Falmata Abubakar, the mother of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has said that the last time she saw her son was 15 years ago.
“I can’t say whether he is dead or alive. Only God knows. The last time I set eyes on him was 15 years ago.”
Falmata, who spoke to Voice Of America (VOA) Hausa service from her home in the remote village of Shekau in Yobe State, said that Shekau left the village for Maiduguri in search of Islamic knowledge.
She said that it was in the course of pursuit of Islamic education that he met late Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf.
“I have not seen him since he met Mohammed Yusuf. He is my son. And despite that filial bond existing between mother and son, I am not in support of his cause. He terrorised a lot of people. I wish I can see him to reprimand him. I pray to Allah to change him into the righteous path. I have not inculcated in him such behaviour. Only God knows where he acquires such habit.”
The Boko Haram leader’s late father was a local Imam.
President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to Nigerians to stop glorifying thieving leaders but to get used to treating them with disdain for bringing hardships to others.
He said “it is impossible to separate morality from religion, and removing this connection encourages corrupt leaders and other exploiters to commit atrocities against the society.
“I always wonder why any true believer, be they politicians, civil servants or businessmen, would seek to make profits from the misfortunes of others.”
In his message to mark the end of the Ramadan Fasting period, the President stressed the importance of putting the virtues of Islam into practice beyond the fasting season.
He advised Muslims to reflect on the importance of Ramadan in becoming good ambassadors of Islam at all times.
“Religion should be the moral compass for all believers in their public and personal lives. If people allow the teachings of their religions to influence their conducts, problems such as corruption, which diverts public funds to private pockets, would have been eliminated in the society.”
He regretted, however, that selfishness and greed have overcome people’s conscience so much that they don’t have moral inhibitions in the pursuit of their greed.”
President Buhari enjoined religious leaders to always pray for peace and unity in the country and avoid making inflammatory utterances that endanger peace or promote conflicts.
The President also appealed to fellow citizens to forgive one another and embrace peace.
He lauded the families of recipients of national honours for showing good examples to Nigerians and urged our country men and women to copy their good examples.
He thanked Nigerians for their patience and assured that their sacrifices will not be in vain, adding that reforming a country that was pushed into near decay on account of corruption comes with teething pains.
“But these pains are temporary, the APC administration which I am privileged to lead, is beholden to the ordinary Nigerians and will leave no stone unturned to make their security, welfare and happiness our priority”, the President further reassured.
Buhari congratulated Muslims on completion of “this spiritually significant month of sacrifice.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pleaded to Nigerian Muslims not to distort the good virtue of Islamic religion.
Atiku, in his message to Muslims as they prepare to observe Eid-el-Fitr which marked the end of 30-day Fasting, advised them to continue to show good examples of love, tolerance and peaceful disposition at all times.
Such attitudinal disposition, he added, would prevent the religion being perceived in bad light and distortion.
The former Vice President condemned religious extremists for giving Islam a bad name, even as he advised Muslim parents to protect their children from the negative influences of those who preach hate and intolerance. He said that the virtues of the sacrifice should be sustained beyond the Ramadan by Muslims, adding that Fasting period makes believers appreciate the impact of hunger. Atiku said that the spirit of the Ramadan creates a bond of empathy between the haves and have-nots, explaining that compassion “is an important ingredient of our common humanity.” He called on Muslims to show greater commitment to peace, unity and tolerance in order to create harmony and understanding in the country. He said unity is a condition for building a formidable nation, adding that without unity, a country is politically vulnerable. Atiku called on political leaders at all levels and of all persuasion to have the fear of God and the love for the people in their activities. He advised leaders to use power fairly and justly, even as he stressed the need for politicians to be accessible to the people instead of living in fortresses of power that detaches them from the reality of the people.
Host country, Russia, kicked off the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a dominant 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, today, Thursday.
Russia got two goals from Denis Cheryshev and single scores from Yury Gazinsky, Artem Dzuba and Roman Zobnin to a 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia before a crowd of 78,011 at Luzhniki Stadium.
Igor Akinfeev picked up the shutout in goal without making a save.
Russia, both the country and the team, made history just by showing up since this World Cup is the first to be played in Eastern Europe. They made some more with the result, Russia’s first World Cup win in 16 years.
Russia now has four days to prepare for its next game with Egypt, one that will go a long way toward deciding if the team will continue making history.
National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, ex-interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande and governors on the party’s platform, have endorsed former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, for the position of the national chairman of the party.
The party’s leaders, made up of Tinubu, Akande, Governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Tanko Al-Makura (Nassarawa), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Simon Lalong (Plateau) were at the Oshiomhole’s campaign office located at Aso Drive, Asokoro, Abuja, yesterday, on a solidarity visit.
Tinubu, who spoke to reporters shortly after he and Akande met with Oshiomhole behind closed doors, said: “my visit symbolizes solidarity and unity of purpose to continue to bring a progressive party that will carry Nigeria in a progressive manner, (to bring about) good governance with courage and commitment.”
In a response to a direct question as to whether his visit was an endorsement of Oshiomhole’s aspirations, he said: “there is no doubt. I have worked with him, why should I have any doubt? The stuff of this game (politics) is that you win. Have you seen a democrat who is ready to lose? Just accept it, it is about choice.”
Chief Akande also said: “democracy is a matter of choice; you would want somebody who is competent enough to do it (the job) and you allow him to do it.”
In response to a question on the parallel congress held in Lagos, Tinubu said: “anybody can get a branch of a bank anywhere but check whether your (Automated Teller Machine) card will work.”
Earlier, the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, told journalists that all the governors on the party’s platform were looking forward to Oshiomhole’s chairmanship.
He said: “our party is looking forward to the chairmanship of Adams Oshiomhole.”
Bagudu said that though he was not the chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, “I can tell you that Adams Oshiomhole is my candidate as a governor and all the governors I know. He is the candidate for the chairmanship.
The Nigeria Prisons has confirmed that 149 inmates are still missing after jailbreak at Minna Medium Security Prison in Tunga area of Minna metropolis on June 3.
Spokesman of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), Francis Enobore, told news men that all efforts are being put in place to arrest the remaining 149 escapees.
“Presently, security has been beefed up within and outside prison facility even as the ongoing investigation into the matter is comprehensive and will soon be ready for appropriate action.
“We are walking round the clock to recapture the remaining inmates but as at today six more escapees have been recaptured. In total they are now 61 out of the initial 210.
“A lot of development is ongoing in the prison service which will enable us further solve the issue of jailbreaks among other things.
“The Federal Government has realized the important role the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), is doing in keeping offenders out of circulation so that social economic activities can be going on smoothly.
“Our budgetary allocations have increased. If you see the infrastructure going on now in different prison locations across the country they are modest type of prison.
“There is a proposal now to have a three thousand capacity prison. One in each of the six geo-political zones across the country. That of North-West have started and some of them have reached 50 percent completion.
“We are going to have court, school, outdoor and indoor training and vocational section among other facilities. It will be a standard prison.”
Former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he contested and won the Ondo State governorship election in 2014.
In a letter of resignation which he to the leadership of the PDP in the state, Mimiko said that his decision to leave the party was personal to him.
The letter read in part:”I hereby with utmost humility inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the PDP with effect from today, June 13, 2018, for some well-thought-out personal reasons.
” It was an honour working with the many prominent Nigerians with whom I shared the PDP platform for the entire period I was in there as a member.
“Accept please the assurance of my very high regards.”
The State Chairman of the PDP, Clement Faboyede said that Mimiko’s exit from the party would not have any negative impact on the party, saying the party is waxing stronger on a daily basis.
“Mimiko is a human being. He has the right to his opinion. We have tried at all levels to discourage him but he insisted on leaving. One thing I know is that PDP will not die as he (Mimiko) leaves. We have survived many turbulent times in the past, so if he goes it cannot affect us negatively.”
The United States, Canada and Mexico will jointly host the 2026 World Cup tournament after beating Morocco in its bid to host it. The ‘United 2026’ bid was selected by Fifa member nations, winning 134 votes compared to 65 for Morocco.
The 2026 tournament will be the biggest World Cup ever held – with 48 teams playing 80 matches over 34 days.
Of the 211 Fifa member nations, 200 cast a vote at the 68th Fifa Congress in Moscow today, Wednesday, with the winning bid needing a majority of 104.
Canada, Mexico, Morocco and the US were exempt, while Ghana was absent after the country’s government said it had disbanded its football association amid allegations of “widespread” corruption.
Three US territories – Guam, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico – were among the other member nations to not vote.
Both Mexico (1970 and 1986) and the United States (1994) have previously hosted World Cups. Canada staged the Women’s World Cup in 2015.
The winning bid
The ‘United’ World Cup will generate $14bn (£10.3bn) in revenue and make an $11bn (£8.1bn) profit for Fifa, says Cordeiro.
Of the 16 host cities, 10 will be in the United States while the remainder will be split evenly between Canada and Mexico.
Sixty matches will take place in the US, while Canada and Mexico will host 10 games each.
The final will be held at the 84,953-capacity MetLife Stadium, which is home to NFL sides the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
The distance between the most northern host city (Edmonton) and the most southern (Mexico City) is almost 3,000 miles, which compares to 1,900 miles at this month’s tournament in Russia.
The tournament will mark the first time a World Cup has been shared by three host nations.
The 1994 World Cup, staged by the US, had the highest average attendance in the tournament’s history, while Mexico was the first nation to host the event twice.
US Soccer: “Hosting the 2026 Fifa World Cup is a rare and important moment to demonstrate that we are all truly united through sport.
“We are humbled by the trust our colleagues in the Fifa family have put in our bid, strengthened by the unity between our three countries and the Concacaf region and excited by the opportunity we have to put football on a new and sustainable path for generations to come.”
Morocco Federation: “I wish to congratulate Fifa for the conduct of this process and congratulate the president for what he has done in order to move things towards more transparency and more inclusion.
“I would like to reaffirm the determination of my country to continue to work for football and realise one day our dream to host the World Cup in Morocco.”
The Football Association (FA): “We congratulate the USA, Canada and Mexico on winning the bid to host the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Both bids were of a very high quality and we welcome the fact that the bidding process was both open and transparent.
“We cast our vote for the ‘United’ bid as we believe the independent technical assessment made its advantages very clear. However, it is important to note that both bids were deemed to have met the hosting requirements and a tournament in Morocco, close to Europe and in a country that loves football, had a great deal for English football fans to be excited about.”
Fifth time unlucky
Five times they have bid, and five times they have been overlooked – Morocco are perhaps destined to never host a World Cup.
Morocco’s bid faced unwanted attention when Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura was the subject of an investigation into an alleged conflict of interest.
Members of Fifa’s World Cup bid evaluation task force said she had an undeclared family link with Morocco 2026 bid ambassador El Hadji Diouf.
She was cleared of any wrongdoing and dismissed the claims as “laughable” and “unfortunate”.
The same evaluation task force later expressed concerns over stadiums, the availability of accommodation, and the travel network, despite ratifying their proposals.
Nine of the 14 stadiums included in Morocco’s bid were yet to be built, while the remaining five required “significant renovation or upgrading”.
But bid chief Hicham el Amrani said he was confident the country’s infrastructure “could deliver” and made play of the North African nation’s position, nine miles from the southern tip of Spain – dubbing it a “European” World Cup.
Federal High Court has declared the Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District, Senator Atai Aidoko on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as impostor and ordered that he should be removed from the red chamber immediately.
The Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held, in his judgment that Atai Aidoko was not properly nominated by the PDP for the March 2015 National Assembly election and consequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately withdraw the certificate of return issued to him in 2015.
Justice Kolawole ordered the immediate swearing in of retired Air Marshall Isaac Alfa, of the PDP, by the Clerk of the National Assembly in place of the sacked Senator.
The court also ordered INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to Alfa being the winner of the December 7, 2014 Senate primaries of the PDP.
The court awarded a cost of N750,000 against Aidoko and the PDP respectively.
President Muhammadu Buhari hosts diplomatic community
President Muhammadu Buhari has pleaded with members of the diplomatic communities to join him in the fight against corruption which he said is the single biggest menace to Africa’s development.
The President, who hosted Ambassadors and other foreign missions in Nigeria to breaking of the Ramadan Fast today, Tuesday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: “we shall count on your support to tackle corruption headlong, in order to bring about development, prosperity and well-being of our people.
“As I mentioned in my inaugural speech; if we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill us. Corruption undermines development and impedes democracy and the rule of law.”
President Buhari recalled that during the 30th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa held in January this year, the AU launched the theme for the year 2018 winning the fight against Corruption: a sustainable path for Africa’s Transformationand endorsed him as the AU Champion for the year.
He expressed appreciation to leaders of other countries across the world for the support and peaceful co-existence which has contributed, in no small measure, to deepening the bonds of friendship and the subsisting cordial relations.
He stressed that positive relationship had contributed in helping his government towards the attainment of the key pillars of his administration which are diversification of the economy, good governance (anti-corruption) and security as well as the core objectives of the 2017-2020 Economic Recovery and Growth plan (ERGP).
“You may recall the efforts of the Government in tackling the problem of insecurity since the inception of this administration in May 2015. The Government made every effort to contain the Boko Haram insurgency which bedevilled the country. I am happy to note that, at the moment, the Boko Haram insurgents have been degraded and normalcy gradually restored in the affected areas as we embarked on the task of rehabilitation and reintegration of the affected communities.”
Buhari assured the diplomatic corps that his government is making every effort to bring the issue of insurgence to a complete end, adding that his government will continue to collaborate with the country’s neighbours under the multilateral Joint Task Force to curtail the movement and operations of terrorist across the borders.
“With peace comes development. As you are aware, this administration has taken bold initiatives to reposition the Nigerian economy on the path of sustainable growth and development. In the preceding years, Nigeria has continued to witness political stability and economic prosperity as acknowledged by World Bank 2017 economic rating on Ease of Doing Business Index for 2018.
“I wish to assure Your Excellencies that we remain committed to creating enabling environment to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and boost private sector engagements between Nigeria and your respective countries.”
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Host country, Russia, kicked off the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a dominant 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, today, 
The Nigeria Prisons has confirmed that 149 inmates are still missing after jailbreak at Minna Medium Security Prison in Tunga area of Minna metropolis on June 3.
The United States, Canada and Mexico will jointly host the 2026 World Cup tournament after beating Morocco in its bid to host it. The ‘United 2026’ bid was selected by Fifa member nations, winning 134 votes compared to 65 for Morocco.
