North kicks as Afenifere backs President on amnesty

The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision not to grant amnesty to the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. A chieftain of the group, Ayo Adebanjo, toldSaturday PUNCH in a telephone interview on Friday that the President’s stance was a step in the right direction.

DPR officials remain in Lagos after N100m relocation allowances

There is a raging controversy over millions of naira paid to top officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources to relocate the operational headquarters of the department from Lagos to Abuja. Officials at the DPR are saying that some months after the payment of transfer and inconvenience allowances to the top management at the directorate level, there is no serious pursuit of the purpose for which the money was released.

2013 Range Rover Review

So what you really  want to know is how it feels to drive a Range Rover with nobody in it. Compared with the outgoing Range Rover, that’s how this new one should feel: empty, unladen. By building what it describes as the world’s first SUV with an all-aluminum unibody, Land Rover has cut a claimed 700 pounds from its flagship; that’s the mass of five average-size Europeans or 4.1 Americans.

North Korea rejects UN sanctions, declares pursuit of nuclear weapons

North Korea formally rejected a UN Security Council resolution on Saturday that demands an end to its nuclear arms program, as China called for calm, saying sanctions were not the 'fundamental' way to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang said it would pursue its goal of becoming a full-fledged nuclear weapons state, despite the sanctions which were unanimously imposed on Friday by the Security Council.

Kenyatta wins Kenya presidential election by narrow margin

NAIROBI — Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who faces charges of committing crimes against humanity, won Kenya’s presidential election by the narrowest of margins, winning 50.03 percent of the vote and avoiding a runoff, according to preliminary results posted early Saturday.The tight finish is almost certain to spark controversy and will probably result in a legal challenge from Kenyatta’s main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, whose party has already publicly charged that votes were doctored. Kenyatta reached the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff by only 4,099 votes out of more than 12.3 million cast. Odinga secured 43.28 percent of the vote in an election contested by eight candidates.

Oscar 'to fight bail conditions'

Murder-accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius is to challenge his bail conditions as unwarranted and unfair, according to a report on Friday night. His lawyers would seek to have several of his bail conditions scrapped or altered, eNCA reported.

Diezani Meets Security Chiefs Over Oil Theft

Worried by the rising spate of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalisation, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, yesterday met with security chiefs to re-strategise on ways to address the menace.

The minister who briefly addressed journalists after a closed door meeting, which lasted about two hours with the security chiefs in her office in Abuja, promised that aggressive actions would be adopted to tackle the increasing spate of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria.

FG Removes Maina As Pension Task Team Boss

The embattled chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, has been removed from his position at the pension office. Maina was Director at the Customs, Immigrations, and Prisons Pension Office. The Federal Government has appointed Olabisi Jaji as Mr. Maina’s successor.

Council Poll: Crisis Hits FCT PDP

A few days to the area council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is engulfed in serious crisis. Investigation by LEADERSHIP Weekend revealed that as a result of the crisis, many card-carrying members of the party are secretly campaigning for the opposition parties.

Fire Destroys 80 Houses In Adamawa

A midday inferno has razed down 80 houses in the sleepy Ndiyam Jambote village in Mayo Belwa local government area of Adamawa State. The fire started from one of the houses and spread to other buildings, which were mostly thatched houses.

NHRC To Probe Demolition Of Lagos Slum

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Bem Angwe, has ordered an investigation into the demolition of Ijora-Badia, a slum settlement in Lagos State, which has rendered 10,000 people homeless. The NHRC boss who fielded questions from journalists after a visit to the demolition site said the investigation became necessary to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the exercise, and to take stock of the affected property.

Former Depot Supervisor Docked Over Alleged Theft Of N285.2m

A former employee of Total Nigeria Plc., Emmanuel Abulude, on Friday appeared before a Lagos High Court in Ikeja, charged with stealing petroleum products worth N285.2 million. Abulude, 47, a depot supervisor, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.

Nigeria Will Not Develop Amidst Insecurity - Gov. Yuguda

Gov. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has warned that Nigeria will never witness any significant development amidst insecurity and violence. Yuguda gave the warning while answering questions from newsmen during a one day visit to Yola on Friday.

Tight Security In Yobe After Jonathan’s Visit

A day after President Goodluck Jonathan visited Yobe State, security personnel deployed in Damaturu the state capital, yesterday kept vigil in the metropolis. Some residents told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that the heavy presence of security men in streets and the numerous checkpoints had heightened anxiety among them.

Obasanjo Visits FRSC To Collect Own Driver’s Licence

Former President, Chief OlusegunObasanjo, has declared that nobody is above the law in the collective drive to ensure compliance with traffic rules and regulations in Nigeria. Speaking after processing his driver’s license at the Abuja national headquarters of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Chief Obasanjo said, “If I have to drive, I must have a valid driver’s license like others. That informed my visit. We should note that the driver’s licence serves other purposes beyond driving of a vehicle and also useful outside the country such as certification of somebody’s identity.”

Father Gets Life Sentence For Raping 3-month-old To Death

A father was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment for causing the death of his 15-week-old daughter through oral rape. According to agency reports, Steven Deuman Jr, 26, of Traverse City, Michigan, was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault after jurors – who were subjected to disturbing testimony and photos – took less than an hour to convict him in September.

Pipeline Vandalism: 11 Fishermen To Face Trial April 17

A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 17 for the trial of 11 fishermen charged with vandalism of an oil pipeline belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Justice Musa Kurya fixed the date on Friday, after the Nigerian Prisons Service failed to produce the accused in court.

FG Inaugurates Presidential Committee To Verify Properties Abroad

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Olugbenga Ashiru, on Friday in Abuja inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee on the verification of Federal Government properties abroad. In his address at the inauguration, Ashiru said the committee was set up in line with the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan.