Mother sells three-day-old baby for N260,000

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a nursing mother, Imaobong Udoh, for allegedly selling her three-day old baby girl.

Also arrested along with Imaobong were four persons for allegedly participating in the theft of the baby.

They are the buyer, Mrs. Regina James; her husband, Mfon James; the traditional birth attendant who delivered the baby, Mrs. Comfort Henry; and Mr Emmanuel Okon, a homeopathic doctor, who arranged the sale.

Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Gwadabe, said in Uyo on Monday that the father of the baby had reported the theft to the police, leading to the arrest of the suspects.

Gwadabe said, “On March 3, 2014, a case of child stealing was reported by Mr. Eteobong James, of No. 33 Urua Ekpa Road, Itu Local Governmnet Area, to the police, where a three-day-old baby girl was sold for N260, 000.

“Based on the report, the suspects were arrested.

“Mr Emmanuel Etim Okon, was the one that arranged the infamous deal and personally conveyed the baby from the point of delivery at Nna-Enin in Uruan Local Government Area to the buyers at No. 37 Church Road, Uyo.”

The police boss explained that Regina allegedly paid N150,000 to the mother of the baby and N110,000 to Okon, the homeopathic doctor, for his services.

The commissioner stated that the accused would soon be arraigned in court and warned child thieves to steer clear of the state.

He explained that the state would not be conducive for their illicit trade.

Husband of the buyer, James, who spoke with PUNCH METRO said when his wife told him she was pregnant, he gave her money for ante-natal care, but was surprised to hear that she bought the baby.

He said, “l am a trader. My wife, Regina, told me she was pregnant and I gave her money for ante-natal. One day, she told me she was in labour and later informed me that she had been delivered of a baby girl.

“I did not know she bought the baby since she has given birth to four children, though three died.”

However, the homeopathic doctor said Regina brought the mother of the baby, Imaobong, to him so that he could take care of her during ante-natal.

He said Regina had explained to him that the father of the baby was not financially buoyant to take care of her.

He denied collecting N110,000 from Regina, stating that he only collected N30,000, which was the cost of delivery of Imaobong’s baby.

“When Regina brought Imaobong to me, she told me that the man responsible for the pregnancy was unable of take care of her.

“The N30,000 I collected from her was for the upkeep of Imaobong before and during delivery of the baby. I did not collect N110,000.”

Ekiti gov: PDP disqualifies Olowoporoku, two others

The Peoples Democratic Party Screening Committee on the 2014 Ekiti Governorship Election has disqualified three aspirants from taking part in the play’s governorship primaries.

Those disqualified by the committee, which is headed by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, are Senator Bode Olowoporoku, Bosede Dada and Peter Obafemi.

Olowoporoku was disqualified on the basis that he did not produce tax clearance and that there was no evidence of court judgment overturning on his previous expulsion from the party.

Dada was also accused of not having evidence of payment of membership dues , no West African School Certificate and no production of tax clearance certificate.

In the case of Obafemi, he was said to be unable to produce his National Youth Service discharge certificate.

With the disqualification of the three aspirants, the coast is now clear for the remaining 13 aspirants to take part in the March 15 governorship primaries of the party in the state.

Akpabio wants successor from Akwa Ibom South

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has appealed to the people of Etinan Federal Constituency to support the emergence of a governor from Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District in 2015.

The governor made the appeal during a town hall meeting organised by the State Government for the people of Etinan Federal Constituency at Etinan Council Hall on Monday.

“Since 1999, the two senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom North East and Akwa Ibom North West have produced governors in the state. Justice and fairness demand that the people of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District should take their turn in 2015.

“This government decided to hold the town hall meeting because we believe strongly that we have come to a critical moment in our history,” Akpabio said.

He said this was the moment to take a decision on the way forward.

“You are a strategic partner in the development of the state. Since the days of Dr. Clement Isong of old Cross River, no government could succeed without the contributions of Etinan Federal Constituency,” Akpabio said.

He, however, assured the people that there would be no anointed candidate and that the election would be open to all contestants in 2015.

Akpabio said stakeholders would sit and zone political positions at the end of constituency consultation.

Former National Assembly member, Senator Effiong Bob (Akwa Ibom North East), thanked the governor for initiating the town hall meeting to test the pulse of the people.

Bob, who is the Pro-Chancellor, University of Benin, said the meeting was an opportunity of telling the truth.

He had asked what the people of Etinan Federal Constituency stood to gain if the governor came from Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Business and Rules, Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East), assured the people of refunds on federal roads constructed by the state government.

Task force raids 12 Kano drugs joints

The Kano State Task force on War against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has raided 12 centres frequented by drug addicts in Kano metropolis.

The Chairman of the task force, Alhaji Garba Ahmed, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Monday.

Ahmed listed the areas where the drug centres were dislodged as Kofar Nasarawa, Kofar Na’isa, Sharada P&T, Gidan Albasa, Gidan Zoo and Rumfa College.

The others were Dorayi Primary School, Darmanawa, Sabon Gari, New Road Motor Park, Rijiyar Lemu and Unguwa Uku Motor Park.

He said the places, which were hitherto the bases of drug addicts in the metropolis, had been sanitised.

“The State Government is winning the war against drug abuse in the state in view of the achievements recorded so far. Based on the number of arrest, seizure and convictions made in 2013, one can say that the war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking is being won in the state,” he added.

The chairman said 567 suspects were arrested in 2013 out of which 253 were convicted at the Federal High Court in Kano.

He said 170 drug addicts were rehabilitated at the Kano Reformatory Institute, Kiru.

He added that another batch of 150 addicts would soon be taken to the institute for rehabilitation.

He commended Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso for the support he had been giving to the task force, saying without government’s support, the task force would not have recorded the success so far.

Pharrell has finally come to terms

Pharrell has finally come to terms with his position in hip-hop.
Pharrell has given up trying to compete with Jay Z.
The 40-year-old star has released his second solo album, G I R L, following a 20-year run as one of pop music's most successful producers.
But in an interview with UK newspaper The Guardian, Pharrell reveals he didn't feel at ease with himself as an artist until very recently, and spent his early days trying to compete with the rappers he idolised.
"[I was] this competitive guy in the music industry, who admired my peers and felt he needed to compete with the races that they designed. But in life you're meant to race against yourself," he said.
"Jay was never going to race with any of us. That was just my delusion. Because his career runs laps round people. And he runs laps round people, lyrically. He's a philosopher and a poet," he explained.
Pharrell spoke at length about his first solo album, in My Mind, released in 2006.
Of all the albums he's worked on, the star said it's actually his least favourite because he hadn't found himself yet.
"I didn't know who I was. I thought I knew who I was," he said.
"It was in my mind, but not in my heart. It was this caricature that I'd built in my mind, that fitted in with what Snoop and Jay were doing. Some of the things I said on that record, all the bragging, it's not necessary. It doesn't say anything about you, apart from how shallow you are."
Pharrell's latest single, Happy, now has fans around the world moving their feet. It seems the Grammy-winner has finally found his groove.
"I always want to put something medicinal into my music. To always have some nutrients," he said.
"Your own offering to the world should be a signature of who you are and what you're up to, and I just hadn't figured that out. The difference is, now I realise there's something so much bigger than

300 slays at box office

300: Rise of an Empire raked in close to $45.1 million in its debut weekend at the US box office.
300: Rise of an Empire debuted at the top of the US box office this weekend.
Sullivan Stapleton plays Greek general Themistokles in the war drama, which follows his character leading the charge against invading Persian forces led by a vengeful commander and two mortals-turned-gods.
The feature, directed by Noam Murro, boasts a first-week total of almost $45.1 million, according to early estimates.
Animated adventure comedy Mr. Peabody & Sherman debuted in second place with $32.5 million.
Ariel Winter, Ty Burrell and Max Charles are among actors lending their voices to the film, which shares the time-travelling adventures of a dog and his adopted son.
Non-Stop fell from one to three with close to $15.4 million.
Liam Neeson stars as air marshal Bill Marks in the Jaume Collet-Serra-directed thriller, which follows his hunt for a criminal threatening to kill passengers on board a flight unless millions are transferred into a bank account.
The LEGO Movie slipped from three to four with just over $11 million.
The animated adventure, featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Channing Tatum, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson and Jonah Hill, now boasts a five-week worldwide total of $360.6 million.
Biblical drama Son of God rounds out the top five.
Christopher Spencer directed the film, which tells his interpretation of the life story of Jesus from his birth to his resurrection.
The feature tumbled from two with $10 million.

Malaysia Airlines has been the biggest victim of the budget airline onslaught in Asia.

An airport staff waits for passengers at Malaysia Airlines' check-in counter at the airport in Beijing on Monday. European Pressphoto Agency

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU -4.00% flight MH370 will add to the growing financial problems at the country's state-run airline, which is already mired in steep losses.

Malaysia Airlines has been the biggest victim of the budget airline onslaught in Asia. Though well respected for its high levels of service, the carrier has had a particularly difficult time playing defense in its backyard against the rise of AirAsia 5099.KU 0.00% Bhd., the region's biggest low-cost carrier, which operates mainly from its Kuala Lumpur hub.

Shares of Malaysia Airlines fell as much as 20% when markets opened Monday, wiping out more than $100 million off its market capitalization following news of the missing plane over the weekend. The plane had 227 passengers including 12 crew members aboard, when it departed from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Saturday.

"I'm expecting it to affect consumer sentiment," said Daniel Wong, an analyst at Hong Leong Investment Bank, 5819.KU -0.28% who cut his price target on Malaysia Airlines' stock by 30% to 0.20 ringitt in the wake of the incident. "People will get very wary of Malaysia Airlines' branding and will likely go for other airlines." That will likely force the airline to offer cheaper tickets or other promotions for the next year, until the incident fades from memory, he added.

Hong Kong-based travel agency Package Tours (HK) Ltd. said it has received some enquiries from customers requesting to be rebooked on other airlines for flights to Kuala Lumpur instead of Malaysia Airlines. "Most customers remain rational and agreed to carry on their trips with Malaysia Air if they can't get a seat with other carriers," the company's business consultant Chun-Ning Yuen said.

Nasdaq-listed Ctrip.com International, one of China's biggest online travel websites, said it hasn't seen significant requests from Chinese travelers for cancellations and rebookings. "There has been no major difference between the cancellation rates before and after the accident," a spokesman said.

However, the outlook for the government-based airline remains clouded by intensifying competition from low-cost carriers. Budget airlines were virtually nonexistent in Asia just a decade ago, but now command an over 50% share of all air passenger traffic in Southeast Asia, thanks in large part to the success of AirAsia, which is helmed by a charismatic former Warner Music executive.

Malaysia Airlines' flights within Asia suffered as AirAsia slashed ticket prices on many key domestic and regional services, while its once prized long haul flights reeled from a sharp slowdown in passenger demand in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

AirAsia's more recent foray into the medium-range services—those between five and eight hours flight time—has further weakened the competitiveness of Malaysia Airlines on flights to Japan and Australia.

The carrier, which is 61.4% owned by Malaysian sovereign-wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd., has been unprofitable for the last three years, though the airline has recently said it was finally expecting better times ahead with more demand for premium travel. The airline has also been considering a major fleet renewal project to order new short-haul and long-haul aircraft, executives said earlier. They said they are confident that premium passengers would pay more to fly Malaysian Airlines if they offered better services.

Still, to stem losses, the carrier in 2012 cut flights to Cape Town and Buenos Aires, and said it would end flights to Los Angeles in April—the airline's only North American destination—having served the city since 1986. The flag carrier's choice of fleet expansion was also questioned by analysts when the airline opted to buy several Airbus A380 superjumbo jets, which carry over 450 passengers. Analysts were skeptical whether the airline has any routes that require such substantial capacity.

"Malaysia Airlines has a good safety (record) and a great crew but the wrong people are running it," said Shukor Yusof, an analyst with Standard & Poor's's Equity Research. "People with no clear vision of what the industry is looking at…. They are way behind the curve."

"The financial outlook, notwithstanding the MH370 incident, is dismal. It is pointless to complain about AirAsia, high jet fuel prices and an uneven playing field," Mr. Yusof said.

Malaysia Airlines' problems have been exacerbated by government interference in its operations and stiff union resistance to cost-cutting overhauls. In 2013, Malaysian Airline System Bhd., the firm that operates Malaysia Airlines lost 1.17 billion ringgit, or nearly $360 million, compared with a 432 million ringgit loss in 2012. In 2011, it lost 2.52 billion ringgit, its biggest ever loss.

"The main problem for Malaysia Airlines is their legacy cost structure," said Sharifah Farah, an analyst at Affin Investment Bank, 5185.KU +0.74% citing long-term contracts and union difficulties that have weighed on profits for years, allowing intense competition from low-cost carriers such as Air Asia to swipe market share. "These problems are not new," she says.

In 2011, AirAsia's chief executive, Tony Fernandes, agreed to a share swap to help relaunch and rebrand Malaysia Airlines with a fresh advertising campaign. The deal unraveled the next year with Mr. Fernandes blaming unions for blocking badly needed changes in its operations. Malaysia Airlines' managing director, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, recently began another attempt to revive the carrier's fortunes.

The financial problems facing Malaysia Airlines don't necessarily suggest that safety standards at the airline have been compromised and there is no evidence the crash is tied to its financial woes. It has a high safety rating—a six-star rating out of seven—according to a review in January by airlineratings.com, which rates airlines by various categories.

But the airline has suffered two deadly crashes in the past. In 1977, a Boeing BA -0.25% 737 was hijacked and subsequently crashed in the south of the country, killing all 100 people on board. Then in 1995, a Fokker 50 operated by the airline crashed during an approach to the airport at Tawau, in the state of Sabah, killing 34 of the 53 people on board.

The Malaysian flag carrier, established in 1937, flies to 80 destinations across the globe. The carrier operates a fleet of around 88 aircraft, including six Airbus A380 jets that are its flagships. It also has Boeing 747-400, and Airbus 330 widebody jets and Boeing 737 single aisle jets that fly on shorter routes.

'Slain' Mexico Cartel Leader Dies a Second Time

Cartel kingpin Nazario Moreno Gonzalez had two lives.
One ended in late 2010 when the leader of a vicious drug gang ruling the western state of Michoacan was supposedly killed by federal police. The second ended just after his 44th birthday, when he died in a shootout with government troops early Sunday.

The federal government had something Sunday that was missing the first time — his body.

In Mexico's campaign to take down top capos, the killing of a supposed dead man was the most bizarre event yet, even after the capture two weeks ago of Mexico's most wanted and powerful drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, another near-mythical figure who surrendered without a fight after 13 year on the run since escaping from prison.

Residents of Michoacan had reported seeing Moreno, known as the "The Craziest One," around the state since the government reported he was killed in a two-day gunbattle with federal police in December 2010, though authorities conceded they never found his body.

Mexican authorities had been tracking him since January, and soldiers and marines confronted him in Timbuscatio, a town in the remote mountains of the western farming state, his cartel's home base. Officials said the troops fired to respond to an "aggression" as they tried to make an arrest.

Tomas Zeron, head of the criminal investigation unit for the federal Attorney General's Office, said his identity had been confirmed 100 percent by fingerprints, but added that tests would continue.

"This is a victory. He did a lot of damage to the people of Michoacan," said Hipolito Mora, one of the leaders of civilian "self-defense" groups that rose up last year against the current incarnation of Moreno's cartel, the Knights Templar. The vigilante violence caused the administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto to finally act forcefully against the gang.

Moreno, who spent his teenage years in the United States, founded La Familia cartel, which was the first target of former President Felipe Calderon's assault on Mexican drug trafficking. While Calderon touted Moreno's "death" and his dismantling of La Familia as a victory, Moreno and his cartel morphed into the more ruthless Knights Templars. Maneuvering about in hiding, he built shrines to himself and his quasi-religious criminal organization.

Calderon was not immediately available for comment on Moreno's killing. But Alejandro Poire, his security spokesman at the time, issued a statement late Sunday saying they had based the announcement on security information that clearly proved inaccurate. He commended Pena Nieto's administration and wished them more success.

"I don't think they want to open their mouths much right now," said Raul Benitez, a security expert at Mexico's National Autonomous University. "The successes of Pena Nieto so quickly in his government at the same time show the failure of the Calderon administration."

La Familia and the Templars both distributed literature and preached faith in God and a moral code, even as they became major traffickers of methamphetamine to the U.S. and ruled Michoacan through stealing, killing and extortion.

Moreno was born in the Michoacan farming hub of Apatzingan on March 8, 1970, and migrated to California as a teenager, eventually entering the drug trade there, according to a Mexican government profile. In 2003, a federal grand jury in McAllen, Texas, indicted him on charges that included conspiracy to distribute marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Man held for alleged $50,000 theft

Operatives of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, Lagos have arrested an employee of a Bureau de Change and his wife for allegedly stealing  $50,000 from his employer.

The suspect, Festus Chukwuemeka, was arrested following a petition dated January 27, ehich was addressed to the Commissioner of Police, SFU, alleging that he was sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with three other employees by the complainant to collect $50,000 each for foreign exchange business.

It was alleged that Festus made away with the whole money and could not be reached.

The suspect, it was learnt, changed his phone numbers and was only in contact with his wife, Blessing, and his girlfriend, Susan Ehwefan.

The police, in collaboration with a communication company, succeeded in tracking him down at his hide-out in Republic of Benin.

Police said 32-year-old Festus, who hails from Umuoma Okpofe in Ezinihite Mbaise, Imo State, is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Abia State University.

In his statement, Festus said he was employed as a driver to the petitioner and was sent with the others to collect $50,000 from CBN, adding that after collecting the money, he fled to Cotonou and switched off all his phones.

Spokesperson of the SFU, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the suspect, who is married with four children, alerted his wife, Blessing, to run away with the children.

“He was arrested in Benin Republic with the assistance of Benin Republic police authorities while he was trying to purchase a Hiace bus,” she said.

Isintume-Agu said the suspect confessed to the alleged crime, and that he kept $17,000 with his wife at a village near Idiroko.

“His wife, Blessing Chukwuemeka, a 26-year-old petty trader with no formal education, was also arrested. She is a native of Ehime Mbano in Imo State. She admitted that the husband called her on January 21 and told her to run away from home to avoid police arrest because he had stolen a huge sum of money from his employer.

“She further admitted that the money was kept in her custody and that her husband came from time to time to collect it from her.  She was arrested at Idiroko in a friend’s house, where she was hiding.  The sum of $15,000, $2,620,000.00 Cefa and N76,500.00 was recovered from her”, Isintume-Agu said.

She said after ongoing investigations, the suspect and his wife would be charged to court to serve as a deterrent to others.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), SFU, Zubairu Muazu, also urged the public to be careful of the kind of domestic servants they employ to take care of their homes.

“Employers must not expose domestic servants to valuables that will tempt them to misbehave,” he said.

Police arrest workers over missing baby

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu in Anambra State yesterday arrested five workers of the Nnewi South Motherless Babies Home (Community Children’s Home), Amichi for the alleged disappearance of a two-month-old baby boy, Emmanuel Chidera Okeke-Nwaorah.

Officials of SARS, on the directive of the officer in charge, James Nwafor, swooped on the home, following a tip-off.

The Head of the Department of Social Welfare/ESD Nnewi-South, Mrs. B.N. Emelie was not arrested, but the Head of the home, Mrs. Ozo Eucharia and others were arrested and are assisting the police in their investigation.

A source said troubled began when a young girl walked into the home and took little Emmanuel away. He said the baby’s guardian cried out when he visited the home and discovered that he was missing.

The source said the matter was reported to the police and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

The Nation learnt that the baby’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Nworah, were told that their child was ill and in a hospital at Nnewi.

The source said the parents searched for the baby in hospitals and petitioned the ministry and the police, leading to SARS’ intervention.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Lady Henrietta Agbata, who spoke through the Director, Child Development, Mr. Emeka Ejide, said the victim’s parents petitioned the ministry. He confirmed that the police arrested workers of the Amichi Motherless Babies Home.

According to him, they were awaiting directives from the commissioner.