Television Nigerian

Leopard Kills Toddler in Kruger National Park, South Africa

-

June 6, 2019

0

Leopard Kills Toddler in Kruger National Park, South Africa

A two-year-old boy has been killed by a leopard in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

The leopard managed to access a fenced off area of the park and grab the boy, who was the son of an employee.

Family members rushed the boy to hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The park said in a statement that such attacks were “very rare”, but rangers killed the leopard to “remove the danger”.

Ike Phaahla, a spokesman for the park, said the exact circumstances of the toddler’s death remained unclear.

He said that animals were naturally afraid of human beings and did not usually get close to them.

“In parks like the KNP predators do interact with tourists and staff and at times it may result in species like leopard getting habituated to people and losing their fear,” Mr Phaahla said.

Park visitors followed strict rules to stay safe from animals, such as locking gates and travelling in groups, he said, adding that a leopard would be “very brave” to attack a fully grown adult but might “take a chance with a child between two to six years old”.

Ganduje Scraps Emir Sanusi’s Royal Parade

-

June 6, 2019

0

Ganduje Scraps Emir Sanusi’s Royal Parade

The governor of Kano state has cancelled an annual city parade by the powerful traditional emir, officials said Thursday, a sign of the frosty relationship between the two leaders.

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje scrapped the horseback procession by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, after a security meeting held late on Wednesday.

The procession in the northern town of Kano, a symbolic march celebrating the power of the monarch, held to mark the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan, had been due to take place on Thursday.

But the governor’s spokesman, Abba Anwar, said the royal carnival was cancelled due to “security reasons.”

He said there had been warnings of a possible “breach of peace” during the event.

SUDAN CRISIS: AU SUSPENDS SUDAN

-

June 6, 2019

0

The African Union has suspended Sudan’s membership “with immediate effect”, amid an upsurge of violence in the capital that has seen dozens killed.

The pan-African body has warned of further action if power is not transferred to a civilian authority – a key demand of pro-democracy protesters.

Opposition activists say a paramilitary group has killed 108 people this week, but officials put the figure at 46.

Residents said pro-government militia were all over the capital Khartoum.

The violence intensified on Monday when security forces stormed a weeks-long sit-in outside military headquarters in the capital. It is the deadliest incident since veteran President Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the military in April after months of peaceful protests.

Talks between opposition activists and the ruling interim military council have since broken down.

“The AU Peace and Security Council has with immediate effect suspended the participation of the Republic of Sudan in all AU activities until the effective establishment of a Civilian-led Transitional Authority, as the only way to allow the Sudan to exit from the current crisis,” the AU tweeted on Thursday.

The decision was made unanimously by members at an emergency meeting of the AU in Addis Ababa that lasted more than five hours.

JUST IN: Buhari issues proclamation for termination of eighth National Assembly, inauguration of ninth

-

June 6, 2019

0

JUST IN: Buhari issues proclamation for termination of eighth National Assembly, inauguration of ninth

President Muhammadu Buhari has transmitted a proclamation letter terminating the term of the eighth National Assembly.

The proclamation letter was addressed to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori.

Mr Sani-Omolori confirmed receipt of the letter to journalists Thursday afternoon.

The letter proclaimed termination of the term of the eighth Assembly by midnight of Saturday, June 8, and commencement of the ninth Senate on Tuesday, June 11.

“I just want to confirm that I have received a proclamation from the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Mr Sani-Omolori said.

“One on the dissolution of the eighth National Assembly, the other one on the convening of the first session of the ninth National Assembly.

“The proclamation of the dissolution of the eighth National Assembly takes effect from 12 midnight of 8th June.
By implication, from eighth of June by 12 midnight, the eighth National Assembly stands dissolved. Similarly, the ninth National Assembly will be inaugurated and first sitting will be held on Tuesday 11th of June by 10 a.m. in the National Assembly complex.”

Asked about a recent letter of proclamation purportedly from Mr President, the clerk said the one by which he made the confirmation was addressed to him.

“Well, I have just confirmed to you that I have received the proclamation from the president which means that this is addressed to me,” he said.

The confirmation put to rest controversies surrounding a letter of proclamation purportedly from Mr Buhari recently in circulation.

CAF PRESIDENT, AHMAD, DETAINED IN FRANCE

Recent News

-

June 6, 2019

0

Fifa has confirmed that the Confederation of African Football President Ahmad is being questioned by authorities in France.

A statement from football’s world governing body says it is “in relation to allegations related to his mandate while President of CAF.”

It added that “Fifa is unaware of the details surrounding this investigation and is therefore not in a position to make any comment on it specifically.

“Fifa is asking the French authorities for any information that might be relevant to investigations taking place within its Ethics Committee.”

GERMAN NURSE SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR KILLING 85 PATIENTS

-

June 6, 2019

0

GERMAN NURSE SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR KILLING 85 PATIENTS

A German serial killer nurse was jailed for life on Thursday for the murder of 85 patients in his care, according to a statement from a court in the northwest city of Oldenburg.

Niels Hoegel, a 42-year-old former nurse who is considered Germany’s deadliest post-war serial killer, was sentenced to life in prison at the District Court of Oldenburg.

While summing up the trial, the judge said Hoegel’s actions were “incomprehensible: That’s the word that characteriSes this.”

The health worker had previously confessed to killing 100 patients — aged between 34 and 96 years old — at two hospitals in northern Germany between 2000 and 2005. However Hoegel was acquitted of 15 cases on Thursday because there was not enough evidence.

Hoegel was accused of giving his victims various non-prescribed drugs, in an attempt to show off his resuscitation skills to colleagues and fight off boredom.

In past hearings, Hoegel said he felt euphoric when he managed to bring a patient back to life, and devastated when he failed.

Police suspect the true death toll may be as high as 200, but can’t be certain as many patients were cremated before autopsies could be performed.

The former nurse is already serving a life sentence for six convictions, including homicide and attempted homicide in 2008 and 2015. Those convictions led authorities to investigate hundreds of deaths and exhume the bodies of former patients in the clinics where he worked.

Hoegel asked his victims’ families for forgiveness on Wednesday for his “horrible acts.”

“I would like to sincerely apologiSe for everything I did to you over the course of years,” he said during the hearing, AFP reported.

HUAWEI TO BUILD RUSSIA’S 5G

-

June 6, 2019

0

Embattled Chinese tech company Huawei has struck a deal to build Russia’s first 5G wireless network.

The agreement with Russia’s largest carrier, MTS, was signed on the sidelines of talks in Moscow between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It comes at a critical time for the Shenzhen-based company, which is now on the frontline in an escalating trade war between America and China. The United States is waging a campaign against Huawei, banning it from its own 5G networks and cutting it off from American software and components that it needs for its smartphones and network equipment business.

Washington has also been urging allies to restrict or ban the use of Huawei equipment in their 5G networks, warning that Beijing could use the sensitive data infrastructure for spying. Huawei has repeatedly denied that any of its products pose a national security risk.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin applaud as Huawei executive Guo Ping shakes hands with Alexei Kornya, President and CEO of Russian mobile phone operator MTS.

Huawei is the world’s biggest telecom equipment supplier and the No. 2 smartphone brand behind Samsung. But the US restrictions pose a huge threat to its business and could delay the global rollout of 5G. The next generation of ultra fast networks will power everything from self-driving cars to networked robots.

Russia doesn’t share American concerns about security and appears undeterred by the potential disruption to Huawei’s supply chain.

The MTS deal will not only create “the commercial use of 5G networks in Russia in the very near future, but also contribute to the further development of economic ties between Russia and China,” MTS President and CEO Alexei Kornya said in a statement Thursday.

“The fact that the president of Russia and [the Chinese president] … were present at the ceremony proves once again how important technology partnerships are for Russia and China,” Huawei board chairman Guo Ping said in the statement.

MTS said the deal would cover the development of 5G technologies and the launch of 5G pilot networks in Russia this year and in 2020.

Huawei says it has been stockpiling parts and diversifying its supply chain, but analysts say a long-term US export ban would really hurt the company.

Rivals are already starting to benefit. Finland’s Nokia has signed 12 new 5G contracts in the last two months, compared to three for Huawei. Both companies have won more than 40 commercial 5G contracts with carriers around the world.

Nigerians demand probe of inflated Lagos-Ibadan rail construction contract

-

June 6, 2019

0

Nigerians demand probe of inflated Lagos-Ibadan rail construction contract

Nigerians have called on the government to probe an allegation that the contract for the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line was inflated by about 360 per cent.

The Nigerian government said the contract for the construction of the 156-kilometres rail line, which was awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in 2016, cost taxpayers about $2 billion.

CCECC is a subsidiary of the Chinese engineering conglomerate, the China Railways Construction Corporation (CRCC).

But, the call for the probe of the contract followed recent reports that the Ghanaian government agreed to pay $2 billion to another subsidiary of the Chinese firm for the construction of a similar rail line estimated at more than thrice the length of the Nigerian system.

Last March, the Ghanaian government announced the signing of a $2 billion Memorandum of Understanding with the CRCC to finance the rehabilitation and construction of a 560-kilometre standard gauge railway line in the country.

Although reports said the MoU with the China Railway Construction Corporation with CRCC (International) has since been revoked for alleged “breach of confidentiality”, Nigerians are still interested in knowing how a similar contract back home cost more.

The Ghanaian rail line expected to run through designated stations and terminals at Aflao and Elubo was more than 414 kilometres longer than the Nigerian version of the project awarded to the same Chinese engineering construction conglomerate.

Under the agreement, Mr Ghartey said the Ghanaian government would not be funding the railway lines construction.

“The funding is to be arranged by CRCC,” he said. “Besides CRCC, another Chinese Company, Sinochem, one of the largest Oil Companies in China, is equally prepared to provide up to $3 billion as funding of railway construction projects throughout the country, backed by Crude Oil futures.”

Prior to the signing of the agreement, reports said Mr Ghartey travelled to Nigeria at the invitation of his Nigerian counterpart and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

The visit of the Ghanaian Minister of Railway Development to Nigeria, it was reported, was to specifically inspect and assess the construction of the railway system handled by the Chinese Conglomerate.

Court adjourns Nigerian govt’s $406.7 million debt recovery suit against Shell until June 19

-

June 6, 2019

0

A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Thursday adjourned until June 19, hearing in a debt recovery suit filed by the federal government against Shell Western Supply & Trading Ltd, over an alleged $406.7 million shortfall in crude oil shipment.

The suit numbered FHC/L/CS/336/16 was filed by FG’s counsel, Fabian Ajogwu, a professor and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

It has as defendants, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd and its subsidiary, Shell Western Supply & Trading Ltd.

The money was said to be for crude oil lifted in 2013 and 2014.

The suit is pending before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.

The case was adjourned until June 19, due to the Eid-Il-Fitr celebrations.

The new date has already been communicated to respective parties.

In the suit, the plaintiff, (FG) is claiming the sum of 406.7 million dollars, from the defendants, representing the shortfall of money it paid into the federal government account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In a supporting affidavit, the government had accused the Anglo-Dutch company of not declaring or under-declaring crude oil shipments during the period.

It said that this was following forensic analysis of bills of laden and shipping documents, alleging that Shell cheated Nigeria of deserving revenue.

According to the affidavit, the consortium of experts tracked the global movements of the country’s hydrocarbons, including crude oil and gas.

The plaintiff said that they identified the companies engaged in the practices that led to missing revenues from crude oil and gas export sales to different parts of the world.

They also revealed discrepancies in the export records from Nigeria with the import records at U.S. ports.

The plaintiff averred that the undeclared shipments between January 2013 and December 2014 brought the total value of the entire shortfall to 406.75 million dollars.

The defendants were alleged to have failed to respond to a federal government’s letter through its legal representative, seeking clarification as to the discrepancies.

The federal government is, therefore, seeking a court order to compel the two companies to pay 406.7 million dollars, being the total value of the missing revenue and interest payment at 21 per cent per annum.

In addition, the government is also asking Shell to pay general exemplary damages in the sum of 406.7 million dollars as well as the cost of the legal action.

The federal government had also brought similar actions against Chevron and Total.

The government is asking for a total of 12.7 billion dollars over alleged non-declaration of 57 million barrels of crude shipped to the U.S. between 2011 and 2014.

The oil companies are among 15 oil majors targeted by the government for the recovery of over 17 billion dollars in deprived revenue.

NAN

BREAKING: Goje endorses Lawan for Senate Presidency after meeting Buhari

-

June 6, 2019

0

BREAKING: Goje endorses Lawan for Senate Presidency after meeting Buhari

The chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Danjuma Goje, has endorsed Ahmed Lawan to emerge as the next Senate President.

The endorsement, which took place on Thursday, followed a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Speaking with State House reporters after the meeting, Mr Goje said he decided to endorse Mr Lawan despite the widespread calls for him to run for the office of Senate President because he had been asked to do so by Mr Buhari.

He said it is also to respect the wish of his party and to enhance unity in the party.

The meeting was brokered by Kaduna State governor, Nasir El Rufai, who was also present, alongside the senator representing Kaduna central, Uba Sani.