47 students killed in Yobe suicide bomb attack

File Photo: Shiite community members gather on November 4, 2014 for funeral rites of members killed on November 3 during a procession at a Shiite festival in Potiskum, Yobe state

Boko Haram were suspected of killing nearly 50 pupils Monday in a suicide bombing in northeast Nigeria, in one of the worst attacks against schools teaching a so-called Western curriculum.

The explosion at the all-boys school in Potiskum is the latest in a series of atrocities against schoolchildren in the state of Yobe, and the second suicide attack in the town in eight days.

The massacre came just a day after the release of a new Boko Haram video in which the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, again rejected Nigerian government claims of a ceasefire and peace talks.

Students at the Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School in Potiskum were waiting to hear the principal’s daily address when the explosion happened at 7:50 am (0650 GMT).

“There was an explosion detonated by a suicide bomber. We have 47 dead and 79 injured,” national police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said, adding that Boko Haram was believed responsible.

eacher at the school, who asked not be identified, called the blast “thunderous”, while a local described the horror of the aftermath.

Adamu Alkassim said the scene was a mass of abandoned footwear, blood and flesh, as the victims were taken to the Potiskum General Hospital, just 100 metres away.

One rescue worker involved in evacuating the students from the school said the wounded had “various degrees of injuries”.

The victims are thought to be in their teens.

Boko Haram, which wants to create a hardline Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has previously carried out deadly attacks on schools teaching a so-called Western curriculum since 2009.

In February, gunmen killed at least 40 students after throwing explosives into the dormitory of a government boarding school in Buni Yadi, also in Yobe state.

In July last year 42 students were killed when Boko Haram stormed dormitories in a gun and bomb attack on a government boarding school in the village of Mamudo, near Potiskum.

Boko Haram’s most high-profile attack on a school came in April, when fighters kidnapped 276 girls from the town of Chibok in Borno state, also in northeast Nigeria.

More than six months later, 219 of the girls are still being held.

– Boko Haram blamed –

Potiskum, the commercial hub of Yobe state, has been repeatedly targeted by deadly attacks blamed on Boko Haram.

Last Monday, at least 15 people were killed in a suicide bombing on a Shia religious ceremony in the city.

On Wednesday, 16 men arrested by the military on suspicion of links to Boko Haram were found dead with bullet wounds just hours later.

Yobe is one of three northeastern states that has been under a state of emergency since May last year to try to quell the bloody insurgency.

But violence has continued unabated and Boko Haram has seized at least two dozen towns and villages in recent months, raising doubts about the government’s ability to control the region.

Boko Haram fighters were seen in a new video obtained by AFP on Sunday parading a tank in an unidentified town that they apparently now control and Shekau preaching to locals.

The message in the 44-minute video appeared to be aimed at reinforcing Shekau’s claim that he has created a caliphate within Nigeria.

Shekau, who has previously expressed solidarity with other jihadi groups and leaders, seemed to associate territory under his control with a wider, global caliphate.

But he does not submit to the authority of any other leader.

                                                                                   




#Pmnews

How Alcohol Affects Your Heart Health

Many things can cause heart problems. They're called risk factors. You can’t control some of them. But use of alcohol—which is a risk factor for heart problems—is something you can control.  

Most adults can drink alcohol in moderation and be fine. That means 1 to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1 to 1.5 ounces of spirits, depending on the proof. 

However, there's more you should know about alcohol and your heart.

Dangers of Excessive Drinking

• Drinking too much alcohol causes more than a high. Here are some of the ways alcohol affects your heart:
• Drinking too much alcohol can raise the level of triglycerides in your blood. They're a type of fat. Excess triglycerides can build up in your blood vessels and cause them to harden and narrow. Blocked blood vessels can result in a heart attack or a stroke.Excessive drinking also can cause high blood pressure and heart failure. 
• Alcohol use can also lead to weight gain. Alcohol has calories. For instance, a 12-ounce beer has about 150 calories, and 1.5 ounces of gin or vodka has about 100 calories. The calories can add up, leading to weight gain, and that can tax your heart.  
• Consuming too much alcohol can lead to even more deadly heart problems. Cardiomyopathy, which is weakening of the heart muscle, is one of them. Others include an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart suddenly stops working.  

If your heart or other blood vessels are damaged, your body’s system for pumping blood won’t work right. This can lead to heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Heart disease kills more women and men in the United States than anything else.

Benefits of Alcohol on the Heart 

Some research suggests that moderate alcohol consumption can actually protect your heart. There is some evidence that alcohol can help raise the level of good cholesterol (HDL). It also may help keep platelets from sticking together. Platelets are cells in blood that help it clot. But when platelets clump together, they form clots that can break off and cause a stroke or heart attack. 

And What About Red Wine?

You may have heard that a glass of red wine a day can be good for your heart. The reason is that the skin of red grapes naturally contains substances—antioxidants called flavonoids—that protect you from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that form in cells and damage them.  

Wine also helps some people relax and thus reduce their stress. Stress can contribute to heart disease. It also can lead to binge drinking. It’s a matter of finding a balance. 

Also, health experts still aren't certain that red wine in moderation has heart benefits. A study published in 2014 in “JAMA Internal Medicine," a journal of the American Medical Association, found that older people who drank wine did not live longer or have a lower risk for heart disease. The earlier research that suggests wine might be good for you looked at the hearts of people who have no other health issues. 

The Bottom Line

If you drink, do so in moderation and within the guidelines as recommended by the American Heart Association. Check in with yourself about how much you typically drink per day, and cut back if necessary. It’s also a good idea to discuss your drinking habits with your doctor at your next physical. 

By Beth W. Orenstein

Myles Munroe, his wife die in plane crash

A jet crashed Sunday near Freeport, a city on the island of Grand Bahama, killing all nine people on board, authorities said.

The flight originated from Nassau, the capital, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, which said it will investigate.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Inspector Terecita Pinder, of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, confirmed that all those on board died. Police have not released their identities.

According to former UN Ambassador Andrew Young, Myles and Ruth Munroe were among the victims.

Myles Munroe is the senior pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship, that group’s website says. His wife, Ruth, serves as co-pastor.

“Ambassador Young expresses his deep sadness over the tragic death of his friends Dr. Myles and Mrs. Ruth Munroe. He offers condolences to the Munroe family and the families of the other souls who lost their lives as a result of this shocking plane crash,” the Andrew Young Foundation said in a statement.

Young is a scheduled speaker at a conference starting in Freeport on Monday.

CNN

‘We’ll beat Congo silly’

AS Nigerians continue to savour the sweet victory of Super Eagles Team B against Ghana’s Under 23 team in Uyo in the friendly to open the Akwa Ibom International Stadium,  Super Eagles publicist, Ben Alaiya has predicted that the Eagles would devour Congo in their AFCON qualifier.

The Eagles have been scheduled to storm Congo on Thursday with a chartered 737 Boeing Discovery Airline.

Excited by the new spirit and vim and vitality displayed by the mainly home-based Eagles against Ghana, Alaiya predicted that the Eagles would whip Congo silly in the reverse match after the Red Devils beat the Eagles 3 – 2 in Calabar.

“The Eagles that played Ghana were put together under three days. That team have given us hope that Nigerian will continue her dominance of African football and make great impact at the world scene”, Alaiya  said.

Speaking on Coach Stephen Keshi’s absence from the touch line in the the match against Ghana, Alaiya said that Keshi was saddled with administrative duties that did not allow him come in early from Abuja to tinker the Eagles.

“He allowed his Assistant Daniel Amokachi to be in charge and he  did a fantastic job within three days”, the Eagles spokesman said.
Alaiya’s explanation, however, differed from widely held stories that made the rounds in Uyo that the Nigeria Football Federation had stopped Keshi from being on the bench to prevent livid Nigerian fans from venting their spleen on him like they did in Abuja despite beating Sudan 3 – 1.

Keshi’s absence from the bench had fueled rumours that he had gone into hiding to save his head from angry fans. But the returnee Coach re-appeared to collect his medals at the end of the 1 – 0 victory which was made possible by the beautiful header of home-boy Emem Eduok who plays for Dolphins of Port Harcourt.

Eduok shot himself into reckoning  becoming the first player to scre in the brand new 30,000 seater Akwa Ibom International Stadium.

#vanguardngr.com

Battle with Red Devils: Onazi visits TB Joshua for prayers

Battle with Red Devils: Onazi visits TB Joshua for prayersS

uper Eagles’ workaholic mid­fielder, Ogenyi Onazi, has re­vealed that he would seek the face of God at the Synagogue of all Na­tions ahead of Saturday’s crucial Africa Cup of Na­tions qualifier against the Red Devils of Congo in Brazzaville.

The Lazio of Italy mid­field gem has set his sights on victory in Congo over the host in this weekend’s win or burst encounter but has called on Nigerians to unite in prayers for the success of the team.

A proud member of the Synagogue of all Nations, Onazi, expected to arrive in Nigeria last night, in a release by the Media Of­ficer of the Super Eagles, Ben Alaiya, declared:

“Once I arrive in Nige­ria, I will go to my father in the Lord (Prophet TB Joshua) to pray with me, because I want the Nations Cup ticket and I know we can win in Congo. We must also cooperate and forget past differences to achieve our aim”.

Preparations for the make or break Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo Brazzaville in Point Noir is expected to begin today follow­ing the arrival of invited Nigerian league stars in Abuja on Saturday, after a highly impressive 1-0 win over Ghana in the maiden Restoration Cup at the ultra-modern Akwa Ibom International Stadium last Friday.

The players that came into camp with Head Coach Stephen Keshi, his assis­tants and other members of staff of the national team are goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, Warri Wolves skipper, Azubuike Egwue­kwe, Solomon Kwambe, scorer of the epoch mak­ing goal in Uyo, Emem Eduok, Nasara United’s Tony Edjomari, Christian Osaghuna Ighodalo, Gbo­lahahan Salami and new comer Kingsley Sokari.

The players are nested at their usual abode in Bolton White Apartment, Zone 7, Abuja and Keshi said all invited players should be in camp latest today.

“We have no time for this game and the players know, so all of them must be here early enough for the trip to Congo”, Keshi declared.

#sunnewsonline

Gunmen kidnap Ribadu’s brother

Gunmen have kidnapped Sani Ribadu, the younger brother of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu.

Another brother of the anti-graft boss, Arabi Ribadu, told news online platform PREMIUM TIMES that Sani was kidnapped in his farm in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, on Sunday.

“He was abducted by gun yielding men in his farm along Fufore road at about 5:00 p.m. this evening,” he said, adding that, his abductors took away their victim and abandoned his car.

“Up till moment, there is no communication from them,” he said.

It would be recalled that Islamist sect, Boko Haram recently claimed Adamawa’s second largest town, Mubi. It is however unclear if it was members of the sect that abducted Sani Ribadu.

Top Nollywwod actress Stephanie Okereke Linus and hubby are on the latest ThisDay Style. Stunning!

Passenger nabbed at airport with cocaine in female shoes

Officials of the National Draw Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a passenger at the Lagos airport for allegedly concealing cocaine in female shoes.

The drug was detected in the luggage compartment of an Etihad flight‎ from Brazil to Nigeria.

NDLEA said the suspect, Mama Solomon, who had checked in the luggage claimed he was ‎a shoe merchant.

According to Hamza Umar, NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, “the suspect claimed to be a shoe merchant, however, during interrogation it was revealed that he only used the shoes as a way of concealing cocaine. He had two bags containing female shoes and hand bags. The drug was discovered in the soles of the female shoes and he was immediately arrested,” he said.

NDLEA said the 27-year old suspect, however, claimed he was given the bag by his friend in Brazil to take to Nigeria.

“I live and work in Brazil. I was given the drug with a promise that I will be handsomely rewarded if I successfully deliver the bag in Nigeria. They also assured me that somebody will help me in collecting the bags at the airport in Nigeria. Unfortunately, officers demanded to search my bag and in the process, the cocaine was found in my bag,” NDLEA quoted the suspect, who hails from Enugu state, as saying.

#Pmnewsnigeria

The striking resemblance between Charly Boy and one of his daughters, Dewy!

She killed it nice pictures.

Comedy Video: American Soldiers vs Nigerian Soldiers

Chika Ike's Birthday Party - Photos

#ketekete.com

PHOTOS: The Billionaire Wedding That Shut Down Benin

When Two kids of Billionaire parents wed, activities in town literally stops.

This occurred yesterday in Benin when One of the sons of the Olu of Warri, Tsola Emiko yesterday got married to Ivie Okunbor, one of the daughters of billionaire businessman, Captain Hosa Okunbor.

Both Families also sent private jets to pick up their guests to attend the traditional wedding in Benin.

The wedding was grand but some passengers from other flights that where grounded did not enjoy the delay caused by the private jets.

Captain Hosa Okunbor, who has been described as one of the richest men in Benin.

#naij.com

Eniola Badmus Actress Says Americans Don’t Discriminate Against Fat People

Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus has spoken about being big saying that only Nigerians get worked up about people being overweight.

Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus has spoken about being big saying that only Nigerians get worked up about people being overweight.

Eniola said further that people in the US don’t discriminate against people who are on the bigger side.

The actress spoke to Vanguard on her relationship status, marriage plans and her bad girl movie roles.

Excerpts below:

You mostly play bad girl roles in movies, why?

I don’t remember the ones that I played bad girl recently, maybe before, but I know I’ve changed a lot of stuffs. I’ve been playing other roles too and the fact that I play bad girl role doesn’t mean I am bad, maybe, I’m good at it though.

You and Davido were seen together recently, what were you guys doing?

Shout-out to my brother, Davido! That’s a movie shoot, that’s my movie coming out sometime next year. I shot some in Yankee and I’m shooting part of it again in Nigeria

Have you ever thought of losing weight?

Why is this my being big an issue to people? Okay, everybody has to be very very slim, right? In the US they don’t discriminate like this o, it’s only in Nigeria people get worked up about being overweight. I understand it is not healthy to be overweight at all, but should it be an issue as a lifestyle?

Has your weight affected your career in any way?

How now? That is what has been working for me. It is not easy to be big and famous. Instead of my weight being a drawback, it has actually been a blessing.

Are you currently in any relationship?

Yes, obviously, I would have someone I’m dating; I’ll have somebody I’m planning marriage with, even if I’m not planning marriage, at least I have somebody I’m seeing.

What do you find attractive in a man?

I just like a regular guy that has talent, even if he does not have talent, he has to be intelligent. A regular man, an average man; but please no body odour and no mouth odour, such are very important to me.

  What has been the high point of your career?

I’m still not at the top of my game, I’m not there yet, we’re still moving. We’ve not reached but we’re on the way, we’re not where we used to be but we’re still climbing

Are you planning on getting married?

Yes now, every girl wants to get married at some point in her life. Even if I’m getting married, nobody would know though.

Dr SID We Aren’t Missing D’banj, Singer Reveals

Despite the breakup of the Mo’hits crew and the separation of D’banj and Don Jazzy, both parties have gone on to do very well.

Despite the breakup of the Mo’hits crew and the separation ofD’banj and Don Jazzy, both parties have gone on to do very well.

This was recently pointed out by Mavin Records member, Dr. Sid who told The Sun in Lagos last week that the crew is not missing D’banj.

He said:

 “We are not missing Dbanj, no, not at all. He is doing so well and he has gone on to drop a couple of hits and the same goes for Mavin; we have dominated the last two years of Nigerian music no doubt so we are also doing so well.”

Dr. Sid, whose real name is Sidney Esiri, also spoke on the death of his father, Nollywood veteran, Justus Esiri.

“I still miss him and I am very proud of him; he touched so many lives through his works. Where ever I go his name opens doors for me. I thank God I was blessed with such a great man for a dad,” he said.

#pulse.ng

2 Americans held in North Korea whisked back home

© Reuters/David Ryder Kenneth Bae reunites with his family at U.S. Air Force Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Fort Lewis, Washington November 8, 2014. 


JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. (AP) — Two Americans released from captivity in North Korea returned to the United States Saturday night, landing at a Washington state military base after their departure was secured through a secret mission to the reclusive Communist country by the top U.S. intelligence official.
Matthew Miller of Bakersfield, California, and Kenneth Bae of Lynnwood, Washington, arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord around 9 p.m. PST. U.S. officials said the pair flew back with James Clapper, the director of national intelligence.
Bae, surrounded by family members, spoke briefly to the media after the plane carrying him and Miller landed.
"I just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me," he said.
He thanked President Barack Obama and the many people who supported him and his family. He also thanked the North Korean government for releasing him.
"It's been an amazing two years, I learned a lot, I grew a lot, I lost a lot of weight," said Bae, a Korean-American missionary with health problems. Asked how he was feeling, he said: "I'm recovering at this time."
His family has said he suffers from diabetes, an enlarged heart, liver problems and back pain,

Members of Bae's family, who live near the sprawling military base south of Seattle, met him when he landed. His mother hugged him after he got off the plane. Miller stepped off the U.S. government aircraft a short time later and was also greeted with hugs.

Their release was the latest twist in the fitful relationship between the Obama administration and the young North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, whose approach to the U.S. has shifted back and forth from defiance to occasional conciliation. And it was an anomalous role for Clapper, an acerbic retired general who doesn't typically do diplomacy.

"It's a wonderful day for them and their families," Obama said at the White House     following his announcement of his pick for attorney general. "Obviously we are very grateful for their safe return. And I appreciate Director Clapper doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission."
U.S. officials did not immediately provide details about the circumstances of the Americans' release, including whether Clapper met with Kim or other senior North Korean officials. They said the timing was not related to Obama's imminent trip to China, Myanmar and Australia.
A senior administration official said Clapper carried a brief message from Obama indicating that Clapper was his personal envoy to bring the two Americans home. The official spoke on a condition of anonymity without authorization to speak on the record.
Analysts who study North Korea said the decision to free Bae and Miller now from long prison terms probably was a bid by that country to ease pressure in connection with its human rights record. A recent U.N. report documented rape, torture, executions and forced labor in the North's network of prison camps, accusing the government of "widespread, systematic and gross" human rights violations.
North Korea seems worried that Kim could be accused in the International Criminal Court, said Sue Mi Terry, a former senior intelligence analyst now at Columbia University.
"This human rights thing is showing itself to be an unexpected leverage for the US," she said.
Bruce Klingner, a former CIA analyst now at the Heritage Foundation, agreed that efforts to shine a spotlight on the country's human rights record "startled the regime and led to frantic attempts to derail the process."
Bae and Miller were the last Americans held by North Korea.
"Their release has been our focus every single day and we've been working all the angles available to bring them home," Secretary of State John Kerry said from Oman on Saturday.
Bae was serving a 15-year sentence for alleged anti-government activities. He was detained in 2012 while leading a tour group to a North Korea economic zone.
Terri Chung, Bae's sister, said she received word from the State Department Saturday morning that Bae and Miller were on a plane that had left North Korean airspace.
Miller was serving a six-year jail term on charges of espionage after he allegedly ripped up his tourist visa at Pyongyang's airport in April and demanded asylum. North Korea said Miller had wanted to experience prison life so that he could secretly investigate North Korea's human rights situation.
Last month, North Korea released Jeffrey Fowle of Miamisburg, Ohio, who was held for nearly six months. He had left a Bible in a nightclub in the hope that it would reach North Korea's underground Christian community.
Fowle said his fellow Americans' release is "an answer to a prayer." He said he initially thought Bae and Miller had been released with him last month. "I didn't realize they weren't released with me until I got on the plane," he said.
Joseph DeTrani, the former North Korea mission manager for the DNI, said the releases are a hopeful sign that North Korea "wants to come out of the penalty box."
"The North Koreans want to come back to negotiations," said DeTrani, who leads an intelligence contractor trade group. "They are going through a bad patch. The last two years have been a disaster. They are more and more of an isolated state."
Bae and Miller had told The Associated Press that they believed their only chance of release was the intervention of a high-ranking government official or a senior U.S. statesman. Previously, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter had gone to North Korea on separate occasions to take detainees home.

Victor Cha, a North Korea expert and former national security official in the George W. Bush administration, said Clapper was the most senior U.S. official to visit North Korea since then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright went in 2000 and met with Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father.
Cha said sending Clapper would have satisfied North Korea's desire for a Cabinet-level visitor, while avoiding some of the diplomatic baggage of dispatching a regular U.S. government official. The U.S. and North Korea do not have formal ties, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended without a peace treaty.
The detainee releases do not herald a change in U.S. posture regarding North Korea's disputed nuclear program, the main source of tension between Pyongyang and Washington, said a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters.
International aid-for-disarmament talks have been stalled since 2008.
The last concerted U.S. effort to restart those negotiations collapsed in spring 2012.
The U.S. notified allies of Clapper's trip to North Korea and alerted members of the congressional leadership once his visit was underway, the official said.
___

AP writer Matthew Pennington, AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee, White House Correspondent Julie Pace, Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler, AP National Security Writer Lara Jakes in Muscat, Oman, AP writer and AP writer John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

9 CT policemen arrested for corruption

CAPE TOWN – Nine police officers and a former cop have been arrested in Parow, Cape Town.

The officials, which include a sergeant, have been charged with corruption.

They 10 men allegedly took bribes from suspects and stole crime scene exhibits.

Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer says, “I think what’s important is the details of the investigation which we cannot discuss now because we're still busy following up on some information to finalise the investigation. The members haven’t appeared in court yet.”

Picture: @MrCow_man via Twitter.

Makurdi: 20-Year Old Man Drags Mad Woman Off Street and Rapes Her

A Makurdi Magistrates' Court on Friday ordered the remand of a 20-year-old man,Tersoo Ugoo, who allegedly raped a 20-year-old mentally deranged woman.

The prosecutor, Insp. Terzungwe Kajo, told the court that Ugoo committed the offence in October at Abough Village, behind Makurdi Modern Market.

Kago said that the case was reported at the Department of Criminal Investigation, 'D' Division, Police Headquarters, Makurdi, by the victim’s mother.

He submitted that the victim was walking on a street when the accused dragged her into his house and raped her.

He said the accused covered the woman’s mouth as she shouted for help.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened to Section 284 of the Penal Code, Laws of Benue, 2004.

Ugoo’s plea could not be taken because the prosecution said that investigation into the matter was ongoing.

The Magistrate, Mrs Lillian Tsumba, adjourned the matter till Dec. 4 for hearing.

15 passengers drown in Sokoto as bus plunges into River Rima

At least 15 persons have drowned in Rima, Goronyo Local Government of Sokoto State, when a vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a river on Friday morning.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deceased were said to be travelling back to their hometown, Dan-Wawaru, from Takakume, a village near Rima.

Spokesman of the Sokoto Police Command, Al-Mustapha Sani, said the travellers had gone to the village to attend a ceremony.

The spokesman added that the vehicle was conveying 17 persons at the time of the accident and that only two survived.

Mr. Sani, who said that the cause of the accident had not been ascertained, confirmed that the remains of the deceased had been evacuated by the Goronyo police division.

He said “they have since been buried by their respective families according to Islamic rites”.
The Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, had condoled with the families of the deceased on Friday.

(NAN)

Jonathan orders SSS to release Emir Sanusi’s passport

In what appears the end of the fierce face-off between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, the State Security Services has returned to the Emir his travelling documents seized from him on May 3 at the height of his disagreement with the President.

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso on Chieftaincy and Emirate Council Affairs, Tijjani Mailafiya, told journalists the SSS returned the Emir’s passport through the director in charge of its Kano state command, Bassey Itang.

Mr. Mailafiya commended the Federal Government for releasing the passport six months after it was seized at the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano as the Emir made to board a Turkish airline flight for a planned trip to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj.

He said with his passport now in his possession, the Emir was now better placed to serve his people locally and  abroad, when necessary.

The SSS had confiscated the Emir’s travelling documents as he made to board the May 3 11: 10p.m. Turkish Airlines flight to Turkey where he would have connected another flight to Saudi Arabia.

The agency’s action was a contravention of the April 3 judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos, which restrained it and the Nigeria Police from arresting or harassing the then CBN Governor or seizing his passport.

Mr. Sanusi had sued after the SSS seized his passport on February 20 shortly after he arrived Lagos from Niger, where he had gone to attend a meeting of governors of central banks in the West African sub-region. He had then been suspended from office in absentia.

Shortly after his plane landed at the ExecuJet Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, he was accosted by SSS operatives who detained him briefly and insisted he must surrender his passport.

Speaking on the release of the passport Saturday, Mr. Mailafiya  thanked the Kano state government for being in the vanguard of those who pressed for the release of the document.

Some Nigerians may however see the handing over of the document as President Goodluck Jonathan’s direct gesture of saying everything is now alright between him and the Kano Emirate Council.

After nearly a year of bitter relations, President Jonathan and the Emir met on October 30 in Abuja and reconciled differences that once drove both men to the extremes of their offices.

Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was fired by the president on February 20 after accusing the government of diverting $20 billion oil revenues.
The government denied the claim, and in turn, accused Mr. Sanusi of “financial recklessness”.

After leaving office, Mr. Sanusi was appointed the Emir of Kano in June, assuming one of the most powerful traditional stools in Nigeria.
His appointment by Kano State’s Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, a member opposition All Progressives Congress, was opposed by the presidency which ordered the emir’s office blockaded for days.

The emir reportedly initiated peace moves, and the two men met for the first time in July during the breaking of the Muslim fast, a yearly routine in which the president meets top government officials who are Muslims and other prominent Islamic leaders in the country.

Our sources say the October 30 meeting sealed the reconciliation moves between the two sides.

The emir was accompanied to the meeting by all senior members of the Kano Emirate council, while Vice President Namadi Sambo, the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Aminu Wali also attended the meeting.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that days after the meeting, the President asked the SSS to release the Emir’s passport as a further proof that he had buried the hatchet and was now ready for a warm relationship with the traditional ruler and his emirate.

I wish I was a boxer –Gov. Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday said that he was motivated to build the Uyo nest of cham­pions because sports is now big business.

Akpabio noted that a boxer like Floyd Mayweather smiled home with over 120m dollars in a fight that lasted for just 72 minutes, an amount, according to him, no governor could make.

He pointed out that stars like Serena Williams and Ronaldo smile to the bank daily. He said Akwa Ibom ladies will beat Ser­ena if they are exposed to good facilities.

He stressed that this informed his decision to put in place a state of the art stadium.

“I hope new Serena Williams and Ronaldo’s will be discovered from this stadium,” Akpabio said.

He said Nigeria must invest in sports which is now big business.

Akpabio said he is happy Uyo is now in a position to host any major international soccer com­petition.

The governor stated that his administration has also built two five star hotels in Uyo and Ikot Ekpene.

“With the hotels and a world class stadium we can now host the world,” Akpabio said.

PDP shifts presidential primaries to Dec 10

Guber primaries hold Dec 8

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee at the weekend announced sweeping changes in the dates earlier fixed for conduct of its governorship primaries and Presidential convention.

In a statement signed by the PDP National Organising Sec­retary, Abubakar Mustapha, the governorship primaries and presidential convention earlier scheduled to hold on Novem­ber 29 and December 6, 2014 would now hold on December 8 and 10, 2014, respectively.

The party in the same vein has also extended date for the submission of completed nom­ination forms. Details of the reviewed timetable as released by the party at the weekend read in part: “In exercise of its powers under Section 29 (2) (a) and (b) of the Constitu­tion of our great party (2012 as amended), the National Work­ing

Committee (NWC) has ap­proved the review of timelines (time-table) for the conduct of congresses/primaries prepara­tory to the 2015 General Elec­tions.

The new timetable, which supercedes the earlier one , is as follows:

House Of Assembly: (a) November 6, 2014 – Return of Forms (Completed); (b) No­vember 7, 2014 – Screening (Completed); c. November 10, Screening Appeal; (d) Novem­ber 29 – House of Assembly primaries and November 30 – Appeals. -
B.National Assembly: No­vember 14 – Return of forms; November 19-21 – Screeing Appeals; December 6 – House of Representatives primaries; December 7 – Senate prima­ries; November 8 – NASS Ap­peals.

Governorship: Novem­ber 14 – Return of Forms; No­vember 22-25, Screening and Appeals; December 8 – Gover­norship primaries; December 9 – Appeals.
Presidential: November 15 – Return of Forms; Novem­ber 26 – Screening and Ap­peals; December 10-11 – Na­tional Convention.

The statement also noted that the INEC had been noti­fied of the review.