PDP laments persecution of its leaders

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has raised the alarm over what it described as oppressive and unfair treatment of its leaders by the government of the day.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, the party warned of plans to arrest Senators Godswill Akpabio and Ike Ekweremadu on trumped up charges.

”The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) laments the oppressive and unfair treatments against its key leaders by the Federal Government.

”The party alerts the nation that the arrest and detention of its Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is part of the grand script by the APC-led Federal Government to decimate the opposition.

”We are also aware that plans have been perfected by the Federal Government to arrest and detain the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio and other leaders of the party on imaginary charges.

”Indeed, intelligence available to the party shows that the Federal Government, using its various agencies, is bent on destroying any opposition to the ruling party as all indications show that the government is more interested in humiliating the PDP than fighting corruption.

”Finally, we state that this war on the PDP and its leaders has indeed gone too far. It has now become a mockery of democratic practice,” the statement said.

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PDP chief in hot water over car bazaar

Detectives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have been questioning the Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus for allegedly receiving 23 exotic vehicles from a business associate of former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Secondus was quizzed for about eight hours at the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC after his arrest on Wednesday.

His ordeal is said to be ruffling feathers in the PDP, especially among some of the party's leaders who benefited from the curious car gifts.

The vehicles are alleged to have been purchased with funds sourced from unremitted crude oil receipts.

An EFCC source said that the ex-Minister's associate whose name is yet to be disclosed has been in their custody for about three weeks.

“We have detained Secondus to assist the EFCC in its ongoing investigation of how oil receipts were diverted to the purchase of 23 vehicles.

“A business associate of ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, who operates a private upstream oil and gas company, confirmed that the accruals from oil revenue was used to buy the said vehicles.

“Our operatives stumbled on these records in the course of going through the Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

“We have quizzed Secondus for about eight hours and he has made a statement. But we are yet to admit him to bail until the investigation gets to a convenient bend,” said the source.

The source disclosed that the EFCC has evidence that oil revenue was used to fund the political campaigns of the PDP.

“This is not the first time that oil cash has been diverted to campaign activities in 2015. Some indigenous oil companies were directed to finance PDP’s campaign.

“For instance, the N10 billion disbursed to delegates at PDP nomination convention was withdrawn from the CBN/ OAGF Signature Bonus Account.”

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Insurgency: Army Chief, Borno elders meet behind closed doors

Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai met with Borno elders behind closed doors on Wednesday.

The meeting which lasted over three hours took place at the Maiduguri headquarters of the theater command.

Although the subject matter of the meeting was not disclosed,
the Chairman of the Borno Elders Forum, Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari told newsmen that the issues discussed were related to security.

“We are here with my members to deliberate on issues which I cannot disclose to the public for now, all aimed at how best to restore peace to our dear land, and we are hopeful that at the end out it all, we will succeed,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador Galtimari, the secretary of the forum, Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio, former governor of Borno state, Alhaji Ashiekh Jarma, Alhaji Lawan Badawi, Alhaji Gambo Gubio and Alhaji Garba Satomi and several others.

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They plucked his eyes for rituals

Photos: 4-year-old Sadiq Usman whose eyes were gouged out by ritualists in Zaria receives a visitor.. http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/02/photos-4-year-old-sadiq-usman-whose.html

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Yam theft lands three laborers two months in Kuje Prison

Three laborers were on Wednesday sentenced to two months in jail each by a Lugbe grade 1 Area Court judge for stealing 67 yam tubers.

The convicts, Isiaka Hassan, 21; Aminu Amodu, 25; and Sani Isah, 25, all of Kapwa Village, off Airport Road, Abuja, were sentenced for conspiracy and stealing.

However, the presiding judge, Mr Garba Ogbede gave the convicts an option of N6000 fine with a warning to desist from criminal activities.

The judge also ordered that the yam tubers be returned to the owner.

The convicts who could not afford the fine were taken to Kuje Prison to serve their sentence.

The prosecutor, Ndidi Ukaoha, told the court that the three convicts went to into one Sakoma Yeyeyi’s farm, near River Park Estate, Abuja, and harvested 67 tubers of yam without his consent, thereby  contravening Sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code.

The prosecutor said that the suspects were apprehended on February 17 and immediately taken to the police station where they confessed to the crime upon interrogation.

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Nigeria won't join coalition of Islamic States, Buhari tells Saudi king

President Muhammadu Buhari has in faraway Saudi Arabia, turned down an invitation for Nigeria to join the Coalition of Islamic States Against Terrorism.

The invitation was at the instance of the King of Saudi Arabia.

Buhari told King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz that Nigeria would rather support the group than join it.

“Even if we are not a part of it, we support you. I must thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the recent creation of a coalition to address the menace of international terrorism.

“Nigeria will support your efforts in keeping peace and stopping the spread of terror in your region. This is in consonance with our own commitment and on-going efforts in seeking to stamp out Boko Haram terrorists from the West African sub-region and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC),” he said.

Credits: The Herald

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Military deploys minesweeper vehicles in Northeast

The Nigerian Army has announced that its newly acquired hi-tech mine clearing vehicles are now being used in counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast.

Army spokesman Col Sani Usman said in a statement he issued on Wednesday that other supporting weapons and ammunitions have also been deployed alongside the equipment.

He said that the deployment of the mine clearing vehicles (first of its kind in the inventory of the Nigerian Army) has started yielding the desired results.

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