Thieves targets Nigerians in US, UK, Europe, rob them of passports, money, valuables – Newstrends
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Thieves targets Nigerians in US, UK, Europe, rob them of passports, money, valuables

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Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has warned Nigerians travelling to the United States, the United Kingdom and some European countries to be wary of thieves targeting their passports, money and other valuables.

He disclosed that there’s an avalanche of reports of theft of valuables, including passports of Nigerians.

“It has come to the attention of the government that Nigerian travellers to the United States and some countries in Europe are having their belongings, especially money and international passports, stolen at an increasingly high rate.

“The most recent victims of this are travelers to the UK, most of whom were dispossessed of their belongings at high brow shops, particularly in the high street of Oxford.

“We have, therefore, decided to advise Nigerians travelling to Europe and the United States to take extra precaution to avoid being dispossessed of their belongings.

“This is not your typical travel advisory. Issuing such is the prerogative of our embassies/high commissions as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is merely a piece of advice to Nigerians who may be visiting the affected parts of the world…”

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Meanwhile,  former director of the Kenyan anti-corruption agency and Professor of Public Law, Patrick Lumumba, has said African countries must shun politics of the stomach and ethnicity so as to  make progress.

He who stated this at the 10th memorial lecture of former Senate leader, Abubakar Saraki, in Abuja, wondered why the 55  African countries cannot feed themselves, after about 60 years of independence.

This is as President Muhammadu Buhari described the late Saraki as a statesman, who contributed to  political development of the country, during his time.

President Buhari, who was represented by the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, said the former Senate leader “earned the respect of many Nigerians and in particular President Muhammadu Buhari who has been always showing enormous regard for him, equally our presidential candidate Ahmed Bola Tinubu and many others have in many occasions appreciated his contributions to our polity.”

Lumumba, while stating that Africa would not be at ease until Nigeria is at ease, noted that the country ought to be a $4 trillion economy, rather than the present $500 billion.

“The continent is not at ease because the continent is suffering from a deficit of leadership. As long as Nigeria is not at ease, Africa will never be at ease. If Africa wants to be at ease, Nigeria must be at ease. She is the largest economy in Africa. She has a population of about 200 million people. One in every African is a Nigerian. She is represented in every sector.

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“If you want the best Engineers, they are Nigerians, if you want the best doctors, they are Nigerians. If you want good lawyers, they are Nigerians, but also if you want Yahoo boys, they are Nigerians. Nigerians are present everywhere in the world.

“Nigeria I am told is a $500billion economy. never ever be proud of that Nigerians, this is an economy that should be at least a $4trillion GDP. Whenever you reach that level, then I will say that Nigeria is doing the right thing. All the ingredients are there, the question is, why is she not realizing its potentials?”

Lumumba, who spoke on “leadership and followership in Africa” said  African countries have outsourced the education of the followers to foreign Non Governmental Organisation ( NGOs) and Community Based Organisations( CBOs). And noted that the implication is that the citizens are “tuned”from outside.

“ I am suggesting that Africa is not going to grow as long as you are in position of leadership, and you have  perfected the art of appealing to the stomach rather than the minds of the men and women that you lead.

“I am suggesting that Africa is not going to realize her potential as long as we continue to conduct the politics of money and money bags, not the politics of ideas. I am suggesting to you that Africa is never going to realize our potential as long as we are dividing our people along ethnic lines.

SUN

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Police nab lovers for faking kidnap

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Police nab lovers for faking kidnap

Officers from the Akwa Ibom Police Command apprehended Imaobong Sampson, a self-kidnapping suspect, and her boyfriend, Beltus Ebong, in Mbierebe Obio village, Ibesikpo Asutan Area, the state.

Odiko Macdon, the state police command’s spokeswoman, confirmed this on Monday.

Macdon said the suspects were apprehended in their hideout by agents of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad after the case of kidnapping was reported by someone who described herself as a relative last Monday.

“On 11/3/2024 at about 10:00hrs, a report was received from one Enobong Sampson ‘F’ of Nung Oku Village in Ibesikpo Asutan L.G.A that her sister, one Imaobong Francis Sampson, was kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding for a ransom of four million naira.

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“As a result, operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the command embarked on an intense and intelligence-driven investigation so as to track down the perpetrators and rescue the victim. On 12/3/2024 at about 23:15hrs, the said purported victim, one Imaobong Sampson ‘M’, and her boyfriend, Beltus Ebong ‘M’, were arrested in their hideout at Mbierebe Obio Village, Ibesikpo Asutan L.G.A,” he stated.

Macdon said the suspect, Imaobong, confessed that the kidnap was staged between her and her syndicate for the purpose of extorting money from her aunt.

“She confessed to having conspired with her boyfriend, one Beltus Ebong ‘M’, Dominic Friday Charlie ‘M’, her sister, Enobong Sampson ‘F’, and Inyene Ime Akpan now at large to proclaim her kidnap in order to raise money from her aunty who is based abroad,” he concluded.

It was earlier reported that the Ogun State Police Command arrested one Olumide Openaike, a staff member of a Microfinance Bank, Kemta Oloko, who was reported missing. He staged his abduction over a N1.7m debt and was found in Mokwa, Niger State.

Police nab lovers for faking kidnap

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Troops rescue 16 abducted victims in Kaduna

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Troops rescue 16 abducted victims in Kaduna

Troops from the Nigerian Army’s 1 Division in Kaduna State have successfully recovered 16 abducted victims from the hands of violent extremists and terrorists in Tantatu Community, Kajuru Local Government Area.

Responding to actionable intelligence, the forces quickly traced the militants who had earlier invaded the community in large numbers and captured several of the residents as captives on March 17, 2024, at around 10:30pm.

A statement by Army headquarters said, “On arriving the scene of the incident, the troops tenaciously pursued the insurgents, engaging them in a ferocious exchange of fire and consequently rescuing 16 kidnapped victims.

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“The troops are still exploiting the bushes in continuation of the search and rescue operations to extricate other victims and balk the nefarious activities of the insurgents.

“The Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja has commended the troops for the successful rescue of the kidnap victims.

He charged them to remain vigilant as they conduct ongoing counter insurgency operations to liberate all troubled areas in the country.

Troops rescue 16 abducted victims in Kaduna

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Driver arrested for killing couple, toddler at bus stop

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Driver arrested for killing couple, toddler at bus stop

The driver who ran her SUV into a San Francisco bus stop and killed a couple and their toddler on their way to the zoo has been arrested.

Mary Fong Lau, 78, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, driving the wrong way, driving at an unsafe speed and reckless driving.

On Saturday, three family members, Diego, 40, Matilde, 38, and their one-year-old child died after Lau rammed her Mercedes SUV into the West Portal Muni bus stop. Friends identified the victims, but declined to reveal their last names.

The couple’s other child, an infant, was with them at the time of the fatal crash as the four of them waited to board the bus and head to the zoo. The baby is in critical condition following the horror crash.

‘A lot of things I know about love, I learned from them. They were an amazing couple. They had no issues with anything. It was love, love, love. They took care of the kids and were going to the zoo for a nice day at the park,’ Rogerio Falerio, a close friend of the family, said.

Some witnesses said Lau suffered a medical incident before the crash. Other said she got out of the car yelling ‘What have I done?’ Police have not released details on what led to the horror crash.

Lau was initially taken to the hospital for injuries and it remains unclear what caused her car to hop the curb, crash into a fire hydrant, pole and side of the local library.

Matilde was taken to the hospital after the crash, while her husband and child died at the scene. She died on Sunday in the hospital.

Other people waiting for the bus to arrive were also injured from the crash and received medical attention.

Friends of the family told CBS News the surviving child is about two-months-old and suffered life-threatening injuries.

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They lived in the Mission District, a neighborhood in the Bay Area, and planned to spend a day at the zoo together for Diego and Matilde’s wedding anniversary, friends said.

Falerio said that Diego was from Brazil and his wife was from Portugal.

The crash site has since been covered with stuffed animals, flowers, candles, and a stroller with a heart-shaped cutout that reads: : ‘Remembering the precious lives lost on March 16, 2024.’

Advocates from Walk San Francisco added three pairs of shoes in honor of the mother, father and child who were tragically lost.

Witnesses said that the toddler went flying in the air from the impact of the crash.

Another witness, Nikki Mashburn, told The San Francisco Chronicle that she heard the crash and that is sounded like ‘an explosion.’ She said that the victims suffered head injuries.

‘When the paramedics showed up, you could tell … they didn’t know what to do first,’ Mashburn said.

‘The stroller was clearly destroyed. Yeah, so he was still strapped in there,’ Johanna Dimayuga, a resident in the area told CBS News.

Gabriel Cinquepalm, another witness, said that he saw Lau after the crash as she got out of her vehicle with a look as if to say: ‘What have I done?’ and that she was screaming at the sky.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said Saturday it was investigating the cause of the crash in collaboration with the San Francisco Police Department.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed said on X, formerly Twitter, that she had visited the scene of the collision on Saturday. She called it ‘heartbreaking.’

Walk San Francisco has planned a memorial for the family at 5pm on Monday at the crash site.

‘We are heartbroken and heartsick and horrified,’ Jodie Medeiros, the executive director of the advocacy group said.

‘This is one of the worst pedestrian tragedies to ever occur on San Francisco streets. It is almost beyond comprehension.’

Following the tragedy, the group and locals have voiced their concerns about the intersection of Ulloa Street and West Portal Avenue where the bus stop is located.

The group noted that around the intersection, there are multiple places where families and children frequent, like a library, schools and train stations.

‘It’s time to fundamentally rethink areas like where this crash occurred, where thousands of people walk and cross and wait every day,’ Medeiros said.

This was the second child killed in the city in less than a year, as deadly crashes like these have surged and left residents uneasy.

Driver arrested for killing couple, toddler at bus stop

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