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.

NIGERIA ARMY RELEASES PRESS STATEMENT ON THE ATTEMPTED ASSASINATION OF COAS IN #ZARIA.

Directorate of Army Public Relations

FROM DIRECTORATE OF ARMY PUBLIC RELATIONS

DAPR

PRESS RELEASE:SHIITE SECT ATTACKS CHIEF OF ARMY STAFFS CONVOY 12 DECEMBER 2015

The Shiite Sect on the orders of their leader, Ibrahim Alzak-zaky today afternoon in Zaria attacked the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff while on his way to pay homage on the Emir of Zazzau and attend the Passing Out Parade of 73 Regular Recruits Intake of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria.

Who Released,Killed And Ate Our Lion? - REUBEN ABATI.

“Did they send you your own share of the bush meat?”

“Bush meat?”

“The lion in the zoo that became bush meat in Jos”

“What’s my own inside? I don’t know any zoo worker in Jos and how could a lion that was allowed out of its cage and got shot end up in my stomach. The kind of things you say sometimes.”

“That means you have not been following the story.”

HIGHLIGHTS - U-23 TEAM QUALIFIES FOR RIO OLYMPIC GAMES. Senegal 0-1 Nigeria.

SEN 0 NIG 1

Nigeria’s Dream VI on Wednesday qualified for next year’s Olympic Games soccer event after defeating hosts Senegal 1-0 in the semi final of the CAF U-23 championship in Dakar.

Etebo Oghenekharo’s 77th minute penalty separated the two West African nations in the match played at Leophold Senghor Stadium in Dakar, Senegal.

Goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel was the hero for Nigeria after he  saved a Senegalese penalty in the first half stoppage time.

Daniel was outstanding in goal and contributed hugely to his team’s success.

HIGHLIGHTS - Real Madrid 8 Malmo 0.

R.MAD 8 MALMO 0.

HIGHLIGHTS - HOW MANCHESTER UNITED WAS DEMOTED TO THE EUROPA LEAGUE. WOLFSBURG 3 MAN U 2.

WOL 3 MANU 2.

POLICE UNCOVER BABY FACTORY IN DELTA STATE.

The police in Delta State have uncovered no fewer than 23 illegal orphanages where babies are allegedly sold within the Warri and Asaba environs of the state.

The police arrested 21 persons suspected to be behind the illicit business, just as they recovered six babies in the hideout of the suspects.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, confirmed the development, saying that the police, following a tip-off, have rescued over 40 babies allegedly put up for sale at various illegal orphanage in Asaba, Kwale and Warri.

INEC DECLARES YAHAYA BELLO WINNER OF KOGI GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION. SEE FULL RESULT OF SUPPLEMENTARY ELECTION.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has returned Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the Kogi State governorship election.

INEC declared Bello as the winner of the election after the APC polled 6,885 votes in Saturday’s supplementary election to take its total votes to 247,754.

The figure was 42,877 votes higher than the 204.877 votes secured by incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Capt. Idris Wada. Wada got 5,363 votes in the supplementary election.

HOW LAGOS TANKER EXPLOSION RAZED BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES.

Five vehicles, three shops and one house in Ojuelegba, Lagos were burnt on Saturday after a tanker containing 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, spilled and caught fire.

The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Michael Akindele, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that though no injury or death was recorded, a couple who occupied the house were taken to the hospital for medical check-up.

He said, “At about 2:15 am, we got a distress call through our toll-free number, 767, about a fallen trailer at Ojuelegba en route to Moshalashi.

REAL MADRID KICKED OUT OF COPA DEL REY FOR FIELDING INELIGIBLE PLAYER.

Real Madrid have been disqualified from the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Cadiz.

Denis Cheryshev, who scored the opening goal of the game, was due to serve a ban having picked up three yellow cards in last term's competition. 

The Andalusian side officially complained about the Russian international's involvement and, as expected, Rafa Benitez's side have been kicked out of the competition.

FIVE DEAD AS SUICIDE BOMBERS HITS BORNO VILLAGE.

No less than five people have been killed in a twin suicide attack in the remote villages in Borno State, according to vigilante sources.

The first suicide bombing took place in Kimba village of Biu Local Government Area (LGA) at 8:30am, which reportedly killed two people.

The second suicide bombing took place at 12 noon in Sabon Gari, which is reported to have killed three people.

According to a Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) member from Biu, ''a male detonated a bomb (in Biu) killing an elderly man along with him.''

ISAACTOLU - THE LOVE STORY IN PICTURES. (@HYZIC23 & @TOLEXTRA)

The Proposal

16 PEOPLE BURNED ALIVE IN EGYPT AS ANGRY EMPLOYEE WHO WAS FIRED THREW MOLOTOV COCKTAIL INTO RESTAURANT.

A Molotov cocktail hurled into a Cairo restaurant killed 16 people and injured three others today, Egyptian security officials said.

The attacker was an employee who had been fired from the restaurant in the Agouza area in the centre of the Egyptian capital, an official revealed.

Victims of the blast were burned to death or died from smoke inhalation. The restaurant, also a nightclub, was located in a basement and offered no escape route, it has been reported.

PRESIDENT BUHARI SLASHES MTN'S FINE TO N674BN AS ITS NIGERIA CEO MICHAEL IKPOKI RESIGNS.

Communication giant MTN Nigeria got some reprieve from President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday. The President slashed the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on it by Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) over infractions on subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

The South African firm will now pay N674 billion on or before December 31. The telco got the NCC knock for keeping some 5.2 million pre-registered SIM cards running on its network, contrary to a directive from the regulator that all operators should deactivate such SIMs on their networks.

Heightening security concerns forced the regulator to issue the directive.

KOGI ELECTIONS - THUGS BURN DOWN INEC OFFICE IN DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Barely few hours to the controversial supplementary governorship Election in Kogi State, the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was razed down by some thugs in Dekina, Dekina local government area of the state.

Out of the 91 polling units, where the election was supposed to take place, 29 units are in Dekina.

According to eyewitnesses, some thugs invaded the office at about 5:00am and set it on fire in anger in the early hours of Friday.