France to invest $250 million in Nigeria

Federal Republic of France has declared its decision to invest $250 million in the Nigerian economy in the next one year with a focus on banking industry, water, transport and housing.

However, it said it is ready to commit $100 million to enhance an efficient transportation in Lagos State.

The Country's Director, French Development Agency (FDA), Luc Bonnamour, revealed this yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja.

According to him, the visit was to explore "priority areas" in Lagos State that would facilitate "renewed partnership between France and Nigeria particularly in the area of support for development."

Leader of the French delegation, Senator Jacques Legendre said France was ready to partner Lagos to develop areas such as "water and sanitation, transport and housing."

Fashola, in his response said: "Africa holds the key to solving the world problem," after delving into history on the gory tales of the painful experience of slave trade era.

"In this century, the role that Africa will play is that of a partner in providing support for the whole world," he said.

He expressed the support of the state to the delegation, describing Lagos and Nigeria as "an emerging market" having what it takes for a good return on investment.

Vanguard

Lagos gets tough on wife beating

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has promised women in the state that his administration would fish out men who beat their wives and make them face the law, just as he commissioned a 176 bed facility at a transit home for traumatized women and children in the state.

The governor made the pledge yesterday while addressing residents of the state who converged on Ayobo town in Ipaja-Ayobo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) where the Refuge Home is sited. He said his government was ready to lead the war on wife battering, rape and trafficking.

"In Lagos , we will not give up, we will lead the fight against women because there is no life without a woman," he said. Earlier, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Joke Adefulire, said violence against women and children was not acceptable in the state.

She said the Home would challenge domestic abuse in the state until it is reduced to the barest minimum, noting that domestic violence was on the increase in the state and had traumatized victims. She added that such acts had led to increase in the number of area boys, prostitution and divorce.

She maintained that the Home was not to be a permanent abode for victims of violence, but a centre where women and children who had been exposed to domestic violence and abuse can go for proper counselling and medication. The chairman of the LCD where the Home is sited, Prince Bisi Yusuff thanked the state government for locating it in his domain.

He said the rehabilitative effort of the state government would offer succour to victims. Yusuff assured the state governor that residents and community leaders in the council would take full responsibility by ensuring that the Home was well protected and not subjected to any form of abuse, either environmentally or physically.

Daily Trust

Related stories: Man sets pregnant wife on fire

Nigeria is the largest African source of trafficked women to Europe and Asia

Landlord Beats Tenant to Death

Tragedy struck yesterday in Minna, Nigeria when a landlord, Mallam Isah Tsafo, beat his tenant, Mr. John James Enwerem, to death over a minor misunderstanding. Enwerem was said to have slumped and died when the landlord hit him on the chest while trying to rescue his  wife as she was being beaten and dragged on the ground by the landlord. Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Richard Oguche, confirmed the story .

"There was actually an incident like that where a landlord murdered his tenant, which has been brought to the notice of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Michael Zuokumor , by the Kpakungu Divisional Police officer , Mr. Abayomi Surajudeen," he said.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police had ordered that the case should immediately be transfered to the state CID for further investigation.

According to an eye witness, an argument was said to have ensued between the two (landlord and tenant) when the landlord raised alarm that the children of the deceased who were playing and hitting their hands on the wall in their one-room apartment could bring down the wall of the house.

Threats by the landlord to deal with the children, according to the source, drew the attention of their mother (Ngozi), who intervened and pleaded with the landlord to ignore the children , saying there was no way they can bring down the house considering their age. Ngozi's pleas however did not prevent the landlord from going further in making his threats more practical by banging on the door of the Enwerem and, in the process, tearing the curtain to their room. The tenant's wife was however said to have been angered when she discovered that the landlord had torn their curtain and therefore challenged him. The landlord was said to have pounced on the woman, beating her and dragging her on the ground. Fearing the woman may die, the wife of the landlord, Amina, was said to have intervened by pleading with her husband to leave the woman alone so that she won't die but the pleading fell on deaf ears as he continued hitting the woman.

This Day

Related story: Man sets pregnant wife on fire

Iloba Family Deported

After months of battling with the UK Immigration system. The Iloba family have been deported. They were put on a flight from Heathrow to Lagos at 10:20pm last Thursday.

The Iloba family and the Rochdale community in the UK put up a gallant effort to fight the rulings. But despite months of campaigning, the family's attempt to seek asylum was refused.

Related stories: The Iloba family lose appeal to stay in Britain

Aspiring Nigerian family in Britain fear deportation

Video report on Nigerian woman arrested for smuggling cocaine in stomach

The Nigerian lady in the video up top was arrested at the Mumbai international airport on Tuesday for attempting to smuggle cocaine concealed in her stomach.

Related stories: Two Nigerian drug traffickers excrete 160 wraps of cocaine while in custody

Nigerian drug enforcement agency arrest 50 year old woman with 585g of cocaine

CNN covers the illegal drug trade in Nigeria