Making Amends

Photo Credit: The Punch Newspaper The minister of state for Labour and Productivity, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN); his wife, Blessing; and son, Joshua, on Sunday died in a road crash along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, 57 kilometres to their Kaduna destination. It was learnt that the Sport Utility Vehicle in which the family travelled in, had a burst tyre on the highway, leading to the crash. Ocholi, who hailed from Ogbabede-Abocho in the Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, and his third child were said to have died on the spot after the Prado-Jeep had a burst tyre in the rear and somersaulted several times. It was gathered that the minister’s SUV ran into other vehicles in his convoy. A critically injured Blessing died at the Doka Government Hospital, Kaduna, around 4pm on Sunday. The driver and aide de camp, who were also rushed to the clinic, were later brought to the National Hospital, Abuja at 7.45pm for treatment. The Kaduna State Sector Command

Badeh's Hose The EFCC has recovered $1m cash from one of the houses belonging to the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh(retd.), The PUNCH has learnt. Our correspondent learnt the money was recovered after detectives searched a mansion located at 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama, Abuja. A detective at the EFCC, who did not want his name in print, said, “We have seized several properties belonging to Badeh. A few days ago, we returned to the mansion located at 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama.“In the presence of several witnesses, including neighbours, we searched the house and recovered $1m in cash. The money has been lodged as evidence.” When our correspondent visited the mansion on Sunday, the EFCC seal was seen on the gate, with the warning, ‘EFCC, Keep off!” written all over the fence. The property, which is said to be worth over N1.1bn, is one of the five properties seized from the ex-defence chief. Some of the propert

Bloody clashes in the Mile 12, Ketu area of Lagos State on Thursday left no fewer than 10 persons dead and  about 100 others injured. Among the dead were two schoolchildren, traders, artisans and residents. A two-year-old boy, Andrew Daniel, was abducted by some hoodlums and taken away after his father, Igba, was attacked with  machetes and left for the dead. The PUNCH, which witnessed part of the clashes as it unfolded, counted no fewer than 40 vehicles that were either burnt or vandalised in the Agiliti area of Ketu. Two churches and over 20 houses were equally set ablaze and hundreds of residents rendered homeless in Maidan community as a result of the violence which was said to have broken out after a disagreement between some Yoruba and Hausa in the area.   Motorcycles, sewing machines and other working tools were also destroyed while some shops were looted and Corpses of slain residents, who were either burnt or beheaded, littered the roads as of 5pm when on

Former president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has emerged as the African Leadership Magazine Person of the Year, 2015, ahead of other nominees drawn from Africa. The nominees includes Strive Masiyiwa, founder, Econet Wireless; Tony Elumulelu, Chairman of Heirs Holding; Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women; Akinwunmi Adesina, President, African Development Bank; Koffi Anan, former UN Secretary General, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader, All Progressives Congress. The news was communicated to the former President in letter signed by Cletus Wortoson, former, Liberian Pro tem Senate president and chair, 2015 African Leadership Person of the Year Selection Committee. He noted that the selection committee and the African Leadership Advisory Board placed a very high premium on Jonathan’s commitment towards deepening democracy on the continent. “There is no one best suited at the moment than Your Excellency, to advise the continent’s leaders on the merits of goo