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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accused Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim of attempting to compromise the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje. The commission also restated its earlier position that there was no truth in Ibrahim’s allegation that its Acting Director, Legal Services, Mrs. Toyin Babalola, demanded $1 million from him to comply with court order recognising him as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ondo State governorship election. Ibrahim had, at a press conference on Sunday, alleged that Agbaje “requested to hold a meeting with him (Ibrahim) in London in the United Kingdom.” He, therefore, called for Agbaje’s removal as Ondo REC as he would not conduct a credible election on November 26. But in a statement yesterday by Prince Adedeji Soyebi, National Commissioner in Charge of Publicity, INEC said Ibrahim was economical with the truth. According to the commission, it was Ibrahim, who through an intermediary, tried to

An Ikeja magistrate’s Court, weekend, sentenced a 37-year-old man, Ibrahim Abu, to six months imprisonment for touching the breast of a 17-year-old girl (names withheld) without her consent. Abu, who lives at 6, Mosque Close, Isheri-Olofin, Lagos State, was arraigned before Magistrate Osusanmi and sentenced last Friday for sexually assaulting the girl Monday last week. Vanguard gathered that the girl was asked by her parents to learn hairdressing, while awaiting the release of her Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, SSCE, result. It was learned that at 7:30p.m. last week Monday, while she was returning home, Abu accosted the victim at Baale Bus Stop Akowonjo, and touched her breast without seeking her consent. It was gathered that in retaliation, she slapped Abu and he hit her with a plank; she reportedly fell, became unconscious and was rushed to a hospital. Abu was later arrested by policemen attached to Shasha Police Station and the case reported to Domestic, Sexual Viole

Former Ondo State Commissioner for Education in Ondo State, Princess Oladunni Odu, yesterday said the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) once saved one of the legacies of Chief Obafemi Awolowo from being sold. Odu, who served alongside Akeredolu as commissioners under the regime of Navy Capt Anthony Onyarubulem, said the Araromi-Obu Rubber plantation was almost sold off but for the dogged intervention of Akeredolu who was then the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state. She spoke with reporters in Akure, the state capital, where she and other members of Prof Ajayi Borrofice Campaign Group declared support for Akeredolu’s governorship ambition. She expressed confidence that Akeredolu’s government would be very beneficiary especially to the masses. Relieving her experience as a commissioner during the military regime, Odu said: “I have worked with him (Akeredolu) and I know he’s a bold man, a courageous man. H

Ebonyi State Government is to acquire 5.5-Megawatt biomass plant from Germany which would utilize rice husk and other available waste materials to generate electricity. Governor David Umahi, who made this known after inspecting two of the three state-owned rice modern mills on Tuesday, said the plant would arrive the country in the next four months. He also disclosed that one megawatt of rice husk plant and another 500 kilowatt would arrive the state soon. Governor Umahi added that the government was ready to meet the daily water intake of the three rice mills located in the three senatorial zones of the state. The inspection visit took the governor to Iboko in Izzi Local Government Area and Ikwo where he inspected the condition of the facilitates, on-going rehabilitation works and the production and packaging of various sizes of rice bags . Governor Umahi said the essence of the visit was to have first-hand knowledge of the water needs of the mills especially for the parboiling s

Ebonyi State governor, Chief David Umahi, has directed that only Abakaliki rice be served in all government functions in the state. Umahi made this known while briefing journalists in Abakaliki shortly after inspecting Iboko and Ikwo rice mill clusters, adding that he has directed persons who cook for the state government to change over to indigenous rice forthwith. He said: “The parboiling process of Abakaliki rice makes it durable unlike the imported rice which does not undergo parboiling; that is why after six months it becomes chaff and unhealthy for consumption. “That is why we have stopped our cooks from cooking any other rice except Abakaliki rice.” The governor stated that the parboiling plants fully installed in the two locations would enhance massive rice production in the state, adding that the problem of inadequate water supply identified as militating against optimal function of the machines, would soon be resolved. He expressed confidence that the price of local ric

José Eduardo dos Santos, President of Angola, has fired, the country’s Finance Minister, following a slump in the country’s economic situation. The sack, which was announced on Monday, Yesterday, is coming two months after the Angolan government pulled out of talks with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, over emergency funding. A statement quoted by Reuters, said Manuel, who was appointed in 2013, and whose term had been due to run till 2017, would be replaced by Archer Mangueira, an expert in capital market. Over the last two years, Manuel had presided over an economic slump, caused by a sharp drop in oil prices. The Angolan currency, Kwanza, has slid more than 30 percent against the dollar in 2015, and in January, the Central Bank allowed for another 15 percent, weakening to 155 against the dollar. Angola’s inflation had soared from 11 percent in August, 2015, to 35 percent in July, 2016, while Nigeria’s is from 9.3 to 17.1 percent, within the same period. Like Angola, Niger

An Abuja Federal High Court on Monday sacked two members of the House of Representatives from Enugu State for alleged wrongful emergence as flagbearers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 general elections. The affected lawmakers are Stella Ngwu from Igbo-Etiti and Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency, and Dennis Agbo from Igbo-Eze North and Udenu Federal Constituency. Two other members of the party, Gabriel Okafor and Chijioke Ugwu, had approached the court after PDP conducted its primaries in December 2014, ahead of the 2015 general elections. They argued in separate suits later merged by the court that Stella Ngwu and Denis Agbo’s emergence as flagbearers of the party was wrong, since they were not elected delegates to represent the party at the November 1 congress held in 2014. The PDP and its National Working Committee were the 1st and 2nd defendants in the suits, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was the 3rd defendant. Ms. Ngwu and Mr. Agbo w

Some Nigerians living in the United States of America have advised the Nigerian government to immediately prosecute detained leader of the Sh’ite movement, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, stressing that another terrorist group may break out of the movement if they are not stopped now. In a protest staged at the United Nations Building and the Nigeria House, New York City, yesterday, they said El-Zakzaky’s prosecution will serve as deterrent to similar groups. Recall that El-Zakzaky who was arrested after a bloody clash between members of the Shi’ite movement and the Nigerian Army in Kaduna, late last year, has remained in custody. In a statement by one Cosmos Collins, the Nigerians protesters noted that if government fails to deal with the Shi’ite movement, the group may split into another terrorist group like the Boko Haram. The protesters, who said the Shi’ite movement mirrored Boko Haram in its formative years urged Nigeria that the activities of the Shi’ite movement be immediately nipped

President Muhammadu Buhari has maintained that his wife, Aisha, wife belongs in the kitchen, saying she should stay out of politics. The president held his ground when he was asked to clarify his earlier comments by German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle. “I am sure you have a house. You know where your kitchen is. You know where your living room is. And I believe your wife looks after all that even if she’s working,” Mr. Buhari said when the interviewer, Phil Gayle, asked him to clarify his controversial comments. The president’s comment counters the previous explanation by his media aide, Garba Shehu, who tried to play down the remarks. Mr. Shehu had, hours after Mr. Buhari made the statement at a press briefing in Berlin, said the president was only joking. “My friends, can’t a leader get a sense (of) humour anymore? Mr. President laughed before that statement was made,” Mr. Shehu said as the comments drew worldwide condemnation. “He was obviously throwing a banter.” But when Mr.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has embarked on a more rigorous exploration for oil in the Gongola and other inland basin using the latest seismic data gathering technology. A statement by NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Garba Deen Muhammad, made this known in Abuja on Saturday. The NNPC Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, the statement said, made the disclosure when he paid separate visits to the governors of Bauchi and Gombe States. Mr. Baru said the latest technology was similar to the ones used by neighbouring countries to discover oil there. He said the exploration was in strict compliance to President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate. NNPC, he said, had therefore commenced activities in the Gongola Basin by awarding the contract for seismic data acquisition of over 500KM2 3D seismic data in the first instance. “NNPC is deploying state of the art technology in the present data acquisition and we are confident that these efforts w

At least four persons were feared killed and three others injured yesterday after Nigerian Customs Service (NIS) officers shot sporadically while chasing rice smugglers. The incidents occurred at Moshalashi and Kola Bus stops at Alagbado and Ajegunle in Alakuko area of Lagos. It was gathered that the Customs operatives, allegedly attached to the Federal Operations, suddenly started shooting sporadically into crowded areas. The four persons, who were said to have been hit by stray bullets, were commercial motorcyclists. Among them, The Nation gathered, was a 25-year-old man identified as Saheed, whose wife was said to be pregnant. It was gathered that the operatives, who rode on four patrol vehicles, took one of the victims as they fled. They were said to have injured about three other persons who were taken to an undisclosed hospital. It was gathered that the operatives while fleeing, threatened to shoot policemen from Alakuko Division, who attempted to stop them. A resident sai

President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to his wife’s statement that she may not support him if he runs again – Buhari who is on a state visit to Germany reacted to the interview aying, “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room” – In an interview with the BBC Hausa service Aisha Buhari said her husband does not know many of his top government appointees President Muhammadu Buhari has laughed off his wife’s statement that she may not support him if he runs again, saying, “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room,” The Associated press reports. Buhari who is on a state visit to Germany reacted to the interview during a joint press briefing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mrs Aisha Buhari warned her husband that she may not back him at the next election unless he shakes up his government. Speaking in a BBC interview with Naziru Mikailu,

Aisha, the wife of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has said she may not back her husband’s re-election in 2019 unless he shakes up his cabinet. In an interview with the BBC, Mrs. Buhari said the president “does not know” most of the top officials he appointed to office. Mr. Buhari has not indicated whether or not he will seek re-election, and according to his wife, he has not told his family too. “He is yet to tell me (if he’ll seek re-election) but I have decided as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again,” she said. The Nigerian leader is allowed by the constitution to seek re-election for a second term in office. Should he seek re-election, he is expected to be the candidate to beat for his All Progressives Congress, APC, party; although he could be challenged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who lost to him in the 2014 primaries. Mrs. Buhari al

Aisha, the wife of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has said she may not back her husband’s re-election in 2019 unless he shakes up his cabinet. In an interview with the BBC, Mrs. Buhari said the president “does not know” most of the top officials he appointed to office. Mr. Buhari has not indicated whether or not he will seek re-election, and according to his wife, he has not told his family too. “He is yet to tell me (if he’ll seek re-election) but I have decided as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again,” she said. The Nigerian leader is allowed by the constitution to seek re-election for a second term in office. Should he seek re-election, he is expected to be the candidate to beat for his All Progressives Congress, APC, party; although he could be challenged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who lost to him in the 2014 primaries. Mrs. Buhari al

Abuja - Fresh facts surrounding Thursday’s release of 21 ChiboK girls have emerged. Sahara Reporters is reporting that the captured Chibok girls were released after a prisoner swap between the Nigerian government and the Boko Haram sect. It quoted an unnamed Boko Haram commander as making the revelation. The unnamed Boko Haram commander said the release of the first batch of Chibok girls involved a prisoner swap of detained Boko Haram militants. He said the 21 freed Chibok girls were swapped with four four high profile Boko Haram militants. The Presidency, according to News 24 had earlier said the girls release was facilitated by a collaboration between the International Red Cross, the Swiss government and the Nigerian government.

Governors of all 19 states in northern Nigeria are expected to spend three days in Washington DC next week at the invitation of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). They will be participating in the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Symposium from October 18 to 21 with civic leaders from the Senior Working Group of Nigeria and representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Organized by the institute with support of U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, the upcoming Symposium is the second such event in as many years. The first one which held in May 2014 discussed security challenges caused by the Boko Haram insurgency and strategies for stabilization and development in northern Nigeria. Speaking on Tuesday at the pre-symposium media briefing, USIP Senior Advisors and former ambassadors, Princeton Lyman and Johnnie Carson said the institute’s Northern Governors’ symposium was designed to bolster Nigeria’s commanding stature in Sub-Saharan

The names of the 21 Chibok girls who were released on Thursday have been made public by the Federal Government. The names were posted on the official Twitter handle of the Office of Digital Engagement in the Presidency. See full list below: 1. Mary Usman Bulama 2. Jumai John 3. Blessing Abana 4. Luggwa Sanda 5. Comfort Habila 6. Maryam Basheer 7. Comfort Amos 8. Glory Mainta 9. Saratu Emmanuel 10. Deborah Ja’afaru 11. Rahab Ibrahim 12. Helin Musa 13. Maryamu Lawan 14. Rebecca Ibrahim 15. Asabe Goni 16. Deborah Andrawus 17. Agnes Gapani 18. Saratu Markus 19. Glory Dama 20. Pindah Nuhu 21. Rebecca Mallam

Putin’s message is clear to the western world. He is ridding the Syrian area of all the terrorists the west has, under Obama’s leadership, sent into the region to kill Christians and topple Syrian President Assad. Putin is not letting up and all systems are go for “Operation Salvation”. Moskovskaya Pravda cited the Russian president as saying, “We have nearly two million orthodox Christians in the Levant—Syria and Lebanon— and approximately 5 million Christians across Middle-East. Regardless of America’s presidential election outcome, White House craves chaos in that oil-rich region by supporting fanatic Islamist organizations, i.e. ISIS and al-Nusra Front.” The establishment elite’s game is over. Putin is flexing his muscle against ISIS/ISIL aggression and ridding the strongholds Obama has created in the Syrian area. Meanwhile the western media continues to tell the people Russia is the enemy. Yet, the western world is sponsoring the terrorism that is killing Christians in an Islami

Boko haram Islamic sects has allegedly released 21chibok girls. Details later.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA ), on Wednesday reported the explosion in a series of tweets as it added that emergency workers are already on their way to the scene . “ There is a reported case of bomb blast around Muna Garage , ” NEMA tweeted . “ Emergency workers are on their way to the scene , ” it said . Just in: there is a reported case of bomb blast around Muna garage Maiduguri Borno , details later … — NEMA Nigeria (@ nemanigeria ) October 12 , 2016 Already emergency workers are on their way to the scene .. — NEMA Nigeria (@ nemanigeria ) October 12 , 2016 According to an eyewitness , there are Red Cross vehicles near the area.

Check out Akubaraoha News (@AkubaraohaNews): https://twitter.com/AkubaraohaNews?s=09

Governor Wike alleges plot to declare state of emergency in Rivers State The illegal siege on Rivers State by Federal Security agencies continued unabated during the early hours of Saturday as hundreds of Department of State Services (DSS) operatives and policemen attempted to illegally abduct a Federal High Court judge residing at Number 35 Forces Avenue in Port Harcourt The illegal failed abduction was led by Mr Tosin Ajayi, Rivers State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Francis Odesanya. The operatives of DSS reportedly rough-handled Governor Wike, pushing him around and injuring his hand. A few of the operatives cocked their rifles and threatened to shoot the Governor. They were irked by Governor Wike's arrival at the scene shortly after the failed abduction process began. It was learnt that Governor Wike received security information on the illegal moves, minutes after the operation started. The security operatives

FOR the second time in three years, the Senate, yesterday, rejected proposals to grant Lagos a special status, in view of the avalanche of socio-economic challenges it is facing as former political capital of Nigeria. The state is still the economic capital and nerve centre of the country. Indeed, the Senate Chambers was thrown into a rowdy session as senators deliberated on a bill for an act to make provision for a special Federal grant to Lagos State. The Bill, titled A Bill for an Act to make provisions for Federal Grants to Lagos State in recognition of its strategic socio- economic significance and other connected purposes, was sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos Central. The said Bill was first presented to the upper chamber in the 7th Senate, but the lawmakers turned it down at the committee stage. Specifically, on June 5, 2013, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu-led Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review, in its report

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, on Tuesday said there is no rift with the party National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Oyegun also said he will not resign as APC chairman based on newspapers’ reports. Tinubu had called for Oyegun’s resignation over his role in the emergence of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the party’s candidate in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State. The ex- Lagos State governor had claimed that Oyegun over-ruled a panel set up by the party which recommended the conduct of a fresh primary. He therefore called for the party chairman’s removal in order to allow internal democracy to return to the party. But Oyegun said on Tuesday that there are procedures to be followed for such resignation to happen. He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja. Although he agreed that there are disagreements on the Ondo primary, he denied any rift with T

The suspects were apprehended when they were trying to bury the corpse in an abandoned pit in Osisioma, near Aba. The middle-aged suspects are Jonathan Nwogu from Mgboko Umuola in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state and Chibuike Anubuife from Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State. They were caught at Enyimba filling station near Ariaria International, Aba while trying to take the girl’s corpse in a sack for burial. Parading the suspects in Umuahia, the state commandant of the NSCDC, Andy Dateer, said: “It was a very sad day for the command.” According to him, his men on a routine patrol caught two men in possession of a corpse of a girl of about two years old in a sack. He said his men were attracted to the scene following a quarrel between them and a man who would have conveyed them to the scene in his car. “ As people started gathering, the owner of the car zoomed off and my men arrested the two suspects,” he said. Dateer said they will be handed over to the Police

A 43 year old Ghanaian woman Enyolam Believe, has been arrested by The Lagos State Police Command for allegedly abducting her eight year old niece in the Ikotun area of the state. Believe had arranged with a friend Agatha Aigbomiam to abduct the victim on her way back from school for a ransom of thirty thousand naira. Luck ran out of the suspects when the child raised an alarm, which attracted the attention of residents and the community leader who alerted the police. Reports say the suspect and the mother of the child had placed a missing persons report at the police station, when the child was nowhere to be found. In their confessional statement, the suspects owned up to the crime stating that it was purely for monetary reasons. CP Fatai Owoseni during the paradem urged parents and guardians to watch over their wards, noting that the suspects would be charged to court after investigations.

The police in Ogun state have arrested a cemetery worker found with two human skulls. Oluwatoyosi Akorede, an attendant at Ayepe Cemetery, was arrested on Sunday night at Isale Oko area of Shagamu by a patrol team led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Shagamu, Moses Aduroja, a Superintendent (SP). It was gathered that the suspect might have gotten the skulls by exhuming bodies of dead people. The Nation learnt that he confessed the items were needed to perform a ritual. Contacted, the spokesman for the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) said Akorede was being interrogated to unravel the reasons for his action. “The Commissioner of Police (CP) Ahmed Iliyasu has directed that the suspect be transferred to the command headquarters, Eleweran in Abeokuta for further investigation.”

Ogun State Police Command has arrested a man, Wole Oke, 38, and his friend Wasiu Adesina, 30, at Ijebu, Idi-aro area of the state capital, Abeokuta, for being in possession of human parts, Vanguard reports. They were arrested by policemen attached to Oke Itoku Division, led by the DPO, CSP Abeni Farinre, who were on patrol. According to Abimbola Oyeyemi, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, the suspects took to their heels with a leather bag on sighting policemen and they were hotly chased and arrested. “On searching the bag with them, it was discovered that it contained human bones. On interrogation, one of the suspects, Wole Oke, confessed that they were the bones of his sister who died four years ago. He further stated that one herbalist sent him to go and bring it for money ritual purpose. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Iliyasu, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further inv