Court orders DSS to pay detained Ekiti lawmaker N5m

Kamarudeen Ogundele, Ado Ekiti

The Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday ordered the Department of State Services to pay a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Afolabi Akanni, N5m damages for his illegal arrest.
The court condemned his arrest and “continued detention for 18 harrowing, excruciating and brain cudgeling days, without access to his lawyers and family.”

Akanni, representing Efon Constituency 1 at the Ekiti State House of Assembly, was arrested on March 4 by the DSS and detained for 18 days over alleged sundry

PDP Shuts Down Official Twitter Account

Peoples Democratic Party has announced the closure of its official Twitter account. Head of PDP Publicity Division, Chinwe Nnorom disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, April 19 via its official Facebook account.

“The general public may wish to recall that

EFCC Denies Ekweremadu’s Decoration As Anti-Corruption Ambassador

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday discredited reports that it has decorated the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as an ‘Anti-Corruption Ambassador’.

The anti-graft agency made the disclaimer in a statement by its Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren.

“According to a statement issued to the press by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, the purported decoration, was carried

Ogun State Provides Online Access To Drum Festival

The Ogun State government has provided an online access to the first edition of the Nigerian Drum Festival coming up soon.

As part of preparations for the festival that will held in Abeokuta from April 19 to 22, the State government said an online television website had been launched.

It would allow lovers of drums and traditional festivals across the world monitor the event live from their respective locations.

The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Muyiwa Oladipo, gave the update in Abeokuta, the capital of the state on Monday while revealing the preparedness of the government towards a successful hosting of the event.

President Buhari Arrives In China

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has arrived in the People’s Republic of China for a state visit.

According to the President’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, President Buhari was welcomed at the Beijing Capital International Airport by China’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Cheng Guoping, alongside other senior Chinese government officials.

Also at the airport were the Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, and the Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam.

APC Chieftain Asks Buhari To Cushion Nigerians’ Sufferings

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to implement programmes that would have direct impact on the people especially by finding solutions to the myriad of problems confronting Nigeria.

While addressing journalists on Sunday, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, Kawu Baraje, also blamed the leadership of the party for being docile to the plight of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as it affects his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
He asked the party to stand by him, as a loyal party member.

Mr Baraje was a former National Secretary and former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party before teaming up with others to form the All Progressive Congress, (APC).

Alleged N5.6b fraud: Kalu, two others to be arraigned May 16

Justice Anwuri Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed May 16 for arraignment of former Abia State governor, Orji Uzoh Kalu, the state’s ex-Director of Finance in the State House, Udeh Jones Udeogu, and Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited on a 112 amended charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They are accused of diverting the Abia State’s funds estimated at about N5.6billion while Kalu and Udeogu were in office between 1999 and 2007.

The three are to be re-arraigned on the amended charge about seven years after they were earlier arraigned on a similar charge before Justice Adamu Bello (now retired from the Federal High Court’s bench).

Mark to Nigerians: Rise up against barbarism, insecurity

•Mark

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has asked Nigerians to rise up against the increasing insecurity in parts of the country in order to stop the needless killings of Nigerians. .
Senator Mark noted that although insecurity has taken a global trend, Nigeria cannot afford to allow the challenge degenerate further to an intolerable level.

A statement by his media assistant, Paul Mumeh, said that the former Senate President spoke at the weekend in Ogume, Delta State after he was awarded a Doctorate Degree on Intelligence and Security studies (Honoris Causa) from Novena University at the institution’s convocation ceremony.

It said that the University also established a new faculty named Senator David Mark centre for Intelligence and Security studies for the study issues relating to insecurity and conflicts.
It quoted Mark to have said that “it is sad that hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost to conflicts and insurgency.

Mark to Nigerians: Rise up against barbarism, insecurity

•Mark

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has asked Nigerians to rise up against the increasing insecurity in parts of the country in order to stop the needless killings of Nigerians. .
Senator Mark noted that although insecurity has taken a global trend, Nigeria cannot afford to allow the challenge degenerate further to an intolerable level.

A statement by his media assistant, Paul Mumeh, said that the former Senate President spoke at the weekend in Ogume, Delta State after he was awarded a Doctorate Degree on Intelligence and Security studies (Honoris Causa) from Novena University at the institution’s convocation ceremony.

It said that the University also established a new faculty named Senator David Mark centre for Intelligence and Security studies for the study issues relating to insecurity and conflicts.
It quoted Mark to have said that “it is sad that hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost to conflicts and insurgency.

Journalists have nothing to fear from Federal Government – Minister

“Not a single journalist is in detention in Nigeria today. The government of the day is not a threat to the media and it is not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally guaranteed rights,” he said at the session devoted to a debate on the implementation of the document on the “International Declaration On The Protection of Journalists”, which was presented at the Congress

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said journalists in Nigeria have nothing to fear from the Nigerian government in the performance of their duties.

“Under this dispensation, we have never even contemplated stifling the freedom of the media not to talk of hounding them to death,” the Minister said in Doha on Sunday when he featured as a panelist at the ongoing 2016 Annual Congress of the International Press Institute in the Qatari capital.

“Not a single journalist is in detention in Nigeria today. The government of the day is not a threat to the media and it is not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally guaranteed rights,” he said at the session devoted to a debate on the implementation of the document on the “International Declaration On The Protection of Journalists”, which was presented at the Congress.

Ekiti slips back into crisis

Fayose

Ekiti State has been in the news again, following the detention of some members of the House of Assembly and the State Executive Council by the Department of State Services (DSS), which is investigating them for alleged crimes. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

History may be repeating itself in Ekiti State. Ten years after top government officials were investigated for alleged graft, diversion of public funds, operation of foreign accounts and execution of a phony poultry project, the Department of State Services (DSS) is beaming a searchlight on the Ayo Fayose administration.

The investigation, which was spearheaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), led to the impeachment of the Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose by 24 of 26 members of the House of Assembly. Less than two years after he returned to power, the governor is facing another storm over sundry allegations against some officials of his administration and state legislators.

On March 4, DSS men stormed Ekiti and arrested four legislators. The Speaker, Hon. Kola Oluwawole, alleged that they were abducted by the operatives. He said: “More than 10 DSS men armed to the teeth” stormed the Assembly complex and shot sporadically into the air causing panic among legislators and staff. Among the legislators arrested was Hon. Afolabi Akanni from Efon Constituency. They were taken to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territoty (FCT) for interrogation.

Three injured as fire razes Niger Biscuit Company

•Fire fighters at the scene...yesterday.

Three persons were burnt yesterday when fire razed Niger Biscuits Company on Creek Road in Apapa, Lagos, destroying property worth millions of naira.
Two Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) within the premises were destroyed.


It was learnt that the fire was sparked by gas explosion in the factory few minutes after 2pm.
A factory worker, who gave his name as Chukwudi, said the injured were rushed to hospital by Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) officials.

One of the victims was a security officer deployed in the company few weeks ago. He was said to trying to put out the fire. In fact, only God can save him,” said an eyewitness.

Australian journalists detained in Malaysia for trying to question PM

Prime Minister Najib Razak

Two Australian journalists were detained overnight and have been barred from leaving Malaysia after they tried to “aggressively” question Prime Minister Najib Razak about a corruption scandal, police said Sunday.
The pair were detained after they crossed a “security line and aggressively tried to approach the prime minister” who was visiting a mosque in Kuching on Borneo island, according to a police statement.
“Both of them were subsequently arrested for failing to comply with police instructions not to cross the security line,” it said.

The journalists work for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Four Corners investigative programme.
“ABC 4Corners team arrested in Malaysia last night after trying to question PM Najib Razak over corruption scandal,” the programme’s executive producer Sally Neighbour tweeted Sunday.

Reporter Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu had approached Najib on the street before their arrest, the broadcaster added.

Nepal begins process to deliver grants nearly a year after quake

Tens of thousands are still living in tents and the government has been strongly criticised for delays in disbursing aid despite donor pledges of billions in assistance.

The National Reconstruction Authority, which is meant to oversee the rebuilding, partnered with local banks in the quake-hit northern Dolakha district to kickstart the disbursement of funds in six villages.
“We have signed grant contracts with local banks to begin distribution of cash,” authority spokesman Suresh Adhikari told AFP.

“Funds will be transferred beginning tomorrow and the beneficiaries will receive the money in a few days.”
Victims of the quake which struck on April 25 last year have so far received just $150 in compensation per household, while the government has promised an additional $2,000 for rebuilding homes — to be disbursed by the reconstruction authority.

Japan utility appeals court order to shut reactors

A Japanese utility on Monday appealed a court decision which ordered the shutdown of two nuclear reactors even though they had been declared safe under tougher rules prompted by the Fukushima meltdown.
The Otsu District Court last week issued the ruling, the first since reactors were restarted under a more rigorous safety regime adopted after the 2011 disaster.

The court ordered the shuttering of Kansai Electric’s No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant 350 kilometres (215 miles) west of Tokyo.
The No. 4 reactor had been taken offline last month due to an unexpected technical glitch days after it restarted, while the No. 3 reactor was switched off soon after the court order.

A Kansai Electric spokesman said Monday that the utility “appealed the ruling” while also demanding that the shutdown reactors be allowed to restart pending the outcome of the appeal.
The shutdown order, issued Wednesday just two days before the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, was a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bid to bring back nuclear power.