News
Bikers thrill revellers with breathtaking stunts at Calabar Carnival
No fewer than 200 bikers on Sunday thrilled revellers with spectacular and breathtaking stunts during the Bikers’ Parade session of the 2024 Carnival Calabar, held in Calabar, Cross River.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bikers covered the 12km distance of the carnival route, exciting fun seekers.
Also, revellers in their numbers stood at strategic locations to watch different interesting acrobatic maneuvers by the bikers.
The entire process was a visual feast, with riders showcasing their skills and stunts like; ‘wheelies’, ’stoppies’, and ‘jumps’, on a variety of high-performance power bikes.
Adorned with colourful outfits and gleaming chrome, the bikers added a touch of glamour to the proceedings.
As the riders revved their engines and performed daring maneuvers, the crowd remained mesmerised by the display of speed, agility and balance.
It was a celebration of the passion and camaraderie that defines the biking community in the city of Calabar.
The event provided a platform for bikers to connect, share stories, and showcase their machines.
It also provided an opportunity for bikers to interact with the community, promoting a sense of unity and shared passion.
Nigeria’s fastest female biker, Aisha Vatsa, popularly known as “Flygirl”, who participated in the parade said it was extremely exciting for her as biking remained her hobby.
Vatsa, who is the National Secretary of Metallic Knights Motorcycle Club, said she participated in the parade to enlighten on the touristic and health benefits of biking.
She said the main aim of the club was to promote biking through the carnival platform as they desire that Calabar should be known globally as the bikers’ hub.
According to her, this can be achieved with the excellent road network, beautiful weather and the hospitable people of Calabar.
While Vasta appreciated Gov. Bassey Otu for giving bikers the needed visibility in the course of the carnival, she also harped on safe riding.
“We want to give our thanks to His Excellency, Gov. Otu, we are excited to keep this carnival going.
“And the main focus for us, the metallic knights, is we ride safe, we promote safe riding,” she said.
“I have been riding power-bikes for over 20 years, and I have been to Ghana, Benin Republic and Ivory Coast with my power-bike, and I aspire to visit South Africa and Europe soon.
Nformi Leonard, a member of the Metallic Knights Motorcycle Club, said he rode on power-bike from Abuja to Calabar to participate at the carnival.
“Biking, for us, is a form of releasing that adrenaline. When we are stressed, we go on bike and we feel very refreshed. We just want to have fun here,” he said. (NAN)
Aides, Allies Disown Him, Say You’re a Traitor, We’re not Leaving PDP
Barely two weeks after his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), crisis has enveloped the political camp of a member of the House of Representatives for Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, Oluwole Oke.
Indeed, these are not the best of times for him as his defection to the APC is eliciting rejection from his close circles and constituency.
His key allies who he groomed into politics and government positions have rejected his calls on them to join him to defect to the APC.
A source said that in the last few days, key aides and allies of the lawmaker have rejected his movement to the APC, describing it as a political tragedy.
“With the way he betrayed PDP, Oluwole Oke is like the proverbial Leopard that can never change the spots on its body. He will also betray the APC. We are staying back in PDP while severing political links with him”, one of his allies, Bamidele Johnson said.
Some of his allies were said to have openly declared that the defection marks a political waterloo for the 6th term legislator.
For instance, some of Oke’s allies in his Local Government scorned his move as “a decision borne out of greed and selfishness.”
One of them described him as “an ingrate who betrayed a party on whose platform he got married in life as a lawmaker and on whose platform he gained all his material riches.”
The Northern Youths Consultative Forum for Justice (NYCJ) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, citing a complete breakdown of governance, law, and order.
In a statement issued on Monday in Kano, NYCJ President Dr Sanusi Rano described the situation in Zamfara as “organised abandonment of duty” by elected officials.
“What we are witnessing in Zamfara is not governance. It is betrayal of the people,” Rano said, pointing to the absence of a functional state House of Assembly and allegations linking officials to criminal activities.
The group highlighted the suspension of 10 lawmakers who spoke out against the deteriorating security situation, arguing that their removal has left Zamfara without a legally recognised legislative body.
“This is a dictatorship of silence,” said Rano, adding that the lack of checks and balances has deepened the state’s crisis.
“The same hands that should protect Zamfara are profiting from its destruction,” Rano stated.
Calling for decisive action, the group demanded the appointment of a non-partisan administrator to rebuild the state’s institutions.
“If this is not done now, Zamfara risks becoming a permanent state of anarchy, which threatens our democracy,” Rano warned.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased ( his wife) on April 8, 2022.
The judge held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022 by the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge .
The charge was on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively.
The prosecution also tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing, the defendant, counsel , Reginald Nwali, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment.
Similarly, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was sentenced to two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.
The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on Count 10, three years imprisonment in Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7 respectively. (NAN)