An Abuja High Court has ordered the Chairman of the Goodluck Support Group, Aminu Abubakar and Okechukwu Geoffrey to be remanded in prison custody on a 3-count charge bordering on extortion and conspiracy.
The accused persons were today docked by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them and the prosecution counsel, George Lawal prayed the court for date to commence trial in the matter.
Counsel to the accused persons, E. A. Egbebu informed the court about his motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and that the charges against the accused persons be quashed.
Prosecution counsel, George Lawal objected to the application on the grounds that the application was premature.
Egbebu, Counsel to the accused persons in his reply on points of law argued that since the motion is challenging the jurisdiction, the court is expected to hear it before arraigning the accused persons.
The trial Judge and the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello over-ruled the submission of the defence counsel that the court should hear the motion challenging jurisdiction before the accused persons take their plea.
Justice Bello adjourned the matter till July 9, 2015 for hearing of the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court filed by the defence counsel, while their bail application will be taken on June 11, 2015
Abubakar and Geoffrey (the accused persons) Abubakar was said to have been in possession of some documents relating to some officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, with the intent to implicate them if they fail to give him the sum of N50million.
It was gathered that, having sensed danger in what the officials later realised to be blackmail, they reportedly petitioned the ICPC through an intermediary.
The investigative team of the commission swung into action, coordinated a sting operation where the N50 million earlier solicited for by Abubakar was negotiated downwards to N25 million.
Abubakar was arrested with his accomplice at a garden in Abuja, after he had allegedly received N5 million out of the negotiated N25 million. [myad]

President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the emergence of the new Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and others, but said that he wished their emergence complied with the wish of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that threw them up.
A statement today by Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina quoted the President as saying that he would rather that the process of electing the leaders as initiated and concluded by the APC had been followed.
President Buhari said that nonetheless, he took the view that a constitutional process has somewhat occurred.
He recalled his stand which he was earlier made public that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives Speaker and that he would work with whoever the lawmakers elected.
“That position still stands. Though I would have preferred the new leaders to have emerged through the process established by the party.”
The President made it clear that the stability of the nation’s constitutional order and overall interest of the common man are uppermost on my mind, as far as the National Assembly elections were concerned.
Buhari called on all the elected representatives of the people to focus on the enormous task of bringing enduring positive change to the lives of Nigerians. [myad]

The newly elected Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara all of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would soon face the disciplinary measures of the party for what it called ‘show of indiscipline.’

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it will summon an emergence meeting of its leadership to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those that were involved in show of indiscipline.

The party made it clear that the emergence of Senator Saraki as Senate President and Hon. Dogara as House of Reps Speaker is totally unacceptable, describing it as the highest level of indiscipline and treachery the conduct of today’s inauguration of the National Assembly.

“Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC and a majority of its National Assembly members-elect for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker. The party duly met and conducted a straw poll and clear candidates emerged for the posts of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, supported by a majority of all Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives. All National Assembly members-elect who emerged on the platform of the party are bound by that decision.

”The party is supreme and its interest is superior to that of its individual members.

”Consequently, the APC leadership is meeting in a bid to reestablish discipline in the party and to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those involved in what is nothing but a monumental act of indiscipline and betrayal to subject the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration,” the party said in the statement.
APC decried a situation in which some people, based on nothing but inordinate ambition and lack of  discipline and loyalty, will enter into an unholy alliance with the very same people whom the party and indeed the entire country worked hard to replace and sell out the hard won victory of the Party.

”There can be no higher level of treachery, disloyalty and insincerity within any party,” the party said, vowing to resolve the matter using all constitutional and legal means available to it.
Meanwhile, the APC has asked all its loyal Senators-elect to please report to the Senate to be sworn-in in order to discharge their constitutional duties,” APC said. [myad]

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has made it clear to his new appointees that he would not welcome any form of excuses from any of them as they go out there to deliver services to the people of the state.
The governor, who swore-in the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Malam Balarabe Lawal, the Principal Private Secretary, Malam Salisu Suleiman, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Legislative Affairs, Malam Bala Yunusa and the Special Assistant, Media, Malam Samuel Aruwan yesterday charged them to be dedicated to duty.
“We are here for a serious business that requires dedication, commitment and sacrifice to achieve positive results.”
The governor asked them to reciprocate the kind gesture from the people of Kaduna that voted him into office for a four-year tenure, and declared that no one would listen to stories.
“They expect us to work hard and to achieve results, and so we must work hard. There is no room for excuses. We have no time to waste; neither do we have time to play. We have a duty to work hard for the development, unity, and progress of the state.”
The new SSG thanked the governor for the opportunity offered them to serve and assured him of the team’s readiness to carry out all tasks assigned to them. [myad]