FATAL: Market Woman Shot Over Protest?

John

A 60-year-old woman, Mrs. Comfort John, was shot in the thigh by riot policemen, during a protest by market women over the demolition of Afaha Offot Market in Akwa Ibom State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen had stormed the market to disperse the protesters, who were demonstrating against the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, when John was shot.
It was learnt that John, who had a stall in the market, was coming back from Itam Market on Friday where she had gone to purchase goods.
One of her daughters, Miss Patricia John, told our correspondent that as soon as her mother stepped into her shop, the protesting women were seen running in every direction as riot policemen fired gunshots and teargas canisters at them.
She said, “One of the bullets hit my mum on the thigh. The riot policemen, who shot her fled. If not for the Divisional Police Officer, ‘C’ Division, Mr. Mike Esu, who helped me to take my mum to University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, my mum would have died just for nothing.”
The village head of Afaha Offot, Mr. David Etuk, who condemned the attack, said he did not understand the rationale behind the demolition of Afaha Offot Market by UCCDA.
He said the inhabitants of the area had been operating at the market for over 100 years, adding that it was difficult to explain what prompted the UCCDA to embark on the demolition of the market without any prior notice.
He said, “The UCCDA has never come to Afaha Offot Market to mark the place for demolition. There was no previous warning whatsoever. What we noticed on that fateful Friday was the demolition exercise being carried out by UCCDA.
“Our women have been selling in this market for over 100 years. If they feel the place should no longer be used by market women, let them provide an alternative place for them.
“We are going to write a protest letter to the government over the decision of the UCCDA to demolish the only market we have.”
President of the Afaha Offot Market, Mrs. Anna Robert, said the goods the authority destroyed were worth N200m. She added that since that day, the women had been staying at home with no money to feed their families.
She stated that some of the women selling in the markets were widows and that they used the proceeds from sales in the market to fend for their families.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson, said the police did not shoot anybody.
He said that the story was false and that the police were ready to defend it.
He said, “We were monitoring the demolishing team. After the University of Uyo incident, no policeman has shot anybody. The police did not even go there with baton.
“They were all there in their vehicles. What they did was to throw teargas to disperse the shop owners. The accusation is wrong.”
All attempts to reach the chairman, UCCDA, Mr. Ignatius Edet, proved abortive as he did not respond to his calls or text messages sent to his telephone.
Source: Punch

FATAL: Market Woman Shot Over Protest?

John

A 60-year-old woman, Mrs. Comfort John, was shot in the thigh by riot policemen, during a protest by market women over the demolition of Afaha Offot Market in Akwa Ibom State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen had stormed the market to disperse the protesters, who were demonstrating against the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, when John was shot.
It was learnt that John, who had a stall in the market, was coming back from Itam Market on Friday where she had gone to purchase goods.
One of her daughters, Miss Patricia John, told our correspondent that as soon as her mother stepped into her shop, the protesting women were seen running in every direction as riot policemen fired gunshots and teargas canisters at them.
She said, “One of the bullets hit my mum on the thigh. The riot policemen, who shot her fled. If not for the Divisional Police Officer, ‘C’ Division, Mr. Mike Esu, who helped me to take my mum to University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, my mum would have died just for nothing.”
The village head of Afaha Offot, Mr. David Etuk, who condemned the attack, said he did not understand the rationale behind the demolition of Afaha Offot Market by UCCDA.
He said the inhabitants of the area had been operating at the market for over 100 years, adding that it was difficult to explain what prompted the UCCDA to embark on the demolition of the market without any prior notice.
He said, “The UCCDA has never come to Afaha Offot Market to mark the place for demolition. There was no previous warning whatsoever. What we noticed on that fateful Friday was the demolition exercise being carried out by UCCDA.
“Our women have been selling in this market for over 100 years. If they feel the place should no longer be used by market women, let them provide an alternative place for them.
“We are going to write a protest letter to the government over the decision of the UCCDA to demolish the only market we have.”
President of the Afaha Offot Market, Mrs. Anna Robert, said the goods the authority destroyed were worth N200m. She added that since that day, the women had been staying at home with no money to feed their families.
She stated that some of the women selling in the markets were widows and that they used the proceeds from sales in the market to fend for their families.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson, said the police did not shoot anybody.
He said that the story was false and that the police were ready to defend it.
He said, “We were monitoring the demolishing team. After the University of Uyo incident, no policeman has shot anybody. The police did not even go there with baton.
“They were all there in their vehicles. What they did was to throw teargas to disperse the shop owners. The accusation is wrong.”
All attempts to reach the chairman, UCCDA, Mr. Ignatius Edet, proved abortive as he did not respond to his calls or text messages sent to his telephone.
Source: Punch

FATAL: Market Woman Shot Over Protest?

John

A 60-year-old woman, Mrs. Comfort John, was shot in the thigh by riot policemen, during a protest by market women over the demolition of Afaha Offot Market in Akwa Ibom State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen had stormed the market to disperse the protesters, who were demonstrating against the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, when John was shot.
It was learnt that John, who had a stall in the market, was coming back from Itam Market on Friday where she had gone to purchase goods.
One of her daughters, Miss Patricia John, told our correspondent that as soon as her mother stepped into her shop, the protesting women were seen running in every direction as riot policemen fired gunshots and teargas canisters at them.
She said, “One of the bullets hit my mum on the thigh. The riot policemen, who shot her fled. If not for the Divisional Police Officer, ‘C’ Division, Mr. Mike Esu, who helped me to take my mum to University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, my mum would have died just for nothing.”
The village head of Afaha Offot, Mr. David Etuk, who condemned the attack, said he did not understand the rationale behind the demolition of Afaha Offot Market by UCCDA.
He said the inhabitants of the area had been operating at the market for over 100 years, adding that it was difficult to explain what prompted the UCCDA to embark on the demolition of the market without any prior notice.
He said, “The UCCDA has never come to Afaha Offot Market to mark the place for demolition. There was no previous warning whatsoever. What we noticed on that fateful Friday was the demolition exercise being carried out by UCCDA.
“Our women have been selling in this market for over 100 years. If they feel the place should no longer be used by market women, let them provide an alternative place for them.
“We are going to write a protest letter to the government over the decision of the UCCDA to demolish the only market we have.”
President of the Afaha Offot Market, Mrs. Anna Robert, said the goods the authority destroyed were worth N200m. She added that since that day, the women had been staying at home with no money to feed their families.
She stated that some of the women selling in the markets were widows and that they used the proceeds from sales in the market to fend for their families.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson, said the police did not shoot anybody.
He said that the story was false and that the police were ready to defend it.
He said, “We were monitoring the demolishing team. After the University of Uyo incident, no policeman has shot anybody. The police did not even go there with baton.
“They were all there in their vehicles. What they did was to throw teargas to disperse the shop owners. The accusation is wrong.”
All attempts to reach the chairman, UCCDA, Mr. Ignatius Edet, proved abortive as he did not respond to his calls or text messages sent to his telephone.
Source: Punch

FATAL: Market Woman Shot Over Protest?

John

A 60-year-old woman, Mrs. Comfort John, was shot in the thigh by riot policemen, during a protest by market women over the demolition of Afaha Offot Market in Akwa Ibom State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen had stormed the market to disperse the protesters, who were demonstrating against the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, when John was shot.
It was learnt that John, who had a stall in the market, was coming back from Itam Market on Friday where she had gone to purchase goods.
One of her daughters, Miss Patricia John, told our correspondent that as soon as her mother stepped into her shop, the protesting women were seen running in every direction as riot policemen fired gunshots and teargas canisters at them.
She said, “One of the bullets hit my mum on the thigh. The riot policemen, who shot her fled. If not for the Divisional Police Officer, ‘C’ Division, Mr. Mike Esu, who helped me to take my mum to University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, my mum would have died just for nothing.”
The village head of Afaha Offot, Mr. David Etuk, who condemned the attack, said he did not understand the rationale behind the demolition of Afaha Offot Market by UCCDA.
He said the inhabitants of the area had been operating at the market for over 100 years, adding that it was difficult to explain what prompted the UCCDA to embark on the demolition of the market without any prior notice.
He said, “The UCCDA has never come to Afaha Offot Market to mark the place for demolition. There was no previous warning whatsoever. What we noticed on that fateful Friday was the demolition exercise being carried out by UCCDA.
“Our women have been selling in this market for over 100 years. If they feel the place should no longer be used by market women, let them provide an alternative place for them.
“We are going to write a protest letter to the government over the decision of the UCCDA to demolish the only market we have.”
President of the Afaha Offot Market, Mrs. Anna Robert, said the goods the authority destroyed were worth N200m. She added that since that day, the women had been staying at home with no money to feed their families.
She stated that some of the women selling in the markets were widows and that they used the proceeds from sales in the market to fend for their families.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson, said the police did not shoot anybody.
He said that the story was false and that the police were ready to defend it.
He said, “We were monitoring the demolishing team. After the University of Uyo incident, no policeman has shot anybody. The police did not even go there with baton.
“They were all there in their vehicles. What they did was to throw teargas to disperse the shop owners. The accusation is wrong.”
All attempts to reach the chairman, UCCDA, Mr. Ignatius Edet, proved abortive as he did not respond to his calls or text messages sent to his telephone.
Source: Punch

AT LAST: MEND Leader John Togo Buried?

The Defence Headquarters has given the go-ahead for the burial of a notorious sea piracy kingpin and leader of the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), John Togo, over two years after he was killed in a clash with troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Nation reliably gathered that the JTF has received the approval to release the body of the crime lord to relevant authority for burial.
Sources said the delay in burying the scar-face militant, who was a factional leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), was due to the Federal Government’s directives that a DNA test be carried out on his decomposing remains.
Togo was killed in an aerial assault by the Airforce arm of the JTF in May 2011 after a five-month stand-off between his ragtag army and troops of the JTF.
He died after he renounced the Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government in November 2010, took up arms and went back to the trenches with a handful of his fellow NDLF members.
He triggered a furious manhunt when he ambushed and killed about six soldiers of a JTF team near Ayakoromo in November 2010; the incident led to the invasion of the community and burning down of about 50 houses in the Ijaw community.
Thereafter, the JTF intensified manhunt for him and his boys, who were encamped at the ‘Israel Camp’ of the group in an isolated boundary area between Bayelsa and Delta states.
He was killed after months of bloody clashes and his gang members buried his remains in a shallow grave before fleeing the scene.
His body was later exhumed when the JTF sent in ground troops, who arrested one of the fleeing militants who led them to his burial site.
The remains could not be buried due to the military’s insistence that a DNA must be conducted to properly identify his body before the manhunt launched for him would be officially called off.
The DNA test, which confirmed the remains as that of Togo, was carried out leading to the recent approval given for his burial.
A top official of the JTF in Effurun Barracks, Capt. Mohammed Abdulahi, was contacted by our reporter, confirmed the report.
He said: “It is true that approval has been given for the burial of Togo, but it is not the task of the JTF to bury him, the body will be released to the Police.”
A source at the JTF’s headquarters, Yenagoa said the approval came last Wednesday.
Source: The Nation

SPOTLIGHT: Oyenike Oyeneye, A 15 Year Old Writer?

Oyenike

At 15, Oyenike Oyeneye’s intelligence belies her age. The budding author, whose first book titled, The black ice corridor has just been published, says she was inspired by her father to delve into writing.
“I was inspired after reading some of the things he wrote,” she says.
Young Oyeneye’s ‘little’ new novel explores the themes of marriage, love, divorce, family relationship, as well as spirituality in human existence. Interestingly they were areas hitherto considered to be the exclusive preserve of the ‘experienced.’
Explaining why she chose the themes, she continues, “I realised that I could write about love, family and marriage. So I read many Christian novels that focused on such themes. I just hope that single men and women will always take their time to study their partners before going into marriage. Many are quick to classify any relationship they are involved in as ‘God given.’ I advise them to pray about it instead. The characters in my novel for instance, did not have the spiritual back-up; they just got married without seeking the face of God.”
Clearly awed by her achievement at such a young age, the author describes the book as the product of sleepless nights, painstaking research that lasted a year and raw determination.
“I tried to write several other novels in the past, but I never concluded any of them. I always find myself stopping or abandoning them mid-way. But this novel is unique in the sense that I realized, right from the first day, that I was going to complete it. I was in my school library when I just picked up a new note and began to pen down my thoughts. I only stopped midway when I was about to write my final exams,” she says.
At an age some of her peers are yet to choose careers, Oyeneye says she has found hers and it is all clearly mapped out.
“I want to be a lawyer because I feel justice can still be restored in Nigeria. I know God has laid it in my heart as one of those who will bring back justice to the country,” she says.
With The black ice corridor, Oyeneye has added her name to the growing list of emerging writers in Nigeria.
Source: Punch

OPINION: Students Lament Over State Of Education?

Ronke
As Nigeria celebrates its 53rd Independence anniversary, the continued closure of the public universities attracts criticism from students who spoke with JAYNE AUGOYE and TEMITAYO FAMUTIMI
These are trying times –Ogunjobi
These are trying times for the nation, I must confess. Nigeria has not faced greater threats and total paralysis in major sectors than this period in its history. The nation’s journey in the past 53 years was a chequered one replete with many gains and losses in its social, political and economic advancement. Nonetheless, as a Nigerian student trapped in this crisis, the Independence Day should offer the present administration the opportunity to correct the anomalies in the educational system and other key sectors in the economy.
•Oluwafemi Ogunjobi, 400 level Language Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Why celebrate mediocrity? –Irabor
Our educational system is in a shambles. We call Nigeria the giant of Africa but countries like South Africa, Benin are getting it right and making many of us to seek further education there. With the state of our education and the high unemployment rate, rolling out the drums to celebrate Independence will be tantamount to magnifying mediocrity.
•Peter Irabor, Post-graduate student, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife OsunState.
Our political class has failed us –Oladimeji
After 53 years of independence, our educational system is nothing to write home about. The most painful thing is that our political leaders appear not to be bordered about the sorry state of the sector, which should be the bedrock of the nation’s developmental effort.
All they care about is the 2015 general elections. It is also sad that the government reneged on an agreement it signed with ASUU, a development that has forced the shutting of the public universities in the last three months. The political class has failed the future leaders of this country and there is nothing to celebrate about the anniversary.
•Ayotunde Oladimeji, 300 level Accounting Technlogy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
Don’t forget, education is the bedrock –Arthur
That Nigeria is celebrating its 53rd Independence is a good thing. But if you ask me, I see no reason why the celebration should go on, especially as students are idle at home and the country faces problems of insecurity and lack of power supply, among others. The FG should please meet the ASUU’s demands so that we can all go back to the classrooms. With what is happening, it seems that the country’s leadership has forgotten that education is the bedrock of every nation and that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
•Neji Arthur 400 level, Education Administration and Planning, University of Calabar
Let us not cause more damage –Usen
As Nigeria celebrates Independence, the education sector has not made any significant progress. It shows the government’s nonchalant attitude to this all-important sector. I wish that its conflict with ASUU could be resolved soonest before the sector experiences worse damage.
•Tom Usen, 400 level Geology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State.
Blame ruling class and ASUU –Oghenovo
I wonder why we celebrate independence when the state of infrastructure, standard of living and education in the country is nothing to cheer. But for education, both ASUU members and our political rulers will be nowhere. So why are they depriving the younger generation from having better education now. I pray that the ASUU strike will be resolved soon.
•Joy Oghenevo, 400 level, Banking and Finance, University of Benin
Everyone has a hand in the rot –Alex-Ojekunle
After 53years, the education system is in an abysmal state. Rather than pointing fingers at the Federal Government and its agencies, I will rather say that we are all involved in the epileptic state of the sector. To revitalise the sector, all hands must be on the desk. Although we expect much from the government, our individual contributions will go a long way in helping the government to map out a strategy that will promote and enhance effective education that can stand the test of time and compete globally. Also, this will go a long way in showcasing the strength of Vision 2020:20.
•Oluwaremilekun Alex-Ojekunle, 400 level Public Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
No good governance, no good nation — Adefalujo
With regard to the anniversary, there is nothing to celebrate. The schools are deserted, lecturers are at home and students are roaming about the streets. There is also insecurity everywhere as issues of bombings and killings have not been resolved. So, what exactly are we celebrating when the events and happenings in the country at the moment do not speak well of good governance or even a great nation? It is sad.
Aderonke Adefalujo, 400 level, Theatre Arts, University of Abuja
These are frustrating times –Loon
This period has been difficult and tough for me because there is nothing to do at home. There are no opportunities out there and this is sad and frustrating. There are no jobs for University graduates not to mention an undergraduate like me. I just wake up, eat, sleep and allow evil thoughts to come to my mind. For me, there is nothing to celebrate, especially now that the singsong everywhere is industrial action. The nation has failed in many ways and celebrating the anniversary is just a mockery of the word ‘independence’.
•Momoh Loon 400 level History, University of Abuja

Source: Punch