The armed robbers that hijacked a bullion van early this month in Delta State, reportedly carted away a whopping sum of $2 million, according to Sahara Reporters.

Recall that on Friday, December 9th, the devil armed robbers numbering over five attacked a bullion van belonging to a major bank around Koka junction along the Asaba-Benin Expressway and carted away an undisclosed amount of cash as they shot sporadically to scare people away from the scene.

SaharaReporters learned that shortly after the robbery incident, three senior officials of the bank stormed the state police command, Asaba and met with the outgoing commissioner of police, Zanna Ibrahim and other officers and dropped the hint that the sum of $2 million was allegedly carted away by the armed robbers during the robbery.

A senior Special Anti Robbery Squad official in the state police command, who spoke to Sahara Reporters under anonymity, confirmed that the bank officials gave the figure of $2 million as the cash carted away by the bandits during the operation while the Nigerian currency in several bags was left untouched.

“One Mr. Ikechulwu, head of operations, one Mr. Athanasius, the cash movement officer and a lady manager came to the command and met with the commissioner of police and other senior officers of the command and told us that the sum of $2 million was the amount carted away by the robbers during the bullion van robbery,” said the police source.

“As at this money no arrest has been made but I can tell you that some of the bank officials and the team of policemen who served as escort to the bullion van on the day of the robbery have been quizzed several times at the state police command. Though, we are suspecting a well coordinated internal connivance in the robbery. But I can assure you that in no distance time the robbers will be arrested.” the officer added.

– Sahara Reporters.

The President’s and the Vice-President’s pay is low, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.

He criticised the private sector for not respecting the national minimum wage law, which puts the lowest pay at N18,000.

Speaking at the end-of-year seminar of the State House Press Corps at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Prof. Osinbajo said he earns about N1.5m as Vice-President; President Buhari earns about N1.75 million.

To him, the pay is not commensurate with the offices they occupy.

The vice president also expressed misgivings about the remuneration of journalists and lawyers, saying journalists’ case is unique because many media owners make big revenue but simply refuse to pay good wages.

He recalled his brief encounters working with media houses as legal adviser and how in all the months he worked he was not paid despite the irregular hours he put in.

Osinbajo spoke of entry into journalism as not rigorously regulated or enforced by professional bodies because untrained persons are allowed in.

He added: ”I realised first of all that this (journalism) is not a profession from which one could make a decent living in the first place unless you find a really good way of doing so.

”But more importantly for me is that you are just on your own. Journalism as a profession is so wide open.

”There are a few reasons in my view why remuneration is poor.

”The first is that it is just simply cheating. There are owners of media that are just cheats. They just want to get something from nothing and that is not uncommon, it is a general malaise, it is not necessarily restricted to the media.

”It is also the same in the legal profession. There many lawyers if they tell you what they earn, you will certainly not want to be a lawyer.

”The private sector does not respect the minimum wage. Even if a minimum wage is set nationally, it is not necessarily respected by the private sector and this is something that should be factored in to the status of a company and whether a company is even complying with the requirements.”

The Vice-President urged journalists to brighten their prospects and future by always seeking ways of improving themselves and getting better job opportunities with attendant improved income.

Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Kwara, was the chairman of the ceremony.

He said: “It is important to note that a good retirement plan starts the very day you are employed, knowing that whatever has a beginning has an end; 35 or 60 mandatory years of service are certainly not eternity.

”It must also be stressed here that it is not too late to plan even where you have just few years to retire from service.

”The most important thing is that you have a plan either of money saved or of the job you intend to carry on after retirement. Put every other factor in place such as your age, strength and the mental capacity to carry on.” he advised.

He added “It is important to state, therefore, that the uncertainty on payment of entitlements has continued to worry Nigerian workers, making them fear retirement.

”This has led to prospective retirees falsifying their age just to enable them stay put in the service.

”In this regard, a lot of corruption induced activities have continued to infiltrate the MDAs and the organised private sector responsible for managing pension,” he said.

Kwara listed 10 ways to prepare for retirement, including saving, knowing your retirement needs and contributing to an employer’s retirement savings plan.

Others, according to him, are learning about employer’s pension plan, considering basic investment principles, not touching your retirement savings, asking employer to start a plan, think of creative ways to be self sustaining, find out about one’s social security benefits, and asking questions.

The guest lecturer and Chairman of Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu, said retirement should not be synonymous with being tired or giving up as it should be a stepping stone.

He advised working journalists to pursue their purposes with passion, stressing the need to increase capacity in readiness for the next phase

He said: “Entrepreneurship is not a function of age. Set your milestones and work towards accomplishing the milestone.

”Entrepreneurs are resilient; they persevere to succeed. You don’t need to give up easily, it requires sacrifice, discipline.”

Others who presented goodwill messages were Minister of Information Lai Mohammed; Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and Special Adviser (Media & Publicity) to the President Femi Adesina.

A 24-year-old University graduate, identified as Prosper, was allegedly nabbed while trying to use his parents for rituals – Prosper, while being questioned, revealed that life has been hard and he only took to this wicked measure because he wants to help his parents.

The young man is seen in a video clip shared holding clothing materials which he says belongs to his parents and are the tools he’d have used to perform the ritual.

Watch him speak below:

A young Nigerian woman, identified simply as Esther, reportedly lost her life on Sunday December 17, just nine days after she gave birth to a baby girl, and 9 months after her wedding.

Obunwa Victor took to Facebook to announce the sad demise of his brother’s wife, Esther Ngozi Obunwa.

Read details below:

“What a black Sunday to the family of Godwin E. Egbucha as we lost a 9 months wedded wife to the cold hand of death, MRS. ESTHER NGOZI OBUNWA the wife of my immediate younger brother Pst. Chinedu ThankGod Obunwa today. Wedded Sunday 26th March 2017 and died Sunday 17th Dec. 2017 leaving behind a One week and two days old Daughter. Death! you are wicked, you always cause sorrows and sadness in the midst of happiness and joy.

Ngo as i use to call you, i could not hold my self as i carried your body in a motorcade to the mortuary early this morning. We can’t believed that you are dead leaving the family you cherish most, your husband, brothers and sisters in-laws, the church, in fact not even the little daughter which you gave birth to last week Friday 8th Dec. 2017. Ngo it is difficult to bid you GOODBYE. Rest In Peace.”