FAMILY ABANDONS CORPSE OF LASSA FEVER VICTIM AT THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL, ABUJA.

About two weeks after his death, the corpse of the patient that died of Lassa fever is still at the National Hospital in Abuja and yet to be buried.

Although the details of the delay for the burial were still sketchy, a source in the hospital said that the family might have abandoned the corpse “because of the manner of the death.”

The 33-year-old newly-married man lived in Jos, Plateau State, but came to see a relative in Kubwa because of his illness.

OLISA METUH'S FIRM AND OTHERS RECEIVED N1.4BN FROM DASUKI'S OFFICE FOR DOING NOTHING.

The Office of the National Security Adviser told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that it had in November 2015 petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate about 78 firms and individuals, including a firm owned by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, that were allegedly paid about N1.4bn by the ONSA for non-existing contracts.

This was revealed in the electronic mandate issued by a former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), to the Abuja branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria, authorising N1.4bn to 78 beneficiaries.

The document was tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court presided over by Justice Okon Abang on Tuesday, during the resumed trial of Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, who were charged with seven counts of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m meant for procurement of arms from the NSA office on November 22, 2014.

JOSHUA DARIYE IS WANTED IN LONDON FOR MONEY LAUNDERING - EFCC TELLS COURT.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission told a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gudu, Abuja, on Tuesday, that a former Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Joshua Dariye, was still wanted in the United Kingdom for alleged money laundering.

The commission said the former governor escaped to Nigeria after jumping bail that was granted him in London in 2004.

Dariye, who was later elected Senator, representing Plateau Central in the 2015 general elections, is being prosecuted on 23 counts of money laundering and diversion of Plateau State’s N1.126bn ecological funds while he was the state governor.

FAYOSE VISITS AREGBESOLA IN OSUN.

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has said he will never leave the Peoples Democratic Party for any other party despite the crisis within the PDP.

Fayose said this in Osogbo on Tuesday when he visited Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the Government House, Osogbo in company with about 50 dignitaries including the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Kola Oluwawole.

The governor said he read on the Internet that he was coming to Osogbo to beg Aregbesola to plead with President Muhammadu Buhari not to probe him.

NIGERIAN ARMY REACTS TO CALLS FOR COAS BURATAI TO BE INVESTIGATED CONCERNING THE $2.1BN ARMS DEAL.

The Nigerian Army has noted with dismay the attempt to rubbish the hard earned name and reputation of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and the Nigerian Army by a faceless group that called itself “Save the Nation Movement” (STNM) through orchestrated campaign of calumny in the media. In a release signed by Steven Chilaka, its “National Secretary” on Sunday, they wanted the Chief of Army Staff to be included among those indicted in the ongoing probe of abuse of funds meant for the procurement of arms simply because he was the Director of Procurement at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ). The public will recall our earlier warning of this type of campaign of calumny against the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Army Staff.

WATCH NIGERIANS STEALING FUEL FROM A CRASHED TANKER ON LAGOS-IBADAN EXPRESSWAY.

FUEL CRAZE

People sometimes disregard safety for cheap gains. All that was needed for many to die was a little source of fire yet the Nigerians captured in this video kept stealing fuel from the crashed tanker. This happened last Friday.

READ HOW TEENAGER WAS GANG RAPED BY FOUR BOYS IN BARIGA, LAGOS. #SAYNOTORAPE.

The scenario at the Gender Office of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, Wednesday, where a teenager who alleged that she was gang raped was brought face-to-face with the suspects, left everyone, except the policemen, in the dark over the true position of things. While the teenager, a primary five pupil alleged that the suspects, Femi Olatunji, John Alade, Oyekanmi Rasheed and Habeeb Oladele, took turns to rape her, following her refusal to go out with the prime suspect, Femi, the suspects on thier parts, vehemently denied the allegation, describing it as mere blackmail.

CUSTOMS SET TO DE-RANK 4000 OFFICERS OVER SELF PROMOTION.

Crisis is brewing at the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, following management’s decision to clampdown on officers from the ranks of Assistant Comptroller of Customs to the lowest cadre, over their alleged indiscriminate allotment of ranks to themselves.

The development, it was gathered, has made some of the affected officers to start running helter skelter with a view to scuttling the exercise.

Some affected officers have resorted to using their godfathers to stop the management from implementing the decision.

ZARIA SHIITE KILLINGS - EL ZAKZAKY FLOWN OUT FOR TREATMENT IN FRANCE, BACK IN NIGERIA.

The embattled leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, was flown out of Nigeria for treatment of gun shot injuries he suffered during the encounter between his supporters and members of the Nigerian Army last year, multiple security sources said yesterday.

It will be recalled that during the bloody encounter between the Shiites and the Nigerian Army, several members of the sect were killed, while many others sustained various degrees of injuries with some still on admission at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika near Zaria.

The fracas occurred when members of the sect allegedly blocked the Zaria-Sokoto road and prevented the convoy of the Chief of Army staff from passing through, despite several entreaties.

WHERE ARE THE INTELLECTUALS??? - REUBEN ABATI.

Something sad has happened and is happening, and is getting worse in our society: the decline of public intellectualism.  And so I ask, where are the public intellectuals? Once upon a time in this country, the public arena was dominated by a ferment of ideas, ideas that pushed boundaries, destroyed illusions, questioned orthodoxies and enabled societal progress.

Those were the days when intellectuals exerted great influence on public policy, and their input into the governance process could not be ignored. Ideas are strong elements of nation building, and even where interests are at play, you know the quality of a country by the manner in which a taste for good thinking propels the leadership process.

NIMASA N22.7BN FRAUD - EFCC LINES 25 WITNESSES AGAINST TOMPOLO AND OTHERS.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed fresh 22 charges against an ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, and 12 others.

The charges, which were filed on Friday at a Federal High Court in Lagos, bordered on stealing, advanced fee fraud and money laundering to the tune of N22,765,900,000.

The fresh charges were filed eight days after Justice Ibrahim Buba ordered the arrest of Tompolo for his failure to appear on January 14, 2016 to take his plea on a separate 40 counts of alleged N34bn fraud earlier filed against him and nine others by the EFCC.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REMOVES KEROSENE SUBSIDY COMPLETELY.

The Federal Government has officially ended the payment of subsidy on kerosene. Instead of the regulated pump price of N50 per litre, the product will now sell for N83, according to the latest pricing template for House Hold Kerosene released by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.

The PPPRA is the agency of the Federal Government that fixes and regulates the prices of white products, kerosene and petrol, across the country.

In its latest template released on Saturday, the agency stated that the retail price of kerosene or HHK by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was N83 per litre.

HIGHLIGHTS - ARSENAL 0 CHELSEA 1.

ARS 0 CHE 1

PICTURES - CELINE DION MOURNS HER HUSBAND AT OPEN CASKET VISITATION AT NOTRE-DAME BASILLICA, MONTREAL.

Celine Dion joined fans of René Angélil's as they paid their final respects during a visitation on Thursday at Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal.

The 47-year-old performer hid her face behind a black veil but it was clear she was distraught and had tears in her eyes in a video shared by Global News.

Angélil died of throat cancer at the age of 73 on January 14. His funeral will be held on Friday at the same basilica.

CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF ORDERS OFFICERS TO DECLARE THEIR ASSETS FOLLOWING THE ARMS SCANDAL.

Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has asked all officers of the Nigerian Army who have not declared their assets to do so immediately. 

A statement released today by military spokesman, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, revealed that General Buratai "gave the directive today during a conference with Principal Staff Officers and Directors serving at the Army Headquarters."

The Nigerian Armed Forces have been in the spotlight after an audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari found that numerous retired and serving military officers may have colluded in billions of dollars worth of weapons procurement deals. Mr. Buhari asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence an investigation of the officers.  

OGUN STATE PDP CONGRESS - KASHAMU AND BANKOLE FIGHT TO TAKE OVER PARTY STRUCTURE.

As the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State goes to the  polls to elect its new leaders from the wards  to local government and state levels,  there seems to be unease within the camps of some power blocs in the party.

The PDP has about three power blocs struggling for either   continuous  control  or total  take over of the party  in the state.

The power blocs are being led by the  representing Ogun East Senatorial district and a chieftain of the party,  Buruji Kashamu,  former Speaker of House of Representatives,  Dimeji Bankole and the former governor of the state,  Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

Now,  the PDP is being controlled by Kashamu who successfully installed the outgoing executive of the party from the wards to the local government and state levels.

Barring a last minute change of mind,  the PDP may hold  its congresses  February to usher in new leaders to paddle the canoe of the party for the next four  years

According to the PDP constitution,  all National, Zonal, State, Local Government Area and Ward Officers of the Party shall hold office for a term of four years and shall be eligible for re-election for another term and no more.

“The election of National Officers shall be at the National Convention, while that of those at the lower levels shall be at the respective congresses”.

Chapter seven of the party constitution which dealth with mode of election of officers of the party stipulated that “the National Convention, the Zonal, State, Local Government Area and Ward Congresses shall meet to elect the officers of the party at the various levels of the party structure as specified in this constitution except in the Federal Capital Territory where officers of the party shall be elected based on geo-political zones.

“ Every registered member of the party who has satisfied the requirements for nomination and election under this Constitution, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any other law, rules or regulations in force shall be eligible to contest for any of the offices of the party.

“The guidelines for elections to any office of the party shall be approved by the National Executive Committee of the party in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.

Meanwhile with the situation of things,  only Kashamu and Bankole seem to be warming up for the forthcoming congresses as the Daniel camp  seems to be indifferent  to the congresses .

However, in his bid to take over the structure,  Bankole has begun hosting  party members across the state.

Bankole who organised a new year party under the aegis of Dimeji Bankole Movement  for  his  loyalists in the party,  warned that he may quit the party if the coming congresses are manipulated.

According to the former Speaker,  I am  still in PDP, if they repeat the same manipulation they did at the last congresses,  we will react. “The event in the next few months will determine our actions”.

But, in a bid to sustain his control of the party,  Kashamu has inaugurated coordinators across the state.

Kashamu who played host to hundreds of party leaders and members  at Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, during an empowerment programme for PDP members in the state under his Omo Ilu Foundation, announced  his plans to donate cars to  all  the coordinators numbering about 100 in  the 20 local  governments.

According to Kashamu,   five  coordinators  in each local government would be given cars while about 4000 people would be given various empowerment packs.

He however, denied any plan to manipulate the forthcoming congresses,  saying,  “the era of sitting in your room and writing the names of the delegates and executive members of the party has gone.”

Kashamu  also  ruled out the idea of harmonisation and reconciliation of different emerging power blocs in the party.

He noted that each group should embark on massive mobilisation and sensitisation of their members ahead of the congresses.

Kashamu said he would not be a party to any form of manipulation during the congresses, which would hold at ward, local government and state level.

He urged the leaders of the different power blocs to play by the  rules of the party.

He said: “There is no need for any harmonisation of groups, let us not make that mistake. We can only come together after congresses. Let each group bring its candidates and allow voting to be done transparently.

“But the only thing I cannot do is to sit in my room and start writing names of the delegates and the executives from ward to the state level. It is not possible.”

Vanguard

FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL WILL SAVE THE FG N985BN - VP OSINBAJO.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the Federal Government, which relies on crude oil for about two-thirds of its revenue, is seeing a silver lining to the plunge in crude prices because it will no longer have to subsidize fuel.

“Lower oil prices also mean there is some advantage,” Osinbajo said in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.

The decline “means that we are not paying any subsidies, which frees up something in the order of about $5bn (about N985bn),” Bloomberg quoted the vice president as saying.

LOS ANGELES TO PAY $24MILLION TO 2 MEN WHO SPENT OVER 30YRS IN JAIL FOR CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT.

Los Angeles will pay more than $24 million to two men who spent decades in prison after they were wrongfully convicted of murder, officials said.  

Kash Delano Register won his freedom in 2013 after lawyers and students from Loyola Law School doubted a key prosecution witness’s testimony.

He was awarded $16.7 million by the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday. It is the largest settlement in an individual civil rights case in the city’s history, according to reports.

ARMS SCANDAL - I DID NOT RECEIVE A DIME FROM DASUKI - CHIEF OLU FALAE,

National Chairman of  Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief Olu Falae, yesterday, said he has fixed next week to adequately address his alleged involvement in the ongoing arms deal scandal involving the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

This came as he insisted that the alleged N100 million linking with with the former NSA was given him by former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying he had never communicated with the former security chief since 1987,when he was Secretary to the Federal Government while the latter held sway as the Aide-de-Camp, ADC to then military president, General Ibrahim Babangida.

POLICE ARREST 37-YR-OLD MAN FOR RAPING MENTALLY CHALLENGED GIRL IN LAGOS. #SAYNOTORAPE.

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly raping a mentally-challenged girl (names withheld).

It was learned that the suspect, Adesola Moses, who resides at Osenatuilo Street, Alagbado by AIT Road, reportedly raped the victim in her mother’s shop.

It was learnt that the suspect took advantage of the victim’s mental health and had anal sex with her.