[PHOTOS] Meet The Nigerian Surgeon Who Removed Baby From Mother’s Womb, Operated On Her Tumor & Returned Her Back

Dr. Olutoye is  the Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Fetal Center and fetal surgery team member, as well as a general pediatric surgeon. Dr. Olutoye received his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1988 and his PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, in 1996.
He and his surgeon partner, Dr. Darrell Cass of Texas Children’s Hospital operated on a 23-week-old baby
Little Lynlee Hope suffered from a tumour known as Sacrococcygeal Teratoma and had to be removed from her mother’s womb, operated on and returned back.
She healed and continued to grow until she was born again at 36 weeks.

He completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Virginia Commonwealth University, and his fellowship in pediatric surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. Olutoye is a member of the International Fetal Medicine and Surgery Society and is a Fellow of the Surgical Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Surgeons; he is also a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons.
Dr. Olutoye has specialized clinical expertise in fetal and neonatal surgery, with specific interest in congenital diaphragmatic hernia and complex wounds. Dr. Olutoye’s research interests include understanding the role of the fetal inflammatory response in scarless fetal wound healing, development of animal models of congenital anomalies, in utero correction of severe congenital malformations, and the study of endothelial-leukocyte and endothelial-tumor cell interactions with a goal to better understand the mechanisms of tumor metastasis.
Dr. Olutoye is certified by the American Board of Surgery in Surgery and Pediatric Surgery.

Daura Bursts To Life As Buhari’s Daughter Weds In Katsina

Business boomed in Daura, Katsina State, as the ancient town went agog for President Buhari’s daughter wedding on Friday.
Super markets, shops, soft drink sellers and commercial motorcyclists recorded a boom in their businesses as visitors and well wishers from across the country were sighted purchasing various traditional wares.
The traders at Daura city market also conducted their businesses without hindrance.
The soft drink and bottled water sellers are receiving high patronage due the scorching heat in the city.
It was observed that there was high vehicular traffic as various brands of assorted cars and jeeps belonging to invitees flooded the town.

Several of the invitees drove straight to the Emir of Daura’s palace, Alhaji Umar Farouq, to pay homage before proceeding to the venue of the wedding.
The residents of Daura were also seen in high spirit, receiving and entertaining visitors as well as directing them to various places in appreciation of their presence for the high profile wedding.
The President’s daughter, Fatima, is getting married to her heartthrob, Malam Gimba Yau Kumo.
She will become the fourth wife of Gimba, who is a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

SOURCE: (NAN)

‘How Can Someone With MSc In French Literature Be Agric Minister?’ – Reno Omokri Blasts Ogbeh

Reno Omokri, spokesman of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has again taken a swipe at another Minister in the Buhari government, questioning the educational qualification of Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture.

 Omokri had previously attacked Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, putting her educational qualifications into perspective as he rubbished her alma mater.

 https://twitter.com/renoomokri/status/791692860680568832/photo/1

Omokri, while sharing a thought on his twitter page, noted that Nigeria is experiencing a hike in food prices because of Audu Ogbeh’s educational qualification.

[PHOTOS] First Wife Reacts As President Buhari’s Second Daughter Becomes Her Husband’s 4th Wife

The  wedding of the second daughter of Nigeria’s President, Hajiya Fatima Muhammadu Buhari,to a former Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, 57-year-old Malam Gimba Yaukumo, today Friday October 28th is currently ongoing.
One of the wives of President Buhari’s daughter’s husband-to-be, Gimba Aishatu took to social media to post loved up photos of she and her 57-year-old husband as he sets to marry Fatima Buhari as his fourth wife today.

See details:

SOURCE: NIGERIAN MONITOR

PHOTOS: Protest in Ondo over Jegede’s replacement as PDP candidate

Ondo state is becoming more violent over the replacement of Jegede as PDP gubernatorial candidate...Jimoh Ibrahim has found favor in the hand of some party members and even INEC itself.

The remover of Jegede who most people think can not compete with the ACP gubernatorial candidate Oluwaromiti Odunayo Akeredolu has caused a great chaos in Akure and Ondo town...

 SOURCE: OMOTOSO IBUKUNOLUWA / PUNCH

Oyo pupils set classrooms ablaze over failure

There was breach of the peace at the Isale-Oyo Community High School, Oyo town, after some pupils of the college reportedly set ablaze some classrooms over mass failure in their examination.

It was learnt that the aggrieved pupils stormed the school premises on Thursday morning charting solidarity songs.

They were said to have gone haywire afterwards, set fire to blocks of classrooms and fled the premises.

The PUNCH gathered that the school authorities alerted men of the Oyo State Fire Service, who responded swiftly to put out the fire.

Policemen were deployed in the school to restore peace but none of the pupils had been arrested as of the time of filing this report.

The disturbance, observers noted, marked the worst phase of the unrest that began days ago over mass failure in exams.

The school compound was deserted as teachers and other pupils reportedly fled for fear of being harmed.

Our correspondents learnt that there had been lingering crises since Monday in some secondary schools in the state following mass failure in the last promotion examinations.

The Oyo State Government has set a new promotion policy which states that only pupils with 50 per cent in Mathematics and English language will transit to the next class.

Pupils of Anglican Secondary School in Oyo reportedly unleashed mayhem on their teachers and destroyed billboards bearing Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s picture.

The Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Banji Olowofela, lamented poor performance of pupils in external examinations, saying public schools could no longer continue to breed substandard pupils.

 “What government says is that there is no automatic promotion again. Our external examinations from1999 till date have been abysmally poor. If we push them to the outside world, we are not helping them. We are trying to give them the opportunity to rediscover themselves. The school has been closed indefinitely,” he added.

SOURCE: PUNCH

Ekiti Assembly drags Fayemi, others to EFCC over alleged N40bn fraud

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC), calling for the investigation and prosecution of the immediate past governor of the State and Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi and others, for allegedly looting the State to the tune of over N40 billion. The petition, dated October 24, 2016 and signed by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Pastor Kolawole Oluwawole, was submitted to the EFCC in Abuja yesterday, by a team of the Deputy Speaker, Hon Segun Adewumi, Chairman House Committee on Information, Dr Samuel Omotoso and Hon Sina Animasaun. However, in a swift reaction, the minister in a statement signed by his media assistant, Mr Yinka Oyebode said he would not be distracted by the childish and ridiculous allegations of fraud levelled against his administration in Ekiti State by the State House of Assembly. The petition by the Assembly was titled; “Complaint of fraudulent practices against former Ekiti State governor and Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi & others: Call for investigation & prosecution.” Other people mentioned in the petition are Mr Dapo Kolawole, Mr Yemi Adaramodu, Mr Abiodun Oyebanji, Arc Oyelade and Mr Bayo Kelekun. The Deputy Speaker, who addressed pressmen after the petition was submitted, said; “Since EFCC have claimed that the commission does not have any complaint against those holding power in Abuja, we have decided to submit this petition openly so that Nigerians and indeed, the entire world will be able to follow it up and ask questions from the EFCC as to what has happened to it.” Dr Omotoso, who also corroborated the Deputy Speaker, disclosed that the petition bordered on 10 major issues, namely; Construction of new civic centre, construction of new governor’s office, mismanagement of the N25bn bond and N5bn commercial bank loan, construction of new government house, diversion of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) N852.9 million, fraudulent purchase of 156 units of Ford vehicles from Coscharis Motors, inflation of road contracts, among others. Also, Hon Animasaun said the State House of Assembly could no longer pretend as if nothing was wrong in the face of the monumental looting of the State treasury perpetrated by immediate past APC government of Fayemi, hence the complaint to the EFCC. The petition, which was accompanied with several documents read in part; “Consequent upon the resolution of the House of Assembly, we write to request for the investigation of the following allegations of fraudulent practices against the former Governor of Ekiti State and incumbent Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi and others. ‘’These fraudulent practices include, but not limited to contracts inflation, misappropriation of fund, diversion of Local Council and State Universal Basic Education funds, amongst others.

 I can’t be distracted –

Fayemi Dr Kayode Fayemi, in his reaction said he would not be distracted by the childish and ridiculous allegations of fraud levelled against his administration in Ekiti State by the State House of Assembly. Dr Fayemi who reacted to the petition submitted by the state assembly to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging N40 billion under his watch as governor of the state, said the lawmakers’ claims are not only baseless, but a calculated attempt to distract him. The Minister’s Special Assistant on Media , Mr Yinka Oyebode, said in a statement yesterday that the Ekiti Assembly’s petition to EFCC is nothing but a rehash of old tales told by little minds. He added that since the allegations lacked substance, it is bound to fail like the previous ones by the state government and its agents.

Fayose asks Ooni, others to defend Tinubu, Falae

 

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has appealed to all the monarchs in Yoruba land to promote unity and defend political leaders against external aggressors.

He also urged the Federal Government to review its policies because of massive hunger in the land.

The governor spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday while receiving the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe.

Fayose specifically appealed to Yoruba kings to ensure that no harm should befall a former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, and other leaders of the Yoruba race.

Tinubu is believed to have fallen out of favour with President Muhammad Buhari while Falae is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly receiving part of the missing security funds from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

Fayose said, “You (Ooni) are in a good position to unite us. We want to appeal to you to remember that we all belong to you, irrespective of political parties.

“That was why I said without apologies that an action against Ahmed Tinubu is an action against the Yoruba nation.

“We must defend the Yoruba nation. They are encroaching. They are harassing; they are depriving us of our legitimate rights. Those who toiled day and night are now victims of circumstances.

“Nothing must happen to Tinubu, Falae and others. This is the way they started with (Obafemi) Awolowo and (Pa Michael) Ajasin,” he cautioned.

Fayose said the effort of the Ooni to unite the Yoruba had started yielding results, urging him to sustain it.

He advised Yoruba leaders to avoid a situation that led to the rivalry between Awolowo and the late Samuel Akintola in the western region.

The governor lamented that there was hunger in the land and he appealed to the Federal Government to evolve policies that would change things for the better.

He also condemned the activities of herdsmen that were destroying farm produce across the country.

“They asked us to go back to farming and they released their cows to be eating our farms. Any cattle that destroy farmlands will be seized by the government,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ogunwusi has called for tact in the handling of the threat posed by herdsmen across the country, especially in the South-West region of the country.

Speaking with journalists, Ooni, who said Ekiti had the power to enact laws, called for a careful handling of the threat posed by herdsmen.

He said he was impressed by the thousands of people that trooped out to receive him and he called for prayers for the governor.

Adejugbe expressed joy at the visit even as he recalled that two departed Oonis, Oba Adesoji Aderemi and Oba Okunade Sijuwade, visited the Ewi in 1937 and 1980 respectively.

He charged the Ooni to continue to unite Yoruba monarchs and sustain the growing unity among Yoruba people.

$2.1bn arms cash: Ex-leaders, top monarchs, clerics among beneficiaries

                             Immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.)

There were indications on Thursday that former Nigerian leaders, traditional and religious leaders from across the country were listed as beneficiaries of the $2.1bn arms funds in the final report of the Presidential panel which probed military contracts from 2007 to 2015.

It was gathered that the report, which had been submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari, recommended the retrieval of undisclosed sums of money from some indicted persons, while in some cases, it recommended their prosecution.

A highly-placed security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said some former Heads of State, were listed as having received various sums of money from the Office of the National Security Adviser under  Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

The source added that a prominent northern traditional ruler was provided funds from the NSA’s office for the monarch’s coronation.

Giving further insights into what some of the funds were used for, the source explained that some were spent to pay the medical bills as well as travel expenses of some of the ex-leaders, who had to travel abroad to seek medical help for undisclosed aliments.

In one of the most notable cases, the report stated that the ONSA shouldered the cost of the medical trips of one of the ex-Heads of State to Germany.

The source added, “The list of beneficiaries from the ONSA under Col. Sambo Dasuki is very long.

“The list comprises very prominent Nigerians, including former Heads of State, many traditional rulers from the North and the South.

“Several religious leaders from the two dominant religions in the country also got funds from the ONSA.

“A former President of the country, who was sick, was flown out of the country to Germany for medical treatment. In fact, the former ONSA paid for the three trips the former leader made to Germany.”

It was learnt that the prosecution team was opposed to an open trial of Dasuki as this could result in disturbing revelations on how the $2.1bn under probe was disbursed.

The arms panel also established that the procurement processes adopted for the purchase of military hardware were arbitrarily and generally characterised by irregularities and fraud.

The highly-placed security official said the panel had interrogated some of the indicted officials, serving and retired officers, and some contractors.

The PUNCH learnt that the Federal Government would soon make public the final report just like it did with the interim report.

Barely three months after he assumed office in 2015, Buhari inaugurated a 13-man panel to probe procurement of arms and related military contracts between 2007 and 2015.

The panel had submitted two interim reports, where several serving and retired military officers were indicted.

Those indicted in the first two reports included Dasuki; a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.); two former Chiefs of Army Staff – Lt. Gen. Azubike Ihejirika (retd.), and Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd.) – and ex-Chiefs of Air Staff, Air Marshal M. D. Umar (retd.), and Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.).

Others indicted were Maj. Gen. E. R. Chioba (retd.), AVM I. A. Balogun (retd.), AVM A. G. Tsakr (retd.), AVM A. G. Idowu (retd.), AVM A. M. Mamu, AVM O. T. Oguntoyinbo,  AVM T. Omenyi, AVM J. B. Adigun and AVM R. A. Ojuawo.

Among those also indicted were AVM J. A. Kayode-Beckley, Air Cdre S. A. Yushau (retd.), Air Cdre A. O. Ogunjobi, Air Cdre G. M. Gwani, Air Cdre S. O. Makinde, Air Cdre A. Y. Lassa and Col. N. Ashinze.

Several contractors, former ministers and government officials are currently being prosecuted for the roles they played in the disbursement of the funds.

In one of the interim reports, the panel said, “The procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterised by irregularities and fraud.

“In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the purposes they were procured for, especially for the counter-insurgency efforts in the North-East.

“A major procurement activity undertaken by ONSA for NAF was that concerning the contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux Nig. Limited between January 2014 and February 2015. NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling $930,500,690 to SEI Nig. Ltd.

“Letters of award and End User Certificates for all the contracts issued by NAF and ONSA respectively did not reflect the contract sums.

“Rather, these were only found in the vendor’s invoices, all dated March 19, 2015.”

A statement credited to the presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, had said the Ode-led panel “comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops’ morale.”

He added, “The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment.”

It was not clear on Thursday if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had received a copy of the report or not, which was said to contain a list of those for further investigation and prosecution.

The spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said he did not have information on the subject.

When asked if the commission had received the report, he simply said, “I don’t know.”

SOURCE: PUNCH

Again, Appeal Court asks Saraki to face CCT trial

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to challenge his ongoing trial on charges bordering on asset declaration breaches.

The Justice Abdul Aboki-led panel ruled that, contrary to Saraki’s contention, the CCT had jurisdiction to entertain the charges instituted against him by the Federal Government.

The judgment of the Court of the Appeal on Thursday cleared any possible legal hurdle capable of preventing the Senate President’s trial from continuing on November 7, as already scheduled by the CCT.

It was the second time the appeal court would be delivering judgment on the same subject matter of jurisdiction of the CCT to try the Senate President.

The Court of Appeal had October 30, 2015, ruled against Saraki on the jurisdiction of the CCT and asked him to proceed to face the 16 counts preferred against him.

The judgment of the appeal court was affirmed by the Supreme Court in a judgment it delivered on February 5, 2016.

On Thursday, all the five members of the appeal court panel unanimously agreed with the lead judgment delivered by Justice Aboki, who resolved all the eight issues formulated for determination against Saraki.

In affirming the earlier ruling of the Danladi Umar-led CCT affirming the tribunal’s jurisdiction, the appeal court upheld all the grounds of objection to the appeal filed by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).

Justice Aboki held among others that contrary to Saraki’s contention, the Attorney General of the Federation had the power to institute charges against him before the CCT.

 He also held that under the constitution, the Code of Conduct Bureau was not under any obligation to invite the appellant to enable him to make a written admission of breaches in his asset declaration forms before charges could be initiated against him.

Justice Aboki ruled, “It held that failure to invite him by the CCB before the charges were filed did not amount to a breach of his constitutional rights to fair hearing and to be tried within reasonable time as provided for under section 35 and 36 of the constitution.

The appeal court held that the tribunal had rightly departed from its earlier decision exonerating a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, on account that he was not invited by the CCB to confront him with the allegations levelled against him.

It also strike down the provisions of the CCB/T Act relied upon by Saraki’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), to make the submission.

Justice Aboki ruled, “The provision relied upon by the appellant is a slippery ground; it cannot stand side by side with the provisions of paragraphs 3(d) and (e) of the 1st Schedule to the constitution.

Justice Aboki also rejected that the submission by Saraki that the charges were politically motivated because they were initiated 13 years after the offences were allegedly committed.

JTF discovers 23 human skulls, arrests 44 IPOB members

Operatives of the Joint Task Force, also known as Operation Delta Safe, disclosed on Thursday that it discovered a total of 23 decomposing human skulls and a human skeleton during raids on militant camps belonging to suspected members of the Bakassi Strike Force in Bakassi and Akpabuyo local government areas of Cross River State.

 A statement issued on Thursday by the Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Operation Delta Safe, Lieutenant Colonel Olaolu Dauda, said the camps located at Ikot Ene Idem, Abakpa and Ikang Inam communities in the Bakassi and Akpabuyo councils of the state were destroyed on Wednesday.

 It also said that 44 suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra were arrested during the inauguration of the Bayelsa State chapter of the group.

 It said the arrested suspects were apprehended at Lakeview Club, along Mabinton Estate, Okaka Road in Bayelsa State while trying to disrupt public peace.

 The statement read, “In fulfillment of Operation Delta Safe’s mandate to rid the Niger Delta region of crude oil theft, sea robbery, all forms of criminality and protection of oil and gas facilities, on October 26, 2016, troops of Sector 4 in Cross River State, acting on a tip-off, carried out raids of Ikot Ene Idem, Abakpa and Ikang Inam communities in the Bakassi and Akpabuyo local government areas.

 “During the cordon-and-search operations, troops discovered four militant shrines with 23 human skulls in various stages of decomposition, a complete human skeleton and several other human body parts. The shrines were destroyed as troops continued the search for the perpetrators of these heinous acts against humanity.”

Bursting the rump of Boko Haram

 

THERE has been a renewed onslaught, even if on a more subdued scale, by Boko Haram insurgents in recent times, driving it home more clearly the fact that the war against the Islamist terrorists is far from over. Admittedly, the radicalised Islamists have been well degraded and their capacity to inflict large-scale destruction associated with their past activities has been firmly curtailed. Yet, this is the time for the military to redouble their efforts to make sure that the last vestiges of the terror group bent on spreading its evil ideology in the North-East of the country are rooted out once and for all.

Among evidence that the military are in this for the long haul is the recent bomb attack in a park in Maiduguri that claimed eight lives. Another report has it that, in separate attacks last month, no fewer than 34 people were killed, eight of them soldiers. One of such attacks was an ambush against a convoy in Bama, near the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, where three soldiers and three of their attackers were killed, according to a statement credited to the military.

While another statement by Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, said nine suspected terrorists were killed in Operation Lafiya Dole near Bulabulin, Boko Haram, in a report that could not be independently verified, also claimed that it had killed more than 40 soldiers of the multinational forces operating in the North-East. As recently as October 19, a Reuters report quoting the Nigerian Army said 13 soldiers were wounded and an unspecified number declared missing after a clash with Boko Haram fighters at Gashigar, near the border with Niger Republic.

Also responding to the same incident, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, to which a faction of Boko Haram has pledged allegiance, tweeted that 20 soldiers of the Nigerian Army and the neighbouring Niger Republic had been killed, with many others wounded. Similarly, in another report quoting the military, seven Nigeriens were killed in separate attacks in the Diffa region near the country’s border with Nigeria. Reports of attacks in Cameroon are also becoming common.

Amidst these attacks, the Nigerian authorities have been declaring themselves victorious in a war that is still raging. Speaking at a seminar in Port Harcourt, the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, said, “The war in the North-East with the Boko Haram has been fought and won –as the Boko Haram elements have been routed, degraded and are being decimated.” Although Dambazzau, a retired Lt.-Gen. and former Chief of Army Staff, spoke in July, the current Army chief, Tukur Buratai, also a Lt.-Gen, re-echoed his sentiments in September, claiming, “The Nigerian Army has not only succeeded in routing them (Boko Haram members) from their camps in the region, we have been able to block these criminal elements from crossing down to these areas or rebuilding their camps anywhere.”

Without doubt, the Nigerian Army has done a lot to clip the wings of the terrorists who have been credited with killing up to 30,000 Nigerians since scaling up their operations in the country in 2009, yet, the war can hardly be said to have been won. From a period when the presence of the terrorists could be felt in up to 15 local government areas –when they even declared Gwoza as the headquarters of their so-called caliphate more than two years ago –the Nigerian military, in collaboration with their counterparts from Niger, Chad and Cameroon, have successfully liberated practically the entire swathe of land taken by Boko Haram.

While this represents a significant step forward, compared to periods when bombs were raining down in areas such as Abuja, Jos, Kano and other areas outside the main theatre of the war in the North-East, it does not in any way represent victory for the military. There is no way the Nigerian authorities can claim victory in the war when Boko Haram is still present within the territories of the country’s neighbours –Chad, Niger and Cameroon. As long as Boko Haram is active in any of those countries, Nigeria will always remain a target of attack as was the case when the terrorists were based in Nigeria, making incursions into the neighbouring countries.

Besides, it should also be noted that some significant progress has been made with the return of 21 out of the 218 Chibok girls kidnapped from their hostel over 900 days ago; but nobody should forget that no fewer than 197 others are still in captivity. The war cannot be won when captured Nigerian citizens are yet to be freed. This premature declaration of victory is also why Abubakar Shekau, declared dead several times, has continued to resurface and taunt those who claimed that he had died.

From reports, it appears the authorities are already beginning to mismanage the little success achieved so far. Complaints are filtering through that the welfare of the soldiers is once more, not getting maximum attention. The soldiers are reportedly grumbling about their allowances being slashed and the poor quality of food they are being served. There are also reports of shocking infiltration of the death cult in the military leading to a few humiliating routs. These are clear evidence that the decay and corruption that plagued the military during the Goodluck Jonathan era are gradually creeping back into the operations of the Nigerian military. These are allegations that should be thoroughly investigated and if found to be true actions should be taken.

This should be time for the military to press home the advantages they have gained so far. And, in doing so, they should bear in mind the warning of James Chapper, the United States Director of National Intelligence, who said, “Despite losing territory in 2015, Boko Haram will probably remain a threat to Nigeria throughout 2016 and will continue its terror campaign within the country and in neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad.”

INEC names Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP candidate, Makarfi kicks

The Independent National Electoral Commission has named Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.
 The commission also named Mr. Alabi Ebenezer Omotayo as his running mate. The action of the commission sent the camp of the factional National Chairman of the party, Senator Modu Sheriff, into wild jubilation. With this announcement, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), has ceased from being the official candidate of the PDP. Jegede is the choice of another faction of the party under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi. Until the commission released the final list of all the candidates that would contest the election, on Thursday evening, the name of Jegede was put on its website as the candidate of the PDP. In a letter sent to the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Segun Agbaje, the commission described the list as final. The letter conveying the list was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Augusta Ogakwu. The emergence of Ibrahim came on the heels of a ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which rejected a move by Jegede to appeal against the recognition of Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP. Specifically, Justice Okon Abang, on Thursday, dismissed the application by Jegede on the grounds that he lacked the locus standi to file it. Jegede had by his application sought the leave of the court to appeal against the judgment directing INEC to recognise Ibrahim as the party’s candidate. The October 14, 2016, judgment of the court which Jegede sought to appeal was for the enforcement of an earlier verdict of the same court delivered on June 29, 2016, and which directed INEC to only accept the list of PDP candidate submitted by the Biyi Poroye-led executive in the state. But in his ruling on Thursday Justice Abang held that the application lacked merit. While striking it out, the judge held that Jegede was not mentioned in the substantive matter and, as such, he lacked the locus standi to seek leave to appeal the judgment. The judge ruled, “He (Jegede) also lacked the right to be joined in the main suit and, as such, he cannot be joined thereafter or have the right to appeal the judgment. He is not entitled to appeal. “There is nothing from the records of the court leading to the judgment of June 29, showing that the applicant has interest in the matter.” But a High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, earlier in the day restrained INEC from removing the name of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the candidate of the PDP for the November 26, 2016, governorship election. Justice William Olamide gave the ruling on Thursday based on an ex-parte motion brought before the court by the Clement Faboyede-led PDP faction in the state. An Abuja High Court had on October 15 ordered the electoral commission to remove Jegede’s name for the name of Ibrahim. In his ruling, Justice Olamide said that it would be out of order for INEC to replace Jegede’s name, pending the determination of the motion on notice, saying doing such would contravene the principles of equity, justice and fairness. Meanwhile, the Ahmed Makarfi’s faction has condemned INEC’s declaration of Ibrahim as the candidate of the party. The Publicity Secretary of the faction, Mr. Banji Okunomo, said the commission was biased in the pronouncement despite the court order restraining it from declaring Ibrahim as the candidate. He said, “That is INEC ‘s candidate and not PDP’s candidate and it is unfortunate that the INEC that is supposed to be an unbiased electoral umpire has allowed itself to be used by those whose intention is to truncate the nascent democracy we have in this country.” Immediately after the name of Ibrahim was announced by INEC, Sheriff and his camp described the action of the commission as a victory for the rule of law. Sheriff said that he would expect Jegede to work with Ibrahim to win the election, adding that both of them belonged to the same political party.

Ondo: Nigeria's National Electoral Commission Shocks Gov. Mimiko, Picks Jimoh Ibrahim As PDP Candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday evening shocked Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State by listing Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 26, 2016 election in the state.The choice of the controversial businessman over Mr. Mimiko's choice, Eyitayo Jegede, reportedly came as a shock to the governor’s camp, an aide close to Mr. Mimiko told a correspondent of SaharaReporters.

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday evening shocked Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State by listing Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 26, 2016 election in the state.

The choice of the controversial businessman over Mr. Mimiko's choice, Eyitayo Jegede, reportedly came as a shock to the governor’s camp, an aide close to Mr. Mimiko told a correspondent of SaharaReporters.

Mr. Mimiko belongs to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party. The faction held a primary and adopted Mr. Jegede as its governorship.

However, Mr. Ibrahim, who belongs to a faction of the party led by former Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, emerged the governorship choice of his group.

Both camps had obtained conflicting court orders and judgments declaring their candidate as the PDP’s legitimate candidate. Each faction had served court orders on INEC in a bid to have their governorship candidate listed as the official flag bearer in electoral documents.

A source at INEC told SaharaReporters this evening that electoral officials decided to pick Mr. Ibrahim as the PDP’s official candidate following a long meeting and what the source described as “sound legal advice from our [INEC] lawyers.”

Rotimi Akeredolu remains the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Olusola Oke, who defected from the APC after its rancorous primary, has emerged as the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Mr. Ibrahim rose to prominence during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Despite his stupendous fortune, he has been sued in the US and Nigeria for a series of business-related debts and other sharp practices.

Police rescue 12-year-old girl in Ogun, arrest kidnapper

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper, Odele Tosin, for allegedly masterminding the kidnap of a 12-year-old girl, Eniola Oyekanmi, in the Ketu area of Lagos. The victim was said to have been kidnapped on Friday by the gang at the Orimerunmu area of Ketu. Policemen from Mowe Division of the command reportedly rescued Oyekanmi around 1am on Saturday in a hotel at Mowe, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state. The victim was taken to the hotel, while the gang demanded a ransom. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the victim was kidnapped by the gang while she was running an errand for her parents. He said, “She was taken to a hotel in Mowe where the kidnappers kept her and started demanding a ransom. They ran out of luck when the anti-robbery team from Mowe Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Francis Ebohuwa, got a tip-off and stormed the hotel. One of the suspects was arrested while others escaped. The victim was rescued unhurt.” Oyeyemi said the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, had ordered a manhunt for the members of the gang who escaped. He said Iliyasu had also directed that the suspect be transferred to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the command headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation. SOURCE: PUNCH

Igbo leaders no longer respect Ojukwu, MASSOB laments

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra on Sunday cried out that Igbo leaders no longer respect the leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Ojukwu was generally regarded as the leader of the Igbos while he was alive, even several years after he led the move to secede from Nigeria, which culminated in the Civil War. Years after his death, Ojukwu is literally worshiped by pro- Biafra activists, who continue to draw inspiration from his role in the history of the Igbos. However, MASSOB, which recently threatened to organise an ‘internal’ revolution against Igbo leaders, including state governors, has said Ojukwu was no longer accorded the same level of respect in Igboland. MASSOB leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, who made the group’s feelings known in a statement, which was made available to our correspondent in Enugu, said the late Biafran leader was not happy with the current crop of political, traditional, religious and opinion leaders in Igboland. “Ndigbo have abandoned the legacies and visions of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Eze Igbo Gburugburu) even his image, personality and name are no longer respected or regarded in the political, economical, social, traditional and religious lives of Ndigbo. “Ojukwu and our ancestors are not happy with Igbo leaders,” the MASSOB leader said in the statement. The secessionist group said Igbos have caused even more harm to themselves than the Federal Government. According to the MASSOB leader, Igbos put in more effort towards the development of foreign lands while neglecting Igboland. He also chided Igbos for what he described as a ‘nonchalant’ attitude towards their ancestors. Madu said, “Ndigbo have committed more harmful, dangerous and sacrilegious crimes against Igboland with their nonchalant attitude and selfishness against our ancestors. “75 per cent of infrastructural, economic, academic, commercial, technological and agricultural developments in Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, Ibadan, Ilorin and other major cities outside Igboland are established by Ndigbo.” MASSOB insisted that Igbo leaders must ‘sit up’ and advance the interests of their people.

After secret talks: Buhari takes steps to end feud with Tinubu

The prolonged cold war between President Muhammadu Buhari and his erstwhile close political associate and South-West political strongman, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, may soon come to an end. Reliable sources within the party told SUNDAY PUNCH during the week that the two sides began planning to bury the hatchet during a recent meeting that President Buhari held with some of Tinubu’s loyalists in Aso Rock. The President had met with the trio of Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, former Osun governor, Chief Bisi Akande, and Senator Olusola Adeyeye last week Sunday. The sources also said both parties agreed that the President needed to take some confidence-boosting measures to restore Tinubu’s faith in him. The two men reportedly fell out following what Tinubu and his loyalists saw as attempts to diminish his contributions to President Buhari’s victory at the 2015 poll and erode his political capital in his South-West base. Some supporters of the former governor had also complained that the President rejected Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, and worked against the ex-Lagos governor’s candidates in the Kogi elections and Ondo governorship primary, among other ills. A reliable source who was privy to the events that culminated in the meeting said its seeds were planted during President Buhari’s three-day state visit to Germany. Prior to that time, Buhari and Tinubu had not had any private communication in a while. But the source said the President contacted Akande, who is one of Tinubu’s closest associates and a former Interim Chairman of the APC, asking him to see him in Aso Rock. The President’s call reportedly came barely 48 hours after the controversial interview the President’s wife, Aisha, granted the British Broadcasting Corporation. In the interview which went viral, the president’s wife accused her husband of neglecting those who helped him to power in 2015. Mrs. Buhari also threatened not to support her husband in 2019 if the President did not change tack. Sources said although both men’s relationship began to sour almost as soon as Buhari won the election, it deteriorated when Professor John Paden, in his book titled ‘Muhammadu Buhari: Challenges of Leadership,’ claimed that Tinubu was against the emergence of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President. Both Buhari and Tinubu were present at the book launch. Insiders say this did not go down well with Tinubu and his men, as the All Progressives Congress national leader’s camp saw it as yet another attempt by the President and his men to reduce his contributions to the emergence of the APC government and also rewrite history. Shortly after, Tinubu in a scathing open letter asked the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to step down, after alleging that the chairman doctored results of the Ondo State APC governorship primary. Odigie-Oyegun, a former Edo State governor, who had been cautious in his initial response to Tinubu’s letter, paid a visit to Buhari in Aso Rock and thereafter launched an attack on Tinubu, describing his letter as ‘reckless.’ Seeing that he was fast losing at the centre, the APC chieftain, popularly known as the Jagaban (of Borgu), started reaching out to his political foes in the South-West in order to consolidate his influence in the region. With several meetings held, Tinubu’s most vocal critics such as Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olanihun Ajayi, among others, began to drum up support for him publicly. A source in the presidency told our correspondent that Akande, who cut short his trip abroad to see the President, did not mince words during the meeting. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Akande told Buhari that despite the roles Tinubu and the South-West played in making him President, he had relegated the APC national leader and the region. The source said, “Baba Akande told the President that they were not happy with him. He told Buhari that apart from not giving Tinubu sufficient consideration during the ministerial appointments, everything that played out in the Kogi and Ondo elections showed that the President was supporting Asiwaju’s enemies. “Baba also said Paden’s book was a major slight and that they believed the President was aware of the content of the book before it went public. He further said some of the people around Buhari were hell-bent on ensuring that the President and Tinubu became enemies because of what they would gain from the crisis.” The source stated that Buhari countered that he was unhappy with the acrimony in the ruling party and that he had tried to be fair to all parties. But Akande was said to have disagreed with the President in his response, and cited further examples. SUNDAY PUNCH further gathered that Akande told the President to take practical steps to show that he was not fighting Tinubu and the South-West. While listing their demands, Akande and others told him that they needed to see more representation of those that helped him to power during the next cabinet reshuffle. There have been reports that a cabinet change is imminent. Akande, who travelled abroad after the meeting with Buhari, could not be reached for comments, but a top APC member close to him confirmed details of the meeting, saying, “They want Buhari to accept Tinubu’s list when he makes changes in his cabinet. They specifically told him that they are only in support of one of the South-West ministers in his cabinet. They also asked him to get the party leadership to hold the National Executive Council meetings regularly while also facilitating the constitution of the party’s board of trustees.” A source close to the South-West leadership of the party disclosed to one of our correspondents that Akande and Aregbesola had met at the former’s residence in Ila- Orangun two Wednesdays ago before meeting the President. Akande had been honoured by the Catholic Diocese in Otan-Ayegbaju, Osun State, where a school was inaugurated in his name. The late mother of a former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who hailed from Otan-Ayegbaju, was also honoured by the church, which inaugurated a multipurpose hall in her honour. APC leaders, members and supporters, including Aregbesola, who thronged the venue of the ceremony, accompanied Akande to Ila-Orangun as a mark of respect. It was gathered that Aregbesola and Akande held a meeting at Akande’s residence, where they discussed the face-off between Buhari and Tinubu. The source said, “We were at Otan-Ayegbaji together. We later accompanied Baba Akande to Ila-Orangun after the Otan-Ayegbaju ceremony. When we got to Ila-Orangun, both the governor and Baba Akande went inside for a very long time. I’m sure that was where the decision to intervene in the matter was taken. “When they met Buhari, they complained about the marginalisation of Tinubu’s men. At the meeting, Aregbesola said they (Tinubu loyalists) were not out to fight Buhari, but that the President should consider the Tinubu group in terms of appointments. “Buhari told them that he was not out to undermine Tinubu’s group and that things would change in the coming days.” The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said he was not aware of what transpired during the meeting between the President and the APC chieftains. He said, “I am not aware of what was discussed with the President in the said meeting. As a matter of fact, it is not the nature of the President to disclose what people discuss with him in confidence during meetings.” SOURCE: PUNCH

Clinton jumps to double-digit lead over Trump – Poll

Hillary Clinton has soared to a 12-point lead over Donald Trump in the race for the White House, according to a new poll released Sunday, with the real estate magnate’s support tanking among key voter groups. The Republican presidential nominee has seen dismal poll numbers since a string of women came forward earlier this month to accuse him of sexual assault or inappropriate behavior in the past. He has also stirred controversy by refusing to say that he will accept the result of the November 8 election no matter what, calling the process “rigged.” Clinton, the Democratic former secretary of state, leads 50 percent to 38 percent in a four-way contest with two minor party candidates, according to a national ABC News poll. It was up from Clinton’s four percentage point edge in an ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted 10 days ago. Trump held a small 47-43 percent lead among white Americans, a group that Republican Mitt Romney won by 20 points in the 2012 election. Republican candidates must have strong support from white voters if they want to win, with non-white voters overwhelmingly favoring Democratic candidates. Clinton leads 55-35 percent among women, and has doubled her lead to 32 points among college-educated white women — a group strongly critical of Trump’s response to allegations of inappropriate behavior. The poll even showed Clinton leading for the first time among men, 44 to 41 percent — although that lead is within the poll’s margin of error. With just over two weeks to go before Election Day, the two White House hopefuls are targeting key battleground states like Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Team Clinton is hoping for a landslide win, even holding out hope of taking back control of at least one of the two houses of Congress from the Republicans. “We’re not taking anything for granted at all,” campaign manager Robby Mook told Fox News Sunday. “Secretary Clinton at the beginning of this campaign said she wanted to help all candidates up and down the ballot. So we’re running a coordinated campaign, working hard with gubernatorial, Senate and House candidates. But we’re not — you know, this is not over yet.” Early voting has begun in several states, and the initial details were positive, Mook said. “We feel very, very good about what we’ve seen so far… And we’re encouraged also by who is turning out.” Trump has tried to change the narrative, on Saturday outlining his plan for his first 100 days in office, including a pledge to create 25 million jobs and cut taxes for middle- class Americans. “The fact is that this race is not over,” Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told Fox News on Sunday, outlining a plan to win crucial battleground states. *-“He’s not — we’re not giving up. We know we can win this.”-* Trump’s son Eric said polls don’t reflect the support of people who haven’t been on voter rolls for years but will turn out on Election Day to support the populist candidate. “I’m so incredibly proud. He’s carried the weight of this country for the last 18 months. I happen to think we’re going to win,” Eric Trump said on ABC. SOURCE:AFP

US DRAMA: Porn star accuses Trump of unwanted sexual advances

An adult film actress on Saturday became the latest woman to accuse Donald Trump of unwanted sexual advances, saying the Republican presidential candidate offered her $10,000 to come to his hotel room alone. Jessica Drake is one of at least 11 women to have alleged that the real estate billionaire groped them, made inappropriate remarks or forcibly kissed them. Speaking during a Los Angeles news conference accompanied by the high-profile discrimination lawyer Gloria Allred, Drake said she met Trump at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, California in 2006. “He flirted with me and invited me to walk along the golf course with him,” she said, adding that he asked her to his hotel room. She went along with two other women, Drake said. Wearing pajamas when they entered, Trump “grabbed each of us tightly in a hug and kissed each one of us without asking permission.” He also asked what it was like to film pornography, Drake said. After she returned to her room, Drake said, Trump called her asking her to return to his suite and invited her to a party. “What do you want? How much?” she said Trump asked her. After she declined, Drake said, she received another call either from Trump or another man offering $10,000 and use of Trump’s private plane to fly home to Los Angeles if she were to accept. During Saturday’s news conference, Allred — who also represents two other women who accuse Trump of unwanted sexual advances — showed a photograph of Trump and Drake at the golf tournament. *-Trump’s campaign denied the Drake’s allegations.-* “This story is totally false and ridiculous,” it said in a statement. “Mr Trump does not know this person, does not remember this person and would have no interest in ever knowing her.” “This is just another attempt by the Clinton campaign to defame a candidate who just today is number one in three different polls,” it added of Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Trump has seen his campaign spiral downward in recent weeks ahead of the November 8 election after a number of women made allegations that he sexually assaulted them — claims he again insisted on Saturday were false. He also threatened to take legal action against all the “liars” that have claimed to be victims of his sexual assaults. “The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over,” he said during a campaign rally. The allegations have come on the heels of the release of a 2005 video in which Trump is heard making lewd comments about women to a television talk show host, saying his fame entitles him to grope women. SOURCE: AFP

Chiefs arrest five for holding funeral during Oba’s coronation

Five persons including a musician were arrested on Saturday by palace authorities for holding a burial ceremony during the coronation of the Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo, Oba Ewuare II. It was gathered that they were arrested while the ceremony was ongoing at Uwa Primary School in Oredo Local Government Area of the state. It was learnt that some chiefs from the Oba’s palace stormed the venue and placed ‘Umenhe’ leaves (palm frond) on the food, drinks and canopies, indicating that an abomination had been committed. The ‘Umenhe’ leaves also signify a message of no trespass from the Oba. Many of the guests and family members burial looked surprised and disappointed. Some of them also gathered in groups discussing the development. One of those arrested, who identified herself as Josephine Ehimwenma, alleged that they had been given the approval to go ahead with the ceremony by some chiefs, since the main coronation had been completed. Ehimwenma also claimed that the family members of the deceased were not aware that the ban had not been lifted. She said, “Three days ago, I went to the palace and I met some chiefs and told them that I have buried my father (and) that I just wanted to entertain friends and well wishers. They said I should go ahead and demanded ‘chop’ money.” A source in the palace said the family was asked to buy some sacrificial items for cleansing the land. A member of the Iwebo palace society, Chief Sunday Okhiokpamwonyi, explained that the family would pay a fine and postpone the burial. “Ewaise and Ogbelaka will tell her what to do to cleanse the land and to save the family,” he added. Meanwhile, the monarch has promised to ensure peaceful coexistence among the diverse groups in the country. Oba Ewuare II spoke on Saturday during a special ceremony organised in his honour by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the Oba’s palace in Benin, the Edo State capital. The monarch was crowned as the 40th Oba of Benin Kingdom on Thursday morning and received his staff of office from Governor Adams Oshiomhole at an elaborate ceremony held at Urho-Okpota hall.

FG’s prosecution team to meet over charges against judges

… as SERAP, CACOL, lawyers demand Amaechi’s probe Ade Adesomoju, Abuja, Dayo Oketola, Gbenro Adeoye and Tunde Ajaja The Federal Government’s National Prosecution Coordination Committee is meeting over the draft charges already drawn against three among the seven judges arrested by the Department of State Services between October 8 and 9 this year. Baring any unplanned situation, the charges were likely to be filed next week after the meeting of the committee members, a credible source who is familiar with the ongoing process confirmed to Saturday PUNCH on Friday. The PUNCH had reported that the draft charges were originally meant to be filed last Thursday. But a source confirmed to Saturday PUNCH on Friday that the filing was delayed because of the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, who was on an official trip to Turkey. The source said, “The NPCC has actually finished the drafting of the charges. “They would have been filed on Thursday if not for the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation. “The AGF said he wanted to see the charges before they were filed.” It was learnt that the AGF arrived the country on Thursday but only resumed official duties on Friday. A top source in the Federal Ministry of Justice said the AGF on Friday directed that further meeting be held on the draft charges before filing. According to other sources and a member of the NPCC, the meeting of the NPCC might hold on Saturday. Our correspondent learnt that the Federal Government had drafted charges against three of the seven arrested judges. It was learnt earlier on Wednesday that the drafting of the charges would be concluded and ready for filing on Thursday. It was gathered that drafting of the charges involved the input of members of the NPCC, legal and operational officers of the Department of State Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation. One of those involved in the drafting had told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make comments on the issue, that three of the arrested judges would likely be charged with money laundering on Thursday. The source said the three judges already marked for prosecution would be charged separately. He added, “Apart from money laundering, the three judges would also face other charges depending on the peculiarities of the individuals’ cases and outcome of investigation.” When asked before which court the judges would be charged, the source said, “Going by the nature of the charges we want to file, the only court with the requisite jurisdiction is the Federal High Court.” A member of the NPCC, as earlier reported by Saturday PUNCH, had confided in our correspondent that the Federal Government, through the NPCC had established prima facie cases against the judges. The source explained that the government had through investigation obtained more evidence that was not envisaged at the outset. The source said, “The truth of the matter is that the arrests carried out have led to more evidence and the Federal Government, through the NPCC, is drafting the charges to be filed against the judges. “But I can assure you that we have got prima facie cases against the judges. “Investigations, which are still ongoing, have revealed a lot of evidence that was not envisaged at the outset. “The available evidence will determine the charges to be filed and in which court to file them.” The source said despite the condemnation of the arrest of the judges by the National Judicial Council, the government would proceed with the prosecution of the judges. The DSS had between October 8 and 9 raided the houses of the seven judges and arrested them. They have since been released on bail. When contacted, spokesperson for NPCC and for the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Salihu Isah, said he would not comment on the case due to its sensitivity. The arrested judges were Justice Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro, both of the Supreme Court; Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and Justice Muazu Pindiga of the Gombe State High Court. Others who were arrested had been placed on suspension by the National Judicial Council pending the time President Buhari and their various state governors would approve its recommendation for their sacking. They are a former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; and the judge of the Kano State High Court, Justice Kabiru Auta. The DSS later said after the raid that it recovered large sums of money in both local and foreign currencies from the homes of three of the seven judges. … as SERAP, CACOL, lawyers demand Amaechi’s probe In view of the allegations made by two Supreme Court judges that the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, approached them to help influence the apex court’s decisions in some election cases, some civil society organisations and lawyers have called for the probe of the minister. Justices Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta, who were among the seven judges recently arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, in separate letters addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, have accused Amaechi of orchestrating their ordeals because of their refusal to accede to Amaechi’s requests. In his letter, Justice Okoro said that Amaechi told him that he had been mandated by the President of Nigeria (Muhammadu Buhari) and the All Progressives Congress to inform him that “they must win their election appeals in Rivers State, Akwa Ibom and Abia states at all costs.” Ngwuta alleged that Amaechi wanted to use him to influence the Supreme Court judgment with respect to election cases on the Rivers State governorship election and the Ekiti State governorship election. He also claimed that Amaechi’s counterpart in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, contacted him to help sway the Court of Appeal’s decision on Ebonyi State governorship election matter. The Nigerian Bar Association had on Thursday called for the immediate suspension of the judges recently arrested by the DSS “in order to protect the sanctity and integrity of judicial processes that may involve the judges concerned and safeguard the public image of the institution.” In the same vein, some CSOs and lawyers told Saturday PUNCH that the allegations made by the two of the judges against Amaechi and Onu should not be dismissed. For instance, the Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said as much as he considered the judges’ allegations as an after- thought, for not making the revelations earlier, there was need for a thorough investigation into the matter. He said, “Amaechi is having too many baggage, but let the appropriate agency (ies) start investigating the two sides. They should investigate what the judges have said and examine what Amaechi has said in defence. The truth will be somewhere in-between. The investigation must be thorough and unbiased.” Also, the Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said there was need for the government and the relevant agencies to waste no time in investigating the claims of the judges, and that anyone found guilty should be made to stand trial, including the judges. He also called on the judges to come up with evidences to substantiate their allegations. He said, “The judges should not think they can embarrass anybody by making allegations without evidence and they should not think they can disrupt the free flow of trial. But if Amaechi is found guilty of the allegations, he should be made to stand trial, just like the judges.” The Coalition for Transparency Accountability and Good Governance said it was high time Amaechi stepped down as a minister, given the number of allegations against him. Its Coordinator, Mr. Mike Opia, said apart from the judges’ allegations against Amaechi, a report by UK-based Mail Online had also levelled some corruption allegations against the former governor. Opia said if Amaechi was not investigated, it would appear that the fight against corruption by the present administration was a mere witch hunt. “The allegations should be investigated and the minister should step down. This is not the first time he would be accused, and he’s not the only one in that cabinet. The President is not corrupt but it appears he harbours some corrupt persons. So, let Amaechi step aside because the anti-corruption fight seems like a witch hunt.” Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in an email sent to one of our correspondents, said all the allegations should be investigated irrespective of who is involved. “What has been confirmed is that cases pending in the highest court of the land are discussed and negotiated with litigants who visit their (judges’) homes,” he said. “I have also read the allegation of a retired judge who said that a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria asked her to pervert the course of justice. These very serious allegations ought to be thoroughly and speedily investigated by an independent panel. “Offering a bribe to a public officer is a criminal offence while failure to report the offer is also a criminal offence. Whoever is implicated in the investigation should be prosecuted. This is a can of worms that cannot be covered up. The bankrupt ruling class has allowed the house of justice to be taken over by rats and cockroaches. It has to be fully fumigated in the interest of political stability.” Another lawyer, Mr. Liborous Oshoma, asked Amaechi and Onu to leave their ministerial positions while the matter is being investigated, saying, “What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.” “So while investigating the judges, we just cannot close our eyes to the allegations made by the judges,” he added. “If we say the judges should step aside as a matter of confidence, is it not also a matter of confidence to ask the ministers that have been accused of trying to influence court decisions to also step aside pending a holistic investigation into all the matters? “These are politicians and we cannot pretend that we don’t know the attitude of Nigerian politicians; if we pretend we don’t, we will be deceiving ourselves.” Oshoma also dismissed the opinions of some people, who questioned the timing of the judges’ allegations, saying, “People should not say that it was belated; is there a statute of limitation to criminality? When Bukola Saraki (Senate President) was charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for offences committed in 2003, did we also question the timing?” Also in the view of Wahab Shittu, another lawyer, the allegations against Amaechi should be “thoroughly investigated.” He said, “What the judges have said, notwithstanding the timing, must be thoroughly investigated.” SOURCE: PUNCH

Trump will accept election results, says daughter

She is as calm and thoughtful as her father is strident and impetuous. She is Ivanka Trump, and the distance she has taken from her father Donald has earned her both the respect of Democrats and the head-scratching of analysts. So the Republican candidate shocked the nation by saying he might not recognise the results of the presidential election if he loses? Ivanka, the model-turned-business- executive, insists “he’ll accept the outcome either way.” So Donald Trump is caught bragging in lewd terms that he can do whatever he wants to women, then insists this was only “locker-room talk”? His daughter calls the comments “inappropriate and offensive” and admits that her father’s words can be “uncomfortable for us.” Ivanka, soon to turn 35, is still clearly her father’s protegee. He has been unstinting in his praise for his glamorous offspring, a graduate of the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Trump counts on her to attract young and female voters. In introducing her father at the Republican convention in July, Ivanka bragged about his “strength” and his “kindness and compassion.” But she also knows when to step back. Having grown up in the spotlight from an early age, at a time when her father’s extramarital affairs filled the tabloid press, Ivanka knows how to tend to her own image — and that of the clothing line that bears her name. *-– Far from the Republican line –-* Her Twitter and Instagram accounts help nourish her brand, celebrating women who juggle family life and work — with impeccable style — as does a book she plans to publish next year. They portray an ideal family: her husband Jared Kushner, her “biggest fan,” for whom she converted to Judaism, and their three children, aged five, three and six months. She has drawn on her family experiences to distinguish herself during the campaign, quietly urging her father to make promises far removed from Republican orthodoxy, such as a call for six weeks of paid maternity leave and for childcare tax deductions. Beyond that, Ivanka insists, she does not delve deeply into politics, unlike her brothers and husband. “I am not the campaign mastermind, as people love to portray and speculate,” she recently told MSNBC television. But if she has edged away from her father at times in an effort to “salvage her brand,” as The New Yorker magazine has suggested, the balancing act has not been easy. “Her quest to float along empowered but unsullied beside her father throughout this increasingly ugly campaign has been getting harder and harder,” it added. *-– A ‘together’ woman –-* Her reserve, in any case, has earned her a certain degree of respect in the opposing camp. When, at the end of their second televised debate on October 9, the moderator pressed Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to cite at least one quality in their opponent, Clinton said, without hesitation: “His children are incredibly devoted and able.” It was an indirect homage to Ivanka, who is a long- standing friend of Chelsea Clinton, the candidate’s daughter. Even the caustic and strongly left-leaning film director Michael Moore, who just released a film strongly supportive of Clinton, seems to appreciate the young Trump. In an open letter posted on his website, he describes her as a “brilliant” and “very smart and together woman” — the only person capable, he said, of intervening to stop her father’s quixotic campaign. For Sam Abrams, a political scientist at Sarah Lawrence College and the conservative Hoover Institution, “When you listen to her… she’s not engaged in the mud-slinging the way the others are; she is trying to be more professional, more mature.” By taking some distance from her father’s positions, she has given herself “quite a few options” for the future, he said. That future could be in television — she worked on her father’s reality television program “The Apprentice” — or in politics, where Abrams said she could represent values her father could not. “The question is, what does she want to do? Can she separate herself more from her father? Can she do it on her own? Does she want to?” the analyst said. If Donald Trump loses in November as badly as some polls predict, Abrams added, the Republican Party may be in for a prolonged period of self-examination over “what it is and what it stands for.” So “there is no rush,” he said. “Hillary is the living proof that you can be at it for years.” SOURCE: AFP