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The Federal High Court in Lagos Tuesday ordered the temporary forfeiture of two additional properties in Lagos linked to Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources. The properties in question are valued at $4.76m according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC listed the properties as Penthouse 21 building 5, Block C, 11th floor, Bella Vista Estate, Banana Island, Ikoyi and Penthouse 22, Block B, Admiralty Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos. Counsel for the EFCC, Anselem Ozioko, said the anti-graft agency had reasonable grounds to believe that the properties were acquired with proceeds of alleged unlawful activities of Diezani. After entertaining an ex parte application by the EFCC counsel, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun ordered the temporary forfeiture of the properties. Those listed as defendants in available court papers are Diezani, Donald Amagbo, Schillenburg LLC, and Sequoyah Property Limited, as respondents. The Tuesday’s temporary forfeiture ...

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike (middle), with Rumuokoro Market and Park Site Engineer, Henry Ofolete (left) and Director, Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement, Mr Igonibo Thompson, during the inspection of the Completed Rumuokoro Market and Park, last Monday. The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on the senator representing Rivers South-East district in the National Assembly, Sen. Magnus Abe, to disarm all the boys he armed to hijack ballot boxes, cause mayhem and intimidate Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and the electorate during the December 10, 2016, re-run legislative elections in the state. Reacting to a statement credited to Abe, and published in one of the national dailies, in which he alleged that “there is insecurity in the state and businesses no longer thrive because of the worrisome trend”, the PDP described the claim as untrue, adding that it was one of the deliberate attempts by ...

  Why I Want to Become Osun State Governor 2018   “ Osun Residents Live In Abject Poverty Under Aregbesola ” Olukayode Oduoye was born in the 1970s to the family of Late Senator & Chief (Mrs) Simeon Olasunkanmi Oduoye (AIG Rtd). He hails from Ikirun in Ifelodun Local Government, Osun State. The vibrant politician and businessman attended Government College Ibadan before proceeding to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, from which he earned an LL.B (Hons). After his National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) programme he embarked on further academic pursuit in the United Kingdom, bagging a master’s degree in International Trade and Commercial Law (LL.M) in 1998 at the prestigious University of Buckingham, England, where he was the best graduating foreign student in his class. He was also awarded a doctorate degree, by Bradley University, in 2015. In this interview, the cerebral Osun State PDP gubernatorial aspirant speaks to Fabiyi Oluwaseun eloquently on a...

AM Emerging report reaching Post-Nigeria, revealed that the Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin City, may sack the embattled Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, today, being June 9, 2017. Sources revealed that Obaseki’s predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, is allegedly making frantic efforts to upturn the judgement, with his high profile connection in the Presidency. Recall, that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate in the 2016 Edo State Governorship polls, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, had appealed against the decision of the Justice Ahmed Badamasi-led Edo State Election Petition Tribunal judgement, which validated the election of Obaseki, of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The judgement of the court, which informed Counsels to all the parties of its decision on Thursday, is expected to touch among other grounds of appeal, for an order setting aside the decision of the Tribunal, and another order nullifying the return of the second respondent, Obaseki, while d...

                            By Henry  Umoru ABUJA— THE Senate has given Acting President Yemi Osinbajo a two-week ultimatum to direct all government agencies that have failed to submit their 2017 budget proposals to the National Assembly in line with extant laws for consideration and approval, to do so or the affected agencies would be made to face the full wrath of the law. The Senate also promised that once it gets the budget, it will make it public, work on it diligently as well as turn it around as quickly as possible. Similarly, the senate has summoned the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS,  Chevron Nigeria Limited and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,  over allegation contained in a petition accusing them of tax irregularities. The summon was issued, yesterday, by the Senator Magnus A...

2017 10:02 PM Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo The Osun State House of Assembly on Monday confirmed 38 out of 39 cabinet nominees submitted by Governor Rauf Aregbesola. This is contained in a statement by the assembly’s Committee Chairman on Information and Strategy in Osogbo. According to the statement, the nominees were confirmed by the lawmakers at the plenary in Osogbo with exception of Mr. Adeola Tejumola. According to Oyintiloye, the motion for the confirmation of the nominees was moved by the Majority Leader, Mr. Timothy Owoeye, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Mr. Akinwale Akinwole. In his remarks, the Speaker of the assembly, Hon Najeem Salaam, said the coast had been cleared for the governor to proceed with the swearing-in of the nominees, having found them worthy of confirmation. Salaam, however, urged the nominees to operate open door policy and shun any form of corruption. He said the nominees should bring in new ideas to governance that would rekindle ...

Olalekan Adetayo , Abuja Wife of the President , Mrs. Aisha Buhari , on Wednesday visited the 82 Chibok girls that were released by the Boko Haram sect on Saturday. According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media , Adebisi Olumide - Ajayi, the President ’ s wife visited them at an undisclosed location in Abuja . She was said to have been accompanied by the wife of the Acting President , Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; wives of the governors of Zamfara State , Mrs. Asmau Yari; Kogi State , Mrs. Rashidat Bello; Bauchi State , Mrs. Hadiza Abubakar ; Nasarawa State , Mrs. Mairo Al - Makura , and Sokoto State , Mrs. Mairo Tambuwal . Mrs. Buhari was said to have urged the girls to be strong and to try and forget their ordeal so that they could continue their education . “ She said the prayers of the nation had kept them going and believed that the remaining girls still in captivity would soon be released . She further advised the girls that apart from their education , they should ...

• Some of the 82 freed Chibok girls when President Muhammadu Buhari received them at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ... on Sunday. Photo: State House Fidelis Soriwei and Eniola Akinkuotu , Abuja The Federal Government says it has met with some representatives of parents of the 82 rescued Chibok girls . The 82 schoolgirls , who were abducted from the Government Secondary School , Chibok , Borno State , were freed over the weekend after long negotiations between the Federal Government and the terror sect , Boko Haram . The Swiss Government and the International Committee of the Red Cross were also involved in the talks , which also featured a lawyer , Zanna Mustapha , and Senator Shehu Sani as negotiators . The government added that the representatives were given photographs of the rescued girls which would be handed over to the parents . The Minister of Information and Culture , Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this during an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday . Mohammed said the ...

ABUJA-President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday prayed at the Aso presidential Villa, Mosque. This is coming weeks after he had not been sighted in public. President Buhari, the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar and Magajin Gari of Daura Alhaji Musa Umar at the Eid-El-Kabir Prayer in Daura Katsina on 12th Sep 2016 He was dressed in white flowing gown. His appearance at the mosque is expected to douse tense about his whereabouts as he has not been seen in public for some time now. The President was seen waving and exchanging pleasantries with other worshipers.

Mr. Buhari, who has not made any public appearance in two weeks, is described as greatly emaciated, according to two sources knowledgeable about his condition. T hree medical doctors today arrived in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to attend to the ailing President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, SaharaReporters has learned. The doctors, all British and Caucasian, are two males and one female, according to our highly placed source at the Presidency. Mr. Buhari, who has not made any public appearance in two weeks, is described as greatly emaciated, according to two sources knowledgeable about his condition. Despite statements by the government a few days that the president had “resumed work,” Mr. Buhari remains holed up in his official residence.  Apprehension within the Presidential Villa about the president’s condition was heightened yesterday as the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, was seen moving a lot of documents out of the villa. Our sources...

Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is now officially on trial at Federal High Court in Abuja starting Tuesday, April 25. The trial has begun with Mr Victor Ehiabhi, a police officer, narrating how he helped the Fani-Kayode to receive N26 million from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki in 2014. The police officer identified himself as an Intelligence Operative with the Force Intelligence Bureau. He told the court that he was deployed from the bureau’s Very Important Persons Protection (VIP) Unit, to serve as Fani-Kayode’s security aide before the 2015 presidential election. Fani-Kayode was in custody of the EFCC, but was later released pending further investigation Ehiabi said he was accompanied by Fani-Kayode’s domestic staff to receive the money from office of the NSA at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. ADVERTISING He also said the money which was packed inside a Ghana-Must-Go bag, was handed to him at a time the Fani-Kayode was out ...

- Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi has banned the consumption of three soft drinks in the state - Stating that the drinks were dangerous to the health he angrily instructed aides to remove them from the governor's lodge during a meeting - This ban is coming after a recent report that the drinks contain large amounts of benzoic acid The governor of Ebonyi state, David Umahi has placed a ban on the consumption of Coke, Sprite and Fanta soft drinks at government functions in Ebonyi state. The governor gave the order during a meeting with some traditional rulers and town union executives. The meeting which held on Tuesday, April 18 was about to start when Governor Umahi on entering the governor’s lodge, noticed the soft drinks on the tables. Gov Umahi speaking at a PDP rally According to Nigerian Bulletin, he immediately jumped up, demanded for the microphone and ordered the rushers to remove all bottles of coke, sprite and fanta from the hall as according to him, they are danger...

                         On Tuesday, March 28, the Nigerian Senate admitted that it had bought a bullet proof Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle ( SUV ) as reported in the news. According to Vanguard, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the chairman of the Senate committee on media and publicity in an interview with journalists in Abuja revealed that the SUV was bought at a price different from that being reported by the media. Senator Abdullahi says the SUV was bought for $298,000 (N49.1 million) and not N298, million as was being reported in the media.  SUV Explaining that in 2015 the vehicle was bought for $298 at an exchange rate of N165 to a dollar. Abdullahi said: "Our attention has been drawn to the various false and mischievous reports in the media about the price of the vehicle which the Senate was said to have bought as part of its convoy but was later abandoned when it got impounded by the Customs over controv...

Lagos—Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday launched the re-branded Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, with a pledge that the security of lives and property in the state is now non-negotiable. A total of 177 salon cars and vehicles equipped with necessary communication gadgets, 377 motorcycles, 377 helmets, 4,000 bicycles, metal detectors for ensuring that illegal weapons are not smuggled into public places, among other operational equipment were handed over to the Corps by the governor. Cross view of the newly inaugurated Lagos Neigbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Agege Mini Stadium, Lagos, on Monday Speaking at the official launch held at Agege Stadium, Governor Ambode said the move was another giant step towards enhancing security all over the State and a vital part of the ongoing efforts of his administration to reform the security and justice sector. The Governor, who on August 15, 2016 assented to the law that created the Neighbourhoo...

FILE - In this photo released by the Nigeria State House, Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari speaks at the presidential palace upon his arrival from medical vacation in Abuja, Nigeria, March 10, 2017. Share Print ABUJA —  A lingering illness has led President Muhammadu Buhari to reduce his working day to a few hours since he returned from medical leave, slowing down the pace of economic reforms advanced in his absence, diplomats and government sources said. The Nigerian leader is spending between one and four hours a day in his office to conserve his energy levels, three diplomats and presidency sources said, deepening concerns he is too unwell to orchestrate reforms to the recession-hit OPEC economy. Buhari has long been criticized by households and investors for his slow response to low global oil prices, which sent the naira currency tumbling and the broader economy into a tailspin. When he traveled for treatment, his deputy embarked on ...

Senate President Bukola Saraki has denied ever  importing any bullet proof car contrary to the report laid before the Senate. Saraki made the denial when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in Abuja on Monday. Senate Present Bukola Saraki appearing before a public hearing by Senate Committee on Ethics on allegation of clearing of Armored SUV with fake Custom papers at National Assembly Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan . He said he had nothing to do with the vehicle under reference, adding that the allegation was an attempt to malign his person. “I am not (an) importer and at no point did I import an SUV Range Rover. As you know, this is a vehicle that is not a personal vehicle. “It is a vehicle which was processed through the National Assembly. “I don’t know anything about the importation; I did not appoint any clearing agent or anything like that. “Most of the vehicles that are here you only know when it is delivered to yo...