UPDATES 31st AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Bailout: CBN Injects N338bn in 27 States to Stimulate Economy. FG to Review Import Policy on Rice, Fish, Others. Probe: Go and defend yourself, Wike tells Amaechi. Buhari’s appointments violate federal character —IYC. A’Ibom’s request for debt restructuring wrong — APC. Pakistan, India clash over detained Nigerian students. B’Haram kills 56 in Borno. 35 jostle for Ooni stool from Giesi Ruling House. FG probes NAF plane crash. Bayelsa PDP members demand chairman’s removal. Dangote Begins Construction Of N160m Skills Centre In Kogi. Kogi Guber Poll: Audu Wins APC Primary. Looted Treasury Hampering Our Delivery on Promises, Says APC. Kaduna Loses Female Pilgrim At Airport. BVN: CBN Confirms Enrolment of 19 Million Bank Customers. Customs Nets N20.11bn from MMIA in Six Months. We won’t spare environmental polluters ─ LASG. Boko Haram now in Lagos, Enugu –DSS. APC lists N440bn fraud cases against Jonathan govt. Appointments: Be Patient With PMB, Sen Sani Tells South-East. Jonathan’s men battle Buhari, Ex-ministers write warning letter to president. Dasuki’s trial begins Tuesday. EFCC sets up four-man panel on Diezani. Nigeria beat Angola 74-65, crowned Afrobasket 2015 champions. Officers’ wives among Kaduna helicopter crash victims. BPL – Results: Southampton 3-0 Norwich City; Swansea City 2-1 Manchester United.

30th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Tax evasion: FIRS to go after 325,000 companies, persons. NNPC recommends sale of refineries, Buhari disagrees. Appointments: Buhari, APC move to pacify S’East. ‘Police to promote 40,000’. Nigeria’s health care indices among world’s poorest — NMA. Arik: NDLEA gets CCTV footage, impounds two more cars. Delta publisher commits suicide over poor newspaper sales. Chad executes B’Haram members. NAF aircraft crashes in Kaduna, kills seven. Military, DSS comb airports for Boko Haram spies. Nigerian Military Not Involved In Human Rights Violations – DHQ. Police Commission Elevates 260 Police Officers. SGF: I Never Spoke To Any Media Organisation – Amaechi. Saraki’s Wife: EFCC Says Lawmakers Turned Selves Into ‘Distinguished Bodyguards’. Bayelsa 2015: I Will Defeat Any APC Candidate – Gov Dickson. Fake Police Recruitment Forms Syndicate Smashed in Gombe. Army Retires, Pulls out General in Lagos. Amaechi: Why I Will Not Appear before Wike’s Commission. Workers to access 25% pension savings for mortgage …to forfeit lump sum payment at retirement. FG, US Will Build Pharmaceutical Warehouse In Lagos. Jonathan, Diezani face probe over $6.9m campaign stages. Boko Haram: Buhari meets parents of abducted Chibok girls. BPL Results: Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace, Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal. La Liga results: Real Madrid 5-0 Betis, Barcelona 1-0 Malaga.

UPDATES 29th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Buhari will still balance his appointments –Aide. Fashola spent public fund on quality projects –APC. Appointments: NBA urges Nigerians to be patient with Buhari. Financial crisis: Govs declare war on ghost workers, pensioners. EFCC invites ex-Oyo Speaker, others for alleged fraud. I wasn’t arrested for money laundering –Amosun’s wife. Ortom to improve primary schools with N6.4bn. Ooni: Obasanjo asks Ife kingmakers to select right candidate. Army Uncovers Baby Factory In Enugu, Arrests 13 Suspects. Atiku’s daughter donates salary, allowances. World Bank hails Ondo’s health care system. Nigerian Army Destroys IED-making Factory In Borno. Gov Fayose Appoints Septuagenarian As Council Chair. IG deploys AIGs, appoints first female spokesperson. Fire Outbreak In Saraki’s Abuja Residence – Aide. Corruption: Senate begins power sector’s probe. PMB Okays Centenary City Project. Kwara gets bailout fund, Okorocha pays salary arrears. Sultan To Women: Reject Public Money Stolen By Your Husbands. No perm sec on watch list –ICPC. 10 Boko Haram Members Sentenced To Death In Chad.

Bus crushes man, severs head in Edo State

Bus crushes man, severs head in Edo There was tragedy on Friday in Ekae community, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, when a mass transit bus ‎crushed a man to death and severed his head. ‎The incident was said to have occurred at about 12:30pm along Sapele road, Benin, the state capital. ‎An eyewitness in the area disclosed that the victim and a woman, believed to be his wife, were waiting to board a vehicle to Warri, Delta State, when the 50-seater bus, with number plate ED110-B28 and operated by the Edo State Government, veered off the road and knocked him down, killing him instantly. The woman was said to have narrowly escaped being hit by the vehicle, while some of passengers on the vehicle were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury. “They were waiting to board a bus to Warri when the Comrade Bus suddenly‎ hit him. “It look like the brake failed because of the way the bus just hit the man and removed his head. The man died instantly but the woman was lucky to jump and escape,” the eyewitness said. The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Oluwasusi Familoni, who confirmed the incident, told our correspondent on the telephone that the identity of the deceased could not be ascertained at the time of the accident. He, however, said the remains of the victim was deposited at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital. “It happened at about 12:30pm involving a Comrade Bus along Sapele road. It killed a man that was travelling with his wife. “But the body was deposited at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital.‎ By the time we got there, the occupants of the vehicle had left,” Familoni added.

Cultists tricked man, hack him to death

Cultists trick man, hack him to death The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 3 hours ago Some suspected cult members in the Mushin area of Lagos State have hacked a man identified as Tunde, aka Eleto, to death. PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim was tricked from his house on Market Street, Oyingbo, to Kadiri Street, Mushin, where some suspected cult members dragged him to where he was killed. He was said to have been shot dead and dismembered by his assailants on Tuesday. Our correspondent gathered that Tunde’s corpse was dragged through the street to a canal around the railway line. During a visit to the area on Thursday, it was observed that the community was still tense, as many feared to talk about the incident. Some of those approached by PUNCH Metro said they were not living in the area, but were only doing business on the street, and did not know about the killing. However, a resident, who claimed to have witnessed the killing, said Tunde was hacked to death around 10pm on the fateful day. He said, “The men were seven in number. They held him by the trousers and took him to the street as he begged them to spare him. “They stabbed him in the face and chest, as his pleas fell on deaf ears. “As they were about leaving, one of them said he was not sure the man was dead, so they went back and dismembered him. They also shot at him to be sure that he died.” Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he heard a gunshot in the night, and never knew what had happened until the following morning. “I was indoors when I heard a gunshot that night. Nobody knew where it came from and what was happening. But by the following morning, we woke up to see the man’s body dismembered. We had to quickly alert the police,” he said. PUNCH Metro was told that policemen from the Alakara Police Division deposited the corpse in a mortuary. A source explained to our correspondent that Tunde was killed by his friends, who harboured animosity against him. He said Tunde and the suspects once lived together on Market Street, before they (the suspects) were forced to relocate to Mushin. He said, “The feeling was that Tunde masterminded their ordeal. One of their leaders, Itakun, invited him for a meeting on that day and he foolishly went there, without knowing what he was up against. “They used that opportunity to kill him.” The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, had yet to respond to enquiry made about the incident as of the time of filing this report.

Arraignment of noodles thief

Arraignment of noodles thief The quick arraignment of a security guard, who allegedly attempted to steal noodles from a kiosk, is an injustice of the Nigeria judicial system and a show of the lack of solidarity among the ordinary citizens. When the corruption crusade started with those who mismanaged our resources, there was a hue and cry against their prosecution. The man attempted to steal because of the systemic failure which makes it possible for only a few to benefit from the system, while the vast majority wallow in abject poverty. Ordinary Nigerians want our leaders to make the system work for all; in justice and equity. Our judiciary is bias. Judges give scandalous and reckless judgments mostly against ordinary Nigerians. For any nation to advance, the judicial system must be free, fair and impartial.

UPDATES 28th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Buhari Appoints Lawal as SGF, Kyari, New Chief of Staff. Contractor agrees to finance Oyo model schools. Osinbajo, others advise editors on objective reporting. Senate probes Customs, FIRS over N567bn scam. We hid cocaine in Arik flight meals – Attendant’s accomplice. Police quiz Ekiti PDP chair over dud cheque. APC leaders angry as Buhari appoints more northerners. NUC blacklists 57 varsities. Only Buhari can remove Lamorde – PSC. Buhari, Kukah in private meeting. Buhari Pledges to Work with Saudi Arabia, Turkey to Diversify Economy. Perm Sec: Defence Ministry not Involved in Weapons Procurement in Recent Years. Australia Supports Disabled Nigerian Women With N119m. EFCC Begins Probe of Amaechi’s Administration. Kachikwu on ARISE TV, Says 90% of Nigerians Do Not Enjoy Fuel Subsidy. Monthly Revenue Drops by N52.36bn as FG, States, LGs Share N539.24bn in July. N183bn not Missing in NDDC, MD Tells Buhari. Kwara, Zamfara Get CBN Bailout Funds. Dubai Investors to Inject $10bn into Lagos Economy. Metuh, Lagos Chairman, Not Suspended – PDP. Army Arrests Fake Civilian-JTF Using GOC’s Name To Extort Maiduguri Residents. Bauchi: Protests Trail SSG’s Appointment As Emir Of Misau. Giesi princes back Adedoyin to succeed Ooni. NNPC slashes crude buyers from 43 to 16. TCN Increases Transmission to 4,810.7MW. CBN, Court Approve Merger of Heritage and Enterprise Banks. ‘Parents’ petitions led to sacking of Gun workers’. Filling stations reject N87 price, close stations. Commission of Inquiry: Amaechi Sacked Cabinet to Award Monorail Project to TSI. Kachikwu on ARISE TV, Says 90% of Nigerians Do Not Enjoy Fuel Subsidy.

Army finds soldiers who attacked court, WAI men

Army finds soldiers who attacked court, WAI men The Four Brigade Command of the Nigerian Army says it has identified six military officers, who attacked some officials of the Edo State Committee on War Against Indiscipline and foiled the arraignment of four traffic offenders at the state Magistrates’ Court in Benin on Wednesday. It, however, declined comments on whether the affected officers had been arrested. Our correspondent had reported that some soldiers had stormed the court premises on Sapele Road, in two Hilux vans, and beaten up the officials before driving off with the four persons who were about to face trial for traffic offences. The military officers had earlier attacked the WAI office on Ezoti Street, shortly after one of the suspected traffic offenders put a call across to an unidentified person. The attack was said to have left two of the WAI officials hospitalised. The soldiers, who were allegedly attached to Setraco, a construction firm, had also caused panic among magistrates, judiciary workers and other security personnel, when they reportedly corked their riffles. But the command’s Public Relations Officer, Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, told our correspondent on Thursday that the army had commenced investigation on the circumstances surrounding the incident. He said, “We have identified the soldiers and they will face the consequence of their action because nobody sent them to do what they did yesterday (Wednesday). “The matter is under investigation and anyone (found) culpable will definitely face appropriate measure of discipline.” Unuakhalu, who did not disclose the names and ranks of the soldiers, however, added that the command would not spare any of its officers found wanting. He also noted that the command would later make its official position on the matter public.

UPDATES 27th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: NNPC cancels crude oil delivery contracts to refineries. W/Bank offers FG N27.58bn for community projects. Ooni’s throne opens to all ruling houses —Osinkola. Kwara to audit civil servants’ certificates. I’m not fighting Fashola, says Tinubu. Inspector shoots self dead in Lagos. FG reviews Second Niger Bridge contract. BEDC to supply 100,000 prepaid meters per annum. Bailout: Release funds to states, CBN orders banks. A’Court upholds Ambode’s victory, fines Agbaje. Arms deals panel begins sitting in Abuja. Dangote builds cement plant in Nepal. Senate begins Lamorde trial. Police redeploy 37 CPs. Lagos under siege, says Deeper Life. Obasanjo asks admission seekers to enrol in NOUN. Health workers waste malaria drugs – Report. NDLEA occupies Arik attendant’s house, grills co-workers. Al-Qaeda blows up Yemen army headquaters. Come and join us, PDP begs Nigerians. Senate, Reps okay pay cut. INEC To Use E-collation For Kogi, Bayelsa Elections – Card Reader Designer. I Didn’t Absolve Jonathan On Corruption War – Falana. Man who killed TV journalists dead. Anti-graft War: We’ve Recovered 70 Vehicles, N600m Generators From Yuguda – Bauchi Gov. 2 Suicide Bombers Attack Checkpoint, Kill NAF Officer In Maiduguri. Sultan Attends el-Rufai’s Father’s Burial. Amnesty Office, CBN Resolve Payment of Tuition, Allowances to Ex-militants. Ikpeazu Begins Recall of Sacked Non-indigenes. Lagos Seals-Off 27 Religious Houses, 3 Industries, Others. Unpaid Salaries: Benue To Access N28bn Loan.

Man commits suicide after losing job

Man commits suicide after losing job The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 3 hours ago A man identified as Gbenga Ogundana has committed suicide in his rented apartment on Orisunmibare Street, in the Cultural Centre area of Ondo Road in Akure, the Ondo State capital. It was gathered that the man committed suicide days after losing his job. The 33-year-old was found dead in his room after four days of intense search. It was suspected that he killed himself following his dismissal from the company he worked for. On of the residents said, “Gbenga must have terminated his own life through poison after being sacked from work.” The resident said the elder brother of the deceased, one Segun Ogundana, visited the deceased after several calls put to his telephone were not picked. Segun was said to have called his brother’s co-tenant, who helped him to force the deceased’s door open and they saw the decomposing remains of the victim. The Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr. Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident. He said the police had commenced investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding Gbenga’s death. He added that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of the State Specialist Hospital, Akure. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Woman stabs husband in Enugu over money for noodles

Woman stabs husband in Enugu over money for noodles The Enugu State Police Command has arrested one Joy Umeh of No 13 Unubi Street, Achara layout, Enugu for allegedly stabbing the husband over feeding money. It was gathered that the suspect stabbed the husband identified as one Sunday Umeh on the stomach over his inability to give her enough money to buy indomie noodles. Sources told DAILY POST that the woman was in the habit of quarreling with the husband. The spokesman of the Enugu State Police Command, DSP Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect is already helping the police operatives in their investigations while the injured husband is now receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the Eastern Nigeria medical centre Enugu. “The Enugu state command of the Nigeria police Force through its operatives of Uwani Division have nabbed one joy umeh of no 13 unubi street Achara layout axis of Uwani Enugu for allegedly stabbing the husband one Sunday Umeh on the stomach over an allegation of non fulfilment of family financial responsibility for some days. “It was gathered that following the incident that allegedly occurred on 25/8/15, the entire arena was thrown into confusion as sympathizers that gathered thought that the man has given up the ghost. “The suspect is helping the police operatives in their investigations while the injured husband is now receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the Eastern Nigeria medical centre Enugu and is recovering gradually,” Amaraizu stated.

NDLEA occupies Arik attendant's house grills co-workers

NDLEA occupies Arik attendant’s house, grills co-workers The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday stormed and occupied the Lagos house of Chika Egwu Udensi, a crew member of the Arik Air flight W3101, who was arrested with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at the London Heathrow Airport. The NDLEA moved to the house after they had interrogated pilots and flight attendants of the flight that left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for London on Monday night. The interrogation lasted for several hours at the NDLEA head office in Lagos. It was gathered that soon after the interrogation, the NDLEA moved to the suspect’s house in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State. A source, who did not say if there were occupants in the house, told one of our correspondents that the NDLEA men were “currently occupying the house, and we will not leave here until we get all the evidence that we want.” It was gathered that although the operatives had seized the suspect’s Range Rover, the NDLEA was still of the opinion that Udensi had other property. The source said, ‘We are investigating if he has other property in Lagos or elsewhere. Some of them (suspected drug courier) live simple lives, but have other valuables stashed everywhere. We are searching for incriminating documents.” On the interrogation, the NDLEA in a statement said the entire crew members including some support staff that worked on the flight before it departed Lagos appeared before narcotic investigators at the Ikoyi headquarters of the agency. They include two pilots and members of the cabin crew comprising an Australian and a South African. The statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, read in part, “The invitation which was made by the agency was swiftly complied with by the management of Arik Air. “The crew members were conveyed to the NDLEA office in an official bus belonging to Arik Air. This is part of ongoing investigation to determine their level of involvement in the smuggling of 20 kg of cocaine found with Chika Egwu Udensi, a member of the cabin crew in London. “The latest Range Rover car belonging to the prime suspect parked on the airline’s premises had also been moved to the NDLEA office as exhibit.” Ofoyeju also confirmed to one of our correspondents that the operatives went to the attendant’s house, adding, “Wait till tomorrow (Thursday). We will make a comprehensive statement on it.” Meanwhile, the Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, was said to have promised to carry out an elaborate investigation into the ongoing case, stressing that all persons involved would be exposed and prosecuted. “The agency has made remarkable progress in it counter-narcotic efforts and will resist any act capable of reversing the gains so far recorded,” he said. However, findings by our correspondent revealed that the NDLEA and other aviation security officials were seriously grilling an Arik staff member working in the catering department who is believed to have assisted the suspect. Security officials, it was learnt, believed that the suspect was assisted by some staff members of Arik catering department to move the 20 kilogrammes of cocaine into the aircraft. One of the top security officials, who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, said, “Security officials believe strongly that the 20kgs of cocaine might have been moved into the aircraft through the Arik’s catering department. There is a prime suspect in that department that is being interrogated specially. “Normally, staff members of the catering department carrying foods from the airline office to the aircraft are not usually screened. Officials believe the bags containing the 20kgs of cocaine may have been taken through this route.” “The reason for this is that there is a machine that searches the cabin crew members at the airline’s office before they go to the airport terminal to board the plane. So if the suspect carried it himself, he may have been caught. A major suspect in the catering department is going through series of interrogation.”

Policeman dies arresting Danfo driver in Lagos

Policeman dies arresting Danfo driver in Lagos

LAGOS—A police officer attached to Orile Division died in a motor accident opposite Fatgbems Filling Station, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway at about 9a.m., yesterday. It was learned that the deceased, while attempting to apprehend a commercial bus (Danfo) driver, who was picking up passengers along the road, jumped into the moving bus with number plates KJA305XL. The bus sped off, while trying to escape, and hit another car with number plates LND340DF. The sudden stop made the policeman, who was hanging on the bus, to fall. An eyewitness told Vanguard that as the cop fell, a trailer ran over him, killing him instantly, as the commercial bus driver and his conductor took to their heels, abandoning the vehicle. Vanguard gathered that the driver of the car, which the bus driver hit, was travelling for his father’s burial when he incident occurred. Operatives of Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, and policemen from Trinity and Orile Divisions were there to ensure free flow of traffic as onlookers besieged the area. A passenger’s tale A passenger in the bus, Rotimi Baki, said: “The policeman jumped into the commercial bus while the bus was moving and picking passengers at the bus stop. “All of a sudden, the commercial bus driver braked and the policeman fell off and a truck coming from behind hit him. The vehicle in front of the commercial bus had stopped. So the bus driver did same.” One of the police officers, Sergeant Samuel, from Trinity Divisional Police Station harassed, dragged and seized Vanguard reporter’s mobile phone, accusing her of celebrating the death of his colleague. All pleas to get back the phone fell on deaf ears as the officers kept shouting ‘I will deal with you. Who gave you authority to take pictures? You must come to our office’. When she eventually got to their office, the Divisional Police Officer called the officer, who seized the phone, and returned it to the reporter. Later, officers from the Trinity Police Division took the corpse of the Policemen to Orile Police Station and later to Mainland Hospital Mortuary, Yaba.

Chibok Girls: 500 days Unnamed, Unnumbered, Unremembered

Chibok Girls: 500 Days and Still Missing!, Unnumbered, Unnamed…Un-remembered, By Ayo Obe Yet as demands for action to rescue the abducted girls and bring them back grew, the response of those in power seemed to be – not concern – but: What’s so special about these girls? Why can’t you un-remember them, the way we are already un-remembering the unnumbered and unnamed Nyanya bombing victims? Today, Thursday the 27th of August 2015 marks 500 days since the abduction of 279 schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School at Chibok in Borno State. Among those whose main reactions to the tragedy has been to calculate the political impact on them, or those whom they support, there has been bewilderment and bafflement, anger and scepticism over the fact that Nigerians and others have continued to register their determination that these girls will not join the ranks of the unnamed, unnumbered or unremembered. Every day since April 30th 2014, a group of Nigerians have staged a sit out in Abuja or taken other actions in support of the demand to BRING BACK OUR GIRLS! In Lagos, the demand has been re-echoed every week at Speak Out Saturday. Indeed, all over the country and outside it, Nigerians and other concerned people have registered the same demand. In the US Congress, some lawmakers wear red every Wednesday to ensure that our Chibok girls do not fade from memory. The reasons for this determination are not really that complicated. A month before the abduction of the Chibok girls, schoolboys had been slaughtered in their school dormitory at the Federal Government College, Bunu Yadi i

n Yobe State. Some reports gave the number killed as 29, others put it at 59: the names of 43 boys were released. The nation was horrified, the survivors told their harrowing tales and President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the terrorist killings. There was even a demonstration by the Unity Schools Old Students’ Association. But – as with so many other atrocities – the nation eventually moved on. Promises made to victims of this outrage, or of bomb attacks, or of other acts of terrorism, faded – at least from the minds of the government officials who had made them. True, despite the confusion, the Bunu Yadi schoolboys were neither unnumbered nor unnamed. Yet we had already started un-remembering them when news came of the abduction of 279 schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School at Chibok. Coinciding with the April 14, 2014 terrorist bomb atrocity at Nyanya in Abuja, which left “more than 70 dead”; the nation was relieved when the Nigerian Army claimed to have rescued the girls. But as the facts emerged – that there had been no rescue, nor even any attempt to pursue the abductors (who had taken their own sweet time in the leisurely conveyance of their captives to the Sambisa Forest) Nigerians began to ask themselves: are we going to just move on from this too? Are we going to un-remember these victims, the way we un-remembered the Bunu Yadi boys? The way we have un-remembered the Nyanya bombing victims? Surely not! At least here we had names, numbers – pictures even – of the missing girls. …for the others – abducted by Boko Haram…there had been no outcry, no alarm, no real awareness in the nation at large about just how many of our fellow citizens had disappeared. We had not bothered to number them and we had not bothered to name them. So how could we be expected to remember them? Yet as demands for action to rescue the abducted girls and bring them back grew, the response of those in power seemed to be – not concern – but: What’s so special about these girls? Why can’t you un-remember them, the way we are already un-remembering the unnumbered and unnamed Nyanya bombing victims? It was really only after February 2015, when the Jonathan administration finally launched an offensive against the Boko Haram insurgents who had by then established themselves in several local governments in the North-East, that it became clearer why there was such irritation at the sustained campaign about these girls. Because that was when the trickle of those who had been able to escape or make their way out of Boko Haram-controlled areas became a stream. And it became obvious that there was indeed nothing special about what had happened to the Chibok girls. Except for this: they were not unnamed, they were not unnumbered. And Bring Back Our Girls was there to ensure that they did not become unremembered. Yet for the others – abducted by Boko Haram, kept in bondage, raped, abused, forced to take up arms on their behalf – there had been no outcry, no alarm, no real awareness in the nation at large about just how many of our fellow citizens had disappeared. We had not bothered to number them and we had not bothered to name them. So how could we be expected to remember them? …We don’t know when she went missing, whether she was abducted or whether she was handed over by misguided parents. Certainly we don’t shed any tears over her, do we? Indeed, the list of things that we – the Nigerian people – have not done about the human toll of the carnage in parts of our country could go on. “Unmourned” is another word we might use. We see pre-pubescent girls of nine, ten or eleven, strapped up with explosives and sent into the middle of crowds. We don’t know whether they are told to perform the action that detonates the explosives, or whether it is done by remote control. If the child is the agent of detonation, we don’t know whether she understands that this act will kill her; we don’t know whether she dies willingly in the belief that she is going direct to heaven, or whether she carries out the detonation in innocent ignorance of what she is about to do to herself and to others. We can’t be sure – but what is sure is that we give her barely a thought. We don’t know when she went missing, whether she was abducted or whether she was handed over by misguided parents. Certainly we don’t shed any tears over her, do we? We don’t know her name, and we don’t care to know. But when we stand in the breach for the Chibok girls – as we do today, Thursday the 27th to mark their 500th day of captivity – we stand in the breach for her, and for all those other victims. The ones we didn’t count. Whom we didn’t name. The ones who must be included in our small acts of remembering. Ayo Obe participates through the Lagos BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) campaign. - See more at: http://247nigerianewsupdate.co/chibok-girls-500-days-and-still-missing-unnumbered-unnamedun-remembered-by-ayo-obe/#sthash.

Robbery suspects cut bars, escape from police cell

Robbery suspects cut bars, escape from police cell Two of the robbery suspects, who were arrested while they were operating on Iju Road, in the Agege area of Lagos, have escaped from the police cell. It was learnt that 3 suspected members of the gang, who reportedly attacked and robbed a hotel and some residences of Sands Avenue, off Iju Road, had been handed over to the Pen Cinema Police Division, before two of them escaped from the cell. It was gathered that policemen, who were on duty on the fateful day, had been arrested, while the fleeing suspects are yet to be captured. According to reports, on Sunday, August 9, at about 2am, about 10 armed robbers, invaded the area, and robbed a hotel and some private homes and they carted away money and valuables from the hotel lodgers, workers, and other places during the operation. It was gathered that men of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress, OPC, who were the local vigilance group in the area, however, apprehended 3 of the robbers and took them to the Pen Cinema Police Division. It was there that the three robbery suspects, identified as Dare Drain, Akeem AK, and Lekan Student, were locked up in the cell by the policemen on duty. It was gathered that on Wednesday evening, two of the suspects however, cut through the burglar bars in the cell, and escaped from custody. Victims of the robbery and the OPC men, who were aggrieved by the development, were said to have been invited by policemen to the station who pacified them and assured them that the robbers would be re-arrested. When PUNCH Metro visited Sands Avenue on Tuesday, the manager of the hotel, which was robbed, declined to give any comment. However, one of the workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the robbers carted away a huge amount of money and also injured the hotel’s guard. He added that the robbers raped some of the hotel’s female workers, who had yet to resume work. He said: “The robbery lasted for more than an hour. We were helpless. The robbers overpowered our security guard and injured him. “They carted away valuables. They raped some of our female workers during the operation. I was told that the OPC men later caught three of them and took them to the police station.” Speaking with PUNCH Metro, the OPC coordinator in the area, who did not want his name in print, said they were taken aback when the police in the Pen Cinema station told them that two of the suspects escaped from the cell. He added that the suspects, who had yet to be re-arrested, raped some of their victims during the operation, including a 13-year-old. He said,: “The security man at the hotel, who is our member, recognised one of the robbers and led us to his place, where he was arrested. The man confessed to taking part in the operation. His name is Dare Drain, and he was caught in the Idi-Agbon area of Ifako. “He was the one who took the OPC men to arrest the other two. The three that were caught on Sunday were taken to the police station. “It was on Wednesday that information got to us that Drain and Akeem have escaped from the cell. We were shocked at the development. The DPO then invited us, and pleaded with us to assist the police with information to re-arrest them, adding that the policemen on duty had been detained. “But as we speak, we have not got them. What the police told us was that the robbers cut the burglar bars, and escaped from the cell. The robbers, apart from carting away money, also raped their victims. “The robbers were led by Dare Drain, he and his boys had earlier come to Tarkwa Crescent, before the Sands Avenue incident.” It was learnt from a source that the robbery suspects lurked around Oju Irin area in Agege mostly at night. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, however, said in a text message to Punch that there was no truth in the incident.

UPDATES 26th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: NNPC Sets New Terms for Crude Swaps. UK Border Force Arrest Arik Crew Member in London for Drugs Possession. RMAFC: New Salary Package for Political Office Holders Ready Next Month. Teenagers Bomb Damaturu, Kill Pregnant Woman, Themselves, Three Others. Nigeria, Benin Republic to Strengthen Economic, Security Cooperation. Suspension Saga: Immigration Officers Accuse Board, Ministry of Interference. FG Saves N659.88bn through Procurement Diligence. Fadehan, Adefarakan Join Race for Ooni’s Stool. 14 Women Die in Niger as Boats Capsize. Blogger Remanded over Malicious Publication against Fidelity Bank MD. Court Restrains Eko Disco from Operating Illegal Account under CAPMI. With Slowing Growth, Oil Slump, Petrol Subsidy May be Ready to Go. Ayade, Irish investors Plan to Build 5,000 Housing Units. Ebonyi Opens Bids for Construction of Flyovers in Abakaliki. Dickson Sacks Aide, Appoint Ex-Sylva's PA as Replacement. Navy Destroys 200 Illegal Refineries, 58 Barges, Arrests 80 Vessels in 18 Months. Olonisakin Meets Regional Defence Chiefs Over 8,700 MNJTF Against Terrorism. Sierra Leone’s last known Ebola patient leaves hospital. Biafra matter settled in 1970, ACF tells Igbo. Rivers tribunal: 16 senators, Reps petition Buhari. National ID will complement voter card, says Buhari. Hajj: Bauchi saves N800m, bars 13 pregnant women. N4bn loan: Rivers panel summons ex-chairmen. No Diaspora voting for now, says Buhari. A’Ibom owes banks N64.5bn – Commissioner. Lamorde to appear before Senate today. Corruption Allegation Against Fashola Political – Minority Leader. PROTEST: ‘Retired Policemen Died In Kwara While Waiting For Gratuities’. Customs Redeploys 5 Comptrollers. Man United in £240 Neymar bid. Oliseh gets N6.5m official car. Sokoto Assembly begins probe of Tambuwal, Wamakko. Ignore rape cases, bag two years imprisonment – Lagos govt.

Blogger jailed for defamation on MD Fidelity Bank

Courtesy: AfrikMouth Blogger Jailed For Report About Fidelity Bank’s MD Blogger jailed for defamation. Oloketuyi was arraigned before a before a Federal High Court in Lagos for a story he wrote about the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank,Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo. 39-year old Oloketuyi is standing trial for a 2-count charge that involves defamation. Oloketuyi’s story had claimed that the Okonkwo had an affair and had impregnated a staff in the bank, leading to the crash of his marriage. According to the prosecutor, Mr Olakanmi Omisope, Oloketuyi had intentionally published a story he knew was false in order to annoy and insult Okonkwo. Omisope said that the offences contravened Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015, and Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation. Oloketuyi had pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and has been remanded in jail until the first of September, when bail will be set. Section 24 (1) of the Cybercrime Act provides that any person who intentionally or knowingly sends a message which is grossly offensive or obscene and found to be false, by means of computer network, is liable on conviction to a fine of N7, 000 or three years imprisonment or both.

Blatter insists that He is clean

I’m clean, insists Blatter The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 4 hours ago Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter has told the BBC he is “clean” and “there is no corruption in football” amid criminal investigations at world football’s governing body, BBC reports. Blatter, president since 1998, will step down in February amid an inquiry into allegations of systematic bribery. The 79-year-old was elected for a fifth term in May but then stood down. “I did it because I wanted to protect Fifa,” he said. “I can protect myself. I am strong enough.” He added, “I know what I have done, what I have not done. “I have my conscience and I know I’m an honest man. I am clean. I am not a worried man.” Two criminal investigations into alleged Fifa corruption are still ongoing. So far, 14 people have been indicted by the United States justice department following claims that bribes and kickbacks of more than $150m (£97m) were handed out over a 24-year period. A Swiss investigation is also looking into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, leading to speculation that Russia and Qatar could be stripped of football’s flagship event and a re-vote ordered. But Blatter remains defiant and defensive of Fifa. “The institution is not corrupt,” he said, adding; “There is no corruption in football, there is corruption with individuals, it is the people.” In an exclusive interview with BBC sports news correspondent Richard Conway, Blatter also said he was not “morally responsible” for the likes of former Fifa executive Chuck Blazer, who admitted he accepted bribes in connection with South Africa as 2010 World Cup hosts.

UPDATES 25th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: LASG removes Fashola’s budget spending from website. Arms deals: Buhari probes Yar’Adua, Jonathan’s govts. Husband-snatching saga: NJC queries Osun judge. N1tn petition: Senate rumbles, splits over Lamorde probe. Ban Ki-Moon demands release of Chibok girls. Suspended NIS boss, Plateau gov beg Buhari. Ambode wants illegal aliens repatriated. Switzerland pledges to support Boko Haram affected communities. Accept responsibility for sacked workers, SERAP tells Amosun. DSS sues Sambo for illegal possession of firearms. DMO: Restructured Loans to Reduce States’ Debt Burden by 55%-97%. Senators, Reps want SAN title. MTN Scraps Early Debt Payment amid Currency Shortage. FG Inaugurates C’ttee on National Carrier. Navy Chief: More Than 50% of Naval Ships are Down. Commission of Inquiry: Amaechi Diverted N3bn Agric Loan. Lawyers in National Assembly Back Plans for Special Anti-corruption Courts. Digitisation: NBC to Raise N100bn from Sale of Spectrum Bands. Giesi Ruling House Lays Claim to Ooni Throne. Alleged N1tn Diversion: EFCC Calls Report Infantile, Senseless. Kaduna Disco Distributes 100,000 Pre-Paid Meters in Four States. Lagos House of Assembly Chief Matron Dies in Office. Bristow Crash: Victims' Compensation May Exceed International Convention. Polio Eradication: Perm Sec Arrives Event After Ki-Moon’s Departure. Arase Orders Posting Of DIGs. BPL Result: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool.

Ooni of ife's Son steps into his father's shoes

BREAKING: Son Steps Into Ooni’s Shoes, Prince Tokunbo Sijuade ‘PICKED’ If feelers reaching National Weekender from the ancient Yoruba city of Ile- Ife, are anything to go by, the wait for a new Ooni to the throne of the ancient city, may not be long. This on the strength of reliable information which strongly suggests that the first son of the late Ooni , Oba Okunade Adele Sijuade, Prince TokunboSijuade is likely to succeed his father as the next traditional ruler of Ile-Ife. According to a source close to the Council of Chiefs’ deliberations on-going to determine whether or not, to allow Tokunbo take-over the rulership role of his late father, the late Oba before his death, had anointed Tokunbo and given instructions to his chiefs to make sure that, he succeeds him. He added that not all the chiefs are in support of the mov, since some of them believe that tradition should be followed to determine who the next Ooni should be. “As it stands now in Ife, Tokunbo is most likely to succeed his late father because from what I gathered from some chiefs, the late Oba Okunade anointed him and told his council of chiefs to allow him take-over from him once he joins his ancestors,” he disclosed. The source further revealed that although the tradition of the Ife does not permit this, the late king was crowned in a similar fashion. “The tradition truly does not permit it, but the late king was allegedly crowned in the same manner. The king before him, late Oba Aderemi, was said to have raised his hand and anointed him his successor on his sick bed shortly before he died. And from what I gathered, late Oba Sijuade has also anointed Tokunbo to succeed him.” He explained. There have been speculations about potential successors to the revered throne and the lists keep getting longer by the day. The status of the Ooni in not just Yoruba Land, but attracts both national and international attention. Even fellow royal fathers acknowledge the leadership of the occupant of the throne of Oduduwa. The position carries authority, influence and power. No matter the level of affluence attained by a potential Ooni before ascending the throne, the authority of the throne transforms him to another level of influence, status and power. Others jostling for the throne include; Omooba Adelekan Aderemi, Prince Sikiru Ayedun, Prince Abdulraheem Adedoyin, Prince Ademola Ademiluyi, Prince Adedamola Aderemi, Prince Rasheed Adetayo Oladele, amongst others. Meanwhile a dusk to dawn curfew have been imposed in the ancient city. The curfew is to take effect on Saturday and Monday next week. According to the council of chiefs, no indigene is allowed to come out today and Monday.

Reporter dies in Ghana Presidential Convoy Crash

Reporter dies in Ghana presidential convoy crash The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 2 hours ago A member of the press corps of Ghana’s Presidency lost his life Thursday after the vehicle they were traveling skidded off road, a release from the presidency said. The release said the reporter from the state-owned Ghanaian Times newspaper lost his life in an accident involving the press corps at Shai Hills about 45 km northeast of the capital. The release said other members of the press corps were also injured and had been airlifted to the Military hospital in the capital. It said the vehicle skidded off road at the Volta Regional capital, Ho.

Concubine sets rival, lover and Children ablaze in Osun State

Concubine set rival, lover, children ablaze in Osun The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 12 minutes ago A man, said to be one of the lovers of a married woman, has set ablaze the woman, his rival and three of the woman’s children in Ede, Osun State. Our correspondent gathered on Thursday that the suspect, whose identity had yet to be made public, stormed the house of the woman, Hadijat Adegoke, and found another lover, Lawal Munirudeen, there. Enraged by this, he was said to have bought some petrol and allegedly poured it inside the room where the lovers were said to have slept and set everybody inside the room ablaze, apart from one if the woman’s children, who was not asleep as of the time of attack. Out of the four kids, only 12-year-old Ishwat escaped unhurt. Fawas (13),  Sodiq (eight), and Fathia (six), who live with their mother in her newly built house, were seriously burnt. Hadijat and Lawal were alleged to have died at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, where they were rushed to while the three kids are said to be responding to treatment at the Muslim Hospital, Ede, where doctors were said to be  battling to safe their lives. The woman was said to have been separated from her husband and moved to the new house, believed to have been built for her by some of her friends. Head, Public Relations and Protocol of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state, Mr. Wale Folarin, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent.

UPDATES 20th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES Senators Concerned as Buhari May Have Overlooked Confirmations for AMCON. Ambode Cancels Concession for Falomo Shopping Centre with Elumelu’s Company. Bristow Crash: Leadway Confirms Helicopter was Fully Insured. SIM Deactivation: Angry Subscribers Storm Network Centres. UN: Nigeria Has Highest Number of IDPs Worldwide. Governors Meet Ahead of NEC Meeting Today. President Directs NNPC to Work with Indigenous Companies in Oil & Gas Sector. Flooding: Sokoto LG Evacuates 10,000 People. Ife Prince: Ooni’s Stool Cannot be Occupied without Any Right to Royalty. Kachikwu Resorts to Private Sector Hires to Turn Around NNPC. FCTA Partners Property Developers to Build 500 Mass Houses in Abuja. DPR Sanctions 23 Private Depots in Lagos. FBI Donates Forensic Equipment to EFCC. Oyo: Ajimobi Orders Stoppage of WAEC Fees, Re-Introduces Fees in Schools. Ex-Speaker Rejects Fayose's Appointment, Shuns Screening. We killed fleeing B’Haram fighters in Gwoza – Army. Poll: Tribunal grants Peterside leave to inspect documents. Power supply to Nigerians averages 4.9hrs daily —Report. Probe Fashola, Tinubu now, Bode George tells Buhari. FG writes India over Nigerian ISIS suspects. Protests greet tuition hike in Babcock varsity. Buhari set to confirm Zakari as INEC chairman. Many Nigerian investments done with dirty money –Ribadu.

Tribunal decides APC Senator's fate on September 18th

Lagos West: Tribunal decides APC senator’s fate Sept 18 The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 1 hour ago The Lagos State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal has fixed September 18, 2015, to decide the petition emanating from the Lagos West Senatorial District election of March 28, 2015. The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Segun Adewale, is challenging the declaration of the All Progressive Congress’ candidate, Solomon Adeola, as the winner of the said election. Apart from questioning the eligibility of Adeola to stand for the election, Adewale also claimed that the election was fraught with irregularities and malpractices. He is therefore asking the court to sack Adeola and to declare him as the senator representing Lagos West in the 8th National Assembly. The Justice Sylvanus Oriji led tribunal, on Thursday, fixed September 18, 2015, for judgment after counsel for the parties had moved their final written addresses and canvassed summary arguments. On Thursday, counsel for Adewale and his party, PDP, Dr. Yemi Oke, highlighted invalid nomination, void votes and falsification of results, as three grounds on which the tribunal must nullify the declaration of the APC candidate as the winner of the March 28, 2015 election in the Lagos West Senatorial District. Insisting that the election was marred with irregularities, Oke claimed that the results submitted at the ward levels did not correspond with the number of voters screened with the card reader. He also alleged that election did not hold at all in some wards where Adeola had been declared winner. But counsel for the APC and its candidate, Dr. Muiz Banire, argued that there was nothing in the documents tendered before the tribunal by the PDP and its candidate to establish any of the allegations that they had raised. Banire, who noted that most of the allegations raised by the PDP and its candidate were criminal in nature, said the petitioners had failed to discharge the onus of proof placed on them. According to Banire, the case of the petitioner had failed in as much as, even when they had the opportunity to do so, they failed to call any witness to support their claims. While urging the tribunal to dismiss the petitioners’ case, Banire said despite alleging discrepancies in the number of voters screened and the final result of the election, the PDP and its candidate failed to show any concrete material evidence to establish their claims. He also faulted Adewale for claiming, while testifying before the tribunal, that he did not leave his polling unit but monitored other areas through his agents both at wards, units and local government, saying why was any of such agents not presented to testify. In his own submission, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. A. Adegoke, followed Banire’s line of argument and urged the court to dismiss the petitioners’ case. After hearing them, the tribunal adjourned for judgment.

UPDATES 19th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Lagos dev plan beneficial to residents, says Ambode. December terminal date for N’Delta amnesty unfeasible –IYC. Court-martial drops cowardice charge against Ransome-Kuti. NPA made N162bn, remitted N2bn – Oshiomhole. Stop calling Buhari ‘Baba go slow,’ Dickson warns. 22 ex-Reps besiege Dogara, Lasun’s offices for jobs. Baba Sala hospitalised, son says dad is stable. With Oil at Six-year Low, Crude Exporters, Firms Downsize. Buhari Dissolves AMCON Mgt Team, Demands Report on NITEL’s Liquidation. 150 Shot, Drowned in Yobe River by Boko Haram Gunmen. Fashola Cautions against Manipulation of 2016 Census. Tussle for Ooni’s Throne: Olumobi Family Warns against Distortion of Facts, History. NCAA Commences Safety Audit of Airlines. Telcos Risk Sanctions for Non-compliance on SIM Card Deactivation. Centenary City Scam: PDP Chieftain Asks Buhari, EFCC to Probe Anyim. Gaidam: Yobe Has Spent N12bn on Security in Six Years. Ilorin Cults Clash: Police Arrest 12 more People as Kwara Poly Says Students Not in Session. Amosun didn’t sack workers, service commission did. P’Harcourt Disco Workers Protest in Calabar. Unlawful detention: Court orders EFCC to pay N17m. ICPC probe: ‘Super rich’ civil servants rush to sell houses. Senate forgery: Police report’s whereabouts unknown.

EFCC, others pay 17m for unlawful detention

EFCC, others to pay N17m for unlawful detention The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 3 hours ago A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to pay damages in the sum of N17m to one Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, who was unlawfully detained by the agency. The judgment debt will be jointly paid by the EFCC and two others, Mrs. Rachadatou Abdou and Mrs. Alice Bulus, who were also joined as respondents in the fundamental rights enforcement action filed by Adeniyi. Adeniyi, an administrative manager with Rana Prestige Industries Nigeria Limited, a company co-owned by Abdou, was detained by the EFCC in connection with an alleged fraud perpetrated in the company. He had, through his lawyer, Chief Rickey Tarfa (SAN), approached the court alleging a breach of his fundamental right to liberty under Section 35 of the Constitution. In the said suit, Adeniyi had sought N30m compensation for general, exemplary and aggravated damages and another N10m as the cost of filing the suit. Justice Mohammed Yunusa, while ruling on the application on Tuesday, faulted the detention of the applicant for more than 48 hours by the EFCC. Adeniyi claimed to have been arrested and detained on two separate occasions without a warrant of arrest. The judge berated the EFCC for what he described as an abuse of power, saying Section 35 of the Constitution was put in place to “prevent security agencies from misusing their powers over citizens, whose rights they are meant to protect.” Yusuna  said before anyone could be validly arrested and detained, there must be preliminary investigation into the allegations against them.  “There is no evidence that there was a preliminary investigation into allegations against him before the arrest. “No order of court authorising the arrest was exhibited before the court. The respondents acted irrationally without following due process,” the judge held.   Yunusa said security agencies must exercise restraint at all times and must not be “intoxicated” by the enormous powers they possess.   But rather than award a total of N40m claimed by Adeniyi, Justice Yunusa awarded N10m against the EFCC, N5m against Abdou and Bulus, while all the three defendants were ordered to jointly pay Adeniyi N2m as the cost of filing the suit. The EFCC had acted following an alleged fraud in Rana Prestige Industries Nigeria Limited, where a director of the company, Gnanhoue Nazaire, the General Manager, Senou Modeste, and the company’s secretary, Ferdinand Egede, were accused of forgery and uttering of forged documents. In a four count eventually filed against the suspects, the EFCC accused them of conspiring among themselves on May 28, 2007, to forge Rana Prestige’s document, an ordinary resolution which they allegedly claimed was signed by Abdou, who co-owns the company. The anti-graft agency alleged that the suspects forged a Corporate Affairs Commission Form 7 dated November 22, 2005, claiming it was signed by Abdou. The EFCC further accused the suspects of uttering by presenting the forged Form 7 to CAC as if it was genuine. In the said charge, the EFCC claimed that the suspects conspired to commit a felony, through forgery and uttering of false documents contrary to sections 516, 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code, Cap C17, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

Expelled OPC members seek Tinubu’s assistance in Adams Removal

Expelled members seek Tinubu’s support to remove Adams – OPC The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 30 minutes ago The Oodua Peoples Congress has warned the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, against associating with some of its former members. The OPC, in a statement on Tuesday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Yinka Oguntimehin, said it had uncovered plans by dismissed members of the group to co-opt Tinubu to oust Mr. Gani Adams as the organisation’s President/National Coordinator. According to the OPC, the dismissed members of the group had written a letter, dated August 4, 2015, to Tinubu, seeking his support and blessing to remove or get rid of Adams as the OPC president. A copy of the said letter, which was made available to our correspondent, was signed by Rasak Balogun, Monsuru Akande, Musiliu Amusa, Adesina Akinpelu, Olayiwola Ogunsolu, Lateef Ogungbayi, Gbenga Egunlusi, Ranti Akande, Lateef Oshodi, Soji Folorunsho, Segun Olusanya, Idowu Akintunde, Sunday Bankole, Kehinde Ogunyale, and Sunday Adebayo. The statement read, “The dismissed members, in a letter dated August 4, 2015, and signed by all of them, appealed to the former governor to help them with their plans to remove or get rid of Mr. Gani Adams as the National Coordinator of OPC. “The names, handwriting and signatures on the letter tally perfectly with the information available in our archives. They have also mounted a campaign of calumny and malicious falsehood to malign the person of the national coordinator in the print and electronic media all to no avail. “In their letter to the former Lagos State Governor, a copy of which was brought to our notice by a good Samaritan, the dismissed group regarded themselves as ‘The Ten Million Boys Strike Force’ – an appellation for their crude conduct. They are so desperate to enlist Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to get the support of the former governor and enlist some Yoruba leaders to create crisis in the OPC.” The congress said its National Coordinating Council was in “unequivocal support” of the leadership of Adams and urged members of the general public to disregard its former members. It further described as unreasonable the alleged efforts of the ex-OPC members, “who were expelled on account of their illegalities”, to seek the support of the former Lagos State governor in order to oust Adams.

Aregbesola 's aide arrested over girlfriend 's death

Police arrest Aregbesola’s aide over girlfriend’s death The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 21 minutes ago A Special Adviser to Osun State Governor, Mr Bode Olugbore, has been arrested by the police over the death of his girlfriend, Miss Kemi Arobieke. Our correspondent gathered that Kemi, a graduate of the Lagos State University, visited Bode in Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Thursday, August 6, all the way from Lagos and promised to return on Saturday. The deceased’s elder brother, Ayo, who confirmed the death of his sister to our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday, said Kemi had known Olugbore for about four years, but the family did not know about their relationship. The brother of the deceased said he, Kemi and Bode were members of the same church in Lagos adding that her sister said the suspect had been separated from his wife. He said, “My sister travelled to Osogbo and she was supposed to return to Lagos on Saturday, but we got a call from the police that she was involved in an accident and it was very serious. “We got to Osogbo but the police prevented us from seeing her only to be told that she was electrocuted. She was said to have been electrocuted by a Binatone fan, but it is unbelievable. “The current in a fan is not enough to kill, except one has direct contact with a live wire. The mark on her body suggests something contrary.” He said he saw Bode at the State Criminal Investigation Department on two occasions he went to the place. The deceased’s brother said the police had done the autopsy, but the family was still waiting for the police to give them the result. He said, ” We were told that Bode’s family will have to be present before they would give us the result.” The governor’s media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, when contacted declined to comment on the matter. He said, ” It’s a police matter. You can get accurate information about whatever happened from the police.” Also, efforts to speak to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Folasade Odoro, proved abortive on the matter as calls put across to her telephone were picked but she refused to talk. After many calls to her other telephone, a male voice answered the call and told our correspondent that the PPRO was not in the office but left her phone for charging. He promised that the PPRO would call back when she returned, but she did not. Also, a text message sent to inquire about the case was not replied to as of the time of filing this report.

UPDATES 18th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Obasanjo persuaded us to call off strike – doctors. Anti-graft war: I won’t succumb to pressure, says Buhari. LASG ready to pay bursary, scholarship. Nigeria needs people with fear of God –Ambode. Men’s online fashion store, ajebomarket.com, launches. Customs chief resigns, says I’ve nothing to fear. CDHR gives Amosun ultimatum over workers’ sacking. UN sponsors training of 500 B’Haram victims. Customs Intercepts Bulletproof Vehicles, Destroy 5,364 Cartons of Smuggled Poultry Products. Security: FG to Recruit 10,000 Policemen. Clash of Student Cultists Claims 16 in Ilorin. FRSC Impounds 1,293 Vehicles in Three Weeks. Sultan tells Buhari to go after looters. Over 25, 000 Displaced By Taraba Crisis – SEMA. Kaduna beggars take over Ibadan roads. Buhari Assures Military of Logistics for War on Terror. ‘25% Of Ebola Survivors May Suffer Blindness’. We’ll Compensate People With Genuine Papers – el-Rufai. FRSC Commences Biometric Data Harmonisation With NIMC. Again, Tribunal Rejects Wike, PDP’s Application to Dismiss Peterside’s Petition. Fasehun, Dokubo Threaten To Sue NNPC Over Pipeline Contract.

FRSC impounds 1,200 vehicles in 3 weeks

FRSC impounds 1,200 vehicles in three weeks The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 50 minutes ago The Federal Road Safety Corps has impounded no fewer than 1,293 vehicles and also penalised 1,402 offenders within three weeks. The corps observed that majority of the drivers were driving without licences, while offences such as lane indiscipline, rickety vehicles and overloading accounted for some of the offences for which the violators were prosecuted. The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, who said this at a press briefing on Monday in Abuja, noted that 826 offenders were arraigned before the courts, out of which 753 were convicted with option of fines. He explained that the corps would sustain the enforcement of road safety ethos through a multi-dimensional approach, adding that the corps had stepped up training of haulage vehicle and tanker drivers. Oyeyemi explained that the focus of the operation was unlatched and unsecured containers, lane indiscipline, overloading violation and licence violation. He said, “Within the three weeks that we have sustained the operation, a total of 1,402 offenders have been apprehended with 1, 981 offences booked by our patrol men across the country. “In the same vein, a total of 1,293 vehicles were impounded, while the vehicle papers of 138 of the offenders were confiscated. Let me state that enforcement is part of the multi-dimensional approach we have adopted to achieve the goal of making our roads safer.” The Corps Marshall said his agency had, since January, embarked on series of advocacy, sensitisation and collaboration with all the stakeholders involved in haulage transportation and allied businesses, to sensitise them towards imbibing safe driving culture. In addition, he said the FRSC had established four specialised driving license centres across the country to cater for issuance of commercial driving license for tankers and trailers at Suleja, Warri, Kaduna and Lagos. Boboye explained that the corps would commence another operation targeted specifically at tankers operating without minimum safety standards from September 2015, stressing that tankers that have not met the minimum safety standards would not be allowed to load petroleum products from depots.

Court dissolves Ekiti PDP chairman's marriage of 28years

Court dissolves Ekiti PDP chair’s 28-year marriage The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 30 minutes ago An Ado Ekiti Customary Court on Monday dissolved the marriage of the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Chief Idowu Faleye, and his wife of 28 years, Olajumoke, over irreconcilable differences. The union was blessed with two female children, Toyin, 27, and Dupe, 24. Delivering judgment in the suit filed by Faleye, the president of the court, Joseph Ogunsemi, held that the union had collapsed beyond settlement from the available evidence. He held that the evidence supplied by the Applicant (Faleye) was unchallenged and incontrovertible as the Respondent did not appear in court to give contrary evidence. Besides, he said there was no proof of a legal marriage between the couple, describing the union as a “mere cohabitation.” According to him, the court had no option than to grant the request for dissolution as sought by Faleye. Faleye (62) had dragged Olajumoke (52) to court accusing her of being aggressive, uncontrollable, fighting and unpredictable. In his evidence before the court, Faleye had said, “I don’t love the respondent anymore, I only appreciate my children and I don’t see any resolution in the union.” He also told the court that he had another wife despite the fact that the respondent still lived in his house. The PDP chief told the court that upon dissolution of the union, he would allow the respondent to remain in his house for six months after which she would quit the house. While ordering the immediate dissolution of the union, the president ruled that Olajumoke shall have the grace to stay in Faleye’s house for six months within which she was expected to relocate elsewhere at the expiration of the six months. Ogunsemi, who averred that the judgment was in line with Order 8 Rule 5 of Ekiti State Customary Court Rule, ordered the two parties to maintain peace henceforth, consequent upon the dissolution of the marriage. He added that the respondent (Olajumoke) had 21 days to appeal the judgment.

Attacks on Syrian civilians

Attacks on Syrian civilians worries UN chief The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 1 hour ago The UN’s humanitarian chief fiercely condemned attacks against civilians in Syria at a press conference in Damascus on Monday, a day after one of the bloodiest government raids in the four-year war. “I am horrified by the total disrespect for civilian life in this conflict,” Stephen O’Brien said in a statement. He said he was “particularly appalled” by reports of civilian deaths in Sunday’s air strikes on the rebel-held town of Douma, and said attacks on civilians “must stop”.

Anti Government protest in Brazil

Thousands in anti-government protests across Brazil The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 2 hours ago Tens of thousands of demonstrators have held protests across Brazil calling for Dilma Rousseff to step down, blaming the president for the corruption and economic troubles besetting Latin America’s largest country. The rolling demonstrations began on Sunday in the capital Brasilia, where organisers said 45,000 people attended, while police put the number at 25,000. Next came the 2016 Olympic host city Rio de Janeiro, where an Olympic bicycling test event had to be rerouted as tens of thousands took over the seafront avenue along Copacabana Beach. Another protest was held in the country’s financial capital Sao Paulo, with more gatherings staged in about 200 towns and cities, organisers said. “I’m coming out to show my indignation,” said Mosack, 65, wearing the canary yellow jersey of Brazil’s national soccer team as he joined a sea of green and yellow along Sao Paulo’s central thoroughfare Avenida Paulista. It was the third nationwide day of protests against Rousseff’s government to be held this year, following large-scale demonstrations in March and April. Rousseff is fighting for her political life amid a snowballing corruption scandal involving the oil company Petrobras that has embroiled politicians from her Workers’ Party, as well as a sputtering economy, spiraling currency and rising inflation.

State of Emergency in Ecuador as Volcano erupts

State of emergency in Ecuador as volcano spews ash The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 5 hours ago Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has declared a state of emergency over increasing activity in the Cotopaxi volcano near the capital of Quito. Saturday’s decree gives authorities more flexibility in using government funds to deal with any problems, with officials having so far evacuating several hundred people as a precaution. Eruptions beginning Friday have shot ash more than five kilometres into the sky, spreading fine grey powder over roads, homes and cars in the region as far as the capital, 50km to the north. Presidential legal secretary Alexis Mera said further ash explosions and some pyroclastic flows on the volcano’s western slopes on Saturday led officials to evacuate some nearby villages. Dozens of families fled the immediate vicinity, setting up tents and improvised camps at a higher location, where they continued to watch the volcanic activity. The evacuees organised themselves to discuss how to handle the situation, feed their animals and stay warm as cold temperatures set in. Government authorities were on hand to discuss moving the group to more formal shelters. “We have come here because we saw that here were could be in a higher location, more or less, to safeguard ourselves, all of us, all of us who are here and we are hoping that the authorities who are in charge of the Risk department give us space,” Arturo Biracucha, an evacuee, told the Reuters news agency . Cotopaxi is considered one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes due to a glacial cover that makes it prone to fast-moving volcanic rock and mud flows, known as lahares. The almost 6,000 metre, snow-capped volcano, which last had a major eruption in 1877, is close to heavily populated area around Quito. Authorities had already restricted access to the park that surrounds Cotopaxi and suspended ascents of the peak, which is popular with mountaineers.

UPDATES 17th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Buhari to recover govt houses from Jonathan’s men. Probe Fashola now, PDP tells Ambode. I’m still Boko Haram leader, says Shekau. B’Haram: Army begins review of disciplinary cases today. Reps’ crisis over ‘juicy’ committees worsens. Ambode orders single account for LASG. SERAP drags Amosun to UN over sacked workers. Ooni was buried on Saturday, not Friday – Palace source. 17,904 jostle for 4,000 admission space in AAUA. PDP seeks removal of Rivers tribunal judge. NDLEA decries judges’ attitude to drug offenders. Hunters kill 100 Boko Haram members in Adamawa. Buhari seeks ‘fearless’ judges to try looters. No one can intimidate me, Fayose tells Buhari. NAF Sustains Aerial Bombardment of Terrorists’ Bunkers. LUTH doctors suspend eight-week strike. Okonjo-Iweala Denies Alleged Diversion of China Exim-Bank Loan. Staff Training Contract: Police Commission Did Not Follow Due Process – BPP. US sending arms to Nigeria – Report. Financial Crunch: 11 States Heavily Indebted to NECO. Villagers find wreckage of Indonesian plane in Papua. Prestigious BOAN (Belle of African Nations) 2015 heats up in honour of Madam Tinubu of Lagos. Benin Republic To Construct Railway Line, Road To Nigeria. Buhari Can Recover Stolen Funds – IBB. Again, Troops Recover 1,232 Stolen Cows In Kaduna. BPL – Results: Man City 3 – 0 Chelsea =)), Crystal Palace 1 – 2 Arsenal.

Deportation: Nigeria loses $100m suit against United Airlines

Deportation: Nigerian loses $100m suit against united Airlines The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper / 11 minutes ago A Federal High Court in Lagos has struck out a suit filed by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), to challenge the alleged unlawful deportation and inhuman treatment of a Nigerian, Jacob Ajomale, by officials of the United States of America in 2010. In addition to the Attorney General of the Federation sued as the third respondent, Falana also sued United Airlines and the Ministry of Internal Affairs from which he sought compensation for Ajomale in sums of $100m and N100m respectfully. Ajomale claimed to have been unlawfully arrested, detained and deported in handcuffs from the US to Nigeria aboard a United Airlines aircraft in 2010 despite having become a permanent resident in the US in February 2008 and having no criminal records. He claimed to have been carrying in his body, since 2010, a tracking device, in form of a micro chip, allegedly inserted into his body, through his anus, by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement prior to his deportation.   He claimed to have been put onboard United Airlines aircraft without his travelling papers.   But in a judgment on Thursday, Justice Mohammed Idris struck out the suit, after holding that there was a major defect in the supporting affidavit.   Idris said since there was no oral evidence before the court, the affidavit was the only evidence the court could have relied on, but he noted that there was a major defect in the said affidavit.   “Without a supporting affidavit, this application cannot stand.   “It cannot stand because the affidavit in support constitutes the evidence, since no oral evidence was called.   “Without an affidavit, there is no evidence to support this application and the application has failed.   “It failed and it is hereby struck out,” Idris held.   The judge awarded a cost of N5, 000 against Ajomale after striking out the suit.   Falana had sought a declaration that the alleged unlawful deportation and inhuman treatment of Ajomale in the US was a violation of his fundamental human rights and right to mental and physical health as preserved by sections 35 and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution and Articles 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.   He urged the court to hold United Airlines liable for what he termed his “illegal transportation without his passport and in handcuffs like a criminal aboard the airline from the US to Nigeria.”   He accused the United Airlines of conniving with or aiding the US authorities to carry out what he claimed to be his unlawful deportation.   But in opposition to Falana, United Airlines, through its lawyer, Mr. F.A. Daniel, challenged the territorial jurisdiction of the Nigerian court to adjudicate over issues which he said transpired in the US.   Dayo submitted that all the inhuman treatment alleged by Ajomale were not in the knowledge of the airline, saying the airline could not be held liable.   “There is absolutely no cause of action against the 1st respondent.   “The first respondent was only obeying the law of the land from where it took off. The idea being touted by the applicant that the 1st respondent should disobey the US authorities is reprehensible,” Dayo argued.   “Your Lordship has no power, whatsoever, to adjudicate over this matter. A Nigerian court cannot question the action of a foreign country,” Dayo added. Ajomale alleged that he was wrongfully arrested at BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland in 2009, detained and transported in handcuffs from the US to Nigeria aboard an aircraft belonging to United Airlines.   He claimed to have been locked up in a cold room for nine hours by a certain officer Derrick, in an effort to extract an incriminating statement from him to the effect that he was an illegal immigrant.   He claimed to have been subsequently arraigned, tried, convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment at the DC jail and Rivers Correction Centre, all in North Carolina before he eventually gained his freedom on August 11, 2009 at 7pm.   He, however, added shortly after his release from prison and cleared by ICE, he was re-arrested on August 15, 2009 by Derrick, who claimed that his release was a mistake.   He was then handcuffed and deported to Nigeria aboard United Airlines.

UPDATES 13th AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: Buhari congratulates Odigie-Oyegun at 76. We’re not satisfied with Ilaje election – INEC chairman. Court stops Goodie Ibru’s arraignment for alleged fraud. Oil sector accounts for 80% Nigeria’s corruption —IPMAN. Telcos lament 50% revenue loss to WhatsApp, Skype. Ooni for burial on Friday. Four killed as Bristow helicopter plunges into lagoon. B’Haram has picked new leader, says Chadian President. Senators Disagree over Pay Cuts. Auditor General Recommends Recovery of N183bn Diverted Niger Delta Funds. WAEC to Release Withheld Results Today as Debtor States Pledge to Pay Up. Bank Debtors’ List: Nda-Isaiah Petitions CBN, to Sue Enterprise Bank for Defamation. Muted Rise in Food Prices Leaves Inflation Unchanged at 9.2% in July. Amosun sacks workers for setting ‘offensive’ exam questions. Monarchs lead protests against blackout in Ekiti. Egbin Power Boosts Electricity Generation by 1,100MW. Corruption: I’ve Been Exonerated by ICPC – Okiro. Onyeka Onwenu Finally Reports At ICPC, Granted Bail. God decided Dogara’s victory, not Tambuwal, says Gbajabiamila.

DPR seals 8 petrol stations in Kwara The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper » » Business / moments ago The Department of Petroleum Resources has sealed eight petrol stations in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. The Kwara State Controller, DPR, Mr. Amos Jokodola, in an interview with our correspondent in Ilorin, said five of the stations were sealed for allegedly selling premium motor spirit, popularly called petrol, above N87 per litre. According to him, the petrol stations are: S.O.T., Rockfield, Opeyemi, Rotirem and S. Adua. He also said U.Sanda Petrol Station was sealed for allegedly hoarding the product while Zaiman Petrol Station was sealed for alleged under-delivery. He added that Alanamu Petrol Station was sealed for allegedly operating without licence. Jokodola said the petrol stations would be fined N100,000 each and would remain sealed or suspended for one month. “DPR shall continue to enforce government’s price of N87 per litre for all filling stations in the state,” Jokodola said. Our correspondent observed that many petrol stations in Ilorin were not dispensing petrol to consumers. They claimed that they were out of stock. Meanwhile, the Zonal Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria, Western Zone, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, said independent marketers were not deliberately selling above the official price. He stated that many of them were buying at a higher rate so as to provide the product to the consumers, adding that they would not sell at a loss. Ahmed said, “IPMAN has been trying all its best to ensure that petrol is supplied to the system. We don’t have depots like all the major marketers. We have only one depot. The depot has been giving products which we supply to the system. As far as we are concerned, we are keeping to the norms and we are giving products the way it is supposed to be. “Sometimes, our people are being accused of not selling at the control price; actually the products are not there. Whenever there are products, we will supply. Sometimes you get to the depots, you will not find products and most of these private depots too are selling above government-stipulated prices. “We are distributors, we go to all these depots to buy products and sell to the public. It is whatever we buy that we sell,” he added. He stated that if all the depots of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had been functional, there would have been adequate supply to Ilorin depot. He stated that IPMAN members were facing many problems in their attempt to procure and deliver petroleum products from Lagos to Ilorin. Ahmed said, “So we appeal to the Federal Government to ensure that some of these depots are working, especially the Ilorin depot. “It can serve all the northern states instead of going to Lagos to cause gridlock on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. The pipelines should also be safeguarded.”

adieu to Whitney and Bobby Kristen

Remembering Cecil the galant Lion King

UPDATES 12TH AUGUST 2015

UPDATES: NANS gives Osun ultimatum over unpaid salaries. Alake warns Ogun market women against crisis. NISER DG denies outrageous spending on contracts. El-Rufai appoints Accountant-General, fires more perm secs. Ambode urges Buhari to disband presidential task force. No agreement yet on relocation –Alade Market traders. LAWMA has capacity to generate electricity. I risk recall over Senate rules forgery – Senator Hunkuyi. Reps summon CBN gov over dollar deposits. Court-martial defies CDS directive, Ransome-Kuti’s trial continues today. Account for N5bn recruitment fund, Reps tell police. B’Haram bomb kills 50 in Borno market. Publish Imo expenses, archbishop tells Okorocha. Jonathan’s kinsmen defect to APC in Bayelsa. P DP drags Amaechi to EFCC. OAU, banks close for Ooni’s burial rites. I’m not afraid of EFCC, says Aregbesola. ICPC indicts Okiro, asks him to refund N133m. Looters’ trial’ll begin in few weeks – Buhari. Buhari fires MDs of NNPC subsidiaries. National Hospital performs open heart surgery, tweets operation. FG begins reorganisation of Amnesty programme. Sokoto plans registration of 25,000 job seekers. NNPC in Shakeup, Cuts Top Management from 122 to 83. Senate Slams Discos, Calls Them Fraudulent, Extortionist.