President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday welcomed Heads of State and Government to the 52nd ECOWAS summit opened in Abuja on Saturday (today).
The president is scheduled to present a welcome address at the opening of the summit followed by statements of President of the commission, Marcel de Souza.
See photos below:
…Promises to work hard to foil threat
The Police have said that threats by the deadly insurgent group, Boko Haram to bomb Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and six other states is real.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Sadiq Bello, said the Police would work with other security agencies to ensure that the threat is not actualised.
The United States and the United Kingdom missions in Nigeria had, last week, warned of possible attacks on soft targets in FCT, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, and Yobe states by Boko Haram insurgents.
They warned Americans and Britons in Nigeria to avoid crowded places, including shopping malls, gardens and hotels which could be targeted by the terrorists.
Following the warning, the Inspector-General of Police directed Commissioners of Police, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and personnel in the states to be on red alert.
The IG also directed the CPs in the states to hold stakeholders’ meetings with the people in order to proffer possible ways of tackling the threat.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ forum on Thursday in Abuja, Bello said that security agencies were working hard to thwart the Boko Haram plot, adding that various strategies were being executed to keep the states safe from terrorists’ attacks.
The CP said, “The threat to attack the city is real; however, we want to assure members of the public that we are working in collaboration with other sister security agencies to ensure that we all enjoy a peaceful Yuletide.”
He added, “We are doing a lot, but we don’t want to mention the strategy so that the men of the underworld don’t take advantage of it.
“We are doing a lot, especially with our sister security agencies. We have already mapped out strategies and we have already commenced that.
“It may involve massive raids, massive visibility policing, vigorous stop-and-search and we would also embark on intelligence gathering.”
Bello also urged members of the public to volunteer useful information that could assist the security agencies to prevent the attack.
He said, “Police work is not magic, we depend on members of the public to make contribution and that is why we are urging members of the public to come up with useful information that would help us nip crimes in the bud.
“If they see people of questionable character and suspicious movement, they should come to us quickly because we want to take necessary measures to prevent the actualisation of the threat,” the commissioner added.
British and the United States governments have warned their citizens of terrorist groups’ threat to carry out bomb attacks in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during the Yuletide.
In its latest foreign travel advice to British nationals, the country’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated that it would raise the terrorism threat alert in Nigeria during the festive periods.
The US government warned its citizens not to travel to Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa and Yobe till the end of the year.
“The risk of terrorist attack increases around religious festivals; so (the threat alert) will be elevated in the run-up to and throughout the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Terrorist groups have threatened to conduct bombings and attacks in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) area during this period.
“You (British nationals) should avoid places where crowds gather, including religious gatherings and places of worship, markets, shopping malls, hotels, bars, restaurants, transport hubs and camps for displaced people,” the United Kingdom said in a statement posted on the FCO website.
Last week, the United States Embassy in Nigeria issued a similar warning titled, ‘Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Holiday Security Reminder’.
“The US Mission urges all US citizens to exercise caution in and around shopping centres, malls, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, and other places where crowds gather in and around the Federal Capital Territory, from now through the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season. Terrorist groups have threatened to conduct bombings and attacks in this area during this period.
“The US Mission remains concerned about potential attacks in the states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa and Yobe. Travellers are urged to avoid those states through the end of the year.
“Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security,” the US Embassy warned.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday hosted Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Tanko Al-Makura (Nasssarawa); Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) at the State House in Abuja.
The pictures from the meeting were posted on the President’s official handle @MBuhari, @NGRPresident.
See pictures from the meeting below:
Operatives of the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday stormed the $2 million mansion belonging to the sacked Director at the Ministry of Interior, Abdulrasheed Maina.
The building at No. 10 Hamisu Musa Road, Jabi, was cordoned off this afternoon by police officers providing cover to an EFCC operative who was marking the house in red.
According to a report by Premium Times, another of Mr. Maina’s houses located at No. 12, Road 11, Kado Estate is also billed for similar exercise. The whereabouts of Mr. Maina himself, are unknown.
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered Maina’s sack and called for an investigation into how he was recalled into the civil service despite being on the wanted list of the EFCC.
Residents of Gwagwa, Karmo and Jiwa communities in the FCT have called for government attention to the state of bad road in their areas.
Some of the residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during a community development survey on Sunday said the state of roads affect their social and economic activities.
Okechukwe Onuche, a shop owner in Gwagwa, said other challenges of businesses include poor power supply, high transport fare and low customer patronage.
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“I have been here for the past 15 years and the road keeps deteriorating. For the past seven years now the road has been very dilapidated and the people around here are suffering.
“This is the road that leads to the market that the whole community around this environment is using and it leads people coming from Zuba axis to town.
“The road got so bad that people are no longer taking this direction but prefer to take the Kubwa expressway which is a very long distance to the city centre.
“For us that are living around this area, we have our business here, the people that use to come from far distance to buy goods from us no longer come.
“The trucks that we use to bring our goods have stopped coming because of the bad roads. To be honest with you the road has denied us a lot of things”.
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Another resident, Eze Praise, told NAN that the road has not been rehabilitated since her relocation to Gwagwa eight years ago.
“I have been in Gwagwa for eight years now, this road has been like this before I even came, and this road is affecting us because a lot of accidents happen here daily.
“We are begging the government to come and repair this road for us
because they have repaired the other road but this road is the most important one because it is along the market place.”
The Emir of Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa, said the issue of road and other social amenities in the community have been in the front burner of successive administrations.
He, however, said that infrastructural development in any given community is achieved through the public-private partnership in order to allow scare funds reach other critical sectors.
Musa said that the emirate would continue to engage with the government to ensure that development continue to reach the residents.
The official residence of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, located on the outskirts of Asokoro in Abuja reportedly caught fire on Sunday evening.
It was gathered that security personnel and some first responders on the ground at the time of the incident were able to put off the fire which was caused by a suspected electrical fault in the minister’s room.
However, a source at the scene of the incident confirmed that the minister was not around when the fire gutted the building.
“The minister’s residence located on the outskirts of Asokoro was gutted by fire which was caused by an electrical fault in a part of the building. He was not at home when this happened, but some mobile police officers and first responders were able to handle the situation,” the source said.
He added, “However, the important thing is that it is not a serious incident, it only affected a part of the building and I think it was his room. And like I said earlier, it was due to an electrical problem in the apartment. There is a police post close to the estate and their presence there was also instrumental.”
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, dismissed an application by a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, seeking transfer of a money laundering case against him.
Fani-Kayode, who was also the Chairman of Media and Publicity Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation during the 2015 general election, is standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman.
Also joined as defendants are – former National Chairman of the Association of Local Government in Nigeria ( ALGON ), Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Jointrust Dimensions Limited.
The accused were arraigned by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) on a 17- count charge of money laundering.
Fani-Kayode and others allegedly laundered N4.6billion, according to the EFCC.
The Commission alleged they committed the offences between January and March 2015.
In counts one to seven, they were alleged to have unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of corruption.
In counts eight to 14, the accused allegedly used over N970 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.
Meanwhile, in counts 15 to 17 Fani-Kayode and one Olubode Oke, who is said to be at large, allegedly made cash payments of about N30 million, in excess of the amount allowed by law, without going through a financial institution.
Besides, Fani-Kayode allegedly made payments to one Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125 Lewis Street, Lagos, in excess of amounts allowed by law.
EFCC alleged the offences contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3) (4), 16 (2) (b), and 16 (5) of the Money laundering (prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under same.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The accused were first arraigned on June 28, 2016, before Justice Muslim Hassan of the same court, but the judge withdrew from the suit on March 16, this year following an application by Fani-Kayode, citing likely bias by the judge.
The case was thereafter, re-assigned to Justice Mohammed Aikawa and the accused were re-arraigned on the same charges.
At the last adjourned date on June 21, defence counsel, Mr Norrisson Quakers, SAN, had prayed the court to transfer the case to its Abuja division, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.
Quakers argued that the facts of the case showed that all the transactions carried out by the accused as Director of Media and Publicity of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, took place in Abuja.
Besides, he had argued that the accused resides in Abuja and had another ongoing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
But EFCC’s lawyer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, opposed the application and urged the court to refuse it on the grounds that the transactions as well as cheques and receipts in furtherance of same, were done in Lagos.
Oyedepo thereafter urged the court to dismiss the application for transfer and described it as a mere waste of the court’s time.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Justice Aikawa, in his ruling, held that some of the authorities cited by defence counsel were delivered before the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which he noted had provided exceptions to the issues of venue of court.
“In the case before me, the prosecution avers in its counter affidavit that “the sum of N30 million was paid to PW1 (Olusegun Idowu) of Paste Posters Company Ltd, who has his office in Lagos”.
“This, in my view shows that all facts leading to the transaction were done in Lagos, and only evidence will prove otherwise.
“In the light of all these, it is clear that the facts and circumstances of this case fall within the exceptions of the law regarding criminal trials.
“There is no justification to warrant a transfer of this case to Abuja; the interest of justice requires that the trial of this case continues in this court.
“This application hereby fails and is accordingly dismissed,” he ruled.
The court also ruled on an application for objection raised by defence counsel on the last adjourned date, challenging the tendering of photocopies of payment receipts by PW1, who began giving testimony on June 7.
Aikawa held that it was not the business of the court to concern itself with whether or not a document is original, so long as the document sought to be tendered, is duly certified.
The court accordingly, dismissed the objections, admitted the receipts in evidence and marked same as exhibits 3 and 3A respectively.
The court then called on the prosecution to continue with the examination of his first witness.
Meanwhile, defence counsel, Quakers, sought for an adjournment to enable him to study the exhibits and prepare his cross-examination.
The court granted the request and adjourned the case to Sept 27 for cross-examination and continuation of trial.
…To be accompanied with Governors Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi)
…To address 72nd United Nations General Assembly
President Muhammadu Buhari is to leave Abuja on Sunday for New York to join other world leaders at the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 72).
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
Adesina said the President would during the visit, participate in the General Debate where he was expected to deliver the country’s National Statement.
The theme for this year’s Debate is: “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet.”
He said Buhari would also join other world leaders at the welcoming reception to be hosted by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
The special adviser said the president would also hold a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe.
“Equally, the Nigerian leader will hold a lunch meeting with President Donald Trump of the United States of America, along with other world leaders.’’
According to the presidential aide, during the General Assembly, Nigeria will participate in high-level meetings on ‘Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: Building Momentum for Change’.
He said Nigeria would participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, a high-level event organized by the African Union under its Theme of the Year: Roadmap on Demographic Dividend: from Commitment to Action, among others.
Adesina said that at the events, President Buhari and members of his delegation would strive to project Nigeria as a strong moral force and responsible member of the international community.
“Nigeria’s commitment to global peace, security and development will also be reaffirmed and where necessary, the need for increased international cooperation in the fight against corruption.
“Other priorities for the Nigerian delegation at UNGA 72 include strengthening human rights institutions; the rule of law; support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of terrorist acts and recent flooding, and mitigating the effects of climate change,’’ he added.
Adesina said the Nigerian delegation would also canvass support of UN member states for the Buhari Administration’s efforts towards combatting illicit financial flows to foster sustainable development.
He said the president would be accompanied by the governors of Zamfara, Ebonyi and Ondo States and key cabinet ministers.
“President Buhari will transit through London on his way back to the country.’’