Federal High Court in Niger State sends 45 Boko Haram suspects to jail

A Federal High Court sitting in Kainji, Niger State, has convicted and sentenced 45 Boko Haram members to between three and 31 years in jail following the conclusion of the first phase of the trial during which 575 suspects were arraigned.

The Senior Special Assistant media to the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, Alhaji  Lai Mohammed in a statement on Friday said the court also discharged 468 suspects who had no case to answer.

Thirty-four cases were struck out while 28 suspects were remanded for trial in Abuja and Minna, the statement said.  The Court ordered that the 468 discharged persons should undergo deradicalisation and rehabilitation programs before they are handed over to their respective state governments.  

The trial commenced with the formal remand by the Court of 1,669 suspects for a period of 90 days, with the Court ordered that they should be arraigned within the specified period or released unconditionally.  The Court adjourned the trial of the 28 remanded suspects to January 2018.  

O A U suspend student

The management of OAU (Obafemi Awolowo University), Osun State has suspended four of its students allegedly said to have engaged in criminal activities.  It was reported that the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, approved their immediate suspension, following the investigation of the police and pending its outcome.  

The affected students include Omole Ibukun Ayodele, studying Civil Engineering, Jacob Tosin Grace, in the Faculty of Law.  Others are Udeh John, a student in the department of Arts and Social Sciences and one Oluwalade Babatunde, said to be studying English.  

Confirming the development, OAU Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, in a statement, said, 'the students, together with other persons, vandalised commercial transport vehicles of the members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Ile-Ife, and drove two other vehicles to more police stations where other students being interrogated by the police were forcefully released by their group. The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, upon careful review of the facts and circumstances of the matter, has come to the inevitable conclusion that the students involved be suspended from the University in the interim, pending police investigation and until such time as the situation shall have been reviewed and resolved'.

Following their alleged misconducts, the students were further ordered “to vacate the campus and are accordingly forbidden to participate in any activity of the University, either within or outside the campus.  “The University management has, therefore, advised law-abiding students to concentrate on their studies and shun any act or utterance that is capable of elongating the academic calendar beyond the stipulated period,” the statement read.

Nigerian man says people should do this with their tithes "instead of giving out money to those who already have private jets"

Nigerian Facebook user Donatus has advised Christians to channel their tithes into helping people in need, especially the elderly.

Recall that few weeks ago, one Chief Charles Nzechi built a new home for Mrs Onyemechi, Nwanmo, an old homeless widow in Abia State, who had been living in a dilapidated mud house for decades.

He shared photos of the old woman, nothing how young she looked since her life changed for good.

"This is how to pay your tithes and not giving out money to those who already have a private jet, this young man changed the life of this old widow by giving her a new home. One thing touched me when I saw this post. Can you see how that old woman (may be your mother) will look young when you start talking care of her just observe the two pics and you will see the difference. May God bless you young man for such a charity work. I know some heartless people will ignore this but remember one day... 

2,000 Zambian villagers to sue UK mining company in London

At leaset 2,000 Zambian villagers have been given the go ahead to sue mining giant Vedanta in a UK court.

The villagers who live in Nchanga in the country's Copperbelt province are suing for injury and damages to their property for what they say is numerous and ongoing toxic discharges around where they live.

Vedanta Resources has an asset base of almost $40bn (£30bn) spread across the world and Its Zambian subsidiary Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) had appealed against a ruling in May 2016 when a High Court judge decided the claim could proceed.

KCM which employs 16,000 people in Zambia had wanted the claims to be heard in the country. Reuters however reports that the judgment will play a significant role in defining the future liability of multinational companies based in the UK for alleged human rights and environmental abuses outside the country. SS

Ghana government ban

The Ghanaian government has ordered for an immediate ban to the construction of fuel stations after a fire killed seven people last week.  

On Thursday, October 12, 2017 President Nana Akufo Addo outlined measures to stop explosions at petrol and gas stations.  Twenty fuel stations have already been closed this week and Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority plans to recruit 200 auditors to check fuel stations' safety standards.  

Ghana has had eight fuel station disasters in the last three years. The deadliest was in June 2015 when more than 100 people died after an explosion in the capital.  Ho