Policeman fights truck driver, loses gun over N500

A yet-to-be identified policeman in the Odogunyan area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, is in the eye of the storm after he was caught on camera fighting with a truck driver and his friends in the community.

The policeman was seen in the video struggling with the three men during which his rifle fell off.

One of the men was seen escaping with the rifle as the policeman later jumped into the truck.

Recession: Investment inflow into Nigeria shrinks by $4.5bn

The level of investment inflow into the country recorded a huge decline of $4.51bn from the $8.08bn in the first nine months of 2015 to $3.57bn in the same period of 2016, an analysis of the capital importation report obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed.

The report, which was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday, showed that the decline of 55.2 per cent was as result of the harsh economic climate.

A breakdown of the inflow revealed that $710m investment was indicated in the first quarter of this year, while the second and third quarters had $1.04bn and $1.82bn, respectively.

Before MMM, Nigerians were already greedy and vulnerable

Over and over again, we have been admonished not to make fun of poor folks who were dupes of the now faltering Ponzi scheme, MMM. We have been enjoined to be empathic, to spare those who have their money trapped in the scheme our sharpened tongues and the smug I-told-you-sos. We have been rightly reminded that Nigeria is currently experiencing recession pangs; the times are so hard it feels like the Sani Abacha years. Nigeria is in a poor shape, people are desperate and therefore vulnerable and in such a situation, they say, it is only fair to pity fellow Nigerians who invested their lifeblood in the MMM.

Lake Rice: Lagos adopts one-man-one-bag purchase policy

The Lagos State Governor,  Akinwunmi Ambode, on Wednesday inaugurated the much anticipated Lagos-Kebbi Rice (LAKE Rice), saying an individual would only be allowed to purchase a bag so it could go round.

The governor, who inaugurated the rice along with his Kebbi State counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, added that the partnership which culminated into the production of the rice was designed to ensure food security and showcase the ability of Nigeria to become a producing nation.

Woman beats 10-year -old girl to death in Lagos

The police in Lagos State have arrested a middle-aged woman, Linda Alapa, for allegedly beating her 10-year-old housemaid, Joy Mbafan, to death.

Mbafan lived with the suspect on Bolanle Oduniyi Street, Okegbegun, in the Ikorodu area of the state.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Alapa was flogging the girl for a misdemeanor around 3am last Monday when she passed out and died afterwards.

At the Ikorodu General Hospital morgue where she had gone to deposit Mbafan’s corpse, a doctor on duty was said to have noticed marks of violence on the body and alerted the police at the Sagamu Road Division.

18 die, 21 injured in Osun, Delta accidents

Eighteen people lost their lives in separate auto crashes in Osun and Delta states on Wednesday.

Five persons died on the spot in a multiple accident which happened close to Akinlalu Junction along the Ife -Ibadan Expressway, while 13 persons died in an auto crash along the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway in Delta State.

One of our correspondents gathered that the Osun State accident, which happened around 6.45am,  was caused by one of the drivers, who collided with other vehicles while driving against the traffic on top speed.

An eyewitness said that a Toyota Previa and three commercial buses with passengers were involved in the crash.

Military begins road construction into Sambisa Forest

The Nigerian military on Wednesday said it had commenced the construction of roads into the Sambisa and Alagarno havens of the Boko Haram insurgents.

The military also revealed that over 80 per cent of the Sambisa Forest had been captured from the insurgents as it insisted that the counter-insurgency war in the North-East would soon be over.

The military equally disclosed at a press conference by the head of counter-insurgency operation in the North-East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, that 1,880 civilians mostly women were rescued from the insurgents in the last one week.

Buhari congratulates Tor Tiv

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday congratulated Prof. James Ornguga Ayatse, on his election as Tor Tiv, the paramount ruler of the Tiv people.

Ayatse, a former vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, is also the pioneer and immediate past vice-chancellor of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President said Ayatse’s emergence as the paramount ruler of the Tiv people was an affirmation of his strength of character, integrity, and moral authority garnered over the years as a lecturer, erudite scholar and administrator.

Rep warns against withdrawing troops from N’East

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Adamu Kamale, on Wednesday kicked against plans by the Federal Government to pull out troops from the North-East in 2017 on the excuse that the Boko Haram insurgents had been weakened.

Kamale, who hails from Adamawa State, represents Michika/Madagali Federal Constituency, two of the worst-hit local governments in the state by Boko Haram attacks.

The lawmaker, who said the insurgents were still “very active in operation,” warned that Boko Haram would simply return to re-occupy Madagali should the troops pull out.

Attack: El-Rufai imposes 24-hour curfew on three LGAs

Following the Tuesday attack on the convoy of the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on three local government areas in Kaduna State. The local government areas are Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a.

The Kaduna State Security Council said it took the step based on credible intelligence about risks to lives and property in the affected areas.

FG okays 5% of recovered loot for whistleblowers

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the Ministry of Finance Whistleblowing Programme that may see individuals, who voluntarily volunteers credible information on stolen or concealed funds, smiling home with between 2.5 per cent and five per cent of the funds when recovered.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ogun pays N12bn unremitted salary deductions, others

The Ogun State Government has said it has commenced the disbursement of N12.5bn for the payment of arrears of six-month workers’ salary deductions and two years of gratuities to pensioners.

It also added that the balance of severance packages to former political appointees, who served during the immediate past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, had also been paid.

The government added that political appointees, who served during the first term of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s administration (2011 to 2015), had also been paid.