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National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi In this interview with JOHN ALECHENU, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, speaks about the party’s performance in governance, internal squabbles, the anti-graft war and several other issues of national interest. Excerpts: Very little, if anything, has been said about your inaugural bi-annual national convention. Nigerians had thought that after the national caucus and the NEC, we would get to hear about specific dates for the national convention but that didn’t happen, why? We just finished our national caucus and National Executive Council meetings. Our chairman representing the National Working Committee briefed the caucus and the NEC on why we have not been able to hold the mini-convention. There are other events that should be happening like state congresses and of course, the elective convention and other things. Instead of settin...

An Inner London Crown Court has sentenced five Nigerians to various jail terms over the theft of £610,000 from business bank accounts. According to reports, Victor Oke, 39, of Galleons Drive, Barking, used stolen data provided by Desmond Uyiosa Abifade, 25, of Henniker Road, Stratford, to falsely impersonate company directors via telephone banking. Once Oke gained access, he diverted funds to ‘mule’ beneficiary accounts monitored by Moses Kuye, 28, of Connaught Road, Silvertown. Melinda Mensah-Oke, 37, also of Galleons Drive, impersonated company directors when a female voice was necessary, while Arinola Kuye, 27, also of Connaught Road, acted as the group’s money launderer. They were caught after being spotted by fraud investigators at HSBC, who passed the case to the dedicated card and payment crime unit (DCPCU) to investigate. The DCPCU is sponsored by the banking industry and made up of officers from the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Poli...

hours deliberation, the jury in Swift's groping trial reached a unanimous verdict Monday: They believe Swift was groped — assaulted and battered, in the legal terminology — by ex-Denver radio DJ David Mueller in 2013.   Austin Swift, left, brother of Taylor Swift enters courthouse with her publicist, Tree Paine, Aug. 14, 2017, in Denver. David Zalubowski, AP Also, the jury decided that Swift's mother, Andrea Swift, and a manager, Frank Bell, were not responsible for Mueller's firing after the encounter, that they were within their rights to contact Mueller's bosses about what Swift said happened to her during a photo op at a pre-concert meet-and-greet. The verdict by the six women and two men on the jury is a total vindication for Swift and her team, and a total loss for Mueller. The two have spent the last two years in a legal battle over their dueling civil lawsuits. The verdict comes at the end of a six-day trial in federal court in Denv...

Neymar completed his world record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday when he signed a five-year contract, the French club announced. The 25-year-old Brazilian earlier broke his contract with Barcelona by paying a 222 million-euro ($264 million, £201 million) buyout clause. Paris Saint-Germain is very happy to announce the arrival of Neymar Jr. Vanguard

Colombian and popular Telemundo actress, Ximena Duque and her husband Jay Adkins, could not more happily announce that they are expecting a child.  The two were married last June, escaped to Bora Bora for a dreamy honeymoon, and today they are expecting their first child together. The Colombian is almost four months pregnant, and sources close to the couple say she has had her dose of pregnancy symptoms, like dizziness and nausea. The same source tells  People in Spanish  that the couple is planning a gender reveal party for beginning of August. The  Queen of the South  star took to Instagram this Wednesday to share the news of baby no. 2 with her 2 million followers. Telemundo

 (0 Likes)  The death toll in Saturday herders attack on the Island community of Epogi, Gbara ward in Mokwa local government area of Niger state has risen to 27, Daily Trust learnt on Tuesday. Director General of the state emergency management agency, Malam Ahmed Ibrahim Inga said report from the native indicated that four bodies were recovered floating on the river on Sunday. Inga also said that two among the six natives wounded during the attack died on Monday thereby bringing the casualty figure to 27. It would be recalled that 20 people were killed, when herders attacked the community, while seven people sustained various degrees of injuries and were taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Bida out of which one died the same day thereby bringing the figure to 21. Inga said the community leaders were still unable to account for many natives especially children. “From their account some people especially children are still missing”, he stated. Meanwhile ...

The Chief Medical Director, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Prof Akeem Lasisi, has testified that the late senator representing Osun-West senatorial district, Chief Isiaka Adeleke, died of an overdose of banned injections. Testifying before a coroner, Mr Olusegun Ayilara, in Osogbo, on Monday, Lasisi, who spoke from the witness box, said the Chief Medical Director of Biket Hospital, Osogbo, Dr Adebisi Adenle, called him on the telephone on April 23 to tell him that Adeleke had died. Lasisi, who said he saw Adeleke’s corpse on a table at LAUTECH’s morgue, added that a pathologist, one Dr Solaja; two resident doctors, who are also pathologists; the Officer in Charge of Homicide, Osun State Police Command; Divisional Police Officer, Dugbe Police Station, Osogbo; and the Consultant Pathologist, LAUTECH, were all present when an autopsy was carried out on Adeleke. The CMD told the court that one of the aides of the late senator told him that...

Chelsea FC celebrated their English Premier League title triumph with a hard-earned 4-3 victory over Watford on Monday at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Conte and his players were able to take the acclaim on a lap of honour after the final whistle in an ill-tempered but thrilling encounter. But they were made to work for the win by a fired-up and physical Watford. John Terry, who will leave at the end of the season after more than two decades at the club, set the ball rolling with an unusual event. He celebrated his first league start since September by scoring Chelsea’s 100th goal in all competitions this term after 22 minutes. Terry then gifted Watford’s Etienne Capoue an instant equaliser with a poor header. Cesar Azpilicueta then saved him the blushes when he restored Chelsea’s lead with a crisp finish before half-time. The contest appeared to be over when Michy Batshuayi, whose goal at West Brom on Friday kept the title in the bag, added a third just after the b...

A Nigerian-born neurosurgeon, Prof Wale Sulaiman, on Saturday, said he had successfully performed a minimally invasive spine surgery. Sulaiman, who is from Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, added that it was the first time the MIS technique had ever been performed in Sub-Saharan Africa. The medical practitioner told our correspondent in Ilorin, the state capital, that the surgery was performed at EuraCare Specialist Hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos State. He said, “The surgery went successfully and the patient had immediate relief of his symptoms, walking on day one after surgery.” Sulaiman, a world-renowned professor of neurosurgery from Ochsner Health System in the United States, explained that MIS surgery was a modern surgical treatment of back/leg pain and neck/arm pain. He added that patients recover quickly and can return to their daily activities faster. The neurosurgeon described minimally invasive technique as the future of spine surg...

As the three-man Committee set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to unravel the circumstances surrounding the placement and discovery of $43million, N23m and £27,000 from an Ikoyi apartment is set to submit its report tomorrow,  information suggests that, whereas Mrs Folasade Oke, wife of the   suspended Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA,   Ambassador Ayo Oke, paid  $1.6m cash for Flat 7B, Osborne Towers, the apartment was immediately transferred to the intelligence agency. The disclosure about the nature of payment by Mrs Oke was made in an affidavit, in support of the application for final forfeiture of the sums, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. During one of the Committee’s sessions, according to sources close to its activities, members were  made to understand that Mrs Oke may not have had knowledge of the details of the contents of the flat she allegedly bought for the spy agency. Headed by ...

82 kidnapped Chibok girls have been released. After lengthy negotiations, Nigeria's security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities. The released #ChibokGirls are due to arrive in Abuja tomorrow Sunday May 7, and will be received by the President. In a press statement released by Garba Sheu,  the senior special assistant to the President, President Muhammadu Buhari expresses his deep gratitude to all who played a part in ensuring the success of this operation, as follows: Security agencies, the military, the Government of Switzerland, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and local and international NGOs. The President again repeatedly expresses his total commitment towards ensuring the safe return of the #ChibokGirls, and all other Boko Haram captives. The President received detailed briefings from the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) at every stage of the negotiations/operation...

The Redeemed Christian Church of God has announced the death of the Assistant General Overseer and Pastor-in-charge of RCCG, West African coast, Pastor Olu Obanure. Obanure became the Assistant General Overseer in charge of Establishment following his investiture at the 64th Annual Convention of the church last August. According to a statement announcing Obanure’s demise and signed by the church’s Head, Media & Public Relations, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, the AGO died on Tuesday May 2, 2017 at the age of 65. He had operated from Ghana. The statement had read: “Pastor Olu Obanure was appointed the assistant general overseer in charge of Establishment during the 64th Annual Convention of the Mission in August 2016. “He had served the Mission in such various capacities as the special assistant to the general overseer (Admin/Personnel) pastor-in charge of West Coast with base in Accra Ghana and as the provincial pastor, Northern Provin...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday joined Muslim faithful to observe the Juma’at prayers inside a mosque located inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Buhari was joined for the two-rakat prayers by top government officials including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello; and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

The Police have arraigned the former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, at a Dutse high court on Tuesday over alleged inciting comments. Lamido was on Sunday arrested by the police over an allegation that he made inciting and inflammatory remarks capable of threatening the peace of the state. Read also: Ex governor Lamido detained for inciting comments Lamido was arrested at his Kano residence by police officers from Zone I, Kano. On arrival at Zone 1, BUK Road, Kano, Lamido was allegedly shown the DVD of the purported inciting recording which he allegedly made to his Peoples Democratic Party supporters in Jigawa, in April 2017.

Former delegates to the 2014 National Conference are currently meeting in Abuja. The meeting, which is being chaired by Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, is also being attended by former delegates from the six geo-political zones of the country. The former delegates are currently debating how to convince the Federal Government to look at the reports of the conference and implement them. Former President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the conference whose reports was also submitted to him before the 2015 elections. The All Progressives Congress which defeated the Peoples Democratic Party, did not send delegates to the conference. The APC said then that it would not implement the outcome of the conference, which it described as a jamboree. Details soon… Copyright -The Punch

The Department of State Services says a Federal Government agency is protecting a former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, who is wanted for allegedly sponsoring Niger Delta militants. Top sources within the DSS said Kuku, who had been in the United States since 2015, was being aided by the Federal Government agency to escape justice. According to the DSS, the agency aiding Kuku claims to be probing him but is in fact doing the opposite. Although the intelligence agency did not name the agency, it had been reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been probing the former presidential aide for sometime. The DSS said, “It is sad to note that, in the course of our investigation, we discovered that an agency, which is also saddled with an investigative authority, is rather creating a platform for criminal fugitives. “We discovered, in particular, a fugitive, who is widely known to have looted our c...

One of Nigeria’s most prominent Muslim leaders is under investigation on suspicion of embezzlement, fuelling rumours that some want him removed after he made a series of comments about the need for social reforms. Anti-corruption investigators are looking into the accounts of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, following allegations of gross mismanagement of royal finances. “We have gone far in the investigation… to safeguard the honour and prestige of the emirate council,” the head of the anti-corruption unit in the northern state of Kano, Muhyi Magaji, said. The treasurer and secretary of the state-funded royal court have been summoned for questioning on Tuesday, he added. A source familiar with the investigation said the probe centred on the use of six billion naira ($19 million, 17 million euros) of palace funds to pay for luxury cars, chartered flights, phone and internet bills as well as other personal expenses. The council has denied the allegatio...

Finally, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu fulfills bail conditions and may walk home anytime from now . Enyinnaya Abaribe (Senator), Immanu-El Shalom (Jewish High Priest) & Tochukwu Uchendu (Abuja-based Chartered Accountant) signed the bail bonds. This fulfills the primary bail terms which includes three sureties who must be a high-ranking member of the society, a Jewish high priest and a top ranking Abuja resident respectively. Each guarantor also paid N100 million each as part of the bail conditions spelt out by Justice Bunts Nyako while granting him bail Wednesday, 26 April.

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a comprehensive reform of Nigeria's tertiary education system, scrapping the award of the Higher National Diploma (HND) by the nation's polytechnics. In effect, the award of the HND will be limited to only the students currently admitted for the programmes. Also, all the programmes currently being run by the polytechnics, which are not technology-based, and which are about 70 per cent, will be scrapped. Under the new rule, the polytechnics will now become campuses of the proximate universities with the Vice Chancellors of those universities appointing provosts for the polytechnics, subject to the ratification of the Universities Councils. The polytechnics will now be limited to award of the National Diploma (ND) while those desirous of further education will be awarded the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) by the proximate university. To kick-start the new policy, the nation's two most prominent polytechnics - Y...

A National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has alleged that Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, worked against the plan to make him President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in the 2015 presidential election. Tinubu stated that Saraki, El-Rufai and other stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party, who defected to the APC in the build-up to the 2015 elections, instigated Buhari and some APC chieftains not to pick him as the would-be Vice-President. The APC leader’s comments were contained in a book titled ‘Against the Run of Play,’ written by the Chairman, Editorial Board of ThisDay, Olusegun Adeniyi. Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State, said his opponents persuaded Buhari to look for another running mate on the grounds that Christians in the North would not embrace a Muslim-Muslim ticket, and as such, could jeopardise the party’s victory. The former governor said the a...

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says Nigeria is currently at a crossroads as poverty, unemployment, inflation, infant mortality and other social vices are on the increase. He, therefore, called on Nigerians to unite in the demand for true federalism. Atiku said this while delivering his speech at the formal public presentation of the Daily Stream newspaper in Abuja on Thursday. He said, “A huge pall of pessimism hangs over a section of the citizenry, and the ranks of those who harbour real doubt about the future of the country swell by the day. “The country is truly at a crossroads, and things are made worse by the cocktail of economic, social and political problems which we have had to contend with, and which add to the abysmally low estimation of our country even by its own citizens.” The former Vice-President recalled that life was better in the First Republic because each region was allowed to grow at its own pace while the Federal Government was weaker....

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into the allegations of violations of law and due process made against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE). The President has also directed the suspension of the SGF from office pending the outcome of the investigations. In a related development, the President has ordered a full scale investigation into the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has made a claim. Femi Adesina, special adviser to the President,  media and publicity, said in a State House press release that t he investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or whic...