Nelson Ugwuagbo

A mother identified as Sharifa Noma alongside her newborn twin daughters were recently burnt to death in Sokoto State. According to sources, the woman put…

A mother identified as Sharifa Noma alongside her newborn twin daughters were recently burnt to death in Sokoto State.

According to sources, the woman put to bed at home around 2:30am on Tuesday.

“After losing too much blood, her family decided to take her to the hospital for possible blood infusion,” the source said.

Their vehicle was said to have rammed into a road block erected by bandits along Ruwa wuri-Bugawa road in Tangaza local government area of Sokoto.

The bandits opened fire on the vehicle and the driver lost control after which the vehicle hit a tree and burst into flames.

“The driver, the mother and one of the twin sisters were burnt to death,” the source added

A resident of the community simply identified as Kabiru noted that, other passengers including the other twin sister escaped with injuries and were currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

When contacted, spokesman of the Sokoto Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, said he could not confirm the incident as he had not been briefed.

A Canadian investigation team is currently in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to probe an explosion that had occurred at the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria, Leading Reporters has learnt.

The fire incident occurred on November 6, in the High Commission’s generator house, claiming two lives while two other persons were injured.

Following the incident, the commission suspended its operations but said its Lagos and Abuja visa application centres would remain open.

According to a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday by the Public Affairs staff of the commission, Demilade Kosemani, the investigation team would work with relevant Nigerian authorities to carry out their task.

“Following an explosion in the generator room at the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria on November 6th that claimed two lives and left two others injured, a team of technical experts from Canada arrived in Abuja to conduct a formal investigation to determine the factors and conditions that led to the explosion

The Ogun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps says 707 road crashes were recorded in Ogun State in the last 10 months, leading to the death of 208 persons while  1,174 persons were injured.

The FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun, Anthony Uga, said this at the sensitisation of the ember campaign in the Ota Unit on Tuesday in Ota, Ogun.

Leading Reporters gathered that the theme of the 2023 ember months  campaign was: “Speed thrills but kills, drive responsibly and avoid overloading.”

Uga, who was represented by FRSC Head of Operations, Sunday Ogungbami, Ogun, said most of the accidents that happened during the period under review were caused by speeding and occurred at night

“We are appealing to motorists to desist from speeding and refrain from night travel to stem road crashes during the ember months.

“In addition, they should adhere to traffic rules and regulations, drive consciously and ensure their vehicles are in good condition before embarking on any trip,” he said.

Uga said the mission of the FRSC was to drastically reduce deaths and fatality rates from road crashes.

He said the FRSC would collaborate with sister agencies to stem accidents.

In his welcome address, the Unit Commander of the FRSC, Mr Akeem Ganiyu, said it was imperative to come together with other agencies due to the increase in vehicular activities during the ember period.

“The allure of speed on open roads can be tempting, but the consequences can be catastrophic, and there is the need to exercise patience and drive consciously,” Ganiyu said.

Ogun Deputy Area Commander of Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Ogun-West, Azeez Yakabu, said most of the road crashes were caused by human errors

A 20-year-old wife, Amina Hassan, of Mubi North LGA, Adamawa State, has set her husband’s house ablaze for refusing to divorce her.

Amina Hassan, from Shuware community in Mubi North, who married Muhammed Auwal about five weeks ago, revealed that there was a pre-wedding arrangement that the man would divorce her shortly after their marriage ceremony.

She informed the police that she had set the house on fire because of her husband’s refusal to end their union, according to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Suleiman Nguroje.

“We made an arrangement that he would divorce me after the marriage. I met him and pleaded with him to divorce me, but he remained adamant.

“He descended on me and started beating me instead of divorcing me, as a result of which I lost my temper and set the house ablaze,” she told police operatives who are now investigating her.

Leading Reporters gathered on Tuesday that a few days before the wedding, Amina had informed her parents that she was no longer interested in the marriage.

However, her parents insisted there was no turning back as they had already distributed invitation cards.

Sources close to her said that after all her efforts failed, she sought help from a native doctor to turn her husband’s heart away from her, only for the husband to appear more interested.

To escape her anger, the native doctor is said to have fled Mubi and made his phone number inaccessible

The Niger State Police Command, has arrested one Jafaru Yunusa of Kpashimi village, a farmer, suspected to have attacked a 12-year-old Fulani herder, Muhammadu Muhammadu, in Lapai, Niger state.

Mohammadu was matcheted and left alone to die until he was rescued.

Leading Reporters learnt that the suspect was arrested in the forest around Kpashimi village, while two other suspects are at large, but said investigation is currently ongoing.

Giving details of what happened, Abiodun said: “On 09/11/2023 at about 10am, one cattle owner from Mayaki village via Lapai, reported at Lapai Division that on 08/11/2023 at about 10am, his cattle grazer one Muhammad Muhammad, 12yrs, of same address went out grazing with the cattle at Kpashimi forest, but the cattle returned home at about 18:30pm without the boy. 

“As a result of this, he went to search for the boy with his brother and the boy was found lying on the ground with his two hands cut off beside a farm around the said forest. 

“Police operatives attached to Lapai Division immediately rushed to the scene, and the boy was taken to Lapai Gen Hospital for medical attention while he is responding to treatment.”

The 12-year-old’s grandfather, Alhaji Garba Buba, a member of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria who also spoke to  news corespondants on phone, said he was at the hospital beside Muhammadu who was still struggling to survive. 

Buba said Muhammadu is the first son of his father and the only one, saying the little boy was in critical condition as his two hands were cut off, while his throat and a part of his cheek was cut by his attacker.

“The boy can’t talk. When we first found him, he was able to explain to us everything that happened to him. God gave him the wisdom to do that, but since that day we didn’t get to hear him speak again. If you call his name he can only say ‘uhum’ 

“He said he was conscious when his assailants first attacked him and cut off one hand, but after that, he didn’t know what happened next. 

“It was his uncles, his fathers brothers that first saw him because he went missing since 3pm till 10am the following day before they found him. It was on Tuesday that this thing happened.”

According to Buba, the family had no idea why the assailants did what they did to Muhammadu.

He said: “They beat him and cut his throat thinking he was dead then they left him. They also cut another part of his body around his cheek. Currently you can’t even recognise the boy again. He is just here, we don’t know what will happen to him. 

“They didn’t take his cattle and it has nothing to do with farmer clashes. We are suspecting that they are only interested in Fulani parts for ritual purposes since we couldn’t find both his hands.” 

He explained further that they went to the Lapai Police Division and reported the case, and it was the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge that attended to them.

Buba said they went to the forest with the police and searched but couldn’t find the boy’s hands.

Pleading, he said: “Let the police help us for the sake of Allah, even if this boy doesn’t die today, there’s no hope he’ll be able to do anything in life again. 

“We want them (the perpetrators) to be apprehended so that they can be questioned. We want to know what their aim is for doing this. Let them explain their reasons for removing some body parts and going away with it.”  

The boy’s father, Muhammadu Garba, said his son’s condition was causing him much pain.

“I feel as if my heart has been plucked out. For them to remove his hands it simply means he doesn’t enjoy life again,” he said.

An 11-year-old Nelson George has filed an N100 million suit against Limi Children’s Hospital Limited for alleged misdiagnosis and mistreatment leading to the damage of one of his testes.

Nelson, who instituted the suit through his father, Bankole George, also prayed Justice Akanbi Yusuf of FCT High Court, Kubwa, to make an order directing the hospital to pay the sum of N5 million to him as cost of filing the suit.

In the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/7356/2023 dated and filed on August 28 by his lawyer, Emmanuel Ekpenyong of Fred-Young & Evans LP, Nelson further prayed the court for an order directing the medical outfit to issue a letter of apology to him for the alleged misconduct.

Leading Reporters learnt that the claimant also joined Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as 2nd to 4th defendants in the matter.

The claimant equally urged the court to declare that the 2nd to 4th defendants ought to be more proactive in ensuring that they perform their duties under their mandate as provided in the respective legislations establishing them to protect and promote his interests and wellbeing, including that of members of the Nigerian public.

In his joint statement of claim, Nelson said he was 11-year old presently “in Junior Secondary School 3 and lives under the parentship of Bankole George who is his next friend and legal guardian.”

“Bankole George (“Bankole”) is the biological father of the claimant.

“He is a Grade Level 18, Step 11 Director of Dangote Cement Plc. and a subscriber of the Platinum package of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS AXA MANSARD),” the statement said.

It said that Nelson was one of the beneficiaries of Bankole’s Health Insurance Scheme in Abuja.

According to the statement, on 30th January, 2023, Bankole discovered that the claimant (Nelson) was having serious abdominal pains and his genital and scrotum were swollen.

“Bankole promptly rushed the claimant to the 1st defendant’s hospital which is one of the hospitals listed in Bankole’s package of the NHIS for himself and his family members to which the claimant is one.

“After preliminary checks, the claimant was admitted at the 1st defendant’s hospital for treatment,” it said.

It said that the hospital then conducted laboratory tests on Nelson, including a scan on his genitals.

“In the scan report, the Sonologist concluded that the claimant suffered from Epididymo-orchitis/Torsion.

“The claimant was admitted at the 1st defendant’s hospital for 4 (four) days to undergo treatment for acute Epidydymo-orchitis only without addressing the Torsion in the scan report.

“He was discharged from the 1st defendant’s hospital in the evening of 2nd February, 2023,” it said.

“Painfully, on the evening of 9th February, 2023, at about 11pm, the claimant complained of discomfort in his genitals and the same abdominal pains.

“Bankole took the claimant back to the 1st defendant’s hospital in the morning of Friday, 10th February, 2023.

“The claimant was again admitted and this time treated for malaria, sepsis and peptic ulcer disease with series of tests conducted once more.

“The abdominal pains subsided and the claimant was discharged the second time in the evening of 11th February, 2023,” it said.

It further said that on February 13, Nelson again complained of excruciating abdominal pains and his genitals were swollen, and Bankole was advised to take the claimant to another hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.

“The claimant was taken to Nisa Premier Hospital Abuja (“the Nisa Premier”),” it said.

After a preliminary examination and a scan that showed that Nelson had Testicular Torsion (“TT”), a urologist and his team at Nisa Premier promptly carried out surgery on his scrotum.

The statement alleged that they later discovered that Limi Children’s Hospital Limited’s delay in discovering and promptly carrying out surgery on the claimant had led to complete damage to one of his testes.

It said Limi Hospital, however, denied any wrongdoing and maintained that their action was in line with standard medical protocol.

Besides, Limi Hospital’s counsel, on April 6, also wrote to Nelson’s lawyer, Ekpenyong, and absolved the hospital from any wrongdoing or liability.

It said Nelson’s lawyer, therefore, petitioned the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and that when Nelson’s affidavit got to the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel, the panel said it had no jurisdiction on the subject matter.

It said Ekpenyong thereafter petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission but the commission did not act on the complaint.

Nelson, therefore, averred that Limi Hospital owed him a duty as a patient to properly diagnose his medical condition to prevent a deterioration of his condition to the extent of losing one of his testes.

The defendants were yet to respond to the originating processes served on them at the time of this report.