President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to claims by the 49-member Senate Caucus of ‎the Peoples Democratic Party which on Thursday kicked against the current administration’s war against corruption, claiming it was selective and lacked transparency and fairness.
In a statement Sunday night, Mr. Buhari described the claims by the Godwill Akpabio-led caucus as “false, baseless and totally unjustifiable”.
Mr. Akpabio and his colleagues had at a press conference in Abuja Thursday alleged that the administration’s anti-graft war was mainly targeted at opposition politicians.
“The [PDP] caucus is not happy with the current trend that seems to suggest that the war against corruption is selective and targeted at PDP stalwarts and states,” the group said at the briefing.
“The current war lacks transparency, fairness to all and appears to be aimed at political adversaries.”
But in a statement via his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Sunday, Mr. Buhari said it was regrettable that “wild allegation of bias and partisanship” could come from respected and distinguished members of the Nigerian Senate.
Mr. Buhari said, “We have noted with regret, the allegation by members of the PDP Senate Caucus that the present administration is being selective and partisan in its prosecution of the war against corruption.
“We state without equivocation that the allegation is false, baseless and totally unjustifiable.
“For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, we affirm that having made his zero tolerance for corruption clear to all and sundry, President Muhammadu Buhari does not micro-manage or interfere in the daily work of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
“The wild allegation of bias and partisanship in the fight against corruption shouldn’t have come therefore from respected and distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That claim belongs to the past and not the present. Public officials and other leaders accused of corruption by relevant agencies should plead their innocence, not malice.
“President Buhari’s unwavering stance is that whosoever is charged with corruption should face the law irrespective of whether they are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or any other political party.

“As far as the President is concerned, corruption has no political party, no religion and no ethnic group.
“It is important to remind the PDP Senate Caucus and all Nigerians that right from 2003 when he started campaigning for the Presidency of Nigeria, President Buhari consistently promised to do his best to curb corruption in the country.
“The President remains wholly committed to fulfilling that promise and will not be deterred from the relentless prosecution of the war against corruption because he remains convinced that, as he has said, “unless Nigeria kills corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria”.

The President also dismissed the claim by the caucus that he and his party were meddling in the ongoing cases at election tribunals and using the State Security Service to harass electoral officials believed to have sympathy for the PDP.
“The claim by the PDP Senate caucus that President Buhari and his administration are meddling in election petition cases through the Department of State Services (DSS) is also untrue,” Mr. Buhari said.

“The duties of the DSS and other security agencies are clearly spelt out in the laws establishing them. The Federal Government led by President Buhari does not give them instructions regarding their daily operations.
“Election Tribunals and the Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers, Abia and Akwa-Ibom States do not operate under the guidance of the President.

“Any individual or group of individuals who think that their legitimate political and civil rights are infringed upon by the DSS or any institution is advised to seek protection and redress under our constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria instead of resorting to baseless allegations against the Buhari Administration.
“On President Buhari’s watch, the rule of law, not impunity, shall govern every aspect of life in Nigeria and there will be no room for sentiments, bias and corruption in the application of the laws of the land.
“President Buhari also wishes to re-assure all Nigerians that his administration will not discriminate against individuals or groups in the performance of its duties and that favours or patronage will not be dispensed on the basis of votes.
“The President remains committed to his Oath of Office and the letters and spirit of the constitution.
“He calls on all Nigerians to join hands with him in the fight against insecurity, corruption and impunity in Nigeria so that we can have a country that will prosper for the benefit of all of its citizens and future generations of Nigerians.

Blakjewelry:
These terrorist guys no dey tire? If you are tired of living just commit suicide instead

Bamako (AFP) – At least 12 people including four foreign UN contractors died in a hostage siege at a hotel in central Mali that ended after government troops stormed the building.

“There are 12 dead in all,” an army officer told AFP after the operation at the Hotel Byblos in Sevare, listing the fatalities as five “terrorists”, five soldiers and “two white people”.

A senior source in the Malian army said the final toll had yet to be confirmed and would “probably” be higher.

The UN mission in Mali MINUSMA for its part said two Ukrainians, a Nepalese and a South African were killed in the almost 24-hour-long drama, as well as a Malian driver working for a company contracted by the mission.

It said four other UN contractors — two South Africans, a Russian and a Ukranian — were rescued and were in “good health.”

“The attackers did not detect their presence in the hotel and MINUSMA was in permanent contact with them throughout the attack and until its end,” it added.

South Africa’s foreign ministry said a 38-year-old man from Pretoria was killed in the siege while two other South Africans were safe.

Local media identified the victim as Roelof Janse van Rensburg. A foreign ministry spokesman said he was working for an aviation company hired by MINUSMA.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry said four of its nationals were caught up in the attack, one of whom was killed. One managed to escape while the other two were rescued in the dawn raid by security forces.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon denounced the attack, which comes as Mali is seeking to implement a June peace deal despite continuing unrest from militant groups and a spike in jihadist attacks.

“This attack will not lessen the determination of the United Nations to accompany the Malian people in their efforts to implement the peace agreement,” his spokesman said in a statement.

The US issued a statement that “strongly condemns” the attack, branding it “deplorable”. France also denounced “in the strongest possible terms” the siege and reiterated its support for the Malian security forces and MINUSMA “in the fight against terrorism”.


Located a few kilometres from the regional capital Mopti, Sevare is a key staging post on the road to Mali’s desert north which fell to Islamic extremists in 2012.



No one has yet claimed responsibility for the assault, which began when gunmen burst into the hotel at around 7:00 am on Friday. At least one of the attackers was said to be wearing a belt of explosives.

Malian forces cordoned off the area but their efforts to dislodge the attackers were complicated by the presence of hostages.

There were exchanges of fire throughout Friday and the army brought the siege to an end early Saturday, with one source saying foreign special forces were also involved.

The UN mission said the initial target of the attack was a Malian military site.

“The attackers, who were pushed back by the Malian armed forces, then took refuge in a hotel,” MINUSMA said.

A Ukrainian hostage who managed to escape from the hotel said up to five gunmen had led the hostage-taking in Sevare, which lies 620 kilometres (385 miles) northeast of the capital Bamako.

Four Malian soldiers who lost their lives in the attack were buried in the town on Saturday in front of a large crowd of mourners, a local resident told AFP.

“As for the bodies of the hostage takers, they have been left where they are. No one has touched them,” the man, who did not wish to be named, said by phone.

The walls of the Byblos hotel were riddled with bullet holes after the attack. The body of an unidentified man was seen lying outside the building near a burnt-out van, pictures from the scene showed Saturday.

The attack was the third in Mali in just a week as it battles a resurgence in jihadist violence two years after a French-led offensive routed Islamist groups from their northern strongholds.

ONE of the ways that foreigners have mocked the slow growth of cinema business in Nigeria is to say that we have closed down cinemas to open churches.

Indeed, while the cinemas of yesteryears have been bought over by modern businesses, and painfully axed down with nostalgia, it is not unlikely that some of them may have been replaced by annexes of some big church brands.

The foreigners’ perception of the irony of cinema story in Nigeria is relative to the extent that cinemas dwindled until the recent but slow revamp, while churches have grown in geometric progression. This is not what you find in other climes.

As you walk along tube stations in London, adore billboards on the streets of New York and Toronto, or take a pleasure trip round Johannesburg, or Durban in nearby South Africa, you can’t miss the captivation of film posters which rival most product advertisements. Whereas in Nigeria, posters of church revivals, bearing photos of the pastor and his Mummy Mission-wife compete with the popular MTN slogan of ‘Everywhere You Go’.

Vono Andile, my South African friend who had imagined that Nigeria is such an unrivalled football loving nation came visiting last year, but found it amazing that there are more church posters than advertisement of local football leagues.

We joked and laughed.

The question that comes to my mind is, how do we see the future of African cinema, when apart from that ‘lousy’ comparison between film and church advertisement, there are more Hollywood posters in our re-emerging cinemas than Nollywood’s?

The other aspect is that although the analogy of the church posters may sound heretical, it is illogical in my Public Relations’ media point of view for a charity or non-commercial and untaxed organisation, under which the church falls to rival a commercial organisation like Nollywood in advertisement.

Of course, the churches are not to blame, for how else do you promote the work of the Lord effectively without the modern techniques of evangelism that also have more TV channels dedicated to ‘deliverance’ dramas than all the Africa Magic and Mzanzi Magic channels put together.

The present government, in its readjustment of priorities, must begin to identify potentially viable non-oil sectors of the economy and give them some feathers to fly. This is talking about enabling environment that not only reduces the cost of film production, but also walking the talk of piracy minimisation.

Cottage and community cinemas should be encouraged to change the cinema-going culture from the elitist recreation that some Nigerian cinemas have made it.

With these in place, it can only be a win-win for the Nigerian motion picture industry and the Nigerian government, as filmmakers will not only be able to repay loans conveniently, there will be more employment and basis for government to tax the filmmakers and jump start the country’s GDP.

Art and entertainment must continue to hit our psyche as real businesses and not the ‘play’ thing for which it has been carelessly underrated like other sectors of the economy, as against the almighty oil.

ONE of the ways that foreigners have mocked the slow growth of cinema business in Nigeria is to say that we have closed down cinemas to open churches.

Indeed, while the cinemas of yesteryears have been bought over by modern businesses, and painfully axed down with nostalgia, it is not unlikely that some of them may have been replaced by annexes of some big church brands.

The foreigners’ perception of the irony of cinema story in Nigeria is relative to the extent that cinemas dwindled until the recent but slow revamp, while churches have grown in geometric progression. This is not what you find in other climes.

As you walk along tube stations in London, adore billboards on the streets of New York and Toronto, or take a pleasure trip round Johannesburg, or Durban in nearby South Africa, you can’t miss the captivation of film posters which rival most product advertisements. Whereas in Nigeria, posters of church revivals, bearing photos of the pastor and his Mummy Mission-wife compete with the popular MTN slogan of ‘Everywhere You Go’.

Vono Andile, my South African friend who had imagined that Nigeria is such an unrivalled football loving nation came visiting last year, but found it amazing that there are more church posters than advertisement of local football leagues.

We joked and laughed.

The question that comes to my mind is, how do we see the future of African cinema, when apart from that ‘lousy’ comparison between film and church advertisement, there are more Hollywood posters in our re-emerging cinemas than Nollywood’s?

The other aspect is that although the analogy of the church posters may sound heretical, it is illogical in my Public Relations’ media point of view for a charity or non-commercial and untaxed organisation, under which the church falls to rival a commercial organisation like Nollywood in advertisement.

Of course, the churches are not to blame, for how else do you promote the work of the Lord effectively without the modern techniques of evangelism that also have more TV channels dedicated to ‘deliverance’ dramas than all the Africa Magic and Mzanzi Magic channels put together.

The present government, in its readjustment of priorities, must begin to identify potentially viable non-oil sectors of the economy and give them some feathers to fly. This is talking about enabling environment that not only reduces the cost of film production, but also walking the talk of piracy minimisation.

Cottage and community cinemas should be encouraged to change the cinema-going culture from the elitist recreation that some Nigerian cinemas have made it.

With these in place, it can only be a win-win for the Nigerian motion picture industry and the Nigerian government, as filmmakers will not only be able to repay loans conveniently, there will be more employment and basis for government to tax the filmmakers and jump start the country’s GDP.

Art and entertainment must continue to hit our psyche as real businesses and not the ‘play’ thing for which it has been carelessly underrated like other sectors of the economy, as against the almighty oil.

akpanikpe:
This most be MY WATCH volume 3.

The continuous bashing of former Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala continues with former President Olusegun Obasanjo joining the fray in his interview with Premium Times. What is shocking is not whether the former minister is innocent or not; the issue is the inaccuracies contained in the latest attacks on Iweala and other actors by the former president.

Okonjo Iweala may have her weaknesses as all humans are bound to have but it is wrong to write off her extensive positive contributions to this nation both under former President Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan. Under Obasanjo, Iweala was no doubt a great minister who spearheaded Nigeria’s debt relief and plus with minus, she also did well in the last administration. At least Nigerians know that the oil sector was not under her care.

What is more annoying is the failure of the former president to say the truth about how Iweala joined Jonathan’s cabinet after the 2011 polls. The fact known to many insiders is that Chief Obasanjo indeed recommended Iweala to Jonathan. His proposal then was that Ngozi possessed the credential to revive some of the reforms which he (Obasanjo) put in place but which were dismantled by former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Former President Jonathan accepted the nomination and on the strength of the former President’s recommendation, Iweala was given prominent roles to play. Chief Obasanjo should have opened up further to tell Nigerians at what point he parted ways with his God daughter. Those in the know will tell you that the refusal of Iweala to rise against former President Jonathan was responsible for the rift. Chief Obasanjo had expected all his godsons and god daughters to support him in his attacks on Jonathan. Iweala refused and that is what caused the disagreement between her and Baba.

The inaccuracies in the interview are not just about Dr Ngozi Iweala; the case of Chief Emeka Offor is another point in question needing correction. Most Nigerians are aware that the “controversial” Turn Around Maintenance of Port Harcourt refinery was awarded to the Chrome Consortium put together with some Romanian companies, before the Obasanjo presidency.

At the conclusion of the project,certificates of completion representing different components of the turnaround maintenance were issued. The certificates were dated between July 25, 1999 and October 31, 2000, and duly endorsed by NNPC Directors responsible for the project as well as the representatives of Shell. All these certificates were duly issued during Baba’s Presidency. And they are also in public domain.

How can the former leader now turned round to accuse Chrome of not doing a job for which certificates of completion was duly issued by his government? Is it also not unfair to now attempt to hold Chrome responsible for state of the Port Harcourt refinery for a job completed as early as year 2000? So is the father of the nation indicting himself or merely playing his usual game of twisting the facts?

It is ridiculous that the former leader also said he could not do anything to Offor because he has police and people around him. How can a president claimed incapacity to touch a citizen because he has police and people? The fact is the President was aware that Offor’s firm has done the job he was given to do and so could not have been harrassed in any way.

Those who know the former leader very well are quick to say that the purpose of the interview was to seek attention. Chief Obasanjo like to be in the spotlight all the time. And it does not matter at whose expense or whose name he falsely drag into the mud to stir controversy.

Whatever anybody may say about Iweala, she has made her mark as a finance minister that introduced far reaching reforms in Nigeria’s public life. Even after office, her reform initiatives stand firmly as is evident in the single treasury account, integrated payroll systems, GDP rebasing, sovereign wealth fund, among others.

For those who enjoyed this sadistic conduct of destroying notable national figures, we pray the Otta farmer will not soon turn his gun against the new president ,Muhammadu Buhari, who is widely acclaimed to be a man of integrity. For the reading public, may be it is time we choose what to read and what to believe

In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at why Nigerians are hoping to be entertained by a crackdown on corruption.


Two major industries in Nigeria share similar elements of melodrama and wildly implausible plots - films and politics.
Films produced by Nollywood, Nigeria’s version of Hollywood, have uncomplicated titles and themes that tell all you need to know, such as ‘Love Me or I Die,’ ‘Festival of Blood’ and ‘Mother-in-law Attack.’
But if you want thrill and suspense or intrigue, the place to turn to is the equally lucrative political industry.
In January 2012, for example, the Nigerian National Assembly set the stage for a new blockbuster that kept viewers riveted for months.
Nigerians had never before heard anything as brazen. Between 2009 and 2011, we were told, a number of local oil and gas companies had obtained government subsidies totalling $6.8bn (£4.3bn) for fuel they never delivered.
Daily on live television, the investigating committee headed by MP Farouk Lawan did more than expose the scam. The committee named names. At the conclusion of the proceedings, Mr. Lawan received an ovation from his fellow legislators for such excellent and thorough work.
“The late Obafemi Awolowo, a statesman who played a key role in Nigeria’s independence movement, once described government in the West African state as a “’few holding the cow for the strongest and most cunning to milk.’”
Enter billionaire oil magnate, Femi Otedola. His two companies had been named by the committee.
Publicly, Mr. Otedola denied the allegations. He accused Mr. Lawan of having included the names of his companies on the list solely for the purpose of soliciting a bribe from him - alleging the MP would have erased the names from the list once he received payment.
The price for such consideration on Mr. Lawan’s behalf? $3m.
Mr. Otedola revealed that he had already paid about $500,000 of the total bribe demanded. He had also, he said, videotaped the entire transaction secretly.
Nollywood 2.0
In one alleged scene described by Reuters news agency, Mr. Lawan, dressed in a traditional long ‘agbada’ shirt and cap, is seated beside Mr. Otedola, sorting through a huge pile of dollar bills. Afterwards, he fills his pockets until they overflow, and then stuffs the rest of the money into his cap.
It all seemed very Nollywood 2.0.
Mr. Lawan was then charged in court with soliciting from the oil tycoon. He denied the charges and calmly maintained the same righteous poise.
“I believe in the end,” he said, “Nigerians will come to believe and see that for the 13 years I have invested in championing good governance, responsibility and probity in this country, that this last trial is a trial from God, and I believe in the end we shall prevail.”
He did - completing his tenure in the House in June 2015. The issue soon vanished into the Bermuda Triangle of Nigeria’s many highly publicised corruption scandals.
Mr. Otedola is still supplying fuel and the alleged $500,000 paid to Mr. Lawan has also not been retrieved.
So Nigerians still do not know whether Mr. Otedola was guilty of fuel subsidy scamming or if he was the victim of extortion. Perhaps, this shall be revealed in a Part Two.
This is just a snippet of corruption in Nigeria. During her tenure as US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in a report on global human rights in Nigeria presented to the US Congress, expressed utter astonishment at the depth and breadth of corruption in Africa’s main oil producer.
She described the three tiers of the Nigerian government as riddled with “massive, widespread and pervasive corruption.”
Femi Otedola is a wealthy oil dealer and denied the allegations made by Farouk Lawan. Many Nigerians, and concerned observers around the world, have now placed their hopes for an end to all these shenanigans on Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s new president.
They insist that his reputation as a disciplinarian and his austere lifestyle will do the trick. They believe that his historic election in March marks the beginning of a revolution that will sweep corruption away from Nigeria.
The media has already begun tantalising viewers with teasers with headlines such as “Buhari to Revisit $182m Halliburton Bribery Case,” “Buhari Vows to Probe ‘Missing’ NNPC $20bn” and “Buhari Tracks Stolen Funds to US, UK, Switzerland.”
If indeed President Buhari goes ahead to conduct these investigations, the country may very well be on the verge of cementing its star on the walkway of global entertainment.
Nigerians at home and abroad can hardly wait for the cameras to begin to roll.

Isis supporters appear to have launched an Android app, allowing others to keep up with news and videos as they’re released.
The app allows supporters to see new releases from the group, giving them live feeds sorted into categories like “photos reports, daily al-Bayan Radio news bulletins, and video productions”, according to SITE Intelligence Group, an American for-profit consultancy that tracks terrorist activity.
The app isn’t available through the mainstream Google Play Store, the normal way that Android users get new software. But it is being made available by supporters through uploads — allowing anyone to download the code and run it on their phone.
read more
Anonymous releases list of Isis-linked Twitter accounts
How Twitter has become a battleground for propaganda
Study finds up to 90,000 Twitter accounts supporting extremist group

Isis supporters may have looked to create the app because they are steadily being kicked off the mainstream social networks, taking away a previously effective way of spreading propaganda and news. Twitter in particular has become a battleground in recent months — as Isis supporters look to distribute propaganda and co-ordinate, while the site looks to shut the worst offenders down.
A similar project was launched earlier this year — Khalefabook, a social network built for Isis supporters — but the amateur site was buckling soon after it was introduced.

1989, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu assembled a team of some of the best writers in Nigeria to pioneer romance journalism, a genre that explores romantic tales and relationship issues across the country.
Hints magazine, a weekly publication by Mr. Kachikwu’s True Tales Publications Limited, was an instant success in the 1990’s, especially for the youth.
On Tuesday, he was appointed the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr. Kachikwu, a Harvard trained lawyer, replaces Joseph Darwa as NNPC boss.
He graduated with a First Class in Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Nigerian Law School. He also had Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Law from the Harvard Law School.
Mr. Kachikwu worked as an Investment Attorney in the United States; General Counsel‎ with Texaco Upstream and Downstream in Nigeria; Executive Vice Chairman of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited; and General Counsel for ExxonMobil Nigeria affiliate Upstream and Downstream Companies in Nigeria.
In 2009, after two decades of hitting the news stand every week, True Tales Publications Limited announced that Hints magazine would become a monthly publication.
In addition to Hints magazine, Mr. Kachikwu’s media empire also comprises of Complete Fashion, Beauty Box, and Hello Nigeria.
‎In the early years of Hints magazine, Mr. Kachikwu contributed stories as well as anchored a weekly column, ‘Fatherhood with Ibe,’ where he shared with his readers his experiences as a father.
In an interview with Asabeafrika, a celebrity blog, Kayode Ajala, a former editor of Hints magazine, gave an insight into how “professional” Mr. Kachikwu was.
“As editor, I would call him to harass him that he was not meeting my deadline,” said Mr. Ajala.
“Even though he was my employer, I would tell him ‘Hey, you have two stories to give me this week and you have not done it.’ And he will rush to do it, otherwise I will make a lot of noise that he is the one slowing dowm my production.”

Abugab:
The amounts one hears whenever an issue of corruption comes up scares.
Seems everyone in govt in the past were just busy looting billions.
PMB, this Operation Recover All Stolen Naija Money must not fail oooo.
Just imagine even half of these monies are recovered I am sure millions of Nigerians will be better for it including even the critics of today.

ionsman:
Let him be thoroughly investigated and if found wanting, he should face the wrath of the law. We expect the wailers soon.

Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State said on Monday in Abuja that the victory of the All Progressives Congress in this year’s general elections was engineered by God.
Amaechi said this at a reception organised for him by the Committee of Friends at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
He said God engineered the victory by giving the APC a good and credible presidential candidate, which enabled the party to win the last election.
He thanked all members of the party for working hard during the campaign, saying that the victory was for all party members.
He said: “Governor Amaechi did not contribute more than you did.
“We all worked together.
“In fact, it will be unfair for us to claim the glory.
“This is because I believe that the victory of APC was engineered by God.
“And I saw it coming and told my friends that we would win.
“People thought I was a political mathematician.
“The more I prayed, the more God gave me the confidence that we would win.
“One of my prayer points was: ‘God, do not tell me You will protect me after we lose. Protect me now by making sure that we win.’
“And we won.”
Amaechi, however, stressed that APC must deliver as the citizens would hold it accountable in 2019.
He said: “We will not disappoint Nigerians.
“We believe APC governors are progressives and therefore they cannot afford not to deliver.”
The former governor said the struggle had been quite challenging since he joined the APC, adding that the state’s allocation from the Federation Account had reduced grossly.
He said: “From 2013, we were receiving N6 billion.
“By the time I left office, our wage bill monthly was N9.2 billion.”
Amaechi recalled that when the state was receiving about N20 billion monthly, he employed more teachers for the university, college of education, polytechnics as well as secondary and primary schools.
He said the increased wage bill of N9.2 billion was because more people were employed in the state.
He added: “The fuel subsidy was N300 billion under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and it remained the same under President Umaru Yar’Adua.
“Within six months under President Goodluck Jonathan, the fuel subsidy rose from N300 billion to N1.9 trillion.
“Yet, Jonathan wanted more money for fuel subsidy.
“This prompted the trouble between me and the Jonathan administration.”
Amaechi thanked the organisers for the reception in his honour.
The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said Amaechi had the ability to struggle, fight and win power.
Odigie-Oyegun described him as “hyper-active”.
He said: “Amaechi brought passion and energy into APC and he was aware of the risks of failure.
“The man we are celebrating today deserves honour.”
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Chairman of the occasion, said Amaechi transformed Rivers State within the seven years he governed the state.
El-Rufai said: “I know this because I have visited Rivers many times and have seen the work he did.
“The primary schools in the state are better than some state universities.
“He also transformed the roads, health sector and created jobs, among other things.
“All these feats make him a transformative leader.”
The governor said Amaechi was constantly strategising for the party, making him an arrowhead in the lead-up to the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States.
El-Rufai said Amaechi particularly contributed to efforts to increase the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards from 50 per cent to 90 per cent nationally, shortly before the general elections.
He said Amaechi was worthy of being celebrated because he displayed courage in everything he did and cared about humanity.
He said: “He has no regard for ethnic affiliation.
“He has no regard for religious affiliation.
“He is a devout Catholic who believes that every human being is entitled to his or her religious beliefs.
“What matters most to Amaechi are fairness, equity and justice and I am happy to call him my friend.”

A former Kaduna State governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has alleged that the claim by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, that she is receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment in the UK was inspired by her fear of being probed by President Muhammadu Buhari, Daily Independent reports.

The Second-Republic governor wondered why Alison-Madueke never took ill throughout her tenure as Minister but suddenly became critically ill after the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the insistence of his successor, Buhari to probe and recover all looted funds.

He expressed optimism that there is no way the former Minister can escape the long arm of the law if found guilty, with the assurance given by the US, UK and other world powers to help Nigeria recover her looted funds.



According to Musa “How come she suddenly took ill when Buhari took over as president? She is trying to run away from justice but I strongly believe that she can’t evade it. Justice will definitely catch up with her, because right now, countries like the United States and the United Kingdom have promised the government of Nigeria that they will help us recover our stolen money stashed in their country”.

“If they are honest and sincere about doing that, it means it will make it easy for the federal government to get her back into the country to face justice”.

Musa, who is also a rights activist, pleaded with Western countries to stop harbouring any corrupt officials and be willing to repatriate them upon demand by the Nigerian government to answer questions about their stewardship while in office.

“They can’t say they will help Nigeria to recover stolen money but at the same time they will habour the suspects in their country or refuse to assist the federal government in bringing them to Nigeria to face justice,” he stated.

Three boys aged between 15 and 17 years on Monday escaped being burnt to death by a mob over alleged theft of N11,500 and a Tecno phone worth N4,000.

They were alleged to have stolen the items inside the St. Paul Anglican Church at Ologbo village in Ikpoba-Okha local government area of Edo State.

The mob had placed tyres on the boys after beating them before they were rescued by the police.

Names of the suspects were given as Goodluck Benson, Omoruyi Isaiah and Ediomwan Desmond.

A drama ensued when the boys were to be arraigned at a magistrate court on a four- count charge of stealing and belonging to an unlawful society called Blade.

Benson told Chief Magistrate Esohe Bazuaye that he was 17 and not 19 as written by the police on the charge sheet.

The magistrate was enraged on why they were not taken to a juvenile court instead of a regular court.

The suspects informed the magistrate that they were from broken homes and were not caught at the crime scene.

The boys said they confessed to the crime because the mob threatened to kill them.

Magistrate Bazuaye pleaded with the Pastor in charge of the church, Rev. Johnson Nwatamuojor, to forgive the suspects and joined hands in rehabilitating them.

A 55-year-old woman, identified as Florence Aladenoye, has been report­edly attacked and bitten to death by a dog in Idanre, headquarters of Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State.

It was gathered that after the dog’s attack, the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo where all attempts made by the medical personnel to save her life failed as she died in the hospital.

A source explained that the deceased died as a result of the injuries she sus­tained due to the dog-bites.

According to the Police Public Rela­tions Officer (PPRO) of the state Police Command, Mr. Wole Ogodo, the wom­an was taken to five different hospitals in the town before she finally gave up the ghost last week.

Ogodo said the owner of the dog, one Mr. Olofingbasote Afolabi, had been ar­rested in connection with the incident and had been detained at the Criminal Investigation (CID) Department of the police command for further investiga­tion.

The PPRO stated: “When the inci­dent happened, the matter was reported to Afolabi, being the owner for the dog, but he did not take any action to treat the victim. So, the victim was taken to five different hospitals, including the FMC in Owo, and the owner of the dog still did not take any action until the victim died.

Residents of Isara in Remo Local Government Area of Ogun State are currently mourning the death of one Segun Okusi who was killed by his friend identified as Sikiru Osideko, who mistook him for an animal during a hunting expedition.

Osideko, who was apprehended on July 30, by men of the state police command, said the killing was a mistake, adding that he mistook the deceased for a prey during a hunting expedition.


It was gathered that Osideko and Okusi, in company of other hunters, had on the fateful day embarked on an expedition in a nearby bush and 30 minutes later both friends were said to have separated. Just then, Osideko noticed a movement in the bush and shot in the direction with his gun.


The loud cry by Okusi was said to have gotten the attention of Osideko who reportedly rushed to the scene and tried to revive him but his effort proved abortive as Okusi died on the spot.

A police source disclosed that operatives from the state command upon receiving a tip-off visited the bush to remove the deceased corpse to a mortuary.

The source affirmed, “Policemen from the Isara division visited the bush and found Okusi in a pool of blood. They took photographs and deposited the corpse in a mortuary.

“They arrested the suspect and seized the dane gun. The man has been taken to the state command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta. “Such strange thing has not happened among hunters in this area. It was in the broad daylight. “It was another hunter, one John Oseni, who raised the alarm and reported the matter to the police.”


It was further learnt that Osideko was arrested and the case has been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation for further investigation.

The Operations Manager of Maybeny Hotel at Ire-Akari Road in Isolo, Lagos, Mr Uche Egwuenu, was found dead in one of the rooms in the hotel on Saturday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A source close to the hotel told NAN in Lagos that the deceased was the son of the owner of the hotel, whose name was given simply as Chief Egwuenu.

“The deceased was last seen in the early hours of Friday before locking himself up in one of the rooms. Nobody heard from him throughout Friday.

“The assistant manager and other staff of the hotel reported the matter at the Isolo Divisional Police Headquarters, which prompted the DPO’s visit to the hotel for assessment.

“The DPO and others forced the room open and Uche was found dead and swollen on the bed, an indication that he died more than 24 hours before discovery.

“White liquid substance suspected to be hard drugs, diary and a bottle of Orijin drink with mixed liquid, were recovered from the room,” the source said.

When NAN visited the hotel at about 3.00 p.m. on Saturday, a wedding reception was on, an indication that the visitors were not aware of the incident.

Efforts by NAN to speak with the management of the hotel proved abortive as people at the reception claimed that such incident did not happen at the hotel.

However, the Lagos State Police Command’s Spokeswoman, DSP. Patricia Amadin, confirmed the incident.

She said that policemen from the Isolo Division had deposited the corpse at the Isolo General Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.

Amadin said that the police would investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. (NAN)

A top Burundian general and close aide to President Pierre Nkurunziza was killed Sunday in a rocket attack on his car in the capital Bujumbura, officials and witnesses said.
The general killed, Adolphe Nshimirimana, was widely seen as the crisis-hit central African nation’s de facto internal security chief and even considered the regime’s number two.

Police and witnesses said General Nshimirimana’s car was hit in an apparent rocket attack in the capital shortly before midday Sunday, and he was later confirmed to have died.

The presidency’s communications chief Willy Nyamitwe confirmed the general, a former army chief of staff and intelligence chief, had been killed.

“I have lost a brother, a companion in the struggle. The sad reality is that General Adolphe Nshimirimana is no longer with this world,” he said in a message posted on Twitter.

The assassination comes just over a week after President Nkurunziza was declared the outright winner of controversial elections, securing a third consecutive term despite opposition protests and international condemnation.

Nkurunziza’s candidacy was condemned as unconstitutional by the opposition and provoked months of protests that left at least 100 dead, as well as an attempted coup in mid-May.

General Nshimirimana was seen as the mastermind behind the crackdown on the protests as well as a key player in foiling the coup attempt.

There are fears that renewed conflict in the country could reignite ethnic Hutu-Tutsi violence and bring another humanitarian disaster to central Africa’s troubled Great Lakes region.

The last civil war in Burundi, which ended in 2006, left at least 300,000 people dead

TWENTY-TWO Northern senators elected on the All Progressives Party (APC) platform have been identified as “teaming up with the opposition to work against President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party”.

The senators allegedly teamed up with 46 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators in the Red Chamber to pass a confidence vote in the leadership of the Senate under Dr. Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, a PDP senator.

Thirty-five APC senators were among the 81 who purportedly endorsed the vote of confidence in the principal officers of the Senate.

The Nation learnt yesterday that 22 of them are from the North, according to the list attached to the motion moved on the floor of the Senate by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

The 22 senators are: Anyanwu, who promoted the Motion; Abdul A.M. Nyako;Isah Hamma Misau; Kabiru Gaya; Adamu Aliero; Abdullahi Adamu; David Umaru; Ahmed Rufa’I Sani; Tijjani Yahaya Kaura; Ahmadu Abubakar and Malam A. Wakili.

Others are: Abubakar Kyari; Sabo Mohammed; Dino Melaye; Abdulrahman Abubakar; Binta Masi Garba; Mohammed Goje; Muhammad U. Shitu; Salihu H. Egye and Aliyu S. Abdullahi.

The senators have been accused of working against the party on which platform they were got elected into the National Assembly.

The leadership of the Senate has been working against the position of the ruling party since inception.

It disregarded the APC’s advice that those who were shut out on May 29 be accommodated as principal officers for peace to reign.

As against legislative practice that only ranking members should be appointed as principal officers, two new senators – Godswill Akpabio and Abiodun Olujimi were named by Senate President as Minority Leader and Deputy Chief Whip on Tuesday.

An APC senator, Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central), who raised a point of order, was ruled out of order by Saraki, who said the senator was crying more than the bereaved. House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara bowed to the wish of the party by naming those recommended by the party as principal officers when the Green Chamber reconvened on Tuesday.

A gang of cattle rustlers, numbering 13, attacked a Fulani settlement in the outskirts of Bwari town in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday, where they killed a Fulani leader and his son.
Two other persons, the elder brother of the deceased and his other child, were also injured by the attackers.
The bandits also took away his two daughters before fleeing the camp, a member of the family, who spoke to our reporter, said yesterday.
He added that the rustlers, who arrived the compound of the deceased, Alhaji Buba Bollowa around 10 p.m. opened fire at him in the presence of his family, which led to his death.
He said his eldest son, Yakubu Agatu, who was not at the compound then, rushed there from a nearby house after hearing the gun fire but was shot on his arrival.
The gunmen, who were believed to have come to the area from Kweri bush, a border area between FCT and Kaduna State, left behind a phone number, demanding that a certain amount of money be delivered to them before they released the abducted girls, who they fled with.
Our reporter learnt that about one month back, a similar demand was made to another member of the family, who lives around Lapai town in Niger State after taking two of his children by a gang, also believed to be operating from the same den.
It was gathered that N1.5m was given to them before they were released.
Also, about six months ago, two foreigners were said to have been murdered while passing through the area on power bike to Kaduna. Most of the inhabitants of the area had since relocated to other villages afar from the area due to their activities, our Crime Desk further leant.
When contacted, spokesperson of the FCT police command, Anjuguri Mamzah, an Assistant Superintendent, confirmed the incidence, adding that a relative of the deceased, one Ahmadu Sule, was arrested at Gina village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State over the incident.
He said efforts are on to arrest other members of the gang.