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Scottish Lawyer chooses to end his own life in a clinic after long battle with multiple sclerosis

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A Scottish solicitor has ended his own life in a Swiss clinic following a long illness.

Bruce De Wert, who was suffering from a severe form of multiple sclerosis, travelled to Basel last month.

The 69-year-old undertook the journey on his own having informed his family, including his wife and two adult daughters, of his intentions for an assisted death.

Daughter Nicole Wightman said he planned all the details himself including his memorial service.

The 44-year-old mother of two said: ‘I think he had been contemplating Switzerland for some time.

‘He was becoming more and more disabled, and he was deteriorating quite significantly. It was horrible to watch.

‘He did look quite frail where he had been strong and fit and did every sport under the sun.

‘Dad had been looking forward to his retirement and travelling round Europe and I think it came as a shock to realise he would not be able to do that. He had lost his independence and did not want to be a burden.’

 

Last week around 60 family, friends, and former colleagues attended a moving humanist memorial service at the Parkville Hotel in Blantyre, Lanarkshire.

 

Ms Wightman, who has two teenage daughters, said it came as a shock when her father had told the family of his plans.

He had not wanted to end up in care or his wife to be forced to look after him.

 

She added: ‘Dad decided that if he left it much longer he wouldn’t be able to go to Switzerland.

‘Like everything in Dad’s life, he went out and did his research and then told us the decision he had made and what his plan was.’

 

He took a taxi from his home in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, on February 21, then took a flight to Frankfurt and a connection to Basel.

Representatives of Pegasos, a voluntary assisted dying association, picked him up at the airport and he stayed at a hotel overnight before being taken to the clinic the next day.

Mr De Wert insisted that no family members should accompany him. However, he called his wife on the morning of his death to say his final goodbye.

 

The former solicitor was diagnosed three years ago with primary progressive multiple sclerosis after a series of dizzy turns and problems with his balance and eyes.

 

Ms Wightman said her father was insistent that he went on his own to Switzerland, despite his ill health, in case a relative was prosecuted or implicated in his death.

Family members spent time with him on February 20, the day before his departure to Switzerland, giving him a last hug.

Mr De Wert passed away on the morning of February 22 having phoned his wife beforehand. His wife was informed of his passing later that day.

 

He had left details of his life for the celebrant to read out at his memorial service and chose the music he wanted played. ‘

 

Everyone at the memorial remembered what a wonderful person he was and that he was larger than life,’ said Ms Wightman.

The family will be sent his ashes and death certificate from Switzerland.

EVENTS

Akeredolu died because he didn’t listen to me – Widow, Betty

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Former First Lady of Ondo State, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has claimed that the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu would have been alive if he listened to her.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu stated this in an exclusive interview with StarNews Publisher, published on Thursday.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer 27 years ago, she decided to seek medical care instead of consulting spiritual healers.

According to her, this was a crucial step in her recovery.

However, her husband Akeredolu died from prostate cancer on December 23, 2023.

According to Betty, Akeredolu was religious but she was “wired differently.

When asked if she disapproved of prayers and rejected spiritual assistance during Akeredolu’s battle with cancer, Betty said: “What came out of their mountain climbing, ‘blessed’ handkerchiefs, water, olive oil, etc., from the GOs and all the noisy prayers like people possessed by demons?

“If Aketi had listened to me, I wouldn’t be a widow.”

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ALLEGED MISSING ARMS: POLICE CLARIFIES ALLEGATIONS OF 3907 UNACCOUNTED ARMS.

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The Nigeria Police Force expresses surprise and deep concerns regarding recent news alleging that 3,907 arms are missing from the Nigeria Police Force. These allegations are misleading and inaccurate.

The Force wishes to clarify that this report appears to stem from an assessment of the report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, AuGF dating back to 2019, likely reflecting records compiled prior to the current Inspector-General of Police’s tenure. In the report, according to Issue 3b, Sub (iii), it is stated that 3907 arms were unaccounted for and not “missing” as speculated by the news.

It is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by the police during periods of civil unrest, during which several Police Officers were killed and their arms carted away, and some attacks and looting of police facilities and armories, resulting in the loss of arms. However, every effort has been made to account for the arms that were taken, while many have been recovered back to the arms holding of the force at the moment.

We also note that when auditors conduct visits to our armories, they may not find all arms present at the time due to the issuance of weapons to personnel for operational purposes, many spanning to months depending on the nature of such operations. Consequently, this may lead to misconceptions regarding the accuracy of audit reports.

Furthermore, the Nigeria Police Force has a statutory and annual internal auditing process in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Police Regulations, administrative instructions and standard operating procedures (SOP) which include stringent measures to ensure controlled movement and proper accountability of arms. Throughout our audits, there has been no outrageous record of unaccounted or missing arms, as speculated in the 2019 report of the AuGF, despite some incidences that have been documented and managed.

The Force has earlier defended the audit queries, which had hoped to help in reconciling the discrepancies in the reports. However, the hearing session presided over by the Senate Committee on Public Account has been postponed to Monday, 17th of February 2025, giving ample time for a proper cross analysis of records.

Contrary to the make-believe and misleading reportage by some media houses, the IGP was not present when the senators were raising questions on the purported “missing” firearms. The IGP appeared briefly before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday 11/02/25. He was asked to take the usual oath and explain why he did not honour previous invitations by the committee. The IGP responded to the satisfaction of the commitee members and was thereafter excused to take his leave while the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Police Accounts and Budget, stayed back to answer the queries of the committee. These queries related to the period that predated the administration of the current IGP. For emphasis sake, no such outrageous number of firearms is missing in the armouries of the NPF within the stated period.

Managing mischief and the spread of misinformation against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been a significant challenge in recent times. The NPF has, in recent times, made notable strides in stabilizing the internal security space, but malicious actors seek to undermine these efforts by striving to erode public confidence in the police through the spread of malicious contents

It is important to note that the proliferation of misinformation, especially against institutions like the Nigeria Police have far-reaching consequences, including compromising public safety, damaging reputations, and hindering the NPF’s ability to effectively maintain law and order. However, the NPF remains committed to maintaining transparency and public trust and will continue to uphold the security of the nation while honouring the duty to account for all operational materials entrusted to us.

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS,
ABUJA.

13TH FEBRUARY 2025

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Davido Surprises Timi of Ede with Luxurious Vehicle on 70th Birthday

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Renowned Nigerian singer Davido recently demonstrated his kindness and respect for the monarch of his hometown, Ede, Oba Adesola Lawal.

To commemorate Oba Adesola Lawal’s 70th birthday on February 10, 2025, Davido presented him with a lavish brand-new car.

Photos of the impressive gift surfaced on social media, showcasing the luxurious SUV and the Timi of Ede graciously sitting inside. An accompanying message expressed the monarch’s gratitude and delight with the gift.

Davido’s thoughtful gesture sparked reactions from netizens, who praised his generosity and loyalty to his roots.

Photo source: Instagram

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