EFCC Quizzes Former Minister Of Interior Abba Moro

Abba Moro is in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody and he is being grilled over the 2014 immigration 

A source from the anti-graft agency on Monday evening said that Mr Moro will soon be arraigned in court of competent jurisdiction as soon as it finalises its investigation, told Channels Television.

In 2014, the immigration service under his watch organised a recruitment exercise nationwide on the same day and due to the massive crowd, officials of the immigration were unable to effectively control the crowd.

This error led to the death of the young graduates and the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, ordered an investigation into the situation, a report which is yet to be made public.

50 Cent calls Meek Mill a 'special kind of stupid'

50 Cent seems to have had enough of Meek Mill and his endless fueds with everyone, as he admitted to DJ Sense that Meek is 'a special kind of stupid'.

President Buhari Arrives Saudi Arabia

President Muhammadu Buhari is in Riyadh, ahead. of the crucial bilateral talks on oil price stability with King Salman Bin AbdulAziz Al Saud and other senior officials of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

State House Correspondent Adamu Sambo reports that the President who arrived the Royal Terminal of Riyadh International Airport at about 8 o’clock in the evening local time was received by a high powered Saudi Government delegation led by the Governor of Riyadh, Prince Faisal Bandar bin AbdulAziz Al-Saud.


Also at the Airport include Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Some members of the Federal Executive Council, Governors and other key personalities in both  Public and Private sectors.


Apart from the high level discussions with the Saudi Monarch on ways to achieve greater stability in the price of crude oil in the global market, President Buhari is also expected to meet with the Saudi business community as part of efforts to revamp Nigeria’s economy.


Areas of focus include Mining, Agriculture, Power supply, Transportation and the development of Infrastructure.
While in Saudi Arabia the President is scheduled to visit the two Holy Mosques to pray for peace, stability, unity and sustainable development of Nigeria.

President Buhari Appoints A Blind Man as Special Assistant

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a visually impaired man, DR. SAMUEL INALEGWU ODE ANKELI as his Senior Special Assistant with responsibility for his dealings with persons living with disability.

Dr. Ankeli headed the  Directorate of Persons With Disability at the Buhari/Osinbajo APC presidential campaign headquarters, the first of any such department in a political party in Nigeria.

He led a team that successfully mobilized a large number of the more that 24 million disabled persons in the country to support the APC candidate and his running mate in the 2015 presidential election campaign.

Dr Ankeli hails from Benue State. He went to school in Giwa, near Zaria and Kaduna before reading veterinary medicine at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He worked with the Benue State government before quitting to give time to his activist role in the promotion of the wellbeing of the blind and people with all kinds of disability. He leads a very active religious and sporting life.

He is married and has children.

Report Cases Of Illegal Charges By Banks - CBN Tell Nigerians

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has asked banks’ customers to report cases of excessive and in some cases illegal charges by Deposit Money Banks.

In a statement on Saturday by the CBN’s spokesman, Ibrahim Mu’azu, the apex bank said it had received series of complaints from customers of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) alleging excessive charges from their respective banks, Channel News reported.

The bank reiterated that the Revised Guide to Bank Charges clearly specified allowable charges for all banking services, warning that it would not in any way condone the fleecing of banking customers under any guise.

“It was in the quest to provide a strong voice to banks’ customers and moderate the arbitrary charges that the CBN in 2012, established its Consumer Protection Department,” the statement read.

The apex bank said it had investigated over 6,000 complaints relating to unauthorised bank charges brought to its notice and that banks had been compelled to refund over 6.2 billion Naira to affected customers in 2015 alone.

It expressed its resolve to continuously enforce the provision of the Revised Guide to Bank Charges and urged members of the public to report cases of infringement to enable it investigate and apply sanctions on any erring Deposit Money Bank (DMB), in the report.

Bank Customers are urged to forward their complaints to the Director, Consumer Protection Department through an email the apex bank provided – cpd@cbn.gov.ng

We are Committed to Global Peace – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin has re-emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to global peace and security.  He reiterated that Nigeria has been maintaining steady deployment of troops to hot spots around the world to maintain and enforce peace. General Olonisakin made this disclosure at Defence Headquarters Abuja when the Deputy Military Adviser, United Nations Peace Keeping Operations, Major General Adrian Foster, paid him a courtesy call.

The CDS pointed out that Nigeria had been actively involved in peace keeping operations around the world before her independence and has kept the tempo, ever since then despite its security challenges. For instance, the CDS revealed that Nigerian troops are presently on UN missions in Guinea Bissau, Mali, Dafur, Liberia and many other countries across the globe. For this commitment and unalloyed loyalty to UN missions and obligations, Nigeria, he said, deserved more support and recognition from the world body. Hence, General Olonisakin solicited for Nigeria, quality and reputable representations in the area of UN positions and appointments.

The CDS thanked the UN for the confidence reposed in the Nigerian contingents to its mission areas which justified their retention, especially in Dafur and promised that Nigeria would continue to be a key player in world’s politics and diplomacy as well as maintenance of peace and security. He used the occasion to call the attention of the world body that the challenge of insurgency in Nigeria is a regional threat that deserves the UN active collaboration and support to end the menace as soon as possible.

Earlier in his remark, the guest, Major General Foster stated that he was in Nigeria to thank the Armed Forces for its contributions towards the world peace through its active participation in the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations around the world. General Foster further stated that he was in the country to access the situation regarding its war against insurgents in order to recommend to the UN to rally support for the country to overcome its multiple security challenges for the overall benefit of the mankind.

EU Chamber Of Commerce Warns China Over Industrial Overcapacity

China Steel Market (Photo: AFP/RFA)

The European Union (EU) Chamber of Commerce has expressed concern over China’s industrial overcapacity, particularly in the steel sector, saying it pose an increasing threat to European economies.

EU Chamber Head, Joerg Wuttke, disclosed this on Monday in Beijing ahead of the release of a study on the China’s capacity. He said study has shown that China has been accumulating machinery and manpower faster than demand has been growing in recent years.

The official said the report showed that the overcapacity in China’s steel sector rose from 132 million tons in 2008 to 327 million tons in 2014.

Wuttke said the excess led to China offloading its steel at dumping prices on the international market.

He stressed that Chinese authorities need to address the problem more urgently and the protectionism of local employment and business needs to be broken down.

The European Commission this month announced provisional anti-dumping duties on cold-rolled flat steel from China and Russia, and an investigation into the imports of seamless pipes, heavy plates and hot-rolled flat steel from China.

The EU earlier imposed a slew of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on Chinese products ranging from solar panels to ceramic tiles and ironing boards.

The bloc applies measures to China on the basis of it not being a market economy.

It was due to review that status by the end of the year, potentially changing the way it calculates whether Chinese imports are fairly priced.

Fani-Kayode Insists Sheriff Is ‘Intrinsically Linked With Boko Haram’

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan campaign team in 2015, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, is insisting that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff appointed the party’s Chairman is ‘intrinsically linked with Boko Haram’ and should not head a serious political party, Channel News reported.

Mr Fani-Kayode made the allegation on ‘Sunday Politics Today’ while giving his opinion about the appointment of Senator Sheriff as the PDP’s leader by the National Executive Committee.

Dismissing Senator Sheriff’s denial of an allegation that he was a major sponsor of Boko Haram, Mr Fani-Kayode said: “In terms of his person, he is intrinsically linked with Boko Haram. At the inception, he was one of those that created the Boko Haram and terrorised our nation” told Channel News.

He insisted that his comments were not mere allegations, saying that “a man that is so badly stained…. has such antecedents cannot be a leader of a serious political party”.

“This is somebody I have known for many years since we were both in the NRC in the early 90s.

“I must tell you that if he wants to convince the world that he has nothing to do with Boko Haram, let him explain his relationship with Mohammed Yusuf, the man who started Boko Haram and who was murder in mysterious circumstance by the police.

“Let him tell us who he was using as his local thug whilst he was two-time Governor of Borno State. Let him tell us that it was not Mohammed Yusuf that was leading the thugs and that he was not funding them.

“Let him tell us who asked Yar’Adua to send the soldiers and kill as many people as possible of the Boko Haram group simply because he was tired of them and he was fed up with giving them money,” the PDP member insisted.

On the appointment of Senator Sheriff, Mr Fani-Kayode said it was a very complicated issue and that there were many aspects to it.

He also insisted that it would do the party a world of good if Mr Ali Modu Sheriff chose the option of stepping down.

“There has been so much rancour and division created by the fact that he has emerged.

“Not just about his personality and his antecedent but also the process by which he emerged.

“It has caused a lot of trouble.

“Had it not been for the efforts of former President Jonathan and the chairman of the Governor’s forum, Governor Mimiko, the rift could have been far wider and many people should have left the party in droves in the last couple of days,” Mr Fani-Kayode explained.

According to him, there is a problem and a number of stakeholders are not happy with the situation. He also stated that it was very clear that top party members were not going to sit by and allow it to go away.

“Concrete measures are being taken, positions have been taken, discussions are on and the Forum of Governors for instance and every single minister that has been a PDP minister from 1999 to 2015 will meet on Tuesday in Abuja to take position on the matter.”

Explaining the circumstance surrounding Senator Sheriff’s appointment, Mr Fani-Kayode said: “A group of people came together and decided that he should be the one that will complete the tenure of the former PDP chairman. It is fair enough but they have to consult the people and stakeholders before they come to this conclusion.

“They took the decision and they went to the PDP Board of Trustees and told them this is a decision that they have taken.

“The way the PDP works is that before any serious decision is taken about anything, the PDP Board of Trustees is consulted and carried along and usually, they agree and they ratify.

“On this occasion, when the name of Sheriff was put to the PDP Board of Trustees, they rejected it outright.

“There is a court order stating clearly that the deputy national chairman, Mr Secondus, is not in power and has been barred from presiding over any national council meeting”.

He was also of the view that the PDP Chairman’s appointment violated the party’s law that stipulated that any individual that must occupy that position must have been a member of the party for over two years.

Supreme Court Gives Reasons For Upholding Taraba Governorship Election

The Supreme Court on Monday gave reasons why it upheld the election of Mr Darius Ishaku as the duly elected governor of Taraba State.

Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour who dismissed the petition of Mrs Aishat Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on February 11, 2016 said she lacked the locus standi to complain about the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that produced Mr Ishaku as its governorship candidate since she did not participate in the said primaries.

The apex court further holds that all the issues raised by Mrs Alhassan in her petition have been settled by the court as no person is allowed by law to call for the cancellation of an election he/she did not participate in.

Lawyer to Governor Darius Ishaku applauded the reasons given by the court‎, while counsel to the APC candidate said the reasons will further expand the frontiers of electoral law in Nigeria.

The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed the appeal filed by Alhassan without giving reasons.

The Apex Court upheld the Appellate Court’s verdict which had earlier dismissed the petition on the grounds that the APC and its governorship candidate cannot question the nomination of Governor Darius Ishaku as the candidate of the PDP.

President Buhari Leaves For Saudi Arabia For Week Long Working Visit (Photo)

President Buhari and Minister of FCT Muhammed

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his two nation tour.

The president was seen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 12 noon those present to see him off include the Minister of FCT Mohammed Musa Bello and other senior government officials.

While in Riyadh, President Buhari is expected to hold bilateral talks on Tuesday with King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud and senior officials of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The discussions will centre on efforts by Nigeria and other member countries of OPEC to achieve greater stability in the price of crude oil exports.

The President, accompanied by the Minister of state for petroleum Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu is also scheduled to meet and invite leading Saudi businessmen to assist his administration’s efforts at revamping the nation’s economy through mining,Agriculture,Power Supply,infrastructural development and Transportation.

Alert!! NNPC Disclaims Purported Recruitment Exercise

NNPC Logo

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has called on members of the public to be wary of fraudsters sending letters to unsuspecting individuals inviting them for “the second process of recruitment” billed to hold on 29th February, 2016, as it is currently not recruiting.

In a statement made available to journalists, the corporation explained that the scam invitation letters which direct recipients to pay the sum of N21,500.00 into a certain account number with Zenith Bank purportedly for “onshore & offshore/training kits/materials” should be discountenanced as they were not sent by the corporation, warning that “anyone who entertains such invitations or deals with peddlers of such invitations does so at his or her own risk”.

It urged anyone contacted for the purpose of the purported recruitment by the corporation to report such persons to relevant law enforcement agencies.

Ajimobi pledges to restructure BCOS, allays fear of witch-hunt

Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State says a major restructuring of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) is imminent for better service delivery.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Yomi Layinka, the Special Adviser to the governor on Communications and Strategy, made available to newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan.

It said that the governor, during an unscheduled visit to the station in Ibadan, told the management that the worn-out analogue broadcast equipment at the station would soon be replaced with state-of-the-art digital facilities.

Ajimobi, according to the statement, called for attitudinal change and paradigm shift among the workers, saying it was the only way his vision for the transformation of the BCOS could be realised.

"The governor assured that no worker would be sacked, but made it clear that each worker would be moved to his or her area of core competence within the public service," the statement said.

Ajimobi, according to the statement, challenged the management and staff of the BCOS to redouble their efforts toward the performance of their primary role of educating, informing, entertaining the public.

It said the governor commended the workers for their support for his administration since 2011, urging them not to rest on their oars, realising the challenges ahead.

"I am here to promote the effectiveness, proficiency and efficiency of workers, irrespective of the political party you have sympathy for.

"I am a manager and I know there is need for attitudinal, structural and policy changes here.

“In style, attitude and paradigm, there is need for change, because if you keep doing the same thing the same way, you will keep getting the same result," the statement quoted him as saying.

According to the statement, the governor said that the era of workers sauntering about is gone and there is no more room for playing politics and gossiping during official hours.

The statement said Ajimobi told the workers that his mission was not to witch-hunt anyone, but to encourage them to be more dedicated and committed to their duties.

With NAN

Secret anti-Trump donor revealed

US presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks following his victory in the South Carolina primary on February 20, 2016 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. (AFP photo)

The main donor of a super-PAC designed to destroy Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s campaign has been exposed after spending $4 million on attack ads against the candidate.

Called “Our Principles PAC,” the organization is mostly funded by Marlene Ricketts, the matriarch of the Ricketts family that owns the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

Ricketts has so far contributed $3 million to the super-PAC which is being run by former Mitt Romney adviser Katie Packer.

Our Principles PAC has spent more than $4 million running attack ads against the GOP front-runner in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, which hosted the first presidential primaries and caucuses.

Packer said in late January that the organization will get its messages before nearly every Republican voter in the states.

Despite the significant spending, however, the real estate mogul has had strong performances, winning by a large lead in South Carolina and New Hampshire and finishing Iowa at the second place.

According to the Federal Election Commission, almost all the money used by the only serious anti-Trump group to date came from Ricketts, whose identity was first reported by The New York Times.

The family had previously given $5 million to a super-PAC supporting the failed presidential bid of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Ricketts are yet to fully endorse another presidential candidate, but clearly they like both Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, as in June last year, Marlene Ricketts donated $10,000 to super-PACs supporting Rubio and Cruz.

Besides a token $250 donation, the only other wealthy donor to the anti-Trump organization in January was Illinois businessman Richard Uihlein, who paid only $7,500.

Interestingly, Uihlein had also given $2.5 million to Walker's super-PAC, but after the Wisconsin governor quit the race he endorsed Cruz, contributing $1 million to a pro-Cruz super-PAC.

See Man caught using FLAMETHROWER to incinerate large hornets' nest in his FRONT GARDEN

This shocking footage shows a man using a flamethrower to incinerate a hornet's nest in a tree in his front garden.

The video , apparently shot by the man's sister, begins with the camera pointed at a large insect's nest in a tree.

The man can be heard saying defiantly: "nobody messes with my family" as he walks in the direction of the tree.

Next: The large hornets' nest in the tree

Blast: Flames Engulf not only the nest but the tree too

Incinerated: The nest is left smouldering

"I'm going to take care of the situation," he said.

"We don't need exterminators."

Posted on Liveleak by a user called, torchfireperformer, the footage shows him firing the flame thrower at the nest, burning off leaves and branches from the tree in the process.

A group of onlookers can be seen watching him attacking the nest - which is burned to a crisp.

The footage appears to have been shot in a quiet suburban neighbourhood.

Trabzonspor player shows referee the red card - and gets sent off himself

Trabzonspor player Salih Dursin was sent off for showing the referee the red card - just seconds after his team-mate was binned.

Furious Dursin let out his anger towards the official with a bizarre show of dissent after Luis Cavanda was given his marching orders, leaving Trabzonspor with just eight men on the field.

And eight soon became seven as the referee Deniz Bitnel took exception to his actions.

Following Cavanda's red card, Trabzonspor's players surrounded the referee, causing him to drop his card on the floor.

Dursin was quickest to the card and flashed it in the face of Bitnel before the official snatched it back and returned the favour.

Earlier in the match, midfielder Ozer Hurmaci and defender Aykut Demir were both dismissed for second bookable offences.

Despite receiving an unprecedented four red cards, Galatasaray required a last minute penalty to secure the victory against their mid-table opposition.

Selcuk Inan'sspot kick secured the dramatic 2-1 victory.

It is not the first time this season that Trabzonspor has been embroiled in referee-related drama.

In October, club president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu locked four officials in their stadium following a draw with Gaziantepspor.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip was forced to intervene at the referees were released after four hours.Earlier in the match, midfielder Ozer Hurmaci and defender Aykut Demir were both dismissed for second bookable offences.

Despite receiving an unprecedented four red cards, Galatasaray required a last minute penalty to secure the victory against their mid-table opposition.

Selcuk Inan'sspot kick secured the dramatic 2-1 victory.

It is not the first time this season that Trabzonspor has been embroiled in referee-related drama.

In October, club president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu locked four officials in their stadium following a draw with Gaziantepspor.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip was forced to intervene at the referees were released after four hours.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congratulates David Mark, on his victory in Saturday re-run election

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ali Modu-Sheriff, has congratulated the former Senate President, David Mark, on his victory in Saturday’s Benue South Senatorial re-run election.

This is contained in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Sunday in Abuja.

Modu-Sheriff said that the development left no one in doubt of the popularity of Mark and that of the PDP not only in Benue,
but also in other states of the federation.

He described Mark as a valuable statesman and national leader intensely needed in the Senate.

He also commended Nigerians for their renewed support for the PDP and its candidates as demonstrated in recent elections across the country.

He noted that ``it is instructive to note that the PDP had won 70 per cent of all the polls conducted since May 29, 2015.

"This is a development that underlines the fact of PDP deep roots and popularity as a brand, irrespective of the transitory setback of the 2015 general elections.''

Modu-Sheriff, therefore, urged members of PDP to respond to the gesture by Nigerians by uniting behind the ideals of the party and visions of its founding fathers.

He said this was important to reposition the party for the challenges ahead.

In this regard, Modu-Sheriff said that the leadership of the party were working very hard to ensure that "we have a strong party poised to regain power in 2019.

“Finally, we reiterate our call to all PDP elected and appointed office holders across the country to reciprocate the renewed support by Nigerians.

"They should redoubling their efforts in patriotically exerting themselves in serving the people in line with the models provided by the ideology of our great party."

With NAN

'I DONT NEED LECTURES', MUSEVENI TELLS EU AFTER POLL CRITICISM

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Picture: Isaac Kasamani/AFP.

President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday dismissed European Union and US criticism of Uganda's presidential election, telling foreign observers not to lecture him.

Museveni, in power since 1986, was declared the winner on Saturday but Kizza Besigye, his main challenger, who was under house arrest on Sunday, called the election a sham. Another candidate, Amama Mbabazi, said it was “fundamentally flawed”.

The EU observer mission said Thursday's vote had been conducted in an “intimidating” atmosphere. Chief observer Eduard Kukan said it had been undermined by a “lack of transparency and independence” at the electoral commission.

But Museveni, 71, dismissed the idea that the commission had favoured him and his National Resistance Movement (NRM).

“They are wrong, they are not serious,” Museveni told reporters in his country home in Kiruhura, southwestern Uganda. “I told those Europeans ... I don't need lectures from anybody.”

Museveni has presided over strong economic growth but is accused at home and abroad of repression of dissent and failing to tackle rampant corruption. Critics also say he wants to rule the nation of 37 million people for life, emulating other African leaders who refuse to give up power.

Museveni last clashed with Western donors in 2014, when Uganda passed a law that imposes harsh penalties on homosexuality.

Several EU countries cut aid, as did the United States, which also imposed visa restrictions and cancelled a regional military exercise. In total, more than $100 million in aid was halted or re-directed - a significant blow for a country that depends on foreign aid for about 20 percent of its budget.

However, Museveni has also won favour with the West by sending troops to Somalia to battle Islamist militants with ties to al Qaeda.

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who led a group of Commonwealth observers, said the poll “fell short of meeting some key democratic benchmarks”.

The United States also criticised the handling of the vote and raised concerns about the house arrest of Besigye, who was in detention for the fourth time in a week and alleged that his electronic communication had been blocked.

US Secretary of State John Kerry called Museveni on Friday to voice concern over the harassment of opposition figures and the shutdown of social media in Uganda, where Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp have faced outages since election day.

“Mr John Kerry rang me and I told him: 'Don't worry, we're experts in managing all those things (elections)',” said Museveni.

Besigye on Sunday urged his backers to demonstrate for his release.

Besigye's supporters clashed with police on Friday when officers stormed the headquarters of his Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Last Monday, police fired bullets and tear gas towards protesters, who responded by hurling rocks and erecting street barricades.