Alleged Robbery! Police Arrest Deputy Superintendent Of Prisons

The officers of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested a Deputy Superintendent of Prisons in the Nigerian Prisons Service, Mr. Collins Ugwu, on suspicion of armed robbery.

The accused, a native of Ezza in Ebonyi State, who resides in Abuja where he works at the headquarters of the Nigeria Prisons Service, was reportedly caught in Enugu on June 26.

He was arrested alongside alleged accomplices — Ifeanyi Ozor, a native of Enugu State who is also residing in Abuja; and Smart Osetu, from Oguta in Imo State.

The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Mr. Mohammed Danmallam, who disclosed this while parading the suspects, said the suspects are members of a syndicate, which specializes in monitoring bank customers.

    Danmallam alleged, “The suspects (Ugwu, Ozor and Osetu) belonged to a syndicate that specialised in monitoring anyone that had gone to the bank to make withdrawals and trailed them to a point where they could smartly force the door or the windscreen (of the victims’ cars) open with their instrument and steal the said amount.

    “They were also a part of a syndicate that bought goods from traders and generated fake payment alert to the owners of the goods without him knowing.

    “They were nabbed along Ogui Road, Enugu, by the operatives of the Enugu State Police Command on June 26, 2018, following intelligence information gathered concerning their nefarious activities.”

Items allegedly recovered from the suspects, according to Danmallam, included a Golf car with registration number Abuja RBC 220 KF, and a broken plug which they allegedly used in ‘scratching down’ windows of cars when they wanted to steal from their victims.

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EFCC confines former Kaduna state governor, Ex-Minister

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, has confined a previous governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero. The state governor who is being examined by EFCC since 2016, for the part they played in the dispensing of the N750 million PDP crusade support before the 2015 general election.

The formal governor and the three others to be specific Haruna Gaiya a previous PDP chairman in the state a former Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Way; and the previous Secretary to Kaduna State government, Hamza Ishaq, have been under scrutiny by EFCC since 2016, for the part they played in the payment of the N750 million PDP crusade finance before the 2015 general decision.

The Kaduna zonal representative of the EFCC, Kamaludeen Gebi says the previous governor and the three others will be summoned at a Federal high court sitting in Kaduna on Thursday on charges verging on money laundering, criminal scheme, misappropriation of open assets among others.

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Atiku Vows To Probe Buhari’s Govt If Elected President In 2019

A former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has stated that he will probe the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari over the war against Boko Haram, especially procurement of arms, if he is elected Nigeria’s president in the 2019 general elections.

The ex-VP made this known while speaking on BBC Hausa Good Morning Program on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

He said; “Eight years after, Nigerian government is still fighting Boko Haram that are not professionally trained. If elected Nigeria’s president, I will investigate how the government was unable to defeat Boko Haram for years, also I will investigate the procurement of arms bought by this administration.

“After 2015 general election, I met the president. I told him the activities of the party have been crippled and there is a need for restructure. Also I advised the president on issues concerning his administration. I said to him, if things continued like this, I will quit, but Mr Buhari turned deaf ears and remained mum.

“If Nigerians can recall, we initiated the Economic and Financial (Crimes) Commission (EFCC). I’m the person that sourced for the take off funds for the EFCC.

“In this administration (Buhari’s), there are people that are untouchable, they are doing things that are not in order but they are being shielded by the government. If elected Nigeria’s president, my administration will not spare any personality. When I was in (at) the helm (of affairs), none of my relatives or friends were found wanting.

He also said 40 percent of his cabinet will be youth if elected president.

On the allegation that he has been banned from entering the United States, he said:

“I requested for visa, they said it is under administrative process. I’m not desperate to travel to America, I don’t have any investment there. The house I bought for my wife years back, she sold the house, I don’t have anything to do in America. It’s my tradition, I buy houses for my wives, but for me, I don’t need a house.”

When asked whether the ‘ban’ will affect his chances of becoming Nigeria’s president, Mr Abubakar said:

“It’s not by going to America that qualifies one to be a president, it’s not in our Constitution.”

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771 Cases of Domestic Violence, 138 against Men, recorded in 10 months in Lagos

The Lagos State Domestic Violence & Sexual Violence Response Team (DVSRT) recorded 138 cases against men between May 2017 and March 2018, Premium Times reports.

This was revealed by the attorney-general of the state, Adeniji Kazeem, at the 2018 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Ikeja.

1771 cases of domestic violence cases were reported in all, he said.

He added that the Special Task Force Against Land Grabbers received 1,300 petitions, of which 855 were concluded, and 530 pending.

8,380 were arrested for traffic offences, he said, while cases of 262 inmates at Badagry, Kirikiri and Ikoyi prisons were taken up.

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President Buhari couldn’t have derided all Nigerian Youths – Presidency

The presidency has responded to Nigerians’ reactions to the comments made by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Commonwealth Business Forum.

President Buhari, speaking at the forum, said a lot youths in Nigeria want to sit around and do nothing, expecting free education and housing.

Nigerians have since condemned the comment, even trending #LazyNigerianYouths on Twitter, highlighting their achievements.

Writing on his Facebook, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said the president only said, “a lot of” not “all” of the youths want to sit and do nothing.

Manipulators and twisters of statements interpreted the comment to mean the president deride all of the Nigerian Youth, Adesina said.

Read the statement below:

    PRESIDENT BUHARI COULDN’T HAVE DERIDED ALL NIGERIAN YOUTHS

    At the Commonwealth Business Forum in London on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari gave a keynote address on Making Business Easier Between Commonwealth Countries. The presentation was followed by a discussion, and question and answer session.
    Responding to a question, President Buhari had cause to talk about some Nigerian youths, and he said: ” We have a very young population; our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. More than 60 per cent of the population is below the age of 30. A lot of them have not been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare and education free.”
    Typical of their stock in trade, manipulators and twisters of statements of Mr President, who lie in wait to make mischief, interpreted the comment to mean that President Buhari had taken all Nigerian youths to the cleaners. But elementary English recognizes a wide gulf between “a lot of” and the word “all.” How can “a lot of them,” suddenly transmogrify to mean “all of them?” Mischievous and unconscionable!
    There is no way President Buhari, father of the Nigerian nation in every sense of the word, who equally has biological children of his own in the youths age bracket, pass a vote of no confidence on all youths. It can only exist in the imagination of those who play what the President has described as “irresponsible politics” with everything.
    President Buhari has always applauded and celebrated Nigerian youths who excel in different areas of endeavour, from sports, to academia, and other realms. And he will continue to do so, because he values the youths, and knows that they are the fulcrum on which the future of the country rests.
    Indeed, every country has its share of idle population, and it is the bounden duty of government at all levels, to create an enabling environment for them to actualize their potentials. That is what President Buhari is committed to doing.
    The focal areas of the administration; securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption, are actually intended to give youths a future and a hope. This much was emphasized in an April 5, 2018 comment by President Buhari, while receiving Letter of Credence from the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria, when he said: ” Our insistence on probity is to encourage people to be accountable, and accept honesty as a lifestyle so as to secure the future of our youths.’’ The President also said more than 60 percent of Nigerians fall into the age category of youths and deserve to inherit a stable and prosperous country that they can be proud of, adding that the government will work assiduously to prevent waste and the depletion of resources by corrupt Nigerians.

    It is futile for mischief makers to lie in wait, and take a minor part of the words of the President, and turn it into negative commentary, peradventure they could diminish the profile of the President. Nigerians across all walks of life know who is serving them faithfully and truly, and they will always reciprocate such fidelity as occasions demand.

    Femi Adesina
    Special Adviser to the President
    (Media and Publicity)
    April 19, 2018

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‘Imo Needs 20 Universities’, Says Governor Okorocha

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has revealed that the state needs not less than 20 universities to take care of the increasing population of qualified applicants of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from the state who are yearly denied admissions because of certain unfavourable polices like catchment areas and limited admission spaces.

The governor said this when the Founder of the LORDS CHOSEN Church, Pastor Lazarus Muoka visited him on courtesy call at the Government House, with other leaders of the church on Friday, March 23, 2018, to inform the governor that his Church has come to establish a World-Class University in the state.

Okorocha, who accented to a request for land from the visitors, also instructed that land should be allocated to the church immediately for that purpose.

He also gave the church N10m to enable them clear the site of the intended university, with the governor stating that for the seventh time, the state has continued to lead in JAMB applications with wide margin.

According to him, in 2018, the state topped the JAMB application chart with 92,980 applications and added that out of this number, it would be surprising to see more than 5,000 applicants having admissions into the universities because of certain policies and grossly limited slots.

The governor noted that education was the biggest industry in the state and assured Muoka that the state would support the church to ensure that the university is started and finished for academic activities to begin.

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Former VP Sambo visits President Buhari

Former Vice President with the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration Namadi Sambo visited President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari hosted the ex vice president at the State House in Abuja.

According to Punch, the meeting lasted 25 minutes, with Sambo arriving around 12 PM, and leaving 12:25 PM.

Sambo refused to speak to the state house correspondents, only saying, “it was a private meeting,” before leaving in his car.

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Doctors Suspend 72-Day-Old Strike In Kogi

Doctors under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Kogi chapter, have suspended their 72-day old strike to enable further negotiations with the state government.

The chairman of the chapter, Godwin Tijani, said this on Tuesday in a statement after an Emergency Congress Meeting of the association in Lokoja.

He said the suspension was to honour the NMA National President, Mike Ogirima, who appealed to the congress to suspend the strike, to further dialogue with the state government.

Mr. Tijani also said that the congress decided to suspend the strike due to the plea from the general public, coupled with the love the doctors had for the patients.

    “All doctors working with Kogi Government are hereby directed to resume work as from Thursday, March 22.

    “The congress also expected the state government to pay the arrears of salary owed its doctors within the next one month and address other issues that resulted in the strike, to avoid another round of strike.

    “The congress warned against any form of victimisation of any member of the association that participated in the strike as such action will be resisted by NMA,” Tijani said.

    ‘’The association, however, commended ‘’the medical elders’’, CMD KSSH, CMD HMB, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, Dr Attah Ahmed.

    ‘’We also praise the Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu, all for their role to ensure amicable resolution of the crisis.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NMA on January 7, directed its members in all the state hospitals to embark on strike due inability of the state government to meet their demands.

     The demands include: “Irregularities in salary payment for doctors. 10 doctors owed salary ranging from four to 15 months, gross underpayment of salaries to doctors with some receiving as low as N35, 000 per month.

    “Non-promotion and annual step increment for several years, non-implementation of Revised CONMESS, 60 per cent payment of August to December 2017 salary to doctors while implementing 100 per cent tax deduction from the same salary.

    “Retirement of senior doctors yet to attain the statutory age or year of retirement, implementation of ‘No-work-No-Pay’ policy in the ongoing strike by not paying doctors January 2018 salary.”

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Buhari Sacks Paul Boroh, Coordinator Of Amnesty Programme

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the dismissal of the coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme for former Niger Delta militants, Paul Boroh.

Boroh’s dismissal was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity.

In the statement, Adesina said Charles Dokubo, a professor, has been appointed to replace Boroh.

    The statement read: “Prof Dokubo is currently director of research and studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. He holds a PhD in strategic studies from the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, and hails from Abonema, Akuku-Toru local government of Rivers state.”

The statement said Babagana Monguno, national security adviser, has been directed to probe the activities of the amnesty office since 2015 when Boroh was appointed.

    “Meanwhile, the president directs the national security adviser (NSA) to carry out a full investigation into the activities of the Amnesty Programme from 2015 to date, especially allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that are allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the Presidential Amnesty Programme,” the statement added.

Boroh, a retired brigadier general, was appointed on July 28, 2015.

He replaced Kingsley Kuku, the former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta who also doubled as Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme.

At the time of his appointment, he was charged with the speedy resolution of hitches in the implementation of the amnesty programme, such as the non-payment of outstanding allowances to ex-militants.

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Buhari Writes Senate, Rejects Amended Timetable For 2019 Elections

President Muhammadu Buhari has penned the Senate, declining assent to the new amendment to the Electoral Act regarding election sequence in the 2019 general elections.

The president’s rejection was contained in a letter read Tuesday on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

A similar letter was also sent to the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

    Buhari’s letter read, “Pursuant to Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to the Senate, my decision, on 3rd March 2018, to decline Presidential Assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018 recently passed by the National Assembly.

    “Some of my reasons include the following:

    “The amendment to the sequence of elections in Section 25 of the principal act, may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize, undertake and supervise elections provided in Section 15(A) of the third statue to the Constitution;

    “The amend to Section 138 of the principal act to delete two crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by candidates, unduly limits the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process;

    “The amendment to Section 152 Subsection 325 of the Principal Act may raise Constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections.

    “Please accept Distinguished Senators, the assurances of my highest consideration.

    Yours Sincerely.”

With the rejection of amendments by the president, the next option left for the National Assembly is to override the president’s veto or let the act remain as it is.

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Wasiu Ayinde: Nigeria’s Fuji Musician Becomes UN Ambassador

Popular Nigerian Fuji musician, Mr. Wasiu Ayinde has been decorated the UN-SDG Ambassador by the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development at the International Stakeholders Conference on SDG.

According to Nigerian Tribune, the event took place at the Cultural Centre Kuto, Abeokuta, where many dignitaries including the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun witnessed the colourful occasion.

Mr. Ayinde was honoured by the UN barely a few days after he celebrated his 61st birthday.

The Fuji musician was honoured because of his contribution to humanity through his music, said the organisers while citing the reason why he was selected.

The musician received the award alongside other honorees like the Ogun State First Lady, HE Olufunso Amosun, prolific film maker, Tunde Kelani and many others.

The Civil Society Coalition is affiliated with the United Nations and it has over 150 registered civil society and non-governmental organisations under its fold in Nigeria.

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REVEALED! Nigeria Now Losing N774 Million Daily To Fuel Subsidy

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has revealed that it was subsidising the supply of petrol to the tune of N774 million every day, given the landing cost of the imported fuel and the regulated pump price in the domestic market.

The revelation was brought to light on Sunday, barely a few days after the corporation turned down a freedom of information request by Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, on how much the government was spending on subsidy.

    NNPC GMD Reveals That Nigeria Is Now World’s Largest Petrol Importer

The NNPC also said that the benefit of this costly subsidy to the national treasury is being enjoyed by only a few as well as in neighbouring countries on the account of the continued smuggling of the fuel across the borders.

The NNPC Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, has also pleaded with the comptroller general of the Nigerian Customs Service, Hameed Ali, a retired colonel, to help check the proliferation of fuel stations in communities with international land and coastal borders across the country.

He said it had energised unprecedented cross-border smuggling of petrol to neighboring countries, making it difficult to sanitise the fuel supply and distribution matrix in the country.

    “NNPC is concerned that continued cross-border smuggling of petrol will deny Nigerians the benefit of the Federal Government’s benevolence of keeping a fix retail price of N145 per litre despite the increase in PMS open market price above N171 per litre,’’ an NNPC statement quoted Baru saying during a visit at the weekend to the customs chief.

     “Based on the heightened petrol consumption rate of 50 million litre per day, the corporation was incurring an under-recovery of N774 million every day.”

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BREAKING! Boko Haram: 15 Killed As Suicide Bombers Attack Borno Market

No less than 15 people have been confirmed dead while 18 others sustained injuries after three suicide bombers struck at a market in Konduga, Borno state, on Friday.

Speaking with TheCable, a resident who witnessed the incident, Bulama Kaka, said it occurred around 7pm.

     “We all ran for safety after the first thunderous blast occurred. Many people I know were killed in the attack,” he said.

In his narration, an official of the State Emergency Management Agency disclosed that the victims with minor injuries were receiving treatment at a hospital in Konduga.

He added that those who lost their lives and people in critical condition have been moved to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Maiduguri general hospital.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the incident, the mode of the attack bears the hallmarks of Boko Haram, a jihadist group which frequently uses suicide bombers, often women and girls, to attack crowded public spaces such as mosques and markets.

Friday’s attack is coming barely a day after the Army placed a bounty of N3 million on the shadowy leader of the Islamic sect Abubakar Shekau.

    “The Nigerian Army will give out Three Million Naira (N3,000,000.00k) cash reward for any credible information that leads to the arrest of Abubakar Shekau, the fugitive factional Boko Haram terrorists’ group leader.

    “Anybody with such credible information can either contact the Military Command and Control Centre, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, any military location, security agencies or call the Nigerian Army Information and Call Centre 193,” a statement issued by Usman Sani, Army spokesman, on Thursday had said.

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41 Feared Killed In Fresh Zamfara Attack

At least 41 persons have been feared killed after some suspected armed bandits attacked Birane village in Zurmi local government area of Zamfara state.

Daily Trust reports that the gunmen struck after intercepting a vehicle conveying bridesmaid and traders to the community market.

It was gathered that the armed bandits slit the throat of the driver and then opened fire on the vehicle – killing all on board – and then set it ablaze before proceeding to the community market where they started shooting indiscriminately.

The traders scampered for safety as the gunmen continued their assault unabated.

    “They arrived in large number and on motorbikes intercepting and killing people who were coming or going out of the village. About 41 people were shot dead within a short period of time,” Hussaini Abdu, a resident, was quoted to have said.

Abdu said a commercial motorbike rider conveying a woman and her three children was killed and his motorbike burnt.

He added that up till now, the whereabouts of the woman and her children remain unknown.

In his narration, Muhammad Shehu, spokesman of the state police command, said the conflict arose after hunters and local vigilantes mobilised and launched a pre-emptive attack on bandits when they heard that they were preparing to attack their community.

He said instead of the residents to give the security operatives timely information to avert the attack they decided to take law in to their hands by going out to confront the gunmen.

    “You know Birane is a very remote community. Yet, I can’t tell you the actual figures of the casualties till after the deputy commissioner operations of the command comes back. He, alongside other officers are there to assess the situation and provide additional security measures,” he said.

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Young man caught stealing perfume for his girlfriend at a Lagos supermarket on Val's day

According to the Facebook user, Nwachukwu Blessing Ada, who posted the images of the unidentified man being punished for stealing, the man claimed he stole the perfume in order to probably please his girlfriend.

He was however disgraced and punished as the supermarket officials forced him to kneel in front of everyone with the stolen items.

And his pictures were taken.

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Senate adjourns Plenary due to broken AC

The Nigerian Senate has adjourned Thursday’s plenary after a fire outbreak in a technical room sent smoke through the air conditioning system, Punch reports.

Senator Abdullahi Gobir had raised a point of order in the house lamenting the state of the air conditioning system.

The room was not conducive for members of the senate, he said.

It was learnt that a fire outbreak in Room SB 63 Technical Room at the White House, Senate Wing of the National Assembly was the reason for the smoke coming through the system.

Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, adjourned the plenary until Tuesday, requesting that repairs be carried out during the weekend.

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