Former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, ousted from power in 2011, was ordered released from prison Wednesday and might be set free by the end of the week, his lawyer Fareed al-Deeb has confirmed.

Convening on Wednesday at the Cairo jail where Mubarak is held, the court upheld a petition from his lawyer demanding the release of the man who ruled Egypt for 30 years until he was overthrown during the uprisings that swept the Arab world in early 2011.

Judicial and security sources also confirmed that the court had ordered Mubarak’s release.

The only legal grounds for Mubarak’s continued detention rest on another corruption case which will be cleared up later this week, his lawyer said.

“All we have left is a simple administrative procedure that should take no more than 48 hours. He should be freed by the end of the week,” Deeb added.

Hundreds of police officers and dozens of armoured police vehicles were stationed to ensure security throughout proceedings held at a police academy on the outskirts of Cairo.

Mubarak, his interior minister,Habib el-Adly, and six aides are accused in complicity with the deaths of more than 800 people during the 2011 uprising.

The ex-president and his sons are also facing charges for illegally using funds allocated for expenditure on presidential palaces for their private villas and corruption.

Mubarak 85, was sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to prevent the killing of demonstrators. But a court accepted his appeal earlier this year and ordered a retrial.

However, his release might stir more turbulence in Egypt where the army ousted Morsi, the country’s first freely elected leader, on July 3, saying it was responding to the will of the people following vast protests demanding his removal.

At least 900 people, including 100 soldiers and policemen, have been killed in a crackdown onMorsi’s Muslim Brotherhood in the past week, making it Egypt’s bloodiest civil episode in decades.

The military has installed an interim administration to oversee a roadmap they say will lead Egypt to back to democracy.

However, in spite of repeated warnings and killings of its members, the Muslim Brotherhood continues to demand the release and reinstatement of the ousted ruler.

The governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima has called for the setting up of a special fund for the states under emergency rule as a result of Boko Haram insurgency.

The governor observed that the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe deserve to be given a special fund in order to rebuild their devastated infrastructure arising from years of insurgency by the Islamic sect.

He urged that such a fund be considered in the current proposed revenue allocation review by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Shettima said that there was no was the governments of the affected states can afford on their own the cost of reconstruction and rehabilitation that is needed to make life meaningful for the people.

He spoke on Thursday when members Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission led by a federal commissioner representing Borno, Shettima Umar Abbagana, visited him in Government House, Maiduguri.

The governor equally observed that the nation’s resources belong to all the component parts and should be used to develop all the states proportionately, adding that it was selfish for any part of the country to insist on spending resources in it’s domain alone.

Shettima said that the resources of the nation is for the good of all and must be applied to develop all regions for the equal benefit of Nigerians.

The governor disagreed with calls for 50 percent derivation to the Niger/Delta just because it is rich in oil, saying it was unfair to other regions of the country.

He warned of the danger of allowing states endowed with natural resources to get preferential allocation from federal purse to the detriment of others, reasoning that this will only add to create two classes of states and a situation where there would be two classes of Nigerians – one satisfied and the other poor, angry and disgruntled.

This, the governor stated, would not augur well for peace, unity and security in the country.

“The whole states in the northeast receive less than Bayelsa State but the people from the oil producing areas are busy calling for 50 percent derivation. Surprisingly when we were in Germany, resources of Western Germany is being used in developing the Eastern Germany just to make sure that the area is at par with other parts of the country,” he observed.

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At least 13 persons are feared dead in a retaliatory attack staged by members of the Boko Haramsect against the volunteer youth vigilante groups otherwise known as the civilian JTF in two towns in Borno State.

The towns of Gwoza and Gamboru/Ngala were ransacked by the terrorists who were bent on fishing out residents and vigilante youths who had turned in their members to the Joint Task Force, JTF in charge of the area.

Gamboru/Ngala, a border town with Chad, is a commercial town about 150 kilometres east ofMaiduguri, while Gwoza, a hilly town has various outlets into Cameroon and is 135 kilometres fromMaiduguri.

It was gathered that in the last one week, youth vigilante groups in search of members of the sect have recorded successes in both towns as they were able to arrest a large number of terrorists resident in the towns.

A security source told journalists that the attack occurred early on Wednesday morning at about 2:00am.

“The attack at Gamboru/Ngala took place in Fulatari ward at about 2am on Wednesday by suspected Boko Haram members,” a military officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity told journalists.

READ ALSO:

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• Justice Fati Abubakar Laments Delay In Justice Delivery
• Court Orders Mubarak’s Release
• Gov. Shettima Seeks Special Fund For Adamawa, Borno, Yobe
• Netherland Scholarship Opens For Broadcast Journalists

A member of the entourage of the Emir of Gwoza who traveled to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to inform the state Governor ,Kashim Shettima, of the occurrence, disclosed to journalists that two policemen were killed in an attack on Gwoza police station at about 8am.

He said further that seven of the insurgents also died in the clash with policemen and men of theJTF.

However, another source said that four people were killed when the insurgents opened fire on a house while eight people sustained injuries from gunshots.

At least 286,000 farmers in Borno state registered under the Gross Enhancement Scheme, GES, in 2012 and 2013 are to receive federal government subsidised fertilizer this year.

Speaking during the flag-off of the scheme in the state on Sunday in Maiduguri, the minister of state for agriculture, Bukar Tijjani, who was represented by Kale Bukar, the federal director of agriculture in charge of Yobe State said 800 trucks of NPK fertiliser and urea subsidised at 25 % have been allocated to the state.

Each of the bags of fertiliser would now be sold at N3, 850 instead of N4, 500.

“Additionally, each farmer will be entitled to a free 20kg bag of highly improved maize or rice seed after purchasing the fertiliser,” the minister added.

About 5,000 of the 286, 000 benefitting registered farmers are female beneficiaries.

He explained that two agro dealers Madalla Global Concept and Al Iman Agro Ventures had been appointed to take charge of the fertiliser sales in the state.

While Madalla Global Concept will handle the sales of the fertiliser to farmers in the southern senatorial zone, Al Amin Agro Ventures will handle the sales to farmers in the central zone and both dealers will share the sales of fertilizer to farmers in the northern zone.

Tijjani said the measure is to bridge the gap created by the absence of GSM network in the state.

Chairman of the Madalla Global Concept, Ado Adamu, disclosed that redemption centres had also been created across the state to ensure that all the targeted farmers are reached.

“We have created redemption centres across the state for easy access to farmers. For example farmers in Shani and Hawul Local Government Area (LGA) will redeem their stock in Azareheadquarters of Hawul LGA, while farmers in Bayo, Biu and Kwaya Kusar will get their supply in Biu,” he said.

Farmers in Damboa, Chibok and Askira-Uba LGAs will get their supply in Rumugo
town in Askira-Uba, while those in all LGAs in Northern and Central Zones will get their supply in redemption centres in Maiduguri.

The All Progressive Congress, APC, has accused the presidency of flouting Independent National Electoral Commission rules by campaigning for the 2015 elections.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its interim national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party described the rally organized by the first lady, Patience Jonathan, last week as early political campaign for President, Goodluck Jonathan, ahead of the 2015 presidential elections despite the warning by INEC.

The electoral body earlier reminded all players of the provision of Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as Amended), which states that “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”

It cautioned that campaigning outside this provision is a violation of the law, warning that the commission will not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against culprits as provided by relevant sections of the law.

The APC asked the presidency to tell Nigerians why it has defied INEC rules by continuing to campaign for the 2015 elections.

The party also called on INEC to mete out appropriate sanctions to anyone who has violated its ban on early campaigns for the 2015 elections, in view of the first lady-driven peace rally that it referred to as ‘a facade for electioneering campaign.’

The APC described the rally as the first of its kind in Nigeria “where women were drawn from various security agencies” and “coerced into a march of shame, as organizers of the campaign masquerading as a peace rally blocked traffic and prevented citizens from earning their daily bread”.

It said a party that defies rules and lies to citizens cannot be trusted to rule over a people who are eager for their country to join the comity of developed nations.

”Defying INEC, this brazen campaign featured women clad in specially-made ‘ankara’ that bore the picture of President Jonathan and reminds one of the disgraceful days of the late despot MobutuSese Seko of former Zaire, and the late clownish leader of Uganda, Idi Amin. What a company to keep in the 21st century,” APC noted.

The party also faulted the assertion by presidential adviser on public affairs, Doyin Okupe, that President Jonathan has not informed anyone that he will contest in 2015 when his wife had commenced a campaign.

“Okupe said his boss has not told anyone he will run, and had the temerity to insult the media by saying they have been taken over by a few people. The good news is that Nigerians are far smarter than their present rulers and therefore cannot be fooled,” APC said.

The All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, has been accused of being behind the insecurity ravagingBorno State and other parts of northern Nigeria.

This view was expressed by the chairman of Borno state chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, Babagana Musa, while speaking at a meeting of members the Borno State chapters of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, to fashion out modalities of working with the ANPP in the newly registered All Progressive Congress,APC.

The recently registered APC comprises of the ACN, CPC, ANPP and a faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.

Speaking at the meeting, Musa, to the embarrassment and unease of many present, said that theANPP constitutes the major problem to Borno State, just as the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP,remains Nigeria’s biggest problem.

“We all know that Borno state problem is the ANPP.  Since 1999 to date, the ANPP ruled BornoState and the dividends of democracy ANPP is giving Borno people is the present insecurity and instability,” he said..

The CNPP chairman, now a chieftain of the APC, lamented that “the incompetence of the presentANPP government in Borno state leads to so much hardship”, noting that many pledges the party remain unfulfilled.

Musa added that the new party must seek alliance with other smaller existing parties to work together to oust the PD in the 2015 general election.

Musa’s critical comments, however, did not go down well with other chieftains of the APC at the meeting who quickly distanced themselves from his view.

The other politicians who were visibly embarrassed quickly clarified to newsmen who covered the event that the CNPP chairman’s comments were his personal opinion and did not reflect that of the new party.

In his own remarks earlier, former chairman of the ACN in the state, Kawu Tijjani, observed that the coming into being of the APC is not a mere change of name of three parties but a voluntary collaboration by them to make a difference in Nigerian politics.

Former chairman of the CPC in Borno State, Ibrahim Elzubairu, who chaired the meeting said that the new party would bring “a new beginning, politically, free from the divisive, restricted politics of recent past, characterized by fear and hero worship.”

Oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited, and its host communities have expressed divergent views on a gas leak reported at Chevron’s offshore gas field in the Atlantic Ocean located off Bayelsacoastline.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that officials of National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA confirmed receiving a report of a leakage in Chevron’s field last Wednesday.

Head of NOSDRA’s zonal operations office in Port Harcourt,Adeyinka Adewumi, said that the agency had received a report of the leak from Chevron and was awaiting a joint visit to ascertain the cause of the leak.

Coastal communities in Koluama 1 and Koluama 2 communities had alleged that the gas leakage had discharged crude and gas into the environment leading to pollution of the air and marine ecosystem.

Community sources told NAN on Sunday that the oil firm had been making frantic efforts to mitigate the leakage while the leak continued.

A resident from Fishtown community in Brass council area of Bayelsa State, Larry Gabriel, said that leaking well, located about five kilometres from the site of a January 2012 gas explosion “is still discharging gas into the air”.

“The leakage is yet to stop. They have been deploying chemicals to dissolve the oil and sink it to the sea bed as it gushes out from the well. That is why they are saying that they have no oil spill. The traces of dissolved crude have hit the shoreline. The gas emission has compromised the air quality and the smell is everywhere but unfortunately gas is invisible but they had an explosion here in 2012 and we do not want a repeat,” he said.

Gabriel added: “We will not accept any attempt to conceal this incident and we appeal to the agencies of government to rise to the occasion and get to the root of this incident.”

However, Chevron in a statement insisted that it did not record any oil spill in its operations nearBayelsa coastline.

The oil firm did not provide any detail on the reported gas leakage and alleged pollution of air in the communities.

The military Joint Task Force, JTF, operating in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states under state of emergency will from today hand over command to a new Army division.

A statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the director of defense information, Chris Olukolade, said the command of the on-going internal security operations in the North east would enter a new phase as the control of the mission reverts to the Army Headquarters.

He said a new division had been created and would take-off to continue the counter-insurgency operation with immediate effect.

“Coming three months into the mission to stamp out terrorism in the North East, this development is in line with the plans laid out for the conduct of the operations. The phase being concluded on Monday was executed by a Joint Task Force composed by troops drawn from the services of the Armed Forces as well as other security agencies who conducted Operation BOYONA,” he said.

He said the code-name BOYONA was an acronym derived from the names of the three states ofBorno, Yobe and Adamawa covered by the state of emergency declaration.

According to him, the effort was meant to constitute the first phase of the counter-terrorists operation.

He said the Army would now be solely in charge of the operations, but still under the routine guidance of the Defense Headquarters.

President Goodluck Jonathan had declared state of emergency on May 14 in three states following serious security challenges posed by the activities of Boko Haram.

Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, has described the death of SoniranSowemimo, a former commissioner for information in the state, as shocking.

Sowemimo, a high chief of Egba, died on Friday night at the age of 71.

In a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Funmi Wakama, the governor said “he died at a time when his wealth of experience was mostly needed, not just in the pen profession, but in the socioeconomic advancement of Ogun”.

Amosun described the deceased as “a revered media practitioner, community man par excellence and a patriotic citizen”.

“He devoted his life to the service of the state and humanity in general…Chief Sowemimo has certainly left his footprints on the sands of time,” he added.

The governor further prayed for the repose of his soul and also commiserated with theSowemimo family, the people of Ogun and the media community in Nigeria, on the exit of the renowned journalist.

Also, the Ogun State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, described the demise ofSowemimo as shocking.

READ ALSO:

• Boko Haram Kills 13 In Retaliatory Attacks In Borno
• APC Asks INEC To Sanction Jonathan For Early Campaign
• APC Chieftain Blames ANPP for Borno’s Woes
• Chevron, Bayelsa communities disagree on gas leakage
• New Army Division Takes Charge Of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe

The condolence was contained in a statement issued by the council’s chairman, Wole Sokunbi who said that “Sowemimo lived a fruitful life and bequeathed a worthy legacy to the younger generation”.

In the same vein, a member of the state house of representatives, Lanre Odubote, who worked with Sowemimo at Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, OGBC, Abeokuta, described him as “a team player, teacher and master in the journalism profession”.

“He laid a solid foundation in Ogun as Commissioner for Information; the NUJ and indeed the entire journalism profession will miss this great master,” he said.