You are welcome to our language clinic: “Police arrest 11 over (for) killing of 5 in Delta”
“Iyatsare of Warri arraigned over (for) alleged assault on octogenarian” Elucidation: The footballer was arraigned for rape. He was arraigned on a charge of rape.
“However, this has not deterred terrorists and bandits from wreaking havoc in (on) the country.”
“…out of the seventeen states in the country with the highest number of out of school (out-of-school) children….”
“…it would (suggestive of probability instead of a declaration) help check the insecurity currently bedeviling parts of the country….” Can anyone tell me the function of ‘currently’ here? A rewrite: …it will help check the insecurity bedeviling parts of the country.
“Good riddance to bad Osu omen” Delete ‘bad’ from the extract—it is contextually overkill!
“Efforts to speak to (with) Kyari on the issue last night proved abortive.”
THISDAY Front Page of February 12 takes over the baton with just two infelicities: “…Zulum yesterday gave an indication that the 2023 presidential candidate of the APC will (would) be determined by consensus….”
“…to decide on who emerges as the presidential flag-bearer (standard-bearer).”
Wrong: life support machine; truth and reason: life-support machine
“According to him, it was most painful to be informed that his brother was going to die in an hour (hour’s) time….”
“…the basic problem affecting democracy and unity in (on) the continent.”
Finally from the front-page misprints: “Though, (otiose comma) President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday declared that an unconditional release of….”
“To get started, log into (log in/on to) your Firsmonie App….”
“Happy 54 birthday (54th Birthday) Governor Buni”
“…the Lord on whose bossom (bosom) we are sure you are.”
“…you are an indelible memory in our hearts and forever unforgettable for your sterling marks in inculcating values and education to (in) oncoming (upcoming) generations.”
“Happy 64th Birthday: the epitome of a selfless leader (epitome of selfless leadership)”
“The love you have shown your people and the sacrifices made for Nigeria proves (prove) you a selfless nationalist.”
“Governors biting more than they can chew” A rewrite: Governors biting off more than they can chew
A subscriber to this column sent a message to me last weekend on the correctness of “wake” and “wake-keep”. There are no such words as “wake-keeping” and “wake-keep”. The right expression is “wake.” Virtually all funeral announcements in this part of the world disseminate this blunder in blissful flamboyance. And for clarity or emphasis: Christian wake.
“He is frank to the point of recklessness and does not bath (bat) an eyelid about sensibilities.”
“Successful candidates in the exam are placed into (in) universities depending on their performances and choices.”
“The picture one is likely to get is that of lawmakers yet to come to grip (grips) with the seriousness of what their duties entail.”
“Both palatable and heart-rending news are (is) most often broken there.” ‘News’ is uncountable.
“…his skin must have toughen (you mean toughened?) such that nothing can stir his emotion as to make him cry.”
“They were, in their primes (prime), sent on a journey from which nobody returns.”
“Its police, too, began investigations culminating into (in) arrest of some suspects.”
“Since last week Tuesday….” Either last Tuesday or Tuesday, last week—‘Last week Tuesday’ indicates lexical ignorance.
“…our politicians should realise (realize, preferably)that if they can hold the country into (to) ransom for their jumbo pay, then footballers should not be blamed if they do same (the same).”
“In Nigeria, it was designed by the military dictators as bait to divert the attention of the people from the enormity of their loots.” No questions: ‘loot’ is non-count.
“…it was seen as a child of necessity aimed at restoring the primary education sub-sector which was in crisis then back to a sound foundation.” Scrap ‘back’ to avoid being charged with word abuse. ‘Restoration’ has taken care of the verbiage.
“All that we have in the present Nigerian society is an hostile (a hostile) environment for the youths and children.” Either youths or the youth
“Having succeeded in intimidating their opponents at primaries, the electorate became a work-over….” A time to learn: walk-over.
“A nearby police station in Benin has (had) rebuffed the request for a police report on the ground of jurisdiction.” Simply put: on grounds of jurisdiction.
“Anyone who monitored the mobilization of women in the last fifteen years in Nigeria could imagine positive results that could have been achieved if the First Ladies have (had) been sincere.”
“We do not have to wait for this sporadic attacks by foreign armed bandits to metamorphose into a full blown (a hyphen, please) security threat.” Why the discord (this attacks)? And, of course, banditry without arms: vide a standard dictionary.
“Because of an improved revenue base, the governor said that the government is (was) in a good position….”
“What stops us from returning to the heydays (heyday) of the school…?”
“This does not mean that a lady should not be congratulated for (on/upon) a safe delivery.”
“…many of the specie (species) had run amuck simply on the suspicion that another woman is (was) nipping at the apple.”
“Industry players blamed the high cost of borrowing from the money market to (on) a number of factors.”
“It is high time we make (made) such people pay….”
“…especially with regards to human development” This way: as regards or with regard to.
“…as the North would be placed on an even keel or competing favourably with their kiths and kin in the South.” Fixed expression: kith and kin.