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Dog mauls owner’s 4-year old son to death in Rivers

Published

1 year ago

July 19, 2023

Dog mauls owner’s 4-year old son to death in Rivers

A 4-year-old boy has died after being attacked by his father’s dog in Etche local Government Area of Rivers State.

AllWell Ene, a journalist from Rivers State, shared the unfortunate event on his Facebook page on Monday, July 17, 2023. The incident took place in Chokota, located in Igbo-Etche town.

According to another source, Instablog9ja who uploaded the footage from the tragic scene, a resident noted that the victim’s father had released two of his dogs to protect his kids in the compound as he went out to work. “This happened yesterday in my area. The boy’s father was on his way to work when he received a call that one of his dogs had mauled his son to death.”

The resident, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that all five dogs were well acquainted with the children since only two were released to guard the compound. The man’s four-year-old son would occasionally assist in putting the dogs back into their cages, leaving no indication that such a tragic event could transpire.

Upon his return home, the father was confronted with the devastating scene of his son lying lifeless in a pool of blood. Fortunately, neighbors intervened and prevented further harm, as the dog had also injured his daughter. Regrettably, in order to safeguard others, the neighbors had to take the drastic step of ending the dog’s life.

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Additionally, reports indicate that a veterinary doctor had advised the family to consider selling or killing the dog due to the potential development of mental issues in dogs after reaching the age of five, and apparently, the dog had been with the family for seven years.

In a related incident that took place in 2021, ten dogs owned by the proprietor of Global Growth Academy in Amokpo, Umuanunwa, Nteje, Anambra State, reportedly attacked and killed a three-year-old child on the school premises. The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 15, around 7.10 am when the victim, identified as Obinna Ude, was brought to the school by his uncle, Chima Ude, for enrollment.

According to a resident of the community, the child strayed away while his uncle was busy filling out forms and completing the enrollment process. Taking advantage of this, the ten dogs broke out of their enclosure, attacked the boy, and inflicted fatal injuries on him. The dogs were under the ownership of Chinedu Oka, also known as Chinedu-Okaa London, a United Kingdom returnee and the school proprietor.

The resident mentioned that the dogs dragged the young boy to their pen, where they mauled him, and no one from the school administration came to his rescue. It is worth noting that the rearing of dogs is culturally prohibited in Nteje community, making it an act of defiance on the part of the UK returnee proprietor to keep them despite the community’s warnings.

The incident sparked anger within the community, leading a group of youth vigilantes to storm the school premises and shoot all the dogs to death. Igwe Roland Odegbo, the traditional ruler of Nteje, confirmed the incident and expressed his support for the killing and disposal of the dogs. The proprietor has been handed over to the authorities for legal action.

Igwe Roland Odegbo emphasized that the proprietor was aware of the community’s prohibition on rearing dogs, yet chose to disregard it. Consequently, the community views the act as a form of murder, which is considered an abomination. The traditional ruler assured that justice would be served, as they do not tolerate such acts of evil.

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

11 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.