Akwa Ibom Govt Refuses To Release Report On Church Collapse That Killed 27

The Akwa Ibom State government has made it clear it will not release a white paper on its inquiry on the church collapse that killed 27 people and injured 37 in 2016.

The Reigners Bible Church, Uyo, which was under construction, caved in during a ceremony to consecrate the church founder, Akan Weeks, as a bishop.

The Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, who was a special guest at the ceremony, narrowly escaped unhurt.

Seven months after the commission of inquiry, headed by a retired judge, Umoekoyo Essang, submitted its report, the state government said on Wednesday in a statement that, “The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice has been mandated to commence the process of taking appropriate actions against all persons found culpable in the church building collapse.”

File photo of the collapsed Church building in Akwa Ibom

PREMIUM TIMES

The statement, issued by the Commissioner for Information, Charles Udoh, added that “All cases of proven professional negligence will be dealt with decisively within the ambit of the law.”

The statement took many people by surprise because of the expectation that the report was going to be made public soon.

Those who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES expressed anger against the government’s decision not to release a white paper on the commission’s report.

“The statement by the commissioner is pointless,” said Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, who has been campaigning for the release of the report.

“It does not resolve the questions which the people of the state have been asking on the outcome of the investigation by the commission of inquiry.

“The procedure is that when government constitute a judicial commission of inquiry, upon the conclusion of the assignment, it is expected that a white paper be issued by the government wherein the government would state the recommendations that it accepts and those that it rejects, and a clear statement on actions that would be taken in respect of the recommendations,” Mr. Effiong told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Effiong accused the government of having a hidden interest in the report.

“The government has an interest in that report which it does not want to come out openly to say.

“If the government is interested in the truth, why not release the report. In fact, given the scale of the tragedy that took place, what stops the government from publishing the report on the internet. I am not even talking about the white paper, I mean the report itself.

“I am saddened that the government has not deemed it fit to, at least, honour the souls of those who lost their lives,” said the lawyer, who hinted that he may sue the government on the matter.

Victor Iyanam, a lawyer and a former commissioner for justice in the state, said if the government knew that they were not going to release a white paper on the commission’s report, they should have simply used the police to investigate, arrest and prosecute those culpable.

“Let us know those who have been indicted by the commission,” Mr. Iyanam said. “That is the transparent thing to do.

“Let the government not give the impression that the whole essence of setting up the judicial commission of inquiry was to sweep things under the carpet.”

Another lawyer in the state, Nsikak Akai, said the government’s statement succeeded in keeping the people in the dark on what really led to the church collapse, apart from the fact that it did not mention names of persons to be prosecuted which the people would also want to know.

He said the government’s position was “wrong” and “totally unacceptable”.

“Akwa Ibom people are more enlightened and intelligent,” he said.

Mr. Akai said people who feel aggrieved over the government position could approach the court to compel it to not only release a white paper but initiate criminal proceedings against those culpable.

He said they could also team up to file a civil suit, seeking damages from the Reigners Bible Church.

Franklyn Isong, a journalist and a member of the Civil Liberty Organisation, CLO, has been among those putting pressure on the government “to do the right things” as far the church collapse is concerned.

Mr. Isong expressed shock over the government action. He said the human right community and the people would continue to agitate for Governor Udom Emmanuel administration to take proper actions on the matter.

“A press statement from the government is not enough.

“The government claimed that they have paid all verified outstanding medical bills of the victims of the church collapse. The question I want to ask the government is: how many victims were affected and which hospitals treated them? How many survived and how many died? These are tax payer’s money,” he said.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Udoh, he said there was no law that says a government must release a white paper on the report of the commission.

The state Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, declined comment on the matter.

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No need for data capturing to renew driving licence – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps has said that there is  no need for data capturing while applying for  renewal of driver’s licence.

Mr Hyginus Omeje, the FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander said  this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday, adding that the agency  departed from the old system long time ago.

“I want to use this opportunity to tell motorists that they can renew their  licence without going through capture.

Omeje said that there is provision to bypass capture in the new process of renewal of licence.“The choice of coming to capture is yours, as long as we have your data base at the initial stage and its already in the system, you don’t really need to be captured any longer,” he said.

The FRSC boss however, noted that recapturing of data would only happen when  people want to change their  passport photographs or change some variables stated at the initial stage in the data.

“The whole essence of renewal is to update your records. You might have changed your residential address and all other variables except date of birth which is constant.

“And it is possible that somewhere somehow you had an accident that has given you mark or scars on your face, that has not been there before and if you don’t do the update,  of not going for capture, you may be embarrassed when you go to the embassy,” Omeje noted

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Cross River APC gets new chairman

The All Progressives Congress in Cross River State chapter on Saturday elected Mr. Etim John as its new chairman.

John polled 56 votes to beat Dr. Mathew Achigbe, who got 36 votes, in the state congress conducted by a five-man screening/election committee led by Mohammed Indebawa.

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THE DISSOLUTION OF NIGERIA IS INDISPUTABLY THE BEST AND ONLY ALTERNATIVE

It is unarguably factual going by the evolving developments in Nigeria, that her continued existence as a country can no longer be guaranteed.  Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator who participated in overthrowing a democratically elected government in 1983, made his way back to power in 2015 as an elected President to accomplish a sinister agenda. And since the commencement of his presidency, he has been surreptitiously working for the dissolution of the country. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in one of his press releases, stated that no amount of prayer can reposition Nigeria for progress. It is therefore foolhardy and suicidal for anyone to pretend that all is well.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, under the able leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remains undrownable, irrepressible and an uncompromising voice that has kept the administrators of Nigeria on their toes. Nigeria, though a signatory to virtually all United Nations charters which unequivocally guarantee all oppressed ethnic Indigenous people the world over, the right for self-determination, has remained exceptionally terroristic and vampiric. The evolving dangerous and annihilative developments in the country toda happening before our very eyes, were prophesied years back by the courageous and indefatigable leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Under the despotic government of Muhammadu Buhari, all known laws recognized by the International community have brazenly and proudly been violated. Biafrans have been gruesomely massacred in cold blood in their numbers at Nkpor, Onitsha, Aba and Igweocha. Many were abducted, maimed while others are yet unjustly being incarcerated. This ploy is steadily being executed by the Northern Islamic cabals all in the bid to kill the ideology of the Indigenous People of Biafra which has not and will never pay off.

The dogged agitation for the sovereign nation of Biafra has to a very appreciable extent, reawakened and repositioned the people into recovering their lost inheritances and glory. Biafrans can today stand out anywhere and boldly express themselves. It was the highly enlightened and resolute drive of the IPOB, that invariably spurred the Arewa and Tiv letters to the United Nations for the dissolution of the contraption called Nigeria. The genocidal onslaught being carried out by the Fulani herdsmen (terrorists) against Benue people, the unrelentless massacre of Christians by Boko Haram terrorists amongst other atrocious deeds, are just few examples floated to actualize their Islamic agenda over and against non-muslims. And they have vowed never to relent until their aim is achieved. The Fulani herdsmen according to reports, seem to have issued removal threat to Buhari their fellow kinsman, same way ex-President Jonathan was threatened in his time, should their avowed mission gets truncated.

Now that the so-called Ohaneze Youth Council (OYA), Odua People’s Congress (OPC) amongst others, have rejected the re-election bid of Muhammadu Buhari, the question then is, who next? It is important to point out here that irrespective of who becomes the next President of Nigeria, the country can never advance positively, going by not just how things have been structured but by the deep seated animosity and acrimony already injected into the very fabrics of the different ethnic groups in the country. It is necessary to state here therefore that the only panacea that will effectively address the evolving hopelessness and impending doom, is peaceful dissolution of Nigeria. This will end the seeming endemic shedding of blood and wanton destruction of properties. The International community should not wait for more killings to ensue before stepping in to help do the needful.

It is very much better to part peaceably than postpone the evil days through the callous gamble of the Nigerian government with human lives.

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Gov. El-Rufai, Shehu Sani In Fresh N2 Billion Defamation Suit Battle

he 'political quarrel' between Governor Nasir El-Rufai and outspoken Senator and activist, Shehu Sani intensified on Friday with the Kaduna State chief executive filing a N2billion slander lawsuit against the lawmaker.

Both men had been involved in battle to control the Kaduna chapter of the Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

El-Rufai on Friday stormed a high court in Kaduna to file a four- count defamation suit against the Senator representing the Kaduna Central Senatorial District.  

He asked the court to compel the lawmaker to pay him the sum of N500 million as compensation on each of the charges.But speaking through his Special Adviser on Politics, the Senator said though he has not been formally served by the Governor, his team of lawyers are well prepared to respond to the defamation suit as he asserted that he cannot be stopped from speaking when things are going wrong.He said, “The distinguished senator is yet to be served, but our team of lawyers are ready and well prepared.

“The distinguished senator wishes to assure all his supporters and well-wishers that nothing and absolutely nothing can stop him from expressing his opinion on either Kaduna State or national issues.”

Sani pointed out that those who are occupying public position should be ready for criticisms from any quarter.

He also added that as he has previously overcome attacks from aides of the governor, he would also overcome this legal trial.

“Those who voluntarily offer themselves for public service have also chosen to offer themselves for public scrutiny.

“The distinguished senator has in the last two years endured and overcome sponsored violence and campaign of calumny by aides of the state governor and will overcome this,” the Senator said while insisting that as long as he lives, he would continue to beam searchlights on dark part of the country both at national and state levels and would never stop speaking truth to power.

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Tourist falls 100ft to his death while posing for a photograph on waterfall

A tourist at a beauty spot on Thai Island, Koh Samui, has fallen to his death while posing for a picture on top of a 100ft waterfall.

32-year-old Jiri Barta from the Czech Republic travelled to tyhe Island on Thursday with a group of eight other holidaymakers, including one Briton, Metroreported.

The man shuffled to the edge of a cliff next to the Khun Sri waterfall while a friend took a photograph.

Friends rushed down and desperately battled to resuscitate him without success.However he then lost his footing and plunged to his death in front of his horrified friends around 12pm.

Rescue workers arrived a short time later and he was pronounced dead at the scene before being taken to hospital for a post mortem examination.

He lost his footing and plunged to his death in front of his horrified friends at around 12pm. (Picture: Mercury)

According to the report, devastated friend Miss Romana Uassara, 30, said the group had arrived in Thailand on February 5 and they had rented five motorcycles to travel around the island.

She said: ‘We were just admiring the beauty of the waterfall and he walked over to the edge for a picture.

‘The edge is so steep and he fell onto his back. It took a long time for his body to hit the bottom. I don’t know why.

‘We went down and he was still alive. We tried to do CPR and asked for help from villagers in the neighbourhood.’

Boonchai Wannawatchanasuntorn of Koh Samui’s tourist police, said rescuers spent five hours negotiating the deadly terrain to retrieve the body.

He said: ‘There is a sign in both Thai and English barring people from entering, but tourists keep ignoring it.

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How Aggrieved Residents Stoned Yobe Governor In Dapchi

Some aggrieved residents of Dapchi, headquarters of Busari local government area of Yobe state, attacked Ibrahim Gaidam, governor of the state, on Thursday.

They not only booed the number one citizen of the state but threw stones and dangerous objects at his convoy, resulting in the destruction of some vehicles.

Gaidam had gone to the community to inform the people that the students kidnapped from Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, have not been rescued.

Boko Haram fighters stormed the school on Monday, seizing an unknown number of students.

On Wednesday, the governor said the army had rescued some of the students.

“Some of the students of Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) whose school was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists last Monday have been rescued by gallant officers and men of the Nigerian Army,” he said in a statement which Abdullahi Bego, his spokesman, issued on his behalf

“The rescued girls are now in the custody of the Nigerian Army. We will provide more details about their number and condition in due course.”

But on Thursday, he informed the people of the reality on ground.

TheCable learnt that the governor arrived the community before noon and immediately went into a meeting with traditional leaders at the palace of the village head.

He was said to have taken the leaders into confidence but they agreed that he should also address the crowd which had gathered outside.

“When Gaidam began speaking, we were calm. We followed all that he said with assurances that the situation was under control,” Abdullahi Dapchi, a resident of the town who said two of his sisters were among the captives, told TheCable.

“But we got suspicious when he began dribbling us. You know how these politicians are. He said we should cooperate with the government that they were doing their best. We asked him about the situation and he said none of the students had been rescued.

“At that point, some parents broke down in tears, some even collapsed and before you knew it, the atmosphere was chaotic. The governor had to be ferried away by his security operatives but the mob went after the vehicles in his convoy.

“The peace that we have been enjoying in this community was disrupted.”

Dapchi said it took the intervention of soldiers, who fired shots into the air, for the crowd to disperse.

He said moments after the troops left, some residents gathered again but this time around they started protesting.

“They blocked major roads, chanting anti-government songs and placing curses on Boko Haram,” he said.

“They demanded the immediate release of the students and said they were not interested in how government would achieve that.”

TheCable learnt that the protest did not gather momentum because attention had shifted to the school where Gaidam, under tight security, was awaiting the arrival of the delegation of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information, and Khadija Bukar Abba, minister of state for foreign affairs – later arrived.

They met with the governor and had a brief discussion with the media.

Appealing to family members of the captive to exercise patience with government, Mohammed said the freedom of the girls would remain a priority.

He said the actual number of the missing schoolgirls would be known when parents come forward with complaint of their wards.

“On the issue of the number of missing girls, we cannot give what we are not sure of, until we hear from their parents, we cannot say this is the number,” he said

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IG inaugurates police broadcasting services board

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The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has inaugurated a 16-man board of the Nigeria Police Broadcasting Services.

The board members are expected to tackle the growing security challenges in the country via the police radio and television outfits.

“It will enable the police to tell it’s story and set the record straight by telling positive stories and correcting distorted information about the police.Speaking during the inauguration on the essence of the radio and television outfit on Friday, the IG said: “We will tackle security challenges such as terrorism, oil bunkering, ethnic tension, herders/farmers clashes through the use of our radio and television network.

“It will be used to build community relations and enhance positive relations with members of the public and also advance the community policing course of the Nigeria Police Force.”

The police chief also noted that the outfits were not established for money making but for the advancement of the function of the Nigeria Police Force as stipulated in Section 4 of the Police Act.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Skytick International Limited, Edirin Wesley, said the absence of an information outfit contributed to the low successes recorded by the police in tackling crime.

He said, “It is an established fact that no nation can confront crimes headlong without credible means of factual and valid information dissemination and the absence of this over the years has been one basic defect in the fight against crime by the Nigeria Police Force.

“One of the basic truths about the inadequacies of the Nigeria Police Force is its inability to tell it’s own story and I think with the estbalsihement of its mass media outfit, the tendency to deny them right of showing and telling the road of its performance will be eliminated.”

NPBS is expected to be managed by Skytick limited and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force after 20 years.

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You have my support, Oyegun replies Tinubu

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has acknowledged receipt of the letter written to him by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Odigie-Oyegun’s acknowledgment came after he held a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa Abuja, on Friday.

This came 48 hours after Tinubu wrote the APC National Chairman accusing him of undermining his peace and confidence building efforts.Although details of the party chairman’s meeting with the President were sketchy as of the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the President prevailed on the National Chairman to cooperate with the former Lagos State governor.

In the letter acknowledging receipt of Tinubu’s letter; Odigie-Oyegun merely expressed gratitude to Tinubu for wishing him well.

Odigie-Oyegun asked Tinubu to rest assured of his support towards ensuring the success of the daunting task given to him by the President.

Oyegun’s letter read in part : “I thank you for your letter dated February 21, 2018 for your prayers and good wishes for my health.

“I wish you the same and pray that our good God keeps you strong and grants you His peace. Let me once again formally congratulate you on the peace making assignment Mr. President has entrusted you with.

“It is most challenging but I believe you will ultimately justify the confidence reposed in you by Mr. President. In this you have my fullest support. Be assured, dear Asiwaju, of my highest regards now and always”.

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Montenegro suicide bomber sought forgiveness in farewell note

A suicide bomber who blew himself up after throwing a grenade into the US embassy compound in the Montenegro capital Podgorica left a farewell note seeking forgiveness from his family, local media reported Friday.

Montenegrin authorities continued to investigate the motive for Thursday’s attack, in which no one else was injured. There have been no indication so far it was linked to terrorism.

Serbia-born Dalibor Jaukovic left a six-page handwritten note asking his family “to forgive him for what he is going to do,” the Pobjeda newspaper reported, citing sources close to the investigation.

Local papers also published several posts Jaukovic put on his Facebook page reflecting his anti-NATO views in a country which joined the military alliance last year.A veteran of Kosovo’s 1998-1999 war, Jaukovic left the note at the house where he lived with his mother and brother, the paper said. He was in his forties.

“Montenegro it’s a shame that fascists are closer to us than Russians” and “No to NATO,” read some of his posts.

Prosecutors said Thursday that so far no evidence was found to link the blast with terrorism.

The small Adriatic state of some 660,000 people joined NATO last May, a decision that provoked violent protests by the pro-Russian opposition in 2015.

AFP

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Buhari orders 24-hour monitor for DAPCHI schoolgirls

President Muhammadu Buhari said his government has sent more troops and surveillance aircraft to the entire North East territory on a 24-hour basis, to recover the schoolgirls abducted from the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State. Buhari President Buhari said this today as he also gave assurance to the families of the students abducted on Monday by Boko Haram insurgents, almost four years after a similar abduction of 275 schoolgirls from Chibok Girls Secondary School, in Borno State. The Nigerian leader said no effort will be spared to bring succour to the Dapchi girls and the parents. “Our government is sending more troops and surveillance aircraft to keep an eye on all movements in the entire territory on a 24-hour basis, in the hope that all the missing girls will be found,” President Buhari said. “When I received the devastating news of the attack on the school and the fact that the local authorities could not account for all the students, I immediately dispatched a high-level delegation on a fact-finding visit to the town. I also instructed the security agencies to deploy in full and not spare any effort to ensure that all the girls are returned safely, and the attackers arrested and made to face justice. “The entire country stands as one with the girls’ families, the government and the people of Yobe State. This is a national disaster. We are sorry that this could have happened and share your pain. We pray that our gallant armed forces will locate and safely return your missing family members”. NAN

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Police find $62m worth of cocaine in Russian embassy

Police have seized nearly 400 kilos of cocaine from the Russian embassy in Buenos Aires and arrested several members of a drug trafficking gang, Argentina’s security minister announced Thursday.

Patricia Bullrich told a press conference that the drugs discovered in an annex of the embassy had a street value of around 50 million euros (about $62 million).

“A gang of narco-criminals was trying to use the diplomatic courier service of the Russian embassy” to ship the drugs to Europe, she said.

“The cocaine was replaced by flour and monitoring devices were placed to monitor delivery” of the 16 bags of the drug, Bullrich said. She said the sting had resulted in the arrest of five suspects — two in Argentina and three in Russia.She told reporters that Russian and Argentine police had decided to mount a sting operation after the Russian ambassador informed them of the drugs find in December 2016.

The drug, of “very high purity,” was destined for Russia and probably also Germany, where the suspected mastermind lives. “We believe the German police will arrest this fugitive,” Bullrich said.

The minister said Russian security service agents “came to Argentina on three occasions to assist in the investigation”, which took more than a year.

One of the two people arrested in Argentina is a naturalized Russian who was a member of the police force in Buenos Aires, said Bullrich.

Investigators believe the cocaine likely originated in Colombia or Peru.

AFP

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Former Chief of Army Staff Returns To EFCC For More Interrogation

Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuika Ihejirika (retd) was at the Abuja office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for more questioning on the roles he played in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday.

The spokesperson for EFCC, Wilson Uwajuren, confirmed to this website that Mr. Ihejirika returned to answer more questions on the roles he played in the arms procurement scandal.

The retired General was released on administrative bail after answering questions from EFCC operatives   on Wednesday for over nine hours.

Azubuike Ihejirika

It was also learnt that Mr. Ihejirika will also be quizzed on the contract scandal in the Lagos office of the anti-graft commission.

It is however unclear when the Lagos panel will invite him.

EFCC is interrogating the former army chief based on his indictment by a committee led by AVM Jon Ode (Rtd) set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe contracts awarded by the Federal Government for procurement of hardware for the Nigerian military from 2007 to 2015.   

The Committee had in its report recommended further investigation of the former Chief of Army Staff, over findings which indicated his involvement in corrupt dealings in the arms procurement contracts.

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Imo Zenith Bank robbery: Police nab fleeing suspect one year after

One year after an armed robbery gang invaded a branch of Zenith Bank in Owerri, Imo State, killed two policemen and wounded another, the Police have arrested the last member of the gang.

His name is given as Chinonso Gift Onwuegbuchulam, aka, Ogolo, from Obazu Mbieri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

Parading the suspect on Friday in Owerri, the Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, said, “I am delighted to announce to you that the remaining member of the gang, one Chinonso Gift Onwuegbuchulam, aka, Ogolo, male, 29 of age, hails from Obazu Mbieri in the Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State, was arrested on February 21, 2018.

“The suspect, who claimed to hold a Bachelor of Science honours degree in Government and Public Administration from Imo State University in 2008, was arrested in his hideout at Close 7, Mgbuakara Eleparawan, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.”

According to the CP, the suspect had confessed to the crime and further revealed that out of the N2.8m his gang stole from their target, he got a share of N400,000.

“The suspect also confessed to being an armed robber since 2012 and has participated in several robbery operations in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Owerri between 2012 and 2017.“He is helping in our investigation as we speak,” Ezike stressed.

According to the police boss, the arrest of Onwuegbuchulam has signaled the closure of this criminal gang and their nefarious activities.

“The hoodlums shot into the air repeatedly and exchanged gunfire with the three policemen from our command posted to the bank.”Ezike recalled, “I addressed the Press on June 13, 2017, on this subject matter where I stated that on February 22, 2017, an armed robbery gang trailed a bank customer to the Wetheral Road branch of Zenith Bank, Owerri and unleashed attack within the bank premises.

The CP recalled that one of the armed robbers, Ikechukwu Okpara, was shot dead by Chukwudi Iboko.

He said through investigations, three members of the gang — Justice Ogbenna, 36; Abiye Charles and Okechukwu Nwanegbo were arrested by the police.

Ezike, who recalled that two AK47 rifles with 100 rounds of live ammunition and another rifle with 175 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the gang, said four vehicles were also recovered by the police.

“The arrest of the remaining member of the gang, Chinonso Gift Onwuegbuchulam, from Obazu Mbieri in the Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State signals the closure of this criminal gang and their nefarious activities,” Ezike said.

When interviewed, the suspect confessed that he was part of the deadly operation and that he received N400,000 from the bank robbery incident.

“I was part of the operation and I got N400,000 from the N2.8m we stole.

“I am aware that my gang members were dead and that was why I ran to Lagos so as to remain elusive to the police,” the suspect said.

Responding to a question, Onwuegbuchulam said, “I regret my actions. If given another opportunity, I will repent.”

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[BREAKING] I’m sorry that Dapchi school attack happened, Buhari says

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said he was sorry that the attack which led to the abduction of students from the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State happened.

He described the incident as a national disaster.

He said he shared the pains of the parents whose children and wards were abducted and would spare no effort in ensuring that the students were rescued.Buhari started these in a statement made available to journalists by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

The President said the Federal Government would be sending more troops and surveillance aircraft for a 24-hour surveillance of the area.

He said, “When I received the devastating news of the attack on the school and the fact that the local authorities could not account for all the students, I immediately dispatched a high-level delegation on a fact-finding visit to the town.

“I also instructed the security agencies to deploy in full and not spare any effort to ensure that all the girls are returned safely, and the attackers arrested and made to face justice.

“The entire country stands as one with the girls’ families, the government and the people of Yobe State.

“This is a national disaster. We are sorry that this could have happened and share your pain. We pray that our gallant armed forces will locate and safely return your missing family members.

“Our government is sending more troops and surveillance aircraft to keep an eye on all movements in the entire territory on a 24-hour basis, in the hope that all the missing girls will be found.”

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Court affirms Henry Okah’s conviction

South Africa’s top court on Friday reinstated a 24 year prison sentence for Henry Okah convicted of a series of terror attacks in Nigeria eight years ago.

Okah was jailed in 2013 for masterminding a number of attacks, including twin bombings which killed 12 people in the Nigerian capital Abuja during independence day celebrations in 2010.

Okah’s appeal was first heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2014, which overturned four of his 13 terror convictions and reduced his sentence to 20 years, but the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg overruled the decision.

“The convictions overturned in the Supreme Court of Appeal must be reinstated together with the sentences the High Court imposed.”“The appeal against his entire conviction… is dismissed,” the Constitutional Court said in its ruling.

Okah had repeatedly denied any involvement in the blasts.

Lawyers for Okah, who has been a permanent resident of South Africa since 2007, had argued it was outside the country’s legal jurisdiction to put him on trial.

“He was not extradited to Nigeria because, had he stood trial there, he would have faced the death penalty,” said the Constitutional Court in its judgement.

Okah, who was also convicted over two other explosions in 2010 in the southern Nigerian city of Warri, a hub of the oil-rich delta region, was the presumed leader of the Nigerian militant group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.

MEND said it was fighting for a fair share of oil revenue for residents of the Niger Delta.

The group has seen spin-offs by radicals who want independence for the region.

A high court Abuja is expected to hand down a ruling on March 7 in the trial of Okah’s brother Charles for his alleged involvement in the 2010 independence day bombings.

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Tinubu’s letter: Buhari meets Oyegu

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with the embattled National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

It was believed that the meeting which was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja was to afford the party chairman the opportunity of responding to the allegations contained in the letter.

Odigie-Oyegun arrived the Presidential Villa at about 3pm and left at about 3.50pm.

Apparently aware that State House correspondents would seek his reaction to the letter, the party chairman avoided them.

As soon as he sighted the journalists who were waiting for him at their operational base inside the Council Chambers Briefing Room, Odigie-Oyegun increased his pace as he was finding his way out of the premises.

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Kaduna APC crisis: El-Rufai sues Shehu Sani for N2bn

The crisis rocking the Kaduna All Progressives Congress took a new dimension on Friday Governor Nasir el-Rufai sued the senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial zone, Shehu Sani, before the state high court The governor is seeking N500m damages from the senator for each of the four alleged offences, one of which is defamation of character. The total damages being sought amounts to N2bn. El-Rufai was at the state high court to file the suit on Friday. The governor said he sought compensation for the injury allegedly suffered as a result of “the malicious statements” made by Senator Sani through the mass media to humiliate him and defame his integrity by calling him a drunk, loose cannon and an embarrassment to President Muhammadu Buhari. The governor is seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration that the derogatory remarks made against him by Senator Sani was totally false and injurious to his person in the eyes of the public. Counsel to the governor, AbdulHakeem Mustapha, SAN, while speaking with journalists, said each of the four actions attracts the sum of N500m each. Mustapha also dismissed insinuations that el-Rufai, by virtue of his position, did not have the constitutional right to sue anyone.

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2019: Buhari To Address Nigerians On Second Term- Okorocha

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) Governors’ Forum, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, says President Muhammadu Buhari would soon address the nation on whether he will seek re-election in 2019.he Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) Governors’ Forum, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, says President Muhammadu Buhari would soon address the nation on whether he will seek re-election in 2019. Okorocha stated this when he briefed State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting between the president and the APC governors held on Thursday night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said the president would also address the caucus of the APC on the matter. “We discussed so many issues that affect the nation, our party and Mr President’s ambition to run for 2019 elections." “Anyhow, Mr. President in his usual manner has requested that we give him time and that he will address the nation and the caucus of the party very soon." “So we should be full of expectations that Mr President will make officially known to Nigerians his intentions." “But we hope that his response will be in line with what the governors are thinking,’’ he said. According to the governor, it is the desire of the governors that the President seek re-election in view of his tremendous performances in the last two and half years. “We believe that if he continues, Nigeria will be better," he said. President Muhammadu Buhari

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NSCDC denies shooting Bayelsa vigilance team member

The authorities of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Bayelsa State Command, on Friday denied shooting Perekurofa Odoyibo, a member of Ikarama Vigilance Group in Yenagoa Local Government of the state. Odoyibo was reportedly shot in the arm and leg at the community on Tuesday by suspected operatives of the NSCDC. The operatives were said to have resorted to shooting indiscriminately after an argument allegedly ensued between the NSCDC and community folks over the arrest of a female suspect in the absence of her spouse. Wife of the shot victim, Rebecca, had regretted that her husband was shot and left in a pool of blood, claiming that Odoyibo had been in serious pains since the alleged shooting. But reacting to the alleged shooting at a press conference at the state headquarters of the command in Yenagoa, the Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Godwin Nwachukwu, said there was no iota of truth in the allegation. He said the operatives did not fire any gunshot on the said day let alone shooting and injuring the Ikarama native. Nwachukwu said Ikarama is notorious for oil theft, pipeline vandalism and the syndicate had always adopted various “devilish strategies” to frustrate the efforts of the NSCDC to stop their practices. He said that despite all the antics of those alleged evil merchants, the corps had continuously remained resolute to ensuring an end to economic crimes in the area. The commandant said, “Our anti-vandal team based in Ikarama community responded to a case of sabotage of oil pipelines in the community. The team was only doing its legitimate duty in line with the mandate of the NSCDC. “Our investigation into the incident that happened on the said date revealed that our men did not release a single gunshot. Despite all the harassment, insults and other uncivil means unleashed on our men to stop them from arresting a key suspect involved in the recent vandalism in the community, our operatives were professional and fired no shots. “Though the key suspect escaped, they were able to arrest a woman who works with him and knew his whereabouts. The woman was quizzed and later released. She made valuable confessional statements which we are using to continue with our investigation.”

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