Benue killings: Senate summons IG over failure to arrest suspects

The Senate on Wednesday summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, for alleged non-compliance with a directive by the lawmakers to arrest and prosecute the suspected herdsmen who attacked communities in Benue State, killing 73 people.
Idris was asked to appear before the Senate Committee on Police Affairs on Thursday (today) to explain why a resolution by the upper chamber of the National Assembly asking him to arrest and prsecute the suspects was not complied with.
The committee was asked to report to the Senate on Tuesday, when the chamber would deliberate on the next line of action.
The Senate had, at the plenaries on January 16 and 17, 2018, debated killings by herdsmen and other armed groups across Nigeria.
Part of the resolutions passed was for the police boss to arrest and prosecute the suspects within 14 days.

We’re running a bastardised federal structure, says Oyegun

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said the nation is running a bastardised federal structure.
He, therefore, said there was the need to revisit the dysfunctional structure in order to change the narrative and ensure that the structure work efficiently for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Also, the Chairman of the APC’s Committee on True Federalism, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has said elections should not detract leaders from the task of nation building.
They spoke at the public presentation of the committee’s report, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Odigie-Oyegun said, “There is no question that where we are today is a bastardised federal structure – more or less a unitary system.  What we are going to present to you today is the considered view of the majority of Nigerians.”

CHAN: Nigeria beat Sudan 1-0, face Morocco in final

Nigeria on Wednesday beat  Sudan 1-0  to  face hosts Morocco in the final of the   2018 African Nations Championship on Sunday.
Gabriel Okechukwu gave the Super Eagles the victory.
Goalkeeper Ikechukwu  Ezenwa  was injured in  the 10th minute, forcing Nigeria assistant coach Salisu Yusuf, who is in charge of the CHAN 2018 assignment, to replace him with  Plateau United goalkeeper Dele Ajiboye.

Killings by herdsmen, sign of sick security system –Dogara

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said on Wednesday that rising killings by herdsmen and other forms of violence in the country were symptoms of the country’s sick security system.
He noted that the country clearly ran a “faulty” security architecture that must be fixed urgently to contain the killings, else they would become serious threats to the survival of democracy.
The Speaker placed the responsibility of addressing the killings in the hands of the Nigeria Police, which he said, had the primary constitutional duty of protecting lives and property.
Dogara spoke at the National Assembly in Abuja when he met with a delegation from the Police Service Commission.
The delegation was led by the commission’s Chairman and former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro.

Oyinlola, Duke unveil Obasanjo’s coalition, APC says no shaking

  The former President Olusegun Obasanjo-championed Coalition for Nigeria Movement was formally inaugurated on Wednesday  in Abuja, with the movement lambasting  the Federal Government over “the rising unemployment, insecurity and absence of credible socio-economic programmes” in the country.
The coalition, which was proposed in an open letter written by Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari, noted that despite the country being in the woods, there seemed to be no well thought-out programme of action by the government.

The Merchants of Lies and The Man Felix Idiga

By 

Mazi Ejimofor Opara

Every epoch of human existence produces its own unique sets of Legends and their array of uncommon accomplishments. Regrettably, there is no legend without a scar emanating either from the bruises of physical assaults or meta narratives; in extreme cases, both interplay to subdue their sterling records for reasons not so unconnected with deliberate mischief by human folks, disappointingly so, folks from the household of Legends.

Ositadimma Izuchukwu Anslem, 2018

 The hallmark and the very essence of living is not necessarily the actions that are targeted towards personal satisfaction and bliss. At the ultimate demise of all mortals, the chorus of a life well lived or not shall be heralded by the lives affected, positively or adversely. Amidst the narcissistic and egocentric epithets people assume with so much fanfare, the man Chief Felix Idiga is distinguished. In keeping to the enormous responsibilities of the title which his people conferred on him - "nkwa chukwu kwere Orlu", meaning God's promise to the Orlu people; "JAFAC" as he's preferably called has continued to be the figure that elicits smiles from the faces of his constituents, through his philanthropic outfit which has spanned for over a decade - The JAFAC Foundation.

Buhari meets security chiefs over insecurity

President Muhamamdu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with the nation’s security chiefs as part of efforts aimed at ending the spate of insecurity across the country.
The meeting was held inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, led the security chiefs to the meeting.
The new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, attended the security meeting for the first time since his recent appointment.
Apart from the service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, also attended the meeting.

Obasanjo’s letter exposes corruption, nepotism in Buhari’s govt – Secondus

The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, said in Abuja, on Thursday, that the All Progressives Congress had become a lame duck after former President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari asking him not to seek re-election.
He said that the letter also exposed the corruption and nepotism in the Buhari administration.
Secondus spoke when he and members of the party National Working Committee met with former ministers who served under the PDP regime in Abuja.
He insisted that that APC has failed “woefully” since 2015 when it assumed leadership of the country.

Malabu scam: Suit can’t shield Adoke from prosecution, says Malami

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Thursday insisted that his predecessor, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), must face  trial on the charges bordering on the alleged fraudulent $1.1bn Malabu transaction preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
 Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, heard  Adoke’s suit challenging the five counts instituted against him by the anti-corruption agency and adjourned till February 28 for judgment.