How PDP, APC reacted to the Election Petition Tribunal's annulment of Gov Wike's election.

The Rivers State Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Saturday afternoon annulled the election of Nyesom Wike as governor of Rivers State.

Citing card reader accreditation as the basis for its decision, the tribunal headed by Justice Suleiman Ambrosa ordered fresh elections within 90 days.

See how Nyesom Wike's PDP and Dakuku Peterside's APC reacted to the tribunal's judgment.

A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE AND RAPE ON DEMOCRACY :

This is how the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah described the judgement which he alleged is a gang up, conspiracy and falsehood by the APC and the Federal Government against the people of Rivers State.

According to Obuah, "There is no other reason why the tribunal hurriedly delivered the contraption it called judgment in less than 24 hours after adopting the written addresses on a matter that lasted over four months than to pre-empt the judgment of the Supreme Court against the tribunal by the PDP which comes up next week

“The good thing is that by the hurried judgment, the tribunal chairman has exposed his partiality and shot himself in the leg by defying all legal procedures and going ahead to deliver judgment on the APC petition when there is an impending matter hinging on the appeal at the Supreme Court just as he refused to vacate his seat as chairman of the election petitions tribunal for the State Governorship Election Petitions despite PDP’s resentment on questions of integrity and impartiality. Notwithstanding all this, in the end we shall have the last laugh.

“Men have today Saturday, October 24, 2015 after being compromised served their immoral judgment, God would soon give justice in the governorship election in Rivers State."

A DEADLY BLOW TO IMPUNITY AND HOOLIGANISM - APC

To the petitioners, APC,  Justice Suleiman Ambrosa's ruling is a deadly blow to impunity and hooliganism.

See the statement issued by APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on the judgement.

”What has come across from this judgement is that there is no shortcut to free, fair and credible elections. This is part of the wind of change that is blowing across the land and touching all arms of government under the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

”Elections are about the expression of the will of the people, and they must always be free to express themselves, irrespective of what some desperate politicians may feel."

He also described the judgement as an indication that  the era of impunity and hooliganism is over, and that the only way for elections to have legitimacy is for them to be free, fair and credible.

Read More

Emergence of teenage suicide bombers a major challenge - Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that Nigerian Armed Forces are defeating Boko Haram and other security challenges in the country, even though the emergence of teenage suicide bombers remains a challenge.

He said this during an interactive session with members of staff of the Nigerian High Commission in London.

His words
"The major challenge is the emergence of teenage suicide bombers among the insurgent group.

"Sometimes, we are shocked that very young girls are used as suicide bombers. But at home everyone has come to terms with the fact that we have to live together as Christians and Muslims.

"We must not allow division in us as Nigerians; we must come together to fight this menace called Boko Haram. No religion will accept these atrocities of Boko Haram.

Osinbajo informed his audience that President Buhari’s mandate to the military to end insurgency by December is being achieved, even as efforts are on to de-radicalise insurgents and educate their victims. 

Read More

Boko Haram In Fresh Plot To Poison Water Sources - Army

The Nigerian Army has alerted the public of a fresh plot by Boko Haram terrorists to poison water sources in the Northeast of the country.

The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 33 Artillery Brigade Bauchi, Major Joseph Adekunle Afolasade made the disclosure in a press statement on Friday.

The statement reads;
“The command wishes to inform the general public that Boko Haram terrorists plan to buy a large quantity of rat poison and other poisonous items from markets in Nigeria to enable them poison water sources, particularly in the north-eastern states.

“The Nigerian Army Theater Command, therefore calls on the general public, particularly the market men and women vending such items to be vigilant."

The military called on the public to report anybody buying rat poison in large quantities to the authorities.

Read More

Top Bankers In EFCC Net Over N2.8b Pension Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested two top managers of a commercial bank in Abuja for their roles in laundering N2.8b pension fund linked to the former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Maina has been at large since the EFCC charged him, alongside former Head of Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye with stealing billions of naira of pension funds through a phony biometric exercise.

The two bankers, Danjuma Zubairu, group head, private banking and Abubarkar Gwambe, an account officer, in the Abuja Central Business District business unit of the bank, were arrested by the EFCC on Thursday on suspicions of running proxy accounts for Maina.

A document on the preliminary investigation by the EFCC said that ;

"The accounts, which have over time witnessed massive inflow of slush funds include two corporate and three individual accounts.

"The first individual account opened in the name of Abdullahi Faizer, had a turnover of N1.5billion while the other operated in the name of Nafisatu Aliyu recorded a turnover of over N100 million.

"The corporate accounts of Cluster Logistics had a turnover of N500million and $400,000 USD. Drew Investment and Construction and Kongolo Dynamics Cleaning Limited recorded turnovers of N54 million and N509 million respectively.

"All five accounts have different opening packages. Four of the accounts were allegedly opened by one Khalid Aliyu, a relation of Maina, who was an employee of the bank. The said Khalil is currently at large. But investigation established that Abdulrasheed Maina is the one operating the accounts."

Reliable EFCC sources revealed that detailed analyses of telephone conversations, text messages and email communications established the connection between Maina, the bankers and the accounts.

It was also disclosed that the money was mostly moved through bureau de change operators to Maina in his hideout which is suspected to be the United Arab Emirates.

Read More

I am comfortable with women - Buhari

The Presidency has dismissed comments credited to a certain Gideon Samani that President Muhammadu Buhari nominated just a few women for ministerial positions because he is shy around women.

Samani had on Thursday, paraded himself at a public event as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters.

Debunking Samani's claim that Buhari is uncomfortable around women, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina also described him as an impostor as the office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters does not exist.

In a statement he issued on Friday, Adeshina said that Buhari who has a wife and many daughters cannot be uncomfortable with women but in fact has the highest consideration for Nigerian women in the affairs of the nation.

According to the statement,
“The claim  that President Muhammadu Buhari is shy around women, purportedly made by one Gideon Samani yesterday and published by a national newspaper today is totally fallacious.

“The subsequent attribution of the supposedly “low number” of female ministerial nominees to President Buhari’s alleged shyness around women is  therefore baseless and a figment of the imagination of the said Mr.Samani, who was falsely described as the “Senior Special Assistant (Political Matters) to the President.

“The assertion by the alleged Presidential aide that President Buhari is “very shy dealing with the opposite sex” because “he has been interacting mostly with men,” was received by the President with  shock and consternation.

“For one thing, there is no Senior Special Assistant, Political Matters, in the office of the President for now and Mr. Samani who was said to have spoken as the Representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation at a public function yesterday, is not an aide of the President.

“Mr Samani is certainly not an official spokesman of the President. Therefore, he could not have spoken on behalf of President Buhari, who is the President of all Nigerians, men and women alike.

’’President Buhari has a wife,  many daughters and female relatives whom he loves dearly. He also had a mother that he adored. How then could he be shy in the company of women, to the point of allegedly not appointing them into public offices, on account of not being comfortable in their company?

“Nigerian women can be assured that the President holds them in the highest esteem and will always give  them due consideration in the discharge of his official responsibilities.

“The statements attributed to Mr Samani are untrue and unauthorized. They should therefore be disregarded.”

Read More

Confessions Of A Boko Haram Terrorist

Recently, security operatives arrested five persons suspected to be involved in the October 2 bombings of Kuje and Nyanya suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory.

The suspects identified one Haulaki, already in military custody as one of their leaders in Abuja.

Here are the confessions of Haulaki as revealed in his recent chat with Vanguard.

“I am married and my wife is currently pregnant. I had just primary education which I did not finish. I am an Igbira man and my people are mainly Muslims. I came to Abuja seven years ago to learn auto mechanic at Games Village and I graduated four years after, before establishing my own workshop at Galadimawa Roundabout.

“In 2013, I joined the Boko Haram. There is a mosque along the road before Total Filling Station, in Aiyoke area of Okene, Kogi State. Though I rented an apartment very close to the mosque and one of the sons of the landlord of that house, who is my friend, Abubakar, who was killed during operation visited that mosque and he introduced me to the Imam and the owner of the mosque, Mustapha who is currently in the custody of security agents.

“Mustapha was the one who indoctrinated me into the Boko Haram sect. He urged me through his teachings which were mainly on Fridays after the Jumat prayers, Saturdays and Sundays to be faithful to God and do his wishes and I should also oppose those going against the teachings of Prophet Muhammed.

“Mustapha usually urged us to support the cause of Jihad in the North Eastern part of the country in any way we can and when we cannot donate ourselves or money to the cause, we should at least pray for those waging the war. In some of his teachings, he told us that western education was a sin and working for the government was also a sin. He then asked those who have gone through secondary and university education to destroy their certificate.

“A lot of people, who were graduates from the secondary and university in that mosque, destroyed their certificates. That singular gesture endeared me to the sect. Aside Abubakar, I met some other young men, like , Usman , Abduljalal, Abu Hamza, Bilal and Haroun.

“These men were highly devoted to the course and they told me that they usually rob unbelievers and use the money to support the course. Abu Hamza is our leader and also one of the bomb manufacturers . He was the one who led us to rob two banks in Owo, Ondo State and Okene in Kogi State, and it is through that means that he raised money for bomb materials and others.

“He was the one who also thought Usman how to make the bombs. I am a very good driver and my duty is to drive vehicles to various destinations. I usually don’t ask if there is bomb in those vehicles or not. All I do is to follow instructions.

“A few months ago, some security agents came from Kaduna and arrested Abu Hamza and took him away. Few days to the Sallah, Usman was also arrested in Abuja and I got instructions from very senior members of our sect to move all the ready made bombs and the materials out of Usman’s house in Suleja and I moved them to my brother’s house who is also a member of our sect at Iddo area of Abuja.

“I also gave, two AK -47 rifles and some bombs to a senior member, Abu Husssien who took them to Okene, Kogi State. Few days before the last sallah some vigilante men arrested and handed me over to the military intelligence who detained and later handed me over to the police special team. I regret joining the Boko Haram Sect,” he lamented.

Source: Vanguard

Read More

Task Force Arrests 30 In Raid On Abuja Blackspot

A joint task force comprising DSS, military, Civil Defense and police personnel arrested about 30 suspects during a raid at a blackspot in Nyanya, an Abuja suburb.

The police said that the raid was a preventive measure to nip crime in the bud.

Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole who confirmed the raid said that the operation followed a tip-off that some crime suspects were hiding there.

“Yes, a Joint Task Force, comprising the police, DSS, the military and the civil defence corps carried out an operation in Nyanya and arrested some suspects. The task force was set up by the IG and it was being led by the police.

“The suspects that were arrested are currently being processed; the operation was meant to prevent crime and frustrate criminals before they commit crimes and it will continue throughout the FCT,” she said.

Read More