KOGI ELECTIONS - IGP RELOCATES DG OPERATIONS TO LOKOJA.

With barely 48 hours to the governorship elections in Kogi State, Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase has assured Nigerian citizens, especially indigenes of Kogi State, of the readiness of the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to provide effective security and ensure a smooth and orderly conduct of the election slated for November 21, 2015.

A statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, Acting ACP Olabisi Kolawole said “The IGP gave this assurance while addressing Stakeholders and Police officers and men on Tuesday in Lokoja.

At the parley, the IGP warned all trouble-makers and anti-social elements to stay away from Kogi State throughout the period of the election as the Police will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any person, no matter how highly placed in society, who flouts the law or causes a breach of the peace.

PARIS ATTACK UPDATE - FEMALE JIHADIST BLOWS HERSELF UP AS FRENCH OFFICERS LAY SIEGE.

A female terrorist wearing a suicide vest has blown herself up and another jihadi is dead as more than 100 police and soldiers were today involved in a gunfight with up to six suspected Paris terrorists including the mastermind behind Friday's massacres.

A bloodied and half naked suspect was seen dragged out of a building through broken glass as SWAT teams and special forces surrounded an apartment in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis - close to the Stade de France - in a siege that started at 4.30am this morning.

French media are reporting the architect of the plan that killed 129 people, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, is alive and inside the flat - until now it was thought he was in Syria orchestrating the Paris attacks from ISIS capital Raqqa.

SENATE ORDERS JAMB TO EXTEND RESULT VALIDITY TO 3 YEARS.

The Senate, yesterday, directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to begin to extend the validity of its results to a period of three years.

This was even as it ordered the board to immediately stop its policy of re-assigning candidates to schools they never applied to, saying such policy was contrary to the act establishing the board.

To this end, results obtained from the board by candidates seeking admission into universities are expected to last for three years.

RUSSIA CONFIRMS METROJET AIRLINER WAS BROUGHT DOWN BY A BOMB.

The Russian intelligence service says that a Metrojet airliner that went down over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula in October was brought down by a bomb.

The Russian Security Service said on Tuesday that traces of explosives were found among the debris, after weeks of speculation about what had caused the crash.

The state-owned Sputnik News website quoted the FSB’s chief Alexander Bortnikov as saying the plane had “definitely” been downed intentionally.

HOW SAMBO DASUKI DIVERTED SEVERAL BILLIONS OF NAIRA AIMED AT PURCHASING ARMS FOR MILITARY.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday received the interim report of the 13-man committee set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date with a directive that all indicted persons be arrested and brought to book.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the National Security Adviser during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), was among those indicted in the report.

Among other weighty allegations by the committee, the ex-NSA awarded failed contracts totalling N482bn.

EXPLOSION ROCKS MOTOR PARK IN YOLA, ADAMAWA STATE.

An explosion suspected to be from an improvised Explosive Device, IED, has just occurred at a Motor Park in Yola, Adamawa State.

A witness, Mohammed Danasabe, said that the explosion was so loud it could be heard all over the city.

He said many people were killed, but could not give a figure.

(HIGHLIGHTS) Nigeria 2 Swaziland 0. #NGASWA. Moses Simon shines as Nigeria beats Swaziland.

NIG 2 SWA 0.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Tuesday kept their hope of a place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup alive by defeating Swaziland 2-0 in Port Harcourt.

It was the second leg of the knock out duel between the two countries, after the first leg had ended in a goalless draw in Swaziland on Friday.

The Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, made three changes to the team that drew 0-0 in Swaziland. Sunshine stars’ Paul Onobi replaced Mikel Obi; Sharks’ Chima Akas came in for Elderson Echiejile and Austin Oboroakpo from Abia Warriors replaced Godfrey Oboabona.

FUEL SCARCITY LOOMS AS NNPC MAJOR DEPOT RUNS DRY.

In what seems a baptism of fire for President Muhammadu Buhari in his first week as Minister of Petroleum Resources, pockets of queues in filling stations in some major cities across the country appear to have stretched as the fuel scarcity worsened on Friday.

In spite of assurances by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, industry operators remain sceptical that these were ominous signs the country may be heading for a big mess in the run up to the coming yuletide season.

The operators’ scepticism is fuelled by reports that stock of petroleum products at NNPC facilities across the country was grossly insufficient, with supply from local refineries incapable of supporting imports.

PARIS ATTACK MARKS A MAJOR SHIFT IN ISIL - AL QAEDA RELATIONS.

At least 128 people have been killed in a series of coordinated terror attacks in Paris carried out by ISIL extremists. Francois Hollande, the French president, has called the attacks an “act of war”.

An event of this magnitude undoubtedly took months of planning. This is a far cry from the “lone-wolf” attacks in the West previously attributed to ISIL. The extremist group is thus firmly in the global mass murder business. It is striking not only at regional “enemies” such as Saudi Arabia or Hizbollah-related targets in Lebanon, but now also at the West.

ISIL would have preferred to defer this. Unlike Al Qaeda and other “salafist-jihadist” fanatics, ISIL prioritised seizing and controlling territory, and building its organisational capacity, “state” and “caliphate”.

WE ARE NOT SURE NNAMDI KANU IS ALIVE, HIS PARENTS LAMENT.

Parents of detained promoter of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu have urged the Federal Government to order the release their son from detention.

His father, the monarch of Isiama Afaraukwu in Umuahia North Council Area of Abia State said he was surprised at the prolonged detention of his son.

Addressing journalists at his Ome Udo Palace, Eze Israel Kanu, flanked by his wife, Ugoeze Nnenne Kanu, said that they were worried at the ordeal their first son has been passing through.

HORROR IN PARIS AS TERRORIST KILL NOT LESS THAN 120 PEOPLE.

Gunmen and bombers attacked restaurants, a concert hall and a sports stadium at locations across Paris on Friday, killing at least 120 people in a deadly rampage that a shaken President Francois Hollande called an unprecedented terrorist attack.

A Paris city hall official said four gunmen systematically slaughtered at least 87 young people attending a rock concert at the Bataclan music hall. Anti-terrorist commandos eventually launched an assault on the building. The gunmen detonated explosive belts and dozens of shocked survivors were rescued.

Some 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, the city hall official said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a friendly soccer international. Some 200 people were injured.

SUPER MINISTERS AND OTHER STORIES BY REUBEN ABATI.

“Have you congratulated our new Ministers?”

“I am still thinking about it, actually. I don’t know whether to congratulate them or to commiserate or to pity some of them. They have merged Ministries that need not be merged. Some Permanent Secretaries are now floating. Six months and this is it?”

“What kind of talk is that? You have come again oh.”

GOVERNOR FAYOSE CONGRATULATES FAYEMI ON HIS APPOINTMENT AS MINISTER OF SOLID MINERALS.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has congratulated the former Governor of the State, Dr Kayode Fayemi over his appointment as Minister of Solid Mineral, urging him to use his position for the commercial exploitation of the abundant solid mineral resources in the State.

In a statement by the spokesman for the Governor, Mr Lere Olayinka, Mr Fayose said that President Mohammadu Buhari must have considered the need for commercial exploitation of the solid minerals spread across towns and villages in Ekiti State before arriving at the choice of Fayemi as Solid Minerals Minister.

SUPREME COURT HALTS HEARING OF BUKOLA SARAKI'S CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL TRIAL.

The Supreme Court, this morning, stayed further hearing on the 13-count criminal charge pending against ‎the Senate President, Dr. Olubukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

The apex court, in a ruling today, directed the Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal to suspend the trial to enable it to hear and determine the substantive appeal that Saraki lodged before it.

This was even as the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, entered ‎an undertaking before the apex court that “no unusual step will be taken by the federal government”, in relation to the matter.

HOW I WAS RAPED 43,200 TIMES. #SAYNOTORAPE.

Karla Jacinto is sitting in a serene garden. She looks at the ordinary sights of flowers and can hear people beyond the garden walls, walking and talking in Mexico City.

She looks straight into my eyes, her voice cracking slightly, as she tells me the number she wants me to remember 43,200.

By her own estimate, 43,200 is the number of times she was raped after falling into the hands of human traffickers.

LIST OF MINISTERS AND THEIR PORTFOLIOS. #MinisterialInauguration

Abubakar Malami- Minister of Justice

Geoffrey Onyeama- Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mohammed Dan Ali- Minister of Defence

Adamu Adamu- Minister of Education

Anthony Anwuka- State minister of Education

Kemi Adeosun- Minister of Finance

See full list after the cut...................

FIELDING JONATHAN FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS A COSTLY MISTAKE BY PDP - RAYMOND DOKPESI.

Fielding the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, in the 2011 and 2015 presidential elections was a costly mistake by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Chairman of the party’s national conference organising committee, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has said.

Dokpesi, who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja, Tuesday, said the imposition of Jonathan by the PDP might have been responsible for the party’s loss of the presidency in the last general election.

He said the zoning formula put in place by the party’s founding fathers was jettisoned by its leadership at the time.

MASSOB GIVES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 1 WEEK TO RELEASE NNAMDI KANU OR FACE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.

A faction of the separatist group, Move­ment for the Ac­tualization of the Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB) has issued a one week ultimatum to the Fed­eral Government to imme­diately release the detained Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, or face severe sanctions.

The group gave the ultimatum, in a state­ment signed by its director of Information, Comrade Uche Madu, in which he said, at the expiration of ultimatum, MASSOB would “unleash the potency of non-violence which includes civil disobe­dience, civil unrest, non-cooperation, civil /massive boycott as was done during the emancipation struggle of Ghandi of India & Martin Luther King junior”.

Madu affirmed that the action is sequel to the na­tionwide protest embarked by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Friday, demanding for the release of Kanu and pledged full support to the protest by the IPOB, stressing that they would not relent till their agitation is actualized.

CBN SLAMS N4BILLION FINE ON SKYE BANK PLC.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has imposed a N4 billion fine on Skye Bank Plc for failing to render appropriate returns on accounts of some government institutions and agencies.

This is contained in a statement by Skye Bank to the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The bank said the fine imposed by the apex bank was misdirected since it did not conceal any information of the accounts from the central bank.

PRESIDENT BUHARI SACKS EFCC BOSS IBRAHIM LAMORDE.

President Muhammadu Buhari has relieved the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, of his appointment.

A top government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not the spokesman for government, confirmed the development to our correspondent on Monday.

“It is true that the man has been asked to go,” the source simply said.