Illegal Possession Of Firearms : Dasuki To Be Arraigned Today

Former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd) will today, Tuesday be arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on one count of illegal possession of firearms.

The Federal Government is prosecuting the former NSA for being in possession of firearms without license. The offence is punishable under section 27(I)(a)(I) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004.

The Department of State Services had on 16 July 2015 searched the former NSA's residences in Abuja and Sokoto where operatives reportedly recovered seven high caliber assault rifles complete with associated magazines and military gears.

The houses are No. 13 John Khadya Street,and 46 Nelson Mandela Street, both in Asokoro, Abuja; and No. 3 Sabon Birni Road, Gwiwa Area, Sokoto, Sokoto State.

Also recovered from the former security chief were twelve brand new cars (five of them bullet proof), the ownership of which he could not explain.

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Minority Leader Akpabio's Car In Crash With US Embassy Van

The convoy of the Senate Minority Leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio was on Monday morning involved in a collision with a Chevrolet Suburban van belonging to the Embassy of the USA.

The accident occurred around 7.20 hours at Bolingo Hotel Junction along Abuja - Airport road when Akpabio's convoy attempted to beat the traffic light.

According to the Head of Media Relations and Strategy, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr Bisi Kazeem, seven adult males were involved in the accident, three of whom were injured and hospitalized.

“A suburban jeep and a Mercedes Benz SUV were involved in the accident; the suburban was towed to the embassy while the Benz SUV was towed to the Central Police Station. Our accident investigation team has already commenced investigation, so it is too early to know the cause of the accident, " he said.

Senator Akpabio who was hurrying to the airport to catch an international flight reportedly sustained injuries and was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja for treatment.

Among the early callers at the hospital were the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel and Deputy Minority whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi.

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Invite Looters For Talks, Okojie Tells Buhari

Former Catholic Archbishop of Lagos and ex-President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Anthony Olubunmi Cardinal Okojie has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to invite treasury looters for dialog.

He said that Buhari's efforts to recover looted funds would be more successful if looters were engaged in private as against castigating them publicly.

The retired cleric who spoke with The Punch correspondent also argued that appealing to the conscience of looters through dialog would save government the huge cost of litigation.

But the question is : do treasury looters have a conscience?

See The Punch for more

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Pipeline Vandalism Stopped Since Buhari Assumed Office - Power Ministry.

The Ministry of Power has said that gas pipeline vandalism has virtually stopped since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on 29 May 2015 because of the administration's constant engagement with the communities involved.

Godknows Igali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power while addressing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa debunked insinuations that power supply increased because the hydro stations at Kainji and Shiroro were receiving more water from rainfall as they only supplied 20% of the total power generation.

He said that pipeline vandalism was rampant during the era of the last administration but since the Buhari government redoubled efforts at engaging host communities of gas pipelines, incidences of vandalism have virtually stopped.

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Buhari Pushes For Polio Free Certification In 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday warned against anything that could stop Nigeria from being certified polio free by the World Health Organization in 2017.

To this end, he has ordered the relevant agencies to raise the tempo of the fight against the polio virus. He gave the order while receiving the polio high level advocacy team at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Linus Awute‎, told State House correspondents after the closed-door meeting that “the President directed us to sustain the tempo that has led us thus far after 17 years and how to do that is clearly developed in the template upon which we are going to work in collaboration with the governors.

“As it is now, there is no polio in our country, but then, we still need to monitor that throughout a period of two years. That is why we need to intensify routine immunization, ensuring that there is no leakage, no gap until 2017 when we shall be certified a polio-free country, having arrested the transmission for upward of one year plus. "

WHO representative in Nigeria, Dr Rui Gama Vaz commended President Buhari's determination to ensure a polio free Nigeria by 2017.

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VP Osinbajo In Abidjan For Inauguration Of AfDB President

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo left Abuja on Monday for Cote D'Ivoire to represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the inauguration of Nigeria's Dr Akinwumi Adeshina as President of the African Development Bank, AfDB.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande said that Osinbajo would deliver a speech at the event on Tuesday.

Adeshina who is Nigeria' s immediate past agriculture minister is the first Nigerian to be elected president of the AfDB.

VP Osinbajo is expected back in Abuja on Tuesday.

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Plaintiffs Withdraw Forgery Suit Against Saraki, Ekweremadu

Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuni have withdrawn their suit challenging the elections of Senators Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.

The five senators had sought the orders of an Abuja high court to remove Saraki and Ekweremadu from office for forging Senate Standing Orders 2015 and using same to maneuver their way into office.

At the resumed sitting of the court on Monday, the plaintiffs who were represented by their lawyer, Chief Mamman Osuman (SAN) said that they were withdrawing the suit because its essence had been overtaken by events.

They argued that despite the suit, the Senate leadership which legitimacy they were challenging had been carrying out legislative functions.

Following the application of the plaintiffs, Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court, Abuja struck out the case.

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