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A Yenagoa Magistrate’s Court in Bayelsa State has freed 44 detained members of the Indigenous People ‎of Biafra. The Presiding Magistrate, Penawei Mukoro, on Tuesday, dismissed the three counts of conspiracy, breach of public peace and unlawful gathering levelled against them (suspects) by the police. The magistrate, who noted that the case against the detained 44 IPOB members had a ‘no-case submission’, subsequently discharged and acquitted the accused persons. The 44 IPOB members were arrested in October 2016 while meeting at a popular bar/lounge in Okaka area of Yenagoa, the state capital, by operatives of the Joint Military Task Force, codenamed Operation Delta Safe. The suspects were later handed over to the police authorities for investigation and prosecution. But the counsel for the IPOB members, Mr. Kingsley Nwosu, had argued a ‘no-case submission’ before the court, describing the arrest and trial of his clients as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and...

Suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal is currently taking questions from the Presidential Committee investigating alleged financial improprieties against him. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Engineer David Babachir Lawal, Lawal who arrived the Presidential Villa, Venue of the meeting about 1 pm was suspended last week Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari over his role in the misappropriation of funds meant for the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the north east through the Presidential Initiative on North East, PINE. Vice president Yemi Osinbajo is heading the investigative committee that equally has the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami and the National Security Adviser, NSA, Babagana Monguno as members. It will be recalled that the Committee on Monday grilled the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke who was suspended alongside Lawal on Wedne...

A National ex-officio of  ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Yekini Nabena, has described as immoral the continued stay of Sen. Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate, despite  various allegations of graft against him. Senate President Bukola Saraki Nabena, who spoke against the backdrop of the suspension of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, over allegations of corruption, called for Saraki’s immediate resignation as Senate President, if the Senate is to regain its deserved status. According to him, the Senate has completely lost its legitimacy, with Saraki as president. In a statement issued, yesterday, in Abuja, Nabena said in the history of the Nigerian Senate, “no Senate President has brought disrepute to the exalted position like the current occupier.” He urged Nigerians, Civil Society Organizations, former and serving senators and all lovers of democracy to remain steadfast in their quest to kick  Saraki out of office, if the ...

Tonight the Bridge hosts the first of three consecutive home games with evening kick-offs. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton shine a spotlight on the visit by the Saints. Chelsea players celebrate a goal TALKING POINTS Heady days are here again at Stamford Bridge. The prospect of Antonio Conte emulating his friend and countryman Carlo Ancelotti in completing a league and FA Cup double in his debut season is one step closer to reality after last weekend at Wembley. The fact the semi-final victory came against closest challengers and local rivals Tottenham Hotspur added a delicious aftertaste, but it is back to the main course this evening. With Spurs playing tomorrow, victory against Southampton would extend the lead back to seven points with five games remaining, and it matters not how the match is won. Antonio Conte’s side need a maximum 15 points from a possible 18 to become Premier League champions once more, and eight points at most to secure Ch...

ABUJA—The Presidency, last night, rebuffed allegations of selectiveness in the war against corruption made against Muhammadu Buhari’s administration by the erstwhile military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar, describing him as a frustrated man. President Muhammadu Buhari It also said it had become accustomed to a fight back by the elite class. The Presidency in a statement by a Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), Mallam Garba Shehu, also said none of the elite class fighting back had shown evidence of the selectiveness of the fight against corruption. He further said President Buhari had not at any time interfered with the prosecution of corruption suspects, even as he said several of those fighting back had at one time or the other benefited from security votes from the office of the National Security Adviser. Mallam Garba was, however, quick to exclude Col. Umar from such beneficiaries. Col. Umar (retd) had in a statement issued, weekend, flay...

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted bail to the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on health grounds. Justice Nyako however barred the IPOB leader from granting press interview while on bail. The judge also gave a stern warning to the defendant not to participate in any rally or be found in a crowd of more than 10 persons in the course of the bail. She however refused the separate bail applications filed by the the IPOB leader’s co-defendants. The accused persons charged along with Kanu and who were denied bail by the judge were the National Coordinator of IPOB, Mr. Chidiebere Onwudiwe; an IPOB member, Benjamin Madubugwu, and a former Field Maintenance Engineer seconded to the MTN, David Nwawuisi. The court also in a separate ruling rejected the application by Kanu and two of the co-defendants seeking the setting aside of the court’s earlier order granting protection to prosecution witnesses to enable them to testify behind a scre...

Barca, whose win put them top because of a better head-to-head record, have five games left, Real have six to play. Casemiro scored first for the hosts before Messi and Ivan Rakitic put Barcelona in front and Sergio Ramos was shown a red card for a wild lunge. Substitute James Rodriguez thought he had earned Madrid a point late on. But Messi, who scored his first with a superb jinking run and finish, fired in from the edge of the area to win it for Barcelona. Both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had earlier missed good opportunities to give their sides the lead, with the Argentina international poking wide of an open goal before the break and the Real Madrid forward slicing over in the second half. Real - who have a game in hand on Barcelona - also felt they should have had a penalty when Ronaldo was clipped by Samuel Umtiti after only two minutes. Head-to-head record is the first criterion used to separate teams level on points in La Liga Barca crisis averted? ...

The Chelsea midfielder, 26, beat Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez in the vote by his fellow players. Tottenham's  Dele Alli  won the young player prize for the second successive year. Manchester City's  Lucy Bronze  won the Women's Player of the Year award. Kante said: "It's a huge honour to be chosen by the other players. It's the biggest honour to get this award." The midfielder is on course to win the Premier League with Chelsea, having done so last season at Leicester, and added: "My first two seasons were very beautiful. Last season was very beautiful. This season so far, we have had a good season but we have to finish well." Former England captain  David Beckham  received the PFA's Merit award for his contribution to the game during the ceremony at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on Sunday. Former England women's captain  Kelly Smith  - who became England's first f...

The Presidency  on Sunday  denied the rumour making the rounds that the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, have resigned . The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made the clarification in an interview with journalists. Shehu described the reports of the resignation that went viral on social media and some online news media as pure mischief. He said while Kyari was on official assignment in China, Daura was busy with his work. The presidential spokesman said, “That report is pure mischief. “What I can tell you is that the President sent the Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari, to China on an assignment. “He left  on Saturday  and we are expecting him by the middle of the week. “The DG DSS who spoke with me a few hours ago is busy on his job. “Nothing to indicate resignation. I think these are mere distractions.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. David Lawal; and the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke. Their suspension orders were contained in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina. While Lawal was suspended in connection with the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on North East, Oke was suspended in connection with discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the NIA has made a claim. According to the statement, Buhari has ordered that through investigations be conducted on the allegations against the two top government officials. The President therefore set up a three-man committee comprising the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minis...

FG fails to hold FEC meeting The weekly Federal Executive Council meeting did not hold today amid fears about president Muhammadu Buhari's health status.   Buhari was absent at last week’s meeting, fueling speculations in some quarters that his health had deteriorated.  Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a response said the president was attending to some other issues of concern. He said the President was hale and hearty. The federal government says the 74-year-old is in good health. But many Nigerians are not convinced and wonder whether the president is gravely ill — or worse. Speculation is rife that Buhari may be sick again, a presidency source informed  on  Wednesday morning that the President is in good condition.