₦airaland Forum

Hadiza Aliyu also known as Hadiza Gabon is a Nigerian actress and filmmaker. She has won the Best Actress Jury Award at the 2nd Kannywood Award Supported by MTN Nigeria.

Some of her movies are include; Artabu (2009), Daina Kuka, Wasila (2010), Umarnin Uwa (2010), Haske (2013), Ban Sani Ba (2013), Mai Dalilin Aure (2014), Ba'asi (2015).

Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/entertainment/hadiza-gabon-shares-her-childhood-photo/169453.html#32GmHmzHdQgZhhSP.99

The spokesperson of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, Ahuraka Isah, on Monday confirmed reports that two Supreme Court judges accused of corruption have stopped sitting.

The two judges, Iyang Okoro and Sylvester Nguta, were among seven judges arrested by operatives of the State Security Service, following allegations of corruption.

In a telephone chat with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Isah, who speaks for the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed, said the Supreme Court judges suspended sittings since the raid on their homes and their subsequent arrest.

“None of the judges whose houses were raided and arrested by the SSS have been suspended by the NJC,” the spokesperson said. “But the two affected Supreme Court justices voluntarily recused themselves from all judicial functions since the raid occurred.”

Seven judges were on October 7 arrested by the SSS following allegations of corruption.

While the affected judges have denied any wrongdoing, claiming victimisation for previous stands they took against public officials, the SSS said their arrest followed credible information about the judges’ alleged involvement in bribery and corruption allegations.

The SSS also accused the National Judicial Council of not judiciously treating petitions against corrupt judges. The NJC denied the allegation by the SSS.

Various groups have given divergent opinions about the raids and arrest of the judges. While some have commended the arrests, others have accused the executive of interfering with the judiciary by the arrests.

However, the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Abubakar Mahmoud, had advised that the accused judges be suspended pending when they are cleared or convicted.

The NJC rejected Mr. Mahmoud’s advice.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/214130-official-nigeria-supreme-court-judges-accused-corruption-step.html

wahala dey for this country...

good one

President Muhammadu Buhari will be the last person to authorise anybody to induce a judge to pervert the course of justice, the Presidency has said that.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said this in a statement yesterday.

Shehu advised journalists and other Nigerians to stop linking President Buhari to the “legal travails of some recently arrested judges in the country.”

He said despite Buhari’s personal familiarity with some judges, he (the president) had never used that familiarity to seek favours from 2003, 2007 and 2011 when he was challenging the fairness of presidential election results from the lowest to the highest courts in the land.

Shehu also stated that as a politician, the president had never suggested to his lawyers to approach any judge for assistance to win his cases.

According to the presidential aide, Buhari lives by this principle and has never deviated from it.

On the fate of the judges facing corruption allegations, Shehu said the president does not tell courts how to do their jobs and that anybody accused of corruption is protected by law to defend his/her innocence.

The presidential spokesman noted that the purpose of the law is to punish the guilty and acquit the innocent, adding that the law protects the rights of everyone.

Shehu stressed that the president does not have any powers to force any court to convict anybody who is innocent, saying that in a democratic society, that cannot happen without resistance by the people.

Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/count-buhari-out-of-judges-inducement--presidency/169345.html#XjXCDXhJKcyOMLij.99

A cleric in Taraba, Rev. Fr Charles Nyameh, has admonished looters of Nigeria’s treasury, to return their loots in exchange for God’s mercies.

Nyameh, priest in the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, in a sermon in Monkin, Zing Local Government Area of the state, supported his call with the story of Zachaeus, a rich Tax Collector, who, on encountering Jesus, repented and was forgiven.

He said that Zachaeus, who climbed a tree just to see Jesus, pledged to return four times what he stole as a Tax Collector.

The priest urged treasury looters in the country to emulate Zachaeus for a better country and for them to enjoy salvation and real fulfillment.

“Zachaeus’ encounter with Jesus led to his repentance and promise to make restitution of what he stole from others.

“Our public and political servants who know they acquired their wealth in a corrupt manner, should follow Zachaeus example and make restitution of what they stole from our collective wealth.

“God will not let go all those who stole our resources and corruptly enrich themselves, He is calling on all of us to make restitution for our wrong actions to enjoy his mercies,’’ he said.

Nyameh urged people to endeavour to make restitution on injury and other damages and make amends in their way of life for a better society.

The cleric reminded the congregation that corrupt people could manipulate the courts to keep their stolen funds, but they would certainly not gain the real fulfilment that comes from God.

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/return-your-loots-and-enjoy-god-s-mercies-cleric-tells-treasury-looters/169301.html

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has implored Nigerians to continue to support democratic governance.

The former Nigerian leader spoke at a dinner he attended in the United States on Saturday evening.

“I urge the Nigerian lawyers in the US and those in the Diaspora to do their best to support the democratic institutions we have built,” Mr. Jonathan said.

The former president was the keynote speaker at the Nigerian Lawyers Association’s annual dinner and merit awards ceremony which held in New York.

In his speech posted on his Twitter page on Saturday, Mr. Jonathan mentioned some factors he considered to be his administration’s democratic credentials.

“Under my watch not a single Nigerian was sent to prison because of anything they wrote or said about me or the administration that I headed,” Mr. Jonathan said. “Nigeria had neither political prisoners nor political exile under my administration.”

Mr. Jonathan’s speech on Saturday comes at a time several of his aides are being detained and some prosecuted for alleged corrupt practices while many others have since absconded from the country.

Some of Mr. Jonathan’s former aides being prosecuted include ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki and former presidential aide Waripamowei Dudafa. Others being investigated and currently in detention include former presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, and ex-Abuja minister Bala Mohammed. Some others like former aide Kingsley Kuku and ex-petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke have since left the country allegedly to avoid prosecution.

Mr. Jonathan’s speech also comes amidst an increasing crackdown by security agencies on citizen journalists and bloggers.

In Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu admitted to plotting the arrest of a blogger and indigene of his state, Emenike Iroegbu.

In Katsina, a blogger was arrested and detained for 22 days for posts criticising the administration of Governor Aminu Masari.

Within this period, PREMIUM TIMES reported no fewer than five cases of individuals being arrested and charged – or released – by the authorities for offences bordering on expressions.

In his speech, Mr. Jonathan also argued strongly for Nigeria’s diversity and its inherent benefits.

“Diversity could remain a strength only when all interest groups in the society feel safe and secure,” Mr. Jonathan said while speaking on the theme ‘Diversity As Our Bridge to Tomorrow.”

The former president said he carefully selected his cabinet members to reflect the diversity of Nigeria and warned against exploitation of the country’s fault lines by any leader.

“Most of my principal aides in government hailed from different ethnic nationalities,” Mr. Jonathan said. “We never placed ethno-religious interests above merits or individual values when making decisions.

“Nigeria is for all Nigerians. We must resist the push of ego that may make us want to pursue a regional or narrow agenda.”

Mr. Jonathan ended his speech with a touch on transparency and accountability.

“We enacted the Freedom of Information Act and by that we tore the veil of secrecy covering governance.

“We gave institutions unlimited freedom and ensured that the NBA, other professional institutions were devoid of any governmental influence.

“We ensured that appointments to INEC were not based on personal relationships,” he said.

While Mr. Jonathan did not make any direct reference to the current government in his speech, some Nigerians are already inferring that, with some saying he could be arrested.

On Twitter, a user, @Eloka51, said the former president’s unusually critical comments could be a precursor to his arrest.

“Just going through this thread. Looks like GEJ’s arrest is around the corner,” the user said.

Mr. Jonathan’s comments occur the same day Vice President Yemi Osinbajo spoke at Harvard University during which he said Mr. Jonathan could only be arrested if found culpable after completion of investigations.

Mr. Osinbajo’s statement marked most authoritative indication yet that the former president could actually be arrested.

In August, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that Mr. Buhari had ordered investigation of Mr. Jonathan for alleged ties to the resurgent militancy in the Niger-Delta.

The former president denied the allegations.

Mr. Jonathan’s wife, Patience, recently had accounts linked to her frozen. She has since filed a suit in court seeking $200 million damages against the anti-graft commission, EFCC, for freezing $15 million she claims is hers.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/214040-no-nepotism-crackdown-free-speech-administration-goodluck-jonathan.html

ABJ -

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the present administration will not dictate to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Osinbajo, who said this in response to a question on whether the former president would be arrested for alleged corruption during his administration, added that the Buhari’s administration was not in the business of arresting just anyone, indiscriminately.

The vice president said all that the present administration “does is to empower security agencies and the anti-corruption agencies to do their jobs without the administration trying to teleguide them.”

Osinbajo added, “corruption is not an ethnic thing, there is an equal representation in the stealing as no one operates with his/her ethnic group alone. The culprits are in every case seen so far, united by greed to steal and not by ethnic or religious interest.”

He decried a situation where as much as $15 billion arms purchase fund disappeared from the national coffers into private pockets, saying no responsible government would “wave that aside so as not to offend people.”

On the recent arrest of some judges, the vice president explained that impunity could be very dangerous in any sector and that “the federal government is only exercising its executive function in attempting to check excesses.”

The vice president, who spoke in Houston, Texas, while interacting with Nigerians living in the United States, added that the important thing was that due process was being followed as the judges were released about 24 hours after their arrest and after they had given their statements.

The vice president attributed the current economic recession in Nigeria to the loss of about 60 percent of government’s revenue due to pipeline vandalism and “endemic corruption” in the system.

He maintained that getting back oil production “is a sure way to get out of the recession and the federal government is working to sort it out.”

He further stated that security agencies had arrested about 800 violent herdsmen across the nation.

“The president has given firm instructions to the security agencies to arrest not only herdsmen who are attacking communities anywhere in the country, but anyone of them or anyone at all in possession of firearms. There are about 800 of suspected violent herdsmen in the country that are currently in custody,” he said.

The vice president however lamented that the slow pace of the criminal justice system in the country was stalling prompt trial of the suspects.

“There has always been conflict between herdsmen and communities across the country and people should disabuse the notion that the problem started because President Buhari, a Fulani man, is currently at the helm in the country,” he said.

Osinbajo also hinted that the federal government was working “to introduce community policing that would be in line with the constitution”, saying, “the current situation where police activities are controlled at the federal level has some limitations.”

Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/we-won-t-tell-efcc-to-arrest-jonathan-osinbajo/169230.html#2GKDFrjpu78ozHXO.99

Chai!

Lagos – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Saturday in Lagos that Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, Africa’s richest woman by Forbes reckoning, was among the 25 billionaires he made during his tenure as President.

Obasanjo stated this at the 2016 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Forum.

The former president was reacting to an allegation by Alakija at the event, that the Obasanjo administration frustrated her effort when she ventured into oil business.

Alakija, who spoke before Obasanjo, alleged that his administration illegally took an oil block allocated to her company after her family had invested all its savings to strike oil in commercial quantity.

“This oil block is in 5000 feet depth of water and was extremely difficult to explore.

“It took 15 years from the time that we were awarded the licence in 1993 till 2008 when we struck the first oil

“When this event happened, 60 per cent out of our 60 per cent equity in the business, was forcefully taken from us by the government of the day without due process.

“We had to fight back by going to court to seek redress and it took another 12 years for justice to be served in our favour.

“In all those years it was my trust in God, my perseverance and the support of my family that got me going,” she said.

She used her experiences to charge the 2000 budding entrepreneurs at the event to be dogged, determined and not to give up in the face of challenges.

When Obasanjo spoke, the former president seized the opportunity to reply to the allegation by Alakija.

“There is a saying in my part of the world that when a proverb touches you and you failed to reply, then you are a coward,” he said.

“There is a saying in my part of the world that when a proverb touches you and you failed to reply, then you are a coward,” he said.

Obasanjo explained that the action of the government then was in line with the Mining Act, which regulates oil prospection and exploration.

“For you to come here and say that, for no cause whatsoever, you were denied what was rightfully yours, is not fair.

“I do not know you from Adam and there is no reason I would have denied you what rightfully belonged to you.

“So, you have struggled, and you have struck oil. God bless your heart.

“My delight is to be able to create Nigerian billionaire and I always say it that my aim, when I was in government was to create 50 Nigerian billionaires.

“Unfortunately I failed. I created only 25 and Madam, you are one of them,” he said.

Obasanjo hailed the vision of Mr Tony Elumelu for helping to build African young entrepreneurs with his resources.

He also urged the government to create conducive environment for people to move businesses into the country.

The former president urged government to relax its visa policy and company registration process to encourage investors.

He said the government should create certification centres in the country for easy exportation of agro processed products.

The President of Sierra Leone, Bai Koroma noted that what transpired between Obasanjo and Alakija was part of the challenges and difficulties that leaders lived with in the discharge of their duties.

With limited resources competing for unlimited demands and expectations from the people, leaders were seen to be larger than life, he said.

Koroma also commended Elumelu for his project for African young entrepreneurs adding that his vision resonated with a new Africa development agenda.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/made-billionaire-obasanjo-tells-folorunsho-alakija/

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gallant officers...

Abuja – Mr Benjamin Gudaku, author of the book: “Ethical Appraisal of SURE-P, Nexus between Deprivation and Insurgency in Nigeria,’’ has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption.

Gudaku said at the sideline of the book launch that “during previous administrations, there were times that the nation was raped by people.

“They gave birth to illegitimate children in term of abandoned projects that did not see the light of the day.

“ We consider them illegitimate because they never actually satisfied the intention for which they were there.

“There was another time that people embezzled monies, enriched themselves and constituted nuisances to the government.

“ This is because so much illegitimate monies are being taken by people to the point that they became even stronger than institutions,’’ he said.

Gudaku said corruption has taken the country many steps backward and reiterated his commendation on Buhari’s frantic effort on war against corruption.

According to him, parameters of democratic governance and ethics should be able to make this country better.

Gudaku, a staff of Nigerian Press Council, said that the body polity in Nigeria over the years characterised by unhealthy development moved him to write the book. “One policy that came to my mind is the Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P); I used it as a context in discussing the narrative on democracy and good governance.

“ When we deviate from good governance, we are likely to see other things comes up and some of these things include insurgency and all the other ills that are there.

“So I hope that people will read the book and be able to change their attitude so that we can have a country in which we are desirous to have.

“While the people should learn how to hold government accountable, the government should also not take the people for granted,’’ Gudaku said.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/author-lauds-president-buharis-fight-corruption/

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Two suicide bomb explosions that occurred in Maiduguri, Borno State, early Saturday, killed nine people, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has said.

A witness told PREMIUM TIMES earlier that six bodies were evacuated from the two locations of the attack.

But a spokesperson for NEMA, Sani Datti, said in a statement that three more people died and 25 were injured.

“Nine persons lost their lives with 24 persons injured and evacuated to various hospitals from the two scenes of explosions in Maiduguri this early morning”, said Mr. Datti.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Nigeria Army 7 Division, Mustapha Anka, said in a separate statement that eight people died and 11 injured.

The Army statement reads:

“At about 7.05am this morning, there were twin simultaneous suicide bomb explosions at the entrance of Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp and NNPC Mega Filling Station, Damboa Road, Maiduguri.

“At the Bakassi IDPs camp, a suspected female suicide bomber ran into group of men and women at the entrance while they were coming out of the camp, killing 5 men and injured 11 women. The bodies of dead men and the injured women have been evacuated.

“At the NNPC, a female suicide bomber followed a fuel tanker in Keke NAPEP tricycle with the sole aim of gaining entry to cause maximum damage and casualty but was prevented from gaining access to the station by another vehicle. In that process, the suicide bomber exploded killing the 3 occupants of the tricycle. No reported injured persons at this instance.
“Troops and security agencies have been mobilized and the injured have been evacuated while efforts are ongoing to comb the general area as well as entries and exits of Maiduguri.

“While we commiserate with the families of the late victims of this cruel act and wish those injured speedy recovery, we would like to assure the public that efforts are o going to track those behind the dastardly acts. However, it is equally important to reiterate the need for more vigilance and security consciousness among all. Citizens are enjoined to report any suspicious persons or movements to the security agencies”.

Maiduguri has not witnessed bomb attacks for months. The twin blasts have created panic amongst residents who had started to let go of their fears of terrorist attacks, a PREMIUM TIMES correspondent in the city said.



http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/213969-maiduguri-explosions-kill-9-injures-24-nema.html

una never see anything...

https://www.nairaland.com/3435238/6-killed-twin-bomb-blast-hits#50598671

hmmm

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