CROSS KOPA YAKURR

Delta quarantines 32 over lassa fever The Delta State government has quarantined 32 people, following the death of a medical doctor in Asaba. Also placed under surveillance were 11 persons from the immediate family of the deceased, 18 persons at a private hospital where the deceased was first admitted, and three others. Making the disclosure, yesterday, Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Azinge, said the government had shut and fumigated both the late doctor’s private hospital at Umuaji and the hospital where he had been treated at Bonsaac both in Asaba. The practitioner, whose identity is yet to be revealed, hails from Anambra State and died on Thursday, August 18, 2016. Source : The Guardian

‘Nigerian judges work less than four months a year’ When all the days they go on holiday and vacation are computed, judges in Nigerian courts work just about 104 days in a year, The Guardian can reveal. Out of 365 days in a year, judges do not sit during weekends -104 days; public holidays -10 days; annual court vacation- 60 days; Christmas vacation-14 days; Easter vacation -14 days; conference week- seven days as well as Fridays, which are usually reserved for judgments to 52 days. When the figures are summed up, they add up to 261 days, implying therefore that judges sit only for 104 days, when 261 days are deducted from the 365 days in a year. Besides, in an election year and during staggered elections, high court judges who are members of election petition tribunals, are away for 180 days, amounting to six months. Cases in the courts manned by such judges are adjourned sine die as judges are said to be away on national assignments. Similarly, appellate courts conce...

Police rescue 13 chained children, others The Lagos State Police Command at the weekend rescued 13 children and 15 adults chained and locked up at the Oke-Ira area of Ojodu in Lagos. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Fatai Owoseni, acting on a tip-off, had deployed operatives at the Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters, to the scene. The initial intelligence report was that a teenager was chained up in the house at Oyingbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu. A subsequent search of the residence by the police revealed 27 others apart from the 17-year-old the police had gone to rescue. Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said: “The command received a report through Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters, Ogba that a child was chained in a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu.” Consequently, a team of policemen was m...

The 22 members of the Benue State House of Assembly who collected money to purchase Prado Sports Utility Vehicles have started refunding the money to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. This was revealed on Monday by the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Benjamin Adanyi. It would be recalled that some members of the Assembly were recently invited and grilled by the EFCC in Abuja over alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the purchase of vehicles for members of the House. Adanyi, in a chat with reporters in Makurdi, stated that the issue that led to their invitation by the EFCC was not an issue of corruption but procedure, stressing that the amount meant for the purchase of the vehicles for the 30 members in the House was N375m and not N750m as published in the media. He said, “The issue that involved the EFCC was the issue of procedure. Somebody had petitioned the supplier about certain transactions that were being conducted, it was when investigations were goi...

Nigerian footballer Michael Umanyika has been reported dead during training with Azerbaijani First Division club Zaqatala PFK. The 20-year-old midfielder was reported to have suddenly stopped and fell during training while all efforts to revive him proved abortive. Umanyika joined the Azerbaijani top flight in 2015 where he made 20 appearances for the team during the 2015/16 season. However, the midfielder slumped during his first training session after returning from spending holidays in Nigeria. His death has been confirmed from the club’s website as well as their social media pages. Source: Today NG

Father identifies Chibok girl kidnapped by Boko Haram The father of one of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped from the remote area of Chibok more than two years ago said he recognised his daughter in a video released by Boko Haram on Sunday. A spokesman for the Bring Back Our Girls movement, set up to demand the return of 276 schoolgirls kidnapped in April 2014, said he was “certain” of the identities of 10 other girls seen in the footage. “When I heard her voice, I realised she is my daughter,” Kanu Yakubu told reporters in Abuja. He was referring to Maida Yakubu, whom he identifies as the girl seen in the video choking back her tears as she describes an air strike by the Nigerian armed forces. The girl speaks in the Chibok dialect. Bring Back Our Girls spokesman Abubakar Abdullahi earlier on Sunday said at least one of the girls had been recognised by a member of the movement. The number of girls identified from the video has now risen significantly, he ...

Nigeria’s men basketball team D’Tigers got their first victory in Rio as they outclassed Croatia 90-76. Croatia started the game as the better side winning the first quarter 28-21. However, Nigeria’s Mike Umeh was the star of the quarter scoring 10 points. The second quarter resumed with D’Tigers taking control of the game as they scored 12 straight points to lead 33-29. Croatia roared back but Nigeria held on to lead 43-39 at half time. D’Tigers came into the third quarter believing they could do it; and they absolutely blew the Croatians away scoring 27 points as against their opponents 17. In the fourth quarter the Croatians fought back but D’Tigers held on to secure a historic victory. It was a total team performance from the D’Tigers as Mike Umeh ended the game with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists; while Ebi Ere had 14 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Ike Diogu had double figures with 10 points and 12 rebounds, Josh Akognon a...