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(Nigeria) Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, sentenced Godwin Nwaichie to 14 years imprisonment after he admitted committing a N14.7 million fraud. Nwaichie was charged by the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), alongside another accused, Fortune Etaba and their company, Establishment House Ltd, in a N9.8 billion fraud case. The judge sentenced Nwaichie, after he pleaded guilty to an amended three-count charge bordering on the offence. Buba said: ``The convict, a 23-year-old man at the time of arrest, who ought to be vibrant and hardworking, decided to utilise his intelligence for fraud. ``For such offence, the law provides a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and minimum of seven years. The convict is hereby sentenced to 14 years in prison beginning from Jan. 9, 2010 when he was first arrested.’’ The accused were first re-arraigned on January 21 on the amended charge. Nwaichie had pleaded guilty to the charge, while the second accused, (Etab

(Nigeria) Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has warned political appointees in the state to shun the politics of who becomes Governor of the state in 2016 and devote themselves to service delivery. Speaking Wednesday at the swearing-in of Mr. Chris Okaeben as the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, he said any appointee who wants to join the gubernatorial campaign now, before Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC blows the whistle, “can be excused.” He said: “It is not time to discuss the politics of 2016. By the grace of God, I look forward to handing over by that date. That is a long way to go and only God knows among all of us who would be there. That is why I want to repeat my appeal that this party is not about gubernatorial candidate. It is much more than that.” The Governor who said it is too early in the life of the present administration to be plotting about who takes charge in 2016 to the detriment of governance said “we must not forget that we mu

(Nigeria) A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, has asked Airtel Nigeria to pay a telecom firm, Procomtel Limited,  the sum of N1.17billion. The amount represents awards made by an arbitrator on June 27, 2007 and August 24, 2007, in a dispute between them. Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo said: "An order of specific performance be and is hereby made for the amounts contained in the final award dated 27th June, 2007 and additional award dated 24th August, 2007 made under the hand of Engr Olumuyiwa Ajibola in the matter of arbitration between Procomtel Limited and Celtel Nigeria Limited pursuant to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, Cap A18, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria." The judge also awarded N25million damages in the claimant's favour "for breach occasioned by non-perfomance of the awards." He held that the claimant is entitled to damages, having been deprived of the awards by the defendant. "I am of the view that the claimant is entitled to

(Nigeria) The United States  and Canada have condemned Sunday's Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Adamawa that killed several innocent civilians. A statement issued on Wednesday by the U.S. State Department spokespersn Jen Psaki pledged support for Nigerian authorities in ongoing investigations into the attacks. The U.S urged Nigerians to support government's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. It reiterated President Barack Obama's commitment to supporting the people of Northern Nigeria in their struggle against violent extremism and assistance to the Federal Government in the fight against insurgency. In condemning the attacks, Amb. Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom, expressed condolences to the injured as well as the families and friends of those who lost their lives. “Canada stands with the Government of Nigeria in its fight against terrorism and hopes it will bring those responsible for these crimes to justice Such violence,

(Nigeria) An Osogbo Magistrate Court in Osun State on Wednesday remanded a 23-year-old man, Kwame Dogo, in the Ilesa prison for an alleged rape. Magistrate Olusola Aluko who gave the order, said the accused should be remanded in prison because of the magnitude of the offence. The prosecutor, Sgt. Elijah Olusegun, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on January  17,  at 4.p.m, on Iwo Road, in Bode-Osi Local Government Area of Osun State. Olusegun said that the accused forcefully and unlawfully had carnal knowledge of one Mojesi, 11, who was his neighbour’s daughter. He said that the accused committed a two count-charges that contravened Section 31(1) and punishable under Section 2 of the Child Right Laws and Section 360 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun, 2003 and 2007. Counsel to the accused, Mrs Nnena Ugwu, prayed the court to grant bail to her client in most liberal terms. The magistrate, however, overruled the bail application and

(Nigeria) The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, North-East zone, has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s assent to the same sex marriage prohibition law, as a demonstration of his respect for the will of Nigerians. The Chairman of CAN in the zone, Rev. Shuaibu Byel, told News Agency of Nigeria in Bauchi State on Wednesday that the President deserved commendation on the matter. ``The President acted on the will of Nigerians; it is our decision and our choice, and we must commend him for respecting the decision, in spite of the on-going criticism by the international community.  This is a clear indication that democracy has come to stay in this country, where the will of the majority counts,’’ he said. Byel described the same sex marriage as evil, demonic and anti-God. According to him, signing the anti-gay law will go a long way in saving the country from the health and moral implications of same sex marriage. ``We needed a leader that will show us the right way an

(Nigeria) Enyimba International FC of Aba on Tuesday won the 2013/2014 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL pre-season football tournament. Enyimba, who defeated the NPFL defending Champions, Kano Pillars by a lone goal, smiled home with a giant trophy and a cash reward of N1.5 million. The winner, who finished the tournament on nine points, did not concede any goal in the three matches played in the tournament. Enyimba had earlier defeated Warri Wolves and Bayelsa United 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. It beat Kano Pillars by a lone goal to carry the trophy. Warri Wolves finished second on the log with six points. Wolves, which suffered 2-0 and 2-1 defeats to league champions and Bayelsa United respectively; however went home with cash prize of one million naira. However, it was not a good outing for league champions, Kano Pillars as they managed to finish third on the log after recording a 2-1 win over Bayelsa United. Pillars, however pocketed N750, 000 in spite record

The Director of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has denounced the separate killings of four journalists in Pakistan and Iraq. ``Violence against the media cannot be allowed to continue with impunity,” she said on Tuesday in New York, while calling for those responsible to be brought to trial. In the Pakistani city of Karachi, technician Waqas Aziz, security guard Ashraf Yusuf, and driver Khalid Khan, employed by 'Express News' were fatally shot on January 17, while in their television van. An extremist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. In Iraq, Firas Attiyah, a 28-year-old freelance reporter for Fallujah TV, was killed on February 20, in a bomb attack in the town of Khaldiyah, near Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province. The attack also injured Muayad Ibrahim, a freelance reporter for Al-Anbar TV. ``It is vital that the authorities take immediate action to improve the safety of journalists and me

(Nigeria) The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and its midstream operator, Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, on Tuesday blamed the oil spill at Ijegun Area, Lagos, on pipeline sabotage. This is contained in a statement by Dr Omar Ibrahim, Acting Group General Manager Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, in Abuja  on Tuesday. The statement explained that the oil spill was caused by pipeline vandals who hacked a product pipeline in the area. It said that the Ijegun area had always been very notorious for the activities of oil thieves who had incessantly hacked into pipelines with the aim of stealing products. ``We wish to acknowledge oil spill from our pipeline at the Ijegun area in Lagos, the unfortunate incident is a result of pipeline sabotage by people suspected to be oil thieves. ``We have been experiencing a rise in the incidents of pipeline vandalism on the Ijegun section of our pipeline and we are doing our best to fix them as they are notic

(Nigeria) The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has redeployed four Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, DIGs and three Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, AIGs. This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, in Abuja on Tuesday. It stated that DIGs Michael Zuokumor, would head Operations Department;  Jonathan Johnson, Department of Information and Communications Technology; Abdurahaman Akano, Department of Research and Planning and Atiku Kafur,  Department of Training. It added that the redeployment of these senior officers followed the retirement of two DIGs, who were in charge of Operations and Training, on January 16. The statement said that AIGs Kakwe Katso and Fana Salisu, were posted to the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Jos, and Works, FHQ, Abuja, respectively, while Musa Daura, head Calabar  Zone 6 Police headquarters. It stated that Mr Adeola Adeniji, a Commissioner of

(Nigeria) Power failure on Tuesday disrupted the budget  session of the  Enugu State House of Assembly, forcing the lawmakers to adjourn to Thursday, reports NAN. The blackout commenced about 20 minutes into the sitting after two members had contributed to the 2014 Appropriation Bill. The members, Mr Donatus Uzogbado (PDP-Oji River) and Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo (PDP-Ezeagu) had barely finished their submissions when the lights went off.  Following the development, the Majority Leader, Mr Sunday Ude-Okoye (PDP-Awgu North) moved a motion for temporal suspension of the debate for the day. The motion was seconded by the Deputy Leader, Mr John –Kelvin Ukuta (PDP-Uzo-Uwani) and the legislators moved out of the chamber. The lawmakers resumed the plenary session 30 minutes later, only for the power supply to fail again when Mrs Lydia Omeje-Ogbu (PDP-Nsukka West) was making her contribution to the budget debate. The situation forced the lawmakers to adjourn sitting to Thursday. Some of

(Nigeria) President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday in Abuja appointed Chairmen and members of the governing boards for four parastatal agencies. The chairmen are Mr Olusola Oke, for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, and Dr Dan Kure, for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN. Others are Abdullahi Waziri Tambuwal, for Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and Chief Yomi Akintola, for the Nigerian Meteorological Agency. This is contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim. The statement said the Minister of Aviation would announce the dates for the inauguration of the appointees in due course.  

(Nigeria) The Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday confirmed Mr Christopher Okaeben as commissioner following his nomination by Governor Adams Oshiomhole. The Chairman, House Committee on Rules, Business and Government House, Mr Philip Shaibu, expressed satisfaction that Okaeben met the requirements. He recalled that Okaeben had served as the Secretary to Oredo Local Government between 2010 and 2012. Okaeben is currently the Executive Director, Edo State Petroleum Monitoring Team. The Speaker, Mr Uyi Igbe, after the confirmation, directed that the decision of the House should be communicated to the governor.

(Nigeria) The Chief Maxi Okwu faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has appointed Chief Shedrack Anakwue as its acting chairman in Anambra State. Anakwue's appointment followed a Federal High Court ruling which declared Okwu as the authentic National Chairman of the party. The appointment was contained in a statement by Dr Sagir Maidoya, the National Secretary to the faction in Awka on Tuesday. The release stated that Anakwue’s appointment was expected to be ratified at the party’s national executive council meeting in Abuja on February 6. It stated that the national working committee had reviewed the situation in the state, noting that there were issues which the erstwhile factional state chairman, Mr Egwuoyibo Okoye, needed to clarify. Reacting to the appointment, Anakwue told News Agency of Nigeria that he would reposition the party in the state to accommodate all the interest groups after his inauguration. He said the party had been at war because o

(Nigeria) Two employees of First City Monument Bank on Tuesday appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate Court in Lagos charged with theft of 50,000 pounds. The accused -- Adeyemi Adebayo, 32, a transit officer, and Julius Ogundare, 46, a  driver, --  are facing a four-count charge bordering on making false claims, stealing and conspiracy. The prosecutor, Insp. George Nwosu, told the court that the two men committed the offences on December 31, 2013 at First City Monument Bank headquarters, Marina, Lagos. According to him, the accused were to move the money from the headquarters to the bank’s branch at  Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, but failed to deliver it. ``The accused formed a common intention to commit an offence by deliberately refusing to deliver the money to the bank vault at the branch but diverted it to personal use,’’ Nwosu said.  He said the offences contravened Sections 18, 72, 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.  Th

The Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Imo State on Tuesday said it expelled 26 students and rusticated 22 others for one academic session. This information is contained in a statement issued by its Registrar, Mr Matthew Aligbe in Owerri. Aligbe said that the students were found guilty of examination misconduct during the First Semester of 2012/2013 academic session by the Disciplinary Panel set up by the School authorities. He explained that 54 students appeared before the disciplinary panel, one of the students was asked to retake some courses while five students were exonerated from any misconduct after thorough investigations. The registrar said that the polytechnic would not in any way compromise its high academic standard, adding that the students who displayed acts of misconduct would not be tolerated. Aligbe urged the management of other tertiary institutions as well as members of the public to take note of the details of the affected students posted in the school’s

(Nigeria) South African investors have indicated interest to set up an ethanol refinery in Edo State and turn the state into the China of Africa. Executive Chairman of Industrial Development Holding, South Africa, Mr. Mxolesi Mbetse made the disclosure when he paid Governor Adams Oshiomhole a courtesy visit at the Government House, Tuesday. He said:  “What we want to do in Edo State is that in the next five to ten years we want to completely eliminate the importation of palm oil. We want to ensure that Nigeria becomes the next exporter of not only palm oil, sugar but also ethanol. I was in Brazil and was amazed at the way they used technology to produce ethanol where today Brazil produces billions of ethanol”. Mr. Mbetse told the Governor that from his reliable findings, Edo State was well-endowed with abundant Agriculture and Natural Resources that could sustain industrialization and industrial growth, not only in the state and the geo-political zone but the entire country. Acc

A senior official in Bannu said over 23,000 refugees and thousands of villagers have fled their homes in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, fearing more air strikes by armed forces, reports Reuters. The official who pleaded anonymity, said on Tuesday in Bannu that this was after dozens of people had been killed in air strikes targeting Islamist militants earlier this month. He said fearing another offensive by armed forces, some refugees left the region to take shelter in schools, private homes and veterinary clinics in the normally more peaceful areas of Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan on the edge of the tribal belt. The officer said people in North Waziristan, a rugged land of rocky mountains and steep valleys that is home to several al Qaeda-linked groups, live in constant fear of being targeted by both the Taliban and government troops. Another government relief official, who pleaded condition of anonymity said people are moving their families in anticipation of an army op

Seven workers were killed when an Indian oil tanker exploded and caught fire at a shipyard in east China's Zhejiang Province on Tuesday. A spokesman with the provincial work safety supervision bureau made this known to Xinhua. Smoke was detected followed by the explosion around 7:20 a.m., when the seven workers were repairing the tanker at the Haizhou Shipyard in Daishan County in the city of Zhoushan. The oil tanker, which has an oil load capacity of 50,000 tonnes, was unloaded when the accident happened. The spokesman said that all the victims were Chinese. However, the cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday awarded N17.3 billion damages to a private company, Bedding Holdings Ltd, BHL, against Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Justice Ibrahim Auta, in the judgment held that INEC and its Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, infringed on the patent rights of BHL in the contract purchase of DDC machines in 2010. He ordered INEC to pay the company the sum which is 50 per cent of the value of the contract awarded by INEC. ``From the evidence before this court, it is clear that the plaintiff actually owned a subsisting patent right over the process, application and the use of DDC machines for voters' registration. Section 6 of the nation's Patent and Design Act preclude anybody from using a patented invention without the consent of the inventor. ``So, INEC should always play by the rule so that its conduct does not affect the outcome of elections,’’ Auta said. The judge agreed with the argument and evidence of the c

(Nigeria) Some residents of Ijegun-Imore, a suburb of Lagos, on Tuesday demanded compensation from the  Pipeline Products and Marketing Company, PPMC, for  damages they incurred following the ruptured oil pipeline in the area. They told the News Agency of Nigeria in separate interviews in Lagos that the oil spill in the community was caused by negligence to monitor the pipeline network by the agency. The oil spill, which was caused by ruptured pipeline, occurred on January 26, at Ijegun-Imore near Navy Town in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State. A traditional leader, Mr Nurudeen Olu-Fatunbi, said that PPMC should compensate residents of the community for not repairing the ruptured pipeline for more than a year. Olu-Fatunbi said that the community had reported the incidence to PPMC without any response. According to him, there is the need for government to embark on total clean up of the community because "we don’t want to lose our valuable items. The spill had c

(Nigeria) A suspected sex offender, 21-year-old Moshood Oyefeso, was on Tuesday charged before a Tinubu Magistrate Court, Lagos, over alleged theft of a mobile phone and sexual assault. Oyefeso, a carpenter, who lives at No. 302, Igbosere Road on Lagos Island, is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and sexual assault. The prosecutor, SP Austin Orji, told the court that the accused committed the offences on January 24 at 9.00 p.m. opposite City Hall on the island. He said the accused had accosted the complainant (names withheld) while she was going to buy Indomie for her mother and dragged her into a nearby bush before assaulting her. ``The accused tore her clothes in an attempt to assault her sexually. The distress call of the girl attracted passersby who rescued her.’’ Orji said the offences contravened Sections 261, 285 and 348 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused pleaded innocence of the offences, claiming that he was being framed. He

Egypt's Cairo Criminal Court decided to delay the trial of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and some 130 others in the 2011 jailbreak case to February 22, state TV reported on Tuesday. The defending team asked to postpone the trial so as to study the case' documents, the report said. Earlier Tuesday, Morsi appeared in court on charges of escaping from Wady al-Natroun prison with the assistance of domestic and foreign forces during the January 25 uprising in 2011. Some 130 others, affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood, Palestinian Hamas movement and Lebanese Shiite military party Hezbollah, were tried with Morsi, mostly in absentia. They were accused of storming the prison and kidnapping and killing police officers. State TV footage showed that Morsi dressed a white prison uniform in the dock along with 21 other defendants, among whom were the Brotherhood's supreme guide Mohamed Badie, his two deputies Khairat al-Shater and Mahmoud Ezzat, and former parliament s

(Nigeria) The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Tuesday expressed concern over growing conflicts among contestants within political parties. The National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, expressed the view in Abuja at the National Youth Conference on the roadmap to the 2015 elections in Nigeria. ``INEC remains deeply concerned about widespread absence of moderation among Nigerian politicians and growing conflicts within parties and between contestants. This is because even if the management of elections meets the highest standards, insofar as the contestants are unwilling to play by the rules, there will be grave problem. ``The threats are now exacerbated by insecurity in some parts of the country, making the conduct of elections in those parts even more risk-prone,`` he said. The chairman, represented by a National Commissioner of the commission, Mr Ismail Igbani, appealed to politicians to avoid provocative statement on the 2015 elections.  ``If y

(Nigeria) The Abeokuta Grade I  Customary Court sitting at  Ake, Ogun State,  dissolved 117 marriages in 2013. The President of the court, Mr  Titus Oluwole,  told the News Agency of  Nigeria in Abeokuta on Tuesday  that the  2013 figure was, however,  lower than the 138  recorded in 2012. He also said that the court was able to reconcile 148 couples within the period, compared with the 111 in 2012. Oluwole attributed the decrease in cases to series of counseling sessions, mediation between families and sensitisation given to intending couples by religious groups before weddings.  "Before the court dissolves a marriage, we send them home to enable their families to mediate. We dissolve marriages only when we are left with no choice and all efforts to reconcile couples prove abortive," he said. He advised couples to  seek  sufficient knowledge  about their intended partners  and  demonstrate understanding of  each other well before marriage. The president also sai

Israel and the Palestine disagreed on Tuesday on the effectiveness of security measures by the Palestinian administration in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, deepening doubt about peace prospects in the U.S.-brokered talks, Reuters. Foreign powers have been helping to build up Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's security services in the West Bank to prevent militant attacks on Israelis and ward off any challenge from breakaway Hamas Islamists who control the Gaza Strip. Relative calm is considered important to any chance of Israel and the Palestinians striking a long elusive deal for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, next to Israel. But the two sides remain far apart on key terms. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon criticised the commitment of the Palestinian Authority that exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank under interim peace deals, to follow through in moves against Palestinian militants. ``We counted 1,040 cases that were handled by the Pales

(Nigeria) The trial of one-time Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, has been transferred to a new judge. Ajudua and one Charles Orie are being prosecuted for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen; Messrs Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen, of 1.69 million US dollars (about N252.8 million). Their trial, which began in 2003, is to start afresh before Justice Kudirat Jose following the withdrawal of the former trial judge, Justice Joseph Oyewole, from the case. Oyewole withdrew following a petition written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by a former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi. Bamaiyi had alleged in the petition that Ajudua used the names of the judge and others to defraud him of about $8.39 million (N1.3 billion). However, the re-arraignment of the defendants before Jose was stalled on Tuesday due to the absence of the EFCC counsel. Ajudua and his counsel, were in court for the proc

(Nigeria) Soprise Impact Organisation, a UK/US-based oil and gas consultancy firm, said over 1.1 million cubic metres of gas lost to flaring can provide electricity to 20 million homes in Africa. The Chief Executive Officer,  Mr Peter Jensen, made the assertion in Abuja on Monday at a presentation before the Senate Committee on Gas on ways to boost electricity supply in Nigeria. He said that if properly processed the volume of gas wasted in the Niger Delta would solve the power problem of the entire African continent.  He said that his firm, which also had branches in Eastern Europe, was organising an international gas conference scheduled to hold in Nigeria on March 12, to help solve the problem. According to him, the conference with the theme ``Deepening Domestic Gas Implementation’’, is expected to be attended by critical stakeholders and experts from all over the world. ``We are here to seek the support of the Senate Committee on gas in partnering with the Federal Gov

(Nigeria) Three employees of First Bank of Nigeria and their two accomplices were on Monday arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate Court, Lagos, over the theft of N6.5 million from a customer's account. They are facing a 12-count charge bordering on stealing, forgery and conspiracy. The accused are Timothy Ibeh, 24; Samuel Dada, 27; Adeyinka Awojobi, 29; Obaseki Ojo, 26, and Simon Abu, 26. The Prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Okoye, told the court that the accused committed the offences between October 14, 2013 and November 21, 2013 during work hours at First Bank, Marina, Lagos.  He said that the accused forged the signature of one Mr Onche Ugbabe at different times and stole the sum of N6.5million from his account. ``Ibeh, Adeyinka and Dada, employees of First Bank solicited the help of Ojo and Abu and used their accounts to stash the stolen money. ``On different occasions, the accused persons withdrew the sum of N500,000, N550,000, N550,000, N350,000, N620,000, N520,000, N82

(Nigeria) Three women on Monday appeared before an Osogbo Magistrate Court in Osun State and charged with beating up an activist, Olayinka Ibrahim, at the NUJ Press Club in Osogbo. The Prosecutor, Insp. Fagboyinbo Abiodun, told the court that the accused persons, Bimbo Akinwumi, 28, Olufemi Adeyemo, 26, and Nike Oyinlola, 22, committed the offence on January 22. Abiodun said Ibrahim, who is the President of the Federation of Informal Workers in Osun, was allegedly beaten when he attempted to rescue a person attacked by the women. ``The accused beat the activist and damaged some of his valuables yet to be valued before he was rescued by some fellow activists and the police was called in,’’ Abiodun  said. He said the offence contravened Section 516 and 351 of the Criminal Code of Osun 2003. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of N50, 000 each and two sureties in the like sum.

(Nigeria) Governor  Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Monday said the directive by the All Progressive Congress, APC, directing its lawmakers to block executive bills was good for democracy. The governor spoke with newsmen after inaugurating the Ejigbo-Ajao Estate Link Bridges in Lagos. He said that the planned blockage was nothing more than the use of legislative weapon to achieve some democratic gains. According to Fashola, the planned blockage of executive bills is aimed at promoting the ideals of democracy and is only being misinterpreted by critics. The governor said that the lawmakers had the constitutional right to use blockage of bills for developmental purposes in line with the democratic essential of check and balances. He noted that there was nothing abnormal about the plan as every arm of government had the right to act as a check on the other. ``In the process of that check, institutionally, the legislature has found as a legitimate weapon, the withdrawa

(Nigeria) Governor Rotimi  Amaechi of Rivers State and Chief Tom Ikimi, have been nominated by the leadership of All Progressive Congress, APC, to resolve the crisis rocking  the party in Bayelsa State. Chief Richard Kpodo, the Interim Chairman of APC in Bayelsa, confirmed the development in Yenagoa on Monday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria.  Kpodo said the reconciliatory committee also included South-South members of the Interim Committee of the party. According to him, the decision to harmonise the factions was informed by the need to avoid imposition of party structures and allow formidable team of party executives in the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan. The chairman said the committee would also intervene in the crisis rocking the party in Akwa Ibom. He said the choice of Amaechi was based on his supervisory role as the leader in-charge of the party in Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom. Kpodo said the committee was expected to meet with the faction

(Nigeria) The Federal High Court in Enugu on Monday sentenced a 32-year-old man, Chizoba Nwabuwa, to four years imprisonment for trafficking in cocaine. Justice Adamu Bello sentenced Nwabuwa after finding him guilty of trafficking in 2.5 kilogrammes of cocaine and ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to burn the substance. The prosecution counsel, Mr Jacob Momodu, tendered four examinations to prove that the substance was cocaine. He said the accused used 200 dollars to transport the substance to Enugu, adding that the transport receipt was contained in his traveling document. The counsel to the accused, Mr Emmanuel Ujuatumba, told the court that his client had decided to plead guilty to the offence. “My Lord, we know the law provided for life imprisonment for drug trafficking. I plead that you temper justice with mercy. The accused was misled and lured into the act and he has promised never to engage in such an act again. “Besides, this is his first ti

(Nigeria) The Chief Maxi Okwu led faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise Chief Victor Umeh as the party chairman. In a petition to the commission dated January 27, Okwu said that contempt proceedings had been instituted against Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, the party's National Secretary, for undermining the judgment of an Abuja High Court. He said that his attention had been drawn to a letter signed by the two ousted officers of the party to the commission titled RE: Judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/563/2013, in disobedience to court order.  Okwu, who was recognised as national chairman of the party by the court, said that the former officers had still been parading themselves as chairman and secretary respectively. ``Our attention has been drawn to a letter titled as above dated Jan. 22 addressed to the commission, and co-signed by our erstwhile national chairman and secretary, Alhaj

(Nigeria)  A diesel tanker on Monday exploded and killed two persons at Bakin-dutse in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State. Eye witnesses told News Agency of Nigeria that the deceased persons were the driver of the tanker and a welder. They said the tanker was loaded with diesel, but had one of its compartments broken down and a welder was called to repair it. ``While the welder was fixing the compartment, the tanker burst into flames and both the driver and the welder sustained severe burns and were rushed to the hospital where they died," an eye witness said. The FRSC Unit Commander in Funtua, Mr Rabiu Usman, confirmed the incident and gave the registration number of the tanker as, XA 224 FTA. Usman advised tanker drivers to always be cautious with the vehicles, especially when they were loaded with fuel.

(Nigeria) The striking health workers at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, on Monday said they would continue with their strike until the Hospital's management addressed the union’s demands. Mr Kehinde Adegoke, the LUTH Chapter Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals, Research and Allied Institutes, SSAUTHRAI, made this known in Lagos. Adegoke spoke with News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos, shortly after the union’s congress to review the strike and map out new strategies. The workers, under the aegis of the Joint House Unions and Associations, JHUA, had on December 31 embarked on an indefinite strike to further express their grievances. NAN reports that JHUA comprises health workers in the Medical and Health Workers Union, MWHUN and the Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals, Research and Allied Institutes, SSAUTHRAI. It also includes the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU and the National Associ

(Nigeria) The Senate Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force on Monday urged the newly appointed service chiefs to effectively tackle insurgency and oil theft in the country. The Chairman of the joint committee, Sen. George Sekibo, gave the charge at the commencement of the screening of the service chiefs in Abuja on Monday. Sekibo noted that potent strategies must be undertaken by the newly appointed service chiefs to tackle kidnapping, pipeline vandalism and other security challenges in various parts of the nation. He said the entire senate was determined to support any effort geared toward the protection of citizens by eliminating all forms of lawlessness and threat to national security. According to him, the screening exercise is in accordance with the provision of the constitution which mandates the National Assembly to confirm the service chiefs before they are decorated by the president. ``Our country is going through some major challenges, including

(Nigeria) Dana Air on Monday resumed flight operations after a successful operational audit the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, carried out on the airline, reports NAN. Dana Air’s aircraft with registration number 5N-JOY departed the domestic terminal two of the Murtala Muhammed Airport by 2:30 p.m. Addressing aviation correspondents, Mr Yvan Drewinsky, the Chief Operating Officer of the airline, commended the NCAA under its Director-General, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, for the successful completion of the technical audit. Drewinsky assured the NCAA management that Dana would comply with all the standard regulations. ``I am happy that Capt. Akinkuotu wrote us to say we can recommence flight operations after the audit had been successfully completed by NCAA inspectors and its foreign partners,’’ he said. He said that the airline had organised series of training for its personnel to keep them up-to-date in the discharge of their duties. ``Some pilots are still in South

Egypt's interim President Adli Mansour issued a decree promoting military chief and Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to the rank of field marshal, the state TV reported Monday. "Field marshal" is the highest military rank in Egypt, according to military and strategic experts, reports Xinhua. Egyptian military led by Sisi removed former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013 and set forth a roadmap for the country including a new constitution which will be followed by presidential and parliamentary polls. Sisi's popularity has been growing since Morsi's removal, with a lot of voices calling him to run for president in the upcoming elections. The military chief neither confirmed nor denied his intention to join the upcoming presidential race. The preparations are supposed to be done within the next three months according to the newly-approved constitution. On January 11, a few days before a constitutional referendum, Sisi said his cand