The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has finally given the name to his handsome son.
Nnabuikem Kanu, the son of the Biafra leader
The son of the Biafra leader, who is currently in custody, will be called Nnabuikem.
Nnabuikem literally means ‘God is my strength’.

Uchechi Okwu Kanu delivered a bouncing baby boy on January 5.
Her husband was in mid-October 2015 arrested in Nigeria by the country’s secret police, charged to court where he was granted bail and still remains in DSS custody after meeting all bail conditions.
Pro-Biafrans are campaigning for the independence of the territories that constituted the Biafran Republic, established during the civil war in Nigeria which was previously headed by Ojukwu.

IPOB supporters have held a series of protests across the country in recent months to demand Kanu’s release and voice their calls for a breakaway state for the southeastern Igbo people.
Meanwhile, the court recently ordered that Kanu be remanded in prison custody until a bail application is heard on January 25.
Prophet Temitope Joshua is one of Nigeria’s clergymen renown for his predictions and miracles.
His daughter, Sarah Joshua, who was recently called to bar, granted an interview with Encomium Magazine where she revealed some things about her father.
After being called to bar in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, Sarah was also listed among those who will be called to bar in New York in January, 2016.
Sarah Joshua, eldest daughter of Prophet TB Joshua. Photo: Encomium
Read excerpts from the interview below:
Congrats! How do you feel being called to the bar today?
I am grateful to God, my family and friends who have been of help to me. I am humbled and privileged to have succeeded. Thus, I am very happy.
How does it feel being the first daughter of Prophet T.B Joshua?
I am privileged and fortunate to be the daughter of such a humble and great man of God called TB Joshua. He is someone I look up to because my father is a man of God and he has been able to guide me every time I need him. I am too happy, so humble to be his daughter. He has been a good guide.

Thus I can’t afford to disappoint him and God because to whom much is given, much is expected. And I love him.
Sarah Joshua flanked by well wishers during her ‘Call to Bar’ ceremony in Abuja. Photo: Encomium
How will you describe him, is he a good father?
He is a true example of humility. I have seen so many attributes in him that is worthy to emulate. He is the best father everybody can pray to have. I am not just saying that because he is my father but because it’s the truth. Also, it’s not what I think about him or what people think about him that count but what God says about him.
Some people do not understand him. They even have wrong impression about him, what’s your take on that?
That’s why I said he is a true man of God and it’s not what people say that count but what God says. Everybody has the right to air his opinion but God’s opinion counts most.
What’s his reaction to your success story?
He was very happy and proud of me. I am always happy whenever he is proud of me. He has given me so much and I feel I have a lot to offer and can’t disappoint him.
Since Nigeria got her independence in 196o, at least 13 men have ruled the country both as civilian and as military. However, the most handsome Nigerian presidents are not more than five.

There are some Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who have stood shoulder high above their peers in terms of natural characteristics. A few of them are alive, while some are dead.

1. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida

The Minna state General was the admiration of many people even the Western world while he was the military Head of State. He had a way of getting along with everybody. He was a very handsome man. He also had tooth-gap like Muhammadu Buhari. He piloted the affairs of Nigeria from 1985 to 1993 before he stepped down and handed power over to an interim government.
Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida

2. Yakubu Gowon

He is still the youngest person ever to rule Nigeria up to this present moment. The Plateau state general became the Head of State at 32 years of age. He has a dark chocolate complexion. He ruled from 1966 to 1975. He was at the helms of affairs of the nation during the Nigerian Civil war from 1967 to 1970.


Yakubu Gowon

3. Umar Musa Yar’Adua

The 2-time governor of Katsina state between 1999 and 2007 died before he could complete his first term presidency. He was the country’s number one citizen from 2007 to 2010.
Yar’Adua was without doubt one of the most handsome Nigerian presidents in the history of the country. He died as a result of heart-related disease.


Umar Musa Yar’Adua

4. Muhammadu Buhari

While he was the military ruler of Nigeria between 1983 and 1985, he was one of the most handsome military chiefs around. He was tall, lanky and had an aquiline nose. His physique was unique among his peers. He was a charming Fulani man.
Buhari has tooth-gap which is believed to be one of the features of sociable people. He has an infectious smile that attracts the female folks. He is from Katsina state.


Muhammadu Buhari
5. Rahmat Murtala Mohammed
Mohammed was assassinated in a botched military coup on February 13, 1976. He ruled Nigeria from 1975 to 1976 before he was killed in a coup led by Sukar Bukar Dimka. He was a miltary Head of State. He was from Kano state.


Murtala Mohammed
Against the backdrop of the request by Biafra agitators and the organization of Emerging African States (OEAS) for the referendum to be conducted on the independence of Republic of Biafra, the European Union has replied the agitators.

Federica Mogherini, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
The Biafra had earlier through OEAS requested that the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Federica Mogherini, to wade into the need to conduct a referendum for Biafra’s independence.
Sahara Reporters reported that  the OEAS  also called for the release of those it described as Biafran political prisoners and a stay of action by the Nigerian troops, and for quick referendum to be held within 90 days.

In response to this request, Mogherini told Dr. Jonathan Levy, OEAS chief administrative officer, that while the European Union has strong diplomatic and economic relationship with Nigeria, the “protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms remains a priority for the EU and we encourage the authorities [Nigeria] in every occasion to respect such rights.”
The EU further went on to caution the OEAS and Biafran that the push for self-determination and border changes must be carried out within the ambits of established international law.
It added that Biafra can only be recognized through international law and not through armed secession.
The OEAS had  been pushing  for an internationally recognized referendum on Biafra independence or autonomy
In the same vein, OEAS advised that  all nonviolent means should be utilized including general strikes, economic boycotts, work actions, demonstrations, lawsuits, and civil disobedience. Nigeria is a member of The International Labor Organization (ILO).
The ILO recognizes the right to engage in general strikes and the right to strike is also recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 (Article 8(1)(d)).
Below is a copy of the letter:
Meanwhile, former president Olusegun Obasanjo had continued to hit hard on Biafra agitators lashing out on
He added that those involved in the current agitation in support of Biafra were embarking on a hopeless and futile exercise, which no serious-minded Nigerian should ever become a part of.
The wife of the number 2 citizen of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, was spotted looking all glowing and radiant in a red dress.
She got heads turning at the premiere of Airtel Touching Lives Season Two which held at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja yesterday, January 21. See the adorable photos below:






Cute or nah?
Douglas Maistre Breger da Silva (90 cm/35 in) and Claudia Pereira Rocha (93 cm/36 in) were married on 27 October 1998 in Curitiba, Brazil. They still hold the record to this day.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The latest developments from Davos, where global leaders and business executives are attending the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. All times local.
A police officer guards a checkpoint at the Seehof hotel during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016. The world's political and business elite gather his week in Davos.
A prominent Chinese banker says authorities in China need to let more companies fail as the country adapts to a new age of slower economic growth.
Concerns about China's economy have hammered financial markets this year and are at the top of the agenda for many participants at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Zhang Yichen, CEO of CITIC Capital, says Chinese authorities are protecting state companies from downsizing, which is a politically delicate issue when it involves job cuts. That makes it harder for the private sector to grow. He told a panel in Davos that to solve the country's problem of overcapacity "we should let some (state-owned companies) fail."
He argued that the Chinese currency will not drop as sharply as some fear because China has strong underlying public finances.
Nouriel Roubini, an economist from New York University, claimed investors' reaction in recent weeks was overdone: "Markets tend to be manic depressive — going from excessive optimism to excessive pessimism."
That said, the longer Chinese authorities delay reforms, such as shrinking some state-owned companies, the higher the risk of the downturn becoming painful.
4:00 p.m.
Iran's foreign minister says his country does not want a confrontation with Saudi Arabia, and there's "no need" for Saudi Arabia to panic about recent heightened tensions.
Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that Iran's Saudi neighbors "need to realize confrontation is in the interest of nobody."
He said he was asked to break relations with Saudi Arabia as tensions mounted between their governments following an arson attack earlier this month on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. But Zari said, "I refused." He did not say who had asked him.
Zarif, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, urged regional cooperation to combat Islamic State extremists.
1:45 p.m.
Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg says the world won't change for the good if only men continue to rule the roost.
Speaking at a panel on the first full day of deliberations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sandberg said the gender gap in business and government needs to be dealt with.
She says "men still run the world and I'm not sure it's going that well."
Sandberg, the only woman on a panel of six, also said Facebook will use its "Safety Check" more regularly in the future when necessary.
During the Paris attacks in November, the feature was used widely by people wanting to tell their friends and families they were ok. Originally intended for natural disasters, the feature was also used widely in April's devastating earthquake in Nepal.
1:25 p.m.
In an AP interview, Iran's foreign minister is decrying what he calls the United States' "addiction to coercion" with its new sanctions against Iran over ballistic missile tests.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the new US sanctions 'illegal' and justified Iran's program as self-defense. He spoke to The Associated Press ahead of an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he was expected to take part in a debate focusing on the Islamic Republic.
The United States on Sunday imposed sanctions against 11 individuals and entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program as a result of Tehran's firing of a medium-range ballistic missile. The new punishment came one day after the Obama administration lifted economic penalties against Iran over its nuclear program.
12:30 p.m.
The president of Germany says that limiting the number of refugees entering Europe is necessary and "morally acceptable" if the continent is to continue to provide help to those in need.
While stressing the "humanitarian responsibility" of taking in victims of persecution, Joachim Gauck told a conference in Davos, Switzerland, that Germany and European countries must limit the numbers of people who want to come in to avoid being overwhelmed.
He cited the risk of some countries in the European Union wanting to re-establish borders within the 28-nation bloc, as security issues grow over the lack of checks. He said the EU's rules on freedom of movement throughout the bloc "can only be guaranteed if movement is controlled at the external borders."
The flow of millions of people, mainly from war-torn Syria, in recent months has put huge pressure on European countries to shut their borders and limit entries. The issue has become a hot topic and been used by populist politicians, some of whom favor closing national borders within the EU.
Gauck said that without limits on migration, the problem would grow and feed more populist movements, in turn creating even greater limits on Germany's ability to welcome those in need.

Migrants carrying their belongings across a partially frozen stream as they walk from the Macedonian border into Serbia, near the village of Miratovac, Serbia, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016. Bracing cold temperatures hundreds of migrants continue to arrive daily into Serbia in order to register and continue their journey further north towards Western Europe.
The head of the EU's executive commission expressed concern on Wednesday that a summit of EU leaders on Feb. 18-19 would be too focused on keeping Britain inside the bloc, and he recommended that government heads give equal focus to the challenges posed by the migrant influx.
"I'm rather worried that we won't have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters. His call came as countries in northern Europe, the preferred destination of many of the more than 1 million people who arrived last year seeking sanctuary or jobs, began calling for caps on the number of migrants that should be allowed to enter.
European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs EU summits, warned on Tuesday that the EU's passport-free travel area could break apart if the migrant strategy is not sorted out within two months. The commission has floated a plan aimed at coping with Europe's biggest refugee emergency in more than half a century. Ideas include the relocation plan to distribute refugees among EU nations, which would be strung out over two years, and more than 3 billion dollars over two years plus fast track visa and EU membership process for Turkey in exchange for stopping people leaving for Europe.
The commission also advocates tougher measures to return people who don't qualify for asylum, and has boosted funding of Frontex border agency. A new European border agency plan is to be rolled out in March to protect the frontiers of countries unable or unwilling to do so.
Juncker lamented the lack of national action, saying "we would do better if we implemented what has been decided." The mass arrivals last year, mostly through Greece from Turkey, overwhelmed border authorities and reception centers and raised tensions between EU neighbors as they struggled to respond.
More than 2,000 people are still arriving daily, according to EU figures, and numbers are expected to accelerate as spring arrives. A spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency, said that around 2,000 migrants continue to cross from Macedonia into Serbia daily, even with temperatures plunging to a low of -19 C (-2 F) Wednesday.
Liene Veide said many arrive ill-prepared, without clothing or boots appropriate for winter weather. Some have pneumonia, fever or other illnesses, but she said most refuse hospitalization and press on with their journeys.
Temperatures plunged overnight Wednesday in Romania to the lowest of the year, with -29.5 C (-21 F) recorded in one town in central Romania Meanwhile Austria's deputy chancellor, Reinhold Mitterlehner, was quoted Wednesday as saying that his conservative party wants to cap migrant entries to no more than 40,000 per year.
Close to 90,000 refugees applied for asylum last year in Austria. Germany's president, Joachim Gauck, called for limits to the number of people entering, saying that ceilings are "morally acceptable" if Europe is to continue helping those in need.
Speaking at a conference in Davos, Switzerland, Gauck said the EU's rules on freedom of movement throughout the bloc "can only be guaranteed if movement is controlled at the external borders.
ZURICH (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on Wednesday in hopes of resolving differences over who is eligible to join U.N.-mediated peace talks for Syria due to begin next week. Those differences have threatened to delay the start of the negotiations.
John Kerry, Sergey Lavrov
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov walk to their seats for a meeting about Syria, in Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, before Kerry was to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos. Kerry’s trip is expected to last nine days and to encompass stops in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Cambodia, and Chi
The State Department said the two men had discussed plans for the negotiations that the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, hopes to convene in Geneva on Jan. 25 and "the importance of maintaining progress toward a diplomatic solution to the crisis." But, while both sides said they did not support a delay in the talks, it was not immediately clear if the differences had been resolved.
"We do not have any kind of thoughts about changing the beginning of the talks from January to February," Lavrov told reporters. "This is the position of Russia and the USA." "The political process will begin, we hope, in the nearest future, during January," he said. "Various dates have been named, but the final decision will be taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the advice and recommendations of his special envoy Staffan de Mistura."
Lavrov added that the main topic of conversation with Kerry was "coordination," primarily about terrorist organization, which would be left out of the political process as well as a ceasefire that is envisioned to take effect once the negotiations begin.
In the meeting, Kerry also called for Russia to use its influence with Syrian President Bashar Assad "to ensure immediate, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all Syrians in need," State Department spokesman John Kirby said, particularly in besieged communities like Madaya, where deaths from starvation have been reported.
The negotiations between the Assad government and the opposition are to be the first step in a proposed 18-month political transition for Syria, which has been mired in civil war for four years. Differences over which Syrian opposition groups should be labeled terrorists and barred from the negotiations and the ceasefire have led to concerns that the talks may have to be postponed.
“Iron” Mike Sharpe, has passed away at age 64, WWE reports.
Sharpe’s father and uncle were a successful tag team in the 1950s, recognized as champions from San Francisco to Japan.



The source reports that he joined the WWE in January 1983 and managed by WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano, Sharpe used the mysterious (and often loaded) black brace on his right forearm to defeat opponent after opponent while simultaneously berating them.
His  final match was  in 1995 against Billy & Bart, The Smoking Gunns.
Meanwhile,
1. Roman Reigns interrupted Stephanie McMahon’s entrance.
Reigns said: “I don’t think we need you out here tonight, Steph.”
McMahon answered: “Hope is not a strategy, Roman.”
Reigns added: “If anybody screws me tonight, you won’t be picking up your father from jail; you’ll be picking him up from the hospital.”
2. Kevin Owens wins Neville.
3.  Titus O’Neil wins Stardust
4. Charlotte loses to Becky Lynch
5.  Ryback vs. Big Show
Match ends in a no-contest.
John “Bradshaw” Layfield said: “Get your pitchforks and lanterns. They’re about to storm the giant.”
Wyatt said: “We are war. We are famine. We are pestilence
• Some of the youths Photo: Olaleye Aluko
SOME youths on Monday stormed the Ejigbo Police Division to protest against alleged illegal arrest and detention of a visual artist, Jelili Atiku, who had come for a programme in the area on Thursday.
PUNCH Metro learnt that apart from Jelili, some women were also detained by the police who were reportedly acting on the orders of a traditional ruler in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that the youths stormed the station and demanded that Atiku and a fan, who was arrested with him, should be released by the police, saying the duo had committed no offence.
Our correspondent learnt that policemen arrested and detained some of the protesting youths on Monday.
Atiku, a visual and performance artist, who staged a performance on domestic terrorism in the area on Thursday, was said to have been arrested on the evening of Sunday, because the traditional ruler allegedly felt the artist did not consult him before the performance.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, one of the youths, who identified himself only as Abiola, said the police had first arrested a participant at the event on Friday before Atiku was apprehended on Sunday.
He said, “Atiku is a multi-media visual and performance artist. He also won the 2015 Prince Claus Laureate. On Thursday, he came to Ejigbo and he staged a performance on domestic terrorism.
“A traditional ruler in Ejigbo with the connivance of the police started arresting people after the performance. One of those at the event was arrested on Friday. Jelili (Atiku) was arrested on Sunday.
“On Monday, we went to the station to demand the release of the artist, as no traditional ruler can be using the police to intimidate Nigerians.”
Another youth, who gave his name as Azeez, said, “The ruler uses men of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and policemen to oppress the people. The police in Ejigbo have been compromised. What we are demanding is that Atiku should be released. He has committed no crime. We ask for his release from the police.”
One of the women who were arrested and who gave her name only as Alhaja Daramola, said, “I was among those arrested and I was taken to court without any offence. The police said I was selling hemp. I do not sell such. There were four of us who were arrested, and the police acted on the order of a traditional ruler.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said in a text message that Atiku had been charged to court.
“The suspect has been taken to court,” she stated.
Kayode Fayemi
DISTURBED that Nigeria’s steel industry has yet to take off nearly 40 years after inauguration, Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has pledged to reposition it to contribute “immense growth to the economy within a decade.” The plank of his programme is to resuscitate the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, Kogi State, deploying state resources. There are two sides to this. The first, which is to make the ASCL and associated companies work, is laudable. The second is a well-worn path: deploying scarce public resources to moribund state-owned enterprises in the past had produced miserable returns.
Steel is reported to be an indispensable material for every aspect of the economy, including bridges, buildings and cars. Steel is the world’s most important industrial material, with over 1.5 billion tonnes produced annually. For Nigeria to reap the enormous potential benefits in this strategic industry, Fayemi should not travel that road, no matter how attractive it might appear. The minister, who assumed office last November, admitted when he toured the ASCL in December that the financial resources required to revive the company are “so humongous that the government” would need to partner private investors and local banks to actualise the plan. We recommend, instead, a full privatisation model that will transfer majority equity to a reputable international steel firm that will bring along foreign direct investment.
While not downgrading our banking industry, the kind of funding required for the project is not easy to come by locally. Commercial banks in Nigeria are still reeling from the impact of the 2013 privatisation of the power assets, in which they were exposed to the tune of about N1 trillion. They lack the resources for the high-capacity exposure that a robust steel industry would need.
Moreover, in 2008, the Federal Government cancelled the Ajaokuta concession programme partly because Global Infrastructure Holdings Limited of India, which won a bid in 2005, resorted to borrowing massively from our local banks and had no funds for further investment. This was against the contractual terms that it should invest external funds in its bid to revitalise the company. The ASCL is still battling to repay some loans, put at some N24 billion, after the cancellation of the deal.
But by selling Ajaokuta and the National Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe, Kogi State, to international investors, the government would overcome several obstacles at once. There is FDI from Europe, Asia and the Americas where investors seeking solid investment ventures like in our steel sector, and the technical know-how they possess, will transform the sector.
Estimates vary, but Nigeria has expended between $7 billion and $10 billion since it launched the steel project in 1979. Instead of producing its annual target of 3.1 million tonnes of steel – as in light billets, wire rods, medium section, structural mills – for domestic consumption and export, the country has gained practically nothing. Worse, the Federal Government appropriates billions of naira annually for recurrent and overheads, as the N4.58 billion voted for workers’ salaries in 2012, and the N8.8 billion for personnel in the 2015 budget showed. This is wasteful. Fayemi should end this annoying culture of wasteful expenditure for zero productivity.
Again, the efforts made by Abuja to concession Ajaokuta to Solgas in 2004 and GIHL in 2005 failed. Experts say that no country can develop industrially without a viable iron and steel industry. Modern inventions like cars, airplanes, railways, construction and armaments are manufactured with steel. Economically savvy nations realised this long ago. Thus, they gave a free rein to the industry, and enjoyed the benefits that accrued from such a liberalisation policy. One of them is Canada, which had 12 major steel companies at the beginning of the 20th Century. Before long, 11 of those companies – except Stelpipie – had been purchased by investors from the United States, England, Russia, India, South Africa and Brazil. Through this model, Canada’s steel industry employs 130,000 workers, and exports steel products worth $7 billion annually.
In other models, the mining industry contributes eight per cent to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product, with a direct job tally of 158,000 (and 505,600 indirect jobs). It fetched the government $7 billion in royalties and $21 billion in taxes (2008-09). The model in China, with a GDP of $11.38 trillion (World Bank 2015 estimates), is more remarkable because the country imports the major raw material (iron ore) for producing steel, but now has 40 per cent of the global steel capacity to drive its industrial growth.
At a time of dwindling revenues from oil and gas, which have put the Nigerian economy in a crisis, we urge Fayemi to act fast: embark on a transparent, holistic privatisation of Ajaokuta to reputable global players, who will in turn transform the loss-making enterprise, create income and jobs. A plan has already been laid out by the Bureau of Public Enterprises. The money generated from the sale should be re-directed to building the associated infrastructure in the steel companies. As it is, it is expedient to urgently pursue the privatisation model that has garnered rich dividends in other places.
Air Chief Marshal Badeh Source: www.pmnewsnigeria.com
There were indications on Monday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was collaborating with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit on the monitoring of bank accounts of military officers invited by the commission, The PUNCH has learnt.
It was gathered that the EFCC’s Special Task Force on the arms scandal probe had sent a list of individuals and companies whose accounts were being monitored.
A top EFCC source said the commission would seek to freeze the accounts of any officer or companies that were found to be holding huge amounts of money as such a person would be required to provide explanation on such funds in the accounts.
The source added, “The commission will definitely look into the financial operations of those indicted military personnel.
“It might not be automatic to move against their accounts. Such a decision would be determined by the outcome of the investigation.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, was not elaborate in his explanation on Monday.
He said the Presidency just released the names of the affected military personnel for investigation and would not make any comment on the issue.
“I don’t have any comment on this issue. You know that the Presidency just released the names please,” he said.
There have been fears among military officers since Friday when the report of the Presidential Panel on arms procurement was released.
A top security source said there were mounting concerns about the career of the serving officers who were included in the list.
The source stated, “There is tension all over the place. The thing came as a shock to many of the top people whose names were published by the Presidency on Friday.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Friday ordered the EFCC to probe 17 serving and retired military officers, including the past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.); a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Dikko Umar (retd.) 2010 -2012; and the immediate-past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, (retd.), on alleged fraudulent arms purchases between 2007 and 2015.
Others are Maj. Gen. E. R. Chioba (retd.); AVM I. A. Balogun (retd.); AVM A. G. Tsakr (retd.); and AVM A. G. Idowu (retd.).
The 11 serving officers, who are to be investigated by the EFCC, include Air Marshal A. M. Mamu (Chief of Administration, NAF); AVM Oguntoyinbo (former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters); AVM T. Omenyi (Managing Director, NAF Holdings); AVM J. B. Adigun (former Chief of Accounts and Budget); AVM R. A.Ojuawo (Air Force Tactical Air Command, Markudi); AVM J. A. Kayode-Beckley (Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre); Air Cdre A. O. Ogunjobi; Air Cdr G. M. D. Gwani; Air Cdr A.Y. Lassa and Col. N. Ashinze (Special Assistant to the former NSA, Dasuki), and Air Cdr. S. O. Makinde.
The President’s Special Assistant on Media and   Publicity, Garba Shehu, had on Friday said 21 companies and their directors would be investigated by the EFCC.
The presidential spokesman said the breaches identified by the audit committee included non-specification of procurement costs, absence of contract agreements, award of contracts beyond authorised thresholds, transfer of public funds for unidentified purposes and general non-adherence to provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra protesting at the Alaba International Market in Lagos...
AT least, two persons were feared dead in Aba, the commercial capital of Abia State, on Monday following a protest by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
The pro-Biafran supporters had defied several warnings by the state government and security agencies against protesting the continued detention of the Director, Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
It was gathered that the group marched through major roads in the city, chanting solidarity songs in support of their detained leader.
But the protest, it was learnt, turned violent when members of the group attempted to block the Aba-Enugu expressway and were stopped by a combined team of military and police operatives.
According to an eyewitness account, the protesters reportedly regrouped around Saint Michael Road to make bonfires, which attracted the presence of soldiers and policemen again.
It was gathered that the soldiers tried all means to disperse them but they failed. Two persons were reportedly hit by stray bullets in the process of dispersing them.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Onyeke Udevito, said the combined team of the police and soldiers only dispatched protesters with tear gas.
Udevito, however, denied the knowledge of any casualty and added that 26 protesters were arrested by the police.
The state police spokesperson warned members of the pro-Biafran group to desist from further protest in the city.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has warned any secessionist group against engaging in activities that could endanger the lives and property of residents of the state.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, warned that the command would not tolerate any form of protest, procession or demonstration that could jeopardise the peace being enjoyed in the state.
Mohammad spoke in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents while reacting to reports that pro-Biafran protesters were planning to stage a protest in Rivers State.
“We will not fail in our duty to ensure that lives and property are protected in the state. Therefore, we are warning against any protest, procession or demonstration that will endanger the lives and property of law abiding citizens in the state,” Mohammad stressed.
He, however, warned that the state police command would not hesitate to arrest any member of a group involved in activities that could lead to the breakdown of law and order.
The state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had on Saturday directed security agents to arrest and prosecute any member of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra or the Indigenous People of Biafra who flouted the ban on illegal processions and demonstrations in the state.
Wike condemned the acts of criminality perpetrated by the pro-Biafran agitators, who capitalised on their protests to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens of the state.
The governor had placed a ban on all forms of street protests, procession and demonstration in November 2015 after two persons were feared killed in Oyigbo and Eleme areas of the state.
In a related development, Reverend Father Samuel Aniebonam, who was last week named as the Chairman of Biafra Independent Electoral Commission by Ralph Uwazuruike for the purpose of conducting and supervising election for offices in his newly-formed Biafra Independent Movement, has rejected the appointment.
He described the purported announcement linking his name with the organisation as “a spurious publication.”
In a statement in Awka, Aniebonam said he was surprised that Uwazuruike could publish such an appointment without seeking his approval and urged the general public to disregard it.
Acting Chairman, PDP, Uche Secondus
The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, has said that he didn’t collect a dime from the former National Security Adviser, Lt.Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Secondus was reacting to the insinuation in some quarters that he also benefited from the money, which was meant for the purchase of arms to fight terrorism in the North-East in particular and in the country as whole, but was shared to politicians by Dasuki.
He told our correspondent that he was never involved in the sharing and collection.
Some members of the party are currently being tried by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission for alleged corruption and money laundering because of their involvement in the sharing of the money.
Four national officers of the main opposition party had called on those involved to separate their cases from the party since they got the money from Dasuki, using their individual company accounts.
They also called on those holding offices in the party to quit in order for them to have time to face the court cases instituted against them.
Among those involved, two are holding national positions in the party.
They are the Acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Haliru Mohammed and the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
Bello is currently being tried for allegedly using his personal company to collect N300m from Dasuki while Metuh allegedly collected N400m from the same man.
Metuh had confessed that he collected the money, but said that former President Goodluck Jonathan used the money to pay him for a job he had refused to disclose.
The national officers,who made the call were the Deputy National Youth Leader, Dennis Alonge-Niyi; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Bashir Maidugu; Deputy National Organsising Secretary Okey Nnaedozie; and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo.
But Secondus said that it was wrong for some people to categorise him among those being accused of collecting money from Dasuki.
He said, “I was not mentioned among those that collected money from the former NSA. I saw some reports linking me with it in either their headlines or body of their stories.
“That is wrong. Have you seeing my name or company among those who took money? The answer is no! I didn’t collect a dime from the former NSA.”
On the travails of some members of the party, Secondus said that he was sure that the judiciary would adjudicate on the matter.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has described corruption as the main opposition to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He described corruption as an unusual but powerful opposition.
According to a statement issued on Monday, the SGF made this remark in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation of the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties led by Mr. Ibrahim Bashir of the Peoples Democratic Movement.
Lawal, however, said that with President Buhari’s honesty and integrity, the Federal Government would win the anti-corruption war, adding that Nigerians and God were behind the present government.
He commended the efforts of the other political parties supporting the Federal Government in the anti-corruption war and stated that their position was driven by patriotic reasons.
The SGF stressed that the ‘ethical revolution’ of the present administration should be encouraged so that Nigerians could benefit from the change agenda.
The statement quoted Lawal as saying, “What the Federal Government is now focusing on is good governance that will bring rapid development and growth to the nation, irrespective of political affiliations. Corruption is President Buhari’s main opposition, rather than a political party.
“I reiterate my admiration and support to the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, for the impressive development that is taking place in Ebonyi State, despite being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“President Buhari is a meticulous, honest and just leader who will ensure that Nigerians will soon start enjoying the change that he promised during the 2015 general elections campaign.
Chukwuma
The family of Chukwuma Ihezia, allegedly killed by policemen attached to the State Anti-Robbery Squad, Enugu State Police Command, has demanded the release of his remains to enable them to give him a decent burial.
Chukwuma, 30, a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, was allegedly killed by policemen who labelled him a robber.
Chukwuma’s elder brother, Chinedu, told PUNCH Metro on Monday in Abuja that the deceased was framed for robbery by a SARS team, led by Superintendent Felix Bolu, who is now the Divisional Police Officer, Agbani Police Station, Enugu.
Chinedu explained that the family had purchased a car for Chukwuma which he was using as a taxi, while waiting for a call up for national service.
He said the young man was arrested on January 12, 2013, while waiting for a passenger at Royal Media Hotel, Enugu.
He said Chukwuma had taken a passenger to the hotel and was waiting for him, but a misunderstanding reportedly broke out between the passenger and the people he went to meet at the hotel and everyone, including Chukwuma, was arrested.
He said, “Chukwuma told the police that he was the taxi driver who brought the passenger and the two of them were taken to the Independence Layout Police Station, Enugu, where the DPO handed Chukwuma and his passenger alive to SARS officers ─ Edeh, Abugu Jonathan and Mike. My brother was later shot in the legs.”
Chinedu further explained that the police searched his brother’s room and found nothing incriminating except a laptop, some money and other personal effects which they took away.
He stated that when he visited the SARS and saw the bullet injuries in Chukwuma’s legs, and he pleaded with the policemen not to allow his brother to die. He said he was asked to bring N50,000.
“Felix Bolu collected N50,000 from me for the treatment of my brother, but instead of taking him to a hospital, he called a nurse living close to the SARS headquarters to treat him. He also demanded N100,000 for bail, which I gave him. It was later that I got to know that my brother had died, but the police didn’t inform me. Rather, they extorted more money from me,” Chinedu said.
On learning of Chukwuma’s death, Chinedu said he petitioned the state Commissioner of Police, but nothing came out of it.
He said the police had refused to release his brother’s remains, which he said were kept at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.
“We have petitioned the Police Service Commission, the DIG, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, the Senate President, but nothing was done. Since we cannot get justice for our slain brother, they should release his corpse for burial. The police released his laptop, wallet and other things they took from his house, but they have refused to release his remains,” Chinedu said.
Bolu, however denied the allegation of extortion, saying Chukwuma was “a pure armed robber who robbed a hotel with his accomplice.”
He said, “The boy was shot in the ankles as he attempted to escape when he took us to where he hid his guns. We took him to the hospital for treatment, but he died.”
When asked if Chukwuma died in the cell or in the hospital, Bolu declined to answer, saying, “What kind of question is this? I said the boy died, he died during treatment. Instead of the family to beg the police to release the boy for burial, they are busy making a noise.”
Sunny Anyanwu, the lawyer to the Ihezia family, said instead of punishing Bolu for the extrajudicial killing of Chukwuma, the police redeployed him from the SARS to the state police command headquarters as an administrative officer.
Anyanwu stated that an autopsy conducted by the police pathologist, Dr. Wilson Akiwu, on July 17,2015, indicated that Chukwuma died of gunshot wounds.
Dr. Doyin Okupe
A former spokesperson for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has dismissed an allegation by a former Governor of the Central Bank, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, that Jonathan ran the apex bank like the late Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin Dada, who ran aground his country’s central bank.
In an interview in the current business edition of The Interview, Soludo described the CBN as “the ATM of the Presidency under Jonathan.”
Soludo said, “Recent revelations regarding the $2.1bn scandal involving a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and the apparent abuse of the CBN as an ATM by the Presidency should get reasonable people thinking.
“Imagine a scenario where a President can order the CBN to create an intervention fund for national stability and the CBN literally ‘prints’ say, N3tn, and doles it out as cash to the President to prosecute an election campaign, or for just about anything he fancies. I don’t know any other country where such is tolerated, except perhaps what I watched in a movie about Idi Amin and his governor of the Central Bank.”
But speaking with our correspondent in a phone interview on Monday, Okupe said Soludo’s accusation was baseless.
According to the former spokesperson, Jonathan was a very meek leader who did not take rash decisions on the country’s finances.
He said, “I have read what Soludo said but sincerely I don’t see any reason to compare former President Jonathan with Idi Amin. It is a baseless point. Idi Amin was a tyrant and an all-in-one. He fought the British by deporting foreigners from his country. That is what I know about Idi Amin. How such figure relates to Jonathan is what I don’t understand.
“I honestly disagree with him because it’s like comparing another dictator like Adolf Hitler of Germany with Ghana’s President. I do not understand why Soludo is coming out to attack the former President. Nigerians come up with different stories depending on situations. His accusation that Jonathan ran the CBN like an ATM machine is out of point. Jonathan was a meek leader who was mindful of his actions. Soludo was wrong. Jonathan doesn’t fit into that type of preposterous description. He was not rash in taking decisions.

Olisah Metuh in handcuffs
Olisah Metuh in handcuffs. Credit: Saharareporters
The Peoples Democratic Party has condemned in totality, what it described as the brazen display of “authoritarianism” by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government in handcuffing its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh when he appeared in court on Tuesday.
The party said that the development betrayed an extra-judicial, top political witch-hunt policy of
the All Progressives Congress, which it said was carefully designed to humiliate, embarrass and portray PDP leaders as common criminals and set the stage to cow and decimate opposition and perceived foes of the government.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo on Tuesday, the party said the aim of the of the ruling party is to break Metuh.
“The question remains, if not to mortify, dehumanise and break Metuh, who has been very vocal against the APC administration, and of course to send a signal to others critical of the government, what else would have informed the decision to produce him in court in handcuffs, even when his case does not border on security
threat?” Oladipo said.
“Is this an attempt to sway the court and ambush the judicial process against our National Publicity Secretary, all because of his stance against observed ineptitude and dictatorial tendencies of this administration?
“The PDP invites all Nigerians and the international community to note the emerging barefaced abuse of state power and violation of constitutional provisions regarding the arrest, detention and eventual
arraignment of our spokesperson.”
Oladipo added that Nigerians by now, should be extremely scared that the country was fast drifting into what he called a police state where being in opposition or holding views divergent to that of the government makes one a criminal and an enemy of the state.
He alleged that for now, the target of the on-going “lopsided war against corruption is the PDP and its leaders” while all APC members, including those with known corruption issues had been immune from investigation, arrest and prosecution.
Oladipo added that, more worrisome was the fact that institutions of government, especially security and corrective agencies have now fallen victims of dictatorial abuses.
With this, he said the PDP was afraid that in no time, ordinary citizens of Nigerians, who in the last 16 years have lived under the rule of law and constitutionally guaranteed personal liberty, would begin to suffer brutality and oppression.
He said, “Under PDP administration, some Nigerians, including APC leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu were tried but never humiliated; now we see security operatives under this regime being used to crush and humiliate the opposition.
A pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God Mission has been kidnapped by yet to be identified persons.
Pastor Ayo Funsho Raphael was kidnapped right in the middle of church service last Sunday, our correspondent gathered.
The incident happened at the Resurrection parish of the church in Kabba junction in Lokoja.
Eye witnesses said the kidnappers, numbering about 10 stormed the church auditorium at exactly 9 am and ordered the congregation to lie down.
The pastor was said to have been dragged barefooted into the bush while his abductors shot sporadically into the air to facilitate their getaway effort.
Although no lives were lost, many members of the congregation sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of their scampering for safety when the kidnappers were shooting in to the air.
Sources revealed however that the kidnappers have opened lines of communication with the Church demanding a sum of N50 million before the pastor could be released.
The Kogi State police public relation officer ASP William Aya said he is yet to be briefed about the development.
He promised to find out and get back with development on the matter.
www.virgoworldventures.net. Powered by Blogger.

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Followers

Followers

Labels

Tweet Us@virgoworldworl1

Labels

Popular Posts