Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, talks about his challenges as a father with GBENGA ADENIJI

How would you define fatherhood?

Fatherhood is an important aspect of a man. One of the elements which qualify anybody to be referred to as a man, apart from being financially successful, is that he must have offspring. In our society, when a man is being greeted, people ask, ‘how is your family or how is your home?’ They are actually referring to the man’s wife and children. There is a socio-cultural attachment to children in our society. The fatherhood figure thus signifies procreation and that in itself indicates financial provision and care for the family. Fatherhood is not just about a man having many children all over the place. It goes beyond that. It includes whether the person unites his family, stays close to them and provides for their pressing needs.

I was never married – Tope Osoba

I am the first child of my parents and only child of my mum. I had my primary and secondary education in Lagos. I studied Business Education at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State.

EFCC should probe Obasanjo’s third term bribery allegations — Shittu

A legal practitioner, Mr. Wahab Shittu, in this interview with Ashiwaju.org, argues that former President Olusegun Obasanjo should be investigated for allegations of bribery leveled against him while trying to push his third-term agenda through at the N’Assembly

Do you think the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should investigate the third-term bribery allegations against former President Olusegun Obasanjo?

Ogun to enact laws against kidnapping

The Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, ‎has said the state assembly will partner with the executive arm to enact laws to check the excesses of land grabbers, kidnappers, armed robbers and other miscreants.
He said this in response to a request made by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Olumide Ayeni, for the need to harmonise laws which bordered on land grabbing, kidnapping, armed robbery and other emerging crime in the state.

World Bank delaying return of $321m Abacha loot — Switzerland

The repatriation of the $321m looted by late Gen. Sani Abacha may not be done anytime soon as the Swiss government says the World Bank has to finalise the projects to be executed with the money by the Federal Government.

The Swiss government explained that a bilateral agreement for the restitution of the money would then be signed afterwards, which would form the basis for the transfer of the money.

Gunmen abduct octogenarian father of Bayelsa lawmaker

Some unidentified gunmen have abducted an octogenarian, Mr. Watson Iti, in Bayelsa State.
The victim is the father of the lawmaker representing Brass Constituency II in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Watson-Alfred Belemote.
It was learnt that the octogenarian was abducted by four gunmen operating along the waterways of state on Saturday morning.
The victim, who hails from Okpoama kingdom of Brass Local Government Area, was reportedly whisked away while he was conveying the body of his deceased wife for burial.

How We bursted fertiliser syndicate & arrests 20 electricity vandals--Anambra NSCDC

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Anambra State Command on Saturday intercepted a trailer load of fertiliser being allegedly diverted by a syndicate to an undisclosed destination.
The State Commandant, Mr Godwin Omoregie, disclosed this to newsmen in Awka, the state capital.
Omoregie said the fertiliser worth million of naira was intercepted at Amansea, Awka North Council Area of the state.
He said the consignment was initially alloted to a dealer in Anambra at the Eleme Petrochemical Depot for agricultural purposes.

‘Obasanjo came for Zero hunger programme, not PDP meeting’

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Friday to attend a meeting of Zero Hunger in Africa-Nigeria chapter and not a meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obasanjo was at the centre for the Zero-hunger meeting and not for the PDP meeting, a party he openly left.

Recover stolen funds, prosecute looters, Sanusi tells Buhari

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has advised the Federal Government not only to recover looted funds from individuals and groups, but should also prosecute culprits to serve as a deterrent to others.

He gave the advice in a lecture he delivered on the deregulation of the downstream oil sector and Nigeria’s economic development at the National Defence College, Abuja on Wednesday.

Shekau rejects Al-Barnawi, says he was deceived by ISIS

Abubakar Shekau, who was replaced by Islamic State as Boko Haram’s leader has spoken out about the news, claiming that he was betrayed and denouncing his purported new leader as an infidel.

He said this in an audio message, his first in over one year, after IS on Tuesday published an interview with Sheikh Abu Musab al-Barnawi in its Al-Naba online weekly magazine in which he was introduced as Boko Haram’s new leader.

In the interview, Barnawi talks about the history of jihad in this region but makes no clear reference to Shekau.