₦airaland Forum

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
The Lagos state governorship election tribunal sitting in Ikeja, on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Jimi Agbaje, against Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Agbaje had petitioned the tribunal challenging the declaration of Ambode as the winner of the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state. Jimi Agbaje, PDP governorship candidate in Lagos
But the three-man tribunal led by Justice Muhammad Sirajo Wednesday upheld the preliminary objection raised by Chief Wole Olanipekun that the petition was incompetent.

source:http://www.fkstradingltd.com/2015/07/court-dismisses-agbajes-petition.html

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday discharged and acquitted Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, charged with money laundering by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, who handed down the judgment, said that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Ofili-Ajumogobia described EFCC’s case as “feeble”, adding that the oral testimony of the fourth prosecution witness (PW4), Supo Agbaje, whom the prosecution heavily relied on was at variance with his earlier statement.

The judge said the prosecution did not show proof that Fani-Kayode received the money in cash.
She, however, said that the court could not rely on such statement, adding that the law stipulated that such statement should be resolved in favour of the accused.
She added: “The solitary issue for determination is whether the prosecution has been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt the elements of the offence committed.
“The giver of the money to PW4 remains unclear. The oral testimony of PW4 before this court is at variance with his earlier voluntary submission before the EFCC.
“I find unreliable the testimony of PW4 that it was the accused person that gave him the sums of money to pay into his account.
“His testimony before this court seems to be an afterthought by the fact that PW4, who was stated by the prosecution to be at large initially, suddenly resurfaced to give testimony on behalf of the prosecution.
“The law is trite that where there are two or more conflicting testimonies by a witness, such testimonies must be discarded by the court,” the judge said.
She said that one of Fani-Kayode’s witnesses had claimed that the monies were proceeds of rent paid by those living in the former minister’s estate.
Ofili-Ajumogobia said even though the claim was also doubtful, the source and motive of receiving the money is irrelevant since the issue was about cash transactions exceeding N500,000 without going through a financial institution.
“The fallacy in such argument lies in the fact that it would remain unclear as to whether the accused person received the alleged sums in tranches,” she said.
She said it was necessary for sufficient and unequivocal evidence to be put before the court as to how and in what manner the monies were actually received, which she said EFCC failed to do.
In all, she found that the allegations against Fani-Kayode were not successfully proven, as the source of the monies was unclear.
“It is apparent that the prosecution’s case is feeble and has failed to establish that the accused person made or accepted cash deposits exceeding the authorised limits and did not do so through a financial institution.
“The prosecution has,therefore, failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that an offence has been committed under Section 15 (1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004.
“I am of the view that the accused person, Fani-Kayode, in the absence of copious evidence before the court, ought to be discharged and acquitted of the two surviving counts of the amended charge,” the judge held.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fani-Kayode’s trial began in 2008 before Justice Ramat Mohammed.
He was accused by the EFCC to have laundered about N100 million while he was the Minister of Culture and Tourism and, subsequently, the Aviation Minister.
The allegedly laundered sum was, however, reduced to N2.1 million on Nov. 17, 2014 after Ofili-Ajumogobia dismissed 38 out of the 40 counts leveled against Fani-Kayode by the EFCC for want of proof.
The EFCC prosecutor, Keyamo, while urging the court to uphold the remaining two counts and to, accordingly, convict Fani-Kayode, said the former minister had failed to exonerate himself of the allegations.
Keyamo had pointed out that the object of the charge was that Fani-Kayode transacted in cash sums above N500,000, which was the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering....

source:http://www.fkstradingltd.com/2015/07/money-laundering-court-acquits-fani.html

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the Bank Registration Verification (BVN) deadline to Oct. 31, to accommodate customers who had thronged the banks to beat an earlier closing date.
This was contained in a circular issued by the apex bank and signed by Mr Dipo Fatokun, Director, Banking and Payment System Department, in Abuja on Tuesday.

“It has come to our notice that the BVN registration has elicited tremendous interest from the Nigerian bank customers who crowded the banking halls in order to beat the deadline.
“In view of the foregoing, it has become imperative for the banks to extend the timeline for all customers to have the BVN.
“The deadline for the enrolment is hereby extended from June 30 to October 31,” it stated.
According to the statement, the extension is expected to facilitate a smooth completion of the registration exercise.
It further stated that the extension would give Nigerian bank customers in the Diaspora, ample time to enrol into the programme.
The statement, however, stated that the guideline for the enrolment of the Diaspora account holders was being finalised and would be released soon.
NAN recalls that Mr Phillip Oduzua, Managing Director, United Bank for Africa at the end of the Bankers Committee meeting on June 2, said about 1.5 million bank customers had enrolled.
He said that customers who failed to register might not enjoy credit facilities, foreign exchange services and internet banking, among others.

source:http://www.fkstradingltd.com/2015/06/cbn-extends-bvn-registration-deadline.html

Barely one week after he was reported to have been abducted from his home, the decomposed body of the former Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof. Albert Ilemobade, was found in a generator house at his Ijapo Estate residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Until Sunday’s discovery, the former university don was reportedly abducted last Monday along with his security man in circumstances that baffled his family and neighbours.

The decomposed body of the octogenarian was found after the arrest of two of his domestic staff by security agents in Ogun State, while trying to sell the Toyota RAV4 SUV stolen from the late Ilemobade’s residence.
After interrogation, it was discovered that the two suspects confessed to the killing of Ilemobade, hiding his corpse in the outbuilding, which housed the generating set before fleeing with his vehicle which they planned to sell.
The decomposed body of the deceased had been removed before THISDAY got to the residence of the former vice-chancellor.
All attempts to speak to his family were not successful, as some of them including two of his children and wife were unavailable for comment. Other members of the family were seen weeping.
But the vicar of the Vining Church, Dr Ayodeji Fagbemi, who was at the Ilemobade residence, told journalists that the body of the deceased was found in the outbuilding and the decomposing body had been soaked with diesel.
He described the death as unfortunate and could not imagine the reason behind the gruesome murder of the former VC.
Fagbemi said the two suspects apprehended by the police in Ogun State were domestic staff of the Ilemobade, adding that one of them was the driver while the other one his security man.
The vicar, who identified the suspects as Yemi and Daniel, explained that the two suspects carried out their nefarious act in a way that deceived the family and created the impression that the man was kidnapped.
He said the wristwatch of the deceased and his slippers were found outside the compound, signifying that the university don was dragged into the car by his hostage.
According to him, the deceased was at the church with him last Sunday.
“We were together last Sunday at the church and we celebrated together this year Fathers’ Day where he donated his quota to the church. He personally passed his cheque to me.
“I was surprised when the news of his abduction reached me last Monday and we had been praying along with the family believing that his abductors would soon get in touch with the family, only to be informed today that his decomposed body was found in the store.
“We have lost a very great scholar and it is just too wicked for a man of his calibre to have been killed this way. It is a terrible thing and I believe those behind this killing will be brought to book,” he said.
The state Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, who confirmed the development, said the two suspects had been apprehended by men of the Ogun State Command, adding that they would be transferred to the state. He said the suspects would be paraded today in Akure.

source:http://bet9jah..com/2015/06/decomposed-body-of-ex-futa-vc-found-in.html

SCIENTISTS have discovered that individuals who consume high amount of imported poultry meat especially chicken and turkey are at risk of kidney diseases, food borne diseases like typhoid and if care is not taken it could lead to death.
The scientists say they have been able to link the isolation of Salmonelia spp with imported poultry meat, which is a leading cause of death among those with high consumption of smuggled poultry meat.
They confirmed that these bacteria can provoke a number of symptoms of disease within 72 hours of exposure and could last four to seven days, necessitating hospital admission in some cases.


They affirmed: “Infection with Salmonella spp could be life- threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems such as infants and the elderly. Chronic exposure to the bacteria could result in arthritic symptoms.”
The National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, who disclosed this at a workshop on “the Economic and Health Implications of Smuggled Poultry Product,” said that while locally-farmed poultry meat is sold without any preservatives, the smuggled poultry meat is preserved with hazardous chemicals.
“Formalin load in all smuggled poultry products ranges from 42.9 to 63.3ml/kg, according to survey.
Improperly imported poultry products pose grave dangers to consumers, handlers and environment. The break in cold chains during smuggling encourages a build-up of high microbial load, rendering such consignments unhealthy and unfit for human consumption.”
Oduntan while canvassing that locally produced chickens are safe for consumption, said locally-farmed poultry meat is sold without any preservatives unlike the smuggled poultry meat which is preserved with hazardous chemicals that portend serious danger to the consumers as some of the chemicals are known to be carcinogenic.
On the economic implication of smuggling of frozen chickens, Oduntan stated that about one million jobs will be created if government manages to reduce smuggling by just 30 per cent.
He noted that to fully utilise the balance of the industry’s installed capacity of additional 350,000 metric tonnes will translate to significant benefits through more job creation in form of 350,000 new jobs in maize production, 75,000 new jobs in processing and 500,000 new jobs in ancillary raw materials, products and services.

source: http://bet9jah..com/2015/06/consumers-of-imported-chicken-risk.html

Economists, geologists and surveyors have long agreed that under the Nigerian soil are wealth and riches untold. But majority of Nigerians are wallowing in poverty. The Nigerian Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative, NEITI report suggests that there are about 40 different kinds of solid minerals and precious metals buried in Nigerian soil waiting to be exploited. The commercial value of Nigeria’s solid minerals has been estimated to run into hundreds of trillions of dollars, with 70 per cent of these buried in the bowels of Northern Nigeria.
Solid minerals
President of Miners’ Empowerment Association of Nigeria, Mr. Sunny Ekosin, reveals that Nigeria loses a whopping N8trillion annually in unexploited gold alone. He also says that Ajaokuta remains the key to Nigeria’s industrialisation and that getting it back to work is a matter of patriotism for President Buhari and his team.

Ekosin in an interview with F. said: “If Nigerians were taking data seriously, we would have built a database, where we have authentic information. In 2012, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Steel, came before the nation and said, that from our precious metals alone, specifically from gold exploitation alone, Nigeria is losing N8 trillion ($50 billion) annually.”
The failure of Nigeria, since independence in 1960, to put in place a structure that will make the benefits of the exploitation of solid minerals available to all Nigerians has been the bane of the nation. At the moment mining of minerals in Nigeria accounts for only 0.3 per cent of its GDP, due to the influence of oil resources. The domestic mining industry is underdeveloped, leading to Nigeria having to import commodities it could produce domestically, such as salt or iron sheets and billets.
According to NEITI’s audit findings, solid mineral deposits are scattered all over Nigeria, with more deposits in certain areas than others. Over 40 million tonnes of talc deposits have been identified in Niger, Osun, Kogi, Ogun and Kaduna states. There are huge deposits of coal ranging from bituminous to lignite in the Anambra Basin of South-Eastern Nigeria.
There are lead-zinc ores within the Asaba Area of Niger Delta, while tin, niobium, and lead, are to be found around Oyo and Igbeti, with as much as over a billion tonnes of gypsum spread around Sokoto, Niger, Ondo and Ekiti states. Nigeria’s potentially most beneficial solid minerals are spread around the nation but most of them are in the North.
Limestone deposits occur in Cross River, Ogun, Benue, Gombe, Ebonyi, Sokoto, Edo and Kogi states; magnesite in Adamawa and Kebbi states; coal in Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Delta, Plateau, Anambra, Abia, Benue, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Adamawa and Kwara states; wolframite in Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi and Niger states; silver is found only in Kano, with kyanite in Kaduna and Niger states; manganese only in the Northern states of Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara with diatomite found only in Yobe State, while ilmenite-rutile is only in Bauchi, Plateau and Kaduna states.

source:http://www.fkstradingltd.com/2015/06/neglect-of-solid-minerals-why-nigeria.html

The leadership crisis rocking the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) took another twist, as Oshoffa’s family has denounced Rev. Olatosho Oshoffa as the unification leader of the church.
Last week, Olatoso declared himself the new unification leader of the CCC at a news conference in Lagos, saying that the leadership of the church supported his move.

But at a new conference at the weekend in Ketu, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, members of the Oshoffa family said the declaration of Olatosho as the new leader of the church is an act of rebellion.
Spokesperson of the Oshoffa dynasty, Senior Evangelist Ebenezer Oshoffa said the family did not support Olatosho’s leadership of the church.
“The family has always avoided public interference in the affairs of the church, the Celestial Church of Christ founded by our dear father but it has become imperative and as a matter of urgency for us to speak out as a family because of the recent twist in the leadership tussle of the church which unfortunately is personal to us because our son and brother Senior Evangelist Olatosho Oshoffa is involved,” he said.
He said though the genesis of the problem could be related to events unfolding after the recent court judgment in March. “Some unscrupulous, self centered elders of the church who found an avenue for vendetta installed Olatosho Oshoffa with a lot of unwarranted and untrue fallacies.
“It should be known that the family did its best to stop recent happenings, we held meeting and our purpose was for peace and stability of the church.
“The final meeting was held at the Oba of Imeko’s palace and the decision was that we must have an indivisible church. Olatosho was amongst other things, asked to retrace his steps, as rebellion is an act against not only man but God,” he said.
Ebenezer stated that the family did not give their support to Olatosho’s leadership bid, adding that, “Our loyalty remains with Rev. Emmanuel Mibiyina Oshoffa. No one can infiltrate and disrupt the peace our father sacrificed so much for.
“Our dream of a unified CCC, the heritage of our late father, Rev. Samuel Bilehou Joseph Oshoffa who is to us a hero supersedes any other ambition of any individual.
Last week, Olatosho had claimed leadership of CCC worldwide as he assumed the position as the “unification leader” of the church.
At a news Conference in Lagos, Oshoffa, alongside other notable leaders of the church said his emergence was ordained by God, adding that, his emergence had been foretold even before the demise of his father, Samuel Oshoffa.
According to him, his emergence is sequel to the vacation of the seat by court judgment of his elder brother; Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa.
Olatosho said the main mission given to him after being anointed by God was to unite the Celestial family, noting that, past struggles in the church was the handiwork of Satan.
source:http://www.fkstradingltd.com/2015/06/ccc-leadership-tussle-oshoffas-family.html

A fully loaded petrol tanker on Saturday exploded at Dabi in Kebbi, killing five people and injuring six others.
The tanker was heading to Mahuta in Kebbi when the driver lost control of the vehicle on the hilly Dabai junction resulting in the fall of the vehicle and subsequent explosion.
The accident also left 12 houses and some vehicles parked by the roadside destroyed by the resultant inferno.

The Dabai-Suru and Dabai- Mahuta road junction also serve as a market, especially for fresh fruits.
The Kebbi deputy governor, who also hails from Dabai, Alhaji Samaila Yombe, was among early visitors to the scene of the accident.
Yombe condoled with relatives of the victims, the Emir of Zuru, Alhaji Sani Sami, the Chairman of Zuru Local Government Area, Alhaji Ibrahim Rumu.
He pledged to offset the medical bills of the hospitalized.
The deputy governor said the State Emergency Management Agency had been directed to provide prompt relief material those who lost shops, household property, livestock and food crops to the inferno.
A resident of the area, El-Yakub Dabai, described the incident as unfortunate and hoped authorities would sensitise heavy duty vehicles on how drive through tricky terrain.

source: http://www.fkstradingltd..com/2015/06/petrol-tanker-explosion-kills-5-injures.html

A DESPERATE MEMO TO PRESIDENT BUHARI by Dele Momodu
Your Excellency, I write to you today with a heavy heart. The reason should be obvious. I was one of those latter day converts to Buharism, a political philosophy that believes in the reincarnation of former leaders in the days of tribulation.
You were never the first man to resurrect from retirement and near political oblivion. General Olusegun Obasanjo bounced back from prison to Aso Rock Villa. In nearby Benin Republic, former military dictator and strongman, Mathieu Kerekou who had served as maximum ruler for about 17 incredible years, came back to defeat incumbent President, Nicephore Soglo in a 1990 election. He led his country for another ten years and almost got another five-year term but for the age barrier that disqualified him.

It is normal for Africans to run towards the wise elders of the village when trouble comes knocking.
That is one of the major reasons Nigerians in their millions voted with their feet and thumbs to elect you President. Many of those who supported you did so for several other reasons and you must understand that they were mainly not members of your political party, APC. So, apart from your age, they backed you because they believed in your impeccable pedigree as an incorruptible and honourable man, a strict disciplinarian, a Scrooge who would not fritter away our meagre resources, a scourge of rogues and prodigal sons, a metamorphosed tyrant now a born-again democrat, and so on and so forth. Nigerians ardently placed their hopes in you and fervently prayed you won’t disappoint them.
This is the principal reason I have decided to send you this desperate memo today before some despicable politicians tarnish your hard-earned reputation and truncate this beautiful chance again.
Sir, let me say right away that the goodwill garnered during your campaigns and the jubilation that heralded your recent victory are fast fading and you need to, as a matter of urgency, convince the people of Nigeria that you’re now ready to hit the ground running. They are not going to listen to excuses since you had 30 years after quitting the high office to onerously prepare for the job again. For them it is immaterial that you met an empty treasury or that you are mostly surrounded by selfish, corruptive influences and impostors. As I mentioned in my earlier epistles to you, Nigerians have become totally impatient and what they expect of you is tantamount to performing the miracle of turning water into wine or raising Lazarus from the dead. You cannot afford to waste any second before displaying the sterner stuff you’re reputed to be made of.

I had encouraged you not to be afraid of taking charge of the Party that brought you to power or tackling the politicians that claimed to have helped you in the process. I had imagined that you know the ways of our politicians by now and thought you knew how to handle them. I had told you matter-of-factly that you may have to step on some powerful toes in order to achieve anything tangible. The worst that may likely happen is for people to say and accuse you of dictatorial proclivity which won’t be new in your lexicon or to be threatened with impeachment and all-what-not. But trust me, no evil shall befall you for as long as you carry the people along in your crusade and do not pander to the whims and caprices of members of the privilegentsia.

There is no doubt that the present imbroglio in your Party is as a result of your lukewarm attitude to Party issues thinking you could merely concentrate on nation-building while others deal with political intrigues. However, it is not always as simple as that. As you can now see, you don’t seem to be on the same page with your Party. While you were busy agonising over the myriad of problems besetting Nigeria, many of your presumed disciples were busy fighting over positions and control of power the way babies squabble over lollipops. They have studiously forgotten the change mantra and the huge expectations that made the electorate to troop out in droves and cast their votes for you and the Party.
The moment you became the President-elect, you should have readied your manacles for all would-be trouble makers.
You should have sent out a powerful message to those politicians who may wish to act above the law. But the moment you appeared ready to abdicate some of your leadership responsibilities to them, the obvious lacuna gave them the needed impetus to take charge and cut you adrift. Your political advisers, if any, should have prepared you for the offensive. There is no way you are going to fight and survive the battle ahead if the political class see you as a man they can easily bully. You cannot sit on the fence. Whilst your decision not to interfere in the affairs of another arm of Government, the legislature, is commendable and indeed your constitutional duty, you must make it clear to your Party that the same non-interference must apply to them.

Our people may have voted for your Party but they also voted for the individuals that the Party entrusted its mandate to including you. Just as there is a limit to how the Party can control you in the exercise of your executive functions and those you choose to assist you in the fulfilment of those functions, so also must you tell the Party chieftains that there is a limit as to how much the leadership structure and duties of the legislative arm can be controlled. If you are ambiguous about this, then you are inviting your Party leadership to write a letter to you categorically stating not only those you must appoint as your Ministers and Special Advisers but also those that you must not work with under any guise. I am sure you would not tolerate that. In the same vein you must not tolerate Party interference in the legislature. Change has come, please imbibe it!

In essence it is incumbent on you to deal with the issues arising from tensions created by party supremacy, parliamentary democracy and above all constitutionality. There is a delicate balance to be struck between these competing interests though constitutionality must eventually prevail. However, even constitutionality is subordinated to national interest, because that is the most important interest of all.

Your Party has a lot to learn from the tragedy which was invited upon itself by advertence of the former ruling Party, PDP. As a mark of respect to your status and office, your Party should have adopted your instinct and temperament immediately you conceded that the elections of principal officers at the National Assembly were “somewhat constitutional.” Even if internally aggrieved, like mortals may invariably be, your Party hierarchy should not have washed their dirty linen in public knowing the full implications of the backlash that might splash and smear your collective image.
APC should have done what PDP failed to do when Governor Rotimi Amaechi won the Chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum by instantly recognising the leadership of the National Assembly while seeking ways to ameliorate the unfortunate saga. No reasonable parent would voluntarily kill a recalcitrant child. There is always another opportunity for penitence and atonement.

I expected the crisis to escalate once the warring factions stuck arrogantly to their positions and neither was ready to bulge. Had APC accepted its fate with equanimity, I’m certain this peculiar mess would have been exterminated. Had Saraki and Dogara shown magnanimity in victory some of the truculent malice expressed by certain leaders may have also been mellowed.

Say what you will, the PDP had its fair dose of political migraine and rambunctiousness but it accepted certain realities and moved on. The ones they failed to accept led to their cataclysmic fall. The mutually destructive suspicion in APC should have been nipped in the bud for your sake. The burden you currently carry is heavier than an elephant and I don’t think you need or deserve this kind of nuisance distraction. The leadership of the National Assembly should also calm down by reaching out to their angry Party chieftains. There is nothing to gain in fighting a perennial war. Once upon a time, they were all friends and members of the same family. It is never too late to embrace peace and reunite. Now that we know what the bone of contention is, no one should be victimised for belonging to whatever factions that exist.

I have read endless arguments for and against the pugilists in APC and my candid advice is that you need to appoint your cabinet and aides now. The sooner you assemble and send forth your foot-soldiers the better for our polity to begin the healing process. Right now our nation appears to be rudderless and floundering and this should not be the case. What is left for you to do is to quickly bring all the gladiators together and see how you can apply some balm on frayed nerves. The Federal Government has humongous largesse to disburse so it should not be too difficult to appease the juggernauts. When that is sorted, you should draw your own plans and let your people know your roadmap. Your job would be much easier if you surround yourself with people who can look at you straight in the eye and say the truth no matter how bitter. Most of our leaders failed because they fell victims of sweet-talking scammers.

It is very essential that your Party sees and embrace you as their father and not the other way round. Whether you like it or not, and whether others in your Party want to accept it or not, you are the de facto national leader of your Party. You are the President and Commander in Chief of our country. Yes, you ARE the capo di tutti capi. You therefore cannot be subservient to any other person. You must immediately take upon this role and assume that mantle. Please feel free to lay down the law and if occasion demands, enforce our law. That is what leaders do. Ambivalence or hesitancy will simply not do!
You have the next four years minus one month and time is ticking away dutifully.
Equally important is the fact that you are more of a social crusader than a politician and your Party ought to note this fact and understand that it can’t be business as usual. Your Party leveraged on your uncommon reputation to gain POWER. Sir, you can’t afford to evaporate such stupendous equity just like that. You have demonstrated enough tolerance but the time has come to repudiate our propensity for rascality.

The task ahead is so gargantuan and it would require all hands to be on deck. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I reiterate that the first priority, apart from national security, should be how to reduce the atrocious costs of running government in Nigeria. Until you achieve that sir, the Muhammed Alis of Nigeria will never stop their boxing tournaments in parliaments and elsewhere.
The fight is for cash and not for any selfless services. Many won’t bother to contest if they think it is not lucrative. I don’t know how you plan to do this but it has to be done somehow and thankfully there are many methods that you can deploy. I’m glad you hope to retrieve some of the stolen billions. You need some serious cash, Sir. The challenges ahead would dissipate if you can raise the finances needed to tackle them.

I trust that God has deliberately raised you up at this time as a veritable example to mankind that being honest is not a crime and we have a lot to learn and cheer from your miraculous victory. May God help you to carry this cross successfully.
http://www.fkstradingltd..com/2015/06/president-buhari-what-is-really-going-on.html

A DESPERATE MEMO TO PRESIDENT BUHARI by Dele Momodu
Your Excellency, I write to you today with a heavy heart. The reason should be obvious. I was one of those latter day converts to Buharism, a political philosophy that believes in the reincarnation of former leaders in the days of tribulation.
You were never the first man to resurrect from retirement and near political oblivion. General Olusegun Obasanjo bounced back from prison to Aso Rock Villa. In nearby Benin Republic, former military dictator and strongman, Mathieu Kerekou who had served as maximum ruler for about 17 incredible years, came back to defeat incumbent President, Nicephore Soglo in a 1990 election. He led his country for another ten years and almost got another five-year term but for the age barrier that disqualified him.

It is normal for Africans to run towards the wise elders of the village when trouble comes knocking.
That is one of the major reasons Nigerians in their millions voted with their feet and thumbs to elect you President. Many of those who supported you did so for several other reasons and you must understand that they were mainly not members of your political party, APC. So, apart from your age, they backed you because they believed in your impeccable pedigree as an incorruptible and honourable man, a strict disciplinarian, a Scrooge who would not fritter away our meagre resources, a scourge of rogues and prodigal sons, a metamorphosed tyrant now a born-again democrat, and so on and so forth. Nigerians ardently placed their hopes in you and fervently prayed you won’t disappoint them.
This is the principal reason I have decided to send you this desperate memo today before some despicable politicians tarnish your hard-earned reputation and truncate this beautiful chance again.
Sir, let me say right away that the goodwill garnered during your campaigns and the jubilation that heralded your recent victory are fast fading and you need to, as a matter of urgency, convince the people of Nigeria that you’re now ready to hit the ground running. They are not going to listen to excuses since you had 30 years after quitting the high office to onerously prepare for the job again. For them it is immaterial that you met an empty treasury or that you are mostly surrounded by selfish, corruptive influences and impostors. As I mentioned in my earlier epistles to you, Nigerians have become totally impatient and what they expect of you is tantamount to performing the miracle of turning water into wine or raising Lazarus from the dead. You cannot afford to waste any second before displaying the sterner stuff you’re reputed to be made of.

I had encouraged you not to be afraid of taking charge of the Party that brought you to power or tackling the politicians that claimed to have helped you in the process. I had imagined that you know the ways of our politicians by now and thought you knew how to handle them. I had told you matter-of-factly that you may have to step on some powerful toes in order to achieve anything tangible. The worst that may likely happen is for people to say and accuse you of dictatorial proclivity which won’t be new in your lexicon or to be threatened with impeachment and all-what-not. But trust me, no evil shall befall you for as long as you carry the people along in your crusade and do not pander to the whims and caprices of members of the privilegentsia.

There is no doubt that the present imbroglio in your Party is as a result of your lukewarm attitude to Party issues thinking you could merely concentrate on nation-building while others deal with political intrigues. However, it is not always as simple as that. As you can now see, you don’t seem to be on the same page with your Party. While you were busy agonising over the myriad of problems besetting Nigeria, many of your presumed disciples were busy fighting over positions and control of power the way babies squabble over lollipops. They have studiously forgotten the change mantra and the huge expectations that made the electorate to troop out in droves and cast their votes for you and the Party.
The moment you became the President-elect, you should have readied your manacles for all would-be trouble makers.
You should have sent out a powerful message to those politicians who may wish to act above the law. But the moment you appeared ready to abdicate some of your leadership responsibilities to them, the obvious lacuna gave them the needed impetus to take charge and cut you adrift. Your political advisers, if any, should have prepared you for the offensive. There is no way you are going to fight and survive the battle ahead if the political class see you as a man they can easily bully. You cannot sit on the fence. Whilst your decision not to interfere in the affairs of another arm of Government, the legislature, is commendable and indeed your constitutional duty, you must make it clear to your Party that the same non-interference must apply to them.

Our people may have voted for your Party but they also voted for the individuals that the Party entrusted its mandate to including you. Just as there is a limit to how the Party can control you in the exercise of your executive functions and those you choose to assist you in the fulfilment of those functions, so also must you tell the Party chieftains that there is a limit as to how much the leadership structure and duties of the legislative arm can be controlled. If you are ambiguous about this, then you are inviting your Party leadership to write a letter to you categorically stating not only those you must appoint as your Ministers and Special Advisers but also those that you must not work with under any guise. I am sure you would not tolerate that. In the same vein you must not tolerate Party interference in the legislature. Change has come, please imbibe it!

In essence it is incumbent on you to deal with the issues arising from tensions created by party supremacy, parliamentary democracy and above all constitutionality. There is a delicate balance to be struck between these competing interests though constitutionality must eventually prevail. However, even constitutionality is subordinated to national interest, because that is the most important interest of all.

Your Party has a lot to learn from the tragedy which was invited upon itself by advertence of the former ruling Party, PDP. As a mark of respect to your status and office, your Party should have adopted your instinct and temperament immediately you conceded that the elections of principal officers at the National Assembly were “somewhat constitutional.” Even if internally aggrieved, like mortals may invariably be, your Party hierarchy should not have washed their dirty linen in public knowing the full implications of the backlash that might splash and smear your collective image.
APC should have done what PDP failed to do when Governor Rotimi Amaechi won the Chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum by instantly recognising the leadership of the National Assembly while seeking ways to ameliorate the unfortunate saga. No reasonable parent would voluntarily kill a recalcitrant child. There is always another opportunity for penitence and atonement.

I expected the crisis to escalate once the warring factions stuck arrogantly to their positions and neither was ready to bulge. Had APC accepted its fate with equanimity, I’m certain this peculiar mess would have been exterminated. Had Saraki and Dogara shown magnanimity in victory some of the truculent malice expressed by certain leaders may have also been mellowed.

Say what you will, the PDP had its fair dose of political migraine and rambunctiousness but it accepted certain realities and moved on. The ones they failed to accept led to their cataclysmic fall. The mutually destructive suspicion in APC should have been nipped in the bud for your sake. The burden you currently carry is heavier than an elephant and I don’t think you need or deserve this kind of nuisance distraction. The leadership of the National Assembly should also calm down by reaching out to their angry Party chieftains. There is nothing to gain in fighting a perennial war. Once upon a time, they were all friends and members of the same family. It is never too late to embrace peace and reunite. Now that we know what the bone of contention is, no one should be victimised for belonging to whatever factions that exist.

I have read endless arguments for and against the pugilists in APC and my candid advice is that you need to appoint your cabinet and aides now. The sooner you assemble and send forth your foot-soldiers the better for our polity to begin the healing process. Right now our nation appears to be rudderless and floundering and this should not be the case. What is left for you to do is to quickly bring all the gladiators together and see how you can apply some balm on frayed nerves. The Federal Government has humongous largesse to disburse so it should not be too difficult to appease the juggernauts. When that is sorted, you should draw your own plans and let your people know your roadmap. Your job would be much easier if you surround yourself with people who can look at you straight in the eye and say the truth no matter how bitter. Most of our leaders failed because they fell victims of sweet-talking scammers.

It is very essential that your Party sees and embrace you as their father and not the other way round. Whether you like it or not, and whether others in your Party want to accept it or not, you are the de facto national leader of your Party. You are the President and Commander in Chief of our country. Yes, you ARE the capo di tutti capi. You therefore cannot be subservient to any other person. You must immediately take upon this role and assume that mantle. Please feel free to lay down the law and if occasion demands, enforce our law. That is what leaders do. Ambivalence or hesitancy will simply not do!
You have the next four years minus one month and time is ticking away dutifully.
Equally important is the fact that you are more of a social crusader than a politician and your Party ought to note this fact and understand that it can’t be business as usual. Your Party leveraged on your uncommon reputation to gain POWER. Sir, you can’t afford to evaporate such stupendous equity just like that. You have demonstrated enough tolerance but the time has come to repudiate our propensity for rascality.

The task ahead is so gargantuan and it would require all hands to be on deck. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I reiterate that the first priority, apart from national security, should be how to reduce the atrocious costs of running government in Nigeria. Until you achieve that sir, the Muhammed Alis of Nigeria will never stop their boxing tournaments in parliaments and elsewhere.
The fight is for cash and not for any selfless services. Many won’t bother to contest if they think it is not lucrative. I don’t know how you plan to do this but it has to be done somehow and thankfully there are many methods that you can deploy. I’m glad you hope to retrieve some of the stolen billions. You need some serious cash, Sir. The challenges ahead would dissipate if you can raise the finances needed to tackle them.

I trust that God has deliberately raised you up at this time as a veritable example to mankind that being honest is not a crime and we have a lot to learn and cheer from your miraculous victory. May God help you to carry this cross successfully.
[url][/url]

Buruji Kashamu
A federal high court has re-affirmed its earlier order not to arrest the Ogun East senator-elect, Buruji Kasamu this morning. This comes after another Federal high court presided over by justice Okon Abang in his ruling nullified both the provisional warrant of arrest obtained by NDLEA at a Federal High court in Lagos and the extradition request filed by Attorney General of the Federation before a Federal high court in Abuja.

The judge then awarded a cost of N10,000 against the NDLEA in favour of the applicant.‬ The same amount was also awarded against the AGF, NSA and the NSCDC.
A Federal high court presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba earlier this morning re-affirmed his order that based on an earlier order made by the court in a contempt proceeding against the Chairman of NDLEA and the Attorney General of the Federation pending before the court for allegedly disobeying the order of the court and re-affirmed earlier adjourned date of 19th of June, 2015.
The judge further declared that the provisional warrant of arrest was obtained for want of jurisdiction in the sense that the judge’s attention was not drawn to the existing order barring NDLEA and the AGF from taking any further steps on the extradition process.
The court also declared the proceedings at the Federal High Court Abuja a nullity.‬
‪Justice Abang also overruled the preliminary objections raised by the NDLEA and the AGF.‬
The objections raised are to the extent that the application is an abuse of court’s process, the court has no function to perform again since judgement has been delivered and that there was no personal service of the application on the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade.‬
‪Justice Abang in his ruling for the enforcement of the judgment in the fundamental human rights enforcement suit dismissed the preliminary objections of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), did not file any response.
‪The judge said for the purpose of determining whether or not a reasonable cause of action has been disclosed, he is enjoined by law to accept the fact as presented by the applicant.‬
‪On the objections of the NDLEA, the court held that the insinuations by its Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, that he is not a jurisdistic person does not hold water.‬
‪The court held that the NDLEA Chairman is a natural person that can sue and be sued.‬ ‪Justice Abang also dismissed the objections raised by the AGF, NSA and the NSCDC.‬
‪The court said the applicant’s claims are in line with the provisions of Chapter 4 of the 1999 constitution. ‪”The claims of the applicant are fundamental rights claims and the court has the jurisdiction to them”, the judge held.‬
‪A cost of N10,000 was eventually awarded against the NDLEA in favour of the applicant.‬ The same amount was also awarded against the AGF, NSA and the NSCDC.
‪In the judgment, the court had restrained the IGP, SSS, NDLEA, NCS and the AGF from taking any step from arresting Kashamu based on a petition linking him to a drug offence.‬
Justice Abang held that the order is still subsisting since there has been no order staying its execution.‬ ‪”The respondents cannot in the exercise of their statutory powers, without appealing the earlier judgement, acts on any application seeking the extradition of the applicant,” the judge said.‬
‪The judge however declined to grant all the reliefs sought by the applicant that has to do with the involvement of a former Nigeria’s President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in his alleged planned arrest.‬
The judge said it noted that the alleged role of Chief Obasanjo was mentioned in several places in the applicant’s motion and so it is compelling that the court should hear from Obasanjo.‬
‪”Obasanjo ought to have been joined and this would have helped the court in deciding whether or not to grant the reliefs. The court cannot agree with the
applicant that Chief Obasanjo colluded with others to abduct him,” the judge held.‬
The court also turned down Kashamu’s request for a perpetual injunction against the respondents from assuming his position as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.‬
The court said the respondents cannot be restrained perpetually from arresting the applicant. They were only restrained from arresting the applicant without a warrant of arrest and from forcefully extraditing the applicant without due recourse to the extradition act.
‪The court however ordered the IGP to protect him as other Nigerians.‬ ‪The court further restrained the IGP from withdrawing the security details currently attached to the applicant.‬
‪The court equally directed the Clerk of the National Assembly to accord the applicant all he deserved as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

source: http://bet9jah..com/2015/06/you-cannot-arrest-extradite-kasamu.html

This is an exceptional gesture. We live in times where some ladies find it difficult to marry a man who has not bought a car, rented a 3-bedroom flat, furnish it to taste, and have enough millions in his account.
In fact, some parents even encourage their daughters not to marry an average guy for some selfish reasons; they are forgetting that most of the men they see in top positions today were married to their wives as average young men who worked hard and eventually achieve what they have today.
So, you can’t help but celebrate this beautiful lady who went ahead to marry her man after he lost a leg, she knows his leg can’t grow in future. When you have right priorities, your life will be beautiful.Against all odds a young man, who ago involved in a road accident two weeks ago and lost one leg, wedded his fiancée while on his hospital bed at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.

Suzyo Muzuri 28 married Diniwe Bowa 27 on Sunday morning at a wedding service conducted by Bethel Christian Center’s Bishop Andrew Mwenda in Ward 11 at UTH. The couple exchanged marriage vows in the presence of families, close friends and patients not by design but circumstances.Mr Muzuri, an accountant at National Milling Company, wedded Ms Bowa at UTH because he was involved in an accident that resulted in him losing his right leg two weeks ago. Instead of
rescheduling the wedding, the couple went ahead and tied the knot as their families and friends witnessed the emotional ceremony, which brought the entire ward to a stand-still.
According to Tumfweko, the mother of the bride Loveness Bowa could not hide her happiness.
“This is an emotional time for the family because instead of the accident breaking the couple, it has remained strong and has refused to be defeated. I am very proud of my daughter and my son-in-law. Theirs is a love story that will stand the test of time,” Mrs Bowa said.She said instead of listening to gossips from people after the accident, her daughter remained committed to marrying her husband no matter his physical condition.
Bishop Andrew Mwenda said the marriage signified sacrifice, loyalty and commitment.“This wedding expresses genuine commitment to one another. My message to the couple is to remain committed even when it seems impossible. Sincere commitment is very important,” he said.

source: http://bet9jah..com/2015/06/true-love-lady-weds-her-fiance-on.html#more

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday in Abuja restated that the activities of terrorist groups across the world had nothing to do with Islam.
The president stated this when a delegation of the Muslim community led by Vice President Namadi Sambo paid him Sallah homage at his official residence in the Presidential Villa.

Jonathan maintained that there was nothing Islamic about the atrocities being perpetrated by Boko Haram in Nigeria or Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Iraq who claimed to be fighting for the propagation of Islam.
“What is happening globally now has no religious basis. Only yesterday, a British aid worker was slaughtered by ISIS and that is not Islamic.
“Boko Haram killing innocent children and women in market places, in mosques and schools definitely has nothing to do with religion,” he said.
The president noted that this year’s Sallah celebration was significant, citing certain natural coincidences which, according to him, showed that something good was happening to Nigeria.
“This year is quite significant in terms of the celebration of Sallah, because the Day of Arafat coincided with a Friday, and from what I was told it takes a long time to have that coincidence.
“And remembering the fact that 2014 is our centenary year, it shows that something good is happening to this country.
“We may have our challenges as other nations, but when things begin to happen in a particular way, I begin to see light at the end of the tunnel.
“A number of things that have to do with our belief system suppose to encourage us to see our neighbours as ourselves,” he said.
While congratulating Muslims all over the world, the president urged them to use the period to seek God’s mercy for those hiding behind religion to perpetrate evil.
He restated his belief in Nigeria, emphasising that the country had a lot to offer not only to its citizens but also to the entire world. “Whatever obstacles we see are very ephemeral and part of history of nation building. If you read the history of all nations, there is no nation that does not pass through some challenges.
“But, they got over them and moved ahead; I think we are getting over our problems,” he said.
Earlier, vice president, Sambo had prayed for peace and unity in the country. He also prayed that Allah would grant the president the strength, wisdom and good health to lead the country out of its current challenges.
Among the vice president’s entourage were the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Bello Haliru.
Others included Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba, the Deputy Chief Imam of Federal Capital Territory, Sheik Ahmed Onilewura.
NAN reports that the Day of Arafat falls on the 2nd day of pilgrimage activities in Saudi Arabia. On this day, the pilgrims make their way from Mecca to a nearby hillside.

source:http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/10/sallah-terrorists-are-not-muslims-says.html

Obafemi Kolawole, a political associate to Chief Ganiyu Oladiran, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Ilesa, was on 23 September 2014 convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment with whipping for rape.
The said Obafemi was alleged to have on 15th September 2007 raped an Action Congress of Nigeria (now All Progressives Congress) member (Tosin Ajakaye, who was pregnant as at the time of the incident) after the 2007 gubernatorial election in Osun state.

Kolawole was charged before the State High Court sitting at Ilesa, on a two-count charge of rape and indecent assault contrary to Sections 358&360 of the Criminal Code cap 34, Vol II, Laws of Osun respectively in the case of The State Vs Obafemi Kolawole HIL\2c\2009.
The prosecution called a total of four witnesses including Tosin Ajakaye, Lawal Sikiru, Dr. A.I Isawumi and the Investigating police officer Sgt Olatunji Arojo in proof of its case, while Obafemi testified in his defence and called additional four witnesses including Chief Ganiyu Oladiran, Adediran Kehinde, Adewusi Olowolodu and Olayinka Alege.
At the trial, the prosecutor narrated her ordeal that on 15th September, 2007, the convict and his cohorts, who are not police officers came to arrest her at her house at about 7:30 p.m. for an unknown offence. On sighting them and knowing their antecedent in the vicinity, she took to her heels. The convict pursued, caught up with her and beat her up. Having overpowered her, he stripped her naked and raped her.
“When my cry for help became unbearable, he covered her mouth. Unfortunately, those living in the same compound with me had gone to Mosque because it was the period of the Muslim fast. Thereafter he bundled me into a waiting jeep to join two other men whom I found in the same predicament as mine,” she said.
She later explained that they were driven to the home of Chief Ganiyu Oladiran, a PDP chieftain, and tied to a tree where the trios were mercilessly flogged. She said Kolawole later untied her and plucked out her pubic hair, put it in her mouth to swallow with dry gin, and thereafter went ahead to insert a tin opener into her vagina and as well poured dry gin all over her body. There he raped her again.
Lawal Sikiru who testified as ‘prosecutor witness 2′ corroborated her story. He said he was one of the two naked men in the waiting jeep; the other was one Gbadamosi Lasun. He stated further that he had earlier on received his own share of beating, and bundled naked into the jeep belonging to Chief Ganiyu Oladiran when Ajakaye was brought in naked. He confirmed that the trio were driven to Chief Ganiyu’s house and tied to a tree where they were mercilessly beaten and the content of dry gin was poured all over their body.
According to him, Ajakaye was untied by the accused who plucked out her pubic hair, inserted a tin opener into her vagina, and as well went ahead to pour dry gin in her (vagina) and then sought the consent of the Chief to have sexual intercourse with her.
The chief consented and she was taken to the boot of the jeep from where they heard her shouting for help.
The Medical examination conducted on Ajakaye three days after the incident at LAUTECH by Dr. Isawumi revealed that there was penetration and that the swap taken from her was full of alcohol. It was also discovered medically, that as at the time of the incident the prosecution was pregnant.
Sgt Arojo the IPO, on his own part, testified that Ajakaye and others were brought to the State Police Command Monitoring Unit at Okefia by Chief Ganiyu Oladiran who claimed that the trio whom he got arrested were the ones who assaulted him after the April 2007 Gubernatorial Election in the State.
According to him, while receiving the statements of all concerned, and conducting investigation into the matter, it was discovered that Chief Ganiyu Oladiran’s captives were indeed the victims, and the supposed complainants and cohorts were the accused persons and were consequently charged to court.
Obafemi Kolawole (the convict) in his own defence, denied the allegations made against him. He admitted going to Ajakaye’s house on the fateful day and arresting her, but denied stripping her naked, rather he handed her over to his colleagues, who drove her and other captives to Chief Ganiyu’s house, where they were later handed over to the police.
His other witnesses also admitted that Ajakaye and others were driven to the Chief’s house. Chief Ganiyu Oladiran, while testifying in defense of the accused claimed his co-accused at the Magistrate Court who arrested the trio were his sympathizers.
The presiding Judge, Honourable Justice A. B. Abdulkareem, while finding the accused guilty as charged, pronounced that although the corroboration of prosecution witness two was limited to assault, it does not corroborate penetration which is the vital ingredient necessary for rape.

rea more,
source: http://odunlade..com/2014/10/pdp-chieftain-bags-life-imprisonment.html

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, on Thursday ordered all commanding officers nationwide to provide water-tight security before, during and after the Eid el-kabir celebrations.
Abba specifically directed all Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the FCT to take measures to provide adequate security at all key and vulnerable points.

He listed those areas as all places of worship, recreation centres and other public places, adding that this was to enable worshippers to perform their religious obligation.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Wilson Inalegwu, has assured residents of the territory of adequate security during the period.
Inalegwu, who briefed newsmen on the command’s preparation for the eid el-Kabir on Thursday, assured that the police would be deployed to all praying grounds and other public places.
The commissioner assured of increased motorised patrol during the period, and directed all Divisional Police Officers and Area Commanders to mobilise their men to provide adequate security throughout the celebration.
According to him, a lot of covet operations are ongoing to prevent crime and the fear of crime.
He said that the command was collaborating with the FCT authorities to address the use of unpainted taxis in the territory.

source:http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/10/eid-el-kabir-ig-orders-tight-security.html

Controversy has continued to trail the death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau (real name Mohammed Bashir) as Nigeria and Cameroon lay claim to killing him.
Earlier in the week, the Cameroonian army had claimed credit for killing the impostor during a cross-border raid deep inside Nigeria.
To butress their claim, the Cameroonian military also released the photograph of the dead man.
An online news portal, The Street Journal, said it reliably gathered from a Cameroonian military source that Shekau was killed following an aerial bombardment of his hideout inside Nigeria.
However, on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, DHQ, formally announced that the nation’s military had killed the man who had been posing as Abubakar Shekau at Konduga.
The spokesman of the DHQ, Major-Gen Chris Olukolade, said many terrorists were killed during recent raids in Yobe and Adamawa States, including Mohammed Bashir, while 135 of the insurgents surrendered.
He said Boko Haram made four attempts to seize Konduga, about 60 kilometres to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, but they were repelled by the Nigerian military.
As it is, no one is sure about who actually killed the leader of the insurgents, as the photograph of the dead Shekau published by Cameroon is similar to the one released by Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters on Wednesday.
But some discerning observers of the war against Boko Haram were more disposed towards giving credit of the killing of Shekau’s impostor, Mohammed Bashir, last week to the Cameroonian military citing the fact that the Cameroonian military were the first to publish the photograph of the dead ‘Shekau.’
They wondered why it took the Nigerian military more than four days after the Cameroonians had published photograph of the dead ‘Shekau’ to butress its claim that it killed ‘Shekau.’
They recalled that the Nigerian military celebrated its well acclaimed victory over Boko Haram in Konduga by immediately releasing photographs of Nigerian soldiers marching triumphantly into Maiduguri with the captured armoured tank and cache of arms seized from the rebels in the battle for Konduga.

The observers also recalled the Australian negotiator, Dr Steven Davis confirming to a national daily immediately after the photograph of dead ‘Shekau’ surfaced on the internet that it was him.
Davis also confirmed to the newspaper in an e-mail that Boko Haram told him that ‘Shekau’ had been killed in the battle at Konduga.
The priest who was with Boko Haram insurgents for four months in Sambisa forest trying to negotiate the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls also disclosed that Boko Haram told him that the original Abubakar Shekau was killed on 19 June, 2013 during an internal disagreement over modes of operation,

read more,
source: http://pakurumoh..com/2014/09/who-killed-shekau-nigeria-or-cameroon.html

Cameroun’s defense ministry said more than 300 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered there in the past three weeks. Spokesman Lt. Col. Didier Badjeck said that the militants have given up their arms and asked for asylum in Cameroun. Their fate has not been decided. Fighters from neighboring Cameroun, Niger and Chad have been identified fighting alongside Nigeria’s homegrown Boko Haram group, which in recent weeks also has been attacking border towns and villages in Cameroun.

Boko Haram had seized a string of towns and declared an Islamic caliphate in a corner of northeast Nigeria before the setback suffered at Konduga.
In Nigeria, 135 Boko Haram fighters also surrendered to Nigeria’s army, following the military’s recent victories with air and ground attacks.
The Nigerian Defense Ministry has said it has killed hundreds of insurgents recently in the country’s northeast.
It said 135 insurgents surrendered Tuesday night, some at Buni-Yadi some 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Konduga and others at Michika, 165 kilometers (100 miles) south of Konduga,
read more,
source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/300-boko-haram-fighters-surrender-in.html

Controversy has continued to trail the death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau (real name Mohammed Bashir) as Nigeria and Cameroon lay claim to killing him.
Earlier in the week, the Cameroonian army had claimed credit for killing the impostor during a cross-border raid deep inside Nigeria.
To butress their claim, the Cameroonian military also released the photograph of the dead man.

An online news portal, The Street Journal, said it reliably gathered from a Cameroonian military source that Shekau was killed following an aerial bombardment of his hideout inside Nigeria.
However, on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, DHQ, formally announced that the nation’s military had killed the man who had been posing as Abubakar Shekau at Konduga.

read more,
source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/who-killed-shekau-nigeria-or-cameroon.html

Once again, beautiful actress Doris Simeon took time to trace the genesis of crisis with her estranged husband, Daniel Adenimokan. Speaking on TVC breakfast show on her failed marriage, Doris said:

"This man asked for divorce over seven times, long before we finally separated. At every little problem, he would say ‘I want divorce, I want divorce.' There are some people that he listens to when they talk to him, so I tried to call pastors, and they kept calling him, but he wouldn’t pick their calls. At some point, I just realized that he had made up his mind finally.
"It got to a point that I had to look at myself in the mirror, and I said to myself, ‘Doris, you are a beautiful woman, why would you want to kill yourself over nothing?’ I convinced myself to just try and move on with my life also. It took me a year to get to that point, but in between that time, I was trying to focus my mind on other things such as work...
"My advice to other women going through this is:

read more,
source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/any-little-thing-my-husband-will-ask.html

Nigerian officials were tight-lipped on Tuesday about the scope of a probe into a fatal church building collapse in Lagos that killed 115, as anger mounted against the popular head preacher.
The Lagos state governor’s spokesman Hakeem Bello said the government in Abuja had convened a committee of state and federal agencies to investigate the September 12 collapse.
But worries deepened over whether the federal government’s involvement and Nigeria’s well-documented culture of impunity for the rich and powerful would undermine a thorough investigation.

Joshua, who has thousands of followers in Nigeria and across the world, counts African heads of state among his flock, including Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan.
Bello offered few details about the probe and cancelled a scheduled news conference to provide updates on the incident at TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).
“The best thing for us is to put things on hold now. Before this out, it would not be right to say this is this, this is that,” added Lagos state information commissioner Lateef Ibirogba.

A total of 84 South Africans were killed when a guesthouse housing foreign followers of the popular preacher and televangelist came down on the SCOAN complex in the Ikotun area of the city.
Rescue workers said the addition of extra floors to the three-storey building without reinforcing its foundations was likely to have caused the collapse.
But Joshua, a charismatic pastor known to his followers as “The Prophet” or “The Man of God” and who claims to work miracles, suggested it was a deliberate sabotage against his ministry.
Building collapses are frequent in Nigeria because of lax regulations and substandard construction materials.
Such collapses are usually investigated by state governments, which Dapo Thomas, a Lagos-based public affairs analyst, said made the federal authorities’ involvement worrying.
“That decision is patronising and this should not be in a true federal system. It is absurdity par excellence,” he told AFP.

Joshua’s following across Nigeria comprises members of the country’s massive poor and working classes as well as the elite such as President Jonathan, whom Joshua has met repeatedly.
Other African leaders past and present are also among the Joshua faithful.
“The probe of the collapse might indict some people,” said Femi Falana, a lawyer and human rights activist based in the city.
“Don’t forget, too, that it is an election year and they don’t want to offend some bigwigs in the church and society through a probe.”
Anger at the response to the disaster has been acute in South Africa, particularly over claims that lives could have been saved if church officials had not blocked access to rescue workers for three days.
Joshua, whose fortune was estimated at between $10 million and $15 million (8-12 million euros) by Forbes magazine in 2011, has announced he would travel to South Africa to meet survivors and their families.
But the youth wing of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party said the evangelical preacher should be barred from travelling until the investigation was complete.

read more,
source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/fg-lagos-quiet-on-synagogue-building.html

The Senate on Tuesday honoured late Senator Pius Ewherido by passing the Corporate Manslaughter Bill 2014 into law after a clause-to-clause consideration.
The bill, tagged: “Bill for an Act to Make Provisions Creating the Offence of Corporate Manslaughter and for Matters Incidental Thereto 2013″, was sponsored by the late senator.
It seeks to punish corporate negligence and dereliction of duty, leading to death of victim and scaled second reading on 7 February 2013.

The Deputy Senate President, while presiding over the passage of the bill in Abuja, said the passage was in honour of the late senator.
“The passage of this bill into law is a befitting tribute to our late friend and colleague, Sen. Pius Ewherido. I am sure that wherever he is, he will be happy today that this bill has been eventually passed.”

read more,

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/senate-passes-corporate-manslaughter.html

ANOTHER set of 10 terrorists, on Monday, surrendered to the Nigerian troops at Kawuri, Borno State, with their catche of arms and ammunition.
According to a statement on the Twitter handle of the Defence Headquarters, operations were ongoing in Konduga and its environs.

The tweet also added that there was no raid whatever in any part of Nigeria’s territory in pursuit of terrorists, as claimed in some reports.
Meanwhile, military sources, on Monday, revealed how the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was killed during the battle to regain Konduga, Borno State.
Informed sources disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that Shekau had mobilised all his commanders to wage war against the Nigerian troops to regain the town.
The source said he had vowed to use Konduga to unleash the attack on Maiduguri, but, while planning his strategy, he did not know that the military was also planning ahead of him.
According to the source, Shekau had mobilised over 600 of his members for the battle with their armoured personnel carrier.
During the battle, the source said Shekau was shot on the legs and could not move, while the soldiers rushed and captured him.
He revealed that the Boko Haram leader was made to use his special signal phone to invite all his members to Konduga, on the premise that the Nigerian troops had been captured,

read more.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/10-more-boko-haram-commanders-surrender.html

Angered by the recent killings of over 50 persons in their villages, hundreds
of half-nude women yesterday protested before the convoy of Governor
Mukhtar Ramalan Yero in Sanga local government of Kaduna State,
accusing the state government of neglecting to protect their lives and properties.
The half-nude women, dressed in black attire, booed and threw objects
at the long convoy of the governor in Fadan Karshi, Sanga local government area.
The women were angry that after not less than seven attacks on their villages,
in which not less than 300 villagers were killed since last July, the governor
did not visit the place until a few weeks to the primary elections.
Mr Bezard Wuyah, national president of Ninzom Progressive Youths in the
local government told reporters in Kaduna about the visit of the governor to
Karshin Daji and Fadan Karshi.


read more.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/kaduna-killings-nude-women-barricade.html

After 23 years of marriage, reality star and mum of the Kardashian girls,
Kris Jenner has filed for divorce from Bruce Jenner. The couple officially
separated in Oct. 2013.
See the TMZ report below..TMZ has learned it's already a done deal.
Kris filed pro per -- meaning no lawyer. Our sources say this was all
orchestrated. Bruce Jenner's response is about to be filed at the L.A.
County Courthouse. She cites the standard "irreconcilable differences"
as grounds for the divorce.
Everything has been worked out with their business managers ... our
sources say. There was no prenup and they have already agreed to a
property split. Neither party will get spousal support. As for Kylie - who
is 17 - they have joint custody. Bruce, Kris and their managers worked
out the deal over the last few months. They separated June 1, 2013.
That's significant because once they're separated they don't continue to
share earnings - in other words, what's hers stays hers after separation.
We're told the divorce is "totally amicable."

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/kris-jenner-files-for-divorce-from.html

Lying in the rubble of the guesthouse, only able to tell if it was night or day through a tiny crack, Lindiwe Ndwandwe heard the screams of others beneath the debris slowly turn silent.
For five days the 33-year-old was trapped inside a toilet next to the dining hall of the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations, breathing only through a small hole in the wreckage.
In the end, she was forced to drink her own urine to survive.
“It’s like a dream to me that really, it’s me that came out from here,” the South African told AFP on Sunday as she surveyed the remains of the church in the Nigerian city of Lagos.
“I don’t believe it. The tears that I cry, it’s because I don’t believe.”
A total of 86 people were killed and dozens more left trapped when the guesthouse attached to the church run by Nigerian preacher TB Joshua collapsed on September 12.
Some 350 South Africans were thought to be visiting the church in the Ikotun neighbourhood of the megacity of Lagos when the three-storey building came down during construction work.
Joshua, one of Nigeria’s best-known evangelical preachers referred to by followers across the world as “The Prophet” or “The Man of God”, on Sunday pledged to go to South Africa to meet survivors and their families.
He observed a minute of silence at his weekly morning service, and said he would “be travelling to South Africa to meet people from South Africa and other nations… in memory of martyrs of faith”.
But South Africa’s largest opposition party on Sunday said it will push the government to launch a class action against the church, where 84 of its nationals lost their lives.
Democratic Alliance shadow foreign minister Stevens Mokgalapa said the fact that rescue workers complained that staff at the church had impeded their work in the immediate aftermath of the disaster meant there could be cause for legal action.
“The DA believes that there is now enough evidence for the South African government to, at the very least, explore the possibility of a class action suit against the (church) on behalf of the affected families,” Mokgalapa said in a statement.
“It stands to reason that the church and its members may be criminally liable for the death of a number of South Africans who could have been rescued from the rubble if rescue work was speedily permitted.”

Read more.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/survivor-of-synagogue-church-collapse.html

Five Boko Haram militants have surrendered to Nigeria troops in Konduga the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on its Twitter page on Sunday.
DHQ said the insurgents pleaded for mercy after surrendering their weapons. It said some of the captured insurgents were already giving useful information.
“As the heat on terrorists continues, five terrorists yesterday surrendered with all their weapons to troops in Konduga pleading for mercy,” the tweet read.
“Other captured terrorists have also been giving useful information on the subsequent plans of the group in an apparent offer to cooperate,” another tweet said.

Read more

source; http://odunlade..com/2014/09/boko-haram-militants-surrender-to.html

A 23-year old woman, Joy Okafor has been arrested by the police for ripping off the cloths of her friend Ruth Genesis in public over N5, 000 debt.The incident happened along Isolo road, Ikotun Lagos state where both reside.She was charged before Ejigbo Magistrate’s court with conduct likely to cause breach of public peace under the Criminal Code.Joy said she borrowed Ruth the money which she used to buy cloth and shoe with a promise to repay at a later date.But trouble started when Joy demanded her money back and Ruth refused to pay the money. According to Joy, “she reneged on the initial agreement they had and began giving flimsy excuses”.
She said she decided to forcefully take off her cloth and shoe because she knew Ruth used her money to buy them.Our correspondent learnt that Joy targeted Ruth when she wore the cloth and shoe to attend a function and ordered her to take them out in public.When Ruth refused, she grabbed her and bit her breast and forced her into submission. She then pulled the cloth and the shoe and went away leaving Ruth naked.The police at Ikotun division intervened and arrested Joy for the assault and charged her to court.When she was arraigned, she pleaded not guilty on the two count charge.The presiding Magistrate, Mrs M.B. Folami granted her in the sum of N10, 000 with one surety in like sum.
The matter was adjourned for settlement.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/woman-arrested-for-stripping-friend.html

South Africa has seized the $9.3 million Nigerian cash flown abroad a private jet into its capital, Johannesburg, from Abuja early this month. Two Nigerians and an Israeli were travelling with the plane’s crew at the time the cash, which was not declared, was found on the plane.South African security and Nigeria have launched an investigation into what transpired.The explanation from Nigeria that the money was meant for arms purchase for the Nigeria intelligence agencies, has been rejected by South Africa’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (NPA).The NPA, in a statement, according to online publication Premium Times, said the manner in which the money was brought into the country breached the laws that deal with the transfer of foreign exchange of such proportion.
“The money was initially detained by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) as it was not disclosed or declared at customs, and was above the prescribed legal limit for the amount of cash that may be brought into the country,” it said in a statement.
The NPA, according to the medium, said its investigation showed that Tier One Services Group, the firm the Nigerian government claimed it wanted to procure the arms from, is not authorised to sell or rent military hardware.
“In court papers, the NPA submitted evidence that Tier One is not registered with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee and is thus not authorised to enter into any agreements regarding the sale and/or rental of military equipment,” the statement read.
Tier One has apparently issued an invoice to a Cyprus based company, ESD International Group Ltd, ESD, in respect of the procurement of armaments and helicopters to be delivered to Nigeria.
However, South African investigators said the time when the invoice was prepared and the time the money was brought in threw up some serious issues of its true intent.
The money was ferried to South Africa less than a week from the date the invoice was prepared (September 8, 2014). The involvement of a Cyprus based company also heightens the suspicion that this may be a case of classical money laundering. Cyprus is known for its secretive banking system.
The NPA added that the transaction did not follow normal procedure in the procurement of the kind of equipment it was alleged to have been meant for.
The Senate yesterday summoned National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh and Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah over the smuggled $9.3 million cash.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator George Sekibo, said those invited to appear before his committee on Tuesday would brief members on the incident.
He said: “ I don’t want to pre-empt issues because I have not heard details about the issue but they will be here on Tuesday.”
On the soldiers sentenced to death, Sekibo said he was not surprised that death sentence was passed on the 12 soldiers because before they joined military, they were aware of the implication of being involved in mutiny.
He added that before the judgment was passed, the army must have carried out their investigation on the matter.

source:http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/south-african-court-okays-seizure-of.html

The Lagos State Government has indicted Prophet Temitope Joshua, General Overseer, Synagogue Church of All Nations, over the collapse of a 6-storey guest house in his church.
Death toll in the tragedy which occurred last Friday has hit 80 as rescue workers intensify efforts to evacuate the remaining victims trapped under the rubble. There is likely no hope of any more survivors.
The government, however, said investigations were still on as to why the building collapsed.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Lagos State Government insisted that Joshua did not have approval for the building, therefore the addition of more floors to the existing two-storey building was illegal.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olutoyin Ayinde said government would not shut down the church until investigations were concluded.
Ayinde expressed sincere condolences and sympathy with those that lost their loved ones and those that were injured in the unfortunate incident.
He said the Government and indeed the Ministry was particularly saddened that innocent lives were lost.
The Commissioner clarified that no plans were in the offing to take over the collapsed structure site until thorough and detailed investigation as to the cause(s) of the collapse had been concluded.
According to him, government is conducting a preliminary investigation into the cause(s) of the collapse and would leave nothing to chance to unravel what cause the building to collapse.
He added that if there was any violation of relevant planning laws, government would take appropriate action.
To this end, Ayinde said a team of engineers from the Ministry and other state government agencies were taking samples from the foundation and materials from the wreckage of the building for detailed analysis.
He stressed that government does not arbitrarily take over properties when testing to ascertain the structural integrity of any building that collapses.
On the veracity of the “Strange Plane Theory,” alleged to have dangerously flown low over the building 50 minutes before the collapse, he said the Ministry had submitted the video clips, as provided by the Church to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with the coordinate of the collapsed site for investigation and professional comment.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on the Environment, Tobun Abiodun, has expressed belief that some government officials may have allowed themselves to be compromised and influenced to allow the church conctruct the collapsed building illegally.
Ordinarily, officers in-charge of physical planning in the state are supposed to act where buildings become defective or where they do not follow laid-down procedures, he argued.
Tobun, who described the incident as a major disaster and a great loss, however, condoled with the families of the deceased and said the government needed to be more careful and pro-active to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
Quoting a report by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Tobun said that the building ought to have only four floors instead of six, according to the foundation of the house.
“But my concern is that we have town planning officers that should supervise buildings in the state, they are accomplices. There is no way someone would build a six-storey building instead of four and they would say they were not aware. I believe that they compromised standard.
“Until they know that if they compromise in any way they are risking people’s lives, there would be problem. They should be more pro-active in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
But the Chairman of the Physical Planning Committee of the House, Mufutau Egberongbe, while defending the officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, urged Nigerians to adopt voluntary compliance to laws as enforcement of the laws is supposed to be a last resort.
One of the challenges facing the ministry, according to Egberongbe, is the lack of adequate staff.
“How many are the staff of the ministry to go round Lagos when buildings are springing up on a daily basis? Voluntary compliance to laws should be our primary responsibility,” he said.
He said the government officials would have faced heavy criticisms from people if they had decided to implement the law to the letter in relation to the building, adding that it even costs the government money to carry out demolition of structures.
To him, if the church had done what it should do, the incident would have been averted.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/lagos-indicts-tb-joshua-over-collapsed.html

The rumour mongers can now take the back seat: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to Lagos, Nigeria Thursday night after a 5-week vacation outside the country, amidst rumours about his ill-health in the social media.
He told reporters on arrival: “I am solid, fit as a fiddle. I never needed Panadol except when I visited my friend, the dentist. I am glad to be back,” he said.
Twice Wednesday, Tinubu, former governor of Lagos state and national leader of the All Progressives Congress tweeted reactions to several rumours about his health, describing them as fake.
“The story about my health is the mother of all lies.Do not believe it. I was on my usual holidays. I thank all well wishers.I return soon”. he said on his Twitter handle, @asiwajutinubu.
In a later tweet, Tinubu sought divine forgiveness to the rumour mongers. “May God forgive the rumour mongers b/c they do not know what they are doing. Those with evil thoughts towards me, God will guide them right.”
Since Tinubu left the country after the Osun election late August, the internet has been flooded with all manners of stories about his health, with one story even saying affirmatively that he had lost all sense of cognition, and could no longer recognise friends and relations.
Some other stories said that Tinubu had suffered a serious stroke and has been hospitalised.
Several efforts by his aides and friends to stem the torrents of speculations have failed, with the stories re-emerging, with new lies and concoctions.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/tinubu-returns-to-nigeria.html

An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, thrown into a lecture hall at the Federal College of Education, Kano, yesterday, claimed the lives of 15 students while 34 others sustained injuries.
According to an eyewitness, lecture was going on when two terrorists walked in and threw two objects that exploded within seconds. The blast was accompanied by sporadic gun shots as some of the gunmen, who were stationed outside the lecture hall,opened fire on some of the students who tried to escape from the scene.
The incident that occurred around 2.00pm at the school’s new site located at Gadon Kaya triggered pandemonium as students, lecturers and visitors to the school scampered for safety.
Also in the neighbourhood, residents locked up their houses, while shop owners in the vicinity hurriedly closed businesses as confusion reigned.
The prompt response of security agents at the nearest check point however saved the day as they engaged the gunmen and shot two of them to death.
Addressing newsmen at the scene of the incident, the Kano Commissioner of Police, Adenrele Shinaba confirmed that “15 died, while 34 were injured”.
Shinaba disclosed that two among the dead were the attackers gunned down by his men in an exchange of fire, explaining that those injured have been taken to a government hospital in the city.
The police boss said: “We have recovered two AK-47 assault rifles from the assailants”, pointing out that the command has launched a massive manhunt to track down other fleeing suspects.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has assured the people of Kano State and all Nigerians that the Federal Government was doing everything possible to increase the capacity of the nation’s security services to prevent attacks on innocent citizens by terrorists.
Jonathan condoles with victims’ families
In a statement on the attack on students, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati quoted the president as commiserating with the families of those who lost their lives while praying for the quick recovery of those who sustained injuries.
The statement read in part: “President Jonathan commiserates with citizens and residents of Kano State on the loss of lives during the attack by terrorists on the Federal College of Education, Kano.
“President Jonathan’s sympathies and best wishes for a speedy recovery are also with all those who suffered injuries in the dastardly attack.
“The President commends the officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force who took prompt action to confront the attackers and minimize resultant casualties.
“He urges them to be even more alert and proactive in the future to stop terrorist attacks in Kano and other parts of the country.
“President Jonathan reassures the people of Kano and all Nigerians that the Federal Government continues to do all within its powers to further enhance the ability of the Police, Armed Forces and other security agencies to prosecute the war against terrorism to a successful conclusion and provide greater security of lives and property across the country”.
Fulani gunmen kill 32 in Kaduna villages
Also, after what looks like a brief respite, suspected Fulani gunmen have again attacked three communities in Sanga Local Government Area, in the Southern part of Kaduna State, killing 32 villagers, after killing a soldier and injuring four other soldiers in an ambush. This was disclosed by Mr Bezard Wuyah, National President, Ninzom Development Youths, NPY.
Spokesman of Kaduna State Police Command, DSP, Amuni Lawan, who confirmed the attack, however said he was yet to get the full brief of the latest incident at press time.
Speaking to Vanguard on phone, Bezard said: “We heard before now that Fulanis were planning to attack us again. They came last night around 1am, and attacked Fadan Karshi, Karshi Daji and Unguwan Ganye which were close to one another in Sanga LGA.
“They first ambushed a military patrol van that was crossing a bridge from Fadan Karshi to Karshi Daji. They fired at the soldiers and killed one, and four were injured. But the soldiers repelled the attacks. The Fulani men then moved in three groups. One went to Fadan Karshi, where they killed 12 people, burnt down 20 houses and injured scores. They moved to Karshi Daji, killed 20 people and burnt down several houses. Those that attacked Unguwan Ganye are still in the place, so we can not tell you the casualty figure now. But among those killed in Fadan Karshi was the wife of a very respectable retired clergyman, Rev. Jacob Aku. His wife was burnt to ashes in the attack.”
“We need serious protection and security from our government or we will be forced to protect ourselves”, he said.
It will be recalled that in June there was relentless assault for a week in which not less than 160 villagers in seven Ninzom villages, in Sanga Local Government Area, LGA, of Kaduna state were killed, and some of the villages razed.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/kano-school-attack-15-killed-34-injured.html