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Kanu Alleges DSS Murdered His Visitors

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Kanu Alleges DSS Murdered His Visitors

The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, resumed on Tuesday and during the hearing, Kanu’s counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told the court that the Department of State Services, DSS, was responsible for the death of some people who had visited the Biafran activist in prison.

Ejiofor alleged that “nine persons were arrested after they came to visit (Kanu in Prison), traced to their homes in Abia, and credible information shows they are dead‎”. He urged the court to take a stand against‎ the action of the DSS.

But Shuaibu Labaran, counsel to the Federal Government, denied the allegation, saying he had no personal attachment to the case.

In keeping with the order given by Justice Binta Nyako in December, the media and the general public were prohibited from covering the hearing proceedings.

Security operatives initially prevented journalists from entering the courtroom, but later granted them entry only after a hospital-like demarcation had been used to barricade the event from being covered.

The courtroom was divided by a hospital-like barricade to deter journalists covering the proceedings
The courtroom was divided by a hospital-like barricade to deter journalists covering the proceedings

Justice Nyako had okayed an application by the federal government that prosecution witnesses be protected from public view for their own safety.

Earlier, Kanu’s lawyer had filed an‎ application asking the court to throw out the charges against his client, arguing that FG does not have enough evidence to support their claims.

The prosecution council, however, asked the court for time to be able to respond to the application.

‎The trial was subsequently adjourned to Thursday.

The IPOB leader is facing charges of treason alongside three other members of the group: – Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.

He has been in detention since 2015.

Lawmakers Summon Ministers Over Abuja Airport Closure

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Lawmakers Summon Ministers Over Abuja Airport Closure

 

Members of the senate have resolved to invite the Ministers of Transportation, Aviation and Power, Works and Housing over the decision by the Federal Government to shutdown the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja for six weeks.

The lawmakers also summoned the Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Sadique Abubakar, as well as the managing directors of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA.

At the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, Hope Uzodinma, a senator from Imo state, moved a motion, calling for a better plan in fixing the Abuja airport runway instead of closing down the airport for that long.

He said that the closure would bring untold hardship to travelers, adding that “The senate is determined to explore all other possible options that can avert the planned total closure of a strategic national airport for six weeks.”

‎Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, seconded the motion, saying that “There is need to repair the runway but I don’t agree with closure of the airport.”

“Many countries have repaired airports without closure,” he pointed out, before rejecting the idea of using the Kaduna airport as an alternative because according to him, “many lives have been lost on the Kaduna road.”

Also, Dino Melaye, the chairman of the Senate committee on the federal capital territory, FCT, said the proposed closure would embarrass the country.

“This will embarrass us as a country; it will affect us economically, politically and socially our aviation intellectuals must think,” he said.

The upper legislative chamber gave the invited government officials a 48-hour ultimatum to appear before it to explain the planned closure.

El-Rufai Names Perpetrators Of Southern Kaduna Killings

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El-Rufai Names Perpetrators Of Southern Kaduna Killings

Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has announced the arrest of some of the perpetrators of the various violent attacks that claimed several lives in the southern part of the state.

El-Rufai revealed names of the arrested suspects during a visit to the office of the State Commissioner of Police, Agyle Abeh.

He vowed that the state government would make sure that all those involved in the attacks were brought to justice.

The governor also said that acts of criminality and lawlessness would never be condoned.

He called on citizens of the state to embrace peace and tolerate one another for the interest of peace and development.

Earlier, the Kaduna Police paraded some of the suspects before the governor, noting that their offences range from involvement in Southern Kaduna violence to armed robbery and kidnapping.

Abeh assured the governor as well as the entire Kaduna citizens that the State’s police command would continue to work towards flushing criminals out of the state and returning normalcy to all troubled areas.

Meanwhile, Muslim clerics under the aegis of Council of Imams and Ulamas have called for the arrests of some people whom the council accuses of making inflammatory statements and instigating the recent Southern Kaduna crisis.

Among the people the clerics want arrested are the Senator representing Kaduna South in the National Assembly, Danjuma Laah; the member representing Zangon Kataf/Java Federal Constituency, Sunday Marshall Katung; the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Samson Ayokunle, and the President of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, SOKAPU, Musa Solomon.

Addressing journalists on state of affairs in Southern Kaduna, the Chairman of the Imams and Ulamas, Abubakar Babatunde, blamed the individuals for urging “their people to take up arms to defend themselves” instead of doing something to prevent the crisis “until the worse had happened.”

Babatunde said the political and religious leaders should be held responsible for allowing the violence to “degenerate into the senseless and merciless massacre of Hausa/Fulani Muslims in that area.”

Senate Rejects Buhari’s Nominee For NERC

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Senate Rejects Buhari’s Nominee For NERC

 

The senate has rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Akintunde Akinwande, as the chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.

However, during plenary on Tuesday, the first for 2017, the lawmakers approved the nominees for the vice chairmanship position as well as other commissioners.

Akinwande, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT in the United States of America, did not attend the screening held by the Senate for the nominees; neither did he present himself to the Department of State Services, DSS, for security checks.

The move was interpreted as a rejection of the presidential appointment but the Presidential aide on National Assembly matters, Ita Enang, said the nominee had requested for more time in order to finalise his resignation from the MIT.

Akinwande’s rejection of Buhari’s appointment became clearer when he failed to attend the second screening session, but reportedly sent a text message to one of the members of the committee that he was uninterested in the job.

Yet, Enang persuaded the committee not to take the nominee’s absence as rejection of the appointment.

“I would want to plead to the committee that the nominee was simply absent. I will communicate with the president and get more information about him and get back,” he said.

The Enyinnaya Abaribe-led committee however said it would submit its report on the screening and a final recommendation would be conveyed to the senate at plenary.

Another report has it that Akinwande turned down the NERC chairmanship appointment because he was not consulted before the announcement was made, and more so because he was not ready to leave his present work.

Akinwande was reportedly chosen to herd the NERC ahead of Supo Sasore, who was believed to be the preferred candidate of the minister of works, housing and power, Babatunde Fashola.

Jonathan, Allison-Madueke Fingered In $1.3 Billion Malabu Oil Deal

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Jonathan, Allison-Madueke Fingered In $1.3 Billion Malabu Oil Deal

Italian prosecutors have accused former president Goodluck Jonathan and former minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison Madueke of benefiting from the $1.3 billion Malabu oil deal involving oil giants Shell and ENI.

A lawsuit was filed in December 2016 in Milan, Italy, against 11 people, including senior executives from the two oil majors and the companies themselves.

However, although ex-president Jonathan and Alison-Madueke were not named on the list, the prosecutors allege that they played a central role in the deal.

According to a report by the Agence France-Presse, AFP, no formal charges have been brought against the former President and oil minister, but parties usually have 20 days to respond to the conclusion of the preliminary investigation report before any formal prosecution.

The report claimed that ENI chief executive, Claudio Descalzi, and his predecessor Paolo Scaroni, met Jonathan “in person” to thrash out the deal, which also involved former British intelligence agents working as advisors for Shell.

Prosecutors also allege that ENI and Shell executives worked with Dan Etete, a businessman and former oil minister between 1995 and 1998 under the regime of Sani Abacha.

According to court documents seen by journalists, Etete’s company, Malabu, was the “fraudulent holder” of the OPL 245 block.

The Prosecutors said that talks were held in Milan and Abuja, after which the oil block was bought illegally by the ENI and Shell “without competitive tendering” and with “full, unconditional exemption from all national taxes”, in contravention of Nigeria’s laws.

They further allege that a total of $801.5 million was transferred to Etete’s Malabu accounts, of which $466 million was converted into cash in Nigeria and used to remunerate government officials, including Jonathan and Alison-Madueke.

Another $54 million was allegedly withdrawn by one Abubakar Aliyu, whom prosecutors say was an “agent” of Jonathan.

Beneficiaries of the deal subsequently went shopping, buying “property, aeroplanes and armoured cars,” prosecutors added.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, also said it has instituted charges in connection with the Malabu oil deal, though the commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwajuren, did not provide details.

Former Petroleum Minister, Alison-Madueke, the first woman to be elected President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, is facing a number of corruption allegations in Nigeria.

She was arrested in the UK in 2015by Britain’s National Crime Agency on suspicion of bribery and money laundering, though she denies the allegations.

Last week, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered Alison-Madueke to temporary forfeit $153 million that was allegedly syphoned from state coffers.

Former President Jonathan has also denied corruption allegations, saying that the allegations during his tenure were largely exaggerated.

However, former first lady Patience Jonathan has been at the centre of controversy after the EFCC froze bank accounts containing millions of dollars, which the first lady later said belongs to her.

ECOWAS Leaders Insist Gambian Leader Must Go

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ECOWAS Leaders Insist Gambian Leader Must Go

 

Select leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has reiterated the resolve of the entire sub-region that President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, must quit office at the expiration of his tenure, having lost the presidential election held in the country in December.

The leaders took this position after a meeting hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

They, however, added that the political issues in the Gambia must be resolved in a manner that does not violate the constitution of the country and respect for the will of the people.

The mediation meeting was attended by the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President Macky Sall of Senegal, ex-President John Mahama of Ghana, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel de Souza, and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General.

Nigeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama told State House correspondents after the meeting that “The leaders agreed on the determination to resolve the crisis in a manner that every step of the way conforms to the constitution of The Gambia and respect for the will of the people of The Gambia.”

He also added that the ECOWAS leaders condemned the arrests of perceived opposition personalities as well as the clampdown on opposition institutions and media organizations thereby causing many people to flee the country in fear.

Onyeama stated that the mediation team therefore decided to hold another meeting with President Jammeh in The Gambia on Wednesday to prevail on him to respect the constitution of his country.

The minister added that a representative of the African Union, AU, will be joining the delegation that will travel to The Gambia on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the federal government has said that it will not hesitate to evacuate Nigeria citizens who are resident in The Gambia, if the current situation degenerates.

Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told journalists in a telephone interview on Monday that the government was monitoring the situation and hoping things do not get volatile.

The Presidential aide added that in the case of violence, “Naturally, the Nigerian government will not abandon our citizens … In case the situation becomes volatile, we will evacuate those who want to be evacuated.”

“But we are hoping and confident that it will not get to that and that the matter will be resolved through the ongoing intervention of the ECOWAS leaders. The leaders will meet with President Yahya Jammeh on Wednesday,” she added.

The entire ECOWAS sub region was pleasantly surprised when President Jammeh, who had vowed to rule The Gambia for a “billion years”, accepted defeat and congratulated Adama Barrow, his opponent in the Presidential election held in December.

Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived as Jammeh, recanted a week later and called for the cancellation of the election as well as the conduct of a fresh exercise, citing electoral abnormalities.

Many countries across the globe condemned Jammeh’s action as anti-people, saying he must hand over when his tenure expires.

Marcel de Souza, the ECOWAS Commission president, was quoted as saying that troops have been put on standby to intervene in the situation should Jammeh insist on not handing over.

But in his New Year’s message, Jammeh reiterated that The Gambia is a sovereign State and any intervention by external forces would amount to an act of war. He vowed to defend his country against such.

Jammeh also sacked 12 of the country’s ambassadors who asked  him to step aside and allow opposition leader Barrow to take power.

The ambassadors to China, Britain, Turkey, Senegal, and the United States, as well as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, were among the affected diplomats.

Red Cross Makes Case For Detained Boko Haram Suspects

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Red Cross Makes Case For Detained Boko Haram Suspects

 

The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, has called on the Nigerian military authorities to deal humanely with the suspects who were being detained for alleged links with the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Head of the Sub Delegation of ICRC, Beat Mosimann, made this call when he visited the General Officer Commanding 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Victor Ezugwu, at the Maimalari cantonment in Maiduguri on Monday.

Mosimann said that while the suspects were being screened by the army to determine whether they had connections with the insurgents, they should be protected and treated with dignity.

He stated that it was part of the mandate of the Red Cross to see to the wellbeing of people wounded in conflict irrespective of which side they were on.

“It is part of our mandate, which was stipulated in Geneva convention, to assist wounded persons not just soldiers but anybody who is wounded in a conflict situation,” he said.

The Red Cross boss also disclosed that the organization has mapped out several programmes in 2017 to assist Internally Displaced Persons who are set to return to their liberated communities.

“Our job is purely humanitarian,” he said, “the humanitarian situation had quite improved.

“We thank the army for supporting the people in liberating their communities and ICRC will support this people to go back.”

In his reply, Ezugwu said that the army has released a total of 1,250 Boko Haram suspects who had been successfully screened and cleared of links with the terrorist group.

He added that the suspects were being released in batches.

He said: “We are keeping on this regular release because the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Burutai, wants us to ensure that it is only people who has contact and connection with Boko Haram … that should be detained so that those who do not have contact should be released.

“By the end of this January and February another batch of detainees would be cleared.”

The army general assured the ICRC and the international community that the army is going to continue doing its best with regards to the welfare of detainees in accordance with the international practice.

“Our approach in handling detained suspects is multi agency,” he said.

“So what we do is that we collaborate with NGOs so that once there is gap in what we are doing they will tell us.

“In terms of feeding, we are providing solid Nigerian food for the detainees; good food supplement that would enhance their wellbeing, (as well as) “access to exercise and the best of accommodation.

“We are hoping that things will get better in 2017,” Ezugwu added.

85 Years Old Woman Commits Suicide In Kano

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85 Years Old Woman Commits Suicide In Kano

 

Kolawole Oloyede, Kano

An 85-years old, Salamatu Hassan of Jar-Kuka village in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself on the branch of a tree.

This website gathered that the lifeless body of the woman, a mother of six, was found dangling on a tree few meters away from the village in the early hours of Sunday.

Her grandson, Muhammad Ibrahim told pressmen that that the late Salamu had been missing for two days and all efforts made by the family to locate her whereabouts proved abortive

He further disclosed that to their surprise, her corpse was found yesterday.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, Magaji Majia, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident.

He however said that the woman had mental disorders, adding that the Divisional Police Officer led his team to the scene of the incident and took the woman to Sir Muhammadu Sanusi General Hospital where she was confirmed dead.

Accused High Court Judge Seeks Accelerated Hearing

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Accused High Court Judge Seeks Accelerated Hearing

 

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the federal High Court, Abuja, has asked for an accelerated hearing into his ongoing corruption trial which had earlier been adjourned to January 18.

Ademola and his wife, Olubowale, the current Head of the Lagos State civil service, were arraigned by the federal government on an 11-count charge on of corruption December 13, 2016, before Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court.

He was said to have received gratifications running into millions of Naira in order to deliver favourable judgements to his clients, thereby contravening sections of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

But Ademola filed a fresh application at the court on Monday asking for an accelerated hearing into the matter.

Counsel the federal government, Segun Jegede, however informed the court of his client’s resolve to amend the charge to include Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who was said to be one of the many clients of the Ademola.

Agi, through his company, Joe Agi and associates, was said to have paid Ademola the sum of N30 million in March 2015, among many other payments as contained in the charges brought against the federal high court judge, who pleaded not guilty to all the 11 counts.

Jegede, while asking the court for time to allow his client amend the charge, promised that the amended charge should be ready by Tuesday at the latest.

Consequently, Justice Okeke adjourned the matter till January 11 for presentation of the amended charge.

He also added that the case would be slated for daily hearing from January 16 to 18, after the latest defendant, Agi has been arraigned.

Justice Ademola was one of the judges whose residences were raided in October 2016 by operatives of the Department of State Security, DSS.

Suicide Attacks: Army Warns Borno Citizens About Opening Their Doors

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Suicide Attacks: Army Warns Borno Citizens About Opening Their Doors

 

Following the several cases of suicide bomb attacks that hit the Borno State capital, Maiduguri and its environs on Sunday night, the Nigerian military is warning residents in the state to refrain from opening their doors to strangers.

Reports have it that the new strategy of the suicide bombers was to knock on peoples’ doors and immediately the doors is opened; they grab the person and detonate the explosives wrapped around them.

This recent and scary development has reportedly spread palpable fear among citizens of Maiduguri.

In a press release by Mustapha Anka, the Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, the general public was warned about “the recent trend used by desperate remnants of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT).”

Anka stated: “Recently, two female suicide bombers knocked at the door of one Bulama and Usman about 200 meters apart in Kalari general area of Maiduguri.

“The daughter of the Bulama opened the door, while the Usman himself opened his own door immediately the suicide bombers detonated their suicide vest, in the process killing the unsuspecting little girl (and) Usman including the two female suicide bombers.”

The army spokesman stressed that “security is a collective responsibility” and as such people should “be cautious and weary of strange persons knocking at their doors. The public is to engage in neighborhood watch,” Anka added.

He also advised the people to report any “Suspicious movement of persons to security agents without any delay”.

“The public is once again reminded that curfew is still enforced by 10pm daily, any defaulter will be prosecuted accordingly,” he said.

At the last count, eight deaths were recorded in Maiduguri and environs on Sunday night as a result of suicide bomb attacks.

Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Victor Isuku, said that in the first of the two attacks, three of the dead were male suicide bombers who were equally armed, as well as a member of the youth vigilante group who tried to prevent them from the invading the town.

Isuku stated that the second attack – apparently the same one referred to by the army –took place in a highly populated part of the town known as Kaleri, as two female suicide bombers detonated the explosive strapped on them leading to the death of two other persons.

“At about 2020 hours of yesterday (Sunday), three male suicide bombers shot sporadically and attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri via Garki Muna village close to a military checkpoint.

“The IED strapped to their bodies exploded killing all of them, and a civilian JTF.

“Two AK 47 rifles were recovered, while one was completely destroyed as a result of the explosion.

“Then about 2230hrs same date, there were two suicide bombers attack at Kaleri area of Gwange. Four persons including two female suicide bombers died in the explosion.”

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The police spokesman added that both scenes have been swept and rendered safe for public access by police operatives early on Monday and “Normalcy has since returned to these areas.”

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