Thugs kill okada rider, flee with his hand

Some cultists believed to be loyal to a political party invaded Adifase Street, Bariga, Lagos and hacked a motorcyclist, Segun Atupa, to death.

Not done, the hoodlums severed the 28-year-old victim’s hand and fled with it,the murder came less than two weeks after political thugs killed two youths and beheaded one of them in the Fadeyi area of the state.

Punch learnt that Atupa was attacked in the area around 8pm on October 24,He was said to have been ambushed and hacked with machetes repeatedly by the hoodlums while going about his evening business.Also heard that hoodlums dumped Atupa’s body beside a canal on the street as they left.

It was also learnt that the deceased, who lived on Olusoji Street, Bariga, was attacked because the hoodlums claimed that he was working as an informant for rival political gangs in the area.When PUNCH Metro visited Adifase Street on Tuesday, it was learnt that Atupa’s corpse had been removed from the canal by policemen attached to the Bariga Division, Somolu.

A resident who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal said the hoodlums pursued Atupa into the area and killed him,he said, “On Friday at about 8pm, we were all outside enjoying the evening until we began to hear noises. That is not strange in this area. But we also heard gunshots, and you could feel that some people were running towards our street.

“Everyone was afraid and quickly rushed inside, bolting their doors. From inside my house, I was hearing deep voices of ‘pursue him and kill him’, ‘pursue him and kill him’. But no one could come out to check who it was. When it was morning, we saw the corpse of a man already killed and dumped in the canal.”

It was learnt from a police source that the motorcyclist was not only killed, but one of his arms was also amputated, and taken away by the hoodlums, an act synonymous with a local gang known as the EFCCboys.

When PUNCH Metro got to Atupa’s rented apartment on Olusoji Street, it was learnt from a neighbour that the motorcyclist’s wife had died from an accident, only about two weeks ago, and he was still grieving her death.

It was further gathered that apart from the motorcyclist, another man was attacked and killed the following day by Bajulaiye canal, Bariga Road. The yet-to-be-identified victim was said to have been removed also by policemen from the Bariga Division.Another resident, Mr. Jamiu Oluyomi, said attacks on innocent lives in the area by thugs working for political parties had become commonplace, urging the police to intensify security in the Bariga and Somolu areas of the state.

He said, “These thugs are not ghosts. We know them, the police know them too. They use aliases such as Eyin Bouncing, Ologun, Sean Paul, and Tolu T-boy.”,other hoodlums in the area use the following aliases: Yusuf Omo West, Lateef Fibre, Ogun owo, Rasaki Osanle, and BJ Paul.

Defeating Boko Haram, Nigeria’s responsibility — Britain

The British government has said there is a limit to what assistance it can offer Nigeria as Boko Haram renews its attacks in the North-East.

While acknowledging the complex nature of the insurgency, the British government, through its Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Joyce Anelay, stated that her country was in constant discussion with the Federal Government.

The minister, who was fielding questions from the House of Lords on Thursday, however, said the British government was cautious of what it said about the ongoing insurgency in Nigeria.

She told the parliament, “Nigeria faces a serious threat from Boko Haram. We believe that more than 3,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram this year and more than 1.5 million people have been displaced. We are aware of reports that Nigerian authorities have agreed to a ceasefire with Boko Haram and are in ongoing negotiations. We are also aware of reports of Boko Haram attacks since the ceasefire announcement. We monitor events closely.

“Boko Haram deliberately targets the weak and vulnerable, causing suffering in communities of differing faiths and ethnicities. It has no regard for human life. We are in continual discussion with the Nigerian authorities to press exactly as the noble Baroness says, and we give as much support as we can in intelligence matters.”

During the question-and-answer session, a member of parliament, Caroline Cox, who had made visits to areas worst hit by current militants’ insurrection, urged the British government to put pressure on Nigeria to be more effective in tackling the insurgency.

“I thank the minister for that sympathetic reply. Is she aware that I have visited areas afflicted by Boko Haram and found that the scale of suffering to which she refers massively exceeds that reported by the media?

“Despite reports of a peace agreement with Boko Haram, to which the Minister refers, local people do not believe that the federal and state authorities are sufficiently willing or able to stop Boko Haram’s reign of terror. Therefore, will Her Majesty’s government make the strongest possible representation to the government of Nigeria to do much more to implement effective policies to protect all its citizens from this escalating terrorism?” Cox said.

Responding to her questions and those posed by other members of the parliament, Anelay pointed out that Britain would give Nigeria the strongest support it could, adding that a Sentinel and Tornado GR4 aircraft had already been deployed to assist in the fight against Boko Haram.

She noted, “We are therefore most cautious in what we say in these matters. What I will say is that it is for the Nigerian authorities to resolve the matter. We will give the strongest support we can.”

Police Arraign Three Men For Fingering

The Police in Abuja on Friday arraigned three men before a Zuba Upper Area Court for allegedly fingering a lady without her consent.

The prosecutor, Mr Kelechi Echendu, told the court that the accused persons, Enoch Adeojo, Hilary Elechi and Ebuka Precious committed the act on Oct. 27.He said the three, who were bar men at a hotel in Dawaki area of Abuja, conspired and broke into the private residence of the complainant (name witheld) in Dutsen-Alhaji, where they commited the offence.

The prosecutor explained that the complainant was asleep when the accused persons broke into the residence and assaulted her, adding that she was saved by her neighbours after she shouted for help.

Echendu told the court that the action of the three accused persons was contrary to provisions of section 79 and 284 of the Penal Code.

When their plea was taken, the three denied the charge, and the prosecutor sought for adjournment to enable the police complete investigation.

The presiding Judge, Alhaji Aminu Sa’ad, ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody, and adjourned the case Nov. 5 for continuation of hearing.

Over 30 feared dead as three bombs rock bus station in Gombe

About 30 were reported dead after there explosions rocked the popular Gombe Line Transport Services Limited in Gombe State.

According to the police and an eye witnesses the explosions were reported to have occurred around 9:30 am Friday leaving many dead.The Three bombs which were said to be concealed in bags went off during Friday morning rush hour, the latest in a series of attacks targeting commuters blamed on Boko Haram, police and witnesses said.

“We had explosions at the Gombe line motor park…As for the death toll, we are still working on that,” said area police chief Abdullahi Kudu.

An employee of the state-run bus park, Lawanti Aliyu, and other witnesses said three men left bags packed with explosives among the buses which went off at 9:00 am (0800 GMT).

Herdsman kills friend for sleeping with wife

A Magistrate’s Court sitting at Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday, remanded a herdsman, Mohammed Ibrahim, in prison custody for allegedly killing his friend, Abdullahi Saliu, for sleeping with his (Ibrahim) wife.

The prosecutor, Corporal Moshood Hammed, told the court that the accused committed the alleged offence on October 11 at Ojubu Village in Abeokuta.He said the accused killed his friend by hitting him with a stick on his head for sleeping with his wife.

He said: “The accused and the deceased were close friends and lived together in the same apartment.

“When the accused learned that the deceased slept with his wife while he was away from home, a fight ensued between the two men, which led to the murder of Saliu.”

Hammed said the offence contravened Sections 316 and 319 of the Criminal Laws of Ogun State.

The accused, who had no legal representation and whose plea was not taken by the court, is facing a charge of murder.

The magistrate, Mr. Martins Akinyemi, ordered that the accused be remanded in Oba Prison, while awaiting Director of Public Prosecution’s advice.He, thereafter, adjourned the case to February 11, 2015, for further hearing

Ashanti, 11 Year Old Girl With Alopecia

 The mother of a terminally ill 11-year-old with alopecia said her daughter was forced to remove a pink wig she wore to school as it might encourage others to dye their hair.Ashanti Elliott-Smith suffers from a rare disease which causes her body to age eight times faster than normal and means she is not expected to live past the age of 15.

The pupil at Oakmeeds Community College, West Sussex, was told to take the wig off by a teacher because it was 'not cold in the school' and she felt so humiliated that she has not wanted return.

Her mother, Phoebe Smith, said: 'She was devastated when they told her to take it off. Her little heart was broken. It's disgusting. It is bright but she should have the right to wear whatever colour hair she wants.''She was so proud of her hair but this has put her on a downer.

'When I took her into school three teachers by the office said she looked glamorous and beautiful and said how lovely her wig was.

Ashanti's rare condition, Hutchinson Gilford Progeria, causes symptoms including stunted growth, hair loss, weight loss, wrinkled skin, stiff joints, and heart disease.

The pink wig was donated by friends as Ashanti's family struggles to afford human hair wigs.

Ms Smith said: 'There is no rule about terminally ill children not being able to wear wigs.

'She looks a lot different to other children. We get a lot of bad comments about Ashanti and this knocked her right back.' 

A student, Kate Boyd, commenting on Facebook, said: 'She suffers with alopecia and I think she should be allowed to wear a wig to school if it makes her confident and... makes her feel like anyone else at school.' 

Colin Taylor, Headteacher Oakmeeds Community College, said: 'Ashanti attended school in a large purple wig which was the first time she had appeared in school wearing a wig or any form of head wear.

'Her Learning Mentor, who meets her every morning and supports her throughout the day along with a Learning Support Assistant, spoke to the Head of Year about it.

'At no time to our knowledge did she request special consideration about head wear but we would fully understand it if Ashanti was to need a hat or indeed a wig when the weather gets cold - even indoors.

'In the past other children have worn wigs following serious illness, but ones that were of a natural look - not large brightly coloured ones.

'We are more than happy to discuss this with Ashanti and her mum when College starts again next week after the half term break.'

In June this year it emerged that Ashanti's father stole £3,500 of charity money that was intended for her to go swimming with dolphins.She was given the donation by Sussex British Motorcycle Owners Club (SBMOC) in 2010 so she could go for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to America.

But her father Albi Elliott, 44, hid the money from the rest of the family and within two months had spent it - on trips to Tesco.Blasting his actions as 'callous and despicably devious', the judge at Chichester Crown Court jailed Elliott for three years.

Tim Cook: Apple CEO Comes Out As Gay

Apple CEO Tim Cook has courageously come out as gay. He opened up about his sexuality in a Oct. 30 personal essay for Bloomberg Businessweek.Tim Cook, 53, is now the first Fortune 500 CEO to publicly come out as gay. The Apple CEO revealed his sexuality in an inspiring and brave essay for Bloomberg Businessweek. Tim admits in the essay that he considers “being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.

Tim Cook Speaks Up

At the same time, I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ” I often challenge myself with that question, and I’ve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important. That’s what has led me to today.

For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me. Of course, I’ve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences. Not everyone is so lucky.

While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me

Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It’s been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It’s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple.

The world has changed so much since I was a kid. America is moving toward marriage equality, and the public figures who have bravely come out have helped change perceptions and made our culture more tolerant. Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow employers to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation. There are many places where landlords can evict tenants for being gay, or where we can be barred from visiting sick partners and sharing in their legacies. Countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation.

I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy.

I’ll admit that this wasn’t an easy choice. Privacy remains important to me, and I’d like to hold on to a small amount of it. I’ve made Apple my life’s work, and I will continue to spend virtually all of my waking time focused on being the best CEO I can be. That’s what our employees deserve—and our customers, developers, shareholders, and supplier partners deserve it, too. Part of social progress is understanding that a person is not defined only by one’s sexuality, race, or gender. I’m an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things. I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the things I’m best suited for and the work that brings me joy.

The company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated for human rights and equality for all. We’ve taken a strong stand in support of a workplace equality bill before Congress, just as we stood for marriage equality in our home state of California. And we spoke up in Arizona when that state’s legislature passed a discriminatory bill targeting the gay community. We’ll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, would do the same. And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.

When I arrive in my office each morning, I’m greeted by framed photos of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. I don’t pretend that writing this puts me in their league. All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I’m doing my part, however small, to help others. We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick.