Badeh Asked Me To Lie That I Own His N1.8 Billion Shopping Mall, Witness

The fourth prosecution witness in the trial of former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, has narrated how he was instructed to lie to authorities and pretend as the owner of Mr. Badeh’s N1.8 billion shopping mall.
The witness, Mustapha Yerima, who began testifying on Monday, said he was instructed by Mr. Badeh’s protégé, Salisu Yushau, to tell the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that the shopping mall constructed on a land said to have belonged to the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, belonged to his company, Right Builders Nigeria Limited.
“We continued our work after payments were made until one fateful morning, one of the site supervisors called me that the EFCC operatives are looking for me. Immediately I drove down to the site, they asked if the property belongs to Dasuki, I told them I have never seen or met Dasuki,” the witness said.

Nnamdi Okonkwo Re-arrested By EFCC On Fresh $153m Diezani Funds.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos has rearrested Nnamdi Okonkwo, the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank PLC, over the discovery of $153 million in new funds also laundered through the bank by former Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke. Also under arrest is one of the bank’s Heads of Operations.

Emir Sanusi: I Asked My Daughter To Retaliate If Her Husband Beats Her

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, Tuesday, strongly kicked against child marriage.
Addressing a conference of Northern Muslims Religious Leaders Forum on Primary Health care in Kano, the former Central Bank Governor explained that the reproductive health challenges associated with such practice was enough to discouraged the age long tradition.

Sanusi said that Nigeria Muslims were ardent followers of Maliki school of thought like Morocco, Malaysia and Egypt, stressing that those brotherly countries had since pegged marriage age.

In his words “I believe the time is ripe to take a stand on this age long practice of early marriage, and coincidentally we subscribed to Malikiyya school of thought like Morocco, Malaysia and Egypt who had since pegged marriage age to 17, 19 and 18 respectively”.

CAF Champions League: Enyimba draws against Zamelek in group phase as Aba club aims for $1.5m prize money

 

Enyimba Football club of A bahave been drawn in Group B and will face Egyptian club, Zamalek, ES Setif and Sundowns  in the group stages of the Caf Champions League according to CAF's official website.

 

The draw for the group phase of the Orange CAF Champions League and Orange CAF Confederation Cup was held on Tuesday, 24 May 2016 at the CAF Secretariat in Cairo, Egypt.

Enyimba will host the Egyptians in their first game of the competition on 17 June 2016.

CAF will give the winner of the champions League $1.5m while the runner up gets $1m as prize money.

6 feared dead as Boko Haram members attack community in Borno

No fewer than 6 people are feared dead after Boko Haram members attacked Ladi Butai community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State at about 9pm yesterday May 24th.

The group reportedly overpowered members of the Civilian Joint Taskforce and gained access into the community. Many of the villagers have fled to Maiduguri for safety.

Edo State Govt retracts letter issued to announce the approval of the appointment of the new Oba of Benin

 

Following the passing of the Oba of Benin, Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I, Edo state government announced today that it has approved the appointment of His Royal Highness Edaiken N’Uselu, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa as the new Oba of Benin. The government have now withdrawn the letter earlier issued, saying it was released in error.

In a retraction signed by the Secretary to State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, dated May 25, 2016, the Edo government states,

Oil Marketers assure Nigerians of a fall in pump price soon

The Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) have assured Nigerians that they will soon experience a fall in the pump price of petrol. Obafemi Olawore, the Executive Secretary of the association, stated this at a press conference in Lagos yesterday May 24th.

Switzerland to repatriate $230m stolen funds to Nigeria

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has revealed that there are plans by the Swiss government to return a non-contentious fund of about $230 million to Nigeria. Onyeama made this known while briefing journalists at a conference in Abuja to give a scorecard of the achievements of President Buhari’s administration in the last one year.

Onyeama stated that monies stolen from the country were also in the process of being repatriated from other countries like UK, US & Jersey Island off the coast of the United Kingdom, Lensisteine

He also disclosed that the federal government was also negotiating with countries in the gulf to recover stolen money from the country. According to the minister, the return of stolen funds are as a result of President Buhari's many foreign trips

Desmond Tutu's daughter loses South African church licence after her gay marriage

Desmond Tutu's daughter, Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu-van Furth has been forced to give up her duties as a priest in South Africa's Anglican church after she married a woman, she told AFP today

 

Mpho can no longer preside at holy communion, weddings, baptisms or funerals after handing in her licence because the church does not recognise gay marriage. She said her father, the retired archbishop and celebrated anti-apartheid campaigner, was "sad but not surprised" at the news.

"The canon (law) of the South African Church states that marriage is between one man and one woman," Tutu-van Furth said in an email. "After my marriage... the Bishop of Saldanha Bay was advised that he must revoke my licence. I offered to return my licence rather than require that he take it from me."

Bukola Saraki releases statement on the Sexual Harasment bill

Read the statement which he shared on his Facebook wall below...

Today at the Nigerian Senate, we passed a Bill to Criminalize Sexual Harassment in Nigerian Universities for its Second Reading. Many young Nigerian boys and girls suffer at the hands of lecturers, fellow students and those in administrative positions of power when they seek to further their education in our universities.
This bill, once passed and signed into law, will help stamp out all forms of harassment to make our schools more conducive for our students. I can attest to the fact that I have received anonymous emails and messages urging the Senate to make sexual harassment in our universities a criminal offence. In this regard, as we have taken this pivotal step to get this bill off the ground, I enjoin

CBN Adopts Flexible Exchange Rate Policy

After a long wait, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria has bowed to pressure, thus, directing its management to switch to a flexible exchange rate policy.
A flexible exchange-rate system is a monetary system that allows the exchange rate to be determined by supply and demand.
The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele made this disclosure on Tuesday while addressing newsmen shortly after the end of the two day MPC meeting held at the apex bank headquarters in Abuja.

The apex bank boss said with the new directive, the CBN would within the next few days unveil a new guideline on the management of foreign exchange in the country.

Buhari Appoints Ja’afaru As Comptroller-general Of Prisons

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr Ahmed Ja’afaru to take over from Dr Peter Ekpendu as the new Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Prisons Service, NPS.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Mr Bassey Akpanyung, and issued on Tuesday.

The new Prison boss was, until his appointment, an Assistant Controller General of Prisons and was serving at the Prisons Headquarters in Abuja.

According to the statement which was made available to newsmen, Ja’afaru replaces Ekpendu who retired from service on May 17, 2016 after his mandatory 35 years in service.

EFCC declares former Osun state deputy governor, Iyiola Omisore wanted over N700m he allegedly received from ex NSA

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), today, May 24, declared former deputy governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, wanted. The former senator is wanted in connection with a case of receiving and misappropriating the sum of over N700, 000,000.00 from the Office of the National Security Adviser, between June and November, 2014.


According to EFCC, Omisore has been elusive and refused to report to the Commission after invitation was extended to him on April 7, 2016 requesting him “to come and make clarification on the ongoing investigation”.

Tony Elumelu Meets Placard-Carrying Jobless Lady

Fed up with her joblessness, the lady who is a 2:1 graduate of Computer Science took a placard to advertise her jobless situation and wasting skills.

After Lailasblog published it, her story went viral and thankfully, Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation took notice of her and invited her over yesterday, Monday to meet with him and discuss the way forward.

While people are happy for her because no doubt the meeting will bear good fruit, others are of the opinion that it is a trend that if not monitored, will be abused by people. Recall that recently, a married PHD student also took to the streets with a placard to advertise her skills and jobless situation.

Yahaya Bello Receives Helicopter From Federal Government. Photos

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state today received a helicopter from the Federal Government. The governor while inspecting the helicopter warned criminal elements in the state to vacate because he has declared war on them. The helicopter is to be used for special security operations within the state.

Buhari Under Pressure To Sack Ministers, Aides - Nigerian Pilot

Against the back drop of the bickering among ministers of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration alongside performance evaluation reports confidentially carried out by a select committee, the president is reportedly under pressure to “reorganise his cabinet” even as he was said to have rounded up consultations on the matter.


According to presidency sources who opened up to Nigerian pilot last weekend, Buhari is said to have been miffed by reports of feud among his appointees, non-performance of many of them and allegations of corrupt practices against some of his aides and cabinet members.


“He is really pained that persons recommended by his party and friends of the government are not performing. They are self-serving and some of them have corruption allegations hanging around their necks that the whole scenario has become an embarrassment to the president and his administration,” said a top presidency official weekend.

Kano Police Arrest Stepmothers Who Castrated, Tortured & Broke 2yr Old Boy's Arm

Police in Kano have arrested two housewives, Zainab and Hafsatu Musa, for allegedly torturing and breaking the legs and arms of a two-year-old boy.


The women are married to the same man but the child belongs to the third wife, who had packed out of the house.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Magaji Majiya, said the incident occurred on Friday. According to him, when the women’s husband, Murtala Musa, came back home about 8pm, he met his two-year-boy laying in critical condition.

The PPRO said on seeing the condition of the boy, Musa rushed him to the hospital where it was
confirmed that his legs were broken and that blood was oozing from his nose and ears, while doctors said he might have problems with his eyes.

N5,000: FG To Use Biometric Data Collation

The Federal Government on Monday reiterated its resolve to alleviate poverty across the country with N5,000 using biometrics data collation.
Mrs Maryam Uwais, Special Advisor, Social Investment, Office of the Vice President, said this while speaking at the international conference on “Child Poverty and Social Protection in Western, Central Africa,” in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the conference focuses on proffering solutions to tackle child poverty, protection to children across the West and Central African region.

Bassey Akpan Seeks Amnesty For Looters Of Government Coffers

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Bassey Akpan, on Monday advocated special amnesty for owners of Nigeria’s stolen money, stashed in the various banks all over the World in order to generate enough forex to drive the nation’s economy.

Akpan, who stated this in his office while addressing journalists, explained that the country currently have hundreds of billions of dollars stashed in various banks abroad and the countries where they were kept, are using them to drive their own economy while Nigerians are suffering.
He said, “The time has come when we have to think outside the box and my own position is this, it is possible that the government can declare amnesty on stolen money. Let every Nigerian that has taken money out of this country be given amnesty to bring back the money and invest in the country.

The Federal Government would require 166 billion dollars in the next five years to meet the country’s energy and transport infrastructure needs, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, said. The minister made the disclosure at a public hearing in the House of Representatives on a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act on Monday in Abuja. The hearing also focused on a bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of three national transport commission. Amaechi revealed that the Federal Government and General Electric had concluded arrangements for the commercialisation of the Lagos-Kano railway project. He explained that the measure was intended to guarantee efficiency, competitiveness and profitability in the sector. While declaring the public hearing open, Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker, House of Representatives, expressed optimism that if the obsolete Act of the Nigeria Railway Corporation was repealed, Nigerians would enjoy cheaper means of transporting their goods. He said Nigerians would also enjoy quality services and the incessant damage to roads by heavy duty trucks would be reduced. The sponsor of the National Transport Commission Bill, Rep. Ncholas Ossai (Delta-PDP), said that the bill would curb revenue loss of about 30 per cent accrued to the federation. According to him, the loss is due to non-integration in the transport sector.

The Federal Government would require 166 billion dollars in the next five years to meet the country’s energy and transport infrastructure needs, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, said.


The minister made the disclosure at a public hearing in the House of Representatives on a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act on Monday in Abuja.

The hearing also focused on a bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of three national transport commission.

Amaechi revealed that the Federal Government and General Electric had concluded arrangements for the commercialisation of the Lagos-Kano railway project.

Anja Ringgren Loven Honored In Denmark

Danish Aid worker, Anja Ringgren Loven rescued the little boy, Hope, who was left for dead after being branded a witch in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Today, she was presented with the Danish Medal of Honour in Denmark for her "brave, selfless and extraordinary effort to save the vulnerable children in Nigeria.


"Today I received the Danish medal of honor called "The Niels Ebbesen Medal" in the City Hall of Randers, Denmark," she posted on Facebook along with photos from the ceremony.

"The motivation for the medal: "Anja, you make a brave, selfless and extraordinary effort to save the vulnerable children in Nigeria. Few people know how dangerous a mission it is - but everyone is aware of what it means for the vulnerable children who without help will end up lonely on the streets."