Igbokwe said South-East leaders should choose between actualizing Biafra, the Presidency, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and the Senate President.

In a Facebook post, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Drainage and Water Resources, said Southeast leaders should be definite about the positions they want.

Some Southeast members of the APC had demanded the positions of the SGF and Senate President if the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu wins in 2023.

Prior to the presidential primary elections of APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Igbo leaders had clamoured for Southeast presidency.

But, both their presidential candidates emerged from other regions.

However, Igbokwe wrote: “Leaders of Igbo Nation must collectively and clearly bring their thoughts together to say what we want. We want SSG and SP. We want Biafra too. What do we want as critical stakeholders in Nigeria?”

Mais do que um companheiro de equipa, um irmão que o futebol me deu. Dentro e fora dos campos, um dos maiores craques com quem tive o prazer de partilhar um balneário. Vai com tudo nessa nova aventura, Marcelo! ������
Translated from Portuguese by
More than a teammate, a brother that football gave me. On and off the fields, one of the biggest stars with whom I had the pleasure of sharing a locker room. Go with everything on this new adventure, Marcelo! ������

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has managed his final game in charge of Manchester United with the board finally deciding enough is enough.

United called an emergency board meeting following the 4-1 humiliation at Vicarage Road.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed his final game as Man Utd boss and will be sacked

Solskjaer cut a miserable figure as he drove home from Manchester Airport following the humiliating loss at Watford

And Solskajer's backroom staff started saying their goodbyes following the brutal defeat with club chiefs to sack him within 48 hours.

Sacking Solskjaer will cost the club a staggering £7.5million after the Norwegian signed a new three-year deal in July.

After the Watford mauling, travelling fans mercilessly booed Solskjaer off the pitch, with the boss waving apologetically.

Bruno Fernandes leapt to his boss' defence and furiously rowed with supporters, before being dragged away.

But now Solskjaer will be booted out of Old Trafford in the coming hours, nearly three years since he took over as caretaker boss following Jose Mourinho's sacking.

Owners the Glazers are itching to replace him with Zinedine Zidane, despite also being linked with Brendan Rodgers, Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino.

Club chiefs have so far failed in their bid to lure Zidane to Old Trafford, with the out-of-work Frenchman waiting until the end of this season to entertain offers.

Zidane's wife, Veronique, is also claimed to have put the brakes on a move as she doesn't want to relocate to Manchester.

Solskjaer has won just four of his last 13 games despite strengthening their squad with the additions of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho in the summer.

President Muhammadu Buhari says the federal government will await the steps taken by states, before taking action on the report of the Lagos judicial panel of enquiry.

The president said this on Thursday at a meeting with Antony Blinken, United States secretary of state, in Abuja.

“So many state governments are involved, and have given different terms of reference to the probe panels,” he said, according to a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman.

“We at the Federal have to wait for the steps taken by the states, and we have to allow the system to work. We can’t impose ideas on them. Federal Government has to wait for the reaction of the states.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; and the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, to an emergency meeting on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

Members of the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, have returned to Askira Uba Local Government, at about 05:00pm, shooting sporadically and setting shops ablaze.

The insurgents struck at Dille, a village close to Lassa town in the local government.

In a swift reprisal, troops stationed at Damboa Local Government, some 70km from Askira Uba stormed the village killing scores of the terrorists including their commanders and destroying their weapons.

Details of the report are still sketchy about the current situation but sources say reinforcements have moved into the town and taken full control.

This is coming less than 48 hours after ISWAP terrorists attacked the local government , killing a brigadier general and three soldiers in one of the two ambushes they staged concurrently.

The Lagos judicial panel on police brutality has submitted its report to the state government.

The panel submitted the report on Monday to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of the state, at the government house, Ikeja, Lagos.

On October 19, 2020, as part of recommendations put forward during the #EndSARS protests, the Lagos government inaugurated the judicial panel to investigate petitions on police brutality in the State.

An information technology expert, Cyril Isong, has been apprehended by the police for the alleged abduction of a House of Representative member.

Isong, who lived in Abuja, reportedly connived with others at large to lure the lawmaker to a short let apartment in Asokoro, Abuja, with a woman and held him hostage afterwards, dispossessing him of $2,000 and N65,000.

City Round learnt that Isong was tracked down recently in Akwa Ibom by operatives of Force Intelligence Response Team led by DCP Tunji Disu following a petition addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, by the lawmaker.

The victim was said to have alleged in the petition that on August 4, 2020, he received a call from an unknown caller who introduced himself as Sani and claimed to be a former National Assembly member.

Sani reportedly claimed that he was having health challenges and was advised to contact the lawmaker who was in charge of the affairs of former members of the House.

The rep alleged that he directed Sani to his house in Abuja but the caller gave an excuse he had been rendered immobile by the illness and appealed to the lawmaker to come to his apartment in Asokoro.

On getting to the short let facility, the victim reportedly met two men who introduced themselves as Sani’s brothers. He was said to have been attacked immediately he was ushered in, blindfolded and tied up.

“They collected $2,000 and N65,000 found on him. They searched his car and took all his valuables. They demanded a number to call for a ransom. He begged them and they freed him. He reported the incident at the Asokoro Police Station. Luckily on August 31, 2021 Isong was arrested in his state in Akwa Ibom.” a police source said.

Isong, 36, claimed he read chats between his wife and the lawmaker on the former’s phone, adding that the wife broke up with him when he confronted her about her relationship with the rep.

He said, “I studied Information Technology and got married in 2017. The first two years of our marriage were beautiful and we travelled across the world for business and pleasure. I thought our marriage was made in heaven until the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed everything. We lost many goods and we were indebted.

“Suddenly I noticed that my wife started locking her phones and as a computer guru, I was able to tap into her line and started reading her discussion with various men. I was frustrated reading how she begged them for money. The honourable (lawmaker) was one of such persons. He even visited our house pretending to be a family friend. It was his visit that led to the final break-up of my marriage because I confronted my wife and she got angry and left.”

Isong said he organised the kidnapping to ‘deal with’ the lawmaker and involved some cult members he knew while in the university.

He explained that they lured the lawmaker into an apartment in Asokoro, held him hostage and dispossessed him of his cash and other valuables.

He stated, “They were the ones who arranged one beautiful lady who spoke to him through a video call. The apartment is a short let in an estate in Asokoro and it’s N80,000 per night. On the agreed date, the honourable came; we grabbed him and tied him up. I did not speak throughout because he might recognise my voice.

“We collected all the valuables and cash found on him and inside his car. He refused to call his family for more money, rather he asked for our account number. I knew that he wanted to set a trap for us so we decided to leave him and run. We didn’t beat him. I travelled back to Akwa Ibom since I could no longer afford to pay rent in Abuja. It was when I entered a bank to open an account that the police arrested me.”

Isong stated that he had also defrauded two other victims using tricks similar to the one deployed against the lawmaker.

He said, “One of the victims was Tania who ran a restaurant. We were friends but when my wife left, we started dating. She closed down her restaurant and I helped her to sell the valuables. I kept N300,000 and promised to give her but failed.

“She kept disturbing me and I knew that I would not pay because I was indebted. She is rich but refused to let go. I called her with an unknown number and introduced educational tourism to her in case she wanted her daughter to study abroad. We lured her into an apartment and collected N80,000 cash from her.’’

He stated that the third person was her sister-in-law who he invited to the Asokoro apartment under false pretences.

He added, “When she arrived, I tied her up. We saw a lot of money in her dollar account but to withdraw. It was hard. We just took the N500,000 cash found on her and disappeared.”

UPDATE ON IKOYI COLLAPSED BUILDING

CONTRARY to speculations, no directive has been given for the demolition of the two high-rise buildings standing at the site of the 21-storey collapsed building in Ikoyi, Lagos. The Panel of Inquiry instituted to establish issues surrounding the collapse of the building has continued to sit and an integrity test is yet to be conducted on the buildings. It is, therefore, wrong to assert or speculate that the buildings will be demolished.

The operation at the site of the collapsed building continues. Vehicular movement around the site has been smooth, following the reopening of the road.

Two more bodies were recovered from the site today. The recovery of the two bodies has brought to 45 the number of bodies retrieved from the site.

The identification of bodies of the victims of the incident has continued at IDH, Yaba, Lagos Mainland. Thirty-two families have come forward to submit samples for DNA to identify bodies that they wish to claim. In cases where identification is clear and there are no arguments, the bodies will be released to the families.

A committee to supervise the identification and release of the bodies has begun work. It comprises senior officials of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice.

Gbenga Omotoso

Commissioner, Information and Strategy

#LASG
#ForAGreaterLagos

Katsina State House of Assembly member, representing Batsari, Constituency, Hon. Jabir Yusuf, has cried out that the shut down of telecommunication networks in the state has made the insecurity situation in the state worse.

Hon Jabir revealed this at the plenary on Wednesday, presided over by the House Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Shehu Dalhatu-Tafoki.

While giving account of how scores of bandits, armed with sophisticated weapons terrorized Batsari town killing not fewer than 11 persons, injuring scores and destroying several properties on Tuesday, Honourable Jabir said, there was need for the executive arm of government to review the existing security measures in the state.

According to him: “This unfortunate incident happened on Tuesday around 7p.m. The bandits came in large number, killed and burnt down many vehicles and motorcycles.

The most worrying part of the incident was that there was no network for the people of Batsari town to relate their plight to the security agencies whenever there is an attack.

“I am hereby appealing to the government to review the security measures in the state, especially the removal of telecom services. This lack of network has worsened the situation.”

The lawmaker further said that the incessant attack has made many people from Batsari town to flee from their houses and businesses to seek refuge in the state capital.

Similarly, the lawmaker representing APC Matazu Constituency, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, also noted that on the same ill fated day, the hoodlums also attacked a community in his constituency and abducted five persons.

He, however, suggested that the government should make provision for an alternative means of communication through which security agents could be notified of such development for speedy intervention.

Consequent upon this, the law makers unanimously agreed that there was a need for the state government to review some of the security measures and therefore called on the government to act accordingly.

In the same vein, the law makers directed its standing committee on security to sermon the security agencies in the state for a meeting to find a way out of the lingering insecurity challenges bedeviling the state.

The Jigawa State Hisbah personnel says it has taken into custody 47 persons, including 16 females arrested over immorality.

Malam Ibrahim Dahiru, Commandant of the Hisbah in the state, made this known to NAN during an interview on Wednesday in Dutse.

The Commander said about 16 suspected commercial sex workers were arrested following a series of raids at beer parlours, brothels and other black spots across eleven local government areas of the state.

He explained that about 745 bottles of assorted alcoholic drinks were confiscated during the raid which was conducted between Oct. 13 and 27.

The suspects, he said, were apprehended either for alleged consumption of beer, patronising commercial sex workers and other immoral acts.

He said the suspects were handed over to the police for further action.

He said the consumption of alcohol remained prohibited in the state and reiterated the resolve of the board to continue to fight against all forms of immoral acts.

Dahiru enjoined residents of the state particularly the youths to desist from engaging in vices and immoral acts capable of destroying their future and promoting social decadence.

He further commended residents of the state for their support and cooperation to the board to enable it carry out its duties effectively.

No fewer than five people were killed in Anara in Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo State when gunmen attacked the community.

The gunmen were said to have used the cover of the night to strike as the attack occurred on Tuesday.

A resident, Damian, told our correspondent that the whole community could not sleep as sounds of gunshot rend the air.

He said, “In fact throughout the night, we had our hearts in our mouth as sporadic gunshots not heard before took over our environment. As I am talking to you now, not even a chicken is outside.”

Police Public Relations Officer; CSP Mike Abattam, said he was having a meeting and asked our correspondent to call back.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has given an update on the number of casualties and survivors of the recent collapsed building at Ikoyi.

On Saturday evening, Governor Sanwo-Olu giving an update on the Ikoyi building collapse said, the number of survivors is now 15; the dead 42. Up to 49 have been reported missing.

The rescue operation continues.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Abuja said on Saturday that eight suspects have been arrested over the abduction six University of Abuja staff and children.

The disclosure, made through a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Josephine Adeh, also noted that a deadly criminal hideouts was discovered in a forest around Gwagwalada Area Council.

While the police said the rescue operation was successful as all the abductees came out unhurt, they have also warned residents to be vigilant and security conscious.

The statement reads: “Following investigations and manhunt for the criminal elements involved in the abduction of staff of the University of Abuja at the University Staff Quarters, Giri, on 2nd November, 2021, Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with the Military, the DSS and other security agencies in a joint operation, the early hours of Friday 5th November, 2021, successfully identified the hideout of the criminals located at Shenegwu Forest in the Gwagwalada area of the FCT and rescued all abducted victims unhurt.

“The criminal elements on sighting the security team, engaged them in a fierce gun duel. However, the superior firepower of the security operatives led to the arrest of eight members of the notorious gang while some other members of the gang fled into the forest and nearby communities.

“The CP enjoined residents particularly those around the Gwagwalada area of the FCT, to be vigilant and provide the Police with useful information that can assist in apprehending the gang members still at large. However, efforts are being intensified to arrest fleeing members of the gang.

“All the suspects will be charged to court on conclusion of the investigations.”

The defense team in the alleged sexual assault trial of Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James Omiyinka a.k.a. Baba Ijesha has challenged a confessional statement purportedly written by a police officer for the defendant upon his arrest in April this year.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Babatunde Ogala made the assertion on Friday, before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja.

Baba Ijesha is facing a six-count charge bordering on allegations of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.

He has pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge.

During the evidence of the prosecution’s fifth witness, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kazeem Wahab said he took over the case from a previous team of one ASP Nuruddeen Musa and Inspector Blessing Nwoko after the complainant, comedienne, Damilola Adekoya, aka Princess, had alleged that the defendant had a close relationship with them.

The police witness who is from the State Criminal Investigative Department, Yaba also said the case file was transferred from the Sabo Police Station where the complaint was initially made.

He sought to tender the statements of Princess who is the foster mother of the minor, as well as that of the victim and the defendant.

But, Mr Ogala objected to the admissibility of one of Baba Ijesha’s police statements, noting it was made under duress, after he had allegedly been beaten up and humiliated by Princess and her cohorts.

The defense counsel also noted that a police officer wrote the statement but that it had no name or signature on it.

“The statement is confessional because the defendant is said to have claimed he molested and harassed Princess’s daughter. The name and date are ostensibly omitted on the statement, so no one takes responsibility, and so that it will be attributed to the defendant.”

The State prosecutor, Yusuf Sule then withdrew the statement, and the court admitted as exhibits, the other two statements written by the defendant.

The witness also told the court that he investigated allegations that the defendant sexually molested another minor in Ada, Ikorodu, who had been presented to the police by Princess. At this, Mr Ogala referred to the complainant as, “chief investigator”.

“We went there with a brother of the defendant, as he was already in detention and we didn’t want to risk taking him along as he could be hijacked from us. The landlord confirmed that Baba Ijesha lives there, contrary to his denial.”

The witness also revealed during cross examination that the landlord didn’t write his statement on the matter at the police station but around his residence.

Further hearing was adjourned till Friday, November 12, for the prosecution to present more witnesses.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that a top staff of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA, Engr Musa, who was last week declared missing by his family, has been reportedly found dead at a Lagos canal.

The staff popularly called Engr Musa was declared missing on Sunday by his family when his whereabouts became unknown after he was last spotted on Saturday.

Vanguard can reliably report that a human remain was discovered covered in the Iyana Ipaja canal that runs down from Oko Oba abattoir, but the family are yet to identify the corpse but a source who was present disclosed to vanguard that it was the missing Engr Musa’s corpse.

The source who doesn’t want her name mentioned, told vanguard that “The family has been looking for him since Sunday but discovered his remains yesterday at the Lagos Canal in Iyana Ipaja.”

“Musa was a strict man and he did not believe in eye service,” She said.

Meanwhile, a cursory look at the victim’s corpse, vanguard discovered that a nail was found on his head and both hands tied behind him, further asserting claims of assassination by sympathizers at the scene.

GERRARD ROAD TRAGEDY: SANWO-OLU DECLARES THREE DAYS MOURNING

. Flags to fly at half-mast

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared three days of mourning over the Ikoyi building collapse, which occurred on Monday. No fewer than 32 persons are believed to have died in the incident.

All flags are to be flown at half-mast in public and private buildings and official engagements cancelled during the mourning period.

The Lagos State Government, once again, commiserates with all those who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate incident.

Governor Sanwo-Olu has visited the site thrice to encourage the rescuers and console relations of those who are believed to have been trapped in the 21-storey building. He was today at the hospital to cheer up those injured before swearing in a six-man panel of Inquiry to find out why the building went down and recommend measures to prevent such incidents.

Gbenga Omotoso

Honourable Commissioner,

Information & Strategy.

The death toll from the 21-storey building that collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday has risen from 22 to 36.

Out of the 36 death recorded so far, three of them are female and 33 male.

The Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South-West Region, Ibrahim Farinloye, who gave the update said out of the nine persons rescued, one of is a lady while eight others are men.

“Out of the the survivors, we have one female and eight male. Out of the dead, we have three female and 33 male dead bodies.

“Rescue work is still ongoing and more hands have joined the rescue team,” he added.

The building under construction at Gerrard road in the highbrow area of Lagos collapsed on Monday, leaving the owner and some construction workers under the rubbles.

A Retired General Manager of the Nigeria Port Authority, NPA, Bashir M Abdullahi, has been kidnapped.

Abdullahi was abducted from his farm located at Sumaila Local Area of Kano State Wednesday afternoon.

Details about the abduction of the retired NPA GM are still sketchy at the moment, however, DAILY POST gathered that he was taken away by unknown gunmen while inspecting his farm in Sitti village of Sumaila Local Government Area of Kano.

A source who doesn’t want to be identified said, “The retired General Manager of NPA was this afternoon kidnapped from his farm in Sitti, Sumaila Local Government Area. Please, pray for his safety and safe return to his family.

‘In addition, kindly request the congregation of your local Masjid, through the Imam, to pray for him”.

When contacted, the Kano Police Command spokesperson, DSP Haruna Abdullahi Kiyawa, said he was not aware of the incident, but promised to verify as quickly as possible.

Gunmen reportedly attacked the residence of Professor Banji Akintoye, the Coordinator of Yoruba self-determination group, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), in Ekiti on Saturday.

This was contained in a statement made available to Vanguard by Maxwell Adeleye, Communications Secretary, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide on Tuesday in Ibadan.

It further noted that the assailants shot into the house from outside the gate adding that the Professor was not around when the incident happened.

The statement reads “The leadership of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), is displeased to inform the general public that the Ado-Ekiti country home of its leader, Professor Banji Akintoye, was attacked on Saturday, 30th October, 2021.

“Gunshots were fired into the house by assailants who apparently climbed a chair outside the gate to shoot in.

“Luckily, Professor Banji Akintoye was not around at the time, and nobody was hurt.

“Bullets suspected to be from AK-47 rifles were recovered after they dropped from the ceiling onto the floor.

“The matter has since been reported to the Ekiti State Police Command for investigation.

“Akintoye, a renowned Historian, hails from Ado-Ekiti. He represented the Old Ondo State in the Senate from 1979 to 1983.

“He is currently leading a peaceful agitation for an Independent Yoruba Nation from Nigeria.

“Recall that a few months ago, unknown armed men invaded the house of the Scion of the Akintoye dynasty, Ademola, an Engineer, in Agbor, Delta state, exterminating the building, including his rich fish pond. The Police did not arrest anyone up till this moment.

“We the Yoruba people within, and beyond the horizon of Nigeria will hold the Nigerian Government responsible if any evil happens to our leader or any of his relations.”

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the suspension of the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mr. Gbolahan Oki,

The governor also said the government will find out what went wrong and punish those indicted in the 21-storey building that collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State on Monday.

The Governor, as a first step, has directed that the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahan Oki, an architect, be suspended from work immediately. The suspension is indefinite.

There was pandemonium, Monday, when hoodlums laid siege to the Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square over the shooting of one of their own by a warder from Kirikiri Prisons.

The hoodlums caused panic, which made all the judges to end proceedings abruptly and immediately left the court, while registrars and litigants also took to their heels.

The hoodlums demobilised two Black Marias that brought the Ikoyi inmates to court.

According to an eyewitness, the victim was shot while trying to interact with some of the inmates in the Black Maria. He refused to heed several warnings to desist.

Another eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said that the warder shot the hoodlum while he (hoodlum) was trying to disarm him.

It was also gathered that after the victim was shot in the leg, information got to the hoodlums, who swiftly came to barricade the entrance of the court and deflated the tyres of the Black Maria.

A woman, who also witnessed the incident, stated that the victim who was shot had mental issues, adding that a senior prison warder tried to prevent the warder from shooting.

It was also learned that Kirikiri prison warders and the inmates immediately left after the incident and the victim was rushed to the hospital.

But the hoodlums have insisted that the Ikoyi inmates won’t leave the court.

Meanwhile, policemen from Kamsalem, were drafted to the court to appease the hoodlums.

Prof. Dantani Wushishi, the Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, said northern states are indebted to the examination body to the tune of N 1.8 billion.

Wushishi stated this while speaking with newsmen in Minna, on Saturday.

He said: “State governments offer to pay examination fees for candidates from their states but when it comes to the actual payment, they don’t do it, and that has strapped NECO.

“Zamfara, Adamawa, Kano, Gombe, Borno and Niger state governments are owing the examination body N1.8 billion debt for the students they registered in 2019.”

He lamented that most of the states owing the Council a lot of money were yet to remit to it, even when the examination body had not withheld the results of the defaulting states in the spirit of mutual respect, togetherness, and understanding.

According to him, the Council had engaged the affected states in dialogue towards the amicable resolution of the matter.

Wushishi reminded the defaulting states that it was with this money that NECO paid the staff involved in carrying out the examinations, in addition to buying needed materials for the smooth conduct of the Senior Secondary School Examination.

He, therefore, appealed to the governors of the Northern states to, as a matter of urgency, meet their obligations by settling their debts to enable NECO to diligently discharge its responsibilities.