Pastor's Wife Allegedly Tortures 7-year-old Stepson To Death (Photo)

Wife of an Ogun State pastor has reportedly found herself in deep trouble with the law after she allegedly beat her stepson to death over food.




Oluwabunmi Metofik

The life of a seven-year-old boy, Femi Metofik, has reached a tragic end after he was allegedly tortured to death by his stepmother, Oluwabunmi Metofik, who accused him of eating her food without her consent.

Femi lived with Oluwabunmi and her three children in the Simawa area of Ogun State, while his father is a pastor in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The woman reportedly punished Femi for the act, inflicting injuries on his head and leg with a sharp object.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that Oluwabunmi rushed the boy to a private hospital in the community on June 4, when he went into a coma but he was rejected. The woman was said to have taken him to a health centre in the community which referred him to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

It was learnt that a Good Samaritan, who saw the boy at the health centre, was worried by the injuries and alerted a vigilance group in the neighbourhood. The group was said to have initiated a search for the woman and her husband, who were eventually arrested on Wednesday and handed over to the police at the Ogijo division.

“A Good Samaritan told us on Monday that a woman brought a boy to the hospital with lacerations on his head and leg and that the boy had lost a lot of blood. We later knew that she took the boy to OOUTH where he died. After searching through the community, we located her house on Wednesday. We were outside for about 30 minutes; they did not open the door for us. We brought her and her husband to our office,” one of the vigilantes, who gave his name only as Denis, told our correspondent.

A community leader, Toyin Oladoyin, said the woman confessed that she was responsible for the injuries, adding that the pastor was mounting pressure on the police to release his wife.

He said, “She said she bought food and kept it at home while she went to fetch water. According to her, by the time she returned, the boy had eaten part of the food. She said she beat her up the way she would do to her children. She admitted that he sustained the injuries on his head while he was beating him. Her neighbours testified that she usually beat the boy. Her eldest child also said she used a stick and knife to torture Femi.

“We took her and her husband to the palace and later handed them over to the police. The husband is a pastor in Ibadan. He said his wife told him on the telephone on Monday that Femi was sick and had been admitted to OOUTH. He said by the time he got to the hospital, the boy had died and they decided to bury him at Ayepe Cemetery. We asked for the receipt the cemetery gave them for the burial, they said they did not collect it. The man said he and the boy’s mother had separated. He told the police that the boy died naturally and that the suspect should be released because she is pregnant.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police had invited the deceased’s mother, adding that her statement would determine the next line of action.

He said, “The case was reported to the police. The father of the deceased boy said his wife was not responsible for his death and that she should be released. He admitted that his wife beat him for an offence. He said the child was sick and that the death was a coincidence. He said the beating did not lead to the death.

“The mother of the deceased boy is in Oyo State. We are waiting for her arrival. If the mother says the woman killed the boy, it is another thing entirely.”

-PUNCH

World Cup: Gernot Rohr Bans Super Eagles From Eating Goat Meat, Pepper Soup

As the players get ready to face other countries at the World Cup, the Super Eagles have been banned from eating certain kinds of food.



Gernot Rohr

Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has banned spicy foods such as pepper soup and goat meat for his players as they prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles are camped in Austria where they are intensifying preparations for the tournament before they travel to Russia.

Consecutive losses to England and the Czech Republic have raised doubts among supporters on the team’s chances at the tournament.

Rohr is however intent on keeping his players in good condition for the tournament which includes restriction of certain meals for the players.

In an interview with Omasports, Rohr stated that the Super Eagles players will not be permitted to spicy foods.

He said, “The reason is because nutritionist will tell you that too much spicy foods is not good for athletes.


“We have to observe what they tell us, and the medical team agreed that we cannot eat too much fat and too much spice."

He, however, stated that there may be instances whereby the strict laws may be relaxed.

He said, “For instance, there can be an exception on Sunday the night we will be here, there will be a little Austrian music, perhaps a little African food, from Madam ambassador so we will see.”

Unbelievable: Meet The Snake Catcher Who Allows Cobras Bite Him Every Week To Build Up Immunity

A snake catcher has been found out to allow cobras to bite him every week just to help him build up his venom immunity.



Joe Quililan

Joe Quililan, a young snake catcher from the Philippines, has been dubbed “Venom Man” for his unusual habit of allowing poisonous snakes to bite him every week and even injecting small quantities of venom into his body in order to boost his resistance to it.

31-year-old Quililan, from Cagayan de Oro City, caught his first Northern Philippine Cobra when he was only 14-years-old. Back then, he didn’t have much experience handling snakes, so one day the cobra bit him, only instead of going to the hospital, the teen just brushed it off and got on with his day as if nothing had happened.

Most people would have experience severe breathing problems soon after being bitten, followed by a loss of consciousness and then death, but not Joe. He claims that that first snake bite made him realize that he had an unusual resistance to cobra venom, and spent the following years trying to become completely immune to it.

Quililan claims to have achieved his goal of becoming immune to venom, although he admits that the process wasn’t the easiest one imaginable. Throughout the years, he has suffered hundreds of snake bites, some of which landed him in the hospital. He claims he came close to dying on five different occasions and even had one of his fingers amputated following a viper bite, but he never gave up.

“I cannot avoid encountering the more aggressive wild snakes and I’ve been in and out of the hospital five times, but the bites make me more immune to the venom,” Joe said in a recent interview.

To boost his resistance, the young snake catcher allows poisonous snakes to bite him once a week, and according to GMA Networks, he even has small quantities of venom injected into his body once every three weeks. Not only does this habit keep him immune to poisonous snake bites, but he claims that the venom also makes him stronger.



Joe Quililan was recently featured on GMA’s Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) show, where he demonstrated his immunity to snake venom by allowing himself to be bitten twice by a Northern Philippine Cobra. He was taken to the hospital to make sure that an intriguing TV topic doesn’t turn into a tragedy, but he was released just an hour later, after doctors confirmed that he was in perfect physical condition.

Following his appearance on KMJS, Joe’s blood was sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for analysis, and the results confirmed that his antibodies can neutralize cobra venom.

“We found out that Joe indeed has antibodies against the cobra venom,” Eleonor Cervantes, a senior science research specialist said. “But to what extent his blood can neutralize the venom, we are not yet sure. This is the first time that we found a person who can do that and had his blood tested.”

Joe, who previously worked in a pet-shop in Cagayan de Oro, has recently landed a job with the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources to help with snake conservation, and looks forward to using his unusual resistance to venom to educate people about snakes and their important role in nature.

“I love snakes. I want the public to be educated in what I do with my hobby. Snakes have purposes in the ecosystem and in our lives as well,” Venom Man said. “I don’t worry because right now I’m immune to this.”

Joe Quililan isn’t the first person to use this painful and dangerous method to boost his immunity to snake venom. Tim Friede, a snake enthusiast from the USA, claims that injecting himself with diluted snake venom has also made him immune to the poison.

***
Via Oddity Central

The Day Sani Abacha Died!

Tijani writes on the unforgettable day that former Head of State, General Sani Aabaha died, leaving Nigerians in shock.



Sani Abacha

Adulting is a difficult job! Just saying.

Today, I write as a child. I am no longer as happy as I was on June 8, 1998, when the great General Sani Abacha died. I was only eight years old, and the majority of what should have pre-occupied my mind at the time should have been my books and how to “lift” white rice from mother’s pot.

It was Monday, and I had just returned from a very tiring day at Air Force Primary School, Ibadan. Trying to settle in and get some rest, but the heat in our wing of a “four-flat” in Alakia, Ibadan, would not let this school boy find sleep.

Suddenly, I heard screaming and shouting from the main road. For context, our house was one of those houses where you could see the main road from the “sitting room”. I thought it was NEPA who had done the needful. You know that feeling when NEPA restores power after a week, the whole neighbourhood goes into some sort of short-lived frenzy.

This time, it was not NEPA. It was not NEPA. It was more; ladies and gentlemen, the dictator is dead! The streets soon burst into singing and dancing and drumming and drinking.

I did not know much about Abacha, I just knew him as a “wicked leader”, as one of my “egbons” had explained him to me. I also knew he was responsible for my mother’s meagre salary at the time, and some people often heaped very bad things on him, including killing those who loved us, and loved the nation.

Can you remember how you celebrated his death?

There was a Coca-Cola Depot just adjacent our house on the Alakia-Isebo road that year. It was run by one of those drug traders we called “chemists” growing up. But the name of the shop itself was “FT Pharmacy”. This FT is definitely not Financial Times.

FT, as we called the owner of the shop, was one “wicked and stingy” woman. My apologies, that was how I perceived her then. Obviously, I know better now. I feared her, and never wanted to be sent to buy anything from her.

Back to the story, I looked on from our balcony as people gather around FT’s “coca-cola” depot. Word got to me quickly that FT had declared free drinks for the boys, and people could drink to Abacha’s death. I ran out of the house, damning the consequences to have a Bottle of Solo coke. It was bliss!

After that bottle, I loved Abacha for dying on such a stressful day. You did not die while we were in church on Friday night or children’s choir rehearsals on Saturday, you died on a weekday. God bless you. On a second thought, the wicked and stingy FT was giving free drinks to celebrate your death, you must have been worse than I thought.

We were told he ate an injected apple given to him by some sex workers or “prostitutes” from India. This must be the fastest story to travel around Nigeria that year.

Alagbara l’Olorun mi,

Alagbara ni Jesu mi,

Oba to pa Sani Abacha lai lo kondo,

Ko ma soun ti ko le se.

We sang this song so heartily as we dropped the death of Abacha at the footstool of the Most High.

ABACHA IS DEAD! SO WHAT?
After all the celebrations that night, I went home thinking about two things; the next president, and if my parents were back, you probably know what that means.

Abacha is dead. what happens next. I knew MKO to mean money, kudi, owo, — thanks to King Sunny Ade’s influence on my childhood. I also knew MKO Abiola was supposed to be president in stead of Abacha.

So I thought it was simple, now MKO Abiola, the man who means money, will become the next president. Everything will be good. My mother had told me a story of her university days, and how things were cheaper because of this money man. I thought the days ahead were definitely better days. But did that happen?

You can take the story from here.

But before I leave you to it, I thought about a few things today, as I remembered that evening. The joy in the country was palpable. Hope was alive again, the people expected a radical difference in Nigeria’s operations, but that hope and expectation has been a stillbirth.

I am not old enough to give primary information from Nigeria’s turbulent military years, and I acknowledge that the country is way better today than it was under Abacha’s rule, at least as far as human rights are concerned. But we still see his handwritings in the playbook of our democracy.

The closest national celebration I have seen since Abacha was April 1, 2015, when former president Jonathan conceded power after President Muhammadu Buhari won the historic election. That palpable hope fades; it dies — Nigerian rulers seem to perpetually kill hope.

So maybe the next time, we have a national breakthrough, we should celebrate, but hope with caution. For the presence or absence of no one man in Nigeria’s history has been able to fix the country.

Today, I feel very young and happy re-living that day Abacha died; it was special one in the annals of my childhood. So while I feel this way, I’m glad democracy– hybrid or not — is on a full throttle in Nigeria.

My condolences to the Abacha Family.

For those who loved June 8, 1998, make sure you grab “solo coke” today.

Follow Tijani on Twitter and major social media platforms @OluwamayowaTJ

MP3: Dremo x Uzi x Erigga x iRock Classic – E Don Burst

Dremo Uzi Erigga IRock Classic E Don Burst

Nigerian hiphop star, iRock Classic, finally released his new single titled “E Don Burst” featuring Dremo, Uzi and Erigga.

The avid hip hop artist under Askana Music act and record producer, promised that his latest release will not only entertain fans, but will also meet up with fans expectations of what to see in a perfect collaboration.

According to iRock Classic, his massive collaboration with Dremo, Uzi & Erigga on “E Don Burst” fits the perfect time of its release. “This the best time to burst the street” he said.

The song was produced by iRock Classic himself, is set to top music charts across Africa, 

Buhari Grants Financial Autonomy To State Judiciaries, Houses Of Assembly

President Muhammadu Buhari today granted financial autonomy to state judiciaries and house of assembly. 

President Muhammadu Buhari

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the Constitution Fourth Alteration Bill, which grants financial autonomy to the State Houses of Assembly and the Judiciary.

 

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, confirmed this development to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Friday.

 

Enang explained that with the signing into law the Constitution Alteration Bill the State Houses of Assembly would now operate like the National Assembly where Federal Ministry of Finance automatically transferred budgetary allocation direct to the account of the NASS.

 

He said that the Judiciary in the states would also enjoy similar financial independence as their budgetary allocations would no longer go through the budgeting process of the executive arms at the state level, but would be transferred directly to the account of the judiciary.

 

“Therefore, upon this signature the amount standing to the credit of the judiciary are now to be paid directly to the judiciary of that state, no more through the governor and no more from the governors.

“And then amounts standing to the credits of the Houses of Assembly of the respective states are now to be paid directly to the Houses of Assembly of that state for the benefit of the legislature and the management of the State Houses of Assembly.

“This grants full autonomy now to the judiciary at the state level and the Houses of Assembly at the state level,’’ he explained.

 

He said: “Well, this allows the State Houses of Assembly to operate like the National Assembly does because the National Assembly does not get its money from the executive.

“It provides money in the statutory transfers which the Ministry of Finance will automatically transfer to the account of the National Assembly.

“Just like that of the (Federal) Judiciary, you see the judiciary sometime get N150 to N170 billion sometime a little bit about a N100 billion.

“It does not go through the executive and it does go through the budgeting process of the executive. It is transferred directly to the account of the judiciary, which is the head of courts.

“When the Houses of Assembly are doing their budgets, the amounts standing to the credit of the judiciary will now be among the statutory transfers which will be statutorily transferred to the heads of the courts.

“And then that of the State Houses of Assembly will stand transferred to the House of Assembly of the state.’’

 

According to Enang, the president also signed into law the Constitution Amendment No. 21, which relates to determination of pre-election matters.

 

He said the new bill had reduced the days and time of determining pre-election matters to ensure that pre-election matters in courts do not get into the time of election and do not pend thereafter.

“The relevant section of the constitution has also been amended by this Act therefore amending the constitution,’’ he added.

 

Besides, Enang said that Buhari signed into law the Act or Bill No. 16.

 

He said: “The intent of the Bill No. 16 is to ensure that where a Vice-President succeeds a President or a Deputy Governor succeeds a Governor he can no more contest for that office more than once more.

“The fact is that having taken the oath as president once and you can only contest for the office once again and no more. That is the intent of this amendment.’’

 

He said the president also signed the Bill No. 9 into law.

 

According to him, the Bill No.9 gives the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sufficient time to conduct bye-elections.

 

He said with the president’s signature on the bill the days for the conduct of bye-elections had been increased from seven to 21 days.

 

“These four Bills added to the `Not Too Young To Run’ Act, have now been assented to by Mr President and they have now become laws.

“And then the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended is hereby further amended by the assents of Mr President to these bills today,’’ he said.

 

Benue: We Won't Vote Buhari In 2019 - Female IDPs Vow

President Muhammadu Buhari might find things very difficult in the 2019 election as IDPs in Benue have vowed not to vote him. 

President Muhammadu Buhari

 

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), among them nursing mothers, wallowing in penury in Benue State as a result of herdsmen attacks, yesterday vowed not to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 general elections. 

 

According to NewTelegraph, the IDPs based their decision on Buhari’s inaction over the ongoing killings in the state.

 

Baring their minds during a visit to the Agan Camp of the IDPs, , the nursing mothers expressed regrets that the President had not cared to visit any camp to condole with them and see the level of their suffering as well as trauma they are passing through with their children. They added that his inaction clearly indicated that he did not have the love of the people at heart and as such did not deserve to get their votes.

 

The people expressed worry that armed Fulani herdsmen were still occupying their villages and there was no hope for them to return home to start farming activities and feed their children. One of the nursing mothers, Mrs. Mnena Jimin, a mother of six, bemoaned the level of destruction of farm crops and houses by the herders.

 

Jimin said life had become miserable for her entire family, more so as her children were grossly mal-nourished owing to lack of proper feeding. She said: “Left for me, Buhari does not deserve to come back in 2019 and even if he does, women will not vote for him again. Look at what has happened, it is not my wish to run away from my house to come and be sleeping in this camp because of Fulani."

 

Jimin commended Governor Samuel Ortom for the promulgation of the Antigrazing Law, which she hoped would put to rest the lingering crisis between herders and farmers. Also baring her mind, a nursing mother from Yelwata at Tse-Ate community, Mrs. Mnguashima Ate, said there was no way anybody would go back home now.

 

Ate, who said that those who made such attempts were killed, disclosed that she lost three relations during the attack. She said: “As I speak with you now, the Fulani herdsmen are still occupying our places. Everything including the crops we harvested from our farms have been burnt and some eaten up by Fulani cows.

 

Our children can no longer go to school. Here in the camp we are not properly catered for and life is unbearable. “So there is just no way will anyone convince me to vote Buhari in 2019. What for? Nobody hears him talk about the killings in Benue State.

 

The other day he said the killers were from Libya but how can aliens penetrate a country without the President knowing nothing about it? So I see no need voting for Buhari.”

 

Also recounting her experience during the attack, Mrs. Margaret Nyi, a mother of three who hails from Guma Local Government Area, said her elder brother was killed by the invaders who also set ablaze their house as well as destroyed many economic trees and crops. Nyi disclosed that the herdsmen were still carrying out silent killings. According to her, their villages are still not safe. She expressed dissatisfaction with the way the government of President Muhammadu Buhari had handled the situation.

 

Nyi said it was wrong to vote Buhari again in 2019 since he had failed to address the security challenges confronting the country. A mother of four, Mrs. Iveren Emmanuel, said her village had been deserted as the invaders had forced everyone out of the area.

 

She said: “Some of our people tried to go back and start farming.

But as they were clearing the land to cultivate crops, the herdsmen came quietly and killed them.”Meanwhile, the Nigeria Medical Students Association in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) yesterday offered free medical services to the IDPs at Agan Camp.

 

The President of the association, Benue State chapter, Miss Ebiri Joy, said the free medical outreach was part of their corporate social responsibility to a target population of 2,000 people and to address the humanitarian crisis confronting the state. Ebiri said the choice of the Agan Camp was because it had been neglected by both the state and Federal Government.

 

She added that the victims were diagnosed of various ailments such as hepatitis, diarrhoea, eye problems, malaria as well as gynaecological issues. Ebiri bemoaned the humanitarian situation in the camp. According to her, most of the IDPs do not have funds to access medical facilities on their own hence the initiative.

I Have Slept With 19 Men And I'm Just 27 - Woman Opens Up On Top Secret

Two young ladies have opened up on the numerous bed partners they have had over the years before they turned a new leaf. 

 

Nigerian psychologist, and relationship blogger, Joro Olumofin has shared the stories of two different ladies who have slept with numerous men.

 

The two women are hoping their past will not militate against their chances of having happy marriages in life.

 

Read the two accounts below:

 

 

Read the second account below:

 

Popular CNN Host Commits Suicide

It is a sad day for CNN as one of its popular host, Anthony Bourdain reportedly committed suicide. 

The late Anthony Bourdain

 

Anthony Bourdain, a gifted storyteller and writer who took CNN viewers around the world, has died. He was 61.

 

CNN confirmed Bourdain's death on Friday and said the cause of death was suicide.

 

"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," the network said in a statement Friday morning.

 

"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."

 

Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series "Parts Unknown." His close friend Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning.

 

"Tony was an exceptional talent," CNN President Jeff Zucker said in an email to employees. "Tony will be greatly missed not only for his work but also for the passion with which he did it."

Bourdain was a master of his crafts -- first in the kitchen and then in the media. Through his TV shows and books, he explored the human condition and helped audiences think differently about food, travel and themselves. He advocated for marginalized populations and campaigned for safer working conditions for restaurant staffs.

 

Along the way, he received practically every award the industry has to offer.

 

In 2013, Peabody Award judges honored Bourdain and "Parts Unknown" for "expanding our palates and horizons in equal measure."

"He's irreverent, honest, curious, never condescending, never obsequious," the judges said. "People open up to him and, in doing so, often reveal more about their hometowns or homelands than a traditional reporter could hope to document.""

 

The Smithsonian once called him "the original rock star" of the culinary world, "the Elvis of bad boy chefs."

 

In 1999 he wrote a New Yorker article, "Don't Eat Before Reading This," that became a best-selling book in 2000, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly."

 

The book set him on a path to international stardom.

 

First he hosted "A Cook's Tour" on the Food Network, then moved to "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" on the Travel Channel. "No Reservations" was a breakout hit, earning two Emmy Awards and more than a dozen nominations.

 

In 2013 both Bourdain and CNN took a risk by bringing him to the news network still best known for breaking news and headlines. Bourdain quickly became one of the principal faces of the network and one of the linchpins of the prime time schedule.

 

While accepting the Peabody award in 2013, Bourdain described how he approached his work.

 

"We ask very simple questions: What makes you happy? What do you eat? What do you like to cook? And everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions," he said, "we tend to get some really astonishing answers."

 

Bourdain's death happened after fashion designer Kate Spade hanged herself in an apparent suicide at her Manhattan apartment on Tuesday.

 

Suicide is a growing problem in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a survey Thursday showing suicide rates increased by 25% across the United States over nearly two decades ending in 2016. Twenty-five states experienced a rise in suicides by more than 30%, the government report finds.

 

*****

Culled from CNN News.

May 29 Will Remain Inauguration Day For Presidents - Senate Insistes

Following the declaration of June 22 as democracy day, the Senate has insisted that Presidents will continue to be sworn in on May 29. 

The Senate

 

The Senate has insisted May 29 will continue to be the hand-over date for presidents of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari honoured late MKO Abiola.

 

A report by Premium Times further added that the Nigerian Senate on Thursday resolved to take President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration a step further by asking that the official result of the June 12,1993 presidential election be announced.

 

On Thursday, the Senate while largely supporting the president’s announcement, however, 

 

The lawmakers after a lengthy deliberation on the president’s announcement agreed that an alteration of the handover date will require a constitutional amendment.

 

Since 1999 when the country returned to civil rule, Nigeria has celebrated May 29 as Democracy Day. The date, after every four years, also doubles as the day for the inauguration of newly elected presidents and many state governors.

 

First to raise the issue on Thursday was Lanre Tejuosho (Ogun-APC) who commended Mr Buhari for the announcements while urging him to also reconcile with the Legislature.

 

Having come under order 43 of the Senate standing order, the matter was not open for discussion.

“For once, I want to thank the President of Nigeria. I want to say he has done well. This is one time that the President has given a thought to what (Moshood) Abiola and his family went through to fight for this democracy that we enjoy today.

“Going further, there are issues to be addressed so that we can be confident that this is not a Greek gift.”

 

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said the gesture comes with legal issues which the president must address.

“They are now saying June 12 is now Democracy Day, proposing that in 2019, the president will now be sworn in on the 12th of June. This is illegally impossible.

“A president shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of four years he took the oath of office.

“The implication is that 29th of May remains the date the president will be inaugurated and take oath of office. If they are moving from May 29 to June 12, it means we have to amend this constitution.

“Otherwise, we will be extending tenure of a president beyond what the constitution contemplates. We have to advise the president properly so that we won’t enter a jam next year. We cannot extend it to June 12 without extending the Constitution.”

Osinbajo Escapes Tragedy Following Chopper's Emergency Landing

An aircraft which was suppose to convey the number two citizen of Nigeria developed a mechanical fault in Abuja. 

 

File Photo

 

A chopper that was to convey Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo from the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada in Abuja, was forced to land, few seconds after take off on Thursday.

 

Osinbajo was in the school for the graduation ceremony of Senior Division Course 1/2018 participants.

 

The chopper had earlier taken the Vice President to the college for the ceremony.

 

The Nation reports that while taking off, it could not ascend beyond the tree level, before it emitted thick smoke and landed on the same spots few seconds after take off.

 

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, had already departed from the venue with their respective convoys, when the incident happened.

 

Osinbajo later left the college by road.

Believe In Super Eagles Despite Pre-World Cup Friendly Defeats - NFF Begs Nigerians

Despite Super Eagles defeats in the friendly matches leading to the FIFA World Cup in Russia, the NFF have begged millions of Nigerians to get behind the national team. 

 

 

The Nigeria Football Federation has urged fans to keep faith with the Super Eagles in spite of the two recent losses recorded in their pre-World Cup friendly matches.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Super Eagles lost their second straight game 1-0 to Czech Republic in their final World Cup warm-up game at the Rudolf Tonn Stadium, Schwechat, Vienna, Austria.

 

It was, indeed, a loss which left many wondering whether the team was really ready for the competition which gets underway on June 14.

 

Out of their five friendly games, the Super Eagles lost three, won one and drew one. They beat Poland 1-0, lost 2-0 to Serbia, drew 1-1 with DR Congo, lost 1-2 to England and lost 0-1 to Czech Republic.

 

A bigger cloud hangs in the horizon with the fact that Nigeria’s first match is on June 16, against Croatia in Kaliningrad, just about 10 days away.

 

The NFF Secretary-General, Mohammed Sanusi, who spoke to NAN in an interview on Thursday, urged the team’s fans not to panic ahead of the 2018 World Cup billed to kick off on June 14 in Russia.

 

He said that the team would respond positively to the losses when the 2018 World Cup proper kicks off.

 

“We are not worried by these defeats suffered in the pre-World Cup games.

“These are only friendly games and they are meant to enable the technical crew try out new tactics and blend the team, the results don’t really matter because I know our boys were not at their best.

“There is no cause for alarm, the Super Eagles will bounce back,’’ Sanusi said.

 

“You know the boys are not giving their best because they don’t want to sustain injury before the start of the World Cup.

“They are playing safe and I am sure they will go full blast when they face Croatia next week.’’

 

The NFF Scribe noted that the federation had done their part in preparing the team for the World Cup, adding that it was now left for them to reciprocate the gesture by getting results in Russia.

“So, Nigerians should keep faith in the team that they will deliver in Russia,’’ he said.

 

The 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is in its 21st edition, is expected to hold from June 14 to July 15 in Russia.

 

(NAN)