Zamfara killings: Buhari orders Defence minister to Gusau

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday directed the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali (retd), to proceed to Zamfara State immediately for on the spot assessment of Thursday’s massacre of 18 persons in Birane village, Zurmi local government area of the state.
The President also directed security agencies to immediately mobilise and deploy operatives to the vulnerable areas of the state and ensure that perpetrators of the act are brought to face the full wrath of the law.
He described the attack as heinous and inhuman.
President Buhari commiserated with the families of the victims, according to the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

The President assured the Zamfara State government and residents of  the state, that the Federal Government would  continue do all within its power to support security agencies to secure lives and property, not only in the Zamfara but all parts of the country.
President Buhari restated his administration’s determination to put an end to the spate of senseless spilling of innocent blood in parts of the country and called for restraint to allow the nation’s security apparatus to stem the undesirable trend.
He prayed that God would receive the souls of the departed and comfort their families.

Falana to IGP: Provide information on extra-judicial killings within seven days

Lawyer-turned rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has asked the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to provide the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the reports of investigation into the large scale killings of 9,457 persons from 2011 to date within seven days.
Falana said in a letter dated February 11, 2018 that the request was made under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 and aimed at ending official impunity and facilitate the trial of suspects involved in the illegal killings.
The lawyer said he would proceed to the court to institute mandamus proceedings against the IGP if he fails to furnish him with such information as requested.
“As this request is made under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, you are required to accede to our request within seven days of the receipt of this letter. However, if you fail or refuse to accede to this request, we shall proceed to institute mandamus proceedings, compelling you to furnish us with the needed information,” he stated.

Falana noted that the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation has commenced the prosecution of the terror suspects who were arrested from 2011-2017 by the security forces based on pressures from the human rights community.
He, however, regretted that while this was ongoing, other armed gangs that had engaged in the mindless killing of thousands of Nigerians including children have not been prosecuted by the respective state governments.
According to him, this explained why the cold murder of unarmed citizens has continued unabated.
Falana listed extra-judicial killings that had taken place in the country to include: “ the abduction and killing of 60 security officers in 2013 by a cult group in Nasarawa State; killing of over 2, 000 people in Benue State by herdsmen, militia groups and other armed gangs; killing of 800 people in Mambilia, Taraba State by a militia group in September 2017; killing of 204 people by gunmen in Southern Kaduna in 2016; killing of 347 people by the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State in December 2015 and killing of 150 pro-Biafra agitators by security forces in the South East region from 2013-2017.”

We’ll stop killings, poverty in 2019 – PDP

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, said on Wednesday his party would stop killings, poverty and hunger in the country if it wins the 2019 presidential election.
Secondus, who led members of his National Working Committee (NWC), to witness a mega rally to mark the 6th anniversary of Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson’s administration, said the brooms of the All Progressives Party (APC) brought killings and vengeance to the country,
The party chairman spoke at the Ox-Bow Lake Pavilion, Yenagoa, where party faithful and thousands of women, youths and elders in outfits with touch of red in the spirits of the Valentine, gathered to celebrate Dickson.
Former governors, former ministers, state chairmen of PDP led by Obong Paul Ekpo of Akwa Ibom State, members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly led by their Speaker, Kombowei Benson, National Assembly members and traditional rulers were in attendance to honour Dickson and his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd).

Scores of APC stalwarts and their supporters defected to the PDP at the event.
Secondus, who had earlier inaugurated the pavilion, also reaffirmed his doubts over the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free and fair election in 2019.
Describing INEC as the parastatal of the APC, Secondus, however, warned that any attempts to manipulate the elections in 2019 would be resisted by the people.
He said: “Starting from Bayelsa today, we are waiting for very prominent stakeholders of our nation to come over to the party that will rescue our nation from this challenge of difficulty, hunger, killings and poverty.
“Our country witnessed the era of brooms from 2015. This broom has brought us evil, vengeance, hunger, poverty, killings in our land. We will continue to receive these brooms and throw them into the ocean. Never again shall our people witnessed killings and poverty.
“We will rebrand, reposition our party and regain the lost ground. Bayelsa has laid the foundation for our teeming supporters. Just two days ago, we were at Abia State and we visited Abia. The governors of PDP are performing.

“They are the good example of nation-building. I believe that all the 11 governors of PDP are the best the country has today. And because they have performed, the entire nation can see that this is the party that can rescue this country.”

Three floors was approved for Lekki gardens building – Witness

The Lagos High Court, Ikeja, heard on Wednesday that the five- storey building that collapsed in Lekki Gardens on March 2016 was approved as a three- storey building.
At least 35 people were killed in the incident.
A prosecution witness, Maruis Agwu, disclosed this during cross examination by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to the first, sixth and seventh defendants.
The Managing Director of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Richard Nyong, is the first defendant in the case.

He is standing trial alongside Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Get Rich Investment Limited, also known as Horizon 1 Extension, House H15, Mr. Sola Olumofe; the firm’s contractor, Odofin Henry Taiwo, Omolabake Motunde, Omotilewa Oluwatosin Joseph and HC Insight Solution Limited.
They were arraigned on a six- count charge of failure to obtain building approval for the collapsed building and involuntary manslaughter.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Agwu denied giving out the construction work to one Lanre Kuyebi who he said is not an engineer.
The witness told the court that he is an architect adding that he designed the building and had nothing to do with the construction of the structure.
“I don’t handle structures but only designs. I only handled activities which was limited to the design of the structure,” Agwu stated.

Lent: Buhari urges Christians to Pray for Nigeria’s unity, progress

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday felicitated with Christians in Nigeria on the solemn occasion of the commencement of this year’s Lenten season.
As they join their counterparts worldwide to emulate the worthy example of Jesus Christ who fasted 40 days at the beginning of His earthly ministry, the President urged Christian brothers and sisters to pray fervently for the country’s unity and progress.
He believed that Nigeria’s existence as one united country is a divine arrangement and nothing should be done to put it asunder.
President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, enjoined all Nigerians to intensify love, brotherliness and concern for the less privileged members of their communities in order to strengthen the bond of togetherness.

Patience Jonathan: Ozekhome, EFCC’s lawyer clash over representation

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome and counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo, clashed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday.
The disagreement was over the representation of four companies that pleaded guilty to laundering $15.5million allegedly belonging to former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
While Ozekhome is claiming to have been validly appointed to represent the firms, another lawyer, Luke Aghanenu, also claimed that he was briefed by the companies to represent them.
The companies are – Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Limited.

The EFCC arraigned them with a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to President Jonathan, Waripamo Dudafa, a lawyer Amajuoyi Briggs and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku.
Unlike the companies, Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the 17-count charge.
Aghanenu filed a motion for change of counsel, praying the court to hold that he was validly appointed by the companies’ directors to represent them, not Ozekhome.
The motion was argued before Justice Babs Kuewumi.
While Ozekhome urged the court to dismiss the application for change of counsel, Oyedepo said he was not opposed to the motion.
There was a heated exchanged between Ozekhome and Oyedepo when the SAN accused EFCC of trying to determine which lawyer would represent the companies.

Ozekhome said EFCC being the prosecution should not be interested in who represented the companies.
He said: “Because we want to set aside the guilty plea of the companies, they arranged with the EFCC to change counsel. We’ll not allow that to happen. They’ll continue to contend with my face.
“It already show your interest, that you (EFCC) have an interest in who represents the defendants you’re prosecuting.”
But, Oyedepo described Ozekhome’s comments as prejudicial, saying they were unfair to him and EFCC.
“The allegation made by the learned SAN is totally unmeritorious. It is not in the interest of justice. It’s prejudicial to us. It’s unfortunate.
“This not the only case we are both involved in, so why would I not want to see his face?  My prayer is that he should be busy, that people should contact and give him briefs,” he said.
Oyedepo said it was wrong for Ozekhome to “scandalise” him, but the SAN insisted that the EFCC had a preference for the lawyer who would represent the firms.”

Edo reopens job portal March 1

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has disclosed that the state government is finalising arrangements to reopen the EdoJobs portal on March 1, 2018.
In a statement on Thursday, in Benin City, by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, the governor said the reopening of the portal would extend the window of opportunities for more youths to be captured in the state’s jobs database.
The governor reassured youths in the state of his administration’s commitment to fulfil his campaign promise of creating 200,000 jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
According to Obaseki, “The reopening of the job portal is to capture more youths in the state, who are to undergo employability and capacity building training. After their training, these youths will be matched with employers of labours, who have indicated interest in employing young people.

“It is clear that we have a crisis of youth unemployment and we are making frantic efforts to address it. There are various options the applicants on the jobs portal can choose from.
The EdoJobs initiative trained a batch of 500 youths late last year, and also supplied over 4,000 people trained by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) this year.
EdoJobs is an employment initiative of Godwin Obaseki-led administration to train and retrain graduates with post-secondary school certificates on business writing, workplace ethics, problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence and managing conflicts, among others. The initiative gives applicants the opportunity for job placements in companies across the state.
The portal provides the state government with data of applicants, which it uses for planning skills training for the job seekers in collaboration with companies requiring skilled labour.

Buhari loses sister in-law

A sister in-law to President Muhammadu Buhari, Hajiya Aisha Mamman, is dead.
Mamman, 75, died in the early hours of Thursday.
The Information Officer of the Daura Local Government Council in Katsina, Alhaji Salisu Haro, made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Daura.
He said the deceased died at 11:30 a.m. at the Federal Medical Center in Katsina after a brief illness.

Haro said that the deceased was the wife of the late Alhaji Mamman Danbaffale, the elder brother to Buhari.
He said that Mamman was survived by eight children, including Fatihu Mamman, a staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission and Hajiya Rbiya Mamman, a nutrition officer with the Katsina State Government.
Haro said the deceased had since been buried in Daura in accordance with Islamic injunction.

Mugabe to go on exile

President Robert Mugabe last night agreed to step down.
A new government is to be formed within 48 hours, a twitter handle claiming to be speaking on behalf of the provisional government of Zimbabwe said.
Mugabe will then proceed on exile to South Africa.
Fresh elections will be held in the spring of 2018 once order and peace have been established.

The likely presidential election date is April 18, 2018, Zimbabwe’s independence day.
“The structure of government will remain the same under the provisional government of Zimbabwe. However, the introduction of new posts, such as ‘prime minister’ are being negotiated. “The new, provisional government of Zimbabwe will be formed within the next 48 hours. It is likely that vice presidential posts will remain vacant.
“Comrade R.G Mugabe is not going to be prosecuted for his actions and crimes throughout his tenure as Prime Minister (1980–1987) and President of the republic (1987–2017). He has accepted H.E Jacob Zuma’s offer and will depart to South Africa after the resignation.
“Mugabe is currently negotiating with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The provisional government will soon address the nation to update you all with the current situation.”
Mugabe’s wife Grace and two key figures from her G40 political faction are under house arrest at Mugabe’s “Blue House” compound in Harare and are insisting the 93-year-old finishes his presidential term, a source said.
The G40 figures are cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere, who fled to the compound after their homes were attacked by troops in Tuesday night’s coup, the source, who said he had spoken to people inside the compound, said.

Zimbabwean intelligence reports seen by Reuters suggest that former security chief Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was ousted as vice-president this month, has been mapping out a post-Mugabe vision with the military and opposition for more than a year.
Fuelling speculation that that plan might be rolling into action, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been receiving cancer treatment in Britain and South Africa, returned to Harare late on Wednesday, his spokesman said.
He urged President Mugabe to resign in the interest of the country.
“In the interest of the people, Robert Mugabe must resign and step down immediately,” Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, told a news conference, reading from a statement.
The opposition called for the intermediate installation of an interim government.
“At the moment the transitional government is the best way to go,” said Douglas Mwonzora, Secretary-General of Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party.
“We back the military move but the country should quickly go back a constitutional government.”
Armoured vehicles that were stationed at key government buildings during the political upheaval on Wednesday remained in place.
The soldiers appeared relaxed, even smiling and chatting with onlookers.
Most people were going about their daily business and children went to school.
Special envoys sent by South African President Jacob Zuma were holding discussions on Mugabe’s fate with Zimbabwe’s leaders.
Officials from the Southern African Development Community were also meeting in Botswana’s capital Gaborone yesterday to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.
“What is needed is an inclusive government to run the affairs of Zimbabwe until a time it is right to have elections,” said Didymus Mutasa, a long-time minister in Mugabe’s government, who was fired in 2014 for backing Joice Mujuru as the president’s successor.
Jacob Mafume, a spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party led by Tendai Biti, said that any interim government “should be inclusive of all the stakeholders, including the church and all parties.”
While the army has said Mugabe is safe, there were mixed reports in the media about his wife Grace Mugabe’s whereabouts, with some saying she had fled the country.
Speculation had been growing before the coup that 52-year-old Grace was preparing to take over from her husband.
The potential ascendency appears to have faced resistance from senior military officials.

There was an uneasy calm on the streets of Harare, after initial jubilation on Wednesday when the army announced it had seized control from Mugabe.

2018 budget: Govt votes N1b for State House Clinic

No details of National Assembly’s N125b
The Executive has proposed to spend N1,030,458,453 on the State House Clinic under the Presidency’s total estimate of N51,445,678,808 in the 2018 Budget proposal.
The clinic came under focus recently when the President’s wife, Hajia Aisha Buhari, criticised it for being without “ordinary syringe” and unable to treat anyone.
The breakdown of the State House Medical Centre’s expenditure includes the proposed allocation of N408 million for medical equipment, N146 million for the completion of the dental wing’s extension and N120 million for construction of two blocks of 24 units three bedroom flats.

The National Assembly is expected to begin the screening of the budget next week. Approval is likely to be end of the year so as to return the country to the January-December budget cycle.
The details of the National Assembly’s N125 billion estimate remain undisclosed. That has been the case since 1999 in spite of the leadership’s transparency promise.
Some expenditure to be undertaken at the Presidency include N145 million for food stuff / catering materials supplies, N165 million for maintenance of motor vehicle / transport equipment, N132 million on fuel & lubricants, N67 million for vehicles’ fuel, N45 million for generator fuel, N18 million on gas, N135,668,651 on refreshment & meals while honorarium & sitting allowance is to take N478,313,996.
Also, ongoing rehabilitation work on the Presidency’s animal enclosure and procurement of its veterinary  lab equipment is to cost N12,489,655, upgrade of the presidential villa ranch and construction of wildlife mini-zoo is proposed at a cost of N28,908,625 while N24 million is for local flowers’ nursery, irrigation and upgrade of a helipad grass field.
Also, annual routine maintenance of mechanical/electrical installations at the Presidential villa is proposed for N4,860,392,146, outstanding liabilities on routine maintenance and other services for 2016 is allocated N565. 6 million while N83. 7 million is allocated for the purchase of tyres for bullet proof vehicles, trucks, jeeps, ambulance and other utility vehicles.
The routine maintenance of State House Lagos facilities (Dodan Barracks, VP Residence/Guest Houses at Ikoyi) is to be undertaken at a cost of N145,869,150 under the 2018 national budget.

Also proposed is over N25.5 billion to be spent on surveillance activities across the country.
Nigeria will be strengthening its security architecture with some high tech surveillance infrastructure in 2018.
In the vanguard of this intense surveillance operation is the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) that plans to purchase a social media minning suite for N2,213,456,360.
Also in 2018, the DSS has proposed to spend N 1,006,200,000 on surveillance drones with precision camera and IMSI payload capabilities.

Soldiers chased weapon-laden truck into Kanu’s home, says Buratai

•Court hears case on Kanu’s whereabouts
Soldiers chased a truck laden with weapons into a house said to belong to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu’s father   in Afara-Ukwu Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State, on September 14, Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has said.
Gen. Buratai said owners of the truck detonated the explosives on the day Kanu was last seen in public.
He said the suspects’ intention was to frustrate the move to arrest them by the troops

Gen, Buratai stated these in a counter-affidavit he filed in reaction to a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja in Kanu’s name by his lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor.
The suit seeks, among others, an order to compel Gen. Buratai, listed as defendant, to produce the IPOB leader, who the plaintiff claimed was in the custody of the military.
IPOB claimed, in the suit filed shortly after Kanu went missing, that the soldiers, who allegedly invaded his father’s house on September 14, took him away.
But, in the counter-affidavit deposed to on his behalf by Col. A.A Yusuf, attached to the COAS’s office at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, Gen. Buratai denied the plaintiff’s claim. He said the soldiers had no contact with Kanu
He said: during “a peaceful movement” which was part of the “Operation Python Dance II” on September 14, some soldiers saw a truck and flagged it down, but the truck and its occupants ran over Army’s barricade and defied soldiers’ order stopping them to be searched.
He said the soldiers pursued the fleeing truck, loaded with arms and ammunition, into a compound.

Buratai said the compound turned out to be the one Kanu later claimed, in the suit, to belong to him and his father.
He said soldiers, who pursued the truck into Kanu’s father’s  house, did not fire any shot but that the occupants of the fleeing truck deliberately ignited the ammunition in the truck.
“It was the legitimate attempt by the officers and men of the Nigerian Army to arrest the fleeing occupants of the truck and impound the truck that precipitated the deliberate igniting of the ammunition in the truck by persons now believed to be IPOB members.
“The act of the IPOB members resulted in sporadic explosions within the said applicant’s compound.
“The applicant (Kanu) is not and has neither being in our custody nor in the custody of any person, officer or institution receiving instruction directly or indirectly from him.
“The applicant was not at any time whatsoever arrested, taken into custody or detained by the Officers and men of the Nigerian Army.
“The officers and men of the Nigerian Army did not have any contact whatsoever or confrontation or any operational engagement with the applicant on September 12 or 14, 20l7 or any other date thereafter, contrary to the  allegations in the affidavit in support of the  application.
“The allegation of invasion of the South-Eastern part of Nigeria by officers and men of the Nigerian Army, especially the applicant’s home and or residence is totally false,” the COAS said.
He added that his men, acting in compliance with “approved Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct which prohibit any form of human right abuses” did not kill scores of people during the military operation in the South East as alleged in the suit.
“The allegations of firing of live bullets on the applicant’s relatives, killing of scores of persons, wounding and arrest of many, attack and invasion of applicant’s home, barricade at Isialangwa, arrest and torture of civilians by officers and me of the Nigerian Army, as stated by the deponent, are a figment of his imagination as same are not true,” he said.

The case is expected to come up today for hearing before Justice Binta Nyako.