APPEAL COURT CANCELS VICTORY HANDED TO MAMA TARABA BY ELECTION TRIBUNAL.

The Court of Appeal In Abuja has cancelled the purported victory handed Aisha Alhassan, by an election tribunal, as the governor of Taraba State.

Mrs. Alhassan, the candidate of the All Peoples Congress, was declared winner on November 7.

In doing so, the Taraba State Governorship Election Tribunal nullified the election of Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party.

But in its ruling Thursday, the Court of Appeal which reviewed Mr. Ishaku’s appeal, described as “unattainable” a petition by the APC seeking to disqualify Mr. Ishaku as the PDP candidate in the gubernatorial election of April 11.

WARRANT OF ARREST ISSUED FOR BILL COSBY FOR 2004 RAPE OF ANDREA CONSTAND.

An arrest warrant has been issued for entertainer Bill Cosby for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple employee Andrea Constand at his Elkins Park, Pennsylvania mansion in January 2004, Montgomery County District Attorney-Elect Kevin Steele said at a Wednesday press conference. 

Cosby is expected to be arraigned later this afternoon in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. 

"A prosecutor's job is to follow the evidence wherever it leads and whenever it comes to light," Steele said. "Upon examination of all the evidence, today we are able to seek justice on behalf of the victim." 

NNAMDI KANU APOLOGIZES TO PRESIDENT BUHARI AND IGBO LEADERS.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and founder of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed regret for referring to President Muhammadu Buhari as a terrorist, evil and a paedophile in his radio broadcasts.

Kanu, who has been charged along with two others by the Federal Government before a Federal High Court in Abuja on six counts of treason and other ancillary offences, said he intended to write a private letter to Buhari to express his apology to the President.

He also apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan and Igbo elders for “some uncomplimentary things” he said about them.

MAN RAPES 24-YR-OLD FACEBOOK LOVER AT FIRST MEETING.

A 26-year-old man, Taiwo Oluwatobi, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, for allegedly luring his Facebook lover to his house, and raping her.

Oluwatobi had met the 24-year-old victim, identified only as Temitope, on Facebook. He had allegedly lured her to his house in the Alagomeji, Yaba area of the state to collect N15,000, during which he raped her.

It was gathered that the incident happened at the suspect’s friend’s rented apartment on Queens Street, Alagomeji, on Monday, November 30, and the visit was Oluwatobi and Temitope’s first meeting.

COURT GRANTS EMBATTLED SAMBO DASUKI AND OTHERS BAIL.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, has granted former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; a former director of finance at the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu; a former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; his son, Sagir, and two firms Dalhatu Investment Limited and Jabbam Ada Global Services, bail in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, accusing them of criminal breach of trust and of obtaining stolen property.

Justice Peter Affect, who delivered the ruling in Monday, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N250 million each with a surety in like sum.

He also said the surety must be a civil servant, serving or retired and not less than the rank of a director.

ARSENAL MOVES FOR U-17 GOLDEN BOY VICTOR OSIMHEN

Arsenal are reportedly set to battle it out with bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the services of Chile 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup Golden Boot winner Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen guided Nigeria to their fifth Under-17 World Cup title after beating Mali 2-0 on November 8 in Estadio Sausalito in Vina Del Mar, Chile’s fourth largest city. He scored 10 goals in the tournament to emerge as Chile 2015 highest goal scorer, making him one of the hottest young properties in world football.

The 16-year-old was linked with a move to German Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg last week. But reports on Sunday claimed Spurs, who went cold after jumping to the front of the queue in the race to sign to sign the player after his fantastic performance in Chile, have resurrected their interest in the Golden Eaglets striker.

JOSE MOURINHO SACKED BY CHELSEA, SET TO GET £40MILLION PAY.

Jose Mourinho has been sensationally sacked as Chelsea manager after a 2-1 defeat by Leicester compounded his side’s miserable start to the season.

The Portuguese boss guided his side to the Premier League title in May, but Monday's loss was their ninth of the campaign, leaving them in 16th place, just a point above the relegation places.

Mourinho, who was ready to open talks over a financial settlement to seal his exit after the defeat at West Ham at the end of October, has now seen his second spell at Stamford Bridge come to an end. 

VIDEO SHOWS NIGERIAN ARMY ENGAGING SHIITES BEFORE EVENTS ESCALATED QUICKLY IN ZARIA.

DSS DROPS CASE AGAINST NNAMDI KANU AT MAGISTRATE COURT.

Magistrate of the Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, Shuaibu Usman, on Wednesday discharged the Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),  Nnamdi Kanu, on all counts of criminal conspiracy and ownership of an unlawful society brought against him by the federal government.

After holding that the government had dropped the charges against Kanu, the judge ruled:  “The accused person is hereby discharged and the case struck out.”

The government through its agent, the Department of State Services (DSS), had elected to withdraw the case at the lower court for a higher court, which has jurisdiction to entertain charges bordering on terrorism, to take over.

APPEAL COURT SACKS GOVERNOR NYESOM WIKE OF RIVERS STATE, ORDERS FRESH ELECTIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS.

The three-man Court of Appeal panel sitting in Abuja has struck out the appeal of Nyesom Wike seeking a dismissal of the judgment of the Rivers election petition tribunal which sacked him as governor of the state.

In a 110-page ruling delivered by Justice M.B. Dongban-Mensem, the Court ruled that the election of Nyesom Wike did not conform with the electoral act.

The Court has ordered a rerun in 90 days.

#DASUKIGATE - PRESIDENT BUHARI (@MBUHARI) NEVER RECEIVED $300,000 FROM DASUKI BUT GOT 2 SUVs HE WAS ENTITLED TO AS EX-PRESIDENT.

Presidency, last night, stated categorically that president Mohammadu Buhari never collected any monetary compensation from the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan or any of its officials in the aftermath of the Boko haram attack on him in Kaduna last year.

The denial followed reports making the rounds that president was settled with $300,000 and 5 Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs after the attacks.

The reports however came on the heels of a high profile investigation into the activities of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) in the purchase of military hardwares.

THERE IS NO HONOUR LEFT FOR PDP TO INSULT BUHARI.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed has taken a swipe on the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) over its criticism of the All Progressive Party’s (APC) led government for the poor state of the country’s economy and depreciation of naira, saying that the PDP lacks the temerity to insult President Buhari and the citizens for their failure in managing the economy in a transparent manner.

The Minister was reacting to the comments credited to Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, that businesses may collapse in the next six months because the Buhari Administration has mismanaged the economy, which he said was the clearest indication yet that the PDP and its leaders are still in denial about the massive body blows they inflicted on the Nigerian economy.

I NEVER COLLECTED N100M FROM YUGUDA, I WAS ONLY GIVEN $30,000. - BODE GEORGE.

Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Demcoratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, has denied collecting N100 million from former Minister of Finance (State), Mr Bashir Yuguda, saying it is another blatant falsehood, stripped of any iota of truth.

George, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, described the claim as “mischievous and deliberately fraudulent.”

The PDP leader, in a statement said: “My attention has been drawn to another mischievous and deliberately fraudulent claim that I collected N100 million from Bashir Yuguda, the former Minister of State for Finance. This is another blatant falsehood, stripped of any iota of truth. This is yet again a depraved continuation of lynch mob journalism orchestrated by an online newspaper.”

$2.2BN ARMS SCANDAL - EFCC CONFUSED OVER EMIR SANUSI.

As investigation into the looting of funds meant for the acquisition of arms for the Nigerian armed forces continues, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, are in a dilemma over what to do with the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Sanusi, who was removed from the bank by former President Goodluck Jonathan for accusing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, of not remitting $20 billion of oil proceeds into the national treasury, later become the Emir of Kano, an influential traditional and religious post that carried more weight in the northern part of Nigeria than the CBN.

The operatives are keen on interrogating the emir on the numerous disbursement of funds to the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), who is being tried for money laundering, breach of public trust and diversion of public funds.

NIGERIAN ARMY KILLS ZAKZAKY'S SON, WIFE AND OTHER SHIITE LEADERS IN CRACKDOWN OPERATION ON ZARIA.

No fewer than 20 members of the Shi’ite sect were killed, yesterday, as the military cracked down on the sect for blocking the highways during their public procession in Zaria, Kaduna State. The sect, however, claimed that hundreds of its members were killed by soldiers who stormed three of its locations with heavy military weapons. It was gathered that the  troops engaged members of the sect throughout the night as heavy shootings and sounds of explosions were heard in Gyallesu and Sokoto Road, where Hussainiyya – the spiritual centre of the sect – is located.

The Nigerian Army and members of the sect have accused each other of instigating attacks that led to the death of members of the movement on Saturday.

While the Army accused the Shiite followers of attempting to assassinate Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, the Islamic movement said soldiers simply decided to attack “defenceless people”.

LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT APPROVES FLYOVER BRIDGES FOR AJAH ROUND-ABOUT AND ABULE EGBA JUNCTION.

The Lagos State Government has approved the construction of flyover bridges for two of the State's high-density traffic zones, Ajah round about and Abule Egba junction. The two major projects were approved by the State's Executive Council and have been duly awarded to contractors for a speedy commencement of work.

In a press release issued yesterday December 13th by the State's Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, the projects will be completed within 16 months.

DASUKI IMPLICATES FORMER PRESIDENT JONATHAN, SAYS HE HANDED OVER BILLIONS OF NAIRA ON HIS INSTRUCTIONS. #DASUKIGATE.

•N10b PDP ‘cash given to former President’s ADC, aide’ 

•‘I’ve no foreign accounts, company’

•‘N10b came from oil block accounts’

Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki has said he handed over the N10billion given to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination convention delegates to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa and the Aide-de-Camp.

ARSENAL FACES A TOUGH HURDLE AGAIN AS THEY DRAW BARCELONA IN LAST 16 OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. #UCLDRAW

Arsenal got a tough draw in the round of 16 of the 2015/2016 UEFA Champions League as usual as they will face Barcelona for a slot in the last 8.

Juventus have a tricky tie against the consistent Bayern Munich while Chelsea will battle PSG.

@BukolaSaraki led @NGRSenate set to buy exotic vehicles worth N4.7BN despite Nigeria's economic hardship.

The led Nigerian Senate is currently on the verge of illegally buying various brands of exotic vehicles for use by its Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the 108 other senators.

The cars will cost taxpayers an estimated N4.7billion that could be spent on vaccinating newborns and save them from dying or on providing electricity for remote communities so kids stop doing school assignments using paraffin lamps.

The upper legislative chamber is buying the vehicles at a time millions of Nigerians are facing severe economic hardship, including nonpayment of salaries

I GAVE N600MILLION CASH TO BODE GEORGE, PETER ODILI, JIM NWOBODO AND 3 OTHERS FOR THE 2015 ELECTIONS - BASHIR YUGUDA. #DASUKIGATE.

The embattled former Minister of State, Bashir Yuguda, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he gave a total of N600million cash to six chairmen of the Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 general election.

He listed the beneficiaries as Bode George (South-West); Amb. Yerima Abdullahi (North-East); Peter Odili (South-South); Attahiru Bafarawa (North-West);  Jim Nwobodo (South -East); and Ahmadu Ali (North-Central).

He said he instructed Jabbama Limited to transfer N300million to BAM Properties whose account detail was given to him by a former National Chairman of PDP, Bello Haliru.