UMUAHIA—IT was a pitiable sight watching little Miss Chinaemerem Ochinihu Ikeri lay painfully on her hospital bed at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia, Abia State. She could not talk, but only stared and gnashed her teeth continually. Chinaemerem, a pupil of Ubakala Community Primary School II, who hails from Oyimo in Ubakala, Umuahia South Council Area was said to have been knocked down by an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in the state, who later abandoned her in hospital over eight months ago.

TENSION built up in Oporoza, Okerenkoko and other Gbaramatu-Ijaw riverine communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday, following the announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday that government had deployed more troops to the Niger Delta region to tackle pipeline vandals.

LAGOS— FORMER Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki, has called for the urgent privatisation of the nation’s refineries, saying the option of Turn-Around-Maintenance, TAM, has remained a distraction over the years.

EBONYI State government yesterday recalled the Special Adviser to Governor David Umahi on Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, Chief Jeremiah Oketa for alleged involvement in fraudulent practices.

KANO—Kano Lebanese community was thrown into mourning yesterday, following the death of its senior citizen fondly called Baba at his fortified residence located at Unity Road, Kano Central Business District.

THE Abia State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr Bamidele Akingbade has announced plans to send narcotic officers to local governments in Abia to check drug prevalence in communities.

ABUJA— In a daring tone, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, yesterday, stunned the nation with a declaration that senior lawyers in the country were hampering the fight against corruption.

World football governing body FIFA have ordered that Nigeria premier league side Akwa United be docked three points should they fail to pay off Meshack Chukwubuikem and his agent.

It is believed that Nigeria cup holders Akwa owe the player and his agent, Ojore Oka, a total of 2.5 million Naira.

Anambra State government may have initiated a grand plan to launch both uniforms and official identity cards for all vigilante units in the state, for the purposes of proper identification and checkmating of the proliferation of pump action guns in the state.

THE House of Representatives, yesterday, promised to engage Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, in monitoring and execution of constituency projects.

Comrade Daniel Onjeh was a one time president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS. He contested the last Benue South senatorial district election with the former senate president, David Mark, on the platform of the APC and lost but the Appeal Court in Makurdi in its ruling ordered a rerun of that election. In this interview, Onjeh spoke on why he is running against Senator Mark, the rumours that he is being sponsored by political godfathers from the Tiv speaking areas of the state and lots more.

Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung yesterday explained why he prevailed on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to rescind its plan to sack the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh. And in doing so he also exposed his inadequacies and poor understanding of the matters.

UGHELLI—TWO gunmen, yesterday afternoon, stormed the Ughelli North council secretariat and made away with an unspecified sum of money meant for members of the council’s corporative society.

Ibadan—A family of two suddenly became seven as a 28-year-old woman in purdah, Mrs Sakirat Rasaq, was delivered of quintuplets, three boys and two girls, yesterday at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

MAKURDI—Three persons have been reportedly killed ahead of the Benue South senatorial rerun election slated for this weekend, when supporters of All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, clashed yesterday.