Stampede at Akwa Ibom stadium inauguration, 2 feared dead, 20 others injured.

Two persons were feared dead and 20 others injured in a stampede at the entrance of Akwa Ibom International Stadium on Friday during its inauguration.

The crowd control was a difficult task in spite of the road blocks mounted some kilometres away from the stadium.



Although the spectators got tickets to enable them access the 30, 000 capacity stadium, the crowd started thronging the stadium about five hours ahead of the scheduled time for the match.

Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Emem Bassey, said that two unconscious persons were taken to an undisclosed hospital.

“I was told that two persons have been taken to the hospital; these are perhaps people who were fighting at the gate in their bid to enter the stadium,” Bassey said.

He said that the third unconscious person, a woman, was revived in the stadium and had started talking.

“It should be expected; this is the first time this is happening, everybody is excited, everybody wants to enter the stadium.

“We have 150 medical personnel in this place and eight ambulances. All our medical teams are up and doing and all the clinics are manned,” Bassey said.

NAN reports that the security operatives at some check points were using horse whips and tear-gas to control the crowd.

NYSC boss' son allegedly shot by hired SSS operatives

Preye, who is said to be the son of the Chairman of the Governing Board, National Youth Service Corps, Chief Gordon Bozimo, has been allegedly shot by suspected operatives of the Department of State Security in Bayelsa State.



Preye was said to have been shot in the stomach in Peretimi Hotels located at Imgbi Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where he had lodged.

The victim alleged that the manager of the hotel hired operatives of the Department of State Security to shoot him.

He said on Sunday that three suspected DSS operatives were personally led by the manager of the hotel to deal with him and finally shoot him in the stomach.

It was learnt that following the incident, the hotel was shut down for about five days after some of the workers were arrested, detained and later released by the police.

Preye, who hails from Bomadi, Delta State, spoke in his hospital bed at the Surgical Ward of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where he is lying critically ill.

Preye, a building contractor and founder of Prezimo Global Resources, said he lodged in the hotel on September 30 with his cousin, Mr. Nathaniel Alaweremi.

But he said trouble started when he had an argument in the room with his cousin over some financial miscalculations.

The quarrel, he said, attracted the hotel manager whose office was located directly opposite their room.

Preye said, “Last week, Tuesday, I came into Yenagoa so, I went to Peretimi Hotel on Imgbi road. I got there and paid for a room. I had little argument with my cousin on monetary issues involving our construction.

“Our voices went high due to the little argument. The room I lodged in was opposite the manager’s office. She came and accused us of chasing one of her customers away because of our noise.

“She said we were so noisy and didn’t think we could stay in her hotel. So, we said no problem that she should refund our money to us. I approached her and told her that as a manager, she was not supposed to treat her customers like that. She immediately responded and said she would show me.”

Preye, who was writhing in pains, said the manager left them and shortly came back with three armed persons he identified as SSS operatives.

He added, “She left and came in with three SSS men. They were in suites and they wore glasses with two guns and a big riffle. Immediately, they asked my cousin to leave the room. They locked me inside.

“Everything looked suspicious to me because I know that it is not how to arrest a person. While I was trying to plead with the manager that the matter had not got to the level she took it, the SSS men punched on me.

“The next thing I heard was a shot and I realised it was on my stomach and I fell to the ground inside the room and they started hitting me. The other one said, ‘empty his pocket’ and they took all my money, my ATM cards, my wrist watch, pulled my trousers, took my shoes and my car key.

“It was a clear robbery. They now dragged me outside. I was on t-shirt and on boxer shorts. They dragged me through the pavements; all my ribs were paining me.

“Then they fired two shots into the air. When my cousin came to where I was lying, they threatened to shoot him on the leg.They took me into their bus and went away. When we got to the station, they put me on the ground and I was bleeding.”

When asked the name of the station he was taken to, he said, “I did not really no because I was dizzy but it was an SSS station. On the ground, I was bleeding and shouting everybody refused to attend to me.

“But when they saw the amount of blood coming out of my body they now decided to take me to the hospital. So, I was asking why they shot me like a common criminal. They said that they are security agents and they choose to do whatsoever they wish to do and that there is nothing I can do.”

The 32-year-old man said he lost all his valuables including about N100,000 to his attackers during the incident that happened between 12 and 2pm on the fateful day.

Preye continued, “They shot me in my stomach. One of the bullets went in and came out. The other bullet that went in, they still haven’t seen the bullet and the doctor here said I have to go for further check abroad because they have done their best.

“They said even if they see the bullet, they can’t operate it. So, this is the situation. These men were so confident of themselves because they said I can’t do anything. I think they have been doing this kind of thing.”

His cousin, Alaweremi, who corroborated the story, insisted that men of the DSS were persons hired by the hotel manager to beat and shoot his cousin.

He said, “The manager was laughing at my brother’s ordeal and she said that we got what we were looking for. My brother did nothing wrong. The doctors are saying that they couldn’t handle the case here and that he should be taken abroad. Where will the money come out from to run these expenses?”

Though the state Director, DSS, Mr. Dawa Everest, could not be reached for his comments, the Commissioner of Police, said he had yet to get details of the incident.

Nigeria Military orders arrest of General for running into bush with troops for fear of BH.

The Army High Command has allegedly ordered the arrest and detention of a Brigadier-General attached to the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army (names with-held) over allegations of negligence that gave Boko Haram terrorists an opportunity to overrun some communities in Borno State recently.

It was gathered that the senior officer who hails from one of the states in the South West, was the officer coordinating the military onslaught to dislodge several Boko Haram terrorists from Bama, Gwoza, Madagali, Michika and other communities in Borno and Adamawa states that later fell into the hands of the terrorists.

The General was accused of providing poor leadership and failed to instil confidence in the soldiers, resulting in several soldiers allegedly abandoning the fight against the terrorists while several of them lost their lives.

According to the source, when the Boko Haram insurgents came in full force to attack Bama,some top brass of the unit offered no resistance by running into the bush.

The source disclosed that the insurgents entered the Brigade Headquarters and Armoury freely and carted away vehicles and Tanks.


NE was told that some of the commanders were rescued from the bush by a battalion deployed at Konduga, which was stationed about 15 kilometers behind Bama, the last deployment before Maiduguri.

The Military high command was said to be furious that the insurgents after taking over Bama and killing hundreds of civilians ransacked the armoury with no soldier offering resistance, leaving the insurgents to have a free day.

According to the source; after seizing the equipment at the 21 Brigade Bama, the terrorists used the same weapons to attack the infantry battalion at Konduga but met their waterloo where hundreds of the Boko Haram insurgents were killed.

The source added that the 21 Armoured Brigade which had several armoured tanks could not withstand the battle that was later decided by less than 400 infantry soldiers in Konduga.

It was further gathered that after running away from Bama, some top brass of the brigade and about 800 troops went straight to Maiduguri instead of joining the troops in Konduga to repel the attack.
To face court-martial

It was also gathered that a board of inquiry is investigating the conduct of the officers for acts of negligence among other offences.

Military sources further revealed that Boko Haram terrorists were not really better armed in the terror war but rather leadership of troops on ground has been discovered as a problem that needed to be tackled.

Giving an instance, a source said: “Commanders of troops are supposed to lead soldiers from the frontline but what we discovered is that most of the commanders operate and give orders from the rear.

“If not that our soldiers are rugged and know that the Boko Haram terrorists could not match them professionally, what we are seeing today would have been the opposite. Actually, when terrorists see soldiers coming, they run for their lives, but due to poor leadership, the back-up arrangements are not activated. When soldiers therefore run out of ammunition and the terrorists regroup, soldiers will have no other choice than to retreat”.

The source cited the successes recorded severally in the battles to take over Konduga as the perfect way the Nigeria Army operates, noting that even though there were four different attacks with heavy weaponry, the army was able to defeat them and recovered stolen weapons.

AIG Joseph Mbu detains AIT reporter for calling him a "controversial police officer"

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in Zone 7, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, yesterday ordered the detention of Africa Independent Television (AIT) reporter Amaechi  Anakwue.

Mbu invited Anakwue to his office for allegedly referring to him as a “controversial police officer” during a television programme.

It was learnt that on getting to the office, Mbu ordered that his men to detained Anakwue.

The management of DAAR Communications last night demanded the release of the reporter.

Mbu, who was Rivers State commissioner of Police was redeployed to Abuja, following his hostile relationship with Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

In Rivers State, Mbu was accused of authorising the use of “rubber bullets” to disperse a group preparing to hold a rally, in which Senator Magnus Abe was shot.

On getting to Abuja, he authorised the use of water cannon to disperse protesting lecturers of polytechnics and colleges of education at the Eagle Square.

He described himself as a “lion”, who tamed a leopard in Rivers State, apparently referring to Governor Amaechi.

But Amaechi shot back, saying Mbu “completely lacks the steel and strength of character of a lion, and is rather a shameless, corrupt puppet and toothless attack dog of a woman.”

Ghana plans to export electricity to Nigeria.

Ghana says it is planning to export thousands of megawatts of electricity to Nigeria, Ivory Coast and other neighbouring countries that have power deficit.



The Ghanaian President, Mr. John Mahama, who made the disclosure at the Africa Global Business and Economic Forum in Dubai on Wednesday, said his government had made huge investments in power generation that would enable the country to export excess electricity to Nigeria and others.

“We have given priority to electricity generation in our country. We have prioritised energy in such a way that we want to become the hub for power production in West Africa. We want to generate electricity to the point that excess power can be exported to Nigeria, Ivory Coast and other countries that have power deficit,” he said.

To achieve this dream, Mahama said his country had secured export-import financing from China as well as special funds from Abu Dhabi to commence series of power generation projects, adding that a third hydropower dam project was already at an advanced stage.

The Ghanaian leader spoke in a panel discussion along with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Mulatu Wirtu of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Mahama added, “Where Africa faces some of its challenges lies its biggest opportunities. We are leveraging on public-private sector partnership to build infrastructure. Be it roads, electricity, ports or communication systems; if we create the right environment, investors will come.

“Creating the right environment that will attract foreign direct investment is key.”

In achieving this, the Ghanaian leader joined Kagame and Wirtu to emphasise the need for African governments to strengthen anti-corruption agencies in their various countries.

“Issues of accountability and transparency are very important. There must be mechanism to fight corruption. We all have institutions but the major thing is resourcing them to effectively fight corruption and perform effectively,” he noted.

According to Kagame, African governments must create a system that is not sympathetic to corruption, saying this would help drive the required Foreign Direct Investment into the continent.

He said, “It is one thing to have the institutions; it is another thing to allow them to work. Governance and structure must be in place to make them to work,” he said.

“African governments must fix infrastructure, investment in development of education and skills, and also enhance connectivity among African countries.”

Teenager rapes 90-year-old woman

A teenager who raped a woman in her 90s in the hall of her home has been jailed for 16 years at Newport Crown Court.



Lee-Joseph Dixon, 18, forced his way into the house in Ely, Cardiff, as he made his way home from a party at 4am in May.

He “had not one ounce of pity” for his victim in the attack, the judge said.

Dixon, from Ely, admitted raping the widowed grandmother and will serve a minimum of eight years and be on the sex offenders register for life.

As she was attacked, the woman asked him: “Why is a young man like you raping an old woman like me?”

John Lloyd, prosecuting, told the court Dixon has been drinking at the party this year, and began knocking on doors as he walked to his home 300 metres away.

The woman was in her dressing gown and barefoot when she opened the door of the house.

Dixon told her there was an emergency and forced his way into the property as soon as the door was opened.

After the attack, the woman called 999. Officers found her shaking in the hallway still clutching the phone.

The woman was in hospital for two weeks but now lives in a care home as she was unable to return to her home, where she had lived since she was a child.

In a statement to the court, her son said: “I am constantly surprised that this did not kill her.

“We are struggling to come to terms with how a young man can do such an horrific violating act to an old woman in her own home where she is meant to feel safest.”

Judge DJ Hale told Dixon: “You wanted to satisfy your sexual urges and you had not one ounce of pity for your victim.”

He said, “This is a particularly horrifying attack. You have blighted what remains of her life.

“Your victim was a fiercely independent woman who was living alone in the home where she had lived for most of her life, surrounded by her memories and possessions.

“It takes a great deal of courage to live alone at that age. But you ruined that for that night when you rang her doorbell.

“You have caused real physical and psychological harm.”

Dixon admitted rape but said he had no memory of the attack.

South Wales Police Det Insp Stuart Wales said Dixon was arrested within 72 hours of the “dreadful attack” that “understandably caused a lot of public concern, particularly within the Ely community”.

He said, “Stranger attacks on women, such as this one, are extremely rare.

“As with any such similar incident, when they do occur we have specialist officers to investigate these crimes and work closely with partner agencies to provide support to rape victims.

“This has been a life-altering experience but one where the victim and her family have shown remarkable emotional strength in dealing with what happened to her.”

Football federation's headquarters gutted by fire

The headquarters of the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja, the Glass House was gutted by fire on Wednesday.

The office of the NFF general secretary was reportedly razed down, along with those of other principal officers of the federation.

A source in Abuja told NigerianEye that the offices of the President and the accounts department might also be affected by the inferno.


This comes on the heels of acrimonious events leading to the August 26 congress meeting.


Senior federal fire service chief Imo Eyo described the damage as “huge” and said there was no immediate indication of foul play.

“We suspect a circuit fault to have led to the fire but a proper enquiry would be carried out by the authorities,” he added.

Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) technical director Emmanuel Ikpeme said the blaze appeared to have started in the office of a senior accounts manager.

“We thought it was something that could be contained by the fire extinguisher,” he told reporters.

“But before we knew it, the fire spread to the general-secretary’s office and from there, there couldn’t be any control.”

The NFF has been in crisis for several months and FIFA suspended the organisation in July over what it said was “government interference” in its affairs.

That followed a Nigerian court ruling that sacked the NFF high command and the government appointed a sole administrator to run the game.

The ban, which threatened Nigeria’s participation in the FIFA under-20 women’s World Cup this month, was later lifted.

But the NFF executive board then gave a vote of no confidence in president Aminu Maigari and sacked him over allegations of financial misappropriation, misapplication and maladministration.

Maigari was however reinstated because FIFA said that correct procedure had not been followed. He returned to work this week.

NFF secretary-general Musa Amadu cautioned against attributing blame for the fire but added: “Thank God no lives were lost but this is sad and unfortunate.”

Ikpeme added: “It’s very sad, more so that Nigerians know that we have been having some challenges in the Nigerian Football Federation.

“When we thought it was all over only for us to come this morning and experience this kind of thing. It’s a very, very serious matter.

“You can imagine, most of the NFF’s sensitive and important documents of the NFF are in the secretary-general’s office and for the fire to destroy the accountants’ office is very sad.

TRANSFERS: Manchester United signs defender Rojo from Sporting Lisbon

Manchester United on Wednesday announced the signing of defender Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon for a fee of €20m, with Nani joining the Portuguese club on a season-long loan. Marcos joins on a five-year contract.



Rojo, 24, joined Sporting from Spartak Moscow, having started his career at his home town team of Estudiantes de la Plata. Marcos has played 28 times for Argentina since making his debut three years ago and played six games, including the final, in his country's run to the recent FIFA World Cup final, scoring in the last group game against Nigeria. He was named as one of the defenders in the Castrol Index All Star Team of the tournament.

Marcos Rojo said: "It is such an honour to say that I now play for Manchester United. The Premier League is the most exciting league in the world and to have the chance to play in it for the world's biggest club is a dream for me.

 I am young and am very keen to continue to learn the game, so playing for such an experienced technical coach as Louis van Gaal is a fantastic opportunity for me. I have joined United to work hard with my team-mates to win trophies and I know that the manager shares that ambition."

U.S donates high tech bomb disposal robot /equipment to Nigerian Police

The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Suleiman Abba NPM, on August 20, 2014 at Force Headquarters, Abuja, received the US Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, James F. Entwistle.

The US Ambassador congratulated the Ag. IGP on his new appointment as the Police Boss and thanked the Nigeria Police Force for its high level of co-operation and huge partnership with the US Embassy in Nigeria.

 

The Ambassador thereafter presented High tech Bomb disposal robots/equipment to the Nigeria Police Force. He also reassured the Ag. IGP that his country will continue to render relevant supports to the Force in the areas of training and security cooperation.

The IGP, while responding, appreciated the Ambassador’s courtesy visit and thanked the US government for assisting the Nigeria Police Force in areas of investigation, management of scene of crime as well as position of equipment.

Describing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) executed by the Nigeria Police Force and the US government recently as a huge partnership that will improve and modernize Police training in Nigeria, the IGP restated his commitment to continue to drive reforms and transformation of the Force in order to reposition the Force for better service delivery and promised that the newly donated equipment would be put to effective use.

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: Falconet trash North Korea to reach finals

Asisat Oshoala scored four times as Nigeria reached the final with a thumping 6-2 victory over Korea DPR in the highest-scoring semi-final ever seen at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Oshoala also laid on two more goals in a win that leaves the Super Falconets to face either France or Germany on Sunday at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, and the North Koreans to play for third place at the same venue.



Nigeria have had a tendency to score quick goals during their time at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014, and Courtney Dike continued that trend with a goal barely more than a minute after kick-off. Oshoala set the tone by setting it up, releasing Dike in behind Korea DPR’s captain Choe Sol-Gyong before the No8 expertly picked her spot just inside the far post. At the half-way point of the first period, Oshoala doubled Nigeria’s lead, capitalising on a poor touch from centre-half Song Kyong-Hui before rounding the keeper and passing into an open goal. 

Less than ten minutes later, Ri Un-Sim – arguably the North Koreans’ most dangerous attacker throughout the tournament – pulled one back with a great bit of individual skill after receiving a long ball from midfield. Ri beat two defenders on the cutback and finished past Sandra Chiichii with a powerful shot into the top corner. From there, Korea DPR looked inspired in search of an equaliser but the score remained 2-1 at half-time before Nigeria swiftly put the game out of reach within minutes of the restart.

In similar fashion to her appearance and goal in the quarter-finals against New Zealand, Uchechi Sunday came on as a substitute and within a minute scored to restore her team's two-goal lead. Oshoala then put the game out of reach on the hour mark when she hit a stunning shot from 20 yards out that left Kim with no chance as it flew into the top corner. 

Korea DPR had one last glimmer of hope two minutes later when Ugo Njoku handled the ball in her own area, allowing Jon So-Yon to score from the penalty spot. However, Oshoala’s quality shone through yet again in the 68th minute when she completed her hat-trick, beating Song and winning a foot race with Kim to once more fire into an empty net.

Nigeria were not finished there, though, and with five minutes from time the No4 matched the number on her jersey. The goal came as a result of another North Korean defensive miscue less than six yards from goal, resulting in a simple tap-in.

Oshoala had taken the wind out of the Korean sails far earlier in the match and when the final whistle sounded, her Nigerian team-mates surrounded her in celebration, while Hwang Yong-Bong's side trudged off disconsolately.

29 year old man rapes 7 year old girl, damages her Vigina

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a man, identified simply as Julius, for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl (names withheld), damaging her private parts and distorting her urination.

It was learnt that 29-year-old Julius, who lived in a rented apartment on Obafalabi Street, Ojodu Berger area of Lagos, allegedly tricked the little girl into his room on the night of Saturday, July 26, and had illegal carnal knowledge of her.



It was gathered that the victim, a primary one pupil, was the daughter of Julius’s co-tenant. It was further learnt that Julius, who hails from Benin, Edo State, was not married and lived in the apartment with his mother.

Our correspondent learnt that on the fateful evening, the victim’s family, who were Muslims, had gone for prayer in a mosque and expected the child to come with them, but could not find her. However, when the family returned, the girl was said to have sneaked out of the suspect’s room, with obvious signs of pain.

Upon interrogation by her parents, the girl was said to have confessed that she was coming from Julius’s room, where he allegedly asked her to remove her pants, while he climbed on her and raped her. After the confession, the parents were said to have reported the incident at the Ojodu Abiodun Division and Julius was arrested.

When our correspondent visited Julius’s apartment on Tuesday morning, the victim’s mother, a northerner who hails from Kebbi State, revealed that the girl could not urinate properly after the incident, adding that she was being treated at a private hospital.

She said, “On that evening, when we came back from the mosque, she could not bend down properly. I asked her where she went and she initially lied, but later said she had been in his room.

“She said the man asked her to remove her pants, and he put his organ into her, stating that he was just playing with her. I then asked her to repeat the same to her daddy when he came back. But in the morning when we confronted Julius, he denied it. Then we called our family nurse, who came, tested her, and confirmed that she had been raped.

“That same day, we took her to a private hospital where the doctor also confirmed that she had been raped the day before, and on several occasions. So, we reported at the police station. From that day, I observed she could not hold her urine.

“A girl who had stopped bedwetting suddenly began to urinate during sleep. The medical personnel said there was a damage to her private parts that needed to be treated. That was how she resumed treatment at the hospital.”

When our correspondent got to the hospital where the victim was being treated, her medical report, which was signed by a doctor, identified simply as Dr. Sanni, stated among other things that there was a breach of hymen and the absence of labia minora.

One of the nurses, who craved anonymity, said the girl had been coming for treatment for about two weeks.

At the rented apartment, Julius’s room was locked, while his mother staying with him could not be reached for comments as of the time of this report. Also, she could not be reached on the phone number supplied by the co-tenants.

The Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Lelma Kolle, confirmed the arrest of the suspect, and added that the case, because of its severity, had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.

He said, “The suspect was arrested by the Ojodu Abiodun Police Division in connection with the rape of a seven-year-old girl who had some wounds on her and could not urinate properly.

“But the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba for further investigation. The suspect is presently being detained at the SCID.”

"I Could Quit Like Benedict Or Even Die By 2017" - Pope Francis

Pope Francis has suggested that he might one day resign the papacy like his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI did last year, which would make him the second consecutive Pope to do so after almost 600 years.

He said this yesterday while speaking with reporters on his way back to Rome after his state visit to South Korea.

“Some theologians may say this is not right, but I think this way. Let us think about what [Benedict XVI] said, “I have gotten old, I do not have the strength”, it was a beautiful gesture of nobility, of humility and courage.


 But you could say to me, if you at some time felt you could not go forward, I would do the same.”
Asked about his immense popularity, the Pope, 77, joked that he would probably die in the next 2/3 years so should not get too proud:

“I know this will last a short time, two or three years, and then to the house of the Father.” he said

FOOTBALL: I will never bite anyone again - Suarez

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez said he has received professional help after receiving a four-month ban for biting an opponent for the third time in his career when he clashed with Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

Suarez made his debut for the Catalans in a 6-0 friendly win over Mexican side Club Leon on Monday, but will not be able to play a competitive game for Barca until late October after his appeal against the ban was thrown out by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week.



“The suspension is what it is and I have to accept it, it is a personal matter but I have worked with the adequate professionals,” the Uruguayan said at his first press conference as a Barca player on Tuesday.
“I have tried to forget this game and this situation as well. It is a difficult moment for me and I would say to all the fans to not worry because I am not doing that anymore.”

Suarez was believed to have been a long-term target for Barca’s eternal rivals Real Madrid. However, Barca’s sporting vice-president Jordi Mestre said the player’s desire to come to Catalonia had allowed the club to negotiate a fee of 81 million euros (£65 million, $109 million) with Liverpool, £10 million less than the player’s £75 million release clause.

“There were options from other teams, but when the option of Barca became clear I didn’t have any doubts because it was a dream for me,” added Suarez.

“I still can’t believe it. It is something I have dreamed about but I never imagined such a beautiful dream would come true.”

Suarez could even make his competitive debut against Madrid should their first clash of the season be scheduled for Saturday, October 25 or the following day and he is determined to ensure he is as fit as possible when that game comes around in case coach Luis Enrique calls on him to start.

“It’s not the same but I had a similar situation last year at Liverpool, I started to play on September 20. It is a long time but if you keep focused with your teammates in training it helps.”

Barcelona already have a wealth of talent available in attacking areas with four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and Brazilian star Neymar, meaning Suarez is likely to be forced into a role on the right side of the attack.

However, he insisted that won’t phase him as he dovetailed with Daniel Sturridge last year to form a deadly partnership that nearly delivered Liverpool’s first Premier League title in 24 years.

“I am prepared to play any position in attack. This last year I played on the left and on the right because Sturridge played as the number nine. I don’t have any problem playing in any position and adapting myself to what the coach demands.

“The quality that Leo and Ney have is amazing, they are players you admire. Yesterday I was watching them in the first half and they make you want to stop and applaud.”

Top Nigerian doctor who treated Patrick Sawyer dies of Ebola virus

Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, the senior consultant endocrinologist who became infected with the deadly Ebola virus while treating the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, died Tuesday, medical authorities said.

Ms. Adadevoh died in an isolation facility of the Mainland Hospital, Lagos, bringing to five the number of Nigerians killed by the highly contagious virus.

Her death followed those of Mr. Sawyer, two nurses, and a protocol officer for ECOWAS who attended to Mr. Sawyer as he arrived the Lagos airport.



All of Nigeria’s fatalities are those who had contact with Mr. Sawyer, the man who brought Ebola to the country.
The Federal Health Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement Tuesday that a “female Nigerian doctor has died at the Ebola Emergency Treatment Centre in Lagos”.


The statement by Dan Nwomeh, spokesperson for the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, did not identify Ms. Adadevoh, beyond stating that the victim was one of the primary contacts with Mr. Sawyer, and the most senior doctor who participated in treating the Liberian.

The description fits Ms Adadevoh, who was erroneously reported to have recovered and discharged a few days ago.

Her cousin, Kwami Adadevoh, tweeted shortly afterwards saying, ” I’d like to thank you all for your prayers. Sadly my darling cousin has been called home. She has finished her course and now rests with God.”

Condolences immediately began to pour in torrents.

While Nigeria has recorded some successes in the fight against Ebola– five people infected with the virus recovered– the country has also suffered heavy losses to the virus within two weeks.

The death of Ms. Adadevoh, like the nurses, would be deeply heart-breaking given her sacrifice to treat Mr. Sawyer, and an unsuccessful attempt by the Nigerian government to have her treated with Zmapp, the experimental drug used by the United States to treat two of its doctors who contracted Ebola in Liberia.

The Americans turned down the request saying the drug was not yet available in enough quantity and that African nations needed to adopt alternative strategies to combat the virus.

The manufacturing firm of Zmapp said last week they had run out of stock of the drug.

Sources say Dr. Ameyo died Tuesday afternoon after nearly a week in coma.

Suspected Boko haram militants slaughter 10

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed 10 people who had fled their homes to escape repeated attacks by the insurgents, after hunting them down in a nearby village, witnesses said on Monday.

Residents of Krenuwa village fled to nearby communities after a Boko Haram raid last month that left seven dead and saw the extremists raze a military camp, police station and several homes.



About a dozen militants stormed the villages of Durwa and Maforo in the Marte district on Sunday, where some of them were seeking refuge.

“They came on motorcycles and gathered people before singling out their victims who moved in from Krenuwa after it was attacked”, said Usman Ari, a Durwa resident.

“They shot six of them dead and slaughtered four,” said Ari, who fled to the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) away after the attack.

After the attack in Durwa, where six were killed, the suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed nearby Maforo and killed four, said Hassan Goni, another Durwa resident, who also fled to Maiduguri.

“We are afraid they are going to come back for more attacks which is why we left, he added.

After the attack on Krenuwa village, a counter-offensive by soldiers killed five insurgents and captured five more.
Krenuwa resident Abba Kolomi said Boko Haram had also killed six people from the village who sought refuge across the border in Chad.

The Marte district was one of the areas where Boko Haram chased out the government last year, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the region and a military offensive to crush the uprising.

A scorched-earth military response reclaimed the territory but deadly Boko Haram raids on towns and villages in the area have continued unabated.

24 Reasons Nigerian Medical Doctors Are On Strike

1. The post of Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) has been circularised and operational. Rather than abolish it, the NMA hereby demands that four (4) DCMACs for teaching hospitals and three (3) for the Federal Medical Centres be appointed forthwith to assist the CMACs whose statutory responsibilities are too heavy for any single individual to handle. Directors in other government agencies are supported by several Deputy Directors, why not the CMAC who is also a Director? Such a DCMAC must have same qualifications as the CMAC.

2. The NMA is opposed to the appointment of Directors in the Hospitals. This position distorts the chain of command in the hospital, induces anarchy and exposes the patient to conflicting treatment and management directives with attendant negative consequences.

3. The NMA demands that grade level 12 (CONMESS 2) in the health sector MUST be SKIPPED for medical doctors. Consequently no medical/dental practitioners should be on that grade level anymore.

4. The title “CONSULTANT” in a hospital setting describes the relationship between the Specialist Medical Doctor and his patient. It will be a source of confusion if the title is applied to any other health worker who statutorily does not own patient. NMA, therefore, declares with unmitigated emphasis that if “non-doctor consultants” are appointed, it will lead to chaos and anarchy in the health sector. This should not happen.

5. Relativity in health sector is sacrosanct. The NMA hereby demands for immediate implementation of the January 3rd, 2014 circular. The NMA also demands the immediate payment of the arrears of the corrected relativity for 22 years during which her members were short changed.

Much as we are not against salary increase for any category of workers, either in health or elsewhere, the NMA demands for immediate adjustment of the doctors’ salary to maintain the relativity as agreed and documented once CONHESS is adjusted.

6. That Government should expedite the passage of the National Health Bill (NHB), and extend Universal Health Coverage to cover 100% of Nigerians and not 30% as currently prescribed by National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

7. Surgeon General of the Federation MUST be appointed with immediate effect.

8. The entry point of the House Officer should be corrected to CONMESS 1 step 4 as originally contained in MSS/MSSS while the Registrar/Medical Officer is moved to CONMESS 3 step 3.

9. Clinical duty allowance for Honorary Consultants should be increased by 90% of CONMESS

10. Adjust the specialist allowance as contained in the 2009 collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, ALL doctors on CONMESS 3 and above MUST be paid specialist allowance or its equivalent that is not less than 50% higher than what is paid to other health workers.

11. Hazard allowance MUST be at least N100, 000 per month for Medical Doctors.

12. Immediate release of the circular on rural posting, teaching and other allowances which MUST include house officers.

13. Immediate withdrawal of the CBN circular authorizing the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) to approve licenses for the importation of In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs).

14. Immediate Release of Circular on retirement age for Medical Doctors as agreed with the Federal Government (FG)

15. The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health should formalise and implement the report of the interagency committee on residency training as well as release the uniform template on appointment of Resident Doctors in line with earlier agreements. Moreover, a concrete Funding framework for residency training must be established. The Overseas clinical attachment must be fully restored and properly funded in the interest of the nation.

16. That in the interest of harmony in Federal Medical Centre, Owerri the government should pay the salaries of our members in the centre as agreed on 21st October, 2013.

17. Immediate concrete steps must be put in place for the reintegration of our members back into the IPPIS platform.

18. All attempts to coerce house officers not to join NARD must stop.

19. The orchestrated intimidation, harassment and physical assault of our members in departments of Pathology (Laboratory Medicine) by Laboratory Scientists which is being tolerated by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) must stop.

20. The Endless circle of incomplete salary payment to our members in many hospitals in the name of shortfalls in personnel cost must stop.

21. Universal applicability of all establishment circulars on the remuneration and conditions of service for doctors at all levels of Government must be guaranteed.

22. Government should as a matter of urgency set up a health trust fund that will enhance the upgrading of all hospitals in Nigeria.

23. The position of Chief Medical Director/Medical Director must continue to be occupied by a Medical Doctor as contained in the Act establishing the tertiary Hospitals. This position remains sacrosanct and untouchable.

24. The NMA henceforth shall not accept the continued violation of any of the terms of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is exemplified by the payment of Medical Physicists and Optometrists with OD (who are on CONHESS) call duty allowance using the CONMESS Circular. Similarly, the phrase “Ministries, Departments and Agencies” (MDA) in the said agreement should replace “Federal Ministry of Health and other Federal Health Institutions” as contained in the 2009 CONMESS Circular.