News

What Osinachi’s Children Told Me –Women Affairs Minister

Published

3 years ago

April 13, 2022

Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, on Wednesday, said she battled with tears when the children of the late popular gospel artiste, Osinachi Nwachukwu, narrated their late mother’s ordeal.

She spoke on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria’s breakfast show monitored by The PUNCH.

According to the minister, the widower of the deceased, Peter Nwachukwu, brutalised his late wife and her four kids, adding that the late gospel artiste had no bank account of her own as all her proceeds were usurped by her husband.

It had been had earlier reported that the 42-year-old artiste died on Friday after spending days at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.

Colleagues of Osinachi, who was a lead singer at the Dunamis International Headquarters, Abuja, accused her husband of beating her.

Subsequently, the husband was arrested by the police over the death of his wife.

Speaking on Wednesday, Tallen said she visited the Abuja home of the deceased on Tuesday to identify with the grief-stricken children.

The minister said, “It is so traumatizing, so heartbreaking, the death of Osinachi.

“When I came into the compound, I saw the children, four beautiful children; three boys, one girl. He (Peter) had told the children that they should not speak about the things that have been happening in the house.

“I came in with all the directors in the ministry. When I was asking questions, I saw that the children were not forthcoming. I excused everyone and said I wanted to have a one-on-one with the children.

“I first spoke with the first son. I asked him, ‘Do you love your mother?’ He said, ‘Yes’. ‘Has your mummy taught you to tell lies?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I asked him if she is still alive and he said she is dead. ‘Do you know that she is now your angel and she is now watching you?’ He said, ‘Yes’. ‘So, it will be very sad if you tell lies’.

“I introduced myself and I told him the President is concerned, every Nigerian is concerned, we all join them to mourn Osinachi’s death but what we want from him is the truth.

“Then he opened up… And said that their dad used to beat their mom and their mom was always sad. He would beat her and flog her. He said their father would gather them in the room and be beating them and if the mom comes into the room to stop him, he would turn back on her and beat her up. And that has always been the issue.

“They said it was their mom that runs around on her gospel music, comes back with her money, in fact, if the money is paid through (a) bank account, it was paid into his account. She has no account of her own, any money she has, he collects it and gives her just peanut for feeding and when she cooks, he started shouting and beating her. And their mom was living in fear and was always sad.

“It was such a horrible story from a young boy that is said to be just 12. I asked him what class he is and he said Class Five. At the age of 12? I said, ‘Why?’ And he said he can’t even read. So, mentally, this child is already destroyed.

“I was battling with tears and when he finished, I called on the second son.”

Tallen further said “the second son repeated the same horrible situation” as well as the third son.

The minister vowed that justice would be served on the matter as it would be followed to a logical conclusion.

News

JUST IN: Olubadan, Oba Olakulehin, Is Dead

Published

4 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Editor

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, has passed away.

Olakulehin died at the age of 90.

According to The PUNCH, the monarch died in the early hours of Monday.

Olakulehin died during the ongoing 90th birthday and first anniversary coronation celebrations.

He succeeded the late Oba Lekan Balogun.

A source close to the Olubadan-In-Council confided in our correspondent in Ibadan, the state capital, that “we received the message that the paramount ruler passed away this morning. He has joined his forefathers. Though it has to be officially announced by the state government.”

Another palace source, who confirmed the news, said the Otun Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who is the next in line to become Olubadan, is currently out of the country and he is expected back.

“We are expecting a former Governor of the State and the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who is currently out of the country, to come back home.

“He must have been briefed,” he said.

News

NBSAP Validation: HOMEF Commends FG, Says It’s A Welcome Step Towards Food Sovereignty, Biosafety

Published

8 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Editor

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has commended the Federal Government for endorsing the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).

Recall, in June 2025, Nigeria officially approved its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, NBSAP, 2025-2030, aiming to stop and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

According to the Nigerian government’s statement, the NBSAP fully aligns
with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF), with a focus on halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.

The revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, NBSAP, has been adopted as a comprehensive government policy with 23 national targets, each aligned with the corresponding global biodiversity targets and goals.

Reacting to the development in a statement made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor, Media/Communication Lead, HOMEF, the Executive Director of the organisation, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, stated that it is a vital step toward protecting Nigeria’s biodiversity and advancing environmental
justice.

“We are especially encouraged by NBSAP’s firm stance on the regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which aligns with ourBlong-standing advocacy for biosafety and food sovereignty. In a time when the indiscriminate adoption of genetically engineered crops is
increasingly being pushed by multinational interests, NBSAP rightly
cautions that unregulated GMO use could be catastrophic to our environment, health, and sustainable development,” he said.

Also, Joyce Brown, Director of Programmes and Lead on Hunger Politics, HOMEF, noted
that “the Strategy’s support for traditional plant breeding,
non-transgenic biotechnologies, and the fair sharing of benefits from biological resources reflects a welcome policy shift. It affirms the rights of smallholder farmers and communities to control their seeds and food system, putting the power back in the hands of people.”

They, therefore, “urged the government to back this with action by halting GMO approvals pending a biosafety audit, reviewing the National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015 as amended in 2019, in line with the National Biosafety Framework, investing in agroecology, and supporting community seed systems.

“HOMEF remains committed to ensuring Nigeria’s biodiversity thrives, free from genetic pollution and corporate control.”

News

JAMB Releases Results Of Mop-up Examination

Published

17 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) held on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
According to a statement issued on Sunday evening by JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, results have been released for 11,161 candidates who sat for the exam out of the 96,838 candidates scheduled for the mop-up exercise.

The board, however, noted that some candidates who are unable to access their results failed to comply with the prescribed instructions.

“Candidates who are not able to access their results have been found not to have fully complied with the instruction to send ‘UTMERESULT’ (as one word text) to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration for the UTME,” the statement read.

JAMB urged all affected candidates to follow the correct procedure in order to access their results.