The Court of Appeal in Abuja, today, set aside the decision of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kogi which struck out the petition of Senator Smart Adeyemi. Adeyemi of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had challenged the election of Senator Dino Melaye of All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging electoral irregularities and malpractices. Justice Muhammed Adume held that the tribunal was wrong in striking out Adeyemi’s petition on the grounds of technicalities, instead of substantial justice. The appellate court, therefore, remitted the case to the tribunal for “trial on merit.”. The court further held that the decision of the tribunal that Adeyemi did not file his petition within the time frame allowed by law was wrong and nullified it forthwith. Adume said the respondents did not provide sufficient evidence before the tribunal that the petition was filed late. It would be recalled that the tribunal had dismissed the petition of Adeyemi, a one-time National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for late filing. The tribunal Chairman, Justice Akon Ikpeme, had in the ruling of June 18, held that the Kogi West ex-Senator’s case was “incurably defective.” [myad]
President Paul Biya of Cameroon was believed to have regretted that former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan bungle that fight against Boko Haram insurgents thereby prolonging the ability to conquer them.
He was said to have told President Muhammadu Buhari who visited him from Wednesday to Thursday that for President Jonathan, by his inaction, contributed to the festering of Boko Haram insurgency, adding that Jonathan did not do much in the war against insurgency. While the immediate past president was accused of not forming a strong bond with leaders of neighbouring African countries who were also battling the same insurgency, he was also accused of not responding and returning phone calls meant to discuss ways of combining efforts to confront the terrorists. President Biya was said to have made it clear that the major complaint was that Jonathan never or seldom, at best, picked his calls. He said most times he called Jonathan neither picked nor returned his calls. And as a result, the integration of efforts that should have stopped Boko Haram’s foray and unchallenged run was lacking. Biya, who was quoted as warning, that a solo fight against the terrorist group could not have been effective, stressed: “this solo handling of the problem did not enable the neighbours put in much to solve the problem until it got this bad.” [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, to facilitate the immediate release of the N5 Billion pledged by the Federal Government since August 2014 for the Victims Support Fund (VSF). President Buhari gave the directive after receiving a briefing from the VSF Presidential Committee, headed by Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.) at the Presidential Villa. General Danjuma had told the President that out of the N55.92 Billion pledged at the fund-raising dinner for the Fund in August last year, N33.54 Billion was still outstanding, including N5 Billion from the Federal Government. [myad]
Kaduna State Police Command has raided the residence of two brothers: Bulus Kinze and James Kinze in Kogun village of Jema’a local government area of the state being used to allegedly manufacture arms, ammunition. They were alleged to be the main suppliers of weapons to armed bandits. Briefing newsmen in Kaduna today on the activities of the command, the state police Commissioner, Alhaji Umar Shehu said that 18 robbery suspects were also arrested. He said that the police engaged a syndicate of armed bandits in gun battle where they overpowered and chased them through a rocky area between Gododo and Jagindi road of Sanga local government area of the state, stressing that AK-47 rifle breech no. 47/3958 and two live ammunition were recovered from the bandits . The police Commissioner added that a notorious armed robbery suspect, named Umar Usman, alias Zidane. who is the ring leader of different gangs such as armed robbery, arm manufacturing and supply, act of terrorism, cattle rustling and car snatchers across Kaduna, Abuja, Kogi and Zamfara states and thirteen other suspects were arrested at various hideouts. Some of the suspects arrested, he said, specialized in manufacturing locally made rifles. He said four vehicles were also recovered from the suspects. Some of the ammunition recovered from the bandits include one single barrel, 35 live revolver ammunition, 10 live cartridges, AK-47 and others. [myad]
Kogi state police command has mounted a searching team to track down a gang of four suspected robbers who attacked a commercial bank in Okene, Kogi State, during which two policemen were killed as the robbers attempted to break into the banking hall. According to the Police Public Relation Officer of the Kogi State Command, Mr. Sola Adebayo, no effort would be speared to apprehend the suspects. An eyewitness said that the armed robbers arrived at the bank premises at about 8.55am today, and began to shoot in all directions. It was gathered that though security operatives at the bank foiled the attempt of the robbers to enter the bank, but that the robbers succeeded in gunning down the two policemen in gun duel.
The Director of the Nigerian Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade has finally retired from the force more than a year after he was supposed to have retired but was denied by the military authorities. He has also resigned as Chairman of the Forum of Spokespersons for the Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA).
The General handed over the leadership of FOSSRA to the Director of Information, Nigeria Navy, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu today.
He told members of the FOSSRA at their monthly meeting today that he ought to have left the service since November 2014 when he applied for voluntary retirement but was not obliged by the Army Council, who extended his stay in the service on the grounds that it was not proper for him to go at that time. General Olukolade thanked members of the forum and their agencies for the support and understanding they accorded him while he chaired the forum since its formation in 2013. He also solicited the same measure of support for his successor, even as he reminded them of the core essence of the forum which is to deepen the collaboration and understanding among the security and response agencies in information management and communication. In his acceptance remark, the new Chairman of the forum, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu extolled the sterling leadership qualities of the retiring General, which according to him was the pillar behind the successes recorded by the forum. He assured the former Chairman of his determination to carry on from where he stopped and to even strive to move the forum to another level. [myad]
Ahead of the 2016 governorship election in Edo State, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has inaugurated a 17-man reconciliation and mobilisation committee, headed by the Chief Executive of Ray Power and AIT, Chief Raymond Dokpesi. The committee is aimed at strengthening the structure and unity of the party. Chief Dokpesi told journalists at a news briefing at the party’s secretariat that among the objectives of the committee was the need to address perceived grievances among members of the party, following the outcome of the 2015 general elections. Other members of the reconciliation and mobilization committee as announced by the State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, were Mr. Abass Braimah, Senator Odion Ugbesia, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, Chief Solomon Edebiri, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Mr. Matthew Uduoyekewmen and Mr. John Yakubu. Dokpesi said that it was regrettable that members of PDP allowed the lack of internal democracy and personal interests to override the general good of the party, adding: “as a family, let us tell ourselves the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The PDP’s setback and current position status in the state is solely caused by PDP members. “Our penchant for undermining well known democratic practices, lack of internal democracy, the crave for personal interests to override the general good of the party and the determined posturing of self before others, are, to mention a few, the root causes of our political dilemma in the state.” He said that it was high time the members acted as democrats and in line with the rule of the PDP, adding that, “democrats are not socialists nor self-styled progressives, who to give the APC example, as more capitalist than capitalism.” “This committee shall muster all of the energy, wisdom and sagacity to effect reconciliation amongst our warring and feuding members. We shall mobilise our people and members like never before giving assurances that ours is firmly a restoration of ‘the voice of the people being the voice of God.’ We must all have a shared common objective and focus.” [myad]
The Northern sociopolitical organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has revealed how the immediate past President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan rubbished the North in the constitution of membership of the National Conference which he set up to redesign the national ethos. ACF, which responded to a leader of Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who had earlier saidd that the Northern interest will not allow President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the recommendations of the National Conference, said that Jonathan set up the Conference to favour the South over the North. The National Conference was set up by Jonathan in 2014. About 500 distinguished Nigerians recommended a new constitution. In a statement in Kaduna today, the ACF, through its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhamma Ibrahim, said that though the North participated in the conference, but that while the Northern region had the highest population in terms of human beings and land mass, the South had the higher number of delegates, describing this ‘lopsided’ arrangement as a gross injustice meted out to the region. “The selection process of delegates by President Jonathan’s government to the confab made the North, that has a population of 75,268,686 people (NPC 2006) with a land mass of 730,885 square km (80%) as a minority with 189 delegates while the South with a population of 65,151,458 people (NPC 2006) with a land mass of 193,438 square km (20%) had the majority with 303 delegates. “Despite this glaring injustice and disadvantage, the North, as a region did not only participate in the overall national interest of Nigeria but also stabilised the conference on crucial issues of national unity. The 2014 Confab was therefore not a platform for constitution making and did not unanimously recommend a new constitution for Nigeria as claimed by Chief Adebanjo. “The learned Chief knows better the process of constitution making and certainly the delegates to the 2014 Confab did not qualify for such process, as they were not elected as representatives of the people but selected or nominated by government and interest groups. ” The delegates therefore did not have the legitimate mandate of the people to draft or recommend a new constitution for Nigeria and did not even do so.” It wondered whether it was the fault of the North that Jonathan, who had ample time and opportunity to implement the recommendation of the confab, failed to do so. “The 2014 Confab, in which ACF fully participated made about 600 far-reaching recommendations on policy issues, legal and constitutional amendments to the 1999 Constitution as amended and submitted the report to the former President on August 21, 2014 and not a new Constitution. “President Jonathan had ample opportunity to implement some of the policy issues or even forward some of the recommendations that require legal and constitutional amendments to the National Assembly, but did not do so. “Was it the northern interest that stopped him, being a southerner or a southern interest? The Confab report, being a public property, is subject to the usual due process of implementation through the three arms of government and not singularly by President Buhari as Chief Adebanjo is canvassing.” While caution against inflammatory statements from respected elders that could jeopardise the corporate co-existence of the nation, the ACF considered the elder statesman’s comment as embarrassing and absurd Adebanjo had said in a newspaper interview: “My own view and the view of Afenifere are that a northerner will not be so disposed to changing the constitution because they are the beneficiaries of what we are complaining about. Let them disprove that.” [myad]
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has shut down 22 filling stations in Abuja and its environs for what it called undue profiteering. Of the 22 filling stations, 19 of them, according to the DPR, were sealed for selling above N87 per liter, two were for diversion of petroleum products while the remaining one was grossly under-dispensing and selling products massively in jerry cans. The stations are to remain sealed for at least one month in addition to forfeiting their bridging claims as directed by the Federal Government. Head, Public Relations, Mohammed.B. Saidu, who issued a statement, said: “Petroleum product marketers and depot owners are hereby warned to operate within the guidelines governing petroleum sales and distribution or face the wrath of the law. The exercise shall continue until normalcy is restored.” [myad]
Nigerian soldiers have raided the enclaves of Boko Haram, killed a number of insurgents and rescued 59 civilians who were being held captive. Spokesman of the Nigeria Army, Colonel S.K. Usman, in a statement today, said that Boko Haram insurgents fled from underground hiding places before troops of the 21 Brigade and from the Army Engineers at a camp at Chugori and Shantumari on Wednesday. He said that today, Thursday, the 151 Task Force Battalion conducted raids on Boko Haram camps at Kashingeri, Wale, and Kushingari. Colonel Usman noted that a number of Boko Haram members were killed. A Land Rover and a tipper or dump truck were also recovered. According to Colonel Usman, the recent combat is part of the ongoing Operation Lafiya Dole, which is the Nigerian Army’s code for counterinsurgency efforts in the country’s northeast. The renewed efforts are taking place after President Muhammadu Buhari replaced the military heads earlier this month, including making Borno State-born Tukur Buratai the Army Chief of Staff. [myad]
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