Army Issues Collage Of 100 Wanted Boko Haram Terrorists

The Nigerian Army has issued a poster of 100 wanted Boko Haram terrorists. The poster features the enigmatic leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau rumored to have been killed by the military on three separate occasions.

The posters pasted on walls across the Northeast include photos of elderly men and young boys with no names attached.

According to Army spokesman Col Sani Usman, the pictures have no names on them because they were extracted from videos seized during raids on Boko Haram camps or those posted on the internet by the terror group.

Although no reward is offered for information on the terror suspects, Shekau has  preexisting $250,000 and $7m bounties on his head from Nigeria and the United States respectively.

Since pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State in March, Shekau has not appeared in a video.

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Kano Govt Shuts Down School Over Alleged Sodomy

The government of Kano State has directed the immediate closure of the Hassan Ibrahim Gwarzo Boys College over recent reports of sodomy in the school.

Government spokesman Mr Usman Bello who disclosed this to newsmen also said that a 14-man panel headed by Prof Abubakar Mustapha has been set up to investigate the matter.

The panel has two weeks to submit its report.

Over the past weeks, rumors have been rife that some students of the all male college have been sexually abused by yet to be identified perpetrators.

However, proprietor of the college, Prof Ibrahim Ayagi attributed the rumors to “some mischief makers, who are determined to destroy the good image of the school.”

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MTN Nigeria Gets Two Weeks To Pay $5.2b Fine

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, on Friday gave MTN Nigeria two weeks to pay the $5.2b penalty it imposed on it for failing to disconnect users with unregistered SIM cards.

The NCC is said to have based its decision on the advice of Nigeria's security agencies following suspicions that unregistered SIM cards were being used for criminal activities, especially by Boko Haram insurgents.

According to NCC spokesman, Tony Ojobo, MTN has up till November 16 to pay up, even as both parties are engaged in talks to resolve the matter.

"The outcome of the discussion may affect the date. That's why they are having the discussion so that they can reach a solution," he said.

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Those indicted for corruption will be confronted with the documents that incriminated them - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says that he is not losing any sleep over accusations that he has been selective in his anti-corruption war because those indicted will be confronted with documents that incriminated them.

He said that some powerful Nigerians are constituting stumbling blocks to his government's anti-corruption crusade in order to derail the project. 

His words ;
“I cannot tell you offhand how much we have recovered (in looted funds) but those who said we have been selective, if they have not been involved in corruption, they would not mind; they will even encourage us to get whoever has compromised his position in the trust given to them.

“So, I see it in the papers, I watch it on the screen but I have never lost sleep over it because those who are not corrupt should only encourage us to even do more.

“But those who are interested, those who have abused the trust will go to any length including bribing people to give false information.

“I have not been selective. Whoever is caught, the documents that incriminate him or her will be used to prosecute him (or her) for Nigerians to know really who has abused trust.

“The stumbling blocks are big, corrupt Nigerians that have the capacity to compromise the integrity of a lot of people, either the law enforcement agencies or journalists to make sure that they discourage the government from pursuing them and recovering public funds from them or punishing them. Those who aspire to public office, we will make sure what they are going to get is service and not looting.”

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Not all nominees will be ministers - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated that he plans to have a lean cabinet.

Speaking from New Delhi in an interview with NTA and Channels Television, President Buhari said that because of lack of funds, his government may not appoint more than 21 ministers as opposed to the 42 that operated under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Buhari was in New Delhi to attend the third summit of the India-Africa Forum.

The president said that he only sent 36 ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation to meet the constitutional requirement that each state of the federation must have a representative in his government.

He said that not all the 36 nominees would be ministers as some would only sit in the cabinet to fulfill the constitutional provision of one representative from each state.

“Yes, there used to be 42 ministers, I think we will be lucky if we can have half of that now because we cannot afford it.

“Others may not be substantive ministers but they will sit in the cabinet because that is what the constitution says and we cannot operate outside the Constitution,” he said.

When asked pointedly if he would be appointing less than 42 ministers, he retorted,
“Of course! Unless you can volunteer to be paying them (ministers).”

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29 More Senior Officers Retire From Nigeria Customs

Barely 24 hours after five Deputy Comptrollers General of Customs (DCGs) voluntarily retired from the Service, another 29 senior officers have toed the same line, bringing the total to 34.

The Nigeria Customs Service has described the retirements as part of its current reorganization process but LEADERSHIP reports an inside source as attributing it to irreconcilable differences between the senior officers and
the new Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd).

The five DCGs who kick started the voluntary retirements include John Atte, in charge of Finance Administration and Technical Services , Adewumi Akinade, in charge of tariff and trade; Austin Nwosu, strategic research and policy; Musa Tahir, Enforcement , Investigation and Inspection and Ibrahim Mera,  Human Resources Development.

LEADERSHIP WEEKEND quotes the inside source as saying that Col Hameed Ali has not had a smooth relationship with the top cats at Nigeria Customs Service since his assumption of office as Controller General.

“Being that the new CG is not a career Customs officer, I believe his ideals about the workings of the agency, is at variance with that of the DCGs.

“I'm not surprised they took this step, they must have strongly disagreed with the CG regarding some issues and decided it was time to take a bow,” the unnamed source said.

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The Pastor, the Minister, the Tribunal and the N70m bribe

The Federal Government has dragged the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe before the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja on four-count charges bordering on false declaration of assets and bribery.

Orubebe whose trial commences at the CCT on November 9 was recommended for trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The charge sheet signed by Mr Peter Danladi, a senior lawyer at the CCB reads;

“That you, Godsday Peter Orubebe, while being a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Niger Delta Affairs, on or about June 29th 2011 did make a false declaration in your asset declaration form by failing to declare plot 2722 Kyamu District Abuja on assumption of office on 26th September 2007 and on leaving office (at the end of your tenure), on June 29, 2011and you thereby committed an offence under section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 and as incorporated under paragraph 11(1) & (2) of Part 1, Fifth Schedule to the Constitution  and punishable under section 23(2) of the CCB & T Act.“That you Godsday Peter Orubebe, while being a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, on or about June 29, 2011 did make a false declaration in your asset declaration form by failing to declare plot 2059 Asokoro district, Abuja on assumption of office on September 26, 2007 and on June 29, 2011 and you thereby committed an offence under section 15 of the CCB & T Act, and punishable under section 23 (2) of the CCB & T Act.

“That you Godsday Peter Orubebe while being a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs on or about September 19, 2012 asked for and accepted the sum of fifty million naira from one Pastor (Dr) Jonathan Alota, as bribe for the contract awarded in favour of his company, Chemtronics Nigeria Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 10 of the CCB & T Act, and punishable under Section 23(2) of CCB & T Act.

“That you Godsday Orubebe, while being a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, on or about 2013 asked for and accepted the sum of twenty million naira from one Pastor (Dr.) Jonathan Alota as additional bribe for the contract awarded in favour of his company Chemtronics Nigeria Limited  for the construction of skill acquisition Centre at Edo State for the sum of one billion seven hundred and ninety nine million, nine hundred and fourteen thousand two hundred and fifty naira eighty eight kobo only (₦ 1,799,914,251.88K) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 ofCCB & T Act”.

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