A two-year-old boy identified as Musa Murtala, who was allegedly tortured by his grandmother and stepmother at their home in Gulu town in the Rimin Gado LGA in Kano state, is currently battling for his life at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital.

It was gathered that the two suspects allegedly broke the legs and arms of Musa, cut his tongue, removed his eye and private parts.

Nura Idris, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, disclosed to Punch Metro on Tuesday that it would take some weeks for the victim to recover, adding that he had deep cuts in different parts of his body.

The victim’s father was said to have reported the incident to the Kano State Police Command, which immediately sent men to arrest the suspects, after which the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

It was gathered that Musa’s mother left his father after a disagreement which culminated in a divorce. The mother was said to have handed him over to his father, who then put Musa in the care of his grandmother and stepmother. The duo was alleged to have tortured him for reasons yet to be ascertained.

DSP Musa Magaji, the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, who confirmed the incident, said that the suspects were in custody. “It happened on Friday. The boy’s father came back from work late and when he saw what had happened to the child, he reported to the police.

“He said he divorced the boy’s mother and handed him over to his mother and second wife. He said it was on Friday that he discovered what both his wife and mother had done to his son.

“We took him to the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital. His legs and arms were broken; there was a deep cut on his private parts, he was also not seeing with one eye. Because he is a toddler, there is no way we can ask him what happened,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Director, Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, who spoke with a correspondent on the telephone, said Musa was admitted in the children wing of the female orthopaedic ward, adding that it could take weeks for him to recover from the injuries which were inflicted with a sharp object.

“His tongue, one of his eyes and a part of his private parts were cut. He had fractures of the humerus (upper limbs) and femura (lower limbs). There were lacerations here and there in his body. From the nature of the injuries, those behind the crime used a very sharp object, which could be a blade or knife.

“He had surgeries yesterday (Monday). We did some repairs on him and he’s doing well now. He is a child and his bones are still growing. Fractures for a child will not take long to heal. I am sure in a couple of weeks, he should be okay,” he said.

The Federal Government on Tuesday revealed the cause of tomato scarcity in the country as it said the pest, Tuta absoluta, popularly known as ‘Tomato Ebola’, is responsible for the massive destruction of tomato in farmlands in Nigeria. The destructive pest has so far invaded six states in Nigeria.

Farmers all over the country have been warned to be careful and advised farmers on the management skills to use so as to curb the spread of the pest.

Speaking on the issue, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, revealed that the highly reproductive nature of the tomato pest and lack of management knowledge for containment allowed it to spread which led to the destruction of tomato fruits in Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and Lagos.

He also stated that the government is already consulting with experts in other find a way out.

He said, “The pest can also attack even pepper and Irish potato. So we are confronting something quite serious. But the good thing is that we are tackling it right now as experts will commence work immediately. We are bringing the commissioners and governors of states to jointly attack this pest, which, if not dealt with, will create serious problems for food security in our country.”

Also, the minister revealed that Nigeria spent huge sums importing substandard tomato paste which affected many in Nigeria.

“We have two processing plants for tomato paste in Nigeria, Erisco and Dangote, and their capacities are huge. We welcome their arrival because our annual import bill of tomato paste is about $400m and it is a good sign that we can now produce here and make money for our farmers.” he said.

Reacting to the recent development, CropLife International, a group of agro-professionals, advocated the use of hazard-based approach rather than a risk-based methodology.

The group also called for the promotion and adoption of relevant biotechnologies in farming activities.

A Lagos lady who was duped of her hard earned $6500 few weeks ago by some bureau de change operators, has finally exposed the criminals after setting them up and eventually caught them trying to dupe her again.

Below is how she narrated her ordeal on Instagram, read below and learn!

“Be careful people are so cruel.
Few weeks ago my friend was swindled of $6500 by these bureau de change people, she was approached and asked if she wanted to change money she said yes and they gave her a very good rate.

Told her their oga was gonna call her and kept asking her how much the money she wanted to change was. So they came with exactly the same $6500 (fake) and some naira to change. Got to a bank and told her they wanted to count and confirm her money, she gave them and they switched it.

They gave her come excuse about the naira not been complete yet and that they wanted to go get the lots from their own bank before it closes and they would be back. She collected her $6500 naively and was waiting and waiting but they never came back or picked up her call again.

It wasn’t till we got to another mallams place that we knew we’d been duped. So we gave it like a month and decided to trail them and set them up, as God will have it we caught them today cos we told them we wanted to buy dollars about 5000 and the man and his boys showed up as usual with the original 5k and same fake bundles after having me confirm the money from the bank that it was good money they switched it and wanted to collect my money and give me fake.

That’s how we got them. Y’all be careful these scammers are everywhere, they are cruel, evil and heartless….May God protect us all from bad people…Amen!!!! That’s the fake money…looks just like the real deal. Be careful!!!!.”

Watch the video clip she also shared below courtesy of InstaBlog9ja;

View this post on Instagram

Fraudulent Bureau de Change operators eventually caught . . Repost from @carsandrah: "Be careful people are so cruel ?? Few weeks ago my friend was swindled of $6500 by these bureau de change people, she was approached and asked if she wanted to change money she said yes and they gave her a very good rate. . . Told her their oga was gonna call her and kept asking her how much the money she wanted to change was. So they came with exactly the same $6500 (fake) and some naira to change. Got to a bank and told her they wanted to count and confirm her money, she gave them and they switched it. . . They gave her come excuse about the naira not been complete yet and that they wanted to go get the lots from their own bank before it closes and they would be back. She collected her $6500 naively and was waiting and waiting but they never came back or picked up her call again. . . It wasn't till we got to another mallams place that we knew we'd been duped. So we gave it like a month and decided to trail them and set them up, as God will have it we caught them today cos we told them we wanted to buy dollars about 5000 and the man and his boys showed up as usual with the original 5k and same fake bundles after having me confirm the money from the bank that it was good money they switched it and wanted to collect my money and give me fake. . . That's how we got them ?? Y'all be careful these scammers are everywhere, they are cruel, evil and heartless….May God protect us all from bad people…Amen!!!! That's the fake money…looks just like the real deal ??? Be careful!!!!?. Cc: @iam_igbinedionsammy

A post shared by Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) on May 24, 2016 at 12:09pm PDT

Last Saturday, a certain young lady who is a 2:1 graduate of Computer Science made headlines after she carried a placard and stood at the Lekki area of Lagos to advertise her jobless situation and wasting skills.

Goodluck not Jonathan..has now shined on her!

Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation reportedly took notice of her and invited her over yesterday, Monday to discuss the way forward.

The implication of this now is that many Nigerian youths will now start carrying placards!

Joy Akabuike, a graduate of Imo State Polytechnic, is currently in coma following the ghastly accident involving a commercial bus belonging to Peace Mass Transit and a truck which occurred last Sunday in Umuahia.

The split photos shows her taking a pic before embarking on the ill fated journey and lying beside the mangled bus shortly after the accident.

“I chat with you joy on Saturday night and you told me you will be traveling on Sunday morning without knowing you’d get involved in an accident.. Peeps Ada is in coma and needs our prayers. You shall be healed INSHA All” a friend of hers posted on Facebook

Continue to see more photos of the beautiful Joy Akabuike:

Dino Melaye, the controversial Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district was on Sunday pictured rolling on the floor during a thanksgiving service in a church.

He said he rolled on the floor during the deliverance session and to thank the God that delivered him.

A mother of three has opened up on how suspected Boko Haram members abducted her in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, while on her way to the hospital.

The woman said she managed to escape after the vehicle in which she was being conveyed developed fault.

“On our arrival in Kano, the vehicle (in which she was conveyed) developed a problem I gained my consciousness and found that my body was strapped with explosive belt,” she said.

“It is in the course of repairing the car that I learnt the kidnappers have stripped me of my cloth and explosive devices were strapped on me.”

She said she eventually ran away before security men rescued her around 11pm and was taken to Hotoro police station in Kano.

She said the kidnappers told her that she was to go to the famous Kantin Kwari Market in Kano for “God’s mission”.

Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of the state and Abbati Dikko, commissioner of police in Kano, urged the residents to be security conscious and report suspicious movements to the police.

Yesterday, May 22nd..A Danfo Driver had a fight with a police officer in Igando, Lagos State where he died instantly after he fell into the gutter and died.

According to eyewitnesses reports, the policeman had stopped the bus and asked for bribe and when the bus driver refused to give him any money, he dragged him from the bus and began beating him.

As they were fighting, the bus driver fell into a gutter, hit his head on the edge of the gutter and died instantly.

Shuhu Garba, The Senor Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity has explained why the President cancelled his trip to Lagos.

According to Garba, President Buhari is faced with scheduling difficulties.

“The truth is that the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, will now represent the President in Lagos. The President is faced with scheduling difficulties and that is the reason for the postponement of the visit.

He needs more time for Lagos and for Edo which had earlier been stepped down. As a result of this, the visit has been scaled down and he is being represented by the VP, who is going to Lagos to commission a few projects, leaving the rest for Mr. President.

The President will undertake these visits after the Ramadan”he said.

Garba said President Buhari will visit Lagos after Ramadan which is likely to begin on June 6th and end in early July.

‎President Buhari was scheduled to be in Lagos today to begin a two day state visit whiCh will see him commission some projects and also pay a visit to the Oba of Lagos.

His visit would have been the first visit of a sitting President to Lagos in the last 15 years.

The founder of Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God, Sunday Adelaja is enmeshed in a sordid adultery scandal after being accused of sleeping with at least 20 women in his church.

The pastor of the The Ukraine-based church, which touts itself as one of Europe’s largest churches, is now being pressurised to step down after the scandal.

But he has denied the allegations. He said the allegations were the machination of people planning to kick him out of his church.

“That is not true at all; I have read what people are saying about me. The funny thing is that nobody asked me for any information; no interview was granted to anyone,” he told the Punch newspaper in an email.

A statement posted on the website of the Russian Union of Christians Evangelical Faith alleged that Adelaja, confessed to adultery with his female parishioners at a meeting of pastors and the board of elders of the church but added that he had repented.

The statement written by one Apostle Toff Ulissis, stated that Adelaja had been advised to “seek psychiatric help in Kiev and the United States.”

Ulissis said, “Pastor Sunday mentioned that he had a relationship with 20 or 30 women; probably, the number was more than he could remember. Also, I talked with many women (married and unmarried), as well as with their husbands, and they shared with me their pain and described how the pastor manipulates people who work for him. All the stories were equally horrific, disgusting and depressing. People are very sorry about the current situation with the pastor and wanted him to have psychiatric help.

“I made it clear that my aim is not to destroy either the Embassy of God, because many people have found help in the church or Pastor Sunday as a person. I wanted to make sure that everything has been done to these women and the couples have received care, reconciliation and redeeming restoration.”

Also, a bishop in Adelaja’s church, Anatoly Belonozhko, resigned in protest after the embattled pastor refused to seek help, it was alleged.

“We, as church elders, began to create new projects and exercises to heal and restore the church, a new structure, and of course, help our pastor. But Pastor Sunday in writing categorically rejected our help, humiliating us and saying that we have no power to tell him what to do and how to do it and that he knows how and what to do.

“For 22 years in the Church of the Embassy of God, of which 14 years in the rank of bishop, I have always been faithful and responsible before God and people for their service. Taking this opportunity, I want to refute the lie that I knew of pastor’s sin for a long time. I found out about the moral fall of Pastor Sunday in the middle of December 2015 through the pastors of the Apostolic Council. After I learned about it, I talked to Pastor Sunday, trying to help. Remaining in the church in the most difficult time for all of us to save and restore the church and souls of men. But as I understand it, the pastor does not need my help,” Belonozhko said.

But Adelaja stated told the Punch that the entire story was a re-hatched fabrication.

“It is actually an old story that was cooked up by some disgruntled members of my leadership team when they knew of my decision to hand over the church because of my plan to return to Africa.

“So, it’s a leadership tussle from those whose desires for church leadership were not granted. I’m happy with my wife. The church here in Ukraine is doing well. So I thank God that their stories though believed by some without confirmation is still false nevertheless.”