I was not a party to June 12 annulment -Mark

The President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has disclosed that he is an unrepentant democrat and that his premature retirement from the military was because of his support for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.

He also denied any involvement in the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election which was adjudged the best election conducted in the country and won by late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola. Mark noted that “I was certainly not a party to it nor was I aware of it.”

Mark, who was recently re-elected Senate President, made this known in a book, entitled, “The shepherd cometh.” He said that he was retired from the military because of his conviction that democracy must be restored in the country.

In the book which is expected to be presented to the public soon, Senator Mark described the allegation that himself and some other senior officers held former President Ibrahim Babangida hostage and forced him to annul the election as wild, untrue and must be discarded.

According to him, “Although, I was a Brigadier General, I was not part of the administration at that time. I was not a member of the National Defence Security Council, NDSC, or the executive council. I had been assigned as Director of Strategic Studies at the National War College and in fact was lecturing on the role of military in a democratic society.”

The book which was edited by the former Editor of New Nigeria Newspapers, NNN, Mallam Yakubu Aliyu, chronicled the political events between 1992 and 1999, putting Senator David Mark in perspective.

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Fake dispatch: Presidency denies publication, demands apology

The Presidency has denied a publication by one of the nation’s media houses which reported, yesterday, details of a dispatch said to have been written by an official of the Embassy of the United States in Nigeria. The publication accused the Presidency of interfering with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) with the aim of using them for its personal and political interests.

The rebuttal was contained in a release made available to Sunday Tribune from the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity on Saturday.

“The Presidency is shocked, but hardly surprised that the newspaper, in an accustomed act of wanton irresponsibility, published today (yesterday) plainly false details of a fake dispatch purportedly written by an official of the Embassy of the United States in Nigeria.

“We wholly condemn this cheap and totally unimaginative attempt to denigrate the character and integrity of the President on the pages of a newspaper published under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which expressly forbid false publications, libel, defamation and sedition,” the statement stated.

While demanding for immediate apology from the newspaper and a complete retraction of the publication, the Presidency denied any interference with the activities of the anti-graft agencies, stressing that “President Jonathan is fully committed to the relentless prosecution of the war against corruption in Nigeria and will never, for personal or political reasons, interfere with the work of the EFCC, ICPC and other agencies involved in the effort to stamp out corruption.”

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PDP chieftains deride plot to remove Obasanjo as BOT chairman

One time Senatorial aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Adenigba Fadahunsi, at the weekend absolved former President Olusegun Obasanjo of blame in the dwindling fortunes of the party in the South-West, just as he said plans to dent the image of the former President as a leader in Yorubaland would fail.

Also, the Chairman, Osun State Chapter of PDP, said it amounted to scapegotism for anyone to ascribe the loss of South West by PDP to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), as he stressed that the people of the zone know the principal factors that made PDP to lose the zone during the last elections.

Fadahunsi also berated moves by some party leaders in the South-West to instigate the removal of Obasanjo as the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), indicating that committed members of PDP in the South-West zone would stiffly resist the move in the interest of the PDP in the zone.

The former chieftain of Nigerian Customs made this known in a chat with newsmen in Abuja, as he debunked reports that he was part of a meeting which resolved to subvert the authorities of Obasanjo as the BOT chairman and a leader in Yorubaland.

He said he was never part of such a meeting, stressing that his name was only mentioned in media reports by certain individuals out of mischief and deep-seated aversion they had for Obasanjo’s leading role in Yoruba politics.

He contended that those behind the plot to rubbish Obasanjo had nothing to offer the people of South-West other than chaos, as according to him, the zone never requires any form of crisis in its leadership cadre in view of influences that South-West could tap from an experienced politician like Obasanjo.

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Nigerian jailed in UK for fake marriage

A Nigerian, Abraham Akinola, 32, also known as Gafar Makanjuola, and his partner, Roqsilmar Marti, 28, a lesbian from Netherlands, have been jailed by a court in the United Kingdom for conspiracy to enter into fake marriage.

Akinola attempted to go into a contractual marriage with Marti, an European citizen to secure his stay in London, United Kingdom.

Akinola and his supposed wife-to-be, Roqsilmar’s plan of getting married on August 25 last year at St. John’s Church, Tilbury, Essex in the United Kingdom, was thwarted by security operatives tipped off by the church priest, Father Tim Colding, after he suspected a foul play in their wedding plans when the couple made an application on June 6 last year.

Abraham gave two different addresses on the wedding paper.

The priest noticed a problem with the paperwork and tipped off the Essex Police and Borders Agency officials.

On the morning of the wedding, police officers and borders agency official already hiding in the vestry, waited for Marti, who dressed in a dark suit and white blouse to walk up the aisle, to later be joined by her husband and both were arrested moments before they were due to exchange their vows.

Reports had it that Akinola’s case was not the first time Colding had given away suspicious couples planning for their wedding, he had reported more than 60 cases to the police as the priest believed that fraudsters were targeting his church because of its growing ethnic diversity.

The presiding judge, John Lodge, said Akinola wanted to gain from the marriage by staying in the UK, but for Marti, it was for financial gain.

Akinola claimed he had suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of his family during his childhood and had fled Nigeria for a new life in the UK.

If the marriage to an European citizen was successful, he would have gained the right to live, work and claim benefits in Britain.

Marti, who had been involved in a lesbian relationship for the past eight years left her partner and travelled to the UK, but it was her worried partner who found her missing for days that reported her to the police on her wedding day.

Marti was reportedly promised £2,000 for her role in the sham marriage which she was said to be planning to use it to pay for her sick father’s medical bills.

Detective Sergeant Andy Harvey of Essex Police said after the arrests in August: “Sham weddings are big business with the organisers charging £10,000 or more to arrange ceremonies and to pay ‘brides’ and ‘witnesses’.

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22 prisoners get amnesty in Bauchi

IN his efforts to decongest Bauchi prisons and in exercise of the amnesty provision of the Nigerian Constitution, the Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Ibrahim Zango, has freed 22 inmates of the Bauchi prisons.

Justice Zango ordered their freedom when he paid an unscheduled visit to the prison, on Thursday.
Justice Zango, at the visit, observed that some of the inmates had overstayed, while awaiting trials, hence his decision to set them free, considering their age and health condition.

The Chief Judge then urged the freed inmates, which included three people who were between the age of 78 and 90 years, to be of good behaviour while enjoying their normal life.

Also speaking during the visit, the state Comptroller of Prison, Abubakar Garba, commended the Chief Judge and urged him to continue with such visit to various prisons in the state.

This, he said, would help to decongest the prisons in the state.

He called on the government to improve the welfare of the inmate, saying that their current situation was deplorable.

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Contract scam: Why Bankole should not be granted bail – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, pleaded a Federal High Court in Abuja, to dismiss the bail application that was filed before it by the embattled former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, insisting that the applicant, if free, will interfere with other investigations involving him.

The anti-graft agency stated this on a day the accused person, implored the High Court to take cognizance of his antecedents and grant him bail, vowing that he would be available for the continuation of his trial.

Bankole, through his counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, begged the trial judge in the matter, Justice Donatus Okorowo, to consider the well being of his two kids and aged parents, and order his immediate release from the custody of the EFCC, just as he described all the allegations that were leveled against him as baseless.

Arguing a 20 paragraphed affidavit he filed in support of his motion for bail, the former speaker relied on a Court of Appeal decision in James Ibori Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as Supreme Court decision in Bamiyi Vs State, reported in the 8-NWLR, to insist that fears expressed by the EFCC that he would abscond from the country, was not enough reason for the court to deny him bail.

According to his counsel, Awomolo, SAN, “the fear that an accused person will run away is not a reason to deny him bail as jumping bail also has its own criminal consequences. The world is now a small global village where criminals have no hiding place.

“Going by the provisions of section 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Evidence Act, a court can only act on legally admissible evidence whether oral or documentary. EFCC’s allegation that a security aide to the accused person informed it about his plans to abscond to the United Kingdom before he was arrested, offends the provisions of the Evidence Act as the prosecution failed to state the name of that security aide”, he argued.

Consequently, he pleaded the court to expunge paragraphs 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29 and 31 of the counter affidavit that was filed by the EFCC in opposition to the bail application, maintaining that they were speculative .

In his response, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Festus Keyamo, urged the court to refuse the application in its entirety, stressing that the accused failed to place sufficient materials capable of swaying the discretion of the court in his favour.

Keyamo insisted that there was enough prima-facie proof of evidence linking the accused person to the alleged crime, adding that he (Bankole), even made his matter worse by citing the case of James Ibori.

“It is ridiculous that the accused person has placed reliance on the case involving James Ibori. This is a very bad case for him because Ibori eventually ran away to Dubai thereby proving the fears that EFCC earlier expressed before the trial court.

“Even at that my Lord, Ibori’s case at that point in time was an alleged fear that he would jump bail, but we are categorically saying that it is a reality that the accused person in the instant case, Bankole, will run once he is released on bail.

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Access Bank: Ruling In Akingbola’s Suit On Monday

JUSTICE Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court in Lagos will on 14 June, 2011 deliver his ruling in a suit filed by the former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola and an erstwhile Executive Director of the bank, Mr Bayo Dada, in which they were challenging the planned sale of the bank to Access Bank.

The date was fixed by the judge after counsel in the matter argued and adopted their written submissions on the preliminary objections filed by the defendants.

The duo of Akingbola and Dada are challenging the propriety of a purported Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for business combination signed by Intercontinental Bank and Access Bank, without recourse to them as shareholders and members of Intercontinental bank.

Akingbola and Dada had listed Intercontinental Bank and its Managing Director, Mahmoud Lai Alabi and other Directors, Abubakar Sule, Gbenga Alade, Olusegun Osilowo and Suleiman Yusuf as co-defendants.
The list of defendants also included Intercontinental Bank’s chairman, Raymond Obieri, Seinye Lulu-Briggs, Toyin Philips, Chris Alabi, J.S.P.C Nwokolo, Sanni Adams, Access Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

However, the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) and others, in their preliminary objection, are urging the court to dismiss the suit because the petitioners lacked the locus standi to institute the suit, and that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.

The defendants are also contending that the suit was statute-barred, in that it disclosed no reasonable cause of action.

In the main suit, Akingbola and Dada maintained, in an affidavit, that the Managing Director of Access Bank, Aigboje I. Aig-Imoukhuede and his deputy, Herbert Wigwe, are actually indebted to Intercontinental Bank to the tune of N16.247 billion.

The loan, which is said to be outstanding till date, was said to have been procured through a firm, United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited.

They added that the said United Alliance Company recently wrote a letter dated March 28, 2011 to Alabi (Intercontinental Bank’s MD) claiming that the debt was N10.2 billion, and requested for a change in repayment date up till December. Besides, the plaintiffs stressed that Intercontinental Bank had an excellent business reputation which earned the bank meritorious rating by informed industry watchers, but that the fortune of the bank nose-dived when Sanusi sacked them on August 14, 2009 without lawful reason and fair hearing.

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Alao-Akala left N4.8bn debt —Ajimobi •I left no debt —Alao-Akala •Gov to probe past administration

Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has disclosed that the immediate past administration of Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala left a debt of N4.8 billion, withdrew N3billion from government coffers five days to the end of his administration and left the state finance in a shambles.

Senator Ajimobi, who made the disclosure on Thursday,while featuring on a live interview broadcast on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), said N3billion being proceeds from the sale of government quarters to assuage the suffering of pensioners was withdrawn from the state account by the Alao-Akala-led administration.

But former Governor Alao-Akala said he left no debt for Ajimobi and advised him to rise up to the challenge of his new office and stop lamenting over the state of affairs in the state, because government is a continuum.

Alao-Akala stated this in reaction to the allegation by his successor that he left behind a debt profile of over N4 billion, and single-handedly paid a contractor a sum of N1 billion for a contract that was yet to be completed.

The governor stated that Chief Alao-Akala paid a contractor N1billion mobilisation fee for a yet-to-be executed and hurriedly signed an agreement with labour on the new minimum wage to create problems for the new administration in the state.

He explained that a committee would be set up to look into the accounts of the state and come up with recommendations, accusing the Alao-Akala-led government of incompetence and fraud, while stressing to plug all leakages in government.

On the threat of strike by the state civil servants over the clamour for new minimum wage, he stated that all the monthly takings of the government was N4.2billion which, he said, could not foot a monthly wage bill of N4.4 billion, if the new wage was paid.

He appealed to the workers to accept the salary increase of between 45 and 100 per cent which he discussed with them, pending when there is improvement in government revenue and the constitution of a new House of Assembly to look into the isssue for approval as an extra-budgetary spending, since the new wage was not factored into the 2011 appropriation law.

"The increase we have offered in Oyo State is one that will see a Grade Level 01 worker getting N13,500 monthly, while a Level 16 civil servant will get between N140,000 and N150, 000, as a demonstration of our government's commitment to workers' welfare.Our workers are the least paid in the South-West and we shall definitely do something about that and we have even started," the governor said.

However, speaking with Nigerian Tribune, Chief Alao-Akala said, “Governor Ajimobi should stop lamenting and playing to the gallery, because I did not leave any debt for him to inherit. What he referred to as debt is in fact, the money the state government is owing contractors on ongoing projects. I did not leave any debt for him, because government is a continuum. I did not take any loan from the banks so I did not leave any debt.”

He stated further, “the governor should be bold enough to tell the workers how he stopped their May salary based on N18,000 minimum wage in a letter written to Skye Bank.

“When I came in in 2007, I met debts owed contractors by the previous government and I did not make any noise about it because I realised that government is a continuum. I expect the governor to settle down and face governance because it is not a tea party.”

According to Alao-Akala, “as a governor, I could pay any contractor who has delivered on his job any amount, provided the consultant who handled the project certified that the job had been done to specification. The consultants who supervised the job are there for consultation. But I will advise Ajimobi that he should concentrate on how he is going to make life meaningful for the people instead of crying wolf where there is none.”

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Election Petition Tribunal: Akwa Ibom Govt Alerts On ACN Plan To Kidnap Witnesse

Akwa Ibom State government has uncovered a plot by the opposition party in the state to eliminate people who served as polling agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election in order to prevent them from testifying at the election petition tribunal scheduled to start sitting in Uyo next week.

Governor Godswill Akpabio said in Uyo, on Friday, that there was a security report linking an opposition party in the state to a killer squad hired to attack PDP agents and supporters in order to stop them from coming forward as witnesses when the tribunal begins to hear the case brought by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which is seeking to nullify the victory of the PDP in the last gubernatorial election in the state.

Akpabio was reacting to the shooting in Uyo of Dr Francis Udoikpong, who was the governor’s campaign coordinator in the build-up to the election and the PDP agent for Ika Local Council during the election.

Dr Udoikpong, a former chairman of Ika Local Council, was shot and wounded in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, by yet-to-be-identified men on a motor bike.

Deputy governor of the state, Obong Nsima Ekere, said that former ACN members, who defected to the PDP and current members of the ACN, who have accepted the victory of the PDP and congratulated the governor, were also targeted for elimination by the killer squad.

The state chairman of the ACN, Aniekan Akpan, who has since congratulated Governor Akpabio on his victory, confirmed the threat to members of the party who have conceded defeat to the PDP.

Akpan was said to have been threatened through anonymous telephone calls by people who have vowed to deal with him for congratulating the governor and issuing a statement to say that his party, the ACN, lost in a fair and transparent contest.

Obong Ekere, has however, described “the threats and attacks on party members as another desperate and attempt by the opposition to capture power by all means.”

He warned that such desperate politicians are bound to fail because “power comes from God, and it is for the electorate to decide who they want as leaders.”

“Failed politicians in the state should note that sovereignty rests with the people,” Obong Ekere said, adding that the people have spoken.

He observed that those who are behind the renewed spate of violence in the state were the same people who sponsored the mayhem that engulfed the state in the build-up to the last elections.

He explained that the opposition has an agenda to instigate a climate of insecurity and fear in the state because they have found that they could not fault the Akpabio administration on the basis of performance given the uncommon transformation that the governor has brought about in the state.

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NJC Probe: MTN Never Disowned Call Logs - PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the media against misrepresentation of facts emanating from the proceedings of the probe panel set up by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on allegations of malpractices in the handling of Osun and Ekiti states governorship appeals.

A statement issued by the Osun state Chairman of the PDP, Otunba Sunday Ojo-Williams, described the reports carried by some Lagos newspapers on friday that MTN disclaimed the call logs before the panel as deliberate falsehood to mislead members of the public.

"The reports by these newspapers were not only false but cleverly crafted on behalf of Justice Ayo Salami to blackmail, intimidate and put the panel in a tight corner as it seeks to do justice in the matters before it.

"One of the newspapers even attributed its story to the National Security Adviser (NSA) who did not even appear before the panel on the day in question. The NSA appeared almost a month ago to tender call logs of Justice Salami and others given to his office by MTN and other service providers.

"Indeed, the MTN manager brought by Justice Salami on Thursday confirmed during cross examination that MTN supplied the call logs to the NSA and the witness was further made to compare and confirm that the contents of the logs supplied by us were the same as the ones tendered by the NSA," the PDP chairman said.

He added that "Significantly, the MTN man could not have disclaimed the call logs, knowing that there are documents before the panel which effectively showed that the logs are genuine. Even Justice Salami himself confirmed in his written response that he spoke with at least one of the people mentioned in our petition while just last week, Salami brought as witness, Kebbi state ACN governorship candidate, Turaki Kabiru Tanimu, who admitted before the panel that he exchanged text messages with Justice Salami at 4:00 a.m on friday, November 26, 2010, the day the Osun judgement was delivered.”

"We urge the media to be wary of people hawking falsehood about. The Press should take interest in getting accurate reports of the proceedings which should not be too difficult to obtain by any diligent investigative reporter," he said.

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We saved 16.7bn in Katsina State without borrowing a kobo

Katsina state governor, Ibrahim Shema who was sworn in May 29 for a second term, in this interview with explains that the primary responsibilities of government are to provide for the general well being of the people.

He throws light on how his administration in the last four years, saved N16. 7billion and provided projects that touch the lives of the people without borrowing a kobo for four years.

How has it been governing Katsina State in the last four years?

I have always said that power belongs to God and he gives it to whoever he pleases. First of all I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve.

Ibrahim Shema

Through his mercies, we have done so many things in the last four years to improve the lives of our people. In agricultural sector, education, commerce and health, we have shown that we are here to work for the people. We have put together a 250 bed hospital, the first of its kind to be built and owned by a state government. In the entire northern Nigeria , there is only one such hospital in Kano .

But now this administration has completed a 250 bed hospital. The equipment has been ready, they are on their way, they will soon be here and a 100 percent payment has been made for them. The rural mobile ambulance scheme will be monitored very well because that touches on the very lives of the rural communities.

Every ambulance goes from village to village, to attend to the needy and when there is need for referrals, the ambulances are used to carry people to medical facilities in the state. We did not leave out sporting events. We have expanded and improved most of our sporting facilities.

We are currently building a 35, 000 capacity stadium in the capital in Katsina. In infrastructure, the housing projects will continue. We have built 1, 772 houses in the last two years and this was all done from the purse of the government. We did not borrow a kobo from any bank. We have done road infrastructure.

There is huge demand for road infrastructure in the state. So far, we have built 27 road projects that are new. Eight that we met on ground that were new. Over 500 kilometers of road that were built by this administration and we are still going strong on that. And we will continue to build and build roads where we have the need for them in this state.

Tourism development was not left out. We improved the quality and the statues of the hotels which are owned by the state government to a three star hotel status. We will try to see what we can do in the transport industry, we have the state transport company that have about 50 vehicles that were there for all this years.

There has never been any change in the issue of the number and size of transport companies that we have in the country. But at the same time, we felt the need for us to expand the services to the people. We introduced different varieties of transportation mix. We introduce some township bus services that did not exist before we came in. we introduce students bus service scheme that carry students points to point, from home to school at the cost of N10 per drop.

These buses have been doing very well in three major towns of Katsina, Daura and Funtua and we have introduce car hire service, still within the state transport company and we introduce long distance bus services that goes from Katsina to Maiduguri, Katsnia to Lagos, Katsina to Onitsha, to the South-East, South-South and to the furthest points of the north.

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Kanu finally bows out, drags football greats to Lagos

Teslim Balogun Stadium will today go agog as King Kanu brings to a close his memorable three
decades of footballing career.

Today’s game would see ‘Friends of Kanu’ and Super Eagles “All-Stars” at logger heads to mark the end of Kanu’s illustrious football calling. The game is being put together to honour Kanu’s contribution to the Super Eagles as well as his colourful playing career.

Nwankwo Kanu

Commenting on Kanu’s career and his personality to Saturday Vanguard Sports, former Real Sociedad of Spain midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju said “everybody knows that he was a good player. He won so many laurels for himself and the country. He is a good ambassador, this will show in his testimonial match.

“On the pitch he is a fantastic player, one that when you pass the ball to, knows how to hold on to it and nobody can take it from him. You are always sure of getting the ball back or him giving a quality pass up-front. He is an exceptional player on and off the pitch. He is very nice to be with as a person,”

On whether he would be missed and has been replaced, headmaster, as he is fondly called by his fans, said “it is going to be difficult to replace somebody like him in the team. He cannot play forever, so he has to leave the stage for the younger ones to show their own stuff,” Adepoju added.

The game will see the likes of Cameroonian skipper Samuel Eto’o, George Weah, the only African to have won the World, European and African Footballer of the Year awards in 1995, former Cameroonian captain, Rigobert Song, who played in four World Cup finals between 1994 and 2010 and his cousin, Arsenal’s Alex Song in attendance.

Others billed for the tie are, Emmanuel Eboue, Ghanaian World Cup defender John Paintsil, Bafana Bafana forward Teko Modise and Uruguayan star Roberto Solano.

Former Togolese captain, Emmanuel Adebayor, former Bafana Bafana and Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe will also thrill Lagosians with exciting football. Chelsea and Ghanaian midfield powerhouse Michael Essien and former Dutch marksman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank will also entertain King Kanu’s fans.

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Woman delivers seven babies in 11 months

IN a strange manner, a woman has delivered a set of seven babies within a space of 11 months, three males and four females.

The woman, Mrs Precious Donatus who lives in Aguda, Suru-lere, Lagos, gave birth to her first child in August, 2009, after 11 years of childlessness but the baby died five days later.

Ten months later, Mrs Precious conceived and delivered the seven babies within intervals of one month . When Saturday Vanguard visited the home of the family, the husband Mr Donatus Ogbonna, a business man from Imo State was at home.

He told Saturday Vanguard that at birth of the first baby, they did not know that would be the beginning of her journey to delivering seven babies.

Narrating her story, Mrs Precious told Saturday Vanguard that the first baby died after five days of birth adding that “immediately after putting to bed the first baby, the doctor told me that there was another baby in my womb.”

The babies are :first baby, August 25 2009, Amarachi (died after five days); second baby, May 6, 2010 (Conqueror, female); third baby, June 3, 2010, (Chizitere, female); fourth baby, August 16, 2010 (Ekpereamaka, male); fifth baby, September 19, 2010, (Fineseed Angel, female); sixth baby, October 19, 2010 (Evidence, female); seventh baby, January 13, 2011,( Flourish, male), eight baby, April 2, 2011, (Ebenezer, male) .

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Police arrest eight-man robbery suspects

Last month, a suspected leader of a notorious robbery gang identified as Charles Okon, was arrested. The 34-year-old suspect from Cross Rivers state was apprehended following a confessional statement by his girlfriend, Miriam, who was arrested earlier, with arms and ammunition at Amukoko garage, on her way to Koko Delta state, for a robbery operation by her boyfriend’s gang. Although Charles who fled to Ghana to avoid being arrested , but could not get over the temptation of robing as he stormed Nigeria again, where he carried out a robbery operation at Our Lady of Fatimah Catholic Church, Sururlere , carting away several Millions and other valuables.

Charles, as gathered met his waterloo at Tin-Can first gate while sharing the loots from the church with other members of his gang, with the sum of N7Million recovered from him, while his colleagues managed to escape.

The good news however, is that other members of the eight man gang have been arrested by Policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command. The suspects according to spokesman of the Command, Mr Samuel Jinadu were arrested at different areas of the state. Charles according to him, “ divulged all he knew about his gang and the police worked on his information which materialized into the arrest of his colleagues. He spoke to them as if they were friends.. The phone numbers he gave to us were working and the names, addresses and descriptions he provided were all accurate. I don’t think he held back any thing.” He said. His confessional statement led to the arrest of the followings; Godwin Dams, Chima Okuchibike, , Muniran Ilegiumo, Richard Ogodo and he confessed to have carried out over forty operations”

For one of the suspects, 29-year-old Godwin Adams, he claimed to have joined the gang out of frustration, following his deportation from Germany.

Hear him: “Before I traveled to Germany, I met Charles at Tin-can Island Port. Then,he told me he was a clearing agent and I told him how badly I needed a job. After hanging out with him for a long time and we did not get anything meaningful, he opened up to me that he was an armed robber and would want me to join his gang. I had no option because I was in dire need of money to fend for my self and my family. I joined his gang and started going on operations with them. My first operation with his gang was at a company in Ikeja, where we took large sum of money. But I was given only N30, 000 because I was new. We also robbed a shopping plaza at Ajah area and many other places.

When I made enough money, I traveled out of the country to Germany. But I was intercepted by the immigration over there and thrown into a refugee camp where I stayed for nine months before I was repatriated to Nigeria . On getting home, I continued from where I stopped with members of my gang. I did not know that the police were everywhere looking for me over my previous exploits, until I was arrested”, he said.

On the part of Richard Ogodo, an Ordinary National Diploma holder, from the Ondo state Polytechnic, he confessed to have taken part in four robbery operations with the gang while in school. He disclosed that he used the money realized from the operations to train himself in school. According to him, “ My plan was to use it to at least get a HND before I would quit because I am from a poor background” But at a point, he broke down in tears , begging those he might have disappointed particularly his parents, to forgive him for dragging the family’s name on the mud.

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D’Banj seals deal with Kanye West’s Good Music

Finally the ice is broken and Nigerians can heave a sigh of relief as the much needed breakthrough to a new dawn for the music industry has come.

Early Thursday morning, social network twitter was awash with excitement following news that Don Jazzy’s Mo’Hit record has signed a record deal with Good records owned by the American Superstar musician, Kanye West.

The deal followed months of negotiation between both executives of the record companies.

Although detail of the deal remains sketchy, the initial content of the contract Showtime gathered will witness the subsequent release of works of Mo’Hits frontl ine musician, D’Banj on Good records.

News of the deal was confirmed on twitters by D’Banj who described the development as the perfect gift to celebrate his birthday.

Said he “ Just like yesterday, myself and my brother, Don Jazzy did Tongolo, seven years later, Mo’hits signs with Good Music”

In a prayer of gratitude the Koko master was full of praises to God for his blessing while thanking his fans for their support over the years.

“Lord I thank you for being so good to us. On such a special day you have decided to humble us more. I’m speechless”.

He was also full of praises for his boss and partner at Month’hits, Don Jazzy. “Congrats Bro.. It’s time to move on to the next level. And this is the best birthday gift ever.”

Meanwhile moments after he shared news of the record deal, D’Banj announced that he would no longer honour performance by promoters he called amateurs.

“ No more shows for me by amateur promoters and I am sorry if my new decision will hurt my fans. If anyone wants to have me on stage such persons should get a professional promoter henceforth.

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Tambuwal begs PDP leaders

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The crisis of confidence within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with the election of Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker of the House of Representatives and Emeka Ihedioha as his deputy, contrary to the party’s decision, was resolved Wednesday with Tambuwal formally apologising to the party for their action.

Tambuwal and Ihedioha arrived the national secretariat of the party in Abuja at 1.50 p.m. and few minutes after their arrival, the acting national chairman of the party Haliru Bello, came to join other members of the party’s National Working Committee who were already seated inside the conference room.

Tambuwal, who was dressed in flowing blue gown contrary to the South-South outfit on the day he was elected, told Bello and other party leaders “we are here this afternoon to pay you your due respect and to say here and now that all that we did was not intended in any way to either undermine our party or out of disrespect for our party.”

Nigerian president says bombings not tied to election

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said Wednesday that deadly bomb attacks on the night of his inauguration were in no way linked to his election victory.

"We have these challenges but it has nothing to do with the election," Jonathan told reporters on the sideline of the global conference on AIDS, refuting claims that the bombings were to express disaffection at the polls.

Bomb attacks in different parts of Nigeria on the night of Jonathan's inauguration, particularly on the outskirts of the capital Abuja and in the northern states of Borno and Bauchi, left at least 18 people dead, according to official figures. Unofficial tolls said there were more.

Jonathan, a Christian from the oil rich south, defeated his main challengers, mainly Muslims from the north, in a contest adjudged as free and fair by local and foreign observers.

Nobody claimed responsibility for the attacks. Jonathan said they were the work of terrorists and not the result of ethnic or religious divides in the country which have been a source of friction.

"Initially we as a nation, we didn't believe that we have terrorists among ourselves until it became so obvious that we have some elements of terrorism," Jonathan said.

"This issue of explosion has been with us and we are doing all we could to contain it. As a government, we are committed to bringing it down and we will bring it down," Jonathan said.

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Court remands Bankole in custody

A Federal High Court, Abuja, this morning refused an oral bail application filed by the embattled former Speaker House of Representatives, Hon Dimeji Bankole, ordering him to remain in custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bankole is facing a 16-count charge of contract inflation and award of contracts amounting to N894 million without recourse to the Procurement Act slammed against him by the EFCC.

Attempt by his counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) to move the oral bail application was frustrated by the EFCC counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo who objected. Keyamo argued that the allegations against the former Speaker were weighty and required that materials be placed before the court.

Justice Donatus Okorowo upheld the objection.

Before adjourning till June 10 for hearing, he directed the defence to file a formal bail application.

He also fixed July 26 and 27 for trial.

Meanwhile Bankole’s lawyer faulted the mood of his client arrest by the anti-graft agency complaining that the incident was over bloated both on national and international media even when the trial was yet to commence.

But the Judge said the court lacked the power to restrain the press from its job.

He however pointed out that courts have power to punish for contempt.

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IGP hands-over 6 gunboats to Lagos police command

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim, on Tuesday, handed-over six refurbished gunboats to the Lagos police command as part of measures to further beef up security around the coastal areas of Nigeria’s economic hub. Ringim, who arrived at the Marine Police Headquarters on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the company of Governor Babatunde Fashola for the event, said the release of the gunboats was in recognition of the special place of Lagos, as the nation’s commercial centre and its huge population who must protected and secured.

He also mentioned the need to secure the various federal and private properties in the city, citing in particular the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) facilities along the coastal line at Atlas Cove, Ibafon, Badagry, Epe, Apapa, Ijora Coal, Marina and nautical miles offshore.

According to Ringim, “consequent upon the tour of NNPC facilities and tank farms in January 2011, it has become imperative to add additional six back-up boats for effective patrol of the facilities.

And with the commissioning of these six gunboats, it is my expectation that the police in Lagos will be able to provide adequate security around all federal government installations, vital public and private assets along the riverine areas of Epe through Marina to Badagry,” the IGP said.

While soliciting the continued cooperation of the Lagos State government, the police boss, however, acknowledged Governor Fashola’s massive support to the Lagos police command since 2007. He noted that this support has put the command ahead of other states.

In his remarked, Fashola commended the IGP for acceding to the demand of the Lagos command for additional gunboats. Pledging his continued cooperation with the Federal Government and the police, Fashola disclosed that plans were afoot by the state through the Lagos Security Trust Fund to purchase additional gunboats to the police.

He reiterated the determination his administration to fight crime headlong, warning that criminals bent on making lives unbearable for the residents were in for a fight with the government.

Earlier, the commissioner of police, Lagos, Yakubu Alkali, said the additional gunboats became necessary in order tame hoodlums who have chosen to attack from the water having “realized the danger involved in attacking on land”.

“In the face of this daunting challenge, it became imperative to support the marine police so that it could save Lagosians, particularly Ikoyi, Victoria and Lekki Peninsula residents, the harrowing experience of devastating incidents of crimes,” Alkali said.

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Two senators miss oath taking

Two senators, Alphonsus Igbeke and Abdu Umar Yandoma, were on Monday walked out of the National Assembly by security officials while others took their oath of office.

The senators -elect were denied oath taking following a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to bar the duo because of a subsisting court order on their elections. INEC asked the National Assembly to discountenance the certificates of return issued to both aspirants the previous day.

Mr Igbeke was stopped due to a notice of appeal challenging his emergence as the elected representative of the Anambra North Federal Constituency.

Mr Igbeke is accused of forging the documents he presented to the court which led to a judgment that declared him the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the April 9th National Assembly election.

Mr Yandoma, a CPC senator elect from Katsina North Senatorial District, was denied oath taking on similar grounds. According to the June 4th letter from INEC signed by its secretary, Abdullahi Kaugama, Mr Yandoma was issued certificate of return contrary to an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja which is challenging the authenticity of his nomination as the party's candidate for the election.

Both men were sighted in the National Assembly on Sunday when the senators resumed for verification and identification and were subsequently issued with invites for the inauguration.

Brutal security force

Meanwhile, some people sustained injuries after security agents brutally forced back several journalists and hundreds of visitors from Monday's inauguration of the National Assembly conducted under extreme security.

Police used tear gas on journalists caught in an adjoining room to the venue of the event, and used batons on visitors, injuring at least two women.

Ahead of the inauguration that featured the swearing in of 469 lawmakers and hundreds of visitors,

Sergeant-at-Arms of the National Assembly said last week that the ceremony will be conducted under stern measures and warned that media coverage may be disallowed in many areas.

The police had six check points and shut all banks and food outlets within the vicinity for most part of the day.

As is becoming customary with key government functions in which brutish measures are adopted by the government, roads within the Three Arms Zone were shut, frustrating commuters while many repeated clashes between police and journalists created minor stampedes within the complex.

Hundreds of anti riot police and Nigeria Civil Defence team mounted security. Police officials said they were carrying out orders, not stating whose orders.

A middle aged woman was injured after being manhandled by police officials who were ordered by their superiors to double their efforts.

For hours, journalists who arrived as early as 8.30am were refused entry after valid accreditations were issued; only to be allowed by about 3pm. Former governor, Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State was also denied entry and one new senator-elect was manhandled. Officials refused to comment on the incident.

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