₦airaland Forum

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE


Some ‘brave’ suspected robbers have invaded a police station at the Mile 2 area of Lagos and carted away a wooden office locker they suspected money was kept in and escaped.

The incident happened at Mile 2 garage area where the Station is located, well fenced and secured.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered the suspects targeted the locker they had been suspecting that the police had kept some money and other documents and invaded the place.

It was gathered that they successfully overpowered the officers present and carried the locker, broke the wall, and passed it through there and it was taken away by their gang members they had stationed on the other side.

It was not confirmed how much was inside the stolen locker and the documents it contained.

However, it was learnt certain amount of money was there and the source of the money was not disclosed.

One of the suspects, 22-year old Ibukun Sunday has been arrested and charged before Apapa Magistrates court for stealing and malicious damage.

According to police, the suspect and others at large, conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by carrying the locker.

Oluwa pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr M.A.Etti ordered him to be remanded in prison custody pending when he will be granted bail.

The matter was adjourned till 14 July 2017.

Posted by Tunde Oyesina


The Presidency yesterday said that over $16.5 billion, being part of stolen funds from Nigeria, is being trapped in some foreign countries.

The government said that about $430 million is trapped in Switzerland, over $400 million trapped in the United States (U.S.), about $15 billion trapped in different countries yet-to-be ascertained, while $700 million is trapped in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla, in an exclusive chat with New Telegraph in Abuja, noted that the UAE Government will soon name Nigerians who have invested the country’s stolen funds in properties and shares in their country.

While speaking on the trapped funds, Obono-Oblas said: “Well, I cannot give you an exact figure, whatever I give you is an estimate, possibility or probability. The one in Switzerland, I think, is about $430 million. The one in U.S. was confiscated by the government because they filed papers, there was no representation from Nigeria and it was during the days of Goodluck Jonathan and Mohammed Adoke as Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

As a result, the District Court in Washington ordered that the money should be forfeited to the U.S. Government.

“We have been trying to get that judgement. It is a default judgement. We have briefed some lawyers in the U.S. to get the judgement set aside. The money is over $400 million. Again, there are some others I may not be able to recall. The arms deal, investigation is still ongoing, so I cannot say expressly the amount that is taken outside the country. But the money should be about $15 billion.

“We have signed an agreement with the government of Dubai, and have seen evidence of about $200 million in properties that were repatriated to Dubai.

The Government of Dubai, because of the agreement, is ready to release names of Nigerians who have properties and shares in Dubai banks.

“If we put all of that together, it should be around $700 million, but that is speculative.

But for the one we have established, it is about $200 million of properties that were owned by politically-exposed persons.

“To trace and recover looted assets is a very complex issue and you have seen that for the Abacha loot; for the past 20 years, we have been on it. This government has mounted a very strenuous campaign to get these monies back from all the foreign countries where they are trapped.

The countries always act in such a way that we don’t get the money back. For example, the Switzerland government is saying that we have to guarantee that if the money is sent to Nigeria, it will not be looted again and then they also nominated World Bank, that it should guaranteed.

“And we have accepted because this government is responsible and accountable. We have nothing to hide. We have accepted that condition and we can assure that nobody will take a dime out of that money.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will, this week, arraign one of the recalled judges, Justice Agbadu James Fishim of the National Industrial Court (NIC) before a Lagos State High Court on a 19-count charge bothering on alleged unlawful enrichment to the tune of N4.8 million.

Justice Fishim is one of the five judicial officers recently recalled from suspension by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The judge is accused of unlawfully receiving N4.8 million from seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), a non-Silk and a law firm between June 2013 and August 2015 through his account domiciled in a bank.

In the charge against Justice Fishim, he is accused of unlawful enrichment by a public official contrary to Section 82(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, No.11, 2011.

He is accused to have illegally received various amounts of money so as to have a significant increase “in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”

He is also accused of unlawfully receiving N4.8 million from seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), a non SAN and a law firm between June 2013 and August 2015 through his account domiciled in a bank.

Also in the charge, the prosecution claimed that a lawyer gave the judge a total of N1.3 million in four installments.

Another SAN was alleged to have given the judge the sum of N1.1 million in three tranches of N350,000, N400,000 and N400,000.

The prosecution also alleged that a SAN gave the judge N400,000 in two installments of N200,00 each, while another silk was said to have given him N100,000.

It was further alleged that a senior lawyer gave Justice Fishim another N250,000 while the lawyer’s firm also gave the judge the same sum of N250,000.

Another SAN, according to the charge, gave the judge N500,000 in four tranches of N200,000, N100,000, N100,000 and N100,000.

It was also claimed by the prosecution that a lawyer gave the judge N150,000 and N100,000, making a total of N250,000 while another gave him N500,000.

Obono-Obla, however, noted that the said lawyers will not be arraigned now, but they will be used as witnesses against the judge.

On the arraignment of the judge, he said: “This week, Justice Agbadu Fishim will be arraigned in a Lagos court. The charges have been filed that he collected monies from lawyers. If you see the charges, the lawyers are listed there. We have also charged another lawyer who collected money from another lawyer and could not explain the over $200,000.”

lalasticlala

Femi Makinde, Osogbo


Residents of Halleluyah Estate in Ido Osun in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State have apprehended an operator of a drinking joint identified as Sikiru Adeosun, inside a bush at Gaa Fulani area of the estate while fleeing his residence after allegedly killing his girlfriend.

Adeosun was caught around 7:00am after fleeing his house at Agunbelewo area of Osogbo , where he had allegedly beaten to death a woman identified as his girlfriend, whose name could not be ascertained.

A resident of the estate , who identified himself as Seun Oloruntoba, told our correspondent on Friday that residents of the estate observed that Adeosun was wearing a pair of shorts and a wet T- shirt that also had blood stains.

He said that when Adesoun was accosted, he was incoherent; adding that this raised suspicion and residents thought that he was a thief.

Leaders of the community were said to have prevented the residents from lynching him and they took him to Dada Estate Police Station , where they discovered from the police that the suspect had been declared wanted for allegedly killing his girlfriend , who was also his salesgirl at a drinking joint he owned.

Oloruntoba said, “I heard a noise at around 7:15am on Monday morning and I went out.

“ I saw residents of our estate gathered round a man , who they said was a thief and was caught hiding inside the bush.

“ We asked of his name and he told us. We asked him what he was doing inside the bush very early in the morning , but he could not say anything meaningful.

“ So , our people thought he was a thief and they wanted to beat him.

“ We are vigilant in the area because armed robbers come to raid houses there frequently. So, we decided to sensitise every resident to challenge any stranger seen within our vicinity.

“We took him to Dada Estate Police Station and it was there we were told that his neighbours had come to report him at the station that he killed his girlfriend, who is from Benue State.

“ That was how we helped the police to arrest him without even knowing that he had committed a grievous crime . ”

Another resident, Kehinde Olaniyi, also said residents of the estate were able to catch Adeosun because of their vigilance and their resolve to always challenge any strange face noticed in their area.

Olaniyi explained that it was possible that the deceased fought and inflicted injuries of Adeosun before he beat her to death.

He said that the suspect, who fled his residence at Agunbelewo, might have entered into the bush and thought that he would find a way to escape, but he was caught eventually.

He said the name of the victim was not known, but it was further gathered that the deceased doubled as Adeosun’s salesgirl and girlfriend.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Folashade Odoro, confirmed the incident via a text message to our correspondent.

A police source told our correspondent that the case had been transferred from Dada Estate Police Station to the Criminal Investigation Department.

lalasticlala

By Fidelis Mac-Leva



The other political parties that have met the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registration requirement include the Young Progressive Party (YPP), New Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP), All Democratic Peoples Movement (ADPM) and the Action Democratic Party (ADP).

With the registration of these new parties, there are now 45 political parties in the country, even as INEC had at the last count received 103 applications out of which six associations are undergoing the initial assessment of their logos, names, acronyms and other legal requirements for registration.

INEC recently presented certificates of registration to the five new parties with a stern warning that it would continue to strictly monitor their activities and would not hesitate to apply sanctions against any violation of the law governing the terms and conditions of their registration.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who presented the certificates to the new parties at the commission’s headquarters, reminded them that they were no longer political associations but political parties. He reminded them that the law also provided for de-registration of parties and it would be vigorously applied as the need arises.

“I wish to remind you that as from today you are no longer political associations but registered political parties. As you are aware, political parties are at the heart of our democracy, under the constitution, no Nigerian can contest an election conducted by INEC unless he/she is sponsored by a political party,” Mahmood said.

While assuring the new parties of equal status with others, Yakubu said the commission would extend to them, all the rights and privileges under the constitution, the Electoral Act as well as INEC regulations and guidelines.

He said the commission would continue to strictly monitor the activities of all political parties and would not hesitate to apply sanctions against any violation of the law governing the terms and conditions of their operations. “I wish to remind all political parties that the law also provides for de-registration of parties and we shall vigorously apply this aspect of the law as the need arises”, he warned.

One of the new parties, the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), was earlier unveiled in Abuja where it professed its philosophy and ideals as the product of a new thinking. Interestingly, it seeks to displace the old order and enthrone an encompassing egalitarianism that will fill the yawning gap in Nigeria’s socio-political and economic landscape.

Earlier this year, the crisis rocking the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) took a new twist as some top members of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction were said to have applied to INEC to register an alternative platform to be known as the Advanced Peoples Democratic Party (APDP).

 The aggrieved PDP members were said to have approached INEC with an application shortly after the judgment of the Port Harcourt High Court which sacked the Makarfi led caretaker committee in favour of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction of the party.

 But INEC, which had no fewer than 50 applications from various interest groups seeking registration as political parties at that time,  was not disposed to the registration of  APDP on the grounds that it would be wrong for the commission to register a party with similar name with the PDP.

Consequently, INEC was said to have rejected the application and requested the applicants to apply with a new name in place of APDP. The commission later accepted the application and commenced the process of registration when the sponsors adopted the new name of APDA (Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance). 

 While many see APDA as a reincarnation of the APDP whose application was earlier rejected due to semblance of identity with the crisis-ridden PDP, watchers of political events believe that the new party, if well nurtured, would take over the position of the main opposition party and become a force to reckon with in 2019. 

Touted to be an off-shoot and plan ‘B’ for the Senator Makarfi-led National caretaker committee of the PDP in the event it fails to secure victory at the Supreme Court, the registration of APDA has no doubt marked another milestone signaling the possibility of a highly and robustly contested poll in 2019. This is more so that the Makarfi committee had consistently accused the Sheriff faction of “cordially” working with some elements in the ruling APC to get the judgment in their favour.

Coming at a time when the country is approaching some outstanding by-elections, the three governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states that would ultimately usher in the 2019 general elections, many political watchers would be looking forward to whether these new political parties would make a difference.

INEC will particularly be expected to pay special attention to the conduct of these political parties as well as their candidates and supporter so that they don’t turn out to be merely playing to the gallery.

One way of making this difference is to assess the conduct of the new parties with regard to hate speeches which have become an entrenched norm in the nation’s polity.

While many say the nation’s political atmosphere may not remain the same with the unveiling of the new parties which analysts say presents hope for many Nigerians, including those disenchanted with the prevailing leadership, critics say the new parties may merely represent five additional leprous fingers to the nation’s polity.

According to their founding fathers, the new parties are coming on board with great determination to redefine partisan politics and political administration in Nigeria. APDA, for instance, says it presents a social contract with Nigerians driven by deliberate, conscious and patriotic conviction that the time has come to enthrone a national political platform that accommodates everyone in their quest to actualise their dreams and aspirations.

The party also seeks to introduce values that are premised on an inclusive Nigerian society that is founded on the principles of freedom, equality, solidarity and fairness, claiming its drive is to achieve social justice, job creation and economic development in a free market economy.

But not many Nigerians are optimistic because they are used to the sugar-coated and ornamented manifestoes of many a political party which end up being as good as the paper on which their names are written. It is against this backdrop that some critics say they are very skeptical when confronted with the beautiful and compelling ideas and ideals of the new political parties, such as the ones contained in the APDA constitution and manifesto. Only time will tell.

lalasticlala

By Christopher Oji


A Police Inspector attached to MOPOL 20, Ikeja, Lagos , yesterday went berserk and attempted to shoot the Commissioner of Police In charge of Police Cooperatives.

Inspector Magaji had gone to the Police Cooperative office in mufti and demanded to see the CP in charge of the organisation.

Saturday Sun gathered that a colleague of his of the same rank, who was on duty, Pius Oguche, demanded to know why Magaji wanted to see the CP, a woman.

Rather than answer, Magaji reportedly brought out a revolver pistol and threatened to shoot Oguche, if he dared to prevent his access to his boss. He claimed he had some issues to settle with the CP.

Saturday Sun learnt that when Oguche insisted that he would allow the visitor to see the CP, Magaji went wild, threatening to shoot “everybody in sight.”

A police source said policemen at Area F Command raised the alarm which attracted the Commander, Yetunde Longe and Divisional Police Officer who raced to the scene and pleaded with Magaji to calm down.

The source said: “Magaji pointed the guns at the senior police officers, who immediately took to their heels. An armed policeman who saw what was happening, aimed at Magaji from a distance and shot him in the leg.

Magaji started firing at the people, but was overpowered and disarmed by a gallant policeman, who grabbed him from behind.

In an attempt to shoot the policeman, the irate police inspector missed and ended up firing at himself in the leg.

He was said to have been rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where he is receiving treatment.

lalasticlala

Posted by Emmanuel Ifeanyi


A boy whose name was withheld has reportedly sold his father’s two cars, a Lexus and a 4Runner worth N7.5 million for N350,000 in Umuahia, Abia State, due to his involvement in illicit drugs.

The Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abia State, Mr. Akingbade Bamidele, stated this when he spoke at the inaugural lecture of the symposium on ‘Substance Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking for Senior Secondary School Students’, organised by the National Committee on Narcotics and Substance Abuse under the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in commemoration of the International Day Against Illicit Drug Trafficking. Bamidele, who spoke on the topic: ‘Illicit Drug and the Law’, explained to the students how drug abuse impacts negatively on users. He said: “There is a boy at Umuahia, that his father brought to us for counselling.

He sold two Vehicles: a Lexus and a Forerunner worth N7.5 million for N350,000. “Do you know why? The reason is because he was involved in drug abuse and has got to dependent stage where there’s absolutely nothing he cannot sell, just to buy drugs. It was a situation of keep these vehicles for me and just be giving me drugs. You notice when things begin to miss at home, that something is wrong.”

He went further to tell the students that violent crime and drug abuse are very much inseparable and warned them that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. “The cult boys that cut the heads of other students at Abia State University, Uturu and use them for goal post some time ago, were arrested. And when we went and tested them it was clear that they were high on drugs and that gave them the mind to severe another’s head for goals post. “You have to be very careful.

The young man you saw on the screen holding a parcel, was sent to deliver a parcel which he didn’t know much about and today, he’s in trouble. Ignorance is not an excuse in law. The rich will use the children of the poor to do their illicit drug trafficking,” he said.

He further said the NDLEA would follow up the schools that participated in the programme using their special department in charge of such called Drug Demand Reduction Unit to make sure that the drug free clubs are established and also help in its sustainance.

Speaking on the occasion, National Chairman of the Committee of the Narcotics and Substance Abuse of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Carol Iwuoha, said the lecture was shifted from the original date of June 26 till June 29 due to the Sallah celebration. She explained the choice of starting with Abia and then the choice of selecting secondary schools for the lectures.

“Basically first is that I practice here in Abia State. I have practised here for 20 years, so I’ve been here a while. Secondly, Abia is first on the list of the 36 states alphabetically and thirdly, there’s a lot of drug abuse in this state.

“The main idea behind the choice of secondary schools is that these students at their age now can believe anything. They can be easily carried away by peers and still malleable. “If we win them now they can help us propagate the message and that’s why we are saying that they are going to establish drug free clubs in their schools where they are going to share their lessons and be drivers to saying no to drug abuse.

“The desire to hold this programme came out from the passion for the burden of the NDLEA. They need a lot of collaborators and support from everybody. That’s why we brought the legislature here today so that they can give legislative backing to some of the fights we have to face in this process.

“The reason we had this programme firstly is to support NDLEA. As a matter of fact, it’s part if the National Strategic Plan of the NMA to take up social responsibilities of reaching people with health problems and social problems around us.” Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe reperenseted by his Special Assistant, Mr. Emmanuel Uchechukwu, advised the students to put the lectures into practice. “I want to add a voice to what we have learnt here today.

I want to say to us, as good students of Abia and Nigeria, to put all we have heard here into practice. It was a nice lecture. We must not end the message within ourselves. Carry on the message and save lives,” he charged them.

Dr. Nwahukwu Ugwunna, one of the guest lecturers while speaking on the topic:
Social Problems of Drug Abuse, said: “All drugs are dangerous, but some drugs are more dangerous than the others. Take a look at this, illicit drugs kill an estimated 17,000 Americans annually. What does that tell you? No body is immunised against the dangers of drug abuse.

“Hard drugs makes one socially backward and apathetic. Even those from more develop countries you may aim to copy due to communication exposure to their lifestyle, die of it. So why copy a path that leads to destruction? As adolescents, you’re in a crisis period and the only way to survive it is to avoid drugs in its entirety.

Lekouwa Ebenezer David, a student of Dority International Secondary School, Aba commended the idea behind the and acknowledged what he has learnt.

“This lecture is good for us. I’m sure most of us don’t use drugs yet and this lecture will go a long way in ensuing that most of us don’t get into drugs as we heard, watched and seen the consequences of drug abuse and most importantly, how people are lured into the act of drug abuse.

lalasticlala

NwaAmaikpe:

Sharp man...

He is scared of contracting something from the small maid. Because the days are bad...and the preek must be safe.
But the girl is upset he is not giving her 'raw'.
#TeamSkinToSkin.

Posted by Cajetan Mmuta


A 24-year-old girl yesterday painted a sordid picture of how a pastor she fellowshipped with at the Heavenly Ambassadors’ Ministries Inc. lured her into prostitution.

Florence (surname withheld), a former stylist, dancer and singer while with the church located at Isihor on the busy Benin-Lagos Expressway in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, said she was tricked while she was 18 years old by Pastor Endurance Eghoze to travel to meet his sister based in Russia with the hope of assisting her to look for a greener pasture overseas but ended up in the web of street hawkers there.

Florence said she worked tirelessly for four years (2013 to 2017) to pay an agreed sum of $45,000 (about N17.1 million) to her ‘Madam’ and trafficker, Ms. Vivian Eghoze, who later dumped her on the streets of Russia before she was deported home in February.

Already, operatives of the state police command have arrested Vivian and her brother, Endurance.

The arrest was made possible following a tip-off by an Edo-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Initiative for Youths Awareness on Migration, Immigration, Development and Reintegration (IYAMIDR).

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Moses Nkombe, confirmed their arrest.
He said: “The matter is being investigated by the police.”

Florence, who has been reunited with her family, is begging for urgent assistance from good-spirited individuals and government.

She said after paying her ‘madam’ the huge sum, she is also battling to save herself from a mysterious ailment.

Vivian and Endurance have allegedly trafficked over 45 girls for prostitutions overseas.

The victims said they were daily subjected to excruciating conditions in cold of the nights to meet customers without anything to show for their years of enslavement.

According to them, even their parents and relations wallow in hunger, poverty and emptiness except for the lavish lifestyles of their hosts and their exotic cars and eye-pooping mansions.

Florence explained that her trouble started in late 2012 when her mother amid cries and wailing narrated her plight of being locked in huge debt to their pastor, who is also the second in command of the church, who quickly cashed in on the ugly situation to convince her to join his sister in Russia.

She added that a few days before she travelled to Lagos to meet Vivian’s close relations, her mother who was in Benin compelled her to take an oath of secrecy after collection of her pubic hair, pants and braziers while ‘madam’s uncle also raped her in a hotel room where she was lodged preparatory for Russia and sternly warned her not to tell anyone about the illicit act.

She said: “I had to borrow money to do my passport. She keeps calling and assuring me that all will be well. I was made to take oath of allegiance.

“I borrowed N30,000 from a cooperative society, to do my passport and I told her (Ms Vivian) that my passport was ready and she said okay. And from there I proceeded to another level at which she called Endurance that they would be the ones to run everything and that my mind should be at rest. After some weeks, she called me again and gave me words of encouragement. That was how we ended our talk.”

lalasticlala

By Hamza Idris, Ismail Mudashir, Isiaka Wakili (Abuja) Itodo Daniel Sule (Lokoja) & Haruna Gimba Yaya


Expectation of cabinet reshuffle is responsible for the delay in the swearing in of two ministers confirmed by the Senate since May 3, Daily Trust learnt.

Kogi had been without representation in the cabinet since James Ocholi, Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, died in a road accident on March 6, 2016.

Amina Mohammed resigned as Minister of Environment on February 24, to take up a UN appointment as Deputy Secretary- General.

 Buhari nominated Stephen Ocheni and Suleiman Hassan from their respective states as replacements and forwarded their names to the Senate on March 28. They were confirmed on May 3. 

There were speculations President Buhari would reshuffle the cabinet but this did not happen up to the time he departed for London on medical vacation about 50 days ago.

The general expectation has been that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo would swear in the ministers during any of the weekly cabinet meetings.

The Acting President has not acted on this and his office has declined comment on the matter.

A presidency source suggested Osinbajo may be waiting for the President to return to swear-in the two ministers and reshuffle the cabinet.

According to him, “I think there is a plan to reshuffle the cabinet to re-jig the government and make it function better. This may be the reason for the delay in the inauguration of the two ministers-designate. 

“I don’t think there’s anything other than the absence of the president. I don’t know whether there is an arrangement between the president and the acting president on this. But if the two ministers are to occupy the position of their predecessors, the acting president would have sworn them in, “he said. 

When confronted by State House correspondents yesterday on why Osinbajo had not exercised some presidential powers in swearing in the two new ministers-designate, the Chairman of  Progressive Governors Forum, Chief Rochas Okorocha, said, “Like I said before, there is absolutely no vacuum. You have an acting president who assumes all the powers of Mr President. So I do not know if there are reasons Mr Acting President has not acted on that. But he has the full powers of the president. 

“The Acting President can take any decision today and it will be binding on the nation because he is the acting president, he is not the vice president anymore. He sits in place of Mr. President and performs all the constitutional duties of Mr. President.  But if he is taking his time for obvious reasons, that is understandable,” Okorocha said. 

“As acting president, you want to make sure things are in their rightful places before you take any decision, but there is no vacuum. There is no approval by acting president that was rejected by anybody. He summons meetings, calls for meetings, gives directives; he has enough powers for him to execute governmental functions,” he added.

APC leadership worried

Sources at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja yesterday said the party was not only worried that  Kogi and Gombe states do not have representatives at FEC, but that many other important appointments have not been filled.

“The development did not speak well of our party, this is the truth,” one of the sources, who does not want to be named, said.

According to him, “the chapters of our party in the affected states have been murmuring; that after needless delay in nominating the ministers those who got the post are still idling at home.

“Ordinarily swearing-in of ministers should not be an issue but you know how things are done here, a lot of interests at play but we pray the Almighty to improve the health of President Buhari so that all these suspense will be over,” he said.

Another source at the APC secretariat said there was disquiet across the party hierarchy in all the states, saying they were being mocked by the opposition.

“Most of the state chapters are under pressure from their members who have not been carried along throughout the last two years. 

“They have submitted names for appointments into boards and parastatals and all what is needed to be done, such as vetting have been concluded but the files are there lying at the presidency and the cabinet office. Hundreds of PDP members are still on the boards of government agencies, they are just laughing at us,” he said. 

Kogi East fumes as lawyer moves to Appeal Court

The people of Kogi State especially those from the Eastern Senatorial district have expressed concerns over the failure of the government to swear in Prof Ocheni several weeks after the Senate had cleared him. 

President of the Ujache Igala Association, Mr Goodman Akwu, described the development as “pathetic,” saying that the state had remained without a representative in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for one year and three months for no just reason. 

“It is pathetic... we are cut off from our own country. Igala in particular and Kogi State in general has been marginalised under this administration. 

“It is a sad episode and I will still take to the streets again to lead a protest.  We are not out to beg because it is our right. Who is the one blocking us? Is it from within or outside? 

“They told us to vote for change and we are  now being short-changed. I’m urging the president or whoever is in that capacity today to inaugurate our minister without further delay.  

“We learnt they want to reshuffle the cabinet but that is not a tenable excuse because any where he (Ocheni) is, he can still be reshuffled. The vacancy is still there; Ocholi was a deputy minister in the ministry of Labour before his death, let them inaugurate him to occupy that portfolio pending when they are ready to do any reshuffle. Deputy Minister is better than not having any minister at all,” he said. 

Meanwhile, a lawyer, Daniel Makolo who earlier challenged President Buhari at the Federal High Court over non appointment of minister from the Kogi State said he was still at the Appeal Court after the initial court failed to grant his prayers. 

He said the Appeal Court had fixed a date for definite hearing, adding that whatever action taken by the federal government and the Senate over the issue of minister from the state amount to subjudice and an insult of the constitution.

 We’re now orphans- Gombe APC

The Gombe state chapter of the APC said it is worried over the failure of those that matter  to swear-in Alhaji Sulaiman Hassan, about two months after his confirmation by the Senate.

Speaking to Daily Trust, Mr Julius Ishaya, the Zonal Vice Chairman of the party in Gombe South, said the development had prolonged their status of being orphans in the scheme of things. 

“We’re particularly worried because we don’t have a sitting APC government in the state and we believe the minister will serve as the rallying point of all members of APC in the state.

“The present regime is in office for 48 months, it has two years now to go, so any day that passed by without a representative from the state, is a loss to us.” 

Mr Ishaya said the state chapter of the party was yet to get any information from the Presidency with regards to the non-swearing-in of the minister. 

“There has been no communication from the Presidency, only insinuation that it was because of the absence of the president, but even with Buhari’s absence, the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo is running the country well, so the two leaders should talk and fill the vacuum,” he said.

lalasticlala

Plans are being made to retire promising officers in the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force, SaharaReporters has learned.

The officers being lined up for the sack are those in line to rise to the headship of the three Armed Forces and other senior positions, but whose promotions have been impeded by the retention of senior officers who have already overshot the mandatory 35 years of service, are above the prescribed age for continued stay in service, or both.

This website recently published a story,
“How Service Chiefs Illegally Extend Careers Of Course Mates,” which exposed a number of senior officers long overdue for retirement, but who are still in service because of their closeness to service chiefs or are strongly wired to sources of power in the Presidency.

Responding to the story, Major-General John Enenche, Director of Defence Information (DDI), admitted that some officers had been kept in service despite having spent more than the stipulated 35 years or older than 56 years stipulated in the Armed Forces Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS) for commissioned officers. In a statement issued on 13 June, the DDI said Paragraph 02:10 (d) of the HTACOS allows for extension of service beyond the stipulated number of years.

“In very exceptional cases, an officer’s career can be extended beyond one year for as long as necessary. Extension of service for officers can only be approved by the Service Council/Board, comprising the Honourable Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chief, Service Director at Ministry of Defence and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence.


Extension of service can also be at the discretion of the Commander-in-Chief,” said the DDI.

Policy guidelines on the matter, he claimed, have always been followed.

The DDI, however, claimed inaccurately, that only a few of the officers listed in the story as having overshot the prescribe age limit and years of service are still in the Armed Forces.

SaharaReporters’ investigations showed that what led to the reduction in the number was the move by the Navy to quickly disengage all its officers named in the story.

The cull, SaharaReporters was reliably told, will be followed by another one affecting brilliant young officers considered as threats to the positions of the service chiefs and their candidates occupying positions into which younger and money competent officers should, by right, move into. As a result, panic has gripped the ranks of young officers, who seem set to be thrown out the Armed Forces for nothing other than being competent and to make candidates of the service chiefs breathe more easily in positions they inappropriately occupy.

The service chiefs, SaharaReporters was also told, have been propping up their less qualified candidates to replace the generals that should have retired. This, we gathered, is being worked on in case the plan to retire more competent officers does not come to fruition.

Major-General Enenche’s claim that only a few beneficiaries of service career extension mentioned in the story remain is unlikely to stand any scrutiny.

SaharaReporters’ investigation showed that Major General JG Hamakim, a pharmacist, remains the Director-General of Nigerian Army Resource Centre. He has already overshot the age ceiling of 56 years, when Major-Generals must retire and clocked 35 years in service on 24 June. He is also widely considered of as not very conversant with field concepts, combat doctrinal maneuvers and applications.

Also in the same category is Major General AO Amusu, incumbent Commander, Nigerian Army Medical Corps. He equally clocked 35 years in service on 24 June and is deemed to be impeding the elevation of qualified officers, many of whom are consultant surgeons and with field experience in ECOMOG and other military operations.

In the Air Force is Air Vice-Marshal J Gbum, current Chief of Policy and Plans at Air Force Headquarters. He is above 56 years, having been born on 15 May 1960, and has spent more than 35 years in service. He was commissioned on 12 September 1981.

Similarly mentioned in the report published by SaharaReporters was Air Vice Marshal AA Iya, Chief of Training and Operations at Air Force Headquarters. He had started his terminal leave in September 2015 and was scheduled for final disengagement on 25 December 2015, when his course mate, Air Marshal Sadique Abubabkar, the Chief of Air Staff, recalled him and gave him a one-year extension. Born 25 December 1959, he is above the age limit of 56 years and was commissioned on 15 May 1982.

lalasticlala

By Wale Odunsi


Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has approved the appointment of 14 new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This is contained in a statement by the Director of Press, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Bolaji Adebiyi.

While 13 of the new appointees were on their first term, Hussaini Halilu Pai of the FCT was re-appointed.

The new appointees are
Professor Godwill Obioma (Abia),
James Lorliam Apam (Benue),
Dr. Nwachukwu Orji (Ebonyi),
Dr. Iloh Joseph Valentine Chuks (Enugu), Dr. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda (Plateau), Umar Ibrahim (Taraba) and
Mr. Emeka Ononamadu Joseph (Imo).
Others are Obo O. Effanga (Cross River),
Professor Francis Chuckwemeka Ezeounu (Anambra),
Dr. Briyai O. Frankland (Bayelsa),
Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa),
Agboke Mutiu Olaleke (Ogun)
and Alhaji Ahmad Makama (Bauchi).

“These appointees have been confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and therefore the appointments are with immediate effect,” Adebiyi said.

The RECs also have a five-year renewable tenure, same as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

lalasticlala

Posted by Biodun Oyeleye


An Ilorin High Court, presided over by Justice Adeyinka Oyinloye on Wednesday slammed a N4 billion judgment against the publisher of popular online newspaper, Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, over a series of stories published two years ago by the medium against Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

The judgment affected stories published by the online medium against Saraki between September and December of 2015. The Senate President had, through his lawyer, Babatunde Olomu, asked for the intervention of the court following the publication of series of libellous stories against him by Sahara Reporters. Both Sowore and Sahara Reporters were joined as defendants in the suit marked as KWS/23/2017.

Delivering the judgment, the court agreed with Olomou and granted all the reliefs sought by the claimant in the case. The reliefs granted are as follows: “The sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libellous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of October 5, 2015 under the caption “Nigeria at 55: Bukola Saraki and 83 Inmates Are Running the Asylum”.

“The sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libellous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of Sahara Reporters of September 20, 2015 under the caption: “A polished Name for political immorality.

Time for Saraki to Go!”
“The sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libellous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of Sahara Reporters of November 09, 2015 under the caption: “Bukola Saraki On a shopping Spree to Buy Judges…Stop Being a Clown And A Coward Man Up, face The Music”.

“The sum of N1 billion as general and aggravated damages for libellous words falsely, maliciously and recklessly published by the defendants of and concerning the claimant in the online issue of Sahara Reporters of Sahara Reporters of December 1, 2015 under the caption: “Arms Contract Scandal: Senator Saraki.

Blackmailed CBN Officials To Pay N250 Million Hush Funds”.

“An order for injunction restraining the defendants from further writing, printing or causing to be written, printed or circulated or otherwise published of the claimant the said, or similar libel.

“An order directing the defendants to remove the offending publications from its website on the internet within three days from the date of judgment and an order directing the defendants to publish an apology to the claimant on its online newspaper and in three other daily newspapers.”

lalasticlala

Salex007:
Lawd have mercy!!!!!! * 3


Lawd have mercy!!!!!! * 3

Two years after taking office, SaharaReporters can exclusively reveal, Zamfara State governor, Mr. Abudal’aziz Abubakar Yari, bought a property in the United States for a princely sum of $950,000. The 2.1-acre property is located at 14800 Bowie Farm Court, Bowie Maryland (Zip code: MD 20721) has six full and two half bathrooms with a jacuzzi in the master bedroom.

Deed documents obtained by SaharaReporters from the Circuit Court of Prince George’s County, Maryland, USA, denote Mr. Yari as the sole owner of the property, which was purchased from a limited liability company, K Hovanian Hamptons, located at Creek 11, Delaware. The company used to be known as Real Property Holding, with an address at Prince George’s County, before changing its name on 25 January 2011.

The deed on the property is dated August 27, 2012, while the approval of the purchase was granted on 1 November 2012 after Yari paid the princely sum of $950,000 cash, there was no mortgage on the property. Equally captured on the deed document is the sum of $5,225, which was described as “recordation of tax paid” and $13,300, described as “transfer tax paid”, both offering indications that Mr. Yari operated a foreign account in clear breach of Code 3 of the Code of Conduct Bureau.

A real estate property tax information obtained by Saharareporters from Prince George’s County shows that Governor Yari paid taxes on the property up till date, his 2017 estate tax was $16,583.10.
Mr. Yari bought the property after his fraudulently awarded N25billion in road contracts in Zamfara in 2012.

The code of conduct law expressly prohibits certain public officials from operating bank accounts in any country outside Nigeria. These include the President, Vice President, governor, deputy governor, ministers, commissioners, members of the National Assembly and the Houses of Assembly of the States.
According to the deed document, Mr. Yari signed the agreement in person, with Kimberley Armstead a notary public of Montgomery County State of Maryland, serving as a witness.

In May, this website exclusively reported that Mr. Yari, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, is building a 100-room hotel in Lekki, Lagos, with the $3million he stole from the Paris Club loan refund to states. Aside from the $3million, Mr. Yari was also found to have diverted the sum of N500million from the Paris Club refund to pay off a loan. He was said to have withdrawn N500million from the N19billion Paris Club refund illegally paid into the account of Nigerian Governors’ Forum as payment to “consultants”. He deposited the stolen sum into a bank account with a mortgage bank from which he had taken an N800million loan to buy properties in 2013.

This move, SaharaReporters learned, enabled him to renegotiate his debt from N800million to N500million.

Mr. Yari is thought to have trousered the sum of N2.2billion from the sum illegally diverted into the Nigerian Governors’ Forum Account by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The Senate President, Mr. Bukola Saraki, and his cronies also benefited to the tune of N3.5billion from illegal diversion, which is being investigated by the EFCC. Officials of the anti-graft agency told SaharaReporters in May that Mr. Yari’s hotel, which is under construction, has been listed as a proceed of crime and will be taken over once the EFCC obtains a court order.

Mr. Yari has denied ownership of any hotel in Lagos, claiming he does not even own a plot in the Nigeria’s commercial capital.
In 2017 over 1000 persons died as a result of a meningitis epidemic with Mr. Yari’s Zamfara leading in the number of deaths.

At the peak of the epidemic, Yari reportedly said the epidemic was the punishment from God against his people for their sins.


https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-28%20at%209.06.30%20AM.png?itok=aVu8_1s5


https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-28%20at%209.07.24%20AM.png?itok=oSFNCLmT


https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-28%20at%209.07.45%20AM.png?itok=KGow3HZf

https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-28%20at%209.03.39%20AM.png?itok=xmKB9w4e

https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Screen%20Shot%202017-06-28%20at%208.58.07%20AM.png?itok=WOUQEzLY

[img]https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Deed-Yari.jpeg?itok=q5S-l8HI[/img]

https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Deed-Yari-2.jpeg?itok=kDSVZLc7

lalasticlala

A 28 - year - old jobless woman, Temitope Abiodun, who allegedly bathed her neighbour with faeces, was on Wednesday in Lagos released on a bail of N100,000.

The accused, a resident of Agege, a Lagos suburb, is standing trial on charges of assault, breach of peace, and resisting police arrest.

She, however, entered a ‘not-guilty’ plea.
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, which gave the ruling, also asked the accused to produce two sureties as part of the bail condition .

The Magistrate, Mr. J. A Adigun , said the sureties must be gainfully employed and should also show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

According to the Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awaze, the accused committed the offences on June 12 at their tenement building.

He said the accused assaulted her co - tenant , Mrs. Mercy Ifijah, by bathing her with faeces.

“The accused had a misunderstanding with one of her neighbours and in the process, she bathed her with faeces, ” he said .

Awaze said the accused also conducted herself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by stripping herself in the public in order to escape police arrest .

“The accused resisted Sgt. Gabriel Ejiofor, a police officer , while trying to arrest her ; she removed her clothes and became naked to avoid being arrested. ”

The prosecutor said the accused, who was a member of a dreaded secret cult called “Awawa, ” had been terrorising residents of the area.

“She always brings her gang to threaten residents and also beat up the complainant, ” he said.

The offences contravened sections 42, 166, 119 and 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised ).

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 44 prescribes three - year imprisonment for membership of an unlawful society; while section 119 provides three - year jail term for resisting arrest.

The case was adjourned till July 3 for mention. (NAN).

lalasticlala

Posted By: Yusuf Alli


Operatives profile youth groups

The police and other security agencies are searching for the sponsors of the 16 Northern youth groups that issued an October 1 quit notice to Igbo living in the North, it was learnt yesterday.

A covert profiling of the youth groups and their sponsors has been going on in the last three weeks.

But the arrest of leaders of the youth groups has been put on hold following intelligence report that their sponsors may have planned to set the nation on fire.



It was learnt that Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was awaiting a briefing from the police and security agencies on why they had not arrested the youths.

A top security source said the police and other security agencies were trailing suspected sponsors of the Northern youths.

The agencies are said to be of the opinion that it is better to “get to the root of the hate crisis” rather than just arresting the youth leaders.

Another source privy to the ongoing investigation said: “We are searching for the sponsors of these youths and we are closing in on them gradually. Part of the intelligence report we received was a plot to use the arrest of the youths to trigger off spontaneous attacks in the North.

“The police and security agencies, however, beat the plotters to their game by staying action on the arrest of the youths. Besides, the Ramadan period could be volatile in the North.

“The activities of these youths were partly politically-induced and ethnically-motivated. This is why we are trying to unmask the sponsors and why they will prefer to set the nation on fire.

“They also have a few others suspected to be bankrolling these youths.”

The source added: “We are already conducting the profiling of all the 16 groups, their patrons and past activities. We are closing in on their sponsors

“No doubt, the boys who issued the quit notice are known; they are not above the law but we will not arrest them now based on the intelligence at our disposal

“It is better to dig deeper than doing a hasty job. Even the political authority prefers a cautious approach to the matter.

“We know the right thing to do but the police and security agencies cannot operate in isolation of the larger picture before the political leadership.”

The source also said the police and security agencies were being proactive before any clampdown.

All police commands and security agencies have been directed to strengthen surveillance and security for the Igbo in the North.

The quit notice was designed to cause mayhem and create sudden security challenges in the North.

“At the appropriate time, the law will take its course on any group or individual trying to set the nation on fire,” a security source said.

Asked what has been done, the source added: “We have placed all the 16 youths on special monitoring.”

El-Rufai has not received the report from the police and security agencies on why the youths have not been arrested, according to a source who said: They had not given any reason for not arresting the boys.

“The position of the governor is that the youths must be arrested. It is dangerous to leave these boys because we don’t know what will play out on or before October 1,” the source said.

Sixteen youth groups, under the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Youths, on June 6 gave the Igbo up to October 1 to vacate the three geopolitical zones in the North.

Some of the youth organisations at the Kaduna meeting are Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students Forum and Northern Emancipation Network on the Igbo Persistence for Secession.

lalasticlala

Jonathan Eze


President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has revealed that the success or failure of any of his businesses does not bother him or make him lose sleep like the rate of unemployed Nigerian youths.

Dangote, the richest man in Africa, disclosed this at the weekend on the sideline of a meeting with business leaders/chief executive officers from Nigeria and Kenya held at the Dangote Lekki free-trade zone in Lagos.

He stated that unemployment gives him sleepless nights, as he posited that it’s the collective responsibility of both the government and entrepreneurs to create jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths as a way of solving the restiveness and agitations that the nation is experiencing from different geo-political zones.

According to him, population growth is not abating as population and poverty go together especially in the northern part of the country where limitless procreation is recorded.

Dangote also harped on diversification as the major solution to the unemployment challenges the nation is facing, submitting sadly though, that successive governments had always paid lip service to job creation and diversification.

He said: “Since 1978, when I came to Lagos, government has been talking about diversification of the economy which has not happened up till now. It is also sad that nobody is challenging anybody about how many jobs he or she has created.

“In reality though, it is not solely government duty to provide jobs. It is also the duty of entrepreneurs, but government at all levels must provide the enabling environment. When there is no jobs, people get frustrated, and I can tell you that the Boko Haram insurgency is a product of frustration. The way to go is diversification. Nigeria should diversify its economy, and take crude oil as icing on the cake.”

Dangote appealed to young entrepreneurs especially from the Lagos Business School (LBS) who were part of his audience to brace up for the challenge and do something differently. He described Nigeria as a scratched card that has not been touched, and would be useless after loading it. “Nigeria is like a recharge card.

Anywhere you touch is money. You should also have visions and be focused,” he added.

On the quit notice order given to Igbo people in the North by a coalition of northern youths, Dangote said it is a topic not worth discussing, and however, urged the people to stop talking about it. According to him, “Unknown people are talking about Igbo leaving the North, and we are joining them to talk about it. Why are we talking about it? It shouldn’t be discussed at all. Those saying it are just seeking relevance.”

He recounted many world class projects his conglomerates have embarked, including the largest single petroleum refinery in the world with 650,000 barrels per day capacity, and 780 KTPA polypropylene, Africa’s largest urea plant with 3 million tonnes per annum capacity; largest sub-sea pipeline infrastructure in any country in the world with 1,100 kilometres to handle three billion sef of gas per day; world scale gas treatment stations and world class petrochemical complex among others.

Dangote added that his company is determined to transform and diversify the Nigerian economy.

“When we rolled these projects out, there was nothing like devaluation but now, we have to double our efforts and it is not a problem because Dangote group is a leader in the new breed of African multi-national conglomerates, and that is why its rated top 10 in Africa and top 400 globally.

“We are globally competitive, yet growing local capacity and manufacturing quality products. Dangote is rapidly transforming from a Nigerian company to a dominant African brand,” the Dangote Group president noted.

The business mogul told the gathering that while people are scared of investing especially in the recession the nation has found itself, Dangote group has been investing because without investment, there cannot be growth.

He acknowledged the fact that some individuals had invested in the past but failed with their businesses owing to inconsistencies in government policies and power challenge.

To mitigate these hurdles, Dangote said it became necessary to be closer to those in government in order to always exchange ideas on how to improve the economy. On the issue of power, Dangote stated that his company decided to generate its own power in different countries where it operates; it’s only in South Africa and Ethiopia where it does not have its own power plants because it relies on power from the national grid.

In Senegal we, generate our own power and it’s now in excess, so we sell to the government at modest rate.

By Eugene Agha, Lagos 


Detectives are on the trail of a yet to be identified middle-aged man for allegedly depositing a 10-year-old boy whom he abducted in exchange for three bags of rice worth N48,000.

The suspect allegedly abducted the boy while he was on an errand for his mother at Prince bus stop, Isheri Osun area of Lagos.

It was gathered that the suspect tricked the boy, identified as Divine Ebie, from Isheri Osun to a shop at Ijegun where he exchanged him with the rice.

The suspect allegedly accosted the victim and introduced himself as a relative and then lured him to the shop where he collected the rice after convincing the sales girl that he was going to get the money while his brother remained with her.

The sales girl said, “When the man came to the shop with the boy, he asked how much was a bag of rice? I told him it was N16,000 . He left with the boy, saying he was going to tell the woman that sent them. Moments later, he came back and said that he needed three bags.

He said that his brother would remain with me while he went to get the money. After waiting close to one hour without seeing him, I told the boy to take me to his mum’s shop at Fire junction. But he said that his mother did not own a shop there and that the stranger only met him on the road and brought him to the shop. It was at that point that I knew I had been robbed.”

Posted by Onyekachi Eze and Johnchuks Onuanyim


There are indications that most chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have given up on the party even before the Supreme Court delivers judgement on the party’s leadership crisis.

Similarly, some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are also seeking alternative platforms ahead of the 2019 general elections and have, like their PDP counterparts, pitched their tents with the newly registered political parties.

The Supreme Court had, on May 22, reserved judgement on the matter between the Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi factions over control of the PDP, but most chieftains of the Makarfi faction have opted for alternative platforms in order not to be caught napping.

The move by the party chieftains have cleared the initial haze over those behind the parties recently registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the arrowheads are openly identifying with the respective parties. Others have pitched their tents with existing parties, including the ruling APC.

The new parties: Action Democratic Party (ADP), Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), Young Progressive Party (YPP), New Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP) and All Democratic Peoples Movement (ADPM), were penultimate Friday, presented with their certificates of registration by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The ADP, had all along worn the tag of a mega party and was associated with some un-named aggrieved members of the ruling APC and the PDP. The party’s promoters are said to have their eyes on the 2019 presidency, but the feeling is that the present arrangement in both parties will not allow them actualise their ambitions.

“The arrowheads of the new party are unlikely to realise their ambitions in 2019 if they remain in both parties because the political equation will work against them.

That is why they are coming together to form a mega party that will give the APC and PDP a run for their money,” a source told New Telegraph.

The source, who is a chieftain of the ruling APC, added: “You know that even APC as a political party does not hold the political space up to 50 per cent. Many party members don’t know where the pendulum would swing in 2019, given President Muhammadu Buhari’s health.

“If Buhari does not contest in 2019, which is likely and would not be able to hold the party together for its primaries and convention, there would be crisis in the APC and that would make some persons to leave and seek their political fortunes in one of the newly registered political parties.
You will recall that the media recently reported the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, as saying that APC can be voted out in 2019.”

While no known APC member has openly associated with the ADP, some notable chieftains of the PDP have so far identified with the new party. They include former party officials and political office holders.

Top on the list are pioneer PDP National Secretary, Chief Rex Onyeabor; former Chief Whip of the Senate, Rowland Owie; Senator Joseph Waku; former governor of Plateau State, Fidelis Tapgun and former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse.

Others are former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Solomon Ewuga; immediate past Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri; Senators Usman Jibrin and Haliru Kaima; former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Nojeem Awodele and Hon. Amusa Amanga.
Engr. Sani Yagbayi is the protem national chairman of the party.

While the ADP promoters have described it as a mega party, a chieftain of the APC, however, told one of our correspondents that he is yet to understand why the platform is christened a mega party.

He said: “When APC was formed, we know how it came about. There were the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), some PDP governors later joined, and later some senators and House of Representatives members. Apart from some PDP members, I am yet to see notable politicians from APC joining the party. Maybe they might still join.”

He expressed doubt over the possibility of any of those already identified with the party winning election in their constituencies, saying: “Since 1999, have any of these people you mentioned won any election?”

But, a member of the ADP, who did not want to be mentioned, however, said the real backers of the party would be unveiled now that it has been registered.

He disclosed that besides those who have openly identified with the new party, there are others on the sidelines, waiting for the Supreme Court’s judgement on the PDP leadership.

According to him, one of such people is the father of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who, according to him, is among those behind the party.

For APDA, investigations revealed that some chieftains of the PDP, including members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), are the major promoters.

A notable chieftain of the party, who have so far identified with the party, is media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi. The party also has a former National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Barr. Dan Nwanyanwu, as one of its major promoters. It was also gathered that a member of the PDP BoT has a hand in APDA’s registration.

“Though we are still hopeful we will win at the Supreme Court, but if Sheriff wins, most of us will join APDA except members of BoT because of the property of the PDP,” a source within the party told our correspondent.

The source added that some notable politicians from the APC also have hands in the new party.

He categorically said the Makarfi-led PDP faction would have used the July 22 local government election in Lagos State to test APDA’s strength, but for the delay in the party’s registration.

This, he explained, informed the agreement between the Makarfi-led faction in the state under the leadership of former PDP National Chairman (South), Chief Olabode George, with the Labour Party to field candidates for the Lagos council poll.

“Just as in Delta State, where Accord Party gave us its platform, in Lagos, we are working with Labour Party for the council poll and be sure that we will shock the ruling APC,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the APC has denied that its members are part of the new parties. National Secretary of the party, Mallam Mai Mala Buni, who spoke with New Telegraph distanced members the ruling party from the newly registered parties.

Buni, in response to a Short Message Service (SMS) sent to his phone on whether APC chieftains are part of the promoters of the new parties, said: “It is not true.”

lalasticlala

Amid agitations and ethnic tensions across the country, the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Bala Ibn Na`Allah has described as unpatriotic those clamouring for restructuring of Nigeria.

Na`Allah, who stated this in an interview, noted that the concept of restructuring does not exist in the dictionary of the framers of Nigerian constitution.

According to the Senate Deputy Leader, the architect for the demands or agitation for what is called restructuring, physical federalism probably do not understand the context from which the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria is fashioned.

“Let me tell you today; the architect for the demands or agitation for what is called restructuring, physical federalism probably do not understand the context from which the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria is fashioned, if they do and they understand what we refer to as jurisprudence of constitutionalism, then they would understand that the concept of re-structuring does not exist in the dictionary of the framers of our constitution.

“If you look at the preamble of the constitution, we the people of the federal republic of Nigeria having decided to live together as a united nation under God; so all these concept of physical federation, restructuring etc. is to mislead the public for certain political interest, so it was never in anticipation of the farmers of our constitution that there was going to be such concepts.

“But what the framers of our constitution wanted is a united and prosperous Nigeria under one God; their understanding is that the constitution would be operated in such a manner as to foster the thinking and desires of the people to remain united prosperous under one God.

“So when you hear people talking about restructuring, Biafra, about physical federalism; these are people who are not patriotic and they would end up worse for it, if it were possible, they were allowed to have their way. They can take the example of southern Sudan for it.

“The thinking, the energy of any patriotic Nigerian should be on the administration of our constitution in such a way and manner as to reflect the desires of citizens and to ensure that institutions are built in such a way that quality is pursued in the country, good governance is in place, eliminate corruption to give equal opportunity to the citizens of Nigeria as reflected in our constitution, then we can be one of the greatest country in the world” stated Na`Allah.”

lalasticlala

[img]https://i0.wp.com/newtelegraphonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Some-of-the.png?zoom=2.8899999999999997&fit=500%2C320&ssl=1[/img]


Policemen attached to the Force Criminal Investigation Department Alagbon Lagos have arrested a property developer for allegedly duping over 200 house seekers. The suspect according to the victims, allegedly used various names and conniving with over 20 house agents, duped them of over N20million.

According to his victims, the property developer simply identified as Mr. Tunde and his wife one Mrs Fumilayo renovated three houses in the Iponri, Aguda and Coker areas of Lagos State which he and his wife allegedly used in defrauding them.

Barr. Ene Sarah Unobe, Chief Executive Officer of the International Centre for Human Rights Non Violence and Safety (ICHR) in a petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police on behalf of the victims urged the police to thoroughly investigate the matter, adding that the scam involved a syndicate which specialised in defrauding house seekers in the state. She said:
“I was in my office when over 100 people stormed my office that they have been duped by a property developer and his wife. I was shocked at their number. Some of them were weeping, saying that they have become homeless and stranded.

The victims range from young people to the elderly and from what Saturday Telegraph gathered from them, they had already paid for apartments but on getting to the house, they found other people occupying the apartments they had paid for.

”The developer in connivance with his wife and other agents, collected money from more than the number of tenants the apartments were meant for. In some cases, eleven people claimed they were given the keys to one apartment. We took up their complaints and petitioned the DIG Intelligence and Investigation Force Headquarters, Abuja and he directed the DCP Adminstration to investigate the case.

The police have arrested the developer who we discovered used various names. He is known as Tunde, Adeyemi, Kabiru for the scam but his wife, one Mrs Fumilayo and others he used are still at large and they should be arrested.

From our estimation, the victims parted with millions of naira for a decent accommodation but they have been rendered homeless. We have over 100 of them in our office complaining about this syndicate” Saturday Telegraph met the victims at the International Centre for Human Rights, Non Violence and Safety office on Friday filling complaint forms.

One of the victims who identified herself simply as Mrs Johnson said: “I fled from my house in Ikorodu following incessant attacks from a notorious cult group called Badoo. I was stranded and a house agent whom I contacted to help me get a place took me to a house undergoing renovation at Mashalasi Street, Iponri.

I saw a woman called Mrs Fumilayo and one other guy called JJ. Mrs. Fumilayo told me that she and her husband were the developers, renovating the house. My agent and I inquired about a mini flat and she said N250, 000 per annum. She told me to make one year payment into her First Bank account and I did.

I brought the teller to her and she gave me a receipt. She told me to come back in June with the balance of N100, 000 for agency and agreement fees but when I got to the house, I found out that the room she showed me had been taken over by another family. I called her mobile line but it was switched off.

I also called her husband but police picked his call and said he had been arrested for defrauding people. The police told me to come to write my statement at Alagbon and when I got to the station, I saw over 100 people crying that they had fallen victim of a house scam.” Another victim, who identified himself simply as Mr. Goodluck said:
“I paid N260, 000 for a room apartment. I got a quit notice from my landlord that he is demolishing his house and we should all leave. I paid cash to one Mrs. Fumilayo and she gave me a receipt and told me to come back for my key.

I called her line and she did not pick her calls. I decided to go to the house but to my shock, I met a lot of people fighting over the rooms. Some of the people they duped include soldiers and naval personnel.

The thugs in the area took advantage of the situation and barricaded the house and started collecting N50, 000 from the tenants before they could allow them in.

Over 100 of us are involved. I joined others to report at the Human Rights office at the International Centre for Human R i g h t s Non Violence and Safety. We also protested to the Lagos state government office at Alausa Ikeja and the government directed us to the Ministry of Housing.

They gave us a form and told us to pay N3 000. We got angry and left.” Another victim said: “My agent brought me to the house at Aguda. The apartment was under renovation. This was on December 19, 2016.

I met the property developer who introduced himself as Mr. Korede. I later found out that is name is Kabiru and Adeyemi. He said he was the one in charge of the apartments at Iponri and Aguda. The houses were under renovation.
He told me that what was left was plastering and he urged me to pay.

I paid N630, 000 into his First Bank account. He gave me a key that the house would be ready in two weeks’ time. He told me that I would do Christmas in the house. “I went back there with the hope of taking possession but saw that the house was still under renovation. He told me to be patient. I ended up waiting for six months but when I got there last week, my apartment had been occupied.”

I called him but his number was switched off. The sad part is that I introduced my colleagues to them and some of them paid N440, 000, others paid N500, 000 to him and his wife.

When we got to the house, we saw more than 10 people fighting over a room. It was then it became clear that we had been duped. We want government to seal off the houses and get this man and his wife including their cohorts arrested because we heard that they are serial fraudsters, duping innocent house seekers.”

When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Administration at the FCID Alagbon, DCP Ozioko, confirmed the arrest. He said that a thorough investigation is being conducted into the matter.

He said: “A lot of people are coming that they have been duped. A lot more are still coming. We are conducting a thorough investigation and the suspect is in our custody.”

lalasticlala

The Supreme Court has sacked Abubakar Danladi from the Nigerian Senate.
Mr. Danladi represented Taraba North in the Senate.

The apex court also ordered him to refund all salaries and allowances earned in the Senate within 90 days.

Mr. Danladi was sacked by the Supreme Court on the same day a member of the House of Representatives, Herman Hembe, was also sacked by the apex court.

Mr. Danladi’s political career was once saved by the same Supreme Court which ousted him today.

In 2014, the court ordered him reinstated as Taraba State’s deputy governor after he was impeached in controversial circumstances.

Mr. Danladi was the first deputy governor who ran on the same ticket with former Governor Dantata Suntai.

He was impeached on October 4, 2012 shortly before Mr. Suntai took ill after an air crash. He was accused of fraud and abuse of office.

Another politician, Garba Umar, was then appointed deputy governor after his removal.

And after then Governor Suntai took ill following a plane crash, it was Mr. Umar who assumed the position of acting governor.

But the Supreme Court ruled on November 21, 2014, nullifying Mr. Danladi’s impeachment, and clearing him to replace Mr. Umar as acting governor. The court said Mr. Danladi was denied fair hearing before he was impeached.

Seven justices of the court agreed with the ruling, delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, at the time.

Mr. Danladi remained in office as acting governor until May 29, 2015. He was elected senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2015 general election.

An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has upheld the election of Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

The court, presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, said the application challenging the correctness of the December 4, 2014 primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Sokoto State, through which Mr. Tambuwal emerged flagbearer of the APC, lacked merit and is therefore dismissed.

Another member of the party, Umar Dahiru, had approached the court, requesting that it sets aside the APC primaries following allegation of non-compliance of the said primaries to laid down rules by the party to select its flagbearer.

AfricanApple:
Hello everybody in the house. Sannu! Kowa da Kowa

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja


The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has formally notified Senator Dino Melaye of the demand by the people of his constituency to recall him from the Senate.

It said that the decision to inform Melaye was taken at its meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, where the petition submitted by voters in Kogi West Senatorial District was considered.

The commission also said that it would issue a notice to the petitioners and Melaye on July 3, on when it would begin the verification of the signatures of those who signed the notice.

INEC ’ s National Commissioner and member Information and Voter Education Committee, Madam Mohammed Haruna, disclosed the commission ’ s decision in a statement in Abuja .

Aggrieved voters from Melaye ’ s constituency were at the commission ’ s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday where they presented their petition on their demand for the recall of the senator.

Haruna said , “ INEC has held its regular weekly meeting today and considered the petition submitted by whole registered voters from Kogi West senatorial district to kickstart the process of recalling Senator Dino Melaye.

“ In accordance with the INEC guidelines for the recall of members of the National Assembly, the Commission has finally acknowledged the receipt of the petition to the petitioners representatives and has conveyed a letter notifying Senator Dino Melaye of our receipt of the petition.

“ The next step is to verify that the petitioners are registered voters in Kogi West senatorial district.

“ INEC will on July 3, 2017, issue public notice stating dates, time , location and other details for the verification of the exercise. ”

Kogi West , which Melaye represents in the Senate , has seven local governments areas.

Signatures and petitions from each of the local government areas were packaged in seven bags, which were tagged according to the names of the local governments, and submitted to the commission.

The local governments and the percentage of voters who signed the recall petition showed that Yagba West had the highest number of voters asking Melaye to return home from the Senate.

The breakdown, as shown in the petition is: Yagba West, 55.7percent; Lokoja, 54.8percent; Kogi, 52.77percent; Yagba East, 52 percent; Ijumu (Melaye’s local government ), 51.8 percent; Mopa /Moro, 50.4percent and Kabba/Bunu, 46.7percent.

A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress in Ijumu, Mr. Cornelius Olowo, who led the delegation had insisted that the constituents were not satisfied with the quality of Melaye's representation.

He had said, “ We want Senator Melaye back because of poor representation, he is also not accessible to us, he is unreadable and has no constituency projects.

“Apart from the fact that he has never called any town hall meeting, there has been a major gap between the senator and the people he claims to represent. ”

lalasticlala

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

https://pmexpressng.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Butcher-who-raped-minors.jpg

A 42-year old man, Aminu Umar who allegedly raped two underaged girls (aged between 4 and 7), had reportedly infected the victims with Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) in Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the victims parents raised alarm in their area and claimed that the victims private parts were decaying and they have been discharging consistently from their private since the incident happened.

The parents are now afraid that the sour and injuries the victims sustained during the act had been resisting drugs, and as such they are apprehensive that it might turn out that they have contacted HIV.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at 5 Salako street in Oko- Oba area in the suburb of Lagos where both the suspect and victims parents reside.

Police sources said the Kano state-born Umar who is a butcher usually return early to their house after he finished killing cows at the abattoir.

While at home, he would lure the victims into his apartment with Bobo drinks when their parents were not around and defile them.

This has been going on without the victims informing their parents until the recent assault on the victims.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered the act was exposed when the mother of the 7-year old victim took her to the bathroom to bath her.

It was gathered that when the mother attempted to wash her private, she started crying and complained that the private was paining her since Umar put his joystick inside it.

According the 7-year old victim, “Umar lured us into his room and gave us Bobo.

Thereafter, he removed his clothes, our pants and clothes too and carried us to his bed where he was putting his joystick into our vagina”.

When the mother checked the victims private, there were bruises showing forceful penetration.

The matter was then reported to the Police and Umar was arrested and charged to court.

He pleaded not guilty but informed the court that his wife was not living with him.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs Davis Abegunde granted him bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum.

Umar was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition.

The matter was adjourned till 26 June 2017.

lalasticlala