Cultists beat up a Student to death

Two students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, have been arrested by the police for allegedly beating a second-year National Diploma Mass Communication student, Adeola Balogun, to death.
The father of the deceased, Rev. Adekunle Balogun-Arogunjo, broke down in tears in Osogbo on Tuesday, while narrating his son’s death.He described his son as a gentle, humble and kind student, who was dutiful and obedient.He said a relative called him on Monday night to inform him that his son was engaged in a free-for-all with some students in Iree.
“I tried his phone number all night but I couldn’t get across to him. I decided to go to the school today (Tuesday) but nobody told me anything about the whereabouts of his corpse,” he said.
The father added that he had been to the public mortuary in Ikirun but could not locate his corpse, calling on the police to release his son’s remains to him.
It was gathered that the school authorities swung into action by arresting two of the suspected students that beat Balogun to death.
A statement by the Head of the school’s Public Relations Unit, Mr. Tope Abiola, said “The suspects were handed over to the police for their involvement in a fracas among cult members on Saturday.
“The students (names withheld) were alleged to have inflicted severe injuries on some students at Eyinade area of Ikirun Road, which is situated outside the campus of the institution.
“The school authorities condemned the attack and urged the police to bring the culprits to book
The Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Kalafite Adeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said investigation was ongoing.
“We are investigating the case; it is still fresh. One of the students died while the other one is still unconscious,” she said.
Reported by: Ajayi Taiwo Peter

News: Jonathan denies complicity in alleged N155bn oil block scam

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, denied his alleged complicity in a N155 billion oil block scandal allegedly involving Shell, ENI subsidiaries in Nigeria, a Nigerian oil firm and a former Petroleum Minister, Mr Dan Etete.

The President who had kept mum since an online news medium, Premium Times, last week, disclosed that it had secured documents revealing how he (Jonathan) okayed the secret payment of N155 billion from the federation account to a private oil company owned by the ex-Minister who was earlier convicted on a money laundering charge, yesterday, described the allegation as baseless, insisting that “it has become necessary to issue a comprehensive response to these allegations to set the records straight.”

President Goodluck Jonathan inspect the parade at the 48th edition of the Nigerian Airforce Day Celebration in Kaduna .

It will be recalled that a report by the United States-based anti-corruption NGO, Global Witness, said that Nigerian subsidiaries of Shell and ENI agreed to pay $1.092 billion to the Federal Government for oil block OPL 245.

The report which was entitled, “Shell’s obscure payments kill its case for weak US and EU transparency laws”, equally alleged that the Federal Government then paid the entire N155 billion to Malabu Oil and Gas, a company owned by Mr. Etete, who was the oil Minister under late General Sani Abacha.

Meanwhile, in a follow-up story, the online news medium, contended that the money was paid on the order of President Jonathan, adding: “Our investigation also indicates that in order to cover up what is clearly one of the most elaborate corruption schemes in Nigeria’s history, the president tapped the junior minister in the Finance Ministry, Yerima Ngama, and Attorney General Mohammed Adoke to hurriedly transfer the funds to Mr. Etete on August 16, 2011, a day before the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, assumed office.”

Govt only acted as mere facilitator

Reacting to the allegations yesterday, President Jonathan, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, stressed that contrary to the insinuations, the government only acted as “mere facilitator of an amicable settlement between two disputing parties over a long standing dispute with obvious economic implications for the country.

“In view of the misrepresentations and obvious mischief in reporting the role of the Federal Government, its agencies and officials in the settlement of the dispute, it has become necessary to issue a comprehensive response to these allegations so as to set the records straight and properly explain the role played by the Federal Government, its agencies and officials in accordance with this administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in governance.

…..reported by Oguntiloye Kunle

Police arrest 5 students with charms, alcohol

In Abeokuta, men of the Nigeria Security  and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, arrested no fewer than five secondary schools students at M.K.O. Abiola Stadium,  the venue of the Children’s Day Celebration, for being  in possession of charms and intoxicated drinks.

The arrest came after Governor Ibikunle Amosun had warned students to shun any anti-social activities  but to be  upright in all  their  undertakings.

Amosun, while addressing the students, admonished them to begin the writing of  their own history, so that  their tomorrow could be asured.

He said: “As leaders of tomorrow, you must strive to be upright in all your undertakings. You should cultivate the virtues of discipline, decency, seriousness of purpose, focus, and respect for constituted authority and appreciation of dignity of labour.”

Also, Governor Olusegun Mimiko said one of the notable achievements of his government is the enthronement of peace and order in the state under which the children can be trained to actualise their potentials.

Speaking at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade, Akure, venue of the celebration, Gov. Mimiko said, “children of Ondo State are being exposed to a culture of peace, security, healthy, modern and clean environment as opposed to the ambience of insecurity, intolerance and violence of the era gone by.”

During the Children’s Day parade and rally at the Police College Parade Ground, GRA, Ikeja, the Lagos State Government announced  the introduction of inclusive schools for the physically- challenged students in the state which is aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school-children and also giving them a sense of belonging.

Gov. Babatunde Fashola: “There are  31 of such inclusive schools carved out of existing schools in the state and children should be their brother’s keepers by helping the physically- challenged in their schools.”

Meantime, the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, has flagged off the registration of compulsory free nursery/universal basic education for the 2012/13 school year.

Pointing out that the exercise will help reduce the number of OOSC in the state, SUBEB Board Secretary, Mrs. Titi Oluseye, said plans had been concluded to introduce the free mid-day meals so as to keep registered children in schools.