SENATE PRESIDENT BUKOLA SARAKI DOCKED, PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO ALL 13 COUNTS.

The trial of the Senate President, Dr. Olubukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja,commenced on a dramatic note this morning, with the accused person, refusing to mount the dock.

The trial tribunal, headed by Justice Danladi Umar, called up Saraki’s case at exactly 10:32am.

However Saraki’s has been docked and pleaded not guilty to the 13 corruption charges.

A GOVERNOR'S INSENSITIVITY - NIGER STATE GOVERNOR UNDER FIRE OVER CHELSEA VS ARSENAL MATCH.

Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani has come under criticism following his trip to London to watch Saturday’s Premier League game between Chelsea and Arsenal.

Residents of the state on Monday described the governor’s visit to Stamford Bridge as “frivolous” considering the financial problems of the state.

However, the governor explained on his Twitter page that he was at Stamford Bridge to watch the match at the instance of Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi, who plans to set up a football academy in the state.

TAXI DRIVER RAPED & MURDERED 14-MONTH-OLD BABY AFTER HER MOTHER REFUSED TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM. #SAYNOTIRAPE.

Acording to Daily Sun SA, the deal between the young mother and the man, a taxi driver was that they would go drinking and then have sex afterwards but when she changed her mind the man kidnapped, raped and murdered her baby.

On Friday night Sept. 18th, 20 year old Asithandile Mazomba allegedly went drinking with a taxi driver in Kanana Section, Tembisa in Ekurhuleni, South Africa but took her 14-month-old daughter, Elam, with her to the tavern.

A friend of the young mother told Daily Sun, that Asithandile and the driver agreed at the tavern they would go to her place later and he would sleep over.

GOV AMBODE SUBMITS LIST OF 36 WOULD-BE COMMISSIONERS & SPECIAL ADVISERS TO ASSEMBLY FOR SCREENING.

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday presented the list of would-be executive council members to the House of Assembly for screening.

The governor’s list, made up of top technocrats, politicians and strategists, was read at plenary yesterday by the Clerk of the House, Ganiyu Abiru.

There were 36 names, made up of 23 commissioners and 13 special advisers. Six ex-exco members, three ex-lawmakers made the list.

SENATE PRESIDENT BUKOLA SARAKI SET TO FACE CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL TODAY.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Monday said he would appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Tuesday (today) to face a 13-count charge of false asset declaration levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Saraki’s promise to appear before the CCT as a “law-abiding citizen” followed failed judicial battle on Monday to stop his arrest and trial by the tribunal.

“I will be there, I have nothing to hide. One was exercising his own right both at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. So, I will appear before the tribunal. The most important thing is that I believe in the process and I will ensure that I am there tomorrow morning,” he told journalists covering the Senate in Abuja.

READ HOW 20 NIGERIANS DIED IN MECCA.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, yesterday, confirmed the death of 20 Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during this year’s Hajj.

Chairman of the commission, Abdullahi Mukhtar, disclosed this at a pre-Arafat meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He said 14 pilgrims died from cardiac arrest and other ailments, while six lost their lives in the September 11 crane crash incident.

#UNILAGRAPE - UNILAG LECTURER DOCKED FOR RAPE LAMENTS NEGATIVE MEDIA COMMENTS. #SAYNOTORAPE.

The courtroom of a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Ikeja was filled to capacity on Monday as a University of Lagos lecturer, Dr. Afeez Baruwa, who is standing trial for allegedly raping an 18-year-old admission seeker, showed up in court for trial.

This was just as the counsel for the defendant, Kunle Abimbola, lamented the negative press coverage given to his client’s case, adding that such publications already presumed the defendant to be guilty.

It was reported on September 10 that Baruwa, a lecturer from the univeristy’s Distance Learning Institute, who had been in remand at the Krikiri Prison since August 7, failed to show up in court.

COMMISSIONER NOMINEES IN CROSS RIVER TO TAKE APTITUDE TEST.

Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, on Monday, said that nominees for appointments as commissioners in the state will undergo a mandatory integrity and aptitude test.

The governor, in statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, said the nominees would have to undergo the aptitude test before their names would be forwarded to the state House of Assembly for confirmation.

Ayade also on Monday terminated the contract of firms handling the evacuation of refuse in Calabar metropolis for not living up to their responsibilities.

FG DECLARES THURSDAY & FRIDAY AS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS FOR SALLAH CELEBRATION..

The Federal Government has declared Thursday September 24th and Friday September 25th as public holidays to mark this year's Id-El-Kabir celebration.

The public holiday declaration was contained in a statement released today by the Director of Press, Ministry of Interior, Yusuf Isiaka Alhaji on behalf of the Ministry's Permanent Secretary Abubakar Magaji.

HOW FULANI HERDSMAN ABDUCTED OLU FALAE.

Former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae has been kidnapped.  He was reportedly snatched from his residence on Oba-Ile Road. Akute,  Ondo state.

The 77-yr-old politician who was also a former Minister of Finance has been living in Akure since retirement.

Born on September 21, 1938, the former Finance minister was kidnapped by over 20 Fulani herdsmen who invaded his farm and attacked his over 200 workers.

CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL ORDERS IGP TO PRODUCE BUKOLA SARAKI IN 24HRS. CC: @POLICENG.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to arrest and bring the Senate President, Bukola Saraki before the Tribunal on Tuesday, by 10am.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, gave the ruling on Monday, after Saraki for the second time, failed to show up before the Tribunal.

HOW HID AWOLOWO DIED.

The oxymoron, peaceful death, has probably never been more appropriate to describe the passing on of a person than the death of the matriarch of the Awolowo clan, Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, who died on Saturday, two months short of her 100th birthday.

According to the account of her last moments, published by the Tribune newspaper, Chief HID Awolowo, as she was fondly called in the media, woke up at about 8 a.m. and got ready to host a meeting of the committee set up to plan her centenary birthday. The meeting was billed to hold at10 a.m. in a living room of her residence at Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State.

In her usual style, she responded cheerfully to the greeting of Managing Director, African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Publishers of the Tribune newspaper, Edward Dickson, and those of her children, grand children and great grand children that arrived for the meeting.

(PHOTOS) SIX MONTHS PREGNANT KIM KARDASHIAN WEST STUNS IN SUPER TIGHT SPANDEX DRESS.

She has three more months to go until her son is born.

But on Sunday, Kim Kardashian showed off her growing baby bump as she headed to Cafe Habana in Malibu with husband Kanye West.

The 34-year-old reality star wore a super tight mauve tank dress that left little to the imagination.

Kim took a quick break from her role as cheerleader-in-chief for the Yeezy designer to host a live web-stream Q&A on Friday.

34-YR-OLD DRUG ADDICT MURDERED HIS FATHER & ESCAPED WITH HIS HEART AT ABESAN ESTATE, IPAJA, LAGOS.

Residents of Abesan Estate in the Ipaja area of Lagos State have been thrown into confusion after a man, Nelson Oamen, stabbed his father, Ehiremen Oamen, to death during an altercation.

It was gathered that Nelson, who reportedly fled his father’s apartment in Block 272, after the incident on Friday, removed the septuagenarian’s heart and left with it.

It was learnt that the Oamens, who hailed from Edo State, had been living in the estate for over 15 years.

HID AWOLOWO - ECHOES OF A LIFE WELL LIVED.

The late Hannah Dideolu Awolowo lived well. She was not just standing while her husband, the late Obafemi Awolowo, dominated the political space of the defunct Western Region and tried to get power at the centre. Her role in the political career of her husband is the stuff legends are made of, writes Leke Salaudeen

The late Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu, popularly known as HID, was born in 1915 to a modest family in Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State.

A successful tycoon, she became the first Nigerian distributor for the Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC) in 1957 and she was the first to import lace materials and other textiles into the country. Until Saturday afternoon, she was Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Publishers of the Tribune titles, Dideolu Specialist Hospital and Dideolu Stores Limited, among others as well as the Matron of the National Association of Nigerian Women in Business, Ogun State Chapter.

I WISH MY RAPIST DEATH SAYS 14-YR-OLD GIRL WHOSE VIRGINITY WAS BRUTALLY TAKEN BY AN OKADA MAN IN LAGOS. #SAYNOTORAPE.

It’s been several days since she was violently raped by an okada rider who took her home from her aunty’s shop, but 14-year-old Esther (not real names) was still writhing in pain and sobbing when a reporter visited her on Tuesday.

With little signs of attaining puberty, she looked very young and innocent. Even though she tried as much as she could to hide her pains, a mix of anger and regret was still written boldly on her face, and she occasionally appeared lost in some painful thoughts.

She sat quietly on a wooden stool in her aunty’s shop and looked round to make sure no one was listening or watching as she made to share the saddest story of her life.

MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS ROCK MAIDUGURI.

Fresh multiple explosions have rocked Ajilari Railway cross of Gomari Airport ward of Maiduguri  living scores of people dead and critically injured. Sources living around the affected areas have said.

Ajilari cross is an outskirt of Maiduguri which has witnessed series of Boko Haram attacks including bombings in recent past.

The explosions which was suspected to have been masterminded by suicide bombers occurred simultaneously at about 7:38pm, while the last one took place at about 8pm which has forced many residents to flee into main city for safety. Details later please.

Vanguard.

BUKOLA SARAKI DISTANCES SELF FROM APC, REMOVES THE PARTY'S NAME FROM TWITTER BIO.

Nigerian users on Twitter, on Saturday, expressed surprise at the removal of the All Progressives Congress’ name from the official profile page of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

According to some users, the Senate President’s verified Twitter biography previously read, in part, “Member of the APC.”

However, when our correspondent visited the page, it simply read, “Senate President and Chairman of the 8th National Assembly. Committed to Transparency and Accountability.”

HID AWOLOWO'S DEATH - OBASANJO & OTHERS REACT.

A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged the Awolowo family to celebrate their late matriarch’s death.

Obasanjo, who arrived the Ikenne residence of the Awolowos at exactly 7.30pm on Saturday, said HID lived an enviable life and should be celebrated in death.

He said, “It is a passage of an icon. Normally for all of us it should be a mixed feeling because Mama had lived a life that most of us, will envy, but it doesn’t matter how long our loved ones had lived, we will still want them to remain with us.

SARAKI VS CCT - HOW SENATE PRESIDENT GOOFED.

As the face-off between the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) continue to generate interest across the country, some legal practitioners who spoke to The Nation yesterday said the third citizen goofed when he failed to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal but preferred to file an application before the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to stop the scheduled trial at the tribunal.

Explaining the development and the position of the law on this matter, Idahosa Anthony, a lawyer, said, “The ex-parte application is the most frustrating avenue through which justice is frustrated and judicial process abused in our country’s courts of ‘justice’.  The fact that the number three man in our political hierarchy chose this route to circumvent justice is profoundly disappointing.

“Perhaps due to ignorance of what really transpired in court, a section of the media reported that the application was granted. That would have been in manifest error of trite law.