KUJE PRISON BREAK: Okah Tells His Side Of The Story, Read What He Said;

Charles Okah who is in custody at Kuje prison in Abuja for his alleged involvement in the 2010 independence day bombings has come out to make a statement about his reported escape. Charles says he was receiving treatment for a suspected case of Lassa fever in isolation at the time of the reported escape. He made this statement through his lawyers, stating that he wouldn’t be involved in any escape attempt as he was sure of walking out of prison a free man.

The statement through his lawyers read, “Our client has instructed us to notify the general public that he was not involved in any manner whatsoever in the prison break, which occurred at about 7.00pm on Friday June 24, 2016 at the Kuje Maximum Security Prison in Abuja.

“It is our client’s brief that he was quarantined in an isolation room within the Kuje Prison Clinic for a suspected Lassa fever infection when news of the incident broke. “On account of his popularity amongst the inmates, word quickly spread that our client was among the two inmates who escaped by scaling the 25 feet-high Kuje Prison fence. It took almost 24 hours for the inmates and Prison Authority to realise that our client had not escaped from the Prison.

“Our client has further instructed us to notify all Nigerians and the international community that, God willing, and without prejudice to his ongoing trial, he shall triumphantly walk out of the Kuje Prison gates as a free and vindicated man. He has already set his sights, upon his release, on working assiduously with the current administration to bring stability to the Niger Delta region.

“He is however, using this opportunity to appeal to the Judiciary, particularly, Hon. Justice Gabriel Kolawole, to speedily determine his case; which has dragged on for nearly 7 years. “Our client has further and better instructed us to notify his kith and kin in the Niger Delta region to give maximum support to the AARON TEAM 2; a peace initiative of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) which is aimed at dialogue with the Federal Government on the immediate, medium and long-term future of the region.”

Okah also appealed to militant groups in the region to “stop the attacks on oil installations and desist from being used by disgruntled, corrupt and selfish politicians”.

High Court Sacks Gov. Ikpeazu; Declares Uche Ogah Authentic PDP Candidate

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, to vacate office immediately for submitting false information to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, for the party’s governorship primary in December 2014.

Justice Okon Abang in a judgment on Monday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately issue a certificate of return to the plaintiff, Uche Ogah, who polled the second highest number of votes in the primary.

Uche Ogah had prayed the court to disqualify Ikpeazu over allegation of forging his Tax clearance receipts, the Tax Clearance Certificate in Form IT 70, reference No. SPA/HQ/2437 with serial number 095827 and dated 04/07/2014, which was submitted by Ikpeazu to both INEC and the PDP, showing payment of his Income Tax for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, that it were forged.

Fayose Reacts To Arrest Of Abiodun Agbele, His ‘closest’ Friend By EFCC

Governor Ayodele Fayose has reacted to the arrest of his aide, Abiodun Agbele, by the EFCC on Monday.
According to the EFCC, Agbele is Fayose’s ‘closest’ friend. The anti-graft agency also alleged that Agbele was arrested for helping Fayose to handle some N1.2bn illegally gotten from ex Defense Minister Musiliu Obanikoro.

Reacting, Fayose encouraged the EFCC to carry out its investigation on the matter.

“Our attention has been drawn to the arrest of Mr Abiodun Agbele by the EFCC and we wish to say that we encourage the EFCC to carry out its investigations without politics as it is being done now. It must be pointed out that at no time was Mr Abiodun Agbele invited by the EFCC, and if he had been invited, he would have honoured the invitation. Therefore, there is nothing to celebrate in his arrest if it is not political,” the statement began.

“As already pointed out, Governor Ayodele Fayose does not have anything to do with any fund from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). He has stated how his election was funded and Zenith Bank that he said funded his election has not denied doing so.


“Also, the person said to have been arrested is an adult and will defend himself when the time comes. Subjecting him to media trial as EFCC has been doing since the inception of this government will only give our adversaries momentary sense of joy.

“We await reports of EFCC investigations and we hope that the anti-corruption agency will be civil enough to allow an open and transparent trial in competent court of law and not media trial just to get at Governor Fayose because of his uncompromising stance against the misrule of the APC/Buhari led federal government.

“Whatever stories being circulated by the EFCC and its political allies can at best be regarded as rumour as we were all in Nigeria when Nigerians were told that $700m cash was found in the House of Mrs Diezani Allison Madueke and the story turned out to be lie.

“Finally, like we have maintained, Governor Fayose will remain resolute in making his opinions known on national issues and will not be intimidated,” it concluded.

Niger Delta Avengers: Read What Gov. Dickson Said to Buhari

– Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state has urged the federal government not to engage in combative means as a way of ending the threats posed by the Niger Delta Avengers in the Niger Delta region
– The South-south region governor said sitting at a round table for discussion is the only way out of the tension
– The governor made this call during an event hosted by his Ekiti state counterpart, Governor Ayodele Fayose
Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson has called for a discourse as a means of ending the continuous chaos in the Niger Delta region.

Dickson said fighting the militant groups, will only worsen the already tensed atmosphere in the oil-rich region.

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state.

The Niger Delta Avengers, a body of various militant groups have gone into war with the federal government, in which they have been destroying national assets, as well as causing huge monetary losses that run into billions of naira, with massive reduction in the production of crude oil, thereby leading to a drop in the output of oil production to 50% from its original capacity.

Vanguard reports that Governor Dickson gave the pieces of advice over the weekend at the Ekiti State University (EKSU)’s 21st Convocation ceremony where he was awarded a Doctorate Degree in Public Administration based on his sterling leadership qualities.

The Bayelsa governor emphasised that the only viable solution to the Niger Delta violence is dialogue.
Likewise, Major Osama Blatter, spokesperson for the Niger Delta Sea Commados (NDSC) said in a statement that: “As members of the Sea Commandos, we cannot take Buhari’s plea serious as we are running out of patience. The issue is when he will start his dialogue.,

Presidency Kicks As Saraki Laments Buhari Govt. Been Hijacked By Cabal

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Monday, alleged that a powerful cabal within the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government had hijacked power from the retired general.

But the Presidency said Saraki’s claim was not only ridiculous but also preposterous since it was not backed by facts and detailed information. Saraki, in a statement signed by him in Abuja, however, reiterated his innocence in the charges preferred against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and at the FCT High Court.
He also vowed to use all legal means available to resist any attempt by forces within the Buhari’s government to persecute him for upholding his fundamental rights.

The Senate President expressed his willingness to go to jail instead of succumbing to the agenda of the cabal in the Buhari’s government.



He said, “What has become clear is that there is now a government within the government of President Buhari, who have seized the apparatus of executive powers to pursue their nefarious agenda.“This latest onslaught on the legislature represents a clear and present danger to the democracy Nigerians fought hard to win and preserve.

“The suit filed on behalf of the Federal Government suggests that perhaps some forces in the Federal Republic have not fully embraced the fact that the Senate’s rules and procedures govern how the legislative body adjudicates and resolves its own disputes.

“Let it be abundantly clear, both as a citizen and as a foremost legislator, I will continue to rise above all the persecution and distraction that have been visited on me.

“Without doubt, the highest of those responsibilities is the steadfast refusal to surrender to the subversion of our democracy and the desecration of the Senate. This is a cross I am prepared to carry.

“If (my not) yielding to the nefarious agenda of a few individuals, who are bent on undermining our democracy and destabilising the Federal Government to satisfy their selfish interests is the alternative to losing my personal freedom, let the doors of jails be thrown open and I shall be a happy guest.

“In the words of Martin Luther King Junior, ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at a time of challenge and controversy’.”
In the Presidency’s reaction, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Monday, said Saraki’s claim would have been more worthwhile if he had backed it up with more information.He said the President of the Senate would have taken the matter beyond the realm of fiction if he had proceeded to identify those who he claimed had constituted a government within the government. The presidential aide said without that proof, Saraki’s allegation was not worth the paper on which it was written as anybody could wake from a troubled sleep and say anything.

The statement read, “But as it stands, the allegation is not even worth the paper on which it was written, as anybody can wake from a troubled sleep and say anything.
The Attorney General of the Federation is the Chief Law Officer of the country. It is within his constitutional powers to determine who has infringed upon the law and who has not.
“Pretending to carry an imaginary cross is mere obfuscation, if indeed, a criminal act has been committed. But we leave the courts to judge.
“To claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is anybody’s stooge is not only ridiculous but also preposterous. It is not in the character of our President.”
Saraki insisted that the Senate leadership, being led by him, was innocent of the charges filed by the AGF, Mr. Abubakar Malami, at the FCT High Court on the allegations of forgery of the Senate Standing Rules document.

He said, “In our view, the charges filed by the Attorney General represent a violation of the principle of the Separation of Powers between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch as enshrined in our Constitution.

“Furthermore, it is farcical to allege that a criminal act occurred during Senate’s procedural actions and the mere suggestion demonstrates a desperate overreach by the office of the Attorney General.

“These trump-up charges are only another phase in the relentless persecution of the leadership of the Senate. This misguided action by the Attorney General begs the question, how does this promote the public interest and benefit the nation?”

He lamented that the current distractions were happening at a time when both the legislature and the executive arm of government should be working together to meet Nigeria’s many challenges.

Saraki said, “We are once again distracted by the Executive Branch’s inability to move beyond a leadership election among Senate peers.”

“It was not an election of Senate peers and Executive Branch participants. Over the past year, the Senate has worked to foster good relations with the Executive Branch. It is in all of our collective interests to put aside divisions and get on with the nation’s business.”

Saraki expressed the fears that the current All Progressives Congress government in the country risked alienating and losing the support of the very people who had trusted their national leaders to seek new and creative ways to promote a secure and prosperous Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who was arraigned with Saraki on Monday for alleged forgery of the Senate Order, alleged that the leadership of the Senate were being prosecuted by senior officials of Buhari’s government based on mere rumour.

Ekweremadu, in a statement signed by him in Abuja, said that vindictiveness and arrogance should not find a place in the nation’s democracy.

He said, “It is deeply troubling to note that people in high places, who swore to uphold the law, have dwindled into purveyors of falsehood and rumour, who seek to smear and tarnish the reputation of law-abiding and responsible citizens as well as cripple the hallowed institutions of democracy.”

The DSP said he decided to present himself to the FCT High Court on Monday as an ordinary citizen to plead “not guilty” to charges he did not commit.

He said, “It is all the more disheartening that people, who should know better, use the colour of their office to pursue private vendetta against people they disagree with.

“This grotesque display of vindictiveness, arrogance and mindless targeting of innocent citizens should find no sanctuary in our democracy.

“Using the machinery of justice to create disorder is a dangerous and an invidious scheme that ultimately will lead Nigeria down the road to perdition.

“It is Senator Bukola Saraki and Senator Ike Ekweremadu today. Who knows whose turn it will be next?

BREAKING NEWS!!! Militants Open Fire on Deputy Governor & this Happened

Suspected militants that have been tormenting communities in Ogun State yesterday prevented a convoy led by Deputy Governor Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga from accessing a part of Ebute-Ibafo in Obafemi Owode local government, The Nation Reports.

In the entourage were Bridgade Commander, 35 Artillery Army Bridgade, Alamala Barack, Abeokuta, Brigadier – General Mohammed Danqalis, the Director of the Department of State Service(DSS), Ogun state Command, Mr Kabiru Sanni, Deputy Commissioner of Police(Operations), Mr Bello Makwashi, Secretary to the State Government Taiwo Adeoluwa, Commisdioner for Information and Orientation, Dayo Adeneye, the Baale of Ebute – Ibafo, Chief Afolorunsho Balogun, the Olu of Imusin, Oba Taiwo Adebunmi Bamgbose and five other traditional rulers.

As the team approached the creek through which the militants usually follow to escape after attacking the Ebute – Ibafo community, the militants shot at them sporadically from the creek. The soldiers and the police in the team returned fire. The trip was aborted.

Secretary to the State Government Adeoluwa urged the Federal Government to urgently constitute a military task force like the one in the Niger Delta to tackle the militants.

“This level of team led by the deputy governor cannot access a part of our state. It means without mincing words, the Federal Government needs to get involved in this.

“This is clearly beyond the capacity of the police. This is something which we believe in Ogun state, a major task force, military operation task force like the one we have in Niger Delta is necessary and desirable now.
“We all can see, we were in Elepete, Igbo Olomu, Imagbon, Imuti, nothing compared to the violence there. You all heard the shooting, this is something that should be a source of worry to everybody and we think the Federal Government should come to our aid,” Adeoluwa said.

Earlier during a visit to other communities under the militants’ attack, Mrs Onanuga appealed to hundreds of fleeing indigenes and residents of the five communities to return home.

She said measures had been put in place to protect them from further attacks and killings by suspected Niger Delta militants.

In the last one week, five of Imusin’s 27 communities in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun state had come under grave attacks by the suspected militants, resulting in the death of over a dozen villagers and destruction of their properties.

The affected communities visited are: Imagbon, Elepete, Igbo – Olomu, Imuti and later Ebute – Ibafo.
Addressing the Olu of Imusin, Oba Taiwo Bamgbose, and a handful of his people at Igbo Olomu, one of the scenes of the killings of several of the villagers on June 17, Mrs Onanuga assured that the killers would be brought to justice.

But in a twist of fate, while the Deputy Governor was still addressing the distressed villagers to convey the government’s message of hope and sympathy, information soon came in that a member of the community, Sarafa Olayinka, had just been abducted by the militants and taken to the creek.

Also, the Baale of Ebute – Ibafo, Chief Folorunsho Balogun, while still narrating his community’s ordeal in the hands of the militants to the state government’s representatives earlier, said he too had received a message that his subjects – Alhaji Odugbesan and his wife, had been abducted by the militants.
Chief Balogun said the militants invaded his community three days ago, killed people, attacked a bakery and carted away loaves of bread.

He also said some beautiful women were abducted from the community.
According to him, even domestic animals – goats and chickens-were not spared during the onslaught as many of them found roaming the streets were shot and taken away by the militants.

NAIRA DEVALUATION: Nigeria Woes Worsen As Buhari Admits Blunder On Policy, Turns To States For Help;

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said 13 states have been identified to produce rice that will feed the nation in the next 18 months. Buhari spoke during the breaking of fast dinner with the business community. According to him, unless the economy is set right, Nigeria will continue to be in trouble.



Despite the ongoing implementation of the flexible policy which has systematically devalued the nation’s currency, President Buhari insisted that he does not see any benefit in the devaluation of naira. He said: “How much benefit have we derived from naira devaluation in the past? I don’t like the returns I get from the CBN because that coupled with the demand that let us devalue the naira. In August 1985, the naira was N1.3 to a dollar. But now you need N300 or N350 to a dollar. “What do we derive from that? And how much benefit can we derive from this ruthless devaluation of the naira? I’m not an economist neither a businessman, I fail to appreciate what is the economic explanation. “What has happen to us now is that we have maneuvered ourselves into mono economy which led to the collapse we are seeing now. “A lot of responsibilities now fall on your shoulders now. You have a lot of investments and a lot of people to employ.”

Giving a vote of thanks on behalf of the group, Chairman of Unilever, Kola Jamodu, pledged the support of the group to Buhari’s administration as it strives to take the Nigerian economy out of the woods.