USA v North Korea? Will the US attack North Korea?

NORTH Korea has warned that it will defend itself against US aggression with a "powerful force of arms". But is there a risk that the US could attack North Korea? 

Tensions have escalated after America sent an aircraft carrier to waters off the Korean peninsula in response to several provocative missile launches by Kim Jong-un's regime.
North Korea's state-owned news agency KCNA quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying Trump’s deployment showed “reckless moves for invading” that had now “reached a serious phase”.
The statement added: "We will hold the US wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its outrageous actions.”
Although the US Navy strike group has been sent towards the Korean peninsula, Washington has previously leaned towards sanctions and pressure to deter North Korea.

The US is highly unlikely to launch an attack on North Korea because the move could possibly escalate tensions all the way to nuclear war.
But the Trump administrations is keeping all options on the table, with Donald Trump tweeting: "North Korea is looking for trouble.
"If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them!"
Neverthless America recognises that the importance of having a joint approach with China, which remains North Korea’s most important trading partner and ally in the region.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Donald Trump and Xi Jinping had “extensive discussions around the dangerous situation in North Korea” at a summit at in Florida last week.
“President Xi clearly understands, and I think agrees, that the situation has intensified and has reached a certain level of threat that action has to be taken,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation.
Mr Tillerson did not elaborate on what those actions might be but his comments suggest that the Trump administration’s position may be hardening on North Korea’s nuclear programme.

On Monday China and South Korea agreed to slap tougher sanctions on North Korea if the country carries out nuclear or long-range missile tests, according to an official in Seoul.
International tensions have been heightened after the US President ordered missile strikes on a Syrian airbase in response to a deadly chemical attack by the Assad regime in Syria.
Iran and Russia - key allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - have indicated that the US strike on Friday crossed 'red lines' and they would respond to any new aggression. 

North Korea is still struggling to develop nuclear-headed airborne missiles, it is fast increasing its underwater military power.
The country possesses numerous submarines, which it has used with devastating effect in the past, with fears they are now being adapted to fire nuclear weapons.
Even more worrying is the submarines’ ability to 'disappear' and avoid detection. In 2015 around 50 went missing, setting alarm bells ringing in Seoul and Tokyo.

Former MI6 head Sir John Sawers has warned that tensions with North Korea were actually a much bigger threat to world peace than the war in Syria.
“If you are looking for a world crisis which could bring about the dangers of a clash between great powers then North Korea is a bigger concern than Syria,” he told BBC Four’s Today programme.
“I think what the Chinese are beginning to understand is that if this can’t be solved peaceably through negotiations, through pressure, then there is serious risk that the US will have only one option left, which is the military option.”
He said that the Americans have strengthened forces in the Korean Peninsula, deployed a battle group and demonstrated that the “US was willing to use force against another state to uphold international order”.
He added: “This is all part of a move, part of a calculation by the Trump administration that North Korea has to be treated very seriously, a very high priority.

“And ultimately it needs a joint US Chinese approach to deal with this if we are to avoid a further conflict on that peninsula.”

 

North Korea threatens USA with ‘miserable end’ amid fears of missile TODAY

NORTH Korea has threatened the USA with a “miserable end” amid fears Kim Jong-un’s rogue state is plotting a missile launch TODAY. 

North Korea, in a ferocious article in one of North Korea’s propaganda channels, have accused America of attempting to force a final “shown” with Kim Jong-un.
The article, published in a Pyongyang-based newspaper, described the US as “imperialists” and said they only responded to “actions, not polite words”.
The piece, entitled ‘U.S. Should be Mindful of DPRK [North Korea]’s Warming’, concluded with a horrifying warning about the country’s growing nuclear strength.
The piece said: “If the U.S. persists in its hostile policy towards the DPRK and makes a showdown with the latter to the end, while denying the strategic position of the DPRK, it will only face the final miserable endNorth Korea, in a ferocious article in one of North Korea’s propaganda channels, have accused America of attempting to force a final “shown” with Kim Jong-un.
The article, published in a Pyongyang-based newspaper, described the US as “imperialists” and said they only responded to “actions, not polite words”.
The piece, entitled ‘U.S. Should be Mindful of DPRK [North Korea]’s Warming’, concluded with a horrifying warning about the country’s growing nuclear strength.
The piece said: “If the U.S. persists in its hostile policy towards the DPRK and makes a showdown with the latter to the end, while denying the strategic position of the DPRK, it will only face the final miserable end

 

We warned Buhari not to appoint Alhassan – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State says President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Aisha Alhassan as a minister despite complaints by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress.
El-Rufai lambasted the Minister of Women Affairs for being disloyal to the President, adding that she was never a Buhari supporter but a loyalist of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
The governor said this while speaking with State House Correspondents at the Villa on Friday.
El-Rufai said Alhassan did not also vote for Buhari during the APC presidential primary.
He advised Nigerians not to be surprised or shocked at her outburst.
He, however, said her retention or otherwise as a cabinet minister should be at the discretion of the President.
Details later…

We sold body parts of ACOED students for N15m – Killers

AKURE-THREE men, who kidnapped and killed three female students of Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo State, yesterday, confessed selling their body parts for N15 million to a merchant in ljebu Igbo, Ogun State.
Meanwhile, only two decomposing corpses of two of the butchered students have so far been recovered by the Police from a forest.
Parading the suspects in Akure yesterday, the new Commissioner of Police, Gbenga Adeyanju, said the suspects-John Adenitire, alias Emir, the butcher; Fasayo Fasanu, alias Abore, and a herbalist, Alfa Abdulrafiu Tijani, who took custody of the body parts before selling them.
The leader of the gang, identified as Sile, who reportedly hunt for buyers and collect payment on behalf of the gang, had gone underground following the arrest of his gang members.
Also, 15 other suspected robbers and cult members were paraded by the Police Command.
The Police boss said the suspects chopped off the left hand and breast of each of the students, who were kidnapped after they left school on their way home.
The three students, according to him, flagged down commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada, only to be kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination, where they were killed and butchered.
Initially, the girls were declared missing and after about a week a report was lodged at the Ondo Divisional Police Station and later transferred to the anti-robbery squad.
Acting on a tip-off, detectives arrested John Adenitire, the butcher, who led them to other members of the gang.
Police detectives were later led to the bush where the decomposing corpses of the three students were recovered.
Only the identities of two of the three victims were known-Blessing Oladepo and Mary Oluwasemilore.
In an interview, one of the suspects, John Adenitire, said the price attached to the sale of the human parts attracted them to the illicit business. According to him, the three hands and breasts were sold for N15 million.
He said the parts were handed over to Abdul Rafiu Tijani, the herbalist, who in turn took the package to Sile, now at large. He lamented that they were yet to collect their share of the money before they were rounded up by Police detectives.
Police Commissioner Adeyanju said it was total war on criminals and solicited the cooperation of the public by giving adequate information to the Police.

UK resident Nigerian midwife under probe over alleged false medical qualification

A renowned campaigner against female genital mutilation is under investigation after apparently exaggerating her qualifications, MailOnline has reported.
Comfort Momoh, a midwife, set up United Kingdom's first FGM clinic and was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to women's healthcare.
She has regularly offered advice to the Crown Prosecution Service and given talks to hundreds of British schoolgirls.
But a BBC report has found that Mrs. Momoh has overstated her professional qualifications.
The 55-year-old has repeatedly described herself as 'Dr. Momoh' despite not being a qualified medical doctor.
She has an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University, but this does not give her the right to use the title 'doctor.'
Mrs. Momoh, who grew up in Nigeria, is even called a doctor on the website of Guys' and St. Thomas' NHS Trust in London where she ran the FGM clinic until recently.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council confirmed that she is under investigation but declined to comment on the details.
According to the BBC programme Newsnight, Mrs. Momoh has also examined children for FGM at least five times, despite not having the relevant qualifications. Official medical guidelines state that only a doctor with specialist training should examine child abuse victims.
In 2014, a judge described Mrs. Momoh as 'not a reliable witness' during a court case in Leeds in which a girl was alleged to have undergone FGM.
The judge said that she merited 'harsh criticism' and had 'difficulty in providing answers about even the simplest factual question.'
After examining the girl, Mrs. Momoh originally said there was evidence to suggest that the child had been subjected to 'some form of FGM.' But in oral evidence in court, she changed her findings.
Sir James Munby, president of the Family Division, described her report as 'a remarkably shoddy piece of work' and 'worse than useless.'
Judge Munby concluded there was not enough evidence to suggest that the child had undergone FGM, after Mrs. Momoh's examination was reviewed by an expert.
Mrs. Momoh was also due to be a key expert witness in a high-profile case in 2015 when a doctor was charged for the first time in the UK over FGM.
However, she was dropped before the trial for reasons which remain unclear. The accused was acquitted and so far, no one has been successfully prosecuted over FGM.
Mrs. Momoh, of Barnet, North London, has carried out a survey claiming that more than half the GPs in London have treated FGM victims in one year. But some doctors said they do not believe it is taking place on the scale that has been suggested.
Clinical Director at St. Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, Dr. Catherine White, said: “We're just not seeing the number that we would have thought we would see, given the demographics that we cover now. Perhaps newer generations, younger generations, aren't perpetuating it in the same way.
“I think if certain types of FGM were being done at the rates that we were perhaps led to expect, we would be seeing cases coming through with infection or bleeding - they would be ending up in front of healthcare professionals and then being referred to us.
“That just hasn't happened - not here in Greater Manchester anyway.”
The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which regulates midwives, said an investigation into Mrs. Momoh was opened last month. It declined to comment on the details of the case.

Suspected ritual killer, Ifeanyi Dike, who murdered eight-year-old girl rearrested 800 miles away in jos

The suspected ritual killer, Ifeanyi Dike, who murdered an eight-year-old girl, Victory Chikamso Nmezuwuba, has been rearrested.
Dike, who was rearrested in Jo’s, Plateau State capital, by security operatives on Thursday, was said to have been immediately brought to Port Harcourt.
Details later…

Man in Police net for allegedly strangulating to death wife

Yenagoa – Mr Stephen Akpata. a Nigerian who used to live in Australia has been arrested by the police for allegedly strangling his new wife Onyinye Eze, Bayelsa Commissioner of Police Mr Asuquo Amba has said.
Vanguard gathered that the 33 year-old victim was an employee of Globacom Nigeria Limited.
Delta state born Akpata, popularly called Bishop, who claimed in a statement that he was 40 years old, allegedly on August 16, 2017 killed the woman in her Yenagoa residence. Police doubted Akpata's age as he also claimed that he had spent 27 years in Australia, meaning that he went there when he was 13 years-old.
The Police Commissioner said Akpata murdered his wife by strangling her with the cable of an electric iron. He then also stabbed her with a knife.
The Police Chief said the incident became known when one of Onyinye's colleagues, Moses Awo, reported at Ekeki Police Division in Yenagoa that Onyinye did not report for work as expected.
According to Amba, Awo had reportedly told the police that when he and another colleague went to Onyinye's residence in Kpansia area of Yenagoa, they discovered that the apartment was locked. They also found that the television set in her room was working.
Some Policemen from Ekeki Police Division in Yenagoa went to the deceased's apartment and forced her door open. They found Onyinye dead in a pool of her blood.
According to Bayelsa Police Commissioner Akpata was the prime suspect in the murder.
He was arrested by police in Badagry, Lagos State, after about two weeks on his trail.
Parading the suspect on Thursday at the state command's headquarters, Amba, said that his operatives discovered that the deceased room was scattered.
Amba said the exhibits recovered at the scene of crime were a knicker; a pair of canvas shoes, one damaged electric iron, one jean jacket, one pen knife, one pink singlet, a Nokia mobile phone and a damaged wristwatch.
He said the exhibits were stained with blood.
The Police chief said the body of the victim was removed and deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, for autopsy.
Narrating how the suspect was arrested, Amba said that discreet investigations revealed that the suspect absconded to Ghana after allegedly committing the murder in Yenagoa.
The commissioner, who said the suspect returned to Badagry, Lagos a few days after, added that Akpata was tracked and arrested in Badagry on September 1 and brought to Bayelsa the same day.
"When our operatives went into the apartment of the deceased, we meticulously searched the environment and we saw a three-quarter knicker that was well hidden, tucked somewhere in the room that one would not suspect that something was hidden there.
"We discovered there was a blood stain on the knicker. By this time, we tried to find out who was with the lady because we knew that they had just contracted a registry marriage.
"We got in touch with Akpata who is the purported husband. He gave us the impression that he was out of town, implying that he travelled out of town before the incident.
"So, we were still communicating with him, at least to break the news to him that his purported wife was dead. He told us he was on his way back and this took us some days.
"As we were communicating with him, he was just giving us the impression that he was coming back, not knowing that he was plotting his own escape.
"We found out that prior to that time of her murder, the suspect had spent so much money on the lady and they were moving from one hotel to another.
"Still, we were playing along with him to enable him to come to us. But since he said he was in Lagos, we suspected that Ghana or Republic of Benin would be a likely point of escape.
"We got in touch with the embassies there and the Ghanaian Embassy was on the alert. From our radar, we found out that he slept in Ghana.
"He escaped back to Badagry in Lagos. He did not know we were still following him up. We got in touch with the police in Badagry. Eventually he was arrested at the Badagry border. So, we brought him back." Amba said.
Amba added that the police command got vital information on him, particularly on his Facebook page where they saw many pictures of him with his murdered wife during their court marriage.
He assured that the suspect would be charged to court while the case would be diligently prosecuted as soon as investigations were concluded. (NAN)

ASUU Strike: Lecturers reach agreement with Nigerian govt

The striking university lecturers, ASUU, have agreed to consider the federal government’s offer and suspend their strike.
The agreement comes after 12 hours, 30 minutes of a closed door meeting between ASUU and a government delegation in Abuja.
The leadership of ASUU, however, said though it accepted the proposal presented by the government, it will take the proposal to its members and get back to the government in a week.
Biodun Ogunyemi, the national president of ASUU, told journalists after the meeting that the union will come back after one week to take its final decisions.
“Now we have some concrete proposal that we will take back to our members for consideration,” he said.
On his part, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said ASUU’s demands have been addressed and the union will get back to the government in a week after consulting with its principals.
The meeting started 1:38pm on Thursday and ended 2:15 a.m. on Friday.

LASU sacks 17 staff, demotes two others

The Lagos State University has dismissed 15 academic Staff and two non-academic staff for different acts of misconduct.


The school’s governing council also demoted one academic staff and one non-academic staff.

A statement on Friday by LASU’s Acting Head, Centre for Information Press and Public Relations, Ademola Adekoya, said the decision was taken at the governing council’s meeting on Thursday 7 September 2017.

It said the decision was in line with Section 6(1) and (2) of the Lagos State University Law 2004 (as amended), the Council of the Lagos State University as the governing authority of the University, and exercises general oversight over the Institution and its affairs.

The statement said, “Dr. Isaac Akinloye, OYEWUNMI, Senior Lecturer, Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, Faculty of Education was established to have demanded the sum of N50, 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira only) from 2003 modular year students of Political Science Education on the sandwich Programme to process their results. He was found culpable of attempt to obtain money for himself as an inducement to carry out his duties, and consequently DISMISSED from the service of the University.

“Dr. Adebowale ADEYEMI-SUENU, Senior Lecturer and Acting Head, Department of History and International studies, Faculty of Arts was established to have unilaterally altered the results of 12 (Twelve) students already advised to withdraw by Senate in the Department of History and International Studies in the 2015/2016 academic session, thereby changing their status from “withdrawn” to “good standing”. He also changed the results of some final year students and stragglers outside the scope of the Departmental decision. Dr. ADEYEMI-SUENU also awarded grade point of 2.0 to two (2) students in an examination from which they were absent. This is tantamount to manipulation of Students results in contravention of provisions of the Conditions and Scheme of Service for Senior Staff. He was therefore DISMISSED from the service of the University.

“Mr Olatoye Mubin RAJI, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Religions, (Islamic Studies Unit), Faculty of Arts, was established to have falsified his November /December 2000 WAEC O’Level certificate. He was therefore DISMISSED from the services of University.

“Dr. Olugbenro Bankole ODOFIN, Senior Lecturer, Department of Education Foundation and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education was established to have altered One Hundred and Eighteen (118) students results and also awarded scores to students who did not sit for the examination in a certain course. He was therefore DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. Adebowale Adebayo ADEMESO, Senior Lecturer, Department of Theatre Arts and Music, Faculty of Arts, was established to have altered grades in sixteen (16) courses. He was therefore DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. John Olufemi ADEOGUN, Associate Professor, Department of Human Kinetics, Sports and Health Education, Faculty of Education was found culpable of acts of dishonesty which is tantamount to misconduct. He was therefore DEMOTED from the rank of Associate Professor to Senior Lecturer.

“Dr. Scholastica Ebarefimia UDEGBE, Lecturer 1 Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences was established to have effected corrections on One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-five (1995) results of students during her tenure as Acting Head, Department of Marketing between August 2012 and July 2016, in breach of laid down procedure for effecting correction on students results. In the circumstance, she was DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. Olufemi Olugbenga SOYEJU, Lecturer ll in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law was established to have defaulted on conditions of his Training Leave bond, and also abandoned his duty post. Consequently, he is to refund the sum of #7,919,972. 84 (Seven Million Nine Hundred and Nineteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy Two Naira Eighty Four kobo) within 30 (Thirty) days of this decision of the Council. He was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. OLAWALE Ganiyu RAIMI, Senior Lecturer, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science was established to have defaulted on conditions of his Training Leave bond, and also abandoned his duty post. Consequently, he is to refund the sum of #1,622,727.94 (One Million Six hundred and Twenty Two Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty Seven Naira Ninety Four kobo only) within 30 (Thirty) days of the decision of the Council. He was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Mr Ademola Olusola ADESINA, Lecturer ll, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, was established to have defaulted on conditions of his Training Leave bond, and also abandoned his duty post. Consequently, he is to refund the sum of #6,688,204.74 (Six Million Six Hundred and Eighty Eight Thousand Two Hundred and Four Naira Seventy Four kobo only) within 30 days (Thirty) days of the decision of Council. He was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. Shamisudeen Olusesan BADMUS, Lecturer ll, Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Sciences, was established to have defaulted on conditions of his Training Leave bond, and also abandoned his duty post. Consequently, he is to refund the sum of #11,124,991. 40 (Eleven Million One Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety One Naira Forty kobo only) within 30 days (Thirty) days of the decision of Council. He was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. Christiana Ibidun OBAGBUWA, Lecturer ll, Department of Computer Science, , Faculty of Science, was established to have defaulted on conditions of her Training Leave bond, and also
abandoned her duty post. Consequently, she is to refund the sum of #8,663,869.04 (Eight Million Six Hundred and Sixty Three Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira Four kobo only) within 30 days (Thirty) days of the decision of Council. She was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. Emmanuel Sesofia ASAPO, Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemical and Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, was established to have defaulted on conditions of his Training Leave bond, and also abandoned his duty post. Consequently, he is to refund the sum of #2,610,269.57 ( Two Million Six Hundred and Ten Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira Fifty Seven kobo only) within 30 days (Thirty) days of the decision of Council. He was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Mr Lateef Babatunde SALAMI, Lecturer ll, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, was established to have defaulted on conditions of his Training Leave bond, and also abandoned his duty post. Consequently, he was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Olubukola Adetoun OYENIYA, Assistant Research Fellow, Center for Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, was established to have defaulted on conditions of her Training Leave bond, and also abandoned her duty post. Consequently, she is to refund the sum of #6,180,233.04 (Six Million One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Two Hundred and Thirty Three Naira Four kobo only) within 30 (Thirty) days from the date of the decision of Council. She was also DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Dr. Fatimat Oluwatoyin BAKARE, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Chemical and Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering was established to have defaulted on conditions of her Training Leave bond, and also abandoned her duty post. Consequently, she is to refund the sum of #9,125,341.29 (Nine Million One Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Three Hundred and Forty One Naira Twenty Nine kobo only) within 30 (Thirty) days of the decision of Council. Council also DISMISSED her from the services of the University.

“Mr Ernest ODILI, Assistant Security Officer was established to have illegally collected the sum of #120,000 (One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira only) with the intention of upgrading the result of a part time B.Sc Computer Science student in 2012. He was accordingly DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Mr Ramon Ajose ALLI (former Head Machine Operator) was established to have collected the sum of #20,000 (Twenty Thousand Naira only) from Achilike Kingsley to assist the latter substitute the falsified result in his personal file with another result. He was therefore DISMISSED from the services of the University.

“Mr Emmanuel Baoku BABATUNDE, Senior Security officer, was established to have been engaged in deliberate sabotage of the University security operations. Consequently, he is to be DEMOTED with effect from 13th February, 2015 to the next applicable level below his substantive post.”

According to the statement, the Joint Council /Senate (Academic) Disciplinary Committee and the Joint Council (Administrative and Technical Staff) Disciplinary Committee which heard the cases strictly followed all laid down procedures, and duly gave opportunity to the individuals involved to defend themselves.

Why I conceded 2015 presidential election to Buhari – Goodluck Jonathan

Immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, has disclosed what influenced his decision to concede the 2015 Presidential election to his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan said his decision to concede defeat to Buhari was informed by the fact that he was “inspired to lead by his conscience.”

He made this disclosure at the World Peace Summit currently holding in Malaysia.

Delivering a paper titled, “Conscience Based Leadership: The Secret to Global Peace and Security,” Jonathan recalled how he once declared that his “political ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigeria.”

Shortly before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced the results of the 2015 presidential election in 2015, Jonathan had put a call across to his successor, congratulating him for the victory and conceding defeat in the process.

Jonathan said, “Since you specifically invited me to share my experience as a political leader and President, with the forum, I will, therefore, like to mention some of the things I did in office, to build a peaceful society.

“I can confidently say that in all my public life, I was inspired to lead by conscience. This is in agreement with my personal philosophy which I first proclaimed while running for the office of the Governor of my home state Bayelsa in 2006, and re-echoed when I ran for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2011 and 2015.

“Then, I made it clear that my political ambition is not worth the blood of anybody. Ever since I said that in November of 2006 in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, I have always lived by it. This philosophy informed my 12 decision to concede the 2015 Presidential election, even while the results were still being collated.”