Fresh News

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that Nigeria will redeem her pledge of $100 million for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF)  to enhance the operations of the force in the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram insurgency. He gave the assurance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday while speaking at a high-level meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council. Buhari told the council that Nigeria had last June  released $21 million to the  Multinational Joint Task Force and would remit the $79 million balance very soon. The meeting was ahead of the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union billed to commence today at the Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa with the theme “2016: African Year of Human Rights with a Particular Focus on the Rights of Women”. The president also told the AU Peace and Security Council that Boko Haram’s capacity to conduct conventional attacks had been heavily degraded.

On Saturday, January 23, Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje pardoned 39 cattle-rustlers who voluntarily surrendered themselves and their weapons. The pardon was in fulfillment of a pledge he made in December last year. The repentant rustlers were among those who have been terrorizing communities around Falgore and Gomo forests in Doguwa and Sumaila local government areas of Kano State, Daily Trust learnt. The bandits were handed over to the governor by the state police commissioner, Alhaji Muhammad Musa Katsina, in Gomo Forest. Daily Trust spoke to some of the pardoned rustlers, and one of them, Tambari Jibril, said he became a bandit through the influence of a friend he named as Ibrahim Dawai. He said he was induced with a cash gift of N60,000, after which he was taken to Kaduna for a week of wild fun, frolicking with women of easy virtue. He revealed that he was a cattle-rustler for two years, before he quit “out of the fear of God”. Of course, he said, he had heard a

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested one of its operatives over alleged extortion of suspects who are under investigation. A statement on Friday night by EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said the operative, Abdulrahman Mohammed Biu, a deputy detective superintendent, was arrested for offences bordering on extortion and influence peddling. Uwujaren said: "The officer was arrested on Monday January 25, 2016 following intelligence report alleging that he extorted a whopping sum of $150,000 (N45 million) from some  military officers on the pretext that he would help give them a soft landing in the ongoing  investigation into the arms deal  scandal.‎” Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/efcc-operative-arrested-for-extorting-n45m-from-suspects/131414.html#XOwt2SdrwOjiw3WM.99 Check the Daily Trust newspaper for the full story.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon with African Heads of States and Presidents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the 26th Ordinary Session of the African Union. PHOTO CREDITS: www.au.int African leaders have told the United Nations (UN) that the continent will fight for its own identity, integrity and personality. They emphatically called on the United Nations to reform the Security Council by making African nations its permanent members. The chairman of the AU, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, made the call Saturday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the commencement of the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, with the theme “2016: African Year of Human Rights, with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women”. Mugabe specifically told the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon, that African nations were independent and were supposed to be free. He declared that African countries would certainly decide one day that they could not c

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it is intensifying surveillance to locate the abducted Chibok girls and other captives held by the Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest. Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao, the Deputy Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole in charge of Air Component made this known when he briefed newsmen in Maiduguri on Saturday. Amao said that NAF had also destroyed the terrorists’ leadership hideouts; logistics support bases and infrastructure in its numerous air strikes. ``In continuation of the counter-terrorism operations under Operation Lafiya Dole, the air component has intensified air strikes against the Boko Haram terrorists. ``The air effort was focused on further degrading the terrorists operational capability as well as command and control structure, restricting their freedom of movement and destroying their logistics support base,’’ he said. He said that the Air Force had successfully carried out 286 operational sorties against the terrorist

Boko Haram insurgents launched a massive attack on Maiduguri, Borno state capital on Saturday night. Daily Trust correspondent ‎reports that the attack started at about 7.13pm. The militants are said to have entere‎d through Wanori village and started shooting sporadically. They advanced to Dalori opposite the University of Maiduguri, setting homes ablaze. A witness who resides near the university said heavy gunfire was still ongoing and that people around the area had fled to other relatively safe locations in the town. Check the Daily Trust newspaper for the full story.

Emmanuel Emenike is expected to undergo a medical today at West Ham United ahead of a loan move to Upton Park. West Ham have agreed a deal with Fenerbahce to take Emenike, 28, on loan for the rest of the season, with the view to a permanent move. The potential move had been held up because it needed the agreement of Fenerbahce and Al Ain as the Nigerian had been on loan at the latter. Al Ain agreed to cut short his season-long loan deal to allow him to return to Fenerbahce so that he could then make the switch to West Ham. West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is looking to add to his striking options before the close of the transfer window with Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho on the sidelines. For the full story, check the Vanguard newspaper.

THESE are not the best of times for the administration of Abdulfatah Ahmed in Kwara State as a result of its failure to be up to date with the payment of salaries. Virtually all the civil servants in the state have not been paid in the last five months, leading to industrial action embarked upon by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE. The leadership of the union has vowed not to return to work unless the state government pays the accumulated wages. Advocacy meeting In a chat with Vanguard, Secretary of NULGE, Comrade Abayomi A?folabi, noted that the strike would remain until the needful is done by the state government. The worst hit is the education sector where both primary and post- primary schools have remained closed, resulting in discontent among parents and guardians. Worried about the situation, 16 Local Government chairmen in the state under the aegis of Association of Local Government Council of Nigeria, ALGON, and the state chapter of the

Until the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1 joined his ancestors 10 days ago, no one in his wildest imagination could think that the orderly arranged ascendancy to the throne of Olubadan  could be enmeshed in this kind of crisis. Hitherto, many had thought the rancour-free arrangement of the titles was the best in the South West . However,  unfolding events in the traditional council of the ancient city have shown that ‘the rich also cry’. Until the court says otherwise, there are two ruling lines to the throne of Olubadan. They are the civil and military lines. These two royal lines have been producing the Olubadan. Previous kings were appointed on rotational basis to occupy the stool on the death of a monarch.  The next to Olubadan and most senior on both lines are the Otun Olubadan and Balogun. But now a third royal line, the Seriki line led by Chief Adebayo Oyediji  is laying claim to the crown, saying  it has a court judgment, which had long ago rec

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday debunked claims credited to Super Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Oliseh that he spent about $4,000 dollars to feed  members of the Team ‘B’ national team. Coach Sunday Oliseh was quoted to have blamed the ouster of his team from the ongoing African Nations Cham-pionship (CHAN) on the alleged failure of the NFF to have  adequately provided for the team, a development that forced him to feed the team with his personal money. General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi told Sports Vanguard that there is no iota of truth in the claim because the federation made adequate arrangements to ensure that the team got all they needed ahead of the championship. According to the scribe, the NFF made arrangement for camping of the team at the South African High Performance Centre in Pretoria through their partners. For the full story, check the Vanguard newspaper.

Alhaji Sagir Muhammad, who holds the title Waziri Ringim was the leader of defunct Arewa Peoples Congress, APC. Known as a front line General Ibrahim Babangida loyalist, Muhammad, who retired from the military as intelligence officer in the 1990’s, in this interview spoke on burning national issues. What do you think is responsible for an upsurge in the activities of the insurgents despite claims that they have been technically defeated? Insurgency is the most difficult aspect of military operation because you don’t know your enemy, you don’t know where he is, you don’t know the kind of tactics he uses which is not conventional tactics, you don’t know the kind of logistic he uses and you don’t know where the logistics are or where they are hidden. And above all why it is extremely difficult is that the insurgents are usually embedded within the civil society. If you probably know where their training ground is like Sambisa there may be other training grounds within the civ

Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has revealed his fear about Nigeria’s chances of having their strongest squad for the coming qualifiers. The Nigerian trainer explained that he holds the fear that “some players who are being owed various sums of money might not come if they are not paid before the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. He added that a number of the Nigerian internationals had called him on telephone to ask for “what they’re being owed. For the full story, check the Vanguard newspaper.

We delivered best video surveillance system to FG—ZTE ABUJA —THE Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, yesterday said the $470 million contract awarded by the late President Musa Yar’Adua’s administration for the procurement and installation of Close Circuit Television, CCTV, in Lagos and Abuja did not follow due process. The Director General of BPP, Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this at an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee set up by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, to unravel the circumstances of the award of the contract and the failure of ZTE Corporation to complete the contract. The BPP Director-General told the  Ahmed Yerima-led committee that his office did not issue certificate of no objection in the award. But the former DG of NigComSat, Ahmed Rufa’i, said award of the contract was through a presidential approval, contending that it was not all issues, especially those that had to do with the security of the country that should pass through th

Operators in the Nigerian capital market have moved for Federal Government intervention fund to save the market from the current volatility and grow the economy. The coalition of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS, Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria, ASHON and Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria, AIHN at a press conference in Lagos kicked against the reintroduction of stamp duty by the Federal Government, saying “it will add to the cost of transaction in the market.” Speaking, Acting President, CIS, Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe said “ The capital market is going through challenges that are not uncommon with other markets especially the automated markets which operate in a crest and trough pattern in response to variables in the macro economy and within the market itself.” Pulse of the economy According to him “This is so because the capital market is an integral part of the economy which ideally serves as a barometer for measuring the pulse of the economy. Moreover,

The Warri Progressive Forum, WPF, has urged the member representing Warri South, I, Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs Omawumi Udoh to key into the SMART Agenda of the Delta State government so as to better the lives her constituents. The WPF, which was the campaign organisation of Udoh urged Udoh to see her victory at the Court of Appeal as call to further work towards the deepening of democracy in Nigeria. Addressing newsmen in Warri, Spokesperson of the group and Special Adviser, News Media to Delta State governor, Mr. Michael Tidi said: “We are pleased to offer our most sincere congratulations upon Hon. Omawumi Udoh’s historic oath-taking as the Honorable Member representing Warri South 1, Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly. For the full story, check the Vanguard newspaper.

SHE may not make the list of top Nigerian songstresses at the moment, but vocal power house, Omawunmi has relaunched her career. The music sensation is back with a new song titled Play na play, which she features legendary singer, Angelique Kidjo. For the full story, check the Vanguard newspaper.

ASABA—THE people of Delta Central senatorial district, yesterday, went into jubilation, following the swearing-in of Obaisi Ovie Omo-Agege as the senator representing the district by the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, at the National Assembly, in Abuja. The people who danced round some streets in Ughelli, Orogun, Sapele, Effurun and Okpe, described Omo-Agege’s inauguration in the Senate as a good omen for the Urhobo nation. The swearing-in of Omo-Agege of the Labour Party was sequel to the Appeal Court judgment which removed Chief Ighoyota Amori of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Speaking to Vanguard, the national leader of Urhobo Youths Nationality Council, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, a prominent Urhobo leader, Chief Austin Uloho, Mr Friday Onodjae and Prince Elvis Oharisi, said it was a new dawn for the people of the area. Congratulating Omo-Agege on his swearing-in, Egbo expressed confidence that Omo-Agege would give adequate representation to the Urhobo nation.

Disown Gulak, say action regrettable ABUJA — The crisis  rocking the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a new twist as governors elected on the platform of the party have asked the Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to handover the leadership to the National Secretary, Prof Adewale Oladipo. The governors also disowned former Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, who stormed the secretariat with his supporters and made himself national chairman. Acting under the aegis of PDP Governors’ Forum, PDPGF, the governors said the national secretary would oversee the affairs of the party for now in line with its constitution. In a communiqué issued at the end of the PDPGF meeting, late Wednesday night in Abuja, the governors frowned at the refusal of the acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to honour the judgment of an FCT High Court which last December ordered him to vacate office for any other

ENUGU —MASSOB, yesterday, dismissed insinuation of championing the course of Biafra secession  to colonise the south-south geopolitical zone given its huge oil resources. MASSOB was reacting to a statement credited to Sagir Mohammed wherein he described the agitation for Biafra as a desperate ploy to colonize the south-south region and tap the crude oil reserves as its economic mainstay. Frowning at the comment, Leader of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu,  in a statement said: “MASSOB can never be intimidated, disorganized or shaken because of some disgruntled, frustrated, confused, defeated people like Sagir Mohammed who in frustration, alleged that Ndi Igbo wants to capture and colonize the people of south-south with Biafra. For the full story, check the Vanguard newspaper.

Metuh regains freedom Court admits payment vouchers into evidence Adjourns trial till Feb 4 ABUJA — More revelations emerged, yesterday, on how the embattled National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, spent part of the N400 million he received from the erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, (retd). Metuh regains freedom Meanwhile, Chief Metuh has regained his freedom, having met his bail conditions as stipulated by a Federal High Court, in Abuja. Metuh was arrested and detained by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of diversion of security funds and money laundering. At the resumed hearing on the matter, yesterday, a witness brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that the PDP spokesman used N77.5 million to sponsor media campaigns for the re-election of ex-President G

ABUJA —President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in Nairobi, Kenya, said that non-clean up of oil spillages in the Niger Delta especially in Ogoniland, was responsible for the militancy the region witnessed in times past. The president consequently vowed to clean up the land by implementing the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP’s recommendations to save the land. President Buhari made the promise during a visit to the United Nations Office in the Kenyan capital. He also appealed for more support from the United Nations in the clean up of the region. He said: “When I came into office on May 29, 2015, one of the first tasks I carried out was to authorise the implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP report for the clean-up of Ogoniland. “The devastation caused by oil spillage has destroyed many lives and livelihoods and is clearly one of the reasons many people in that region lost faith in government and resorted to the many criminal activities we are seeing

WARRI —FORMER General Officer Commanding, GOC, Movement for the Emanicipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Government Ekpumupolo, alias Tompolo, yesterday, said he will appear before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, which issued a bench warrant for his arrest, January 14, but “at the appropriate time.” The bench warrant followed a motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which had filed different charges against Tompolo, over allegation of diverting N34 billion belonging to the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, to personal use and laundering of N22.6 billion. Tompolo, who spoke through his Media Adviser and Consultant, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, also said he will never commence war against the Federal Government having accepted amnesty in 2009, reiterating that he was not party to the recent three-day bombing of crude oil and gas pipelines in Delta State. He said: “Tompolo has no reason to bomb pipelines because of the EFCC case. He knows he is i

Lagos —NOTABLE scholars were yesterday unanimous in their call for meritocracy to be entrenched in the manner Nigeria is governed in order to have strong institutions needed for growth. They also noted that the prevailing malfunctioning of the various institutions of the state, makes it imperative for the Federal Character Principle to be abolished. The scholars, who took this position in Lagos at the 79-year anniversary colloquium in honour of Prof Anya O. Anya, said the practice of quota system in Nigeria is inimical to growth. At the forum which was entitled: ‘’ Creating an Enabling Environment for Private Sector- Led Growth: Education, Institutions and Creative Destruction ,’’ it was agreed that what Nigeria needs in the face of the current economic crisis is to regig it’s institutions in order to inspire growth. Those at the event include Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Prof George Obiozor, Prof Pat Utomi, Prof Oye Ibidapo Obe, Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe, Chief Lawson Omokhodion and Mr. Laoye

*‘He gave me N18,000 for abortion’ LAGOS—A teenager, who alleged that she had been abandoned after being impregnated by an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has appealed to authorities of the commission to intervene. The pregnant teenager, Blessing Nwokpa, also alleged that effort to reach her estranged lover (names withheld) earned her a beating at the commission’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos. The 19-year-old claimed that the operative took advantage of her homelessness to put her in the family way, only to abandon her when it mattered most. Trouble, as gathered, started after Nwokpa who worked as a canteen attendant at the Awolowo Road, Ikoyi office of EFCC, had accommodation problem. She was compelled to be sleeping in the canteen, when her lover reportedly offered to give her shelter. Her story According to the expectant mother, who is currently in the custody of the Legal Aids Council, “I was staying with my brother when I left Enugu for L

*He introduced bribery to NASS —Melaye By Clifford Ndujihe, Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA — THE House of Representatives, yesterday, described former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letters to the leadership of the National Assembly, accusing the lawmakers of greed, graft and insensitivity to the declining state of the country’s economy, as misdirected, saying they would not be distracted from performing their constitutional duties. Speaking at the National Assembly weekly briefing, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas, said the National Assembly will not be distracted by Obasanjo’s letters, which also accused the legislature of insincerity over its planned purchase of 469 cars worth N4.7 billion. Namdas stated that the lawmakers have tremendous respect for Obasanjo, adding, however, that the former president’s letters might not have been meant for the 8th Assembly but rather the 4th or 5th Assemblies.