JUST IN: You Can’t Try Me, Badeh Tells Court.

Alex Badeh, former chief of defence staff, has challenged the jurisdiction of the federal high court, Abuja, to entertain the criminal charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
When the case was called on Wednesday, Samuel Zibiri, counsel to Badeh, told the court that he had filed an application to challenge the jurisdiction of the court and the validity of the charges against his client.
“When the issue of jurisdiction is raised timeously, this court has the mandate to take the application before we proceed,” he told Okon Abang, the judge.
“We submit that this application challenging the jurisdiction of this court was served within 24 hours. It is the constitutional right of the first defendant to defend this case the way he deems fit in accordance with the law.

UPDATED: Pension DG Suspended Over ‘Scam’.

An alleged scam running into billions of naira has been discovered at the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) of the federal ministry of finance, TheCable understands.
The details of the alleged scam are still sketchy, but the director-general, Nellie Mayshak, has been placed on indefinite suspension while investigation goes on.
Security agents have already swooped on the office to carry out investigation after a damning audit report.
The acting DG is a director from the office of accountant-general of federation, sources informed TheCable

I’m Coming To Your Ward, Amaechi Tells Wike After Threat To Life

Former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi has swiftly reacted to the threat handed down to supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by Governor Nyesom Wike who urged them to physically assault Amaechi.

CBN Secretly Hired 909

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recruited 909 staff in two years without advertising the vacancies, Daily Trust investigations have revealed.
The whole affair is now a subject of investigation by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to determine if due process was violated.
The FCC is the body responsible for ensuring equity, fairness and balance in all employments into government establishments.

Buhari: I'll Expose How Elite Conspired To Ruin Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigerians would soon see how some of the elite conspired to ruin the country. Speaking in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea yesterday at an interaction with members of the Nigerian community, the president emphasised that he would be relentless in pursuing all those who abused public trust.

The Clock is ticking: Russia’s partial military withdrawal from Syria

By Brainstorm

On March 14, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu to start the withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria beginning the next day. Russia will, however, keep its military presence at the port of Tartus and at the Khmeimim airbase to supervise the observation of ceasefire agreements.

“I consider the objectives that have been set for the Defense Ministry to be generally accomplished. That is why I order to start withdrawal of the main part of our military group from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic starting from tomorrow,” Putin said on Monday during a meeting with Shoigu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Before You Cross To Another Bank, Consider These

To start with, I never read Marketing and throughout when I was in school, it never crossed my mind I would be selling/marketing a bank.

U know how it is in this country to get a job. U will have to share a testimony if u get one.

So when I was invited by bank A for an aptitude test, I was very happy. I passed the test and d bank A invited me for an interview, I had to form being a marketer when I learnt it's marketers they wanted. I came from an average family. It was a miracle how I got enough money to finance my university education. So I needed the job badly to give back to my family that sacrificed a lot for me. Thank God I got it.

Ambode Orders All Occupants of Lekki Gardens Estate To Evacuate Immediately

Today, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode ordered occupants in all houses built by Lekki Gardens to vacate their apartments in order for integrity test to be carried out on all the buildings to ascertain their safety.

He gave this order when he visited the scene of the 5-storey collapsed building which killed 35 people last Tuesday.

He was displeased with what he saw and ordered immediate action. He said the developer should take responsibility of the relocation of occupants of the buildings as government would not wait for the buildings to kill other people.

APC Candidates In Abuja Remove Buhari's Picture From Poster

Abuja Inquirer - Ahead of the March 19 area council poll in the Federal Capital Territory, candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have removed the picture of President Muhammadu Buhari from their campaign posters.

Prior to now, most of the candidates featured the picture of the president as a means to boost their electoral fortunes.

However, our correspondent observed that in AMAC, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Bwari, the posters bearing the pictures of the president have all being replaced by fresh ones without him featuring.

APC Leaders Under Gun Attack In Rivers-the Nation

National and Rivers State leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), top politicians and reporters yesterday came under gun attack from suspected thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party in a near ambush in Rivers State.

But the heavy presence of security forced the assailants to take to their heels.

The attack came between Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers state and Big Elele, on the way to the Port Harcourt International Airport Road.

Rivers State PDP Chairman Felix Obuah, hails from the local government.

Paulcy Cyprian Iwuala In A Motor Accident - Photos

PAULCY CYPRIAN IWUALA (PAPI) IN A SERIOUS MOTOR ACCIDENT..THE GOOD SAMARITAN NEEDS OUR HELP!

Paulcy is the young man that goes round the country in search of HOPELESS SICK individuals,sick ones who cannot afford adequate medical treatment, Paulcy is the man who finds a way to pull these impoverished ones out of their hopeless mystery.

How I Got Duped With My Money,time,and Makeup!!!

LOL it was a funny experience for real,I never imagined it to happen and end up this way but it did..

I met this guy on palm chat ni oh,and he was the one that asked for my number. I wasn't even eager to give him but as he refused,I couldn't resist too because his profile picture isn't bad,he's presentable too..

After that day this same guy sent me a message that I gave him a wrong number and that's not true because I don't think so,maybe he doesn't have card to call and he's lying yeah I told him that and he said how could I say such oh,that he stays in falomo in ikoyi,do I know how much he's renting his house, i sha told him "no vex" and told him to retry the number.

Dakuku Peterside Resumes Work As NIMASA DG Today (Photos)

Rivers APC Governorship Flag bearer Dakuku Adol Peterside, recently appointed DG. Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) By President Buhari, resumes work today at his office, as he meets with Directors, board members and staff of NIMASA in a familiarization meeting. Photos below…

Declare State Of Emergency In Rivers State – Adesanya To Buhari

Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Abayomi Adesanya, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to act fast and declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.
He pointed out that a state of emergency was necessary in order to stop political violence and breakdown of law and order in the state.

Adesanya, in a statement on Sunday, frowned at recent political crisis, leading to several killings in the state.

The APC chieftain said, “The rate at which innocent people are being killed and burnt alive in the name of politics is saddening, barbaric and worrisome.
“Provocative statements credited to Governor Nyesom Wike are worsening the situation. These statements are capable of causing confusion, leading to the breakdown of law and order within the state.

Soldiers Confiscate Biafra Newspapers In Aba

Newspaper vendors in Aba, Abia State, are counting their losses following the confiscation of their wares by soldiers yesterday.

The Nation gathered that the confiscated papers were both unsold and new editions of New Republic, Vesym, Freedom Journal and Authority.

Sources said the soldiers, believed to have come from 144 Battalion, which is under Ohafia 14 Brigade, stormed St. Michael’s Road at about 7am, in two Hilux vans and seized the papers bearing Biafra reports.

Buhari Lobbies N’assembly On Passage Of 2016 Budget

President Muhammadu Buhari has intensified efforts to get the 2016 budget passed into law without further hitches and delay by the National Assembly.

THISDAY checks monday revealed that Buhari, in a bid to ensure that all impediments surrounding the passage of the budget were laid to rest, met last Wednesday with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumin, seeking their cooperation on the smooth passage of the Appropriation Bill.

See List Of Sons, Daughters, Relatives Of Buhari, Atiku, IGP Arase, GMD Of NNPC, Ministers Illegally Employed By CBN -

A list has been obtained of at least 91 people tied to influential or highly placed Nigerians who were recently offered juicy appointments by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a hiring process that was highly secretive.

The list of beneficiaries of the CBN’s job largesse include a daughter of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, a son of Mamman Daura, a nephew of President Muhammadu Buhari and one of the closest members of the president’s inner circle, a son of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, a daughter of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’aba,  also daughter of of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, a since of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Abdurahman Danbazzau and at least 86 others.

Photo: Mourners, police fight over corpse of NURTW member -

There was tension in the Bolade, Oshodi area of Lagos State on Monday as mourners and family members fought off efforts by policemen from the Akinpelu division to take away the corpse of a slain member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Akeem Lawanson, 38.

His younger brother took the keys to the room where his remains were kept and left house 17, Ariibi Oke Street, where the incident happened, leaving the police bewildered.

The policemen, who attempted to break into the room where the corpse was laid, later gave up and went back to their station.

Our correspondent, who witnessed the drama, gathered that Akeem was attacked by a gang around 4am on Monday while he went out to urinate.

N36.4bn meant for construction of dams released to NSA's office in 2014- Auditor-General of the Federation says

The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation yesterday presented its 2014 annual report to the National Assembly detailing what it described as ‘massive fraud and financial irregularities in the NNPC and other government agencies’.‎

The Auditor-General, Samuel Ukara‎ said N36.4 billion which was meant for the construction of dams was released to the office of the National Security Adviser in 2014 as special funds.

Fundamentalism on the rise: a Sunni-Jewish Convergence

by Ghassan Kadi

In an article published in the Lebanese daily Assafir on 12th of March 2016 under the title of “Saudi Arabia paves the way for an Israelis war on Lebanon”, (1) the political editor sarcastically and mockingly made a comment to the effect that after the Arab League declared Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, it may formally ask Israel to engage in a war against it.

As a matter of fact, this is not a far-fetched possibility and more so, is increasingly becoming a geo-political “necessity”.

Europeans Staring at Total Failure in Ukraine

by Alexander Mercouris for Russia Insider

Increasingly frantic diplomatic efforts by European leaders show growing desperation to settle Ukrainian crisis before failure of sanctions policy becomes obvious.

As the political situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate – with the government paralysed as a result of the power struggle between Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk – the Europeans are becoming increasingly desperate.

They are also becoming increasingly frustrated with the Ukrainians whose intransigence is prolonging the crisis.

However the Europeans have no exit strategy and are staring at total failure.

Osinbajo’s Trip To India Not Cancelled - Presidency

ABUJA – The Presidency has refuted some media reports that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s trip to India tomorrow had been cancelled following the journey of President Mohammadu Buhari’s to Equatorial Guinea.

The Vice President is billed for Indian/African summit.

Some online media had reported that the Vice President cancelled his trip to avoid the Senate President, Bukola Saraki from taking the mantle of leadership as Acting President in the absence of the president and his vice.

The report added that the protocol officers made a blunder by scheduling the two trips to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for the President and India for India at the same time.

Nigeria Is Sliding Into Economic Recession Under Buhari’s Watch – Olisa Agbakoba

Barely 10 months into the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (2006–2008), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, takes a critical look at the state of the nation.

Agbakoba, who argues that Nigeria was already sliding into recession, given its equal negative growths in two quarters, however, advises Buhari on how to save the nation.

Excerpts:
10 months into the administration of President Buhari, there is this argument that the administration doesn’t have an economic team or policy, thus the slide into current economic crisis. What’s your take?

Mob Attacks Fraudsters In Sango, Ibadan , Destroys Their Operational Car (pic)

The month of February did not end well for the trio of Ayobami Akintunde (50), Niniola Abiola (48) and Monsurat Kareem (40), as they were almost lynched by an irate mob at Sango area of Ibadan, Oyo State, over suspected kidnapping. They were, however, saved by policemen from Sango Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, one SP Joyce, who was joined by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Oyo State Police Command.

Saturday Tribune’s findings, which were confirmed by the state Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, during a press briefing on Monday, March 7, however revealed that the suspects were conmen who belonged to a syndicate popularly called Gbajue or 419, who fraudulently obtained money from unsuspecting victims by playing on their psychology.

$2.1bn Arms Deals: N1.5bn Traced To Ex-minister’s Son-the Nation

Dasuki’s ex-aide loses embassy job

A bureau de change operator has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that N1.5billion was paid into his account for the son of a former Minister of Finance.

Salisu Umaru said he did not know what the minister’s son used the cash for. The former minister and his son were not named “so as not to jeopardise the investigation”. The cash is believed to be part of the $2.1 billion “phoney” arms deals funds.

Also at the weekend, it was learnt that the army has replaced one of its officers under probe for the phoney arms deals, Col. Nicholas Ashinze, with Col. M.A. Abdullahi as the nation’s military attaché to Germany.