I won’t return the Millions I collected – Northern Leader Yakasai

I won’t return the Millions I collected – Northern Leader Yakasai

 Controversial politician and Northern leader, Tanko Yakasai has stated why he would not return the money he collected from the former PDP Board of Trustees chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

Yakasai, an octogenarian, was reportedly implicated by Chief Anenih for receiving N63million out of the N250million he had received from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.Yakasai, who said the question of asking him to return the money does not arise, however said he collected only N53m from Anenih and not N63m as the PDP strongman had claimed.
He told Premium Times on telephone that he had not committed any crime as the money given to him was not meant for his personal use.

“I think your questions of whether I will return the money is like jumping the gun, because at the first instance nobody gave me money on my personal capacity. As I told you, the money is for that group.

“And we had, as part of the assignment, visited Borno and Yobe and even met with two traditional leaders. So we have carried out our assignment diligently.

“I am ready at any given time to respond to invitation by EFCC. I am ready to clear my name,” he said.

The EFCC is handling cases of the diversion of funds by the office of the NSA into PDP campaigns.

Faleke’s constituents at House of Reps vow to make INEC declare seat vacant

James FalekeThose being represented by the Deputy Governor-elect of Kogi state, Hon. James Faleke, in the House of Representatives have come under the umbrella of Ikeja Stakeholders’ Forum, ISF, to demand that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declare his seat vacant.

Faleke was the running mate to the late candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prince Abubakar Audu. Audu was already leading in the votes cast in an earlier inconclusive election. His death led the party to nominate Yahaya Bello as his replacement for the supplementary election in Kogi State that was ordered by INEC. This did not go down well with Faleke who is already challenging the decision at the tribunal.

But in a statement issued yesterday by its coordinator, Mr. Olanrewaju Osundairo, the group warned that should INEC fail to declare Faleke’s House of Reps seat vacant, the group would resort to legal action.
They argued that, “By virtue of the fact that Faleke had transferred his franchise away from Lagos to Kogi State, he ceases to be a member of the constituency. He lacks the moral and legal rights to speak for us in Ikeja at the lower legislative chambers.”

ISF maintained that the decision of the lawmaker to contest the governorship has impacted negatively on the representation of the area in the lower chambers, saying the trend must be reversed in the interest of the people of the area.

“You don’t need anyone to tell you that Hon. Faleke has been distracted from representing us at the House of Representatives, all that concerns him now is how to become the governor of Kogi State and not to represent us.”

The statement then threatened that should the electoral body fail to act, “we will compel them to do the needful using the judiciary.”

EXPLOSIVE! IPOB RE-STRATEGIZE AS BUHARI PLOT TO MURDER IGBO DSS THEN MURDER KANU (SHARE)

Information getting to us now is that the director of DSS and Buhari are planning to kill some Igbos working for the DSS in other to secretly execute Nnamdi Kanu. For months now reports have been coming to us on how Nnamdi Kanu is been tortured in the Dungeon of the DSS. Nnamdi Kanu is reported to be very ill and needs urgent care and treatment but the DSS on the order of Buhari have refused to grant him any treatment.

Some Igbos who are members of the DSS have expressed their displeasure towards the treatment of Nnamdi Kanu, this resulting to Buhari and the Director of DSS secretly plotting way to murder them. This information got to us is from a very reliable source and our advice to Buhari is to release Nnamdi Kanu and also to stop torturing him because any harm done to him, will result to a war Nigeria can’t handle. We are calling on all IPOB members to get ready for actions as instructions will be given by our deputy.

Why we cannot arrest corrupt APC big weight – EFCC

At the wake of the ongoing war against corruption, which many view as being selective, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has said that the commission is unable to prosecute perceived corrupt members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, because it is yet to receive any petition against them.

Magu, who made the disclosure on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 in Abuja at a forum with online and broadcast media managers, said more influential Nigerians would soon be arrested to face prosecution as the EFCC under him has reinvigorated the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

The EFCC boss made this revelation at the backdrop of series of allegations against the anti-graft agency of being selective in the prosecution on the war against corruption.

Magu while responding to comments from participants at the forum said, a lot of Nigerians have a feeling that the ongoing war against corruption appears targeted at members of the opposition, but maintained that by his orientation, he has nothing to do with politics, hence he is not doing the bidding of any political party.

“Such accusations have come up a lot, but, we work with petitions before us, in fact, I am eager and waiting for something from the other side, but nothing has come so far,” Magu said.

Magu also said he had never been a fan of plea bargaining, adding however, he would act according to the law of the land.

“The effect of this, which is obvious for all to see, is the investigation, arrest and prosecution of some of the most powerful forces in Nigeria, who have questions to answer on their stewardship whilst in office.

“A former National Security Adviser, former ministers, former governors, serving and retired military men, a media mogul and several others, are among those we have called to answer critical questions concerning the management of our commonwealth.
“As we speak, many more influential Nigerians are on the radar of the EFCC, and in the coming weeks, they would have their days in court and Nigerians will be kept fully abreast of the results of our investigations”, Magu said.

The Opposition PDP had earlier noted that while former PDP governors and ministers were being arrested over orchestrated petitions, their APC counterparts, with more damaging petitions were being shielded by the presidency and given “juicy” ministerial positions.

“Instead of the anti-graft agency, EFCC, to act on the petitions against Messrs. Fashola and Amaechi, they were being “rewarded” with ministerial appointments,” PDP had stated.

Speaking further, The EFCC boss said in carrying out the mandate of the commission, he has been guided by the “fear of God, national interest and the rule of law”.

Magu said Buhari’s resolve to fight corruption in Nigeria can be found in his comments during his maiden media chat last year where he swore not to spare anyone found to be corrupt.

He added that the president’s resolve is complemented by that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Mahmud Mohammed, who, during the last All Nigerian Judges Conference, declared unwavering support of the judiciary under him, for the war on corruption.

BREAKING!!! Plot to Assassinate ex-President Jonathan: Police Arrest 5 in Bayelsa

BREAKING!!! Plot to Assassinate ex-President Jonathan: Police Arrest 5 in Bayelsa
Five persons have been arrested in Bayelsa State for an alleged plan to attack the house of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital.

The suspects were said to have been apprehended in a hotel in Swali area of Yenagoa as they were perfecting strategies to unleash an attack on the former President’s house.

The names of the suspects, who are all males, were given as, Asupha Emeka, 34; Ebipre Ebebi, 25; Samuel Joe, 27; Okilo Matthew, 25; and Timiere Matthew, 25.

It could not be ascertained the motive behind the plot to attack Jonathan, however, it was learnt that the incident was part of the measures to create tension in the state ahead of the Saturday supplementary poll.
It was also learnt that the suspects were thugs loyal to a candidate of one of the frontline political parties in the state.

Confirming the arrest of the suspects, Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Asinim Butswat, said their apprehension was based on a tip-off.

The spokesperson said, “On the January 6, 2016, at about 1500hrs, based on a tip-off, detectives from the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Vice unit stormed a hotel premises in Swali community, Yenagoa, and arrested five suspects.

The suspects are Asupha Emeka, Ebipre Ebebi, Samuel Joe, Okilo Matthew and Timiere Matthew.”
Though he did not indicate the name of the personality they were planning to attack, Butswat said the suspects were drawing a plan to launch an attack on a yet-to-be identified location.

He added that the suspects were currently undergoing interrogation and that investigation was ongoing.
However, a security source, who craved anonymity, said the planned attack on Jonathan’s residence was designed in such a way as to give the impression that the opposition was after the life of Jonathan.

He said, “The planned attack on Jonathan’s house was to give an impression of violence ahead of the supplementary election in the state. What the mastermind intends to achieve through that is what I cannot fathom.

“You know this is the time of politics when politicians design all manner of tricks, crisis and strategies to heat up the polity. This is one of those aspects of dangerous politics they are playing.

“The ringleader of this dastardly act, we learnt is a member of Jonathan’s party. The whole plot was contrived to give the impression that the opposition is the one responsible.”

Another source said it was an Assassination attempt by the APC but the opposition Party are trying to blame it on the PDP.

Biafra: CD Gives Buhari 7-day Ultimatum to Release Kanu, Metuh

Campaign for Democracy, CD, South East Zone, yesterday, joined other human rights bodies in the call for the immediate release of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, the Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisah Metuh and the former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

In a statement in Onitsha, Anambra State, CD also expressed concern that Buhari had formed the habit of cracking down on Igbo leaders at any slight provocation.

In the statement by its chairman in the zone, Dede A. Uzor, CD recalled that Kanu was arrested on October 17, 2015 and a court of competent jurisdiction granted him bail, yet Buhari refused to release him, just as he also refused to obey the court order which granted Dasuki bail to travel abroad for his medical check-up.

CD regretted that up till date, the duo are still languishing in the dungeons of the Department of Security Services, DSS, adding that Tuesday’s arrest of Metuh was viewed as a clandestine move to silence opposition.

The statement, therefore, gave Buhari a seven-day ultimatum within which to release the above named individuals from detention or else CD would mobilize more than 70 million Ndigbo, both home and in the Diaspora, to carry out a mass protest against their continued detention.
The statement noted that CD was not against arresting any corrupt public officers, but reminded Buhari of the need to obey the sanctity of court orders or rulings, which he swore to uphold, adding that it was very dangerous when such leaders like Buhari disobey court orders.

“Buhari should tell us how many All Progressives Congress, APC, members he has arrested for corrupt practices or does it mean that APC members are all clean, including the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who allegedly spent over $16 billion on power sector reform without anything to show for it?”

Igbo Traders, Others in Tears as Lagos Sets Goods on Fire After Demolition of Igbo Dominated Market

Igbo  Traders, Others in Tears as Lagos Sets Goods on Fire After Demolition of Igbo Dominated Market (Photos)

The Popular Oshodi Market Demolished by Lagos state Government between 5th – 6th January 2016 is currently on fire. Traders interviewed said they were bared from taking away their goods before and after the demolition. Many of them were seen in anguish crying over the hardship inflicted on them in this new year by the Lagos state government.