$180m Halliburton bribery: Judge strikes out suit

Justice Abubakar Umar of an Abuja High Court on Monday struck out a suit filed by the EFCC against three persons named in the Halliburton bribery scandal.

The EFCC is charging a former Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, retired AVM Abdullahi Bello and Mohammed Bakari of the Urban Shelter Ltd., on a nine-count charge bordering on corruption and bribery.

They were alleged to have used their companies; Intercellular Nigeria Ltd., Sherwood Petroleum Ltd and
Tri-Star Investment Ltd. to benefit from a $7.5 million Halliburton bribe.

Justice Umar struck out the suit after the EFCC Counsel, Ms Kauna Pindam, prayed the court to grant the commission another adjournment to enable it to arraign the accused persons.

Umar refused to grant the adjournment but reminded the EFCC of an order he gave on Jan. 23 that the commission should be ready to arraign the three suspects named in the 180 million dollars Halliburton bribery scandal unfailingly this Monday.

“I will not grant any more adjournment. Remember I gave an order on Jan. 23 that March 26 date would be the last time the court would give the EFCC chance to arraign the suspects.
“I gave the long adjournment to allow the EFCC to interface with its U.S. sister agency in utilising security information you said you got.

“I warned the EFCC that upon its failure to arraign the accused today, I will strike out the case and write to the Minister of Justice to lodge a complaint about the attitude of the commission.

“I remember I also warned the EFCC and the accused counsel to adhere to the specific details of the order or suffer certain penalties for not following the instructions.’’
Umar warned the EFCC not to expose the judiciary to ridicule.

“I have checked my records and in the past one year, since Feb. 17, 2011 when I granted leave to the prosecution to arraign the accused; they have not done so.

“It has been over a year now and still the EFCC is coming up with excuses; the EFCC should know that if it is not ready to prosecute and bring cases to conclusion, it should not apply for leave of court to arraign anybody.

“The EFCC should know that I am answerable to the National Judicial Council and what will I say is the reason why this case has been at arraignment stage for the past one year?
“I therefore strike out the suit for want of diligent prosecution. ’’

Military Coup In Mali… EU, US, AU, France Condemn Uprising

Rebel soldiers announced early today that they have seized control of Mali after a palace attack, the Associated Press reported. The whereabouts of the President, Amadou Toumani Toure, were unknown at press time.

The soldiers, in a brief statement read on national television, said they seized power in protest at the government’s failure to quell a nomad-led rebellion in the north of the country that have claimed many lives and left hundreds of thousands homeless in recent months. The coup has been fronted by soldiers of the rank of captain or lower, Reuters said.

It was learnt that the army has for weeks appealed to the government for better weapons to fight the northern Tuareg rebels, now bolstered by heavily-armed ethnic allies who fought on Gaddafi’s side last year but have returned to Mali.

On national television, a group of around 20 soldiers in military fatigues were shown crowding around a desk, facing the camera. They announced that the country is under the control of the military’s National Committee for the Reestablishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State, or CNRDR. They said they were suspending Mali’s constitution and dissolving its institutions, AP said.

“The CNRDR representing all the elements of the armed forces, defensive forces and security forces has decided to assume its responsibilities and end the incompetent and disavowed regime of Amadou Toumani Toure,” they said, reading from a statement.

“The objective of the CNRDR does not in any way aim to confiscate power, and we solemnly swear to return power to a democratically elected president as soon as national unity and territorial integrity are established.”

The coup is a major setback for one of the region’s few established democracies. It came one month before Mali’s presidential election. Toure, 63, was due to step down after those elections.

Gunfire could be heard from the direction of the presidential palace early today, the Associated Press reported. A soldier at the palace said that the president’s bodyguards had failed to fight the renegade soldiers, who forced their way in. They searched the grounds but could not find Toure, whose whereabouts are unknown, AP said.

The events that culminated in the coup began yesterday morning at a military camp in the capital, where Defence Minister Gen. Sadio Gassama came for an official visit. In his speech to the troops, the minister failed to address the grievances of the rank-and-file soldiers. The rebellion has claimed the lives of numerous soldiers, and those sent to fight say they are not given sufficient supplies, including arms or food.

Recruits started firing into the air yesterday morning. By afternoon, troops had surrounded the state television station in central Bamako, located in southwest Mali, yanking both the television and radio signals off the air for the rest of the day. By yesterday evening, troops had started rioting at a military garrison located in the northern town of Gao, some 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away.

A freelance journalist from Sweden who was driving to her hotel near the TV station around 4 p.m. yesterday said that trucks full of soldiers had surrounded the state broadcaster, AP reported.

“They came and started setting up checkpoints. There were military in the streets, stopping people,” said Katarina Hoije. “When we reached our hotel which is just in front of the TV station, there were lots of military outside, and more cars kept arriving – pickup trucks with soldiers on them.”

President Touré had promised to step down in advance of elections set for April 29. The Malian leader is a former soldier who overthrew the then president-for-life, Moussa Traore, in 1991 before handing power back to civilians. He came to office in elections in 2002 and was returned to office in 2007, the New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, the West Africa regional bloc ECOWAS has condemned actions by renegade Mali soldiers who claimed they had seized power from an “incompetent regime.

“ECOWAS strongly condemns the misguided actions of the mutineers and warns that it will not condone any recourse to violence as a means of seeking redress,” said a statement by the Economic Community of West African States bloc.

What began as a mutiny over the government’s response to the rekindled Tuareg insurrection in the north on Wednesday afternoon turned into a full-blown coup as soldiers seized control of the presidential palace and the government broadcaster.

Putschists, calling themselves the National Committee for the Establishment of Democracy, went on television early Thursday to announce they had taken over power in the west African country.

ECOWAS said it had followed with “dismay and mounting concern” events in Bamako, the capital of its member state Mali. It said the action by the military was “all the more reprehensible” coming amid regional and international peace efforts to end the Tuareg-led rebellion in the north of the country.

The European Union also called Thursday for constitutional rule to return to Mali “as soon as possible” after mutinous soldiers claimed to have seized power in a coup.

“We condemn the military takeover of power and the suspension of the constitution. Constitutional rule should be restored as soon as possible,” said Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

“The safety and liberty of the people of Mali must be preserved in all circumstances,” he said in a statement. Renegade soldiers claimed Thursday they had seized power from an “incompetent regime,” announcing on television they had suspended the constitution and dissolved state institutions.

The putschists, calling themselves the National Committee for the Establishment of Democracy, said they had acted due to government’s “inability” to handle a Tuareg-led insurrection in the north of the country.

The group’s spokesman, identified on-screen as Lieutenant Amadou Konare said the takeover was a result of a “lack of adequate material to defend the nation” as well as government’s inability to combat terrorism. Claiming to represent the nation’s defence forces, Konare said the junta “solemnly commits to restore power to a democratically-elected president as soon as national unity and territorial integrity are re-established.”

Mali was to hold the first round of a presidential election on April 29. In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: “The situation is currently unclear and unfolding quickly … There are reports of military forces surrounding the presidential palace and movement of vehicles between the palace and the military barracks.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for calm and for grievances to be settled democratically in a statement hours before the soldiers said they had seized power. The commission of the African Union said it was “deeply concerned by the reprehensible acts currently being perpetrated by some elements of the Malian army”.

France called for elections “as soon as possible” in its former colony of Mali early today after mutinous troops were reported to have overturned the government, chased the president from his hilltop palace, imposed a curfew and suspended the constitution, the New York Times reported.

The French foreign minister, Alain Juppé, told Europe 1 radio that France condemns the mutineers’ actions and “demands the re-establishment of constitutional order, and elections, which were scheduled for April, must take place as soon as possible.”

Algeria voiced deep concern Thursday over the military coup in neighbouring Mali and firmly condemned the seizure of power by a group of renegade soldiers.

“Algeria is monitoring the situation in Mali with great concern,” foreign ministry spokesman Amar Belani told the APS news agency.

EFCC Witness Testifies Against el-Rufai

Mr. Sunday Idowu, a prosecution witness in the trial of former Minister of the FCT, Nasir el-Rufai, told an Abuja High Court that el-Rufai did not declare all his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Idowu, an EFCC officer who led the investigations for the arraignment of el-Rufai and two others, said that the accused only declared one instead of the nine plots of land after he left office in 2007.
Arraigned with el-Rufai are Altine Jibrin, former Director-General of the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) and former General Manager, Ismail Iro.

The EFCC is charging the trio for abuse of public office and illegal conversion of a land meant for the construction of transmitting/injection sub-stations of the PHCN at Plot 1201 of Asokoro.
el-Rufai is accused of allocating 10 plots of land in Asokoro District in various sizes to his family members, including his two wives, Hadiza and Hasiya.

The EFCC claimed that he committed the offence between 2003 and 2007. At the resumed hearing presided over by Justice Abubakar Umar, the EFCC said that investigations also revealed that el-Rufai was on the Board of the Directors of four firms that benefited from the Asokoro land allocation.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Adebayo Adelodun (SAN), Idowu told the court that investigations at the Corporate Affairs Commission, also linked el-Rufai to the ownership of System Property Development Company. Other companies owned by the accused, according to Idowu, are Micro-duct Nigeria Ltd, Pure Environmental Services Ltd and Express Procurement Nigeria Ltd.

“These companies got some choice land scattered in the highbrow area of Asokoro district where the PHCN sub-station was supposed to be built,’’ Idowu added. Another EFCC witness, Mohammed Alhassan, a former Executive Secretary of the FCDA, while being cross-examined by el-Rufai’s counsel, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), maintained that el-Rufai ignored his advice.

Alhassan told the court that he advised el-Rufai against diverting the plot of land allocated to the PHCN to other purpose. “But the former Minister ignored my advice,” he added. The court through Alhassan, admitted a letter written by Julius Berger Plc to the FCDA, dated Jan. 26, 2007. The letter was a reminder that the plot of land in dispute in Asokoro District, Abuja, was earmarked for PHCN.

The second document tendered was a letter written by the Engineering Department of FCDA, to the Secretary, Planning Department, FCDA, dated April 28, 2007. Alhassan also presented to the court a memo he wrote to el-Rufai, dated Feb. 6, 2007, advising him not to alter the Master Plan.

Reading the memo in the court, Alhassan said: “Mr Minister may wish to consider reversing the approval granted to redesign the area and return the land to status quo.” Also during cross examination by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), counsel to the second accused (Jibrin) and third accused (Iro), Alhassan agreed that the power to allocate and revoke land in the FCT was vested in the minister.

Umar adjourned the case to April 25 and April 26 at the instance of Agabi and ordered the Legal Department of the FCDA to produce the certified true copies of the two memos written to el Rufai by Alhassan.

The judge also ordered the Department of Land and Planning to produce the original site plan for the PHCN sub-station in Asokoro.

Player Dies On Pitch

The first class pitchside treatment received by Fabrice Muamba was thrown into sharp relief yesterday by the death of a footballer who collapsed while playing in India.

In a shocking incident that again brought to light the poor medical facilities provided for local football tournaments, a 27-year-old player died on Wednesday after he collapsed at the Bangalore Football Stadium during a league match.

Times of India reports that Venkatesh, a midfielder for A-division side Bangalore Mars, came in as substitute in the 73rd minute before collapsing in the dying minutes of the match. The Bangalore District Football Association, which annually organises the Super, ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ divisions, allegedly did not have a doctor present on the field. A physio and players rushed in and tried standard medical procedures on Venkatesh, who by now was having fits, teammate Janardhan said.

Then came the crunch – no ambulance. Though some BDFA members denied the allegation, team manager Shiva, who is also a BDFA member, said there was a tempo on standby at the eastern wing of the stadium. “The only reason we couldn’t get it out in time was that there were many two wheelers parked around it,” he said.

Players and officials carried Venkatesh in their arms off the field, hired an auto rickshaw and rushed him to Hosmat Hospital, where he was declared dead. “There was no pulse or respiration. We gave him CPR and defibrillator shocks, but it was too late,” Hosmat vice-president Dr Ajith Benedict Royan said.

Preliminary post-mortem reports agreed with Dr Royan’s suggestion that Venkatesh died of cardiac arrest. “There were no external injuries. This is also known as Sudden Death Syndrome, which is common among footballers. Maybe if he had been given oxygen or proper medical care at the time of the incident, he could have stood a chance,” Dr Royan added.

Venkatesh has represented Karnataka at the junior and sub-junior levels and has been with Mars for the last five years.

ECOWAS condemns coup in Mali

The ECOWAS Commission on Thursday condemned the coup by some renegade soldiers, who announced the overthrow of the government of Amodou Toure of Mali.

A statement issued in Abuja and signed by the Commission’s President Désiré Ouedraogo warned that the commission would not condone any recourse to violence as a means of seeking redress.

“The disturbances sparked by elements within the armed forces are all the more reprehensible, coming amidst the on-going regional and international efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the rebellion in the north of the country,” ECOWAS noted.

It noted that the soldiers’ action also came just a day after a special ministerial session of the AU Peace and Security Council on the matter ended in Bamako.

“ECOWAS strongly condemns the misguided actions of the mutineers and warns that it will not condone any recourse to violence as a means of seeking redress.

“The commission wishes to remind the military of its responsibility under the Constitution, and to reiterate ECOWAS’ policy of ‘Zero Tolerance’ for any attempt to obtain or maintain power by unconstitutional means,” it said.

The statement said the commission was closely monitoring developments in the country and would respond “appropriately to any attempts to further disturb the precarious security situation.”

My husband is not the father of my three children, woman tells court

A housewife, Mrs. Seinab Adebayo, on Thursday told an Ijebu-Ode Customary Court Grade ‘A’ that her husband, Adewale, was not the biological father of their three children.

Adebayo who is pregnant with the fourth child, also told the court that her husband was also not responsible for the pregnancy, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Adewale, who is the plaintiff, had early this month dragged his wife to court for packing out of the house with the three children without his consent.

He urged the court to order his wife to return his three children back to him. But the wife said she packed out of the house because her husband, whom she said got married to her 12 years ago, was not the biological father of the children and was not responsible for the pregnancy.

Adebayo told the court that she was made to swore an oath to keep the secret that her husband was not the biological father of the children, adding that it was a deal between the two of them.

She said her husband had been married for 10 years without an issue before she got married to him.
“When I got married to my husband 12 years ago, we both swore an oath not to reveal the secret that my husband is not the biological father of the children.

“And for the past 12 years, we have been keeping that secret by not allowing anybody to know that my husband is not the biological father of the three children and the pregnancy that I am carrying,” she said.
Adebayo, however, told the court that she could not reveal the details of the secret until the husband brought the oracle with which they swore the oath to court to release her from it.

“I cannot give the details of the secret of who the real father of the children is until I am released from the oath.

“I will urge the court to order my husband to bring the oracle with which we swore the oath to court and release me from it before I can reveal the secret,” she said.

The husband, who did not deny the allegation, insisted that he was the biological father of the children.
In his ruling, the court’s President, Mr. Olatunji Kanimodo, ordered the husband to bring the oracle with which they swore to an oath to the court in the next adjourned date.

Kanimodo said the order was imperative for the court to get the full details of the case, and adjourned the case till April 27.

Fire breaks out in National Assembly annex

Fire broke out Thursday afternoon on the second floor of the National Assembly annex building.
The fire started in the legal department and accounts departments of the National Assembly Service Commission.

Newsmen  reports that the FCT Fire Service deployed two fire engines to bring the fire under control before it could spread to other offices.

Panic-stricken staffers, who had vacated the building, gathered some distance away to discuss the incident.
The Director of FCT Fire Service, Mr. Sani Saidu, who confirmed the incident, told journalists that the fire incident was caused by power outage as a result of power fluctuation.

He said the situation had been brought under control and no damage was done
“It was caused by electrical fault as a result of power fluctuation. It was brought under control. No damage was done,” he said.

There was a similar fire incident at the National Assembly Annex on February 21, 2011, on the ground floor which was also said to have been caused by an electrical fault.

There was also a fire at the same annex building two months ago. The fire began in the office of the Secretary to the Clerk of the National Assembly on the third floor of the main building around 1p.m.
The National Assembly is currently on a one-week recess.

REPS/SEC BRIBERY Latest: How N5m request sparked trouble

The war of  attrition  between the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC and the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Markets got messier yesterday  following revelations that a demand for N5 million cash may have ruptured the relationship  between the two parties.

Rep. Herman Hembe, the chairman of the House committee on Capital Markets has meanwhile instructed his lawyers to file legal action against Ms Arummah Oteh, the Director General of the SEC  for allegedly injuring   his character.

Newsmen learnt yesterday that Hembe has already briefed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN from the Northcentral zone to pursue his case in the courts immediately after he would have appeared before the House committee on Ethics and Privileges next week.

SEC sources yesterday disclosed that the House Committee on Capital Markets had officially requested for assistance from the commission through a proxy officially delegated as the committee’s alleged consultant (names withheld)

Appointment letter for  Committee’s consultant
 ---------------------------------------------------------------

The letter appointing  the committee’s consultant was signed by the committee’s assistant secretary, Abama Thomas and dated March 14, 2012. In the letter the DG was requested to give the consultant “all necessary assistance.”

The letter of appointment of the consultant was preceded by a demand for assistance supposedly from the committee amounting to N39.844 million for the purpose of covering the expenses of the public hearing on the collapse of the capital market. That request which was detached on what SEC sources described  as the committee shopping list was allegedly received by the commission on February 29, 2012.

A breakdown of the total amount requested showed that N5.605 million for two advertisement slots in five print media organizations; N2.245 million for advertisement in three broadcast media; N4.215 million for secretariat needs and N1.575 million for refreshment for three days.

According to SEC sources yesterday, the consultant visited the commission in company  with a representative  of the committee with a ‘shopping list’, detailing a large number of ‘specific areas’ for which the SEC’s support was being sought by the House Committee.

SEC further affirmed that the request was subjected to its decision making procedure and was considering a N30 million support, based on its belief that the hearing is in the interest of the public and investors.

The commission, however, noted yesterday that it grew suspicious of a dirty deal when agents of the committee visited the commission requesting for N5 million in cash against the institutionalized process of transferring money through the banks.

“The SEC smelt a rat that rather than wait for the payment to be made through electronic transfer, in line with extant public service policy, to an institutional account, the man was seeking undocumented payment by cash. This was why the transfer was suspended.

“Even the least cursory look at the memo will see stapler marks on the top left hand corner of its cover page, evidence that its accompaniments had been detached,” SEC sources claimed yesterday.

Oteh’s one-day food bill stirs fresh controversy

A receipt obtained by Newsmen on Tuesday revealed how the Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arumah Oteh, allegedly spent the sum of N850,000 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

There were, however, discrepancies in the figures on the receipt.

The receipt, which was dated March 24, 2010, was issued at exactly 9.57pm to the SEC boss. The bill was issued by Zuma Grill Restaurant and it contained expenses incurred by Oteh in three distinct total figures.

In the first category, the bill recorded that Oteh was served two Aquafina Large, at the rate of N1,000; one Teem Soda Water, N500; five bottles of Star, N3,000; one 7Up, N500; two Chapman Large, N1,700; three Fresh Crayfish, N13,500; one Classical Snail, N4,500; four Lobster, N18,400; three Trad. Nativ. Poten, N12,000; one Roast Pork Belly, N4,000 four Pan Salmon, N19,200; Food, N71,600; Beverage A, N3,000; and Beverage N4,100.

The total in this category, according to Transcorp, was N78,700 as against a total of N157,000 computed by our correspondent.

The second category had four crème Brulee, N10,000; one Fruit Salad, N1,800; Food N83,400; Beverage A, N3,000 and Beverage N, N4,100. The total due was placed at N90,500 in contrast to N102,300 computed by our correspondent.

The last total revealed that Oteh spent N91,400, which is against N92,300 by our calculations. She was served two Tea Earl Grey at N900; Food, N84,300; Beverage A, N3,000; and Beverage N, N4,100.

A comprehensive total of the three categories as revealed by the hotel showed that the SEC boss spent N260,600. This, however, is against the total computation of N351,600.

Meanwhile, in a letter obtained by Newsmen from SEC, the commission refuted that its boss consumed meal worth N850,000 and never submitted such a bill to the SEC.

The letter reads “The bill referred to at the public hearing related to Ms Oteh’s hotel expenses during her stay at the Hilton following her assumption of duty.

“We have reviewed her hotel expenses during her stay, and the highest charge for food was N83,400 on March 24, 2010. This bill was in respect of an official dinner hosted by the SEC with a group of international capital market experts who were visiting Nigeria to provide technical assistance to SEC Nigeria.”

Transcorp invoice breakdown
                 Items                                       Amount
2              Aquafina Large                       1,400.00
1              Teem Soda Water                      300.00
5              Star                                             3,000.00
1              7UP                                                 500.00
2              Chapman Large                       1,700.00
3              Fresh Crayfish                         13,500.00
1              Classical Snail                         4,500.00
4              Lobster                                    18,000.00
3              Trad Native Poten                   12,000.00
1              Roast Pork Belly                      4,000.00
4              Pan Salmon                             19,200.00
                Food                                          71,600.00
                Beverages R                            3,000.00
                Beverage N                             4,100.00
4              Creme Brulee                          10,000.00
1              Fruit Salad                               1,800.00
                Food                                         83,400.00
                Beverage R                             3,000.00
                Beverage N                             4,100.00
                 Total Due                               90,500.00
2              Tea Earl Grey                          900.00
                Food                                        84,300.00
                Beverage R                             3,000.00
                 Beverage N                            4,100.00
                Total Due                                 91,400.00
                Room NR                                 1026
                 Signature Charge                   91,400
                
Chech H/No.049785

1.5m candidates to write UTME, Saturday

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Tuesday, said that 1.5million candidates will sit for the Saturday,  March 24th,  2012, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME in Nigeria and six other countries.

Prof  Dibu Ojerinde, JAMB Registrar at a press briefing held in Abuja, Tuesday revealed that a total of 1, 503,931 candidates are expected to sit for the 2012 UTME in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, London, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.


Ojerinde added that the figure is the highest since the UTME started three years ago with a marginal increase of 10,338 candidates over the 1, 493,603 that sat for the exam last year.

The Saturday exams, Ojerinde stated would hold simultaneously in 375 towns spread across 3,001 centres  in the country, adding that the board had to create 129 additional centres this year against the 2,872 centres used last year.
 
Only 500,000 for admission  this year
According to Ojerinde,  the admission capacity across all the tertiary institutions in the country is about 500,000 .

This he said is a leap in the admission capacity compared to the 467,000 capacity of last year.

Reps Members Quit Over Bribe Crisis

The controversy surrounding the probe of the Security and Exchange Commission by the House of Representatives has claimed its first set of victims.
This is evident in the decision of the Chairman of the Committee, Herman Hembe, to step down from headship of the committee as well as disqualify himself from the on-going probe of the sector.

The leadership of the House also announced that the entire membership of the committee have also stepped down.

According to Hembe, his decision to step down followed the allegations of bribery and other conflict of interest and bias levelled against him by the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arunma Oteh, last Thursday, at the public hearing organised by the committee.

Oteh had during the hearing, accused Hembe of demanding a bribe of N39 million from SEC for the hearing. She also accused Mr Hembe of demanding N5million from the commission to enable him travel to the Dominican Republic to attend an Emerging market conference without embarking on the journey and did not return the money after failing to attend the conference.

The DG made these accusations in response to the claims by the Committee that she has mismanaged the affairs of the commission and the committee was out to tarnish her integrity.

She questioned the credibility of the Chairman of the committee in conducting the probe, considering her allegations. Oteh had been accused spending huge funds belonging to the commission on personal issues. She was accused of spending N30 million during her eight-month stay at the Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja and N850,000 on a single day on food. She was also accused of compromising her office by engaging two employees of Access Bank Plc. on secondment to her office. Hembe said this led to a situation which placed a firm that should be under SEC’s watch at an unfair advantage.

In his response, Mr Hembe noted all the allegations listed by the SEC and subjected himself and the committee to another probe which he urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to take up.

Hembe said he neither demanded nor took any bribe from the SEC DG, “but rather fought hard to resist any such temptation.” He said SEC made overtures to the committee through a memo ahead of the probe, vowing to go to court to clear his name.

Arising from these, the House immediately set up an ad-hoc committee to be headed by Ibrahim El-Sudi from Taraba state to take up the activities of the capital market committee. The new committee is expected to produce a new schedule within 21 days.

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Dbanj releases Oliver Twist video without Don Jazzy

Musician and entertainer, Dapo Oyebanjo aka D’Banj, has released the video of his Oliver Twist track, in the wake of his rumoured split with associate, Michael Collins aka Don Jazzy.

Interestingly, Don Jazzy is not in the video.

This is the first time since both men formed the Mo’Hits group in 2004 that Don Jazzy is not featuring in a video released by D’Banj.

The split, which was confirmed in a tweet by Don Jazzy on Saturday, followed D’Banj’s deal with G.O.O.D Music, owned by American rapper, Kanye West.

Pusha T, Big Sean and Kanye West, who are all members of the G.O.O.D Music team, appear in the new video.
D’Banj has so far not reacted to Don Jazzy’s comments.

On Monday, a member of the Mo’Hits crew, Dr. Sidney Esiri aka Dr Sid, said Don Jazzy had not been given appreciation commensurate to his contributions to the group.

On the Mo’Hits website, the label is introduced thus: “Founded in 2004, Mo Hits Records is the Brainchild of prolific Music Producer, Singer and Song Writer Michael “Don Jazzy” Ajereh, with its first recording artiste being D’banj. The label has since signed four other talents (Wande Coal, Dr SID D’prince and K-Switch).
 

“Since inception these artistes have collectively won multiple awards and sold over 50 Million records worldwide.

“Mo hits Records, in 2008 also branched out into the production of TV content with the airing of the 2009 reality TV show “Koko Mansion” and in 2011 “The Entertainer”.

In a recent interview with Ebony magazine, D’Banj reportedly said he owned Mo’Hits and that Don Jazzy was one of his artistes.

But the online version of the interview was corrected a few days later to read that D’Banj and Don Jazzy jointly own Mo’Hits.

GBEDU+AMEBO+OGA FISH=HOMEZONE: 2,140 ex-soldiers sue FG over unpaid pension

GBEDU+AMEBO+OGA FISH=HOMEZONE: 2,140 ex-soldiers sue FG over unpaid pension: A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned till Friday to hear a suit filed before it by 2,140 ex-soldiers who foug...

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2,140 ex-soldiers sue FG over unpaid pension

A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned till Friday to hear a suit filed before it by 2,140 ex-soldiers who fought during the Nigerian Civil war between 1967 and 1970.

The retired soldiers are asking the high court to invoke its original jurisdiction and order the Federal Government to forthwith, pay pension benefits and other entitlements due to them since the past 42 years after they bowed out of active service.

In an originating summons they filed through their counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, the plaintiffs contended that having contributed their quota towards securing the territorial integrity of the country by fighting on the side of Nigeria against Biafra insurrection, it was unconstitutional and unjust for the government to refuse paying their pension benefits since the Civil war ended.

Consequently, they are praying the trial court to issue a declaration that each of them is entitled to payment of pension benefits computed in accordance with the due process of the law.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Minister of Defence, Dr Haliru Bello Mohammed and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN.

Meanwhile, when the case came up for hearing, Monday, trial judge, Justice Donatus Okorowo asked all the parties to appear before him on Friday to address the court on the issue of jurisdiction.

Justice Okorowo noted that in view of the nature of the case, he would want both the defence counsel, Mr. A.O Alilu and counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr Falana, to argue on whether it is the federal high court or the National Industrial Court, NIC, that has the requisite jurisdiction to handle the matter.

Fire guts UNILAG Faculty of Science building

An early morning fire on Tuesday gutted some offices in the Physics Department of the Faculty of Science building at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State.

The fire appeared to have broken out from the second floor of the three-storey building, causing panic in the school.

It took the combined effort of firemen from the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Fire Service, Yaba College of Technology and UNILAG as well as staff and students of the institution to put out the fire.

There is no information about the cause of the fire or the extent of damage.
More details later.

Gunmen kill bank manager, 7 others in Sapele beer parlour attack

IT was a bloody weekend in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, as gunmen killed a bank manager and seven other persons at a drinking spot, opposite Okotie-Eboh Grammar School, in the
No reason was given for the mindless bloodbath, but a source said, “The killers, who claimed to be unemployed and hungry, were incensed that their victims were busy drinking and eating with their girlfriends, while they (killers) were starving.”

Meanwhile, another version of the incident, claimed that the husband of one of the women, who was killed was the person who hired cultists to invade the beer parlour, alleging that his wife lied to him that she was going to the saloon to make her hair, only to surface at the drinking spot with her lover.

The woman allegedly left two of her children at home and when her husband got wind of her action, he came with cultists, shot dead the wife and people in the beer parlour at the time.

But, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, told Newsmen when contacted, that only five persons were confirmed dead, while two were rushed to the hospital. He said: “They were drinking and people came and sprayed bullets on them, four died on the spot and another one died later.”
A source told Vanguard that he counted the corpses, saying “There were about 10 persons drinking in Mama Chabula shop that evening when the gunmen came. We don’t know whether they are former militants, cultists or just criminals but they opened fire, seven persons died on the spot while three were rushed to hospital.

“Of the three that were rushed to the hospital was a bank manager and he died today (Sunday). The gunmen did not rob anybody in the store, they just opened fire at those drinking and left after committing the havoc,” the source added.

A Sapele youth leader, who corroborated the police claim, said, “What I heard was that three men and two women were shot in cold blood. One was shot on his legs, the incident happened about 8 pm. We are all confused, there is tension everywhere, nobody seems to know the real reason for the massacre.”
The police do not even know because the people were drinking when they opened fire at them,” he added.

N2bn pension scam: Perm Sec, directors in EFCC net

A Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service has been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a fresh N2bn fraud at the Police Pensions Office.

The man, who was arrested alongside seven directors, had served in the Police Pensions Office.

A member of the Pension Task Force told one of Newsmen that the Permanent Secretary’s office was searched and some incriminating documents were found.

The source said, “His office was searched and some documents were found including a fixed deposit of N1bn.”

Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed on the telephone, that a Permanent Secretary and seven directors were arrested over the pensions scam. But he added that they had been given administrative bail.

He, however, refused to disclose the ministry and identity of the Permanent Secretary, saying that “investigations were still ongoing.”

Uwujaren said, “What I can tell you is that we arrested a Permanent Secretary in respect of the ongoing investigations into pensions administration – a permanent secretary and about seven directors.”

A member of the Pensions Reforms Task Team said the development was a fresh discovery.

“Some of the exhibits contained documents containing issues that were raised against (Abdulrasheed) Maina, including the one written by Borno Youths and other falsified documents that were filed against us,” said the Task Force member.

Further, he said the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, all members of the PRTT, were continuing their investigations into the matter.

The Senate Joint Committee on the Investigation into the Administration of the Pensions Scheme, during its one week public hearing, was told of how officials of government falsified documents to siphon pensioners’ money.

FG deregulates electricity •Local govts, communities can now generate, distribute electricity says NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued regulations enabling communities and local governments to generate and distribute electricity within their areas. One of the two regulations, titled, “NERC Regulation on Embedded Generation 2012,” and issued on March 7, 2012, permits investors, communities, states and local governments to generate and distribute electricity for their exclusive consumption using facilities of existing electricity distribution companies or independent electricity distribution network operators.

Another regulation, issued on the same day, titled, “NERC Regulation for  Independent Electricity Distribution,” permits communities, local and state governments to invest in electricity distribution networks in areas without access to the grid or distribution network or areas poorly serviced.

Thus, state governments with investments in infrastructure for power generation and distribution can now begin to distribute electricity. Also, according to the new regulations,  states and local governments with enough financial capability, can now take fuller advantage of the regulations to provide adequate power for their constituents.

The Electric Power Sector Reform  Act, which established the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, is the enabling law for the power sector reform. The regulations, according to a statement posted on the website  of NERC,  are products of about six months’ intensive research and stakeholder consultations by employees of the commission. The regulations, the statement  said,   were direct attempts to cater for about 40 per cent of the country’s population without access to electricity. The regulations are also capable of addressing the problem of poor quality of electricity supply.

Signing the two regulations,the Chairman, NERC,  Dr. Sam Amadi, said that they would provide the needed solutions to the shortage in supply of electricity in the country. He said, “These are the most important regulations today in this country because we do not have enough electricity to go round. We also have so many constraints preventing us from having enough to generate, transmit and distribute.

“From now on, the much expected expansion in the electricity supply to the end- users would be easily realisable. With these regulations, we have further unlocked the opportunities in the sector to community, private and government participations. The laws are expected to revolutionise the sector.”

He enthused further that the appropriate tariff to encourage the use of renewable and alternative sources of power generation would soon be put in place by the commission. Amadi commended the efforts of the officials of NERC  that were able to put together such  regulations after due consultation with industry stakeholders. He said that similar efforts in the past would have been contracted out to consultants at a huge cost to the commission.

Meanwhile, Amadi also told Newsmen on the telephone that the new electricity tariff would take effect on June 1. Also, the NERC  had recently  warned electricity distribution companies not to charge their customers rates outside what was approved by it last year before the introduction of the new tariff.

The warning came on the heels of increasing number of petitions and complaints received by the commission that some of the distribution companies were cashing in on the recent media reports over planned increase in the electricity tariff and charging their customers rates other than those approved by the commission.

Reacting to the development, Amadi said, “No tariff increase has been announced. Chief executive officers of distribution companies who collect tariffs beyond what was approved last year are operating in disobedience of the industry’s regulations.” “It is an offence to charge rates outside the approved tariff regime. Any errant distribution company will be made to refund its customers money collected in excess of the approved tariffs,” Amadi added.

He said that NERC would not spare any chief executive officer of errant electricity distribution company as applicable sanctions stipulated in the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 would be meted out on those acting in defiance of the Act.

The chairman said that the commission was harmonising submissions made in the course of stakeholders consultations held towards the planned tariff regime and that the final figures would be announced through the media, to put both the customers and operators on notice.

The existing tariff regime is the last schedule of Multi Year Tariff Order that was announced last year and will pave way for MYTO II this year. The MYTO is the model used in calculating prices of electricity. It was introduced in 2008 by NERC  to replace the rule of the thumb practice in determining prices of electricity.

The new tariff, taking effect on June I, is part of the many measures being taken by NERC in conjunction with the BPE to ensure a successful privatisation of the power sector.

It has been estimated that the country needs an average of $10bn investments annually in the power sector for it to  realise its  potential. The nation currently generate about 4,000 megawatts against demand in the region of 10,000MW.

Bizman denies accusing judicial officers of collecting N40m bribe

There is now new twist in the alleged N40 million bribe controversy between an Onitsha- based transporter, Chief Godwin Okeke and two top Judiciary officials in Anambra State as the former has denied ever accusing the officials of collecting money from him.

There had been a running battle between Chief Okeke and the two officials following the accusation that the two officials collected N40m bribe to release some of the suspects who kidnapped him in August 2009.
The judicial officers however denied the allegation.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Onitsha, Chief Okeke, said what he stated in his petition to the Anambra State House of Assembly and his statement in court in Awka, was that one of the kidnap suspects who had been calling him on telephone threatening to kill him if he did not withdraw the court case against them, told him that he spent N40m to secure his release.

He further said he told the court and the House of Assembly that one of the suspects who was brought to the court in a wheel chair from the prison and released on health grounds went to Asaba few days after his release and threw a party for his friends even as he boasted that they were regrouping to eliminate him.

He said: ”I actually raised that alarm that the case was being frustrated by the office of the Attorney-General but there was no time I said that he collected any bribe. I still maintain that the Attorney- General and his DPP are frustrating the case and the Attorney-General and the DPP were trying to shift the blame against one another during our separate meetings with the House Committee; so that confirmed my suspicion but I never accused them of collecting any bribe, so if their conscience is judging them now there is still time to do the right thing.

Reuters: Nigeria opens indirect talks with Boko Haram

Nigeria’s government has in the last week held its first indirect peace talks with Islamist sect Boko Haram, meeting mediators to discuss a possible ceasefire, political and diplomatic sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Newsmen had reported that the group had given conditions for the discussions, some of which are the release from detention of its members and concrete guarantee that the members would not be harassed after peace talks.

Reuters said two persons close to Boko Haram have been carrying messages back and forth between the sect’s self-proclaimed leader Abubakar Shekau and government officials, the sources, who asked not to be named, said.

It was not clear whether any mediators met with President Goodluck Jonathan himself. A presidency spokesman said he could not immediately comment.

Boko Haram has said it wants to impose sharia, or Islamic, law across a country split equally between Christians and Muslims. The group has killed hundreds this year in bomb and gun attacks, mostly in the majority Muslim north of Africa’s top oil producer.

“BH (Boko Haram) has mentioned a conditional ceasefire but it wants all its members released from prison. The government sees this as unacceptable but is willing to release foot soldiers,” a traditional leader and civil rights activist involved in the talks told Reuters, asking not to be named.

“It is the first time a ceasefire has been mentioned, so it is a massive positive, but given the lack of trust a resolution is still a way off,” he added.

Jonathan’s national security adviser, General Owoye Andrew Azazi, told Reuters in January that Nigeria
was considering making contact with moderate members of the shadowy Boko Haram via “back channels”.

A source at the presidency confirmed that efforts are being made to reach out to the sect’s negotiators, but that direct talks had not yet begun. A well-respected Islamic cleric has been contacted to reach out to them, he said.

S’Africa rules out compensation for deported Nigerians

South African Government has ruled out the possibility of compensating the 125 Nigerians who were recently denied entry into the country.

Minister of Correctional Services, Mrs. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, made known the position of her government in Abuja on Thursday.

Mapisa-Nqakula was in the Presidential Villa as the leader of an eight-man special delegation sent by President Jacob Zuma to formally apologise for the incident, which caused a diplomatic row between the two countries.

She said, “The issue of compensation is out of the question. We don’t understand why South Africa will have to compensate.

“We believe that it is enough that we have come out and apologised. It is enough that we have demonstrated our goodwill to the government of Nigeria; it is enough that the President has sent a special envoy to reiterate his commitment to the bi-national with Nigeria and to improve working relationship with Nigeria.”

She however said her country had commenced investigation into the activities of the airport officials who turned back the Nigerians on the gound that their Yellow Fever Vaccination Cards were fakes.

Senate passes N4.8trn 2012 budget

The Senate, yesterday, passed the budget of N4,877, 209,156,933 for the 2012 fiscal year, just as it plans to sue the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, over repeated failure to submit its budget to National Assembly for approval.

The new budget passed was N229 billion higher than the revised budget of N4.648 trillion sent to the National Assembly in February by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The budget includes an upward review of oil benchmark of $70 bpd proposed by President Jonathan to $72 bpd which is to help reduce provision for deficit budget of N1.162 trillion by N98 billion.

It also includes N888 billion funding for oil subsidy programme, beside another N180 billion provided for Subsidy Re-investment Programme, SURE.

Senators, during the clause-by-clause consideration of the budget after its presentation by chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Ahmad Maccido underscored the poor performance of the 2011 budget.

Jonathan takes some blame for failed hostage rescue

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday accepted some blame for last week’s failed attempt by Nigerian and British special forces to rescue a Briton and his Italian colleague from the custody of suspected terrorists in Sokoto.

In an interview on Cable News Network, Jonathan said it was only logical for his government to take some of the blame for the failed operation, as it would also have been commended had it succeeded.

The suspected terrorists killed Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara as the raid to got under way.

The development drew the ire of the Italian political leadership and media, with many questioning why the British government failed to inform Rome of the operation in good time.
During the interview, Jonathan said his administration collaborated with the British and other international intelligence agencies, but did not specify who the other nations were.

“We worked with the international intelligence system. If there was success, there would have been a collective glory. Since we did not quite succeed, well, we all take responsibility.

“So I cannot say I will not take part of that responsibility: yes, I do. I’m the president of the country.”
The two hostages were seized in Kebbi in May 2011 and moved to Sokoto by their captors.

FAAN shuts Enugu airport

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is to shut the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to flight operations from March 18, to enable a contractor to install runway lightings.

A statement from the Head of Public Affairs of FAAN, Mr. Alika Nwanganga, in Enugu on Thursday said the closure would last for three weeks, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The statement said the closure was to enable the contractor handling the project to commence the installation of Runway 08/26 Air Fleet lighting and other minor construction works at the airport.

FAAN, however, regretted the inconveniences the closure would cause to passengers.
The airport has been undertaking daytime flights since it was made international.
Another project going on at the airport is the construction of a new terminal building.

Salami: Court Transfers Suit To Court Of Appeal

Following the submissions by parties on Wednesday at the ongoing suit instituted by former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, challenging his removal from office by President Goodluck Jonathan on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, the case was on Thursday referred to the Court of Appeal by a Federal High Court.

The appellate court is now to take a decision on the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit. The ousted jurist sought the referral to expedite the determination of the matter.
The trial court, however, declined to refer other questions raised by Justice Salami relating to whether or not the issue was an employee/ employer relation matter.

The court maintained that those questions relate to the substance of the matter which would be delved into by the trial court after the appellate court would have taken a decision on the issue of jurisdiction.
Subsequently, the court stayed further proceedings in the matter pending the conclusion of the referred issue by the appellate court.

Salami is challenging his removal from office which was a fallout of his allegation against former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Katsina Alu over the Sokoto state governorship election matter and other corrupt activities allegedly committed by the former CJN.

A panel raised by the National Judicial Council to look into the allegations cleared the former CJN of the alleged offences and directed Justice Salami to tender an apology to Katsina Alu.

Salami’s refusal to comply subsequently led to his removal from office while the case he instituted against the NJC was pending before the court.

2 Nigerian House Maids Fight Over Indian Lover

Two Nigerian house maids, Patience Okpara and Elizabeth Emmanuel threw away decency and fought openly at Ilupeju Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria over an Indian man .

Patience was bitter that Elizabeth started having affairs with the Indian she claimd was her sex partner and boss.

The fight resulted in Patience boiling a hot water adding pepper to it and pouring it on Elizabeth and she sustained severe burns.

The incident happened at 17, Sere Close, Ilupeju, Lagos, where both work as domestic servants to two Indians. Both were arrested by the police at Ilupeju station.

Patience was charged to Oshodi Magistrate’s court, Lagos for pouring hot water on Elizabeth after their fight was separated by a security guard in the compound. Patience, 25, hails from Imo State and Elizabeth, 25, hails from Akwa Ibom State.

Newsmen gathered that Patience was so bitter that Elizabeth left her own man and had sex with her boss.
Patience said when she confronted Elizabeth, she was boasted about it, saying it was her boss that demanded her services that night.

Patience, who is now facing a one-count charge of assault at the court, pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Osho Adebiyi granted her bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum. The matter has been adjoiurned till 23 March 2012.

Mother jailed for locking son in mice-infested trailer and only feeding him four times a week

A woman who locked her 14-year-old son in a squalid trailer and fed him just a few times a week has been jailed for three years.

Amanda Jolliff, 37, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and child abuse after police found the boy living in a rodent-infested mobile home in Erie, Colorado.

Police said the boy's bedroom window was boarded up, and there was an outside lock on his bedroom door in which he had imprisoned for three and a half years.

Judge Thomas Quammen rejected a defense request for a non-prison sentence.
'Both the judge and the prosecutor said at the hearing that Jolliff will be treated more humanely in prison than her son was by her, with three square meals a day and a clean environment,' Meghan Swella, spokeswoman for the Weld County District Attorney's Office said.

Swella said the boy is now doing well in a foster home.

Evolution of the Coca Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries.^[1] It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton,

Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century.

The company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores and vending machines. Such bottlers include Coca-Cola Enterprises, which is the largest single Coca-Cola bottler in North America and western Europe. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains to major restaurants and food service distributors.

The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand name. The most common of these is Diet Coke, with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special versions with lemon, lime or coffee.

Based on Interbrand's best global brand 2011, Coca-Cola was the world's most valuable brand

Type	Soft drink
Manufacturer	The Coca-Cola Company
Country of origin	United States
Introduced	1886
Color	Caramel E-150d
Flavor	Cola, Cola Cherry, Cola Vanilla, Cola Green Tea, Cola Lemon, Cola Lemon Lime, Cola Lime, Cola Orange and Cola Raspberry.
Variants	See Brand portfolio section below
Related products	Pepsi RC Cola Cola Turka Zam Zam Cola Mecca-Cola Virgin Cola Parsi Cola Qibla Cola Evoca Cola Corsica Cola Breizh Cola Afri Cola

11 LASU Students Arrested With Guns

The Lagos State Police Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, has arrested eleven cult members who claimed to be students of the Lagos State University, LASU.

•The suspected LASU cultists.

They were nabbed at Ijanikin, a suburb of Lagos along Lagos/Badagry Expressway, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

A police source told Newsmen that two members of Eiye Confraternity had hired a commercial motorcyclist (okada rider) to take them to Ijanikin where they shot a rival cultist, a member of Aiye Confraternity.

The okada rider, after the shooting, contacted SARS operatives who arrested the suspect’s accomplice identified as Wasiu.

The cultist, who fired the shot managed to escape, but Wasiu led policemen to the hideout of the cultists at Ijanikin, where other cult members were arrested, the police source revealed.

According to the source, items recovered from the suspected cultists include three locally made cut to size rifles, one black bag, one locally made pistol, one live cartridge, four axes, one cutlass, one black beret and one phone.

Those arrested include Amos Acholo, 25, an indigene of Kogi State who claimed to be a businessman but a part-time student of LASU; Ojo Ola-Oluwa, 28, from Osun State, Olupooye Foluso, 27, claimed to be a student of Political Science at LASU, Haruna Olanrewaju, 28, from Kwara State said he is not a LASU student but joined the cult because he is jobless and Ismail Alli, 24, claimed he is a businessman from Sokoto State and he dropped out of school. Others are: a 23-year old Malian, Jiba Abdulahi who said he is into business; Adeyinka Phillips, 25, claimed to be a Lagos State indigene and a student of Computer Science at Lagos State Polytechnic; Edeh Michael said he attended Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin while another suspect, Irikivewe Charles told the police he is still struggling for admission.

Another member of the cult group, Udemeobong from Cross River State, said he is a 200 level student at LASU. He confessed to the police that he was initiated into the cult last year when he visited his friend in Benin City, Edo State.

Police sources told Newsmen this morning that the suspected cultists will soon be arraigned in court on charges of attempted murder.

Meanwhile, the victim who was shot by the suspects is still lying critically ill in an undisclosed hospital.
He was said to be having a swollen stomach perhaps caused by bullets lodged in his belly.

When Newsmen called the Public Relations Officer, of LASU students’ union, Teju Azeez, this morning, he disowned the suspects, saying “they are not LASU students.”

How I Robbed 70-Yr-Old Grandma, Suspect Confesses

A 24-year old, Michael Ndubusi is currently being detained at the Bode Thomas police division headquarter, Lagos for robbing a 70-year old grandma of N6,000.00. The suspect resides with his parents at 8, Ado Close, Obele, Lawanson, Lagos.

Newsmen investigation revealed that he went to Madam Victoria Akinusi, owner of house number 7, Sabiu Ajase Crescent, Surulere, Lagos when her children and tenants have gone to their various places of work.
In his confessional statement to the police he said: “I went upstairs to meet mama that I wanted to buy Starcomms recharge cards of N3,000.

She said she doesn’t have it. I then told her to give me MTN card of N100 and when she gave it to me, I asked if she had a thousand naira balance, she told me to go with it.

“As she turned to go, I quickly held her neck and covered her mouth with an handkerchief and threatened to kill her if she shouted. When she complied, I collected her handbag. I got only N6,000 and some recharge cards inside the bag. As I was running away, she shouted “ole, ole” meaning thief, thief and people ran after and arrested me. Luckily for me, as they made to set me ablaze, policemen from Bode Thomas Division rescued me. You can see the way I was beaten silly with injuries on my head and bruises all over my body.”

US ex-governor heads to jail for corruption

Ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich reports to prison Thursday to serve a 14 year sentence for trying to auction off President Barack Obama’s vacated US Senate seat and a host of other corruption charges.

The Democratic governor was arrested in the midst of what prosecutors called a “political corruption crime spree” just weeks after Obama’s historic November 2008 election.

Blagojevich was convicted of 17 corruption counts in June after his first trial resulted in a hung jury on all but one of the charges.

The expletive-laden transcripts of Blagojevich’s secretly recorded conversations and his subsequent antics created fascinating political theater and the flamboyant politico refused to leave quietly.

He held a press conference outside his home Wednesday where supporters chanted “free our governor” as Blagojevich insisted “this is not over” and that everything he did “was on the right side of the law.”
“We are appealing the case,” Blagojevich told reporters. “We have faith in the future, faith in the rule of law.”

While Obama managed to emerge untainted, the scandal shone a spotlight on the state’s corruption-filled political scene and cast a shadow on his early days in office.

Five of the past nine Illinois governors have been indicted or arrested for fraud or bribery. Blagojevich’s predecessor, Republican George Ryan, is currently serving a six-and-a-half year jail term for fraud and racketeering.

Gunmen open fire on police station, injure two

Unknown gunmen on a motorcycle attacked a police station in Mayo Bani Village of Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa.

Eyewitnesses Thursday in Mayo Bani said that two gunmen on motorcycle Wednesday night opened fire on the station and escaped.

They said that during the attack, two policemen were injured, and “are now receiving treatment at the Mubi General Hospital”.

Similarly, an unidentified man has been shot dead in front of his house Wednesday night along Ahmadu Bello Way in Mubi, Adamawa.

The witnesses also said, there was a shooting incident at the Mubi grain market, during which one person was feared dead.

When contacted on the incidents, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Adamawa Police Command, Mrs Altine Daniel, said the command was yet to confirm the incidents.

Report says that on Monday, five people, including a soldier, a police inspector and three civilians, lost their lives in a shooting incident in Mubi.

The Monday night incident occurred after six death bodies riddled with bullet wounds were discovered on the streets of Mubi on Monday morning, which triggered a protest by residents of the town.
Meanwhile, the Adamawa Government has announced a dusk to dawn curfew in Mubi following recent development in the town.