Police arrest mother attempting to sell her new born baby

The Cross River State Police Command on Thursday foiled a child trafficking attempt in Calabar.

The police also recovered a baby boy, whose name was withheld.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. John Eluu, who made the disclosure in Calabar, said the police had on October 27 received information that one Maria Ekanem, who had just been delivered of a baby two weeks earlier was negotiating for the sale of her baby.

Eluu said that Ekanem allegedly negotiated with one Mrs. Sunday Abang, the matron of Sedatoe Maternity Clinic located at Umon Street, Calabar South, for sale of the baby.

The PPRO added that one Dr. Okokon Offiong, who ran Evangel Clinic, was also contacted to sell the baby for an undisclosed amount.

He said, “Ekanem was on her way to where she and the buyers had agreed to meet at Inyang by Fuller Street and on arrival, she was given the sum of N20,000 as part payment for the transaction.

“On receipt of the information, a team of police detectives swung into action leading to the arrest of five suspects, and the recovery of the baby boy and a white Toyota RAV4 Jeep with registration No. JP493ABC used during the operation.”

According to Eluu, investigation is still ongoing. He said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.

“We are warning all trouble makers that the command will not spare them in its effort to weed criminal elements out of the state”, the PPRO said.

Responding, Ekanem, (mother of the baby), said she had no intention of selling her child.

She added that she wanted to give out the child for proper care since she could not afford to take care of the child.

“I had no intention of selling my child. I don’t have money to take care of the child that was why I wanted to give him out to someone to help me take good care of him. I am not working, so I don’t have money to take care of him and even feed myself,” she lamented.

Police arrest mother attempting to sell her new born baby

Ebola scare: UCTH closes emergency ward after decontamination

The Management of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital has temporarily closed its Accident and Emergency ward after decontaminating the ward where a patient died of Viral Hemorrhagic fever.

The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Queeneth Kalu, made this known when she briefed newsmen on the outcome of the blood samples carried out on the patient in Calabar on Saturday.

Kalu said a temporary A&E ward had been set up to attend to patients, noting that those quarantined had also been released and directed to report twice daily for monitoring.

According to her, preliminary result of the blood samples of the patient does not indicate any traces of Ebola virus or Lassa fever.

“We are pleased to inform you that preliminary tests have excluded Ebola and Lassa fever. Further tests are being done for confirmation in line with international standards,” she said.

The management further said that clinical services in the hospital were still opened on inpatient and outpatient basis.

“We are grateful to all who have shown concern over this incident,” she said.

The decontamination exercise was carried out by officials of Medical Response Unit, Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health.

After the exercise, leader of the team, Mr. John Kehinde, Director of Environmental Health, Centre for Disease Control, advised members of Staff of the A&E ward to go about the normal jobs.

“There is no cause for alarm. They should continue their work without fear because everything is now okay, but they should ensure that the environment where they work is always clean.

“This is what we do in cases of any contagious infection and it will last for 72 hours after which the ward will open for staff and patients,” Kehinde said.

Ebola scare: UCTH closes emergency ward after decontamination

Ebola scare again, doctor, 9 nurses, 5 others quarantined in Cross River

Following a suspected case of Ebola Virus disease in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), the management of the hospital, on Thursday, said it had quarantined 15 persons of the accident and emergency ward of the hospital.

Among those said to have been quarantined were a medical doctor, nine nurses and four medical workers. The decision of the management to quarantine them came on the heels of the death of a patient on Wednesday suspected to have the symptoms of Ebola.

The patient, whose identity could not be ascertained, was said to have shown symptoms likened to that of an EVD patient before he died.

But in a press statement made available to newsmen in Calabar, Cross River State, the UCTH authorities said the patient might have died of haemorrhagic fever.

Chairman of the Medical Advisory Council, Dr. Queeneth Kalu, said the blood sample of the patient had been sent for testing, while identified contacts numbering about 15 had been quarantined.

“On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, we managed a patient who presented with symptoms resembling viral haemorrhagic fever. Due to the remote chance of it being contagious, we have sent the blood samples for testing and quarantined identified contacts. Further information will be made available as soon as we receive the results of the samples for analysis.

“The National Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Cross River State government and the Department of State Services had been informed of the development.”

Speaking, Dr. Sunday Omini, the Director of Public Health, Cross River State, said he doubted if the symptoms are that of Ebola, adding that it could be that of Dengue fever or Lassa fever. Dr Omini said, however, that the Cross River State government is on top of the situation, calling for calm among members of the public.

Ebola scare again, doctor, 9 nurses, 5 others quarantined in Cross River

Why i slashed my girlfriend"s throat after three rounds of sex -Suspect

CALABAR – A THIRTY year old man, Richard Effiok from Akpabuyo local Government Area of Cross River State has narrated how he slashed the throat of his twenty- three year-old girl friend, Bassey Udoh, from Akwa Ibom State after a sex romp.

Richard in an interview with Vanguard on Monday at the Cross River State Police Command headquarters said he had been dating the girl for two years but she was always demanding for money from him each time they made love and on the 22nd of May , 2015, she requested for five thousand naira and what he had on him was just one thousand naira which the girl rejected and a scuffle ensued between them

“She usually comes to visit me and we make love and I do give her money but last time she came, we made love three times and after that she asked for five thousand naira but I had just one thousand naira which I gave to her and she rejected the money”

Richard who lives on Nelson Mandela Street in the heart of Calabar said when the girl rejected the money, she became infuriated and grabbed his boxers and a scuffle ensued between them in his room. “I was angry when she tore my boxers and i got hold of a kitchen knife and pierced her in the stomach and later slashed her throat and she died because of the bleeding”

He said the young lady’s scream when he stabbed her in the stomach attracted neighbours who forced the door open but before they could enter the room, he had slashed her throat and she dropped dead . ‘They could not take her to hospital since she was already dead before they entered the room so they only invited the police who arrested me and took the body the mortuary.”

 

Why i slashed my girlfriend"s throat after three rounds of sex -Suspect

Gunmen abduct Winners"s Chapel"s pastor during prayer session

CALABAR- PASTOR Seyi Adekunle of Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel was on Saturday evening abducted by gunmen who invaded the church while he and other pastors were having prayer session in the church in preparation for Sunday services.

The gunmen numbering five were said to have stormed the church at about 7.50 pm when the pastors were praying in the main auditorium of the church and shot sporadically into the air before grabbing the pastor and bundling him into their car and drove off.

“Normally on Saturdays, we have a number of activities but the pastors prayer session comes last, it was while the session was in progress that the boys came in, shot into the air and took our pastor away”. A source in the church told Vanguard.

Pastor Seyi who is the head pastor of Province Two of the Church located along IBB Way, opposite the Margaret Ekpo International Airport according to our source has been in charge of the church since 2014 and has been carrying out massive construction work in the crouch.

‘He came here in 2014 and has been doing a lot work through the construction of a massive complex for the church auditorium and office accommodation which might have given the kidnappers the impression that he has money to give them as ransom”.

When Vanguard visited the church at about 1.00 pm on Sunday afternoon, the second service in the church was in progress handled by Pastor Seyi’s assistants and there was police presence outside inside the hall and in the premises.

“There was no policeman on duty here yesterday when the incident happened but this morning we had to request for some policemen from the Airport Police Station close by and these six policemen you see here were deployed to forestall any recurrence of what took place last night”

Mr Hogan Bassey, the spokesman of the Cross River State Police Command says the kidnappers are yet to make any demands “but we are closing on them and very soon I shall inform you on how far we have gone” he said

 

Gunmen abduct Winners"s Chapel"s pastor during prayer session

I"ll Revisit The Controversial Issue Of 76 Oil Wells Ceded To A/Ibom – Jonathan Says In Calabar

President Goodluck Jonathan has promised that if he is reelected for a second term, he would revisit the controversial issue of 76 oil wells, which the Supreme Court, three years ago, ruled as belonging to Akwa Ibom State.

Jonathan in Rivers State

He made this pledge following a public demand made by a former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke that the issue be resolved politically.

Speaking at the Peoples Democratic Party presidential campaign in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, the president said: “Once I return to office, I will sit down with stakeholders from Cross River State and look at their demands, including the oil wells and the immediate priorities with a view to settling them”.

He also promised to consolidate on the industrial revolution ongoing in the state by constructing a new coastal rail line from Lagos to Obudu Ranch Resort and boost capacity of the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ).

President Jonathan said, if re-elected, he would use the remainder of his final term to focus on empowerment and training of Nigerian youths, which he said was the reason he completely endorsed the emergence of Professor Ben Ayade as the governorship candidate of PDP in Cross River.

Speaking earlier, Governor Liyel Imoke said that the state would deliver 1.1m votes to the president, telling Mr. Jonathan to be rest assured of winning in the state.

“The president does not need to campaign in Cross River State. Even if he doesn’t visit he can rest assured that we will still vote and deliver 1.1 million votes to him”, he said.

Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) also assured the president of delivering their states to him come February 14.

I"ll Revisit The Controversial Issue Of 76 Oil Wells Ceded To A/Ibom – Jonathan Says In Calabar

Protest trails senator Bassey Otu"s defeat in Calabar

Supporters of Senator Bassey Otu, who represents Cross River South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has protested against his defeat at the rescheduled Peoples Democratic Party primaries which held on Tuesday.

Otu secured 99 votes at the rescheduled exercise while the declared winner, Mr. Gershom Bassey, polled 135 votes and an erstwhile state chairman of the party, Chief Ekpo Okon garnered 76 votes.

However, the protesters who chanted pro-Otu slogan from the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar to the PDP secretariat along the Murtala Mohammed Highway accused the state government of masterminding the process which produced Bassey.

They insisted that the delegates list which produced Bassey as winner was not the original list that emerged after the conduct of the wards delegate congress.

A PDP youth leader, Mr. Ene Inyang, said, “We are not satisfied with the process leading to the conduct of the primary in the Southern Senatorial District. It was not transparent enough as the government cornered everything; they used security apparatus to intimidate delegates.

“Delegates lists were changed and those they suspected will not vote for the anointed were dropped at the venue.”

Another PDP women leader in Calabar South, Mrs. Bassey Henshaw, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, has challenged the state government to explain why an allegedly fake delegates list was used in the exercise.

She said, “We want Otu, he is our hope, father and helper. Governor Liyel Imoke should explain how they came about the fake delegates list. Without Otu, there will be no senator in the Cross River South Senatorial District for PDP.”

Also, the National President of Bakassi Students, Mr. Nkese Ita, predicted that PDP would lose the 2015 elections in the Cross River South Senatorial District if the party chose to field candidates against the people’s wish.

Reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to Imoke, Mr. Christian Ita, said the governor has no link with the delegates list used in the conduct election.

Ita advised politicians to learn to lose gallantly, adding that Otu was beaten in a free and fair contest and should learn to accept defeat.

He said, “What has Imoke got to do with a delegate list that was sent from the party headquarters and verified by those who conducted the election? Politicians should learn to lose gallantly. It is not only in Cross River State that incumbents lost in primaries.”

Viewed 1 times
Protest trails senator Bassey Otu"s defeat in Calabar

Mob hacks suspected thief in Calabar

An unidentified suspected burglar was on Sunday inflicted with deep machete cuts after he was caught attempting to steal wine and alcoholic beverages from a shop along the Atu Street intersection of Goldie Street in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

The suspected burglar

The burglar was said to have broken into the shop in the early hours of the day with three other accomplices who managed to escape from the scene of the incident.

An eyewitness, B.F. Johnbosco, who spoke withPUNCH Metro on Sunday, said the thieves had broken into the wine shop around 5am, but someone sighted them and raised the alarm.

Johnbosco said in an attempt to nab the four suspects, three escaped while the fourth who was still busy gathering drinks inside the shop, was apprehended and dealt with summarily.

He said, “Someone noticed when the burglars broke the iron bars on the door of the shop and he informed the owner on the phone that his shop was being burgled. The man mobilised some of his friends and neighbours and they came out with machetes and sticks.

“When they approached the shop, three others managed to escape leaving one of them who was right inside loading wine bottles into a carton. They descended on him and inflicted severe machete cuts on him and dragged him to the other side of the road which borders Holy Child School and dumped him there.”

Our correspondent, who visited the scene around 8.30am observed that the man was stripped of his shirt, but still wore a black pair of jeans.

The suspect, who was lying on his back had severe machete wounds all over his body but was still breathing and his eyes were open.

He was later conveyed by the police to the General Hospital, Calabar, at about 8.45 am.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hogan Bassey, confirmed the incident, saying some items were retrieved from the burglar.

While appreciating the gesture by members of the public in tackling crime, Bassey warned that suspects should be handed over to the police instead of attempting to kill them.

He said, “The facts are correct. Wine and other stolen items were recovered from the suspect who is responding to treatment at the hospital. We have not verified his name.

“We appreciate members of the public for their cooperation but we do not encourage them to beat suspects to a coma as it will impede the process of investigation.”

Viewed 1 times
Mob hacks suspected thief in Calabar

Candidates’ adoption won’t work in C’ River PDP – Rep

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Mr. John Owan-Enoh, has said adoption of candidates will not be acceptable in the Cross River Central Senatorial District during the forthcoming primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Owan-Enoh said this on Saturday at the Government Secondary School Ikom while declaring his interest to contest for the Cross River Central Senatorial District slot in the 2015 election.

His declaration came just as the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigerian and the National Youth Council of Nigeria endorsed him as the party’s candidate for the senatorial zone in the exercise.

Addressing a huge crowd made up of party supporters, Enoh, who currently represents Obubra/Etung constituency in the House of Representatives, said he was in the race because of his passion for service to humanity.

Enoh said, “God forbid, there is no adoption that will work in Cross River Central Senatorial District. It is you who are gathered here that are going to elect your next senator.

“On the November 22, 2014, perhaps at the Ikom township stadium, that is the day we will elect your senatorial candidate for the PDP. The candidate will not emerge from any other source than on that day. I can assure you this.”

He pledged to always protect the interest of his constituents if elected as the next senator representing the people of Cross River central.

“I hereby on October 18, this year of our Lord, accept the call of the people of Cross River central to serve them as their Senator in 2015.

“I am in fact humbled by what I find here today. I stand here to assure you that I will not take you for granted”.

The lawmaker was also adopted by members of the Cross River House of Assembly from the central district, five local government chairmen out of six in the zone and 59 councilors out of 66, among other party chieftains from the central district.

Speaking earlier, the Deputy President of TAN, Mr. Aminu Yanusa, said that the lawmaker was adopted after a well researched and thorough analysis of his effective representation in the House of Representatives.

The event attracted the member representing Abi/Yakurr constituency in the House of Assembly, Mr. Bassey Ewa; Col. Col. Tony Nyiam (retd), Patrick Iwara; Chris Obasi; Frank Effa; among others.

Viewed 1 times
Candidates’ adoption won’t work in C’ River PDP – Rep

Dog meat kills five in Calabar

OGOJA – FIVE persons, a man and two of his children and two others were confirmed dead on Friday in the village of Uchenyim , Wanikade, North Ukelle in northern Cross River State after eating the meat of a dog.

The dog that was abused

Reports from the area said the dog was fond of eating the eggs laid by native chicken in the Odareko-Uchenyim village and one of the villagers allegedly laced the eggs laid by his chicken with gamalin 20 insecticide and as expected, “the dog ate the eggs and fell ill and when it was about to die the owner quickly killed and prepared it into a delicacy which he, his family consumed and some neigbours consumed ” Ugbem Onawo, a villager narrated to Vanguard.

The man and his two children and the two others who died, according to the report also ate the intestines of the dog where incidentally the poison from the gamalin 20 is lodged leading to their taking ill and dying . “After the man shared the intestines among his children and the two neighbours and they ate death came calling and they all died though at different times ”. Our source said

Onawo said they were rushed to the local health centre for medical attention but were confirmed dead on arrival at the health centre. “A feeling of grieve has descended on the entire village and people are deeply saddened by what took place as such a tragedy has not befallen them before”

Hon Frank Ugbem, the councilor representing Wanikade Ward at the Yala Local Government Area legislature said the tragedy is painful and that he has sent a delegation to console the bereaved families.

He said all the dead have been buried in accordance within the tradition of the Ukelle people

Viewed 1 times
Dog meat kills five in Calabar

Calabar: Three students shot as Unical SUG election turns violent

CALABAR- THREE Students of the University of Calabar were on Wednesday evening shot by stray bullets discharged from the riffle of a security officer of the university.

The shooting happened following an inconclusive Student Union Government election contested by four candidates: Emmanuel Akobi, Ajang Emmanuel, Ilefa Austin and Afo Nelson.

According a student who functioned as observer in the election, Ekere Sylvanus, a year three political Science Student, trouble started when some of the students who registered to vote but could not find their names in the electoral register were not allowed to vote. “Some students who registered during the registration exercise could not find their names on the Voters Register and the Electoral Officer who was assigned to conduct the election by the Vice Chancellor asked them to wait in a queue and the number rose to about three hundred and when it was 3pm when the election was scheduled to end, the Electoral Officer said the election had ended prompting those students to insist they should be allowed to vote”.

Viewed 1 times
Calabar: Three students shot as Unical SUG election turns violent

21-yr-old student commits suicide after being jilted by lover

By Emma Una

FRIENDS and family members of a 21-year-old student of Maritime Academy Oron, Effiong Otu are at a loss why he committed suicide by hanging himself on a rope in his room on Thursday morning after he was jilted by his girl friend.

Ann, a family member told Vanguard that Effiong was found hanging in his room at Diamond Hill, a few minutes after he collected a rope from neighbours who became suspicious soon after he went   inside his room with the rope wondering what he wanted to use it for.

According to the source, when his mother Grace Otu, a nurse at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital   left the house at about 3pm on that fateful day, the young man borrowed a rope and killed himself.

According Ann: “The 10th of July was the 10th anniversary of his father’s death in a car accident and after the anniversary and everyone had left the house including his mother, he went to a neighbour and borrowed a rope which he took to his room and hung himself.”

Ann said: “The neighbours became suspicious of what he was doing in his room with the rope and decided to rush there but found the door to the room locked and before they could force the door open he had died.”

She said before he hung himself, he called one of his friends, Adu on phone requesting him to tell his girl friend, Blessing who works with the UNICEM that she should now be happy that he has killed himself for her.

“Before his friend could rush to the house, the door had already been forced open by neighbours and Effiong’s body was hanging from the ceiling of the house”.

Ann stated that Effiong was an only son of the family and was given the late father’s name as a source of succor for the family but “he has again left us by this thoughtless action”

Perhaps to give an inkling of his planned action , Effiong had posted his face book page on the 6th of July the following message “It’s not about being engaged, married or in a relationship. It’s about being happy, safe, secured, relieved and feeling good. It’s about peaceful state of mind, it’s about sleeping at night without the fear of losing what you’ve got.

It’s being yourself and not someone else, it’s about feeling loved, happy, respected, understood, cared for and appreciated.! Goodnight my beautiful people!!

Efforts to speak with Hogan Bassey, the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer did not yield any success as his phone was switched off. Effiong’s body has been removed and de[posited at the mortuary of the General Hospital, Calabar.

 

Viewed 1 times
21-yr-old student commits suicide after being jilted by lover

Hoodlums kidnap 4-year-old boy in Calabar

Kidnappers have kidnapped a child of 4 years old at about 8:30pm in an Audi car with concealed car registration number at the Ekorinim Axis of Calabar, Cross Rivers State.

The child, Effiong Edet was kidnapped on Wednesday at the time the local vigilante group who are football lovers were occupied with the match Arsenal against Tukrish football club in the on-going European league.

The kidnappers specializes in abducting children in Kindergarten and nursery school age, took the little child while playing with his friends in Mr. Edit’s compound.

The gang stormed Ikot Onim in search of victims and then sighted the little boy while the mother was selling friend yam nearby.

According to a source, Effiong was not the first victim on that day, the hoodlum attempted to kidnap a six year old boy called Joseph, who resisted by crying and biting one of the kidnappers causing them to abandon him before kidnapping the 4-years old boy and sped off.

Since most able bodied residents of the area were busy watching the football match, there was no one to go after the kidnappers. “By the time we got to hear what had happened, the boys had gone far and besides, there was no available car to go after them.”, the father of the kidnapped boy said.

The matter, the father said was immediately   reported at State Housing Police Station, Calabar where the police demanded for the photograph of the 4-year old child to enable them carry   out investigations, assuring Mr. Edet and his wife that the perpetrators will soon be apprehended.

At press time, no ransom had been demanded just as family sources said no contact had been established with the suspects.

When contacted, the state Polic   Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hogan Bassey said the police authorities were working to rescue the victim without any ransom paid, as Junior’s father was a worker earning just N6, 000 per month as security man.

  (0)

Hoodlums kidnap 4-year-old boy in Calabar