.
“The ‘Japa’ phenomenon has drastically reduced our healthcare workforce. Studies show that about 87 per cent of our workforce are dissatisfied and wish to emigrate to greener pastures. Before 2022, we had a ratio of 1 doctor to 4,000 patients whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended standard is one doctor to 600 patients.
“Evidence shows that the gap widens and the number of registered Nigerian doctors in the UK rose from 4,765 in 2017 to 10,986 in 2023. This meant that 6,221 doctors were lost to the UK in the past six years. This suggests that over 40 million Nigerians will find it harder to see a doctor,” the communique reads in part.
Increased economic hardship and insecurity has led to massive migration of citizens out of Nigeria for greener pasture, a development popularly termed Japa, a Yoruba slang that means to run away or escape, in search of better opportunities.
Immediate past health minister Joseph Ekumankama, in August 2022, lamented brain drain in the Nigerian health sector.
American business magnate, Bill Gates said her 20-year-old youngest daughter, Phoebe told him he will be lucky to see Nigerian Afrobeats stars – Burna Boy and Rema when he visit Nigeria.
Gates disclosed this while delivering his opening address at an event in Lagos on Wednesday.
Recall that Gates and Aliko Dangote had met President Bola Tinubu on Monday.
The meeting was part of the Gates Foundation’s commitment to working closely with communities and leaders to support innovation.
Gates said Phoebe was excited over his visit to Nigeria and the possibility of meeting Afrobeats stars such as Burna Boy and Rema.
He stated, “When my daughter Phoebe heard I was coming to Nigeria, she said, “You’re lucky because you get to see Burna Boy and Rema, so I had to look them up…because I’m so ‘hip’. But I remember the last time I was here, I got to see Davido & Wizkid perform.”
Gates added that Nigeria is filled with creative minds and Afrobeats from Nigeria are popular everywhere.
“Of course, being here in Nigeria, I can’t help but mention the amazing creativity that goes on here.
“Afrobeats from Nigeria are popular everywhere. When my daughter Phoebe heard I was coming to Nigeria, she said, ‘You’re lucky to go see Burna Boy and Rema,” he said.
Gates, who recalled his last visit to Nigeria seeing Davido and Wizkid perform, said, “But I also remember, the last time I was here, I did get to see Davido and Wizkid perform and I was quite impressed with that. So, my kids think I’ve come to a very hip place.”
[Vanguard]
Popular Nigerian musician, Simisola Kosoko also known as Simi has stated that she has never suffered heartbreak.
Simi said this during an interview with reality star, Tacha, on Cool FM, Lagos.
She explained that her latest heartbreak song, ‘Stranger’ was not inspired by a personal experience.
The mother of one, however, noted that she is a champion for those who have suffered heartbreaks.
Simi said, “I don’t think I have ever been heartbroken. I don’t know, that song [‘Stranger’] came to me very easily. I guess, maybe I’m just a champion for people that have taken breakfasts [heartbroken] severally [laughs].
“I’m here for them. I mean, somebody has to be. And I remembered that I was thinking; I like love a lot, I think about love a lot. And I felt like one angle that I probably haven’t explored like that is… You know, like you are in a relationship, they have not given you breakfast yet but you just feel like you’ve changed so much and you are doing things, accepting things, or adapting to things that normally you would never would. And then one day, you look at yourself in the mirror, and you are like, I don’t know that person.
“I feel like that was the perspective that would be nice to sing about or write about. That is going on in my feelings as well. And I feel like people would be able to relate with it, especially people that are currently going through a heartbreak.”
[NaijaNews]