OFFA ROBBERY: AGF MALAMI CLEARS SARAKI, SAYS POLICE LACK EVIDENCE AGAINST SENATE PRESIDENT

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

Nigeria’s Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, has told the police that there was no evidence that linked Senate President Bukola Saraki and Kwara State Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed to the armed robbery attack that left 31 persons dead in Offa, Kwara State, in April. 

Mr Malami advised in a June 22 letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, that the police would need to ramp up their investigation and also painstakingly explore all critical areas before identifying the Senate President as a suspect in the carnage, much less filing charges against him.

Yusuf Abdulwahab, Mr Ahmed’s chief of staff who was amongst state officials arrested for allegedly conspiring with the prime suspects, was also cleared, with the prosecutor saying “no evidence is credible enough to sustain any charge based on any offence known to law against him.”

The attorney-general’s office said only six prime suspects should be charged to court for armed robbery and murder which could draw capital punishment upon conviction. Olalekan Alabi, a personal assistant to Mr Ahmed, was also recommended for trial, but only on lesser charges of illegal possession of arms.

Mr Saraki hinted at the existence of the letter on Monday night as part of a fierce response to Mr Idris' latest summon to him. The Senate President said the invitation, which he was asked to honour by 8:00 a.m. today, was unnecessary because the Director of Public Prosecutions had already informed the police that there were no sufficient bases to keep dragging him into the armed robbery investigation.

“I am aware that following a request made by the Police on June 13, 2018 to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federation had written a legal advice dated June 22, 2018, in which he stated on page 5, paragraph (f) that “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged office and the suspects,” Mr Saraki said in the Monday night statement.

At least five banks were raided and substantial amount of cash carted away when armed robbers stormed the polytechnic town on April 5. The police initially said 17 people were killed in the attack, including nine police officers, but continued to revise the figure upwards, apparently as some of those receiving treatments for critical wounds were passing on.

PRESIDENT BUHARI UNHAPPY OVER APC CHAIRMAN'S COMMENT AS AMAECHI DENIES CALLING OSHIOMHOLE "BAD LUCK"

President Buhari & Adams Oshiomhole

MINISTER of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday denied ever saying that the All Progressives Congress, APC, national Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was a bad luck to the party.

This is as ministers have frowned at the comment made by the APC national Chairman where he had threatened to expel cabinet members who disobeyed his directives from the party.

But the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that any misgivings between the party and cabinet members will be resolved amicably.

Meantime, Comrade Oshiomhole was at the Presidential Villa, to see the President after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chamber.

Presidency sources revealed that President Buhari was not happy with the comment by his party’s national chairman where he said that if the President was condoning indiscipline from his cabinet he was not going to condone it.

“The President was not happy with the comment of the APC Chairman because it portrayed the President as inefficient,” the Presidency source had said.

While berating the Labour Minister for not carrying out his directive that he (Ngige) should inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Oshiomhole said, “If the minister refuses we will suspend him from the party. You know we must return to internal discipline.

“For me it is the height of mischief for any minister, you cannot purport to be honourable minister and you act dishonourably and nobody is greater than the party.

“And if the President condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party. And when we expel the minister we will prevail on the president that he can’t keep in his cabinet people who have neither respect for his own decisions nor have respect for the party.”

Speaking while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC, meeting, the Minister of Transportation who interjected from the question to the Minister of Information on what was the position of the council on the face off between Oshiomhole and Ngige, said that there were many fake stories going around.

Amaechi said, “How do you know it is true, I saw in social media this afternoon where they said I said the Chairman is a bad luck. I never said so . I have never said such a thing. They quoted me that I was attacking the Chairman.”

On his part, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said, “Two weeks ago, we launched a campaign against fake news and it is one of the most dangerous phenomenon we have today.

“We don’t know who said what and until we know and the ministers confirmed this statement credited to them.It is a difficult time really. I can assure you if there is any problem between the party Chairman and any of our ministers, it will be resolved.”

On whether the defection of 15 senators and 37 House of Representatives members from the APC to the opposition political parties was discussed at the FEC meeting, Mohammed said, “no it was not discussed at FEC and secondly Mr President has already given our position which is that this is a democracy, people are free to make choices .”

PDP NOW MAJORITY IN SENATE AS 15 MEMBERS DUMP APC

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is now the majority political party in the Nigerian Senate following the defection of 15 former members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, announced the defections during Tuesday’s Plenary at the floor of the Senate.

Consequently, the APC now has 48 members, while the PDP members are now 58. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has one member – Victor Umeh from Anambra State, while two seats are vacant following the deaths of their occupiers.

Those whose defections were announced on Tuesday include: Dino Melaye, Rabiu Kwankwanso, Isa Misau, Usman Nafada, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Mohammed Shittu, Suleiman Nazif.

Others are: Barnabas Gemade, Shaaba Lafiaji, Rafiu Ibrahim, Ibrahim Danbaba, Lanre Tejuoso, Monsurat Sunmonu, Adesoji Akanbi and Abdulazeez Nyako

Earlier on Tuesday, Saraki’s Abuja residence, as well as that of the Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu, were barricaded by security agencies.

“As I am talking to you, I cannot access the street. They have barricaded the road and I cannot say his whereabouts now,” said Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki’s spokesman at the time.

Similarly, Uche Anichukwu, media aide to Ekweremadu confirmed that his principal was barricaded by security agents. “The house is currently surrounded by security agencies since early in the morning,” he said.

The siege was later lifted and both men were allowed to attend Tuesday’s plenary.

Many of the defectors were once members of the PDP, including  Kwankwanso, Gemade, Nyako, Nafada, and had defected to the APC prior to the 2015 general election. Melaye, who had served as a House of Representatives member on the platform of the PDP, left in 2011 to join the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), which later merged with two other parties to form the APC in 2013.

Tuesday’s defection did not come as a surprise to many given that many of the defectors had broken away to form a faction in the APC, called the Reformed APC (R-APC). The law stipulates that one could decamp from one’s political party only if there is a split in the party.

Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the APC, and President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as other leaders of the party have held several meetings with members of the R-APC in order to dissuade them from leaving the party, but the defections on Tuesday show that their pleadings fell on deaf ears.

HOW APC SENATORS WERE WELCOMED TO PDP AFTER DEFECTION (SEE PHOTOS)

Yesterday Some APC Senators defected to PDP at the Red Halowed chamber of the National Assembly. Not less than thirty-two (32) APC senators had defected to the opposition PDP on Tuesday, with another four to the ADC..

And here are few photos of how they were welcomed amidst jubilation and hands clapping, below...

The question now remains, whether all these rounds and circles of defection draws any benefit to the common man on the street.? Who benefits from the defections? The, nation, the people or the politicians? 

JOS MARKET FIRE: I’M DEVASTATED BY LOSSES HARDWORKING NIGERIANS SUFFER - BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the victims of the market fire which occurred on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State capital.

President Buhari said he was “devastated by the scale of economic losses suffered by hard working and ordinary Nigerians who believe in self-reliance to support themselves.”

In the condolence message which was signed on Sunday by the President’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari added that every democratic leader will genuinely feel the pains the victims of the fire.

“Trading and agriculture remain the mainstay of these hardworking businessmen and women and every democratic leader would genuinely feel the pains of the victims of this fire disaster.

“With profound sense of empathy, I am touched by the large-scale economic losses suffered by the victims of this fire disaster. The role of these enterprising Nigerians in the economy of our country cannot be underestimated,” the President said.

President Buhari expressed worry at the scale of fire disaster, he added that “I am confident that your enterprising spirit would help you rebuild your lives. May God replenish you with more prosperity.”

He appealed to the local authorities concerned to take every necessary measure to forestall frequent fire incidents, adding that the incidents were taking a heavy toll on people’s means of livelihood and the intervention of all three tiers of government would go a long way to alleviating the hardships.

Shops and warehouses numbering over 200 were on Saturday destroyed by fire at the popular Terminus market in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

Properties worth millions of naira were also lost to the fire which was said to have started in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The cause is yet to be ascertained, even as the traders are left to count their losses.

ANOTHER FEMALE PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT DECLARED IN ABUJA; ATTRIBUTES VESTED INTEREST TO NIGERIA’S PROBLEM

Mrs Eunice Atuejide
Female Presidential aspirant under the platform of the National Interest Party (NIP).

A female Presidential aspirant under the platform of the National Interest Party (NIP), Mrs Eunice Atuejide has declared her intention to contest the presidential race comes 2019 general election.

Mrs Atuejire, who made this declaration in Abuja, said her mission to join the race was to rescue the country from the imminent collapse, especially in the area of insecurity which has pervaded many parts of the country.

She, however, lamented that the major problem behind the nation’s growth was vested interest, saying the nation could surmount the hurdles when
people of integrity are elected into the political offices. She also added that the party would not give leadership to aspirants who have nothing to offer its people.

According to her, the true reason the country is not growing as expected after many manifestos are the problem of vested interest. Politicians all have genuine manifestos that can solve the nation’s problems, and we all need to fight this vested interest in Nigeria by consciously fighting for the interest of every Nigerian or our tribes including those ones that are seemingly bad.

“Treat everyone interest with details to allow everyone feels represented to know there is somebody in there fighting for their interest. I promise that my administration would not focus on any ethnic group or religion because nobody’s interest is superior to another person.

“I believe that the complexity of Nigeria can be broken down to a deliberate attempt to keep us divided by the men and women governing us till date. Men and women would are ruled by greed and by an overwhelming degree of selfishness. People who go into government simply to chop their portions of the national cake.

“People who go into government to pay lip service to the manifestos they give the electorates to get them voted into power. Remove these people from power in Nigeria, and we will see how much we have in common and how easy it is to live in peace and harmony with ourselves despite our perceived
difference.” She added.

LADY TRAVELS FROM ABUJA TO “LAGOS” TO HAVE FUN WITH A GUY: SEE WHAT HAPPENED...

A lady who thought she was coming to Lagos to have fun, has revealed her surprise after she claimed she was deceived by a guy she met online. According to her, she met a guy online and decided to visit him in Lagos not knowing he stays in a one room apartment in Ogun state.
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Below are her words according to relationship expert Ben who shared the update. ;
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This guy lied to me about staying in Ikeja, Lagos but Ben he stays in Ogun state in one small room, he even cooks inside the one room, everywhere is just smelling, even my room in Abuja is bigger and neater than this. Now I told him I want to go back but he refused to give me transport saying he is broke he doesn’t have money.
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Since I came, I have been eating yam for the past 3 days now only yam and the yam has finished. Please I need help and advice please. I’m in Sango Bridge sugar, I’m really tired of staying, I want to go back home please I need advice.
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He said he stays in safe contain in Ikeja. I have never been to Lagos before, it was my first time. I didn’t even know I’m in Ogun state until people started saying I’m in Ogun not Lagos. I thought I’m coming to lag to have fun after all he promised me ooooo. I didn’t know I’m coming to suffer”..