The President, Muhammadu Buhari today wrote to the National Assembly, seeking permission to borrow about $4.5b. This was contained in a letter to the House of Representatives Leadership, led by Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara

Immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, said it was impossible for the National Security Adviser (NSA) during his administration, Sambo Dasuki, to have stolen $2.2 billion as claimed by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Mr. Dasuki, who has been in detention since December 1, 2015, was arrested by security agencies in an early morning raid on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari for the alleged misappropriation of $2.2 billion meant to purchase equipment for the Nigerian military in its battle against Islamist group, Boko Haram.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja last Friday granted the application of the EFCC to consolidate the two separate cases against the former army Colonel.

A statement by the anti-graft commission said Mr. Dasuki would be re-arraigned on November 16.

Mr. Jonathan, who was speaking at the famous Oxford Union, Oxford United Kingdom, on the subject of promoting youth entrepreneurship, argued that it was “not just possible” for Mr. Dasuki to steal $2.2 billion after his administration procured several types of equipment for the country’s military.

“They said the National Security Adviser stole $2.2billion. I don’t believe somebody can just steal $2.2 billion. We bought warships, we bought aircraft, we bought lots of weapons for the army and so on and so forth and you are still saying 2.2 billion, so where did we get the money to buy all those things?” he asked while responding to a question about the alleged missing arms procurement fund now referred to a Dasukigate by the Nigerian media.

While admitting that corruption was an issue during his administration, the former president said that some of the allegations have been “exaggerated.”

“Yes, there were some issues; yes, there are still corruption issues; but some of it were blown, I’d say exaggerated, and they give a very bad impression about our nation. You cannot say the national security adviser stole $2.2billion. It is not just possible,” he said.

He, however, said that as some of the corruption cases are still in court, he would rather allow the legal processes to reveal the facts of the matter and that he doesn’t want to appear as challenging the incumbent government.

“One thing about the issue of corruption is that these matters are in court, let’s allow some of these processes to end. Lately, some judges’ (homes) were also invaded. There are so many things involved, and we have to follow up these matters to a conclusion before we know the fact.

“I don’t want to be seen as a former president challenging what the sitting government is doing so I have decided to keep quiet for the court to look into them,” he said.

He said that allegations of corruption were not unique to his administration.

He explained that governments had been overthrown in the past because they were accused of being corrupt only for the new administration itself be pushed out of power by another junta touting the anti-corruption mantra.

“You will see that it has become a major topic whenever there is a change of government,” he said.

He further argued that corruption is a global problem but the perception of corruption is greater in Nigeria due to the Nigerian media obsession with reporting on corruption.

“I am not saying there is no corruption in Nigeria; there is corruption. If you look at corruption there is almost no country that is free, the degree varies, the perception varies.

“Transparency International talks about the way corruption is being perceived in different economies, why do we talk about the way corruption is being perceived, it depends on the issue raised in the media every day,” he said.

A middle-aged man named "Idris" has been apprehended by the Department of State Services (DSS) detectives for attempting to facilitate the escape of a former BBC Hausa Service reporter, Jamilah Tangaza from Nigeria through a small border town in Kwara state.

The DSS agents caught Idris with Ms. Tangaza's passport after he had attempted to get it stamped by the Nigerian Immigration Services outpost in Chikanda in Kwara State.

According to a DSS official, Ms. Tangaza was waiting to collect the passport and exit Nigeria through the border town. She could not be found after her emissary tipped her off that he'd been arrested by the DSS. Ms. Tangaza was detained in August 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accused of stealing N800million as while she served as the Director of Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) as well as a Senior Special Assistant to the former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Bala Mohammed.

A source at the EFCC told Saharareporters that the agency was surprised that she acquired another passport after depositing her original passport with the EFCC in August as part of the conditions for granting her bail.

The sources said she would be re-arrested and charged alongside her former boss Bala Mohammed as soon investigations are concluded.

Mr. Mohammed was detained last night by the EFCC for a multi-billion naira fraud

EHMIR:
#Misscucumber

While the whole Internet is agog over a "yet to be verified" randy video of a 2015 Beauty Queen from the Eastern part of Nigeria, Another Queen; Miss Ekaette Utip who is the 2016 Miss Akwa-Ibom Anniversary Queen released some inspirational words alongside so captivating photographs for her fans.

In her words as posted on Facebook:

Smile. Breath. Live
A smile does not only make you beautiful, it also warms the heart/soul of the people around you. A mother's smile warms the heart of her children, a Queen's smile captivates the minds of her people, Friend's smile and the world goes round. In all that you do, SMILE.

Breath, just breath and live. Life may not present the best opportunities now, but you can use the opportunity you have now the best way you can. When things do not work out, BREATH! When life knocks you down, RISE UP AND LIVE!

Best regards
Ekaette Utip
#2016AkwaIbomAnniversaryQueen.

The MTV MAMA awards just got a new host in the person of Bonang Matheba, she was chosen to replace Trevor, of MTV UK who is currently hospitalized for an undisclosed illness.

This comes as a surprise to most Nigerian Celebrities, considering the circumstances that brought about her emergence despite not being among the first three contenders.

The Adamawa State Government in collaboration with security agencies (DSS, NIGERIA POLICE, NIGERIAN ARMY), yesterday released a public service announcement to citizens and inhabitants of the state on the basic information on how to Identify a Suicide Bomber and possible steps to take.

Yesterday fellow nollywood actor Yomi Fabiyi shared the sad news he wrote

"RIP Elder Mayah. You were a veteran and a hard working one at that. Journey well papa. My concerns and sympathy with his families and close colleagues. #SAVENIGERIAMOVIEINDUSTRY register shares in the grief of AGN."

Reporters can now confirm that he passed away yesterday morning.

Margaret Emefiele, wife of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who was kidnapped by heavily armed abductors on Thursday, has been released.

Mrs. Emefiele who was kidnapped along the Benin-Agbor Road on Thursday alongside four others was released exactly 1 am Nigeria time.

It is further speculated that the kidnappers who earlier demanded N1.5 billion released Mrs. Emefiele after receiving N80 million ransom.

The Police Public Relations Officer of Delta State has just confirmed the release, but declined to comment on the issue of ransom being paid.

Fonydear:


I just want to ask if you know or learnt the 36 states and capital because if you did you would know the difference. Even when talking of tribes and languages its Ibibio and Efik , where do you get calabar from? Because the one I know is a capital of a state. it's hard to teach grownups what should have been basic knowledge.

Ekaette Utip, representing Ikot Ekpene, has emerged as the 2016 Akwa-Ibom Anniversary Queen (AAQ), she was selected from a large array of beauty queens representing the different 31 local government areas.

She goes home with a brand new car and a cash prize of Three hundred thousand Naira,(N300,000.00) a one year modelling contract, among other prizes/gifts.

Miss Etinan and Miss Nsit Ubuim also emerged as the 1st and second runner-up respectively.

Ahmed4002:
Your Job is to fight for our Country. My job is to Love and support you. Thank you for being my Hero #Nigeria Army.

The military operation dubbed Operation Crocodile Smile suffered a major loss on Monday following a boat accident along the Brass Water Front in Brass Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State, leading to the death of four soldiers by drowning.

Also missing are service rifles belonging to the missing soldiers.

It was gathered that the incident, which occurred at about 10 a.m. on Monday, created panic among newly deployed soldiers.

‎The State Chairman of the Maritime Union, Lyyod Sese, who confirmed the incident, said the union had received the report on the boat incident, "but [we] don't have details on the number of casualties."

Also confirming the incident, an official of Brass Local Government Council, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the development, calling it a "natural incident."

Attempts to get confirmation from the authorities of the Joint Military action known as Operation Delta Safe (ODS) failed, as the Acting Coordinator of the Joint Media Centre, Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Otuji did not answer his calls.

Though no authority has confirmed the mission of the soldiers in the area, it is not unconnected to the security operations against renewed militancy, sea piracy and search for those threatening to hoist the Niger Delta Republic flag.

An indigene of the community simply identified as Etta said that attempts by community youths and other soldiers to assist in a rescue operation failed as the drowned soldiers could not be found.

"In recent times, we have been noticing increased movement of soldiers in our area. The boat that capsized was conveying a new batch of soldiers to the water front. I was going to dispose of refuse at the waterfront and I saw uniformed soldiers struggling to rescue their colleagues in a capsized boat," Etta said.

"When the confusion subsided, four soldiers were found to be missing with their rifles and other military gear. Some others that were rescued had their rifles missing and were struggling out of the water."

Meanwhile the military authorities have soughed the help of local divers and youths to assist in the search for the missing soldiers. One of the youths confirmed that the high tide of the water is impeding the search for the missing soldiers

Another Fire Engulfs Lagos International Airport
Barely four days after a fire ravaged the D-wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, another fire at the same airport broke out on Sunday evening.

The fire outbreak, which affected the Skye Bank office at the airport, also affected some other tenants at the terminal.

It took the quick intervention of the firefighting agents of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to put the raging fire under control.

A source close to the engineering department of the FAAN told our correspondent that some of the recently fitted cables might have been responsible for the fire outbreak.

At the time of publication, the entire arrival hall of the terminal was in total darkness while flight operations were temporarily halted.

Our correspondent who was at the terminal observed that all the staff of the offices located in the arrival hall scampered for safety and moved outside their offices while some were seen outside the terminal immediately after noticing a spark from one of the cables.

The FAAN source who spoke to our correspondent specifically blamed former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah for the recent fire outbreaks at the terminal.

The source noted that most of the cables recently fitted at the terminal were household materials and not fitted for the terminal and the equipment they are expected to carry.

He also queried the contractor responsible for the cable fitting, noting that the contracting company was underqualified for the job.

“The recent renovation and extension of the Lagos Airport terminal was a good thing, but it is unfortunate that shoddy jobs were done in terms of materials for the building and even the cables. Rather than factory cables, household cables and materials were used for wiring without putting into consideration the amount of equipment the cables will power," the source explained.

“Before, the situation was not as bad as this, but in the past two years, the situation has degenerated from bad to worse. I just hope the entire airport will not be consumed by fire one day.

“And if this happens, nobody should attribute it to a Boko Haram attack. We caused it ourselves because there have been consistent sparks in the past few months. So, we should let the entire world know that things are not the same in this airport.”

It will be recalled that last week, the entire terminal of the airport was thrown into total darkness for 48 hours due to sparks in cables.

Flight operations in and out of the terminal were crippled for the entire duration of the blackout, while airlines profiled and processed outbound passengers with torchlights. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and other security agencies attached to the airport had to resort to manual processes for passengers, as the automation system at the airport collapsed completely.

The former aviation minister, Ms. Oduah, had commenced the renovation exercise of the terminal in 2013, which led to the extension of the airport. But the public has questioned the quality of jobs done, arguing that the aviation ministry's N74 billion debt is inexcusable given the poor state of the country's airports.