Mrs. Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, admiring the portrait of her husband who was Colonel Buhari and military Governor of North Eastern state, now split into Borno, Yobe, Gombe and Bauchi states. The portrait was specially presented by Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima during Mrs. Buhari’s visit to Maiduguri recently. [myad]
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has declared opened the historic “One Lagos Fiesta’’ at Agege Stadium , promisine to make the event an annual programme that would be held in all the five Divisions of the State.
Ambode told a mammoth crowd of fun seeking Lagosians at the Stadium, that he had, during the electioneering campaign pledged to run an all inclusive government that will involve every Lagosians as well as bring governance closer to the people, saying that the “One Fiesta programme” is in fulfillment of that promise.
“You mean a lot to me, this event is all about you and the rest of Lagos.”
He recalled that the last time he was at the Agege Stadium was during the electioneering campaign of Mr. President and expressed happiness that he was back to the area as elected Governor, adding that the fiesta will hold simultaneously in all the divisions of the state.
The governor thanked the people of Agege for identifying with the State Government as manifested in the massive turnout and in a peaceful and orderly manner, even as he asked all residents to participate fully in the five day programme packaged to make every Lagosian enter the new year in joyful mood.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who represented the federal government, commended the initiative of the Ambode led administration for decentralizing the Countdown to end of year programme to accommodate all divisions.
“This far sighted concept has given every Lagosian the choice either to be in Agege, Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry or Lagos Island to fully participate in Countdown celebration.
“One Lagos Fiesta” is in line with the Buhari’s policy of organizing festivals regularly, as the Federal Government is now in the process of compiling compendium of festivals in Nigeria as part of efforts to leverage on our rich cultural heritage to create employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.”
Lai Mohammed said that the Federal Government had made provision of N500 billion as social intervention fund in the next year’s budget to assist young individuals to set up small businesses, adding that in year 2016 the government will try as much as possible to engage youths in various enterprises.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa thanked the people of Agege for embracing the “One Lagos Fiesta” wholeheartedly, even as he assured them that the event is going to be an annual one with the primary objective of promoting tourism in the State. [myad]
No fewer than 245 Indonesians have topped the total number of over 500 arrested by the International Police (Interpol) in a coordinated operation targeting multi-million dollar phone and email scams across the world.
Information reaching us said that more than 23 countries were involved in what is tagged: ‘Operation First Light 2015’which resulted in a series of raids across the region with the largest in Indonesia where police arrested 245 Chinese and Taiwanese individuals, and in Cambodia, 168 Chinese nationals were taken into custody.
A statement by the Interpol media unit, Korean, Nigerian, Filipino, Russian and Taiwanese nationals were also among those arrested in China, Hong Kong (China), Korea, Thailand and Vietnam during the two-month long operation during which more than 30 suspicious call centres were identified.
The statement described social engineering fraud’ as a broad term that refers to scams through a range of means – including phone calls and social media – to manipulate or trick people into giving out confidential or personal information which can then be used for financial gain by the criminals involved.
In one scam discovered during Operation First Light 2015, fraudsters claiming to be couriers would contact a victim saying a parcel in their name had been linked to criminal activity.
The call would then be transferred to other scammers pretending to be police officers who directed the victims to a fake website where bogus arrest warrants featuring their name had been posted.
In order to prove their innocence, the victims were told to provide personal details and send money to designated bank accounts and in some cases, scammers posing as police officers took the cash directly.
Speaking in the statement, Duan Daqi, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation Department at China’s Ministry of Public Security and Delegate for Asia on Interpol’s Executive Committee, said operation First Light 2015 had been extremely successful in not only in identifying and dismantling the syndicates behind these social engineering frauds, but also in building effective working relationships with the agency’s foreign law enforcement colleagues who share a commitment to take action against these crimes. [myad]
Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state has described the death of the state’s House of Assembly minority leader, Hon. Makinde Oladejo as a lesson in the transient nature of life itself.
In a condolence message issued today, by the Director of the Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesolav said that the issue is not about Hon. Makinde Oladejo, but about the fact that death is a certainty that must come to every living being.
“Though it is very painful to lose somebody like Hon. Oladejo at that youthful age, but one clear lesson is the transient nature of life itself,” the governor emphasized even as he extended his condolences to the family of the deceased who died yesterday at the age 48 after a brief illness.
He represented Ife Central and was the Minority leader of the state House of Assembly.
The Governor, who prayed for the repose of Hon. Makinde Oladejo Samson’s soul, extended his “profound condolence to the immediate family, members of The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun, Ife Central and the people of Osun.
“It is my fervent prayer that God will grant him Eternal home at the bosom of Jesus Christ and give the people of Ife Central the fortitude to bear the loss. We also pray God to comfort his family and give them courage and hope.”
Meanwhile, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has also expressed sadness on the death of Hon. Dejo Makinde.
In a condolence message in Ile-Ife by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare,nOba Ogunwusi said Makinde, who represented Ife Central Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly, was a gentleman endowed with attributes of “Omoluabi.”
According to him, his positive impacts will remain indelible on the minds of not only inhabitants of Ile-Ife but the entire state of Osun State, having patriotically served as Ife Central Local Government boss.
“Although he left us when his courage and carriage would have been of immense benefit to Ile-Ife and Osun, we pray his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.” [myad]
No fewer than 30 people were killed today when two female suicide bombers attacked a motor park in Madagali town of Adamawa State. The two female suicide bombers detonated bombs at a mini market near a motor park at about 9 am. About16 other people were injured.
Brigade Commander of 28 Task Force Brigade at Mubi, Victor Ezugwu confirmed the incident.
“Two female suicide bombers struck at a garage in Madagali and detonated their devices, and we lost some beloved country men,” Mr. Ezugwu, a brigadier-general, said.
The injured had been taken to hospital while the military had cordoned off the area. [myad]
Osun Assembly Speaker
Minority Leader of the Osun State House of Assembly, Oladejo Makinde is dead.
The lawmaker who represents Ife Central Constituency died today in a hospital in Ekiti state.
Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was said to have died after a brief illness.
Late Makinde, popularly called ‘Igwe’ was a former chairman, Ife Central Local Government Area of the state.
His corpse was said to have been deposited at the mortuary of Ekiti State Teaching Hospital.
The Chairman, Osun Assembly Committee on Information and Strategy, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye confirmed his death. He expressed shock at the demise of his colleague.
Also confirming his death, the chairman of PDP in the state, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa said he died following health complication.
Meanwhile, the House has described the death of one of its members as painful and unfortunate.
A statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye said the death of the lawmaker came to the Assembly as a great shock.
The Assembly noted that though the late lawmaker was battling with illness, but his response to medical attention gave them the confidence that he would soon be back on his feet and join the legislative business in the house.
The late lawmaker candour and relationship with other members of the Assembly, in spite his political partisanship, according to the parliament, would be greatly missed.
“It is shocking that late Honourable Makinde died at this critical period that he is needed in his immediate and political family most.
“In Osun Assembly, we are really saddened to hear of the death of one of us. We will mourn deeply his passing due to his valuable contributions to deliberations in the Assembly.
“Politics apart, his oppositional engagement as a minority leader on the floor of the house has assisted the 6th Assembly to arrive at reasonable conclusions on several issues.
“Though, he is a member of opposition in the Assembly, but he was not being taken as one when it com es to issues relating to the development of the state, hence, we will miss him dearly”, the Assembly stressed.
It sympathized with the immediate and political family of the late lawmaker, consoling them to take solace in the fact that he live a worthy life.
The Assembly also prayed that God almighty should grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable lost. [myad]
A Young man, Anselm Ugwuoke, has allegedly killed his 60 year old father, Paulinus Ugwuoke, on Christmas Day at Imilike-Agu, a community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Anselm Ugwuoke was said to have had a disagreement with his Father, though it was not immediately known what the subject of such disagreement was.
It was learnt that in the heat of the argument, Anselm struck his father with an object and that the father collapsed and was unconscious. Efforts to revive him failed.
It was gathered that Anselm took to his heels when he noticed that his father had died.
His elder brother, Sunday Ugwuoke, who expressed shock and sadness at the tragic incident, urged the police and other security agencies to ensure that Anselm was brought to book.
“I am still in a state of shock over what has happened but I know we will still get Anselm.”
The spokesman for the Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said that the police is on Anselm’s trail.
The remains of Mr. Paulinus Ugwuoke have been deposited in a mortuary even as an autopsy has been scheduled to be conducted on the corpse. [myad]
Nine-member armed robbery gang struck a first generation bank in Ekiti state on Christmas even carting away millions of naira, killing two persons and injuring many others.
The robbers, who were said to have been heavily armed, operated in Okemesi, in Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State
Those who died were identities as Matthew and a carpenter, Ayo Alawode (53).
One of the robbers reportedly disguised on arrival as a resident and joined others at a news stand close to the bank before other members of the gang arrived in a Toyota Sienna space bus.
An eyewitness told reporters in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, that bank customers, who queued up at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) gallery were marched into the banking hall by four of the robbers, while the remaining gang members stood guard outside.
The source said: “Immediately, those in the bank hall realized that one of them had been shot; they thought it was done by a policeman and they quickly ran out.
“When they got outside and knew that the police were yet to arrive, they immediately shot the carpenter and the security guard. This provided the opportunity for the customers held hostage to escape.
“We made efforts to call policemen at Ijero Ekiti, but they didn’t come in time, same to soldiers at Itawure Junction. They later came after the robbers had escaped through Ijero road,” he said.
Ekiti police command spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi, confirmed the killing of the two persons during the robbery operation.
He added that the command had launched investigation and expressed confidence that the culprits will be arrested “very soon.” [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that Nigeria has finally triumphed over the Boko Haram insurgents. “They are not in a position to threaten Nigeria now, so we have won.”
President Buhari who spoke in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa service today said: “if people would be fair to us, they would know that the Nigerian Army has basically met the deadline (of eliminating Boko Haram at the end of December 2015), and are winning the war. You cannot find any significant number of Boko Haram members in Adamawa, and Yobe. Only, may be, in about three local governments of Borno; in the area around our borders with Chad Republic.”
He recalled that after settled down and got good grasp of what the country was going through, “we removed all the service chiefs and appointed new ones. We also undertook an investigation and found out how the monies meant for arms procurement were diverted and shared by officials in the last administration. They sent the boys to the war front without arms and ammunition, leading some of them to mutiny after which they were arrested and detained.”
The President said that his government has been able to raise money and fund the war.
“Go and ask the people of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa; how many of their local governments were under the control of insurgents (then)? And how many are currently still under the insurgents?
“May be we would not win the war completely by the end of the month (December), but the insurgents have now resorted to putting on explosive vests on young children, mostly girls aged 15 and below and then sending them to markets, mosques and churches to detonate. Boko Haram themselves know that the era of them taking over communities and local governments are over.” [myad]
Former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has begged those he called ‘political mischief makers’ to allow him enjoy his peace and desist from sinister propaganda designed to draw a wedge between him and President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement by Atiku’s spokesman, Mazi Paul Ibe, quoted the former Vice President as saying that the intention of such mischief makers is to cause needless distrust and distractions in the President’s government.
In reaction to insinuations the “political mischief makers and enemies of unity”, who alleges that he has been hosting political meetings at Burj Al-Arab, Dubai, Atiku said that contrary to the rumours being bandied around by political opponents, he is currently in Dubai with his family for physiotherapy on his injured knee.
The former Vice President said that he was embarrassed by the deliberate falsehoods being spread against him by political opponents who are bent on causing distraction for President Buhari at a time all energies should be channeled into helping the President actualize his change agenda.
Describing rumour mongers as “ill-motivated busybodies that don’t wish the country well,” Atiku, who holds a traditional title of Turaki Adamawa said that his medical treatment is his private affairs, which should not be politicized by anybody to achieve sinister objectives.
He said that he is entitled to enjoy his private life, including the right to attend to his health, without being harassed and lied against by political opponents.
According to him, the success of the Buhari administration has been his preoccupation, and that any true APC member should have the same zeal, adding that rumour mongers that seek to cause distrust and distraction in Buhari’s government do not mean well for the APC administration.
The former Vice President said that with the challenges of providing good governance for the country and creating job opportunities for Nigerians, including reducing the impact of poverty, President Buhari needs all the goodwill and support in this endeavour.
“Whether at home or abroad, I am preoccupied with my unassailable support to President Buhari and his administration, especially in this critical time, as it works assiduously to turn the fortunes of our dear country around and make Nigeria work for the greater good of Nigerians.”
According to Atiku, rumour mongers and mischief makers are toxic to the progress of the APC and the country at large, adding that the campaigns are gone, and therefore, all energies should be constructively devoted to the success of the Buhari administration.
“This is yet another plot of the enemies of our country and democracy to divide, divert attention and distract the APC in its avowed commitment to secure the country, provide jobs for the mass of unemployed youths, build needed critical infrastructure, enthrone a regime of probity and accountability and pull the country out of the economic woods it has been consigned to by locust years of mismanagement.” [myad]
