12/26/17

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Peru’s ailing former leader, Mr. Alberto Fujimori, is begging the people for forgiveness, two days after receiving a presidential pardon that sparked street protests.
“I am aware that the results of my government were well received on one side, but I admit that I have let down other compatriots, and I ask them to forgive me with all my heart,” Fujimori said in a Facebook video filmed from his hospital bed.
The 79-year-old had been serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and human rights abuses committed during his time in office from 1990 to 2000.
He was transferred from prison to a hospital on Saturday after suffering from low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat, the latest in a string of hospitalizations.
In the video, Fujimori lay propped up on a hospital bed wearing a white gown, with a blood pressure cuff on his right arm and another monitor clasped to his left index finger. He talked over the constant background beeping of a monitoring device.
Gray-haired and with bags under his eyes, he spoke clearly, looking directly into the camera but also glancing down as if checking a prepared text that was out of the camera’s view.
President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ordered the pardon of Fujimori and seven other prisoners Sunday on humanitarian grounds, placing himself in the middle of a political crisis just days after he avoided impeachment.
The move set off street protests in Lima, and police fired tear gas and clashed with demonstrators who were marching Monday against the pardon and demanding that Kuczynski step down.
The president defended his decision in a televised message to the nation.
“I am convinced that those of us who feel democratic should not allow Alberto Fujimori to die in prison, because justice is not revenge,” Kuczynski said in his address Monday night.
“It is about the health and chances of life of a former president of Peru who, having committed excesses and grave errors, was sentenced and has already completed 12 years” in prison, he said.
Anti-riot police deployed to prevent demonstrators from heading to the clinic where Fujimori is hospitalized, firing tear gas canisters and erecting barricades to disperse them.
A strong force of anti-riot police moved through the streets of Lima with the protesters and sought to prevent them from heading to the clinic where Fujimori is hospitalized, firing tear gas cannisters and erecting barricades to disperse the crowds
“Out, out PPK! Out, out PPK!” demonstrators chanted in reference to the current president, who had promised during his electoral campaign last year that he would not free Fujimori.
“Fujimori, murderer and thief. No to the pardon!” read a sign held by the protesters, some of whom also carried a giant Peruvian flag.
Relatives of victims of Fujimori’s brutal rule took part in the march.
“We are here as relatives to reject this illegal pardon, because it does not correspond to the gravity of the crimes,” Gisella Ortiz, from a group of victims’ families, told reporters.
The pardon from Kuczynski came after Fujimori’s son Kenji drained votes away from a parliamentary bid Thursday to impeach Kuczynski on suspicion of corruption, sparking speculation the pardon was political.
Read More: AFP/LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

It was a “Black Christmas” in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital following the inadvertent killing of a police officer by a fellow policeman during a gun duel between the police and suspected cultists.
An eyewitness who preferred anonymity, said on Tuesday that the incident occurred on Christmas day at Obele Area of Ovom in Yenagoa, leaving residents in apprehension.
According to the eyewitness, trouble started when a misunderstanding among the feasting cultists degenerated to a fight, resulting to gunshots which eventually attracted a police patrol team to the area.
The Police Command Spokesman, DSP Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the incident, said the killing was shocking.
“Yes, the incident was between cultists but as the police went to find out what was going on, the cultists started shooting and one of the policemen mistakenly shot an officer.
“Though, we are yet to get the full details because some of our men, who were at the scene, are supposed to brief us over the matter.
“Nevertheless, the Police are intensifying efforts to ensure a crime-free environment for people in Bayelsa this period of Christmas celebration; we deployed over 4,000 personnel for patrol.
“We adopted some strategies like ‘Cordon and Search’; I must tell you, our men and women are fully on operations to safeguard lives and property,” Butswat said.
The spokesman urged the residents to continue with their lawful endeavours and support the police by providing timely and credible information on criminal activities.
“I also urge them to continue to enjoy the Christmas celebration and steer clear of every criminal activity,” he said.
LR News recalls that an armed robbery suspect had also on Dec. 22, killed his fellow robber at a robbery operation around Azikoro village, Yenagoa and eventually turned himself in at Azikoro Police Station.
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The Kaduna State Police Command on Tuesday confirmed the interception of fake drugs worth over N15 million in Zaria.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Muktar Aliyu, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview.
He said the Police Area Command in Zaria had intercepted the fake drugs after a tip-off  by some residents.
“On getting the information, our men swung into action and eventually intercepted the adulterated drugs which would have  destroyed the lives of innocent citizens.
“The said fake drugs were intercepted at Sabon gari market in  Zaria  where the owner had already offloaded the consignment for distribution.
“This is a serious calamity  and of course harmful to human existence.
“ I want to plead with people not to be discouraged in providing useful information to  security personnel  for prompt action,” he said.
According to him, investigation into the matter is ongoing in order to ascertain  the origin of the drugs as well as the channels of distribution.
Investigation conducted by NAN at the Zaria Police Area Command reveals that about 10 cartons of adulterated “Ampicloxin” with “Made-in-India” label were sighted.
A competent source at the command told NAN that the 10 cartons contained about 200,000 packets said to belong to the  suspect arrested in connection with the incident.
The source said  the case would be transferred to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the  police headquarters in  Kaduna for further investigation.
The source also said that no fewer than  15 drugs addicts were arrested in Zaria with Indian hemp, trampoline and other intoxicants.
“These suspected drug addicts will be charged to court to face the wrath of the law. The police will not relent in its efforts at combating criminal activities in the society.
“Remember, most crimes are committed after the perpetrators get intoxicated;  therefore, members of the society must feel free to furnish the security agencies with vital information.
” We are, however,  happy that people are now complying,” the source said.
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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo clarified today that the NNPC and not the Federal Government pays for the  fuel subsidy that has emerged with the N171 landing cost as against the official retail price of N145.
In an interview with newsmen in Apapa Lagos, he said since the NNPC buys the fuel, it bears the cost.
“NNPC is trading in fuel; the Federal Government is not, at the moment, paying for any subsidy. NNPC is trading. If you are buying and selling fuel, you would have to be able to pay for it. So, it’s not a question of government provision for subsidy, the Federal Government, at the moment, isn’t paying any subsidy. And don’t forget that the way that the NNPC trades is that, in many cases, NNPC is actually giving fuel; there is 445, 000 barrels of fuel. So really what you are seeing, in many cases, is more or less an exchange for PMS. So at the moment NNPC is paying the cost”.
Osinbajo spoke with journalists after visiting Oando and Total fuel depots in Apapa area, a day after he also visited stations in the Lekki-Ajah axis of the city.
He reiterated that the Buhari administration was working round the clock to end the fuel crisis as soon as possible.
The Vice President further said that one of the most important objectives of the Buhari administration is to ensure that the average Nigerian citizen is not again put through the pain of an increase in fuel price.
The Vice President, alongside the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, also held a closed-door meeting with oil marketers in Lagos in a bid to resolve the issues involved with supply of fuel nationwide and clear up the queues at filling stations.
“We have been here holding a meeting with major oil marketers and as you see everyone is at work trying to ensure that the petrol queues are cleared. We are trying to look at some of the issues and what needs to be done to ensure that things move very quickly,” the Vice President said.
“Just yesterday, Mr President tried to see how exactly he could really work on the problems that we are experiencing and how to very quickly clear up the queues and ensure that everyone is able to have a happy holiday; that’s exactly why we are here today.
“The GMD of the NNPC is up in Abuja and I’m here with the Honourable Minister (of State for Petroleum Resources), trying to take a look at what the problems of the marketers may be and also what other issues there may be getting the products to petrol stations across the country.”
“We had a very good meeting and we hope that in the next couple of days we will be able to resolve the petrol queues and l hope this rather sad episode come to an end as quickly as possible.”
Below is the transcript of the Osinbajo press interview:
Q: On the major issues causing fuel shortages, especially in the Yuletide season.
Vice President: I think that part of the reason why you find these disruptions at the end of the year is because of what we described as this winter phenomenon, where prices of petroleum products go up in the winter month in many parts of the world, obviously because of the places where we are getting the PMS from and the situations out there at this time. Obviously that gives rise to problems of those who are bringing in fuel, and we had one or two short deliveries on account of some of these problems.
So clearly, what has happened here is that on account of some of the short deliveries that we have experienced, panic buying, hoardings in different places started. So those are largely the issues. So we are also trying to ensure that these sorts of disruptions won’t happen in the future and that’s one of the reasons why we are spending a bit of time to look at some of the issues.
There’s a premium on products. That’s what it usually would happen at the end of the year, but if you notice it didn’t happen last year at all. We had a very smooth December 2016, there was no disruption whatsoever; it all went very smoothly. So we can actually take care of those situations. It is when you have a problem, a disruption that you usually would find the hoarding. That’s what you are seeing today, we are seeing a bit of hoarding and the DPR has been going round the stations trying to regulate that and, in some cases, have to close down the stations and force the petrol stations to continue to sell.
So really all that can be done is regulation, and more enforcement by the DPR, which is what the DPR has attempted to do. But l think the ultimate solution is to have adequate supply going everywhere. Once you have adequate supply everywhere, the hoarding and disruption will stop.

Q: On rumours on social media about a possible increase in the price of fuel.
Vice President: We are certainly not expecting to increase oil prices at all; the government has absolutely no intention of increasing fuel prices and that’s it.
Q: Shortfall in supply and NNPC as sole importer of petroleum products could not sustain supply, the unavailability of Forex, what are you doing?
Vice President: First let me explain that you are right because NNPC is doing most of the importation. But don’t forget that NNPC also relies on the independent marketers and, in some cases, the IOCs, to bring in the fuel. NNPC itself does not go and do the deals, as it were. So, it really does lie on the marketers to bring in the fuel on a contract basis.
What the independent marketers would rather do is to bring in their own products. So that is another issue, because we have to look at the pricing and we have to be sure that we are able to deal with the issues of pricing.
I think that over time, in fact if you look at the past few months, NNPC has been importing and they have been doing a very good job because we didn’t have a shortage in October and November, it’s only in December that we had a disruption. So, l think it is fair to say that NNPC did a very good job of its importation all the way up to when we have this winter disruption.
But, of course, in the long term, we are going to be reviewing some of these issues and we are going to take a look at how it is that a better balance can be struck. I think the fair thing to say though is that all the way up to the past couple of weeks, NNPC has done an excellent job, and they were actually importing most of the products.
Obviously we have to keep fine-tuning and reviewing to be sure that we are doing the best that is possible in the circumstances. But l think that for government, one of our most important objectives is to ensure that the average citizen is not again put through the pain of an increase in fuel price, that’s a very important objective for government. And we have to keep creating that balance, and we will ensure that we create that balance.
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Nigerian troops on Monday repelled an attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents at a security checkpoint few kilometres away from Maiduguri.
The Latest Reality Metro gathered that the incident occurred at about 5: 30 PM, at Moloi area, on the outskirts of the city.
The insurgents were said to have torched some houses and vandalized vehicles on Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu Road.
An eye witness, Aji Maina, said that the insurgents attacked and shot sporadically, a situation which made the villagers to scamper into safety and flee their homes.
Maina said that the residents of Moloi and adjoining villages ran into Polo and other areas of Maiduguri for safety.
He, however, said that soldiers deployed to the area engaged the insurgents and repelled the attack.
“The insurgents attacked the ED security section, torched houses and motorists caught in the cross fire.
“At present, no one can ascertain the extend of damages or casualties in the attack.
“Many people fled their homes and scampered into safety in Maiduguri,” he said.
LR News reports, however, that security had been beefed up in the metropolis to thwart any breach of peace while people were going about their normal activities.
The Police and military authorities were yet to comment on the incident.
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