life imprisonment: Ekweremadu, wife, daughter and doctor guilty of organ trafficking to UK

 

A senior Nigerian politician, his wife, daughter and a doctor have been convicted of organ trafficking, in the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act.

Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a former deputy president of the Nigerian senate, his wife, Beatrice, 56, daughter Sonia 25, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 51, were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to his exploitation after a six-week trial at the Old Bailey.

They criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney, the jury found.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been offered an illegal reward to become a donor for the senator’s daughter after kidney disease forced her to drop out of a master’s degree in film at Newcastle University, the court heard.

Judgment will be delivered at later date

How Gambian children died from toxic cough syrup

 

Ebrima Saidy's three-year-old daughter Adama had a fever in September 2022.

Saidy bought some paracetamol syrup from a local pharmacy in Gambia, hoping it would help bring his daughter's temperature down.

But instead, Adama's fever spiked after taking the syrup.

Nine days later, she died in the hospital.

"When she passed away, I had to go hold her, kiss her forehead, crying bitterly. The doctor said to me, consoling me, 'She is gone, she is gone, so you just have to take heart.' It wasn't easy for me. It wasn't an easy moment."

Train crashes into bus in Lagos - officials

 

At least three people died in Lagos, Nigeria when a train collided with a public bus.

That's according to an official at the National Emergency Management Agency.

Security guard Ubong Okon witnessed the aftermath of the crash.

"I came out to open the gate, then I saw the train and the bus, I looked inside the bus, there were lots of passengers inside, I went inside and saw people with injuries, there was blood everywhere, then I started to help get people inside the bus out."

Social media footage showed the moment the bus was craned off of the railway track.

Dozens of others were injured and taken to hospital.

Buses of the type involved in the crash can seat about 40 people at full capacity and up to 100 when passengers are standing.

Police arrest Rivers Rep member with $498,100

Days after his Television and Radio Stations were allegedly bombed by gunmen, Dr Chinyere Igwe, a member of the House of Representatives has been arrested with a bundle of dollars along Ana Road, Port Harcourt very early on Friday morning.

The police while confirming Igwe’ss arrest gave the total sum as 498,100 USD, along with a list of people the monies are meant for.

Reports has it that the Atlantic Television Network and Wish FM 99.5 located in the same building in Ozuoba, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State were attacked with dynamites, with many properties destroyed.

The State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said Igwe was nabbed during a stop and search operation by operatives deployed to the Independent National Electoral Commission office along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.

No N400 Billion nor EFCC raid on Tinubu's house - EFCC

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report circulating in a social media, claiming that operatives of the Commission raided the home of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubustandard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the forthcoming presidential elections and recovered a humongous sum of N400billion.

The Commission wishes to state that no such operation was carried out by the EFCC. The public is enjoined to disregard the report as fake news.

We did not authorize banks to receive old N500 and N1000 notes - CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria revealed it did not authorize Banks to collect old N500 and N1000 notes.

This was disclosed in a statement on Friday.

CBN describes the report as fake

CBN said: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been drawn to some fake and unauthorized messages quoting the CBN as having authorized the Deposit Money Banks to collect the old N500 and N1,000 Banknotes.

“For the avoidance of doubt, and in line with Mr. President’s broadcast of February 16, 2023, the CBN has been directed to ONLY reissue and recirculates the old N200 banknotes and this is expected to circulate as legal tender for 60 days up to April 10, 2023.”

Reports emerged that the CBN had given the directive, just 24 hours after President Buhari ordered the re-circulation of older N200 Notes.

Fashion meets politics at Nigeria election campaign events

Too stylish for political party t-shirts and caps, some fashionistas in Nigeria are donning the colours and faces of their preferred candidates for a presidential election this month.

Ahead of the Feb. 25 vote, political rallies have become catwalks for colourful printed fabrics twisted into elaborate dresses, tunics and headscarves.

For many, it is also an opportunity to wear traditional dresses rather than the Western attire most city dwellers use for work and daily life.