LATEST NEWS

The House of Representatives urged the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to enforce the use of pedestrian bridges in the country. A member of the House, Johnson Oghuma in a sponsored motion which was unanimously adopted said it was necessitated by failure of many Nigerians to use pedestrian bridges, resulting to loss of lives on highways. Oghuma said in spite of the fact that pedestrian bridges were constructed to stop people from crossing busy highways, many Nigerians still endanger their lives by refusing to use them. He said that if drastic measures were not taken to enforce adherence, the trend would likely continue with loss of more lives. The House, therefore, urged the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to protect the areas around pedestrian bridges by creating strong barricades. The House also urged the ministry to provide street lights and shades on the bridges to encourage usage and to safe guard pedestrians

Troops of 93 Battalion Takum have arrested a mercenary and 12 other suspected criminals in different parts of Taraba State. The 82 Division has therefore directed the handover of all the suspects to the State Police Command. Deputy Director, Army Public Relations 82 Division, Colonel SAGIR MUSA said in a statement that the Battalion has therefore successfully transferred and handed over the suspects and the exhibits of one Ak 47 Riffle with 10 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition to the state Commissioner of Police for further necessary action. He said the suspects and the evidences were handed over between May 19 and 22, 2017. The suspects are Babatunde Oladiji – 48 years – a mercenary caught with AK 47 Rifles with 10 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition (Handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, Takum Local Government, Taraba State). Others are Igba Shiaondo – 26 years, Mngo Asui – 38years, Dengi Usman -28 years, Sani Ali – 20 years, Suleiman Yahaiya

The Federal High Court, Abuja has granted a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,  Andrew Yakubu,   permission to travel abroad for medical treatment. Yakubu was arraigned by the EFCC on a six-count charge of money laundering and false declaration of asset. At the resumed hearing of the case, the defendant, through his counsel, Ahmed Raji, begged the court to allow him travel to the UK to complete his medical treatment. Raji informed the court that the defendant was undergoing medical treatment before he was summoned by the EFCC to return to the country. He also pleaded with the court to order the release of the defendant’s international passport which was deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court as part of his bail conditions. In his response, counsel to EFCC, Ben Ikani, said he would not object to the application since it was based on health ground. While leaving the request to the discretion of the

The Nigerian Air Force has commenced investigations into the alleged invasion of the University of Osun State at Ipetu Ijesha by some of its personnel. Director of Public Relations and Information of the Air Force, OLATOKUNBO ADESANYA said in a statement that the NAF highly regretted the entire incidence. ADESANYA said the reported incidence is not a reflection of what the NAF stands for. He said the NAF is a highly professional force that does not condone or encourage the violation of anyone's human rights. The spokesman assured Nigerians that any NAF personnel found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the appropriate laws.

Troops of Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe have raided camps of sea robbers/pirates and kidnappers at Oluwasiri and Agbidama creeks in Brass and Ekeremor Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State. Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Apochi Sulaiman told a news briefing in Yenagoa that during the operations in Oluwasiri particularly, the troops rescued two kidnapped victims. He said one of the victims who sustained gunshot injury during the crossfire is currently receiving medical attention in one of their facilities in Port Harcourt. The commander said items recovered during the raids include: one HK 21E rifle, one rocket propelled gun launcher, 4 AK 47 rifles, 3 pistols, 61 pieces of 12.7/108mm ammo, 5 empty rifles magazine, one empty pistol magazines, 36 pieces of 7.62mm ammo, 15 pieces of 9mm ammo among others items. He said the Joint Task Force is resolved to ensure peaceful socio-economic environment for business to thrive.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has confirmed that another Chibok schoolgirl had been found, barely 12 days after the release of the 82 abducted girls by the Boko Haram terrorists. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, told newsmen in Abuja, that the recovery of the girl was announced by the acting president during the Federal Executive Council meeting. He said the affected girl has been brought to Abuja to join her colleagues who were rescued from captivity. Adesina also dismissed the assertion that members of Boko Haram had started regrouping in the Sambisa forest, saying that the Federal Government had the capacity to confront any security challenge arising from any part of the country.

A former Deputy Speaker and current member representing Jos-North state constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Baba Hassan, has been docked before Justice J.U.A Musale of High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Jabi, for allegedly submitting a forged academic qualification to the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest in the 2015 State Assembly elections. The lawmaker, who is presently a 3-time member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, was said to have forged a Diploma in Business Administration of the University of Jos, dated November 1996, and falsely inserted his name as one of the graduating students in the “Order of Proceedings of the 19th Combined Convocation Ceremony” of the said university held on 26th and 27th April 2002 which he presented to ICPC investigators. Hassan, who contested the 2015 Plateau State House of Assembly election again and won, was arraigned on a 5-count charge of offences bordering on f

Chief Executive Officer, General Duties and Procurement Officer Kaduna State Polytechnic, Ahmed Umar, has been docked before Justice M.T.M Tukur of Kaduna State High Court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for alleged contract inflation and award of contracts to a company which he owned. The accused was arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on holding a private interest in the award of contracts, fraudulent acquisition of property, conferring corrupt advantage upon himself and inflation of goods and services to the tune of N39,361,027.50. Umar was said to have inflated the cost of an executive conference table from N350,000 to N1,250,000 and the cost of a Chinese carpet from N567,600 to N2,017,600. The defendant was also accused of using his office for gratification by awarding the contract for the rehabilitation of a road and parking lot worth N12,662,590 and the procurement of 1,277 two-seater classroom chairs worth

A member of the House of Representatives EDWARD PWAJOK from Plateau State has defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party. PWAJOK in his defection letter read by the Speaker of the house, Yakubu Dogara, during plenary said he left the PDP due to the crisis in the party. He said there were many divisions in the PDP, from national level to Plateau. But the Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, raised a point of order to fault Pwajok’s claim that the PDP was factionalised. He said that going by the Appeal Court’s judgment, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is the National Chairman of the PDP and urged Pwajok to vacate his seat. The Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, however, urged more PDP legislators to capitalise on the crisis within the party to cross over to the ruling party. Dogara said that the legality of Pwajok’s defection would be left for the court to decide. Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, who was at the chamb

The lead pathologist who carried out the autopsy on the body of the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Doctor Taiwo Sholaja, has told a coroner inquest that no trace of poison was found in the body system of the deceased when it was examined. Doctor Sholaja,  while giving evidence before the coroner, Chief  Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, said the autopsy carried out by him and two other pathologists from Ladoke Akintola University Hospital, Osogbo, revealed that the late senator died of “aspiration of gastric content due to multiple drug overdose.’’ He said the autopsy was performed in the presence of the Divisional Police Officer of Dugbe Police Station, Osogbo, Ogunkanmi Gbemileke and the two other pathologists from LAUTECH. Sholaja also said that before the autopsy, he gathered from a family member, Modupe Adeleke-Sani, that the late politician had complained of pains in the knees, and inability to sleep. He added that some drugs were said to have been administered

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has been engaged in phone discussions with the Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara as well as the ECOWAS Chairperson and President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in a bid to finding peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis in Cote d’Ivoire. In a series of conversations with both Presidents since Monday, Prof. Osinbajo expressed Nigeria’s support for the government and people of Cote d’Ivoire, and also for the sustenance of peace, security and democracy in the country. The Acting President noted the readiness of the Federal Government to work with ECOWAS and West African leaders to pursue a quick resolution of the situation.

The Federal Government has condemned in strong terms the recent mutiny in Cote d’Ivoire. Acting President YEMI OSINBAJO in a statement by his spokesman, LAOLU AKANDE expressed Nigeria’s support for the Government of ALASSANE OUATTARA. He urged the parties to the crisis to exercise maximum restraint, remain calm and continue with dialogue and negotiations with the government of President OUATTARA. OSINBAJO also urged the mutineers to return to their barracks and to refrain from any action capable of undermining the peace, security and democracy in the country. 

Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN) has accused the Federal Government of frustrating the trial of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) in a charge of money-laundering its brought against him. Olujimi told an FCT High Court that it was irritating for government to have persistently and consistently refused to produce Dasuki in Court to face in the criminal charges even when the Ex-NSA is in the custody of the Department of the State Service in flagrant disobedience to the bails granted him by several courts. Since 2015, when Dasuki was arraigned before different high courts, he has been granted bail by Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Justice Ahmed Rahmat Mohhamed of the Federal High Court as well as Justice Peter Affen and Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Courts.  The ECOWAS Court had also in a judgement ordered the Federal Government to release him immediately from the unlawful

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Buhari Fannami and Ba-Kura Abdullahi on two separate one count charge before Justice M. T Salihu of the Federal High Court Maiduguri, for allegedly giving false information to the agency under the whistle blowing policy. Fannamit had misled the EFCC with the information about illegally acquired monies purportedly buried at the residence of one Ba’a Lawan but the information turned out to be false after the execution of a search warrant. The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge. Counsel to the prosecution Alkassim Ja’afar asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the accused person in the prison custody pending trial. On his part, Ba-Kura Abdullahi also gave false information to the effect that large sum of money in naira and foreign currencies were buried in the residence of Ba’a Lawan. Justice Salihu adjourned the matter to June 7 and 8, 2017 for hearing and ordered the accuse