15 killed in bank robbery

A 12- man armed robbery gang has invaded Diamond Bank Plc along Oyemekun Road, Akure, the capital of Ondo State, killing no fewer than 15 customers of the bank.

LEADERSHIP also gathered that the robbers arrived the bank at about 1 PM yesterday afternoon and started shooting sporadically for about two hours in order to scare away security details and customers around the bank.

Information has it that it took the bandits quite some time before they could gain access into the bank as a result of a fierce confrontation with the men of the Ondo State police command who were passing around the area at the time of the incident. The gun battle lasted for about 25 minutes.

During the exchange, 15 customers of the bank were shot dead by the rampaging robbers, while the police was able to arrest three out of the 12 bandits.

It was unclear as at the time of filing this report if the fleeing members of the gang carted away any money from the bank.

Meanwhile, a police source told our correspondent that the 3 gang members that were arrested had been taken to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Unit in Akure, while a manhunt for the remaining nine that escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds continues.

Leadership

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Nigerian government collaborates with U.S. to check population growth

The United States government, in collaboration with the Nigerian government, is working towards ensuring better health for Nigerians while also assisting in controlling the latter's population explosion.

The US Envoy to Nigeria, Ambassador Terrence McCulley, disclosed this during the public presentation of Expanded Social Marketing Project in Nigeria estimated at $56.3 million and a new brand of low dose oral contraceptive known as Combination 3.

Terrence added that for more than 50 years, the United States has been a committed partner in the promotion of Nigeria's successful, effective and sustainable development interventions

The ESMPIN and the child spacing contraceptive are the initiatives of a non-governmental organization, Society for Family Health.

The envoy said: "The aim of this project is to improve the overall health of women and children in Nigeria and this will be achieved by increasing the use and accessibility of child spacing methods and child healthcare products and services.

"Today, I reaffirm the United States government's commitment to supporting the government of Nigeria in achieving health goals. The United States aligns with Nigeria's vision of a strong public service and private sector that meets the country's family care giving objectives."

According to him, "the United States and Nigeria are partners in improving health services while expanding access through the privatization of healthy commodity distribution and marketing. Because Nigeria has one of the strongest health sectors in sub-Saharan Africa, it is imperative that we continue to support accessible and affordable high quality health products."

"Recently it was reported that Nigeria is the 6th most populated country in the world and there is an opportunity in bringing about a youthful population if we put certain things in place. There is also an opportunity to put certain things in place and slow down the population growth so that our resources can match what we do."

Inaugurating the contraceptive on behalf of the Federal Government, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu expressed concern over the increasing population.

Chukwu stressed the need for couples to imbibe child spacing methodologies to control the nation's population.

The minister expressed the Federal Government's appreciation to President Barack Obama of the United States for what they have been doing to improve the health sector in Nigeria.

According to him, "our average national mortality rate is 545. For every 100,000 women, you don't need to be a prophet by commission to realize that no less than 500 women do not live to see their children and it is so bad."

Daily Trust

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Video - Documentary on Nigeria's millionaire preachers

Miracles, expensive cars, exorcisms and bodyguards: religion is big business in Nigeria. Reporter Seyi Rhodes and director Matt Haan travel to Lagos to reveal the extraordinary world of the millionaire preachers.

By promoting a dream of escaping poverty, they have turned their churches into corporations, which are changing the face of Christianity.

Every Sunday millions of Nigerians crowd into thousands of competing churches. The team visits one church in Lagos run by Dr Sign Fireman, an up-and-coming preacher who is attempting to break into the big time.

They find 2000 people at an event billed as the Burial of Satan. After a rock-star entrance, Dr Fireman begins his service by exorcising the demons in his congregation.

Many Nigerian Pentecostal Christians believe that demons are the root cause of their problems in life and come to people like Dr Fireman to get rid of them. Over 20 men and women, including some who worked for Dr Fireman, have the evil spirits inside them expelled.

Sick members of the congregation come forward for miracle healing. Dr Fireman claims to have God-given powers that can change people's lives, from raising people from the dead to curing earache. One man tells the crowd he is crippled and blind. Dr Fireman then channels his powers to help the man walk and see again. Yet, earlier the team has seen the man walking unaided.

At the close of the event the crowd swarms forward and throws money at Dr Fireman's feet. There is so much cash it has to be collected in dustbins. Rhodes talks to one worshipper who says that those who give money are repaid by God with good fortune.

Some Nigerian Pentecostal Christians believe giving 10% of their income will bring God's blessing into their lives, their families and their businesses. With the service over, Dr Fireman leaves in his yellow 4x4 Hummer.

Through the marketing of his talents, Dr Fireman has expanded his Perfect Christianity Ministry to 40 branches. Key to this growth is the emphasis on prosperity preaching: teaching that prosperity is a sign of spiritual blessing. The idea is that to become rich, you should give money to the church.

Pentecostal and independent churches in Nigeria tap into the Nigerian dream: the aspiration of having and being seen to have cars, houses, money and power. To get more people to join his church, Dr Fireman believes portraying the right image is essential and shows the trappings of wealth his church has brought him. He travels everywhere with his bodyguards in one of his three yellow luxury cars, which have a combined worth of more than £150,000.

Dr Fireman's business model is not a new one. Most of the richest pastors in Nigeria use similar methods of expansion. The team meets Pastor Chris Okotie, the fifth richest pastor in the country, who had hits in the 80s with records such as Secret Love and Show Me Your Backside.

His church, House of God, attracts Nigerian film stars, celebrities and musicians. Pastor Okotie has used his power base to run for the last three presidential elections, believing the principles of prosperity preaching will provide a better future for Nigeria.

Local journalist Simon Ateba says it's almost impossible to establish their true wealth. Simon takes the team to the headquarters of Christ Embassy. He claims that two years ago when he tried to take photographs of the building, security guards dragged him inside and beat him until he fainted. Soon after he tells this story, security guards drag Rhodes into the building by his belt. He escapes unscathed.

The team visits Dr Fireman. He's busy in a music studio recording a new song as he expands his business into the music industry. Rhodes asks him how he can square his wealth and celebrity status with the teachings and life of Jesus.

Dr Fireman says that God wants him to be rich and denies that Jesus had a humble life. 'Jesus was rich and had an accountant who followed him around,' he tells Rhodes.

Channel 4

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Return to Nigeria's Witch Children

Video - Victims of human trafficker Bidemi Bello speak to CNN

Gena Somra reports on a young Nigerian woman promised a better life in the U.S. - but instead found herself a slave.

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Employee kills boss and hides body in family freezer

A 21 year-old man, Chinwendu Hart Amanya, was at the weekend arrested alongside four others by officers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Police Command for allegedly killing his employer, Barrister Afishetu Abdullahi and hiding her body inside the deep freezer in the family house.

Others arrested with Amanya included Augustus Igbenatu, 51; Kelvin Uchegbu, 20; Chiso Nnam, 21; Prince Nnah, 24; and Ejikeme Igbo, 38.

Mrs. Abdullahi, a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was said to have been reported missing on November 8, by her husband Barr. Saah Abdullahi.

Confirming the arrest in Abuja , the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Michael Zuokomor, disclosed that officers of the command discovered the strangled body of the deceased in a deep freezer during a search of the family house in Garki 11 area of Abuja .

He said, "A report was received from Barrister Saah Abdullahi, at Garki Police Station on November 8, 2011, that his wife Barrister Afishetu Niri Dupe Abdullahi, a staff at the NNPC headquarters, was missing for about two days.

"On the same date of the report, a search party by the Police Detectives discovered her strangled lifeless body in a deep freezer in her new residence in Garki."

According to Zuokomor, "Discreet investigation into this gruesome murder by the FCT Police Command resulted in the arrest of five suspects from Imo and Rivers States .

"The principal suspect Amanya who was the personal driver to the deceased upon his arrest freely confessed to having carried out the killing alongside the other suspects.

"The others have equally confessed to having carried out one or another assistance thereby facilitating the commission of the murder. Exhibits were recovered from their hideouts in Imo State and Rivers States ."

The commissioner of police said, the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigation.

Items allegedly recovered from the suspects include, one Nissan Jeep; One Infinity Jeep; Nigeria Bar Association ID card belonging to the deceased; one visa phone; four Intercontinental Bank ATM cards.

Others include, two Eagle Fliers Credit cards, one Fidelity Bank ATM card; One Zenith Bank ATM card; two Glo recharge cards; one blackberry phone and a brown wallet belonging to the deceased.

Answering questions later, Amanya accepted responsibility for the death of his employer but claimed he did not know what came over him and regretted the act as the deceased had been good to him.

The suspect, who previously worked in a car wash centre, disclosed that Mrs. Abdullahi used to bring her car to him but later decided to employ him because of his dedication.

Asked why he put the deceased body in a refrigerator, Amanya who admitted making away with two vehicles belonging to the family claimed he wanted to delay the family discovering her death.

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