₦airaland Forum

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The Cross River State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said it has arrested two suspected drug barons on Yahe-Ikom Trans International Highway, The Nation reports.

According to State Commander, Anthonia Edeh, the suspects, Azuka Emmanuel, 55 and Ndubuisi Okafor, 23, were apprehended with the drugs during a stop-and-search operation.Edeh said that they were with 76.050kg of Methamphetamine and 100.1kg of Ephedrine, worth N2.5 billion.

The suspects concealed the drugs in cereal packs, foodstuff packs, and industrial fillers.

Edeh said the suspects would be arraigned at the Federal High Court as soon as investigations were concluded.

She also called for the cooperation of the public to fight drug dealers, while urging the government to assist the NDLEA in logistics, to enable it traverse the nooks and crannies.

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See more pic: http://nigerianewstoday.com.ng/suspected-drug-dealers-arrested-with-n2-5-billion-worth-of-drugs-in-cross-river/

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The Kogi State Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Idris Asiwaju-Asiru has assured Okun-Yoruba speaking people of the state government’s commitment to develop the area after years of neglect by previous administrations.

He stated this on Tuesday at Isanlu, the headquarters of Yagba East Local Government, adding that road rehabilitation and provision of water and health facilities are some of the plans in the offing for the Okunland.He said that Governor Yahaya Bello was fully aware of the difficulty being faced by the people to access some social facilities and had decided to intervene by revitalizing some old facilities and provide new ones.

The commissioner who was speaking at a civic reception organised in his honour, described the emergence of Bello as the governor of the state as an answer to sincere prayers of patriotic people of the state.

According to him, Bello is a visionary leader that will make Kogi fulfill her potentials and make Okunland to witness rapid infrastructural development.

“Governor Yahaya Bello is God-sent to wipe our tears in Kogi State. Our years of neglect in Okunland are over,” he said.

He commended the governor for making the state a safe place to live and work for the people, saying that armed robbery and kidnapping had reduced greatly in the last eight months.

He said that the hydra-headed problem of ‘ghost’ workers which had “kept the state in bondage for years has finally been solved with the courage and determination exhibited by Bello and members of his cabinet”.

He appealed to all aggrieved politicians in the area to bury their differences and join hands with the administration to move the state forward.

Source: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/10/11/commissioner-reassures-of-bellos-commitment-to-develop-kogi-west/

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday called on Nigerians to change their habits by patronizing made-in-Nigeria goods and services.

He made the call while speaking at the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.According to him, increasing local production of goods and services will not only create jobs for the youths but move Nigeria from an import-based to an export-based economy.

He said: “I am also delighted that your theme is: ‘Made in Nigeria’ which lies at the heart of so many efforts we are making to lead us through this trouble times and lay a firm foundation for the future.

“As I have said in the past, we need to diversify the economy so that we will never again have to rely on one commodity to survive as a country. So that we can produce the food we eat, make our own textiles, produce most of the things we use and create the right environment for our youth to be able to benefit and create jobs through technology.

“This has been the commitment and the mandate of this administration and I have remain focus on it since the assumption of this administration.

“There is clearly no better way to achieve this without building out economic foundation of made in Nigeria goods and services. Fortunately, we have champions of made in Nigeria that have defied the odds over the years to produce locally and contribute to our economy.

“I hope by the end of this you will make useful and realistic recommendations and policies.” He said

The President added: “Initiative and incentives that will enhance your work we are already doing by this administration, I encourage more local production, to improve ease of doing business environment, transfer our technology and innovation capabilities, improve quality and standards, promote export and change our old attitude and behaviours to made in Nigeria products and services.

“My greatest desire is that Nigeria moves from import dependence to self-sufficiency in local production and become an export-led economy in goods and services,” he stated.

He said that he is looking forward to feedback on the summit’s deliberations.

Source: http://nignews.com.ng/buhari-to-nigerians-patronize-made-in-nigeria-goods/

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Governor Nyesom Wike has explained why he intervened early Saturday as the State Security Services laid siege on the home of a federal judge in Port Harcourt.
Operatives of the SSS launched an overnight assault on the residences of senior judges across the country between Friday and Saturday in search of evidence linking the judges to corruption.

Multiple sources said the clampdown began in Gombe State where the SSS arrested Muazu Pindiga who served on the elections tribunal in Rivers State.



The operation continued in Abuja on Friday night into early Saturday morning.

Mr. Wike arrived as the operation to arrest Justice Mohammed Liman, residing at Number 35 Forces Avenue in Port Harcourt, began, the governor’s spokesperson, Simeon Nwakaudu, said in a statement.

Mr. Wike was quoted as telling journalists that he would not allow the SSS and other security agencies perpetrate “needless impunity” in the state.He said if the security agencies had a lawful directive to implement, they must follow due process.

“Not under my watch will I allow this kind of impunity to take place,” the governor was quoted as saying. “That is why we are here. I don’t know which judge they were detailed to abduct. I didn’t bother myself to know which judge. All I am interested in is that, at this level, it is not allowed.”
“He is not a criminal and he is not an armed robber. If the person has committed an offence, invite him. It is only when he refuses to honour the invitation that you can adopt this commando style.”

Mr. Wike said he had been threatened by armed agents who wanted to attack him.

“The Commissioner of Police is here, the Director of DSS is here. Their operatives cocked their guns and threatened to shoot me. I have never seen that before. Again, this is to tell you what we are facing. We know that more will come. For us in this state, we shall continue to resist it,” he said.

Mr. Wike added: “It doesn’t matter what it will cost. When you talk about liberty, sacrifices must be made. We are not trying to stop an arrest. All we are saying is that things must be done decently and in line with the rule of law.

“Rivers State is under siege. For you to see a governor out at this time of the day, something is wrong. A siege is an understatement. If this type of thing happens next time, the people will resist it to the last.”

Source: http://.com.ng/why-i-blocked-sss-from-searching-judges-residence-wike/

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President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna on Saturday warned that decisive military action was still an option to deal with militancy in Niger Delta if militants continued with sabotage.

The president, who gave the warning at the Passing out Parade of 133 Cadets of 63rd Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, added that his administration would prioritise constructive engagement of relevant stakeholders in dialogue to address issues.



Buhari, who expressed happiness that the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East was being defeated, noted that militancy and other forms of emerging threats, including kidnapping and cattle rustling, were negatively impacting the nation’s economy.

He said the clean-up of the Ogoniland was one of the ways to deal with root causes of militancy in the region.

He said, “For avoidance of doubt, let me state that other options are still open, including decisive military action.

“Today, criminal elements disguise in ethnic regalia to sabotage the country, largely for their selfish and parochial interests.

“I reiterate the call on all Nigerians to give peace a chance and jettison negative tendencies and join government’s efforts aimed at addressing the numerous challenges in the task of building a better Nigeria.”

The president, however, added that his administration would prioritise constructive engagement of relevant stakeholders in dialogue to address issues.

On insurgency in the North East, the president said although his administration “inherited a badly managed Boko Haram”, the capacity of the insurgents to launch attack had been “significantly curtailed.”

He also said that their capacity to take territories had been knocked out, adding that ongoing operations were to clear remnants of the terrorists from their hideouts.

The president charged the newly commissioned officers to remain apolitical, patriotic and loyal to the nation at all times.

He reminded them that they no longer belong to themselves, their parents, families, tribes and villages but the nation and be ready to pay the supreme sacrifice if the need arises.

Source: http://.com.ng/militancy-nigeria-will-prioritise-dialogue-says-buhari/

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There are prominent and highly placed Nigerians who decide who gets what and why as far as it is within Africa’s most populated country.

They are men of power, means, influence and authority. They understand the landscape; the intricacies, uses and gains of wielding and dispensing from their vast and rich tanks.



On the turf of business, in politics, the military or civil service, their names draw awe, love, inspiration, admiration, hatred and spite, depending on the viewer’s side-view.Daily Sun lists 8 strong men who wield so much power, influence and authority in Nigeria.

Read below (edited):

1. President Muhammadu Buhari

Whether in or out of power, he has remained a major force in the country and an opinion moulder. Though particularly not popular in the Southern part of the country, he is like a movement in the northern part of the country where he comes from. Since 1984 when he first emerged as the Head of State during the military era, his image continued to loom large until last year when he defeated his predecessor, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which was then the main opposition party.

2. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

You will be toying with your political career and destiny, if you ignore him in the game of political gerrymandering in this country. With Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former military head of state (1976-1979) and, later, civilian President (1999 – 2007), the more you look, the less you see. People say he is selfish, mean and mischievous. The truth of it depends on who is assessing him. But love him or hate him, even at 79, you cannot ignore OBJ as an inimitable power broker in today’s Nigeria. It was for nothing that he was bestowed with that all-encompassing title: Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

3. General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd)

For anybody who has followed the course of events in Nigeria since the emergence of General Abdulsalam Abubakar as the nation’s eighth military Head of State, there is no gainsaying that the Niger State born retired army officer has been a major factor in the country. On June 9, 1998, Abubakar became Nigeria’s military Head of State after being persuaded to accept the position when General Sani Abacha died. Despite his taciturn disposition, he is one of those who, since the death of Abacha, have determined the fate of the nation. He became one of the leading statesmen in Nigeria since May 29, 1999 when he transfered power to the civilian government in keeping with an early promise he made when he took over power.

4. General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd)

That General Theophilus Danjuma is a power broker in Nigeria is not contestable and it is for obvious reasons. He is a successful career military officer, strategist, consummate industrialist and one of the leading investors in the nation’s oil industry. There is no doubt that in the nation’s chequered political history, he is one man that could be said to have seen it all. Many are sure to agree that it would be impossible to take any major political decision on the future of Nigeria without the contribution of the retired Taraba State-born army officer. He has participated in virtually every political era in the last five decades. Since the 1966 counter coup, which changed the nation’s power equation and history, Danjuma has remained very prominent in the affairs of the country.

5. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd)

Many years after IBB left power, power has refused to leave IBB. Hence, the overarching influence he wields from Minna, Niger state, his hometown, on Nigeria’s reins of power. Recall, for instance, the noble role he played in the installation of Obasanjo, as Nigeria’s civilian President, from 1999 to 2007. At 75, and 23 years after leaving power, he still remains a kingmaker, in fact, unarguably, Nigeria’s topmost political landlord. Unlike the military governments before and after him, he brought a kind of consultative aura to governance by subjecting issues to public debate, after which he took the final decision.

6. General Aliyu Gusau (rtd)

He is a man who has served his country in various military capacities as one-time Chief of Army Staff, National Security Adviser to two different presidents, Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, and most recently, Minister of Defence. As a security intelligence chief and political bridge-builder, Gusau definitely knows Nigeria well.
He re-organised the security and intelligence apparatuses, by breaking up the NSO into three organisations: State Security Services (SSS, now Department of State Security, DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI). In the rush for political power in Nigeria, you can only underrate him to your own detriment!

7. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

Tinubu has emerged as one of the finest political strategists in the land. He had been in the trenches since the days of the National Democratic Coalition [NADECO], one of the platforms that put pressure on Abacha. Tinubu rode on the crest of his role in that era, into Lagos government house. He has since emerged, perhaps, the strongest political force in the South West. His political influence has exceeded Lagos, where he literally lifted his successor, Babatunde Fashola, from the booth strap and made him governor. Against all odds , Tinubu has again made another protege, Akinwumi Ambode, the governor, after Fashola. But his greatest political feat is the ascendancy of the Buhari regime. He was the arrowhead of the coalition of four political parties that coalesced into All Progressives Congress [APC] and brought the Buhari government to power in May, 2015.

8. Alhaji Aliko Dangote

Alhaji Aliko Dangote [GCON] grew a small trading firm he began in 1977 into one of the largest conglomerates in the African continent. Dangote’s influence is not limited to the business arena, where Forbes Magazine, has ranked him as the 30th richest man in the world. He is a silent but influential player in the political arena. He funds many presidential candidates and has the ears of political leaders. He influences policies and thus ranks high in the league of those who decide policy and political direction. Dangote is in the class of people who shape and determine policy, business and political direction of Nigeria. He is in the league of those who control Nigeria.

Source: http://.com.ng/list-8-strong-men-who-control-nigeria-photos/

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– Two Supreme Court judges were said to have been attacked on the account of their unfair judgment

– A sibling of one of the judges was reportedly beaten in the course of the attack while houses were broken with sledgehammer
Reports filtering in from Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital have it that some judges of the Supreme Court have been attacked by officers of the Department of State Security (DSS).

According to Sahara Reporters sources, the judges affected are Nnamdi Dimgba and Adebiyi Ademola, whose houses were surrounded on Friday night.

The 32 and 34 Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent residences of the judges in the Apo Legislative Quarters of Abuja were reportedly broken into with the use of sledge hammers while the sibling of Dimgba was said to have been beaten up by the officers.

A source revealed that the DSS is ‘dealing’ with the judges because they are unhappy with some rulings as well as Dimgba’s criticism of the security outfit.

Governor Nyesome Wike has also reportedly stopped an alleged attempt by men of the DSS and the police to abduct a Judge at his number 35/84 B residence, Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt.

NAIJ.com checks revealed that the failed alleged abduction was led by Mr Tosin Ajayi, Rivers state director of the DSS and Rivers state Police Commissioner, Mr Francis Odesanya.

According sources at the scene, the security operatives blocked the entrance of the residence of the Federal High Court judge at about 1am on Saturday morning, claiming that they were acting on orders from above.

Source: http://nigerianewsonline.com.ng/breaking-dss-officers-attack-supreme-court-judges-over-alleged-unfair-judgments/

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…Says God asks him to recover mandate

Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the just concluded governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Friday joined leaders of the party to lead street protests against the outcome of the election.The protest began from Ikpoba slope junction along Akpkakpava Street through Second East Circular to New Lagos road and other major streets within Benin City metropolis.

They wore black attires to mourn what they termed death of democracy.

Addressing the protesters, Pastor Ize-Iyamu said God has told him to, “pursue and recover”, his mandate which he claimed he was robbed of by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu said he is committed to seeking justice over what he termed fake results declared by INEC.

Ize-Iyamu vowed to pursue the case from the tribunal through the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

He said it was lamentable that those who were given victory by INEC were ashamed of celebrating the victory.

He said, “Let me assure you that the robbery of the Edo peoples mandate will not stand. In the past few days I have been seeking the face of God. I asked him what do I do: do I leave them to their fate? Do I Walk away? And God gave me a word. He said, ‘pursue and recover’.

“I have not come out since the fake results but many of you said, this mandate is beyond Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; ‘even if he sits at home we will not sit at home’. Because you voted and your vote must count. Despite the fake results you have refused to be violent. Properties have not been destroyed. No life is lost”.

“Edo is in a state of mourning like a graveyard because the people’s mandate has been robbed. But let me assure you that that at the end of the day we will win, because God has said so. We will win because Edo people voted for us and we won the election”.

State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, said the party would do everything to defend democracy.

His words, “We are going to defend our right to freely elect our governor. We have a right as a people to decide to elect our governor. That we have done and together we are going to retrieve our mandate”.

The protest tagged, “Mother of all Protests”, was coordinated by the Centre for Patriotic Leadership Initiative (CPLI), a leadership and rights advocacy NGO, led by Saint Moses Eromonsele.

Source: http://latestnigerianews.com.ng/edo-poll-ize-iyamu-leads-protests/

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– Michael and John are friends who love the football team, Manchester United

– They married spouses who share in their love for the team



– Their wedding reception was Manchester United themed and the couples donned the team jerseys for it

Two friends in Lagos named Michael Ezenweani and John Jidonwor have always been strong Manchester United fans. Luckily, the each had girlfriends who shared the same passion for the football team.

Michael proposed to his girlfriend Eche Analoh and John also proposed to his girlfriend Cecilia Agogo and once the topic of the wedding theme came up, both couples had no doubt that their love for their team had to be portrayed in the wedding

Source: http://nigerianewstoday.com.ng/revealed-see-most-positions-nigerians-like-to-use-while-in-the-bedroom/

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A Federal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, for refusing to show up in court. The EFCC said in a Facebook post that Goje, who is being charged with an alleged N25bn fraud, might be arrested on Wednesday (today) if he failed to show up in court.

ederal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, for refusing to show up in court.
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The EFCC said in a Facebook post that Goje, who is being charged with an alleged N25bn fraud, might be arrested on Wednesday (today) if he failed to show up in court.

The statement read, “A Federal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State, on October 4, 2016 (Tuesday) issued a bench warrant against former Governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, for refusing to show up in court. The warrant is, however, to take effect by 8 am on October 5, 2016, if he fails to show up in court again.”

Among several charges, Goje, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, is accused of illegally awarding a N1bn contract for the supply of dictionaries to secondary schools while he was governor of the state.

At the last sitting, a prosecution witness, Salisu Abaji, said the ex-governor awarded a contract for the supply of dictionaries for over N1bn to Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board without following procurement process.

He was also alleged to have paid 85 per cent of the contract sum upfront to the supplier, Real and Integrated Hospitality Company, as against the prescribed 15 percent as contained in the UBEB guidelines when he was the governor.

The prosecution witness, who is a former secretary to UBEB, made this testimony against his former boss.

He further submitted that one Aliyu el-Naffty, former UBEB chairman, also an accused person standing trial along with Goje, awarded the contract the same day and ordered the advance payment based on the directive of the then governor.

Another prosecution witness and former storekeeper to Gombe State Government House, Mr. Mohammed Aliyu, concluded his testimony by tendering receipts of all payments made to the food contractor to the government during the eight-year administration of Goje from 2003 to 2011.

However, Abaji admitted that he played a role in the award and payment of the said amount as upfront to the contractor.

This he did under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. Adeniyi

Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, said enforcement alone could not stop corruption, adding that the commission would also focus on preventive measures in the fight against corruption.

The EFCC boss said this at the unveiling of the EFCC Creative Youths Initiative against Corruption in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “We are the first to recognise that enforcement alone cannot win the war against corruption. Prevention is an effective and necessary weapon that must be employed in conjunction with enforcement, and there is no group of Nigerians better equipped to wield that weapon than the youth.

“Let us bear in mind that the task to rid the nation of the corruption cankerworm cannot be left to the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies alone. We are all stakeholders in the war and cannot let the future generations down; it is for their future that we must sacrifice our today. Let us work together for our dear nation; let us join hands to build for our children the future we desire.”

Magu said the EFCC would not relent in its efforts to rid the nation of corruption. He added that the commission would continue to recover stolen assets and funds.

“Let me clarify that EFCC will continue to vigorously enforce its mandate alongside engaging in preventive initiatives such as this. Therefore, even as we appeal to the old and the young to shun corruption and other forms of fraud, expect to see more investigations, more arrests, more trials, more convictions and more recovery of stolen assets,” Magu said.

The event attracted pupils from several schools across the country.

Source: http://nignews.com.ng/alleged-n25bn-fraud-court-orders-arrest-of-gombe-ex-gov-goje/

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– The military said the soldiers recapture last known strongholds of the Boko Haram insurgents

– However, Irabor, the commander of the operation, says this doesn’t mean that the Boko Haram is completely defeated



The Nigerian army has said that the deadly Boko Haram sect had no known base “beyond the Sambisa forest”, the Punch reports.

Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, the head of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operation in the north-east, disclosed this during the press conference in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

Irabor stated that the Boko Haram fighters had been displaced from their last known hideout, Mallam Fatori, on September 27.

He said: “We have captured Boko Haram’s last known strongholds of Abadam and Mallam Fatori, and we are now consolidating our hold.”

The army commander lamented that the retake of Mallam Fatori from the terrorists was not without a cost as the military recorded human and material loses.

Source: http://nignews.com.ng/there-is-no-boko-haram-beyond-sambisa-nigerian-army/

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The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States on Monday declared the arrest and continued detention of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), unlawful, arbitrary and a violation of his right to liberty.

The court ordered that he be immediately released from the custody of the Department of State Service, whose operatives re-arrested him shortly after he was released from prison on bail with respect to his ongoing trial.



The court said it was wrong for the Federal Government to continue to detain him over undisclosed offences after he had been granted bail by three different courts before which he had been arraigned.

The court, in a unanimous judgment of a three-man panel read by Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke, also awarded N15m damages against the Federal Government.

It ordered government to release Dasuki immediately and also his properties that were confiscated by state’s agents.

The court, which held that the Nigerian State was unable to substantiate its continued detention of Dasuki, also faulted the search of his houses in Abuja and Sokoto without valid search warrant.
The judgment was on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed earlier this year by Dasuki.

Source: http://.com.ng/ecowas-court-orders-dasukis-release-awards-n15m-against-fg/

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ABUJA—The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, painted a gloomy outlook for Nigeria’s economic fortunes, as it disclosed that the country’s crude oil and gas reserves were fast depleting.

The NNPC in a statement in Abuja, therefore, begged oil and gas exploration companies, professionals and other stakeholders to focus on increasing the nation’s oil and gas reserve base to match national aspirations to increase oil production.



Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, who disclosed this when the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, hosted him in Abuja, also expressed readiness of the NNPC to partner with stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to grow the nation’s fast depleting reserves in order to increase productivity in the petroleum sector.

He said: “Our national gas demand forecast to year 2020, domestic plus export, indicates a rapid growth to 15 billion Standard Cubic Feet per day (bscfd), meaning current reserves level can only sustain that production for 35 years, if we do not increase the 2bscfd gas reserves base which require three trillion cubic feet (tcf) to replace production yearly.”

It was also revealed that the country’s drive for industrialization risks being truncated, as Baru stated that the country’s aspirations were to increase oil production to four million barrels per day and meet gas demand of 15 billion standard cubic
feet per day, bscfd, by 2020, required for industrialization and consumption.

He further lamented that less than three per cent of all oil wells drilled in the Niger Delta Basin, both onshore and swamp, were deeper than 15,000 feet, adding that a greater number of these wells had not gone beyond the 10,000 feet as a high pressure regime seemed to be a limiting factor.

However, he stated that “some of our earlier drilled non-commercial holes could be turned around if we deploy requisite technologies; we need to change our perspective of risk as technology is advancing.”

Baru further explained that the 2016 national average oil production of 1.9 million barrels was low, partly due to oil infrastructure vandalism.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to share data and use common available resources to reduce cost of operations in the area of rig-sharing, vessel sharing and synergy in projects development, adding that this had become even expedient in this era of low oil prices and security challenges.

On frontier exploration, Baru said the NNPC was progressing in exploration efforts in the Chad Basin, the Benue trough and other frontier basins to shore up the reserve base of the country.

In his own presentation, NAPE President, Mr. Nosa Omorodion, said the association was ready to support NNPC in its drive to grow reserves towards increased production in all the frontier basins.


Source: http://.com.ng/recession-nigerias-oil-gas-reserves-running-out-nnpc-warns/

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The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday said that it would challenge the outcome of the Edo State governorship election at the election petitions tribunal.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had last Thursday declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Godwin Obaseki, as the winner of the election.

According to the electoral umpire, Obaseki had a total of 319,483 votes while his counterpart in the PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, polled 253,173 votes to come second.

The opposition had rejected the result, which it described as a fraud, and accused INEC of alleged complicity.

But the Edo State PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, who disclosed this in a chat with The PUNCH in Benin, the Edo State capital, explained that the party would leave nothing to chance to prove that the result was manipulated and that it would also expose the alleged corruption and incompetence of the electoral commission.
He, therefore, called for the dissolution of the present leadership of the INEC.

Orbih said, “Of course, we are going to file our petition at the election petitions tribunal. We will give it our all. If nothing else, to expose to Nigerians how corrupt and incompetent INEC is, under its present leadership.

“Our lawyers are busy; they are working. Until they formally file a petition, all I can say is that we are going to challenge the result of this election at the tribunal.”

While stressing the role of the judiciary in upholding the tenet of democracy, he expressed confidence in its ability to give justice to Nigerians.

“We will pursue this matter to a logical conclusion and I believe that the judiciary has a role to play to save democracy and give Nigerians hope that, in a country where people do things with impunity, people can still approach the judiciary for justice,” he added.

On whether the party was convinced that the outcome of the tribunal would not end in favour of the candidate returned elected by the INEC, as was the case in Bayelsa and Kogi states, Orbih noted that the PDP would give the tribunal the benefit of the doubt.

He said, “What happened in Kogi is not what has happened in Edo. What happened in Bayelsa is not what has happened in Edo.

“We must give that benefit of doubt, rather than resort to self-help or take the law into our hands. We want to test this obvious fraudulent manipulation of INEC, in collaboration with the state government, in the election result in the judiciary.”

Source: http://latestnigerianews.com.ng/pdp-heads-for-tribunal-to-challenge-obasekis-victory/

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The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has faulted Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court for granting a perpetual injunction to a former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Peter Odili, which has scuttled the ex-governor’s prosecution.

Buba’s order has prevented the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and any other government anti-corruption agency from prosecuting or arresting Odili, who was accused of allegedly embezzling about N100bn of Rivers State money during his eight-year tenure as governor.
Sagay further stated that the case could be reopened, adding that measures were being put in place to ensure that such an order was never granted again.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria stated, “What is happening now is unconstitutional; that judgment was unconstitutional. The judge who gave that perpetual injunction did what was unconstitutional.

“In effect, he was saying that the police should not do their work. He was removing the prosecutorial powers of the police and the prosecution in Nigeria.

“It is illegal and Supreme Court judgments have said so. So, the whole thing we should do now is to restore legality so that if you are charged, you should be able to come to court and defend yourself instead of asking that you should not be investigated.

“That (Odili’s injunction) is totally illegal and unconstitutional and not acceptable.”

Responding to reports that the long delay in the case might have weakened the resolve of security agencies as well as compromised evidence, Sagay urged law enforcement agencies not to give up.

He added, “The important thing is not to give up because if you give up, the whole system will collapse.

“Personally, I have said any judge that gives an order of perpetual injunction against investigation, interrogation and arrest, should be regarded as having committed a serious act of wrongdoing, which should merit disciplinary action by the NJC. That is my proposal and I am going to push it that it should be regarded as an action that should attract discipline.

“I can assure you that under the new system that we are all running, there is no case that will be allowed to remain permanently under injunction. They will have to go through the process and be declared guilty or not guilty; in case of suspended cases, where a person is neither guilty nor innocent will no longer be allowed to exist.

“This case can be reopened, definitely.”

On December 12, 2006, the EFCC had issued an interim investigative report and prepared a draft of 223 charges against Odili, accusing him of embezzling N100bn during his tenure.

In a counter-move, the then Attorney General of the state, and later Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia (SAN), on February 23, 2007, sued the EFCC, the then Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and other defendants in a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

In the suit, Buba of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted Odili’s prayer to bar the EFCC from investigating, prosecuting or ever harassing him and officials of his administration.

It was learnt that the EFCC had filed an appeal at the appellate court since 2008 but the case had not been assigned to anybody.

A source at the EFCC stated, “We went to see two Presidents of the Court of Appeal but they never showed interest in the case. It has been eight years that we have been trying to vacate that order to no avail.

“This kind of thing demoralises detectives because evidence may have been compromised, victims or witnesses would have moved on while some of the investigators may have been transferred or retired.”

An EFCC prosecutor, Johnson Ojogbene, told reporters recently that the EFCC had appealed the judgment, adding that Odili’s case was presently hanging at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division.

He stated that there was the need for proper synergy between the judiciary and the anti-graft agencies in the anti-corruption fight as there was noting the EFCC or anyone could do to overturn the judgment of any court except to appeal.

Ojogbene noted that when the judiciary failed to cooperate, cases could be stalled for ages.

Source: http://nigerianewsonline.com.ng/fg-moves-to-reopen-n100bn-fraud-case-against-odili/

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Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the just concluded Edo election, Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu Monday took to the streets of Benin City calling for the cancellation of the results announced by INEC declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki, winner of the September 28 governorship election.
It would be recalled that last week, supporters of the PDP governorship candidate took to the streets of Benin, protesting and condemning the result of the election which they said did not reflect the wishes of Edo voters.
The protesters started at their march through the streets at the Ize-Iyamu Campaign office on Akpakpava Road and moved to several parts of the Benin metropolis such as First East Circular Road, Second East Circular Road, Dawson Road and New Benin before returning to the Ize-Iyamu Campaign office, where they gathered once again.

They carried placards with inscriptions such as “INEC is biased, not independent; Return our stolen mandate; Police conspiracy with INEC to rigged the election; Return our stolen mandate to Ize-Iyamu and sang songs.

Spokesman for the protesters, Rev Olu Martins, said it was historical and ironical that nine to 10 years ago, he was among the protesters, who occupied the streets of Benin to protest the injustice done Governor Adams Oshiomhole in the 2007 Edo State governorship election, adding that he was back in the streets this time around to protest an “electoral heist perpetrated by Oshiomhole.”

He said, “We will not stop until what rightfully belongs to the people is returned to them. The challenge is not what happened on Wednesday, September 28th. It is the process.

Source: http://nigerianewsonline.com.ng/more-protests-rock-benin-as-pdp-supporters-call-for-cancellation-of-results/

Amazing footage showing a snake with two heads has emerged online. The snake was found in the wild and taken into captivity by Jason Talbott, 42, from Kansas, and his friends.

While caring for the snake, they discovered that one of the heads was more aggressive than the other and had even attacked itself. Having two heads has however proved difficult, as the snakes can’t bite anything unless they work together and move with the body. See More pics below...

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SOURCE: http://thesummary.com.ng/index.php/news-categories/oddities/item/6649-see-shocking-photos-of-two-headed-snake

Prince Rotimi Obadofin, a former governorship candidate in Kogi state, is dead. The late politician was a front line member of Afenifere and hailed from Aiyegunle Gbede, in Ijumu local government area of Kogi state. Obadofin contested on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before the merger which produced the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The late politician reportedly died in Osogbo, the Osun state capital on Thursday night after rupturing his appendix. He also contested the governorship ticket of APC in last year’s election but could not make it past the primaries as he lost to late Prince Abubakar Audu. Governor Yahaya Bello, who expressed shock over the death of Obadofin, described him as a ‘frontline progressive’ who displayed exemplary zeal for the actualization of civil rule in Nigeria. In a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Bello described the late Obadofin as a “Pragmatic democrat, fiery human right defender and a believer in the core ethos of Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group that wrestled power from khakistocrats and returned the nation to representative democracy.”


SOURCE: http://thesummary.com.ng/index.php/news-categories/politics/item/6623-curse-or-what-another-apc-governorship-candidate-in-kogi-state-dies

With the current economic crisis I am inclined to agree with him because they handled the 2007 economic crises well

The N10 billion padding reported to be discovered in the education budget is meant for the Universal basic Education Commission and a typographical error from the office of the National Planning and Budget, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Higher Education, Senator Binta Masi Garba, has revealed. Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja after the commissioning of Federal University, Lafia’s connection to Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) in inter-conference programme in National Universities Commission (NUC). Garba said the issue was not with the ministry of education and that it had been resolved by the house and the senate.

It would be recalled that the Senate Committee on Education last week at the 2016 budget defence noted that it uncovered about N10 Billion hidden in the budget of parastatals by the Federal Ministry of Education. The Senator, however, said since the committee came on board, they had seen a lot of acts that needed to be amended to enable free flow on the quality of education in the country.

SOURCE: http://thesummary.com.ng/index.php/news-categories/national/item/5845-senate-explains-n10-billion-hidden-in-education-budget

Avian Influenza, popularly referred to as bird flu which has returned back to Nigeria has now affected 2.5 million chickens and has spread to 18 states in Nigeria. According to the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, this has resulted in the loss of several billions of Naira.

The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, NIAS, Dr. Godwin Oyedeji while explain further on this said,

“By the last count, I think as of yesterday (Thursday), not less than 2.5 million chickens have been infected and over 700 farms have been affected nationwide. From one incidence in one state and moving to two states, it has increased and I think by now we are having it in not less than 18 states,” he affirmed.


SOURCE: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/01/30/2-5m-chickens-now-affected-by-bird-flu-in-nigeria-as-disease-spreads-to-18-states/

Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has ordered the dissolution of government boards and parastatals.

Bello, who issued the directive through his Chief of Staff, Edward Onoja, on Friday also ordered all political appointees, members of boards and parastatals to handover to the immediate most senior officers in their offices with immediate effect in their respective offices.



The governor said the development become imperative to enable the new administration commence the restructuring of the boards and parastatals where necessary and also to help take stock of the state of the boards with a view to commence the process of re-positioning them through new hands for efficiency and service to the people.

The directive however, does not affect three statutory boards and the state Accountant General.

The boards not affected are: Judicial Service Commission, Civil Service Commission and the, State Independent Electoral Commission.


SOURCE: http://nigeriabreakingnews.com.ng/kogi-governor-yahaya-bello-dissolves-all-state-boards-parastatals/

Nigerian cult group, Supreme Eiye Confraternity, is operating a sex trafficking racket, says the Spanish police.

According to the Head of anti-trafficking at Catalonia police, Xavier Cortes, British airports including Gatwick are often used as entry points by the Eiye cult group to smuggle Nigerian women into Europe for forced sex trade.



Cortes revealed in an interview with the BBC that the group had been ‘using forged documents and passports to fly its Nigerian victims into places like Gatwick.’

He was quoted by the BBC to have said that the Nigerian cult group were possibly being aided by Nigerian officials in obtaining British passports.

“These (fake) documents are expensive, though, and need the cooperation of people working in the government to get,” Cortes told BBC.

The BBC further reported that most of the women being trafficked by the Supreme Eiye Confraternity are from Nigerian towns and cities, including Benin City.

One of the sex-trafficking victims, was quoted to have said: “I did not know I would be beaten and raped and have to have sex every night of the week.”

The report further added that a recent raid on the Supreme Eiye Confraternity in Barcelona took 18 months of planning and resulted in 23 arrests.

The BBC report added that the “SEC has hundreds of members running operations out of Ibadan, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of the Nigerian city of Lagos.”


SOURCE: http://nigeriabreakingnews.com.ng/cult-group-eiye-confraternitys-trafficking-of-girls-to-europe-exposed/

Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal, has come hard on the media for reporting that he has resigned his job. Reports in the UK, claimed that van Gaal had offered to leave the club thrice, but was persuaded to stay on. The Dutchman during his press conference ahead of Friday’s FA Cup clash with Derby County said, "I don’t think I have mentioned that ever."

"You make your own stories. Then I have to answer. I am not doing that. It is awful and horrible but you can write. "It is the third time I am sacked and I am still sitting here. I am obliged to do that (attend press conferences). A lot of people ask in a disrespectful way. I have always faith," he said. Van Gaal however admitted that he risks losing his job if United’s miserable form under him continues. The coach also praised the club’s Executive Vice- Chairman, Ed Woodward, for standing by him.


SOURCE: http://thesummary.com.ng/index.php/news-categories/sports/item/5648-van-gaal-blasts-the-media-for-reporting-he-has-resigned-as-man-united-coach

IT was dusk. The blistering afternoon sun had given way to a creeping cold weather. The dry and dusty day was gradually transforming into a moisture atmosphere. As motorists made their way home that evening, they cast a glance at the debris of the ruin that the operational headquarter of the religion sect had become.

Few weeks ago, the empty land stream with stones and broken blocks and pieces of flattened roofing sheet was the ‘sovereign’ territory of Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky, spiritual leader of the Shiite, also known as Islamic Movement of Nigeria. This is Huyssainyah, few minutes’ drive from the Depot, Nigerian Army, Zaria and a walking distance from the Police Area Command. Elsewhere in Gyaellsu, a nearby residential neighborhood, the expanse occupied by the sect leader and his followers had been leveled, leaving behind a wasteland, at least for now.



Buratai-El-zakzaky
Buratai-El-zakzaky
Penultimate Monday, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, led by its President Augustin Alegeh, SAN, secretary Afam Osigwe, publicity secretary, Gbolahan Gbadamosi, executive director, Mrs Ifueko Alufohai, and other senior bar members in the company of journalists drawn from print, electronic and on-line went on a one-day fact finding mission to Zaria.

Fact finding mission

Other lawyers on the mission included former NBA president Mr. Lanke Odogunya, Mr. Joe Gadzama SAN, former NBA general secretary Mr. Emeka Obegolu, immediate past attorney general of Ekiti state Mr. Wale Fapohunda and NBA branch chairmen from Kaduna and Katsina state among others. Precisely December 12, 2015, the Zaria-based Shiite members in their multitude had encountered the convoy of Chief of Army staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Burutai. The sect members, who had taken over the major road, had denied the convoy passage despite pleas by some senior military officers in the army chief entourage.

Tension: Tension mounted as reasoning failed to prevail. Soon, the charged atmosphere boiled over and the situation became unmanageable by both sides. By the time the miasma melted, scores of the sect members including two of Zakzaky’s children lay dead, they were killed by soldiers. Zakzaky was subsequently arrested, he has remained in detention. His enclaves in Hussainyah and Gyaellsu were pulled down by mortar and caterpillar.

It was against this background that the NBA undertook the fact finding mission. According to the NBA president, the essence of the visit was to find out what transpired between the military and the Islamic group on that fateful day and the fall-out. Before setting out for the assignment, the NBA team paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Zauzau, HRH Alhaji Shehu Idris, whose palace used to share a fence with the Shiite sect.

Speaking at the palace, Alegeh emphasized that the NBA had come with an open mind. His words, “as an association, we do not have any view on what transpired in Zaria, we have come to listen and leave. And what we have heard will provide an opportunity for us to write our report and make it available to our members and the public. The NBA is not a judicial panel. “

Traditional rulers’ support: In his response, the Emir of Zazzau, HRH Alhaji Shehu Idris, expressed his delight and that of his council of chiefs to receive the NBA president and his team, saying “in listening to the NBA president, we have learnt a lot and we assure you of our support and co-operation at all times”.

Democracy and the rule of law

He added that “Nigeria is enjoying democracy and the rule of law which would not have been possible without your participation. I assure you of the support of traditional rulers across the country and if there is anything you want us to do to further support you, don’t hesitate to call on us because we have great respect for members of the bar association.”

One of the chiefs, Alhaji Dalhet Musa Abubakar, who spoke on behalf of the palace on the sect activities fielded questions from journalists. Abubakar, who is the Tarkarfi Zauzau, has been a full time member of the Emirate Council of Chiefs since 1993. Before going into details, he called on NBA to educate Nigerians on their rights and duties in a democratic dispensation.

As he puts it, “people misunderstand their constitutional rights. I should know that where my rights interferes with another person’s, I lose my own right because the constitution has not given me the right to infringe on anyone’s right. So, it is basic that Nigerians should understand this.”

Addressing the issue of the Shiite group, he said, “it was being led by a certain Sheik in Kaduna and in 1986 something happened, and Sheik El-Zakzaky assumed the mantle of leadership. A citizen of Zaria, his (Zakzaky) family house, shares a fence with the palace to the right. For many years, the house which lays few meters away from the Emir’s palace became the sect’s operational base, while the royal father was able to manage and tolerate them. Sometimes, their activities were reported to the State Security Council.

This was the situation until the sect acquired a property in Gyaellsu, opposite the Kongo campus of the Ahmadu Bello University, and relocated.”He reviewed that residents who could not cope with the sect’s presence in the neighborhood moved elsewhere and sold their houses, while the only potential buyer was Zakzaky, no matter how high the asking price.

With their large number, their word became the law in the community and they imposed the code of conduct, operating like a potentate in the desert. “They determined when residents would go in and out of their houses under the guise of protecting them. They also decided non-residents who could go in and out of the area.” A former governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Muktar Ramadan Yero, who had gone to pay a condolence visit to a bereaved family friend, was denied entry to Gyaellsu by Zakzaky’s followers.

The last December confrontation with the Chief of Army Staff convoy was not an isolated occurrence. Sometime in 2014, the commandant, Depot Nigerian Army had a similar encounter with the group. He ordered his convoy to drive through the crowd. This led to a showdown. The Emir and his entourage also had a narrow escape on their way to the security meeting sometime ago. The palace spokesperson who stepped out of his car had his turban pushed off with an arrow poked on his head. An attempt was made to forcefully open the outer tank cover of the Emir’s car, with an intention to set it ablaze.

According to Abubakar, there were security reports on all incidents and they were reported to the police who appeared helpless. Surprisingly, Zakzaky reported the 2014 incident to the National Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International. At the Depot, Nigerian Army, the Commandant, Brigadier- General C.G. Musa, who said he has been in the saddle for six months, informed the NBA team that the General Officer Commanding 1st Division Kaduna would be in a better position to recount what happened.

Sovereignty of Nigeria

He, however, emphasized that nothing should detract from the sovereignty of Nigeria as a nation, adding that “the situation we have here is such that they (Shiite) seem to be above the law. What we do is to curtail their excesses whenever they exhibit them and we also try as much as possible not to have confrontation with them. When they have their rallies, they take over the road and nobody dared ask questions. A lot of people come here to report and we send the reports to the police.”

He stated that whenever Zakzaky was returning from his operational base in Hussainah to his residence at Gyaellsu, a distance of about five kilometers, the entire road would be blocked. According to Brig. Gen. Musa, the sect member would chase the police and the Federal Road Safety officials and take over the roads completely. He said they mounted check-points and imposed curfew in the neighborhood.

“The police was handicapped, they couldn’t do anything and nobody dared to go and arrest anybody, so it was like a parallel government within a system,” he added. Tackle the threat before it would metamorphose to another monster: Brig. Gen. Musa corroborated the allegation of forcing the governor to trek, adding that they once stopped the vice-president’s convoy. “That was how bad the situation was,” he stressed. The General advised that it is necessary to tackle the threat before it would metamorphose to another monster that would be difficult to tame.

At the Nigerian Police Area Command, the sing-song about the Shiite resonated with the same refrain. The Area Commander, M.D Sheu and Assistant Commissioner of Police confirmed everything the military said about the group. According to him: “Prior to that incident, we had many reported cases against the Shiite group, including cases of murder. The pictures and case file of people killed are here (brought out three pictures), we have forwarded them to the Inspector General of Police.”

The history of violence as far as the Shiite is concerned is a non-issue. They are violent and they preach violence. As a matter of fact, they don’t believe in the existence of a country called Nigeria. They are operating a state within a state and they apply their own laws,” said the area commander. He added that if any of their members is arrested, the station will be attacked in a bid to rescue the suspect. He described the situation as a sensitive issue that demands collective effort to address because of its religion undertone and freedom of worship which they claim.

Giving a background of how the sect was conceived, a member who identified himself as Abdulrahman Abubakar, Chairman of its Education Committee, addressed the NBA team. He said the aim and objective of the mission is “for us Muslims to live our lives according to the rules and regulations set by our creator in the universe, in line with the teachings of the holy Quran and the sayings of the Prophet”.

He explained that the movement started in the late 70’s when El-Zakzaky was a student. He said the movement was a response to communism, socialism and other “isms” which was the order of the day then and more importantly to show that Islam has something to present in form of an ideology, which he has been preaching with his followers.

Zakzaky, according to Abubakar, has suffered several persecutions in the course of preaching this ideology but he remains steadfast. He said their leader is independent minded and does not ask for favour unlike other Ulamas (Islamic scholars). Group does not preach violence: Abubakar pointed out that the group does not preach violence and it shows respect to fellow Muslims despite ideological differences. “We have good rapport and understanding with non-Muslim,” he added.

He emphasized that what is important to the group is not the differences with other religions but understanding of those differences, noting that many Christians have identified with the cause of the group which he described as the movement of peace.

Movement of peace

“We have principle of unity among Muslims and respect among people that differ from our faith. We try to accommodate one another, “Abubakar said. Another adherent of the movement, Dr. Abdullahi Danladi, an associate professor at the Ahmadu Bello University said the membership of the group is about five million across the country. He said the vigilante operation in Gyaellsu was put in place because of rampant cases of stealing and pilfering among residents.

He affirmed the Shiite faithful are peace loving and accommodating. “The Sheik shares pieces of meat to all neighbors both Muslim and Christian during festive periods and pastors do join us to celebrate on such occasions,” Danladi said. However, a resident of Gyaellsu, Danlad Musa, revealed that neighbors who reject the gesture would incur the sect’s wrath. As he puts it “they give us meat with one hand and take away our peace with the other hand.”

At the end of the submissions, the NBA president noted that there must be a solution to the problem which he said was avoidable if things were done differently. He restated that the incident having occurred several times in the past, the primary aim of the visit is to ensure it does not happen again.


SOURCE: http://nigeriabreakingnews.com.ng/shiite-army-clash-what-nba-fact-finding-revealed/

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan was honoured in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, January 27.

Jonathan was bestowed with the award for peace keeping and democratic leadership by the chairman of Circle of Diplomats, Robert Blum.

The former Nigerian President, who delivered a keynote address, was presented with his award during the Diplomatic Circle’s annual dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel Geneva.

The Diplomatic Circle is a group of diplomats from all over the world. Jonathan is the first African leader to be so honoured by the group.


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SOURCE: http://nigeriabreakingnews.com.ng/jonathan-receives-diplomatic-circle-award-in-geneva-photos/

The owner of an Abuja residence of a former Inspector-General of Police and Chairman, Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro, has issued the former police boss a quit notice.

The landlord, Kundi Nigeria Limited, was said to have taken the step after Okiro allegedly refused to vacate the house at the termination of his tenancy.



The house is located at A06-4 Esa Oke Hill Close, Off Katsina Ala Crescent, Maitama District, Abuja.

Okiro is said to have ignored a three-month quit notice earlier served on him on April 30, 2015 and the seven days “notice of owner’s intention to recover vacant possession of the property” which was served on him on December 1, 2015 by the property owner.

This is contained in the plaintiff’s averment in a writ of summons marked, CV/M/01/1016 issued at the District Court of the Federal Capital Territory Wuse, Abuja by Kundi Limited through its lawyer, Baba lawal Aliyu.

The plaintiff seeks among others, an order compelling Okiro to vacate the property and pay “mesne profit from October 31, 2015 at N666,666.00 per month till when judgment is entered.”

Kundi stated that it entered into a two-year tenancy agreement with Okiro on July 25, 2013 at an annual rent of N8m for the property – a five-bedroom duplex and three-bedroom guest chalet. It added that it issued the ex-IGP a quit notice and subsequently a seven-day notice of intention to recover the property at the expiration of the agreement.

It stated that despite the two notices, as required by the agreement, Okiro allegedly refused to vacate the house, a development that informed the suit.

“Since the expiration of the tenancy, the defendant has remained in occupation and enjoyment of the property and thereby accumulated mesne profit,” it added.

The plaintiff alleged that Okiro had said he would remove the fittings he purportedly erected in the property if he was to vacate the property.

It applied to the court to restrain the ex-IGP from removing any fittings from the property as there was no agreement between parties for the tenant to effect any renovation in the house.

Okiro has yet to file any response to the case, which has yet to be assigned for hearing.


SOURCE: http://nigerianewsonline.com.ng/landlord-serves-ex-ig-notice-to-quit-his-n8myear-rented-property/

The deputy governorship candidate of Abubakar Audu in the November 21, 2015 election in Kogi state, James Faleke, says there are plans to describe him as ‘absconded’ during the inauguration of Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi state on Wednesday.

In a statement issued by Duro Meseko, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation, the lawmaker said there are attempts to ‘mischievously’ announce his name as deputy governor during the swearing-in ceremony of Bello.



“I want to bring to the attention of Nigerians plans to call me out to take oath of allegiance as Deputy Governor to Alhaji Yahaya Bello today in Lokoja since it is the Deputy that takes oath first. The mischievous script is to announce my name for oath taking at least three times after which they would declare that the Deputy Governor-elect has absconded but would be sworn in at a later date. They would now go ahead to swear in Bello as the the Governor.”

“Let me make it very clear to the good people of Kogi State and Nigerians in general that I am not Deputy to Yahaya Bello and will therefore not be present today at his inauguration.”

“I had made my position abundantly clear to my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that I will not serve as Deputy to Bello, neither would I participate in the December 5, 2015 Supplementary election.”

“A strongly worded letter was written to the leadership of APC and INEC to back up my position. It is therefore the height of political mischief for anyone to attempt to call my name for oath taking at an inauguration ceremony they know I would not be present,” he said.


SOURCE: http://nigeriabreakingnews.com.ng/faleke-reveals-how-apc-plans-to-sideline-him/

The Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, has announced its intention to conduct simulation exercises on some public buildings in Abuja by next Monday and Tuesday on prompt response to terror attack.

It explained that the objective of the simulation exercise was to develop the Federal Capital Crisis Response Doctrine to dynamic attack in Abuja, urging people living in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, not to panic.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Information explained that the simulation exercise was a pre-emptive and precautionary measure against terror attack in Abuja.
The statement reads, “The simulation exercise will be conducted by 9:00am within the precinct of Garki Mall, near the Garki International Market on 1st February, 2016 while another exercise comes up on 2nd February, 2016 at the International Conference Centre, Area 10 Garki, Abuja at 9:00am.”


SOURCE: http://nigeriabreakingnews.com.ng/onsa-advises-against-panic-as-it-conducts-simulation-terror-response-in-abuja/

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has urged the government not to humiliate former president, Goodluck Jonathan if he is found guilty of stealing public funds and agrees to return the money.

The NEF however said that Jonathan should be imprisoned if it is proven that he looted but he refuses to return the funds, Punch reports.



The comments were made by the NEF’s Deputy National Leader, Dr Paul Unongo via a telephone interview on Monday, January 25, 2016.

“There are three points to make on the arms probe. The first is that Jonathan deserves a special consideration for his contribution to democratic culture in Nigeria and for enabling us to avert a national crisis by conceding defeat during the general elections. He also mobilised support for the present government. Jonathan was great in defeat. He is a hero for doing this,” he said.

“Secondly, if the anti-graft agency can prove beyond reasonable doubt that he diverted public funds and if Jonathan agrees to return the stolen funds, he should not be humiliated but he should be given due consideration.

“Thirdly, if it is proved by a transparent process that he stole the country’s money and he refuses to return it, then the law should take its course, whether he is a former President or not. He should be prosecuted and jailed. This is important in order to serve as a deterrent to others.

“I think President Buhari is trying to be careful in not summoning Jonathan so far. I don’t believe there was an agreement President Buhari had not to probe Jonathan as being reported,”Unongo added.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has explained that it has not arrested Jonathan because there is no evidence of wrongdoing against him.

Corruption under Jonathan’s government has been a major subject of discussion in recent times after it was alleged that officials misappropriated funds meant for Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram.

The discovery was made by a special panel constituted by Buhari to investigate arms purchases in the country from 2007-2015.

Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki is at the fore of the investigations and is alleged to have supervised the alleged laundering of $2 billion funds meant for the procurement of arms.

He was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on December 1, 2015 and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the day after.

The former NSA is reported to have implicated several prominent persons in the deal including former governors, ex-ministers and members of Jonathan’s party, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).


SOURCE: http://nigeriannewspapers.info/dont-humiliate-ex-president-if-he-agrees-to-return-stolen-funds-nef-tells-fg/

Some top officials of the civil service have been dismissed by the Federal Government for extorting money from 400 applicants and offering them employment illegally. Here are 5 things you should know about the fraud…

1. The top officials collected N400,000 from 400 applicants and offered them employment illegally.

2. The officials had included the names of the applicants in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System (IPPIS) before the fraud was discovered.

3. One of the victims told these officials, you cannot take my money and still disengage me. I have a valid letter. This he said in the present of the investigating officers.

4. The outburst of this victim was what led to the exposure of the top officials.

5. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that the incident showed how faulty the IPPIS was and how it had been compromised by unscrupulous elements.


SOURCE: http://nigeriabreakingnews.com.ng/5-details-you-should-know-the-top-civil-servants-who-were-dismissed-by-the-fg-for-extorting-job-seekers/