Nollywood star, Sam Loco, passes away at 66

The cold hands of death Saturday visited the entertainment industry, when veteran actor, Mr. Samuel Loco Efeeimwonkiyeke, popularly known as Sam Loco Efe, died  on location in his hotel room in Owerri, Imo State.

He was said to have been enjoying his drinks at the bar of a popular hotel, located along Amakohia/Orlu Road, Owerri, at about 10pm on Saturday before he died.

However, a source at the hotel in Owerri told THISDAY on the condition of anonymity that the late actor was in good condition when he was last seen at about 10pm at the hotel bar drinking.

Similarly, a Nollywood actor (names withheld), told THISDAY that he led the late actor to his room No. 204 at about 11pm and left home thereafter. Late Saturday  night, the late actor called him to remind him of an appointment for 12noon the following day.

“But I was surprised when I was called by the hotel management to come over. On getting there, his room was locked and since there was no sign of anybody in the room they had to climb through the window and discovered the lifeless body of the late actor on the seat without shirts. His inhaler was by his side. We had to call the police on the scene,” he said.

When THISDAY visited the hotel, there was no sign of any ugly incident that happened there, even as the hotel workers were busy doing their work but discussing in low tones. They could not talk to THISDAY on the matter.

The hotel manager, Mr. Dan, who was spoken to on phone expressed surprise, saying “I’m not aware, because I am outside Owerri. I am going to call the hotel now to confirm.”

Confirming the death of the Nollywood actor, the Imo State Police command through the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Linus Nwaiwu said the information had gotten to their command.

“We have received information on the death of Sam Loco Efe from the hotel, our homicide unit is still working on the information,” he said.

Meanwhile, the corpse of the late actor has been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC) Owerri.
It would be recalled that Sam Loco Efe was one of Nollywoods most talented actors of contemporary Nigerian theatre and had for many years distinguished himself as a rare talent both in television and stage drama.

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President Goodluck Jonathan sends his best wishes to Obama on turning 50

President Goodluck Jonathan has sent "very happy birthday" wishes on behalf of government and people of Nigeria to U.S President Barack Obama who clocked 50 years on Thursday.

In a congratulatory letter to Obama, Jonathan extolled the American leader's "epic" personal, national and international achievements.

"I write to felicitate with you and to wish you many more years of fulfillment and accomplishment. In a span of 50 years, you have recorded epic achievements against the odds at the personal, national and international spheres.

"At this time, when our world is faced with sundry humanitarian and developmental challenges which require renewed resolve, steadfast leadership, and commitment to the highest ideals, I trust that you will continue to lead the United States in the vanguard of the quest for a more stable, prosperous, secure, just and equitable world", Jonathan wrote.

Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, said Jonathan looked forward to continuing to work with Obama "to engender even more robust bilateral relations and productive partnership between Nigeria and the United States of America".

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Nigeria Ranks 19th On Terrorism Risk Index

Nigeria occupies nineteenth position on the list of "extreme risk" countries and territories, according to the latest Terrorism Risk Index (TRI) released by Maplecroft.

Maplecroft, a United Kingdom-based risk analysis and mapping firm, has an international team of 75 multidisciplinary experts-including over 50 research analysts.

It provides services used extensively by leading global corporations across all sectors, governments, United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations.

t developed TRI to enable business to identify and monitor the risks posed by terrorism to employees and assets in 197 countries.

In the latest TRI released by the firm, 20 countries and territories were rated as "extreme risk," with Somalia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan topping the list in that order. These top four countries also sustain over 75 per cent of world's fatalities from terrorism.

Other countries rated as extreme risk include the newly independent South Sudan (5), Yemen (6), Palestinian Occupied Territories (7), DR Congo (8), Central African Republic (9), Colombia (10), Algeria (11), Thailand (12), Philippines (13), Russia (14), Sudan (15), Iran (16), Burundi (17), India (18), Nigeria (19) and Israel (20).

Other categories of ranking include high risk, medium risk, low risk, and no data countries.

The UK-based risk advisory company stated on it's website that none of the major Western economies fall within the 'high' or 'extreme risk' bracket.

It rated as "medium risk", UK which was ranked 38 because of the deteriorating security conditions in Northern Ireland, while United States was ranked 61 and rated as "low risk."

The latest TRI also noted that there is a 15 per cent increase in terrorist attacks globally.

The risk advisory firm said the latest index was based on data available to calculate the frequency and lethality of terrorist incidents over the 12 month period prior to April 1, this year.

It also includes a historical component assessing the number of attacks over five years and the risks relating to countries' geographic proximity to terrorist hotspots.

On Nigeria, it said, "Security conditions in Nigeria remain fragile and a source of concern for investors."

It cited the activities of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which it said had launched attacks beyond the Delta, in Abuja, the nation's capital city.

It is, however, important to note that the ranking of Nigeria was based on the data available on terrorist incidents over the 12 month period prior to April 1, this year.

Lately, there had been series of bomb attacks in the northeastern states of Borno and Bauchi, and North-central state of Niger by Boko Haram. Mid-June, the group struck in the heart of the nation's capital detonating a bomb at the car park of the Nigeria Police headquarters.

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Bus runs over and kills 14 passengers during robbery

At least 14 passengers were killed on Tuesday along Zaraki-Kabaa Junction, Okene-Lokoja Road, when a truck ran over them where they were lying face down in obedience to the order of some armed bandits who had earlier forced them out of the luxury bus in which they were travelling to Abuja.

An eyewitness told The Moment that the bus owned by Chisco Transport Company with registration number XL 300 ABC, was travelling from Lagos to Abuja when it was forced to pull up by armed robbers at about 5 a.m. Tuesday.

It was learnt that the robbers who used a vehicle to block the side of the road flagged down the bus, and immediately ordered all the passengers to come out and lay flat on the road before they started robbing them of their belongings one after another.

The source further said that while the robbery operation was going on, another incoming luxury bus and a truck also heading for Abuja axis, without knowing what was happening, allegedly ran over them, killing virtually everybody that laid on the ground.

The Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kogi Command, Mr. Sunday Maku who confirmed the incident said his men got to the scene of the accident after receiving some distress calls. He said 14 persons who were already confirmed dead had been deposited at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) and the state Specialists Hospital (SH), Lokoja.

He further said that the incident took place at about 5 a.m. on Tuesday, noting that it was difficult to identify the bodies because they were mangled beyond recognition, adding that those whose relations travelled on the bus from Lagos to Abuja should check the FMC and SH Lokoja for possible identification of the victims.

Maku warned travellers to shun traveling in the night, stressing that the dangers it pose outweigh its advantages (if there is any at all).

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okansanmi, also confirmed the incident said only 13 people lost their lives in the incident.

The long drawn search by the anti-crime unit of the Kogi State Police Command paid off early hours of yesterday when the two dare devil armed robbers were shot dead by the police at Okene in Okene local government area of the state.

The police, in a show of bravery on their return to the state command from the operation, shot sporadically into the air. The development attracted a lot of people who trooped out en masse to catch a glimpse of the lifeless bodies of the gang leader, simply identified as Azeez, and one of his accomplices who have been terrorising the people of Okene local government and its environs for many months.

Last week, The Moment learnt that about four of the robbers were arrested and brought to the command for investigation, which led to yesterday's gun battle between the police and the robbers. The superior fire- power of the police eventually killed Azeez and his member gang while others escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds.

The Moment gathered that they held Azeez and his gang responsible for the killing of a Police Inspector in Okene early this year.

The development led the state Commissioner of Police Mr. John Abakasanga to have put his men on red alert for apprehension of the robbers. The intelligence gathering of the Okene Divisional Police Command paid off with information that led to arrest of four members of the gang.

Items recovered from the dead robbers include various designs of army uniforms, charms, machetes, AK 47 and other dangerous weapons.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command confirmed the incidents, and said the suspect will be paraded after conclusion of investigation.

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