CONGRATULATION to Taraba state Governor

 Gov Darius Ishaku                           Sen Aisha Alhassan

In a ruling, the appellate court reversed the verdict of the lower tribunal that nullifies the election of the governor DARIUS ISHAKU of PDP for not been validly nominated by the PDP,
the appeal court in upturning the verdict of the tribunal which earlier declared MAMA TARABA of APC as winner ruled thus:
"If the Tribunal decides that a candidate elected at an election was not validly nominated, it can nullify the victory,it should order for fresh election and not declare the petitioner the winner of the poll"

CONGRATULATION TO GOVERNOR OF TARABA STATE DARIUS ISHAKU.

Mama Taraba lost Elecetion for Taraba State Again

MAMA TARABA

Mama Taraba popularly called lost her race to become Taraba state governor again the second time in a roll,Senator Aisha  Alhassan and current minister of women affairs, Today lost her race to become Taraba state governor at the court of appeal in Abuja.
In a ruling, the appellate court reversed the verdict of the lower tribunal that nullifies the election of the governor DARIUS ISHAKU of PDP for not been validly nominated by the PDP,
the appeal court in upturning the verdict of the tribunal which earlier declared MAMA TARABA of APC as winner ruled thus:
"If the Tribunal decides that a candidate elected at an election was not validly nominated, it can nullify the victory,it should order for fresh election and not declare the petitioner the winner of the poll"

CONGRATULATION TO GOVERNOR OF TARABA STATE DARIUS ISHAKU.

HERO GONE TOO SOON

Late Comrade Babaji Dunama
 
A one time Nigeria Labour Congress Chairman (NLC), Comrade Babaji Dunama for Gombe state chapter gave up to the Ghost on the 30th of December 2015 at Abuja, the final rite was held today for the hero at Abuja at 4pm on the 31st.
May his soul rest in peace

IS computer hacker Siful Haque Sujan killed in air strike

A Cardiff-based businessman who became a computer hacker for the so-called Islamic State (IS) has been killed in a US-led coalition air strike in Syria.

The Pentagon said Siful Haque Sujan, originally from Bangladesh, was killed near the city of Raqqah on 10 December.
Sujan supported IS hacking efforts, anti-surveillance technology and weapons development for the jihadist group.
He was one of 10 IS leaders killed in air strikes.
Pentagon spokesman Army Colonel Steve Warren said: "Now that he's dead, ISIL has lost a key link between networks."
Members of the Cardiff Bangladeshi community said they were shocked and stunned and had no indication he had been radicalised.
It is understood Sujan left the UK in July 2014 and travelled to Syria.
South Wales Police Det Supt Lee Porter said: "We are unable to confirm or deny the accuracy of these reports at this time but are currently working with our partners to ascertain what has happened.
"While we understand Mr Sujan had lived and worked in south Wales, he had left the UK in 2014 thus was not a resident of Wales at the time of his reported death."

 

Fifa scandal: Swiss prosecutors hand bank documents to US

 

US authorities have charged 39 football officials and sports business executives in the scandal 

Swiss justice officials say they have handed to US investigators documents relating to bank accounts allegedly used in the Fifa corruption scandal.

The Federal Justice Office (FOJ) said the accounts were allegedly used for bribes connected with the granting of marketing rights to tournaments in Latin America and the US.
In addition, the FOJ said it had frozen some $80m (£54m) in 13 bank accounts.
The action was taken in response to US requests for legal assistance, it said.
"The US authorities can apply to have these assets handed over if they have a legally valid and enforceable seizure ruling from a US court," the FOJ said.
The statement provided no details on who the bank accounts belonged to.
World football's governing body has been in turmoil for several months, following numerous allegations of corruption.
A number of top Fifa officials were arrested at a hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, in May.
Some 14 people were indicted on corruption charges at the end of that month. Another 16 people were charged by the US Department of Justice on 3 December.
And US authorities have in all charged 39 football officials and sports business executives over more than £134m ($200m) in alleged bribes for football television and marketing deals.
Swiss prosecutors are also investigating Fifa's management as well as the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
And earlier this month, Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini were suspended for eight years from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation.
They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) payment made to Mr Platini in 2011.
The Fifa ethics committee found the pair had demonstrated an "abusive execution" of their positions.
Both deny any wrongdoing.

South Africa's King Dalindyebo goes to jail

King Dalindyebo conducted a reign of terror, judges say

A South African king who is a nephew of the late Nelson Mandela has begun a 12-year prison sentence for kidnapping, assault and arson.

King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo reported to prison after his legal attempts to overturn his conviction failed.
The case against King Dalindyebo was related to a dispute he had with some of his subjects about two decades ago.
He comes from the Thembu clan, to which Mr Mandela, South Africa's first black president, belonged.
He is the first monarch to be jailed in South Africa since minority rule ended in 1994.
King Dalindyebo, 51, ascended to the throne in 1989, and has about 700,000 subjects.
South Africa has 10 officially recognised monarchs representing different ethnic groups and clans.
They play a largely ceremonial role, and attend to minor disputes within their communities.



Nelson Mandela died two years ago aged 95 

King Dalindyebo was accused of kidnapping a woman and her six children, setting their home on fire and beating up four youths, one of whom died, because one of their relatives had failed to present himself before the king's traditional court.
He handed himself to prison authorities in the eastern city of Mthatha in compliance with a court order after a judge refused to extend his bail on Wednesday, the justice ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, Justice Minister Michael Masutha turned down his request for a retrial, saying there was no legal justification for doing so.
King Dalindyebo had maintained his innocence, saying he disciplined his subjects under customary law.

 

Nigerian president offers talks with Boko Haram over Chibok girls

 

The girls were seized from their school in northern Nigeria in April 2014

Nigeria's president has said he is prepared to negotiate with Boko Haram militants to secure the release of about 200 schoolgirls.

Muhammadu Buhari said that if a credible Boko Haram leadership could be identified then he was prepared to talk with them without preconditions.
But he said he had no intelligence on the girls' whereabouts or their health.
Boko Haram seized the girls from their dormitories in the north-eastern town of Chibok in April 2014.
"If a credible leader of Boko Haram can be established and they tell us where those girls are, we are prepared to negotiate with them, without any precondition," said Mr Buhari.
Attempts to negotiate with Boko Haram during the rule of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan failed because officials were talking to the wrong people in the fragmented militant group. 

Air India flight turns back after rat spotted on board

The national airline has recently purchased some ultra-modern aircraft, like this one - not thought to be the affected plane  

A plane travelling from Mumbai to London was forced to turn back mid-flight after a rat was spotted on board, local media report. 

Flight AI 131 travelling to London on Wednesday was flying over Iran when someone on board said they spotted the rodent, reports said.
Passengers continued their journey on a replacement aircraft some time later.
Air India has said that the plane will be fumigated and the presence of a rodent was being investigated.
Rats occasionally get on board aircraft along with catering and other supplies but can pose a serious technical as well as a health hazard if they chew through wires.
The airline said that "though the presence of the rodent was not confirmed," the decision to abort the flight was precautionary and in the interests of passenger safety.


A happier landing: in 2013 an Air India plane was Australia's first Dreamliner passenger flight, where it was given a water cannon salute 

It is not the first time a rat sighting has been reported on an Air India jet this year, with one of their aircraft forced to return to New Delhi during a flight to Milan in July because of a rodent.
It is the latest setback to hit the state-owned airline, which has had to cut costs to improve its financial health.
Earlier in December, an Air India technician was sucked into an aircraft engine and killed at Mumbai airport.

Russia attack: IS claims shooting in Dagestan

 
Visitors at the Naryn-Kala fortress in Derbent 

The so-called Islamic State has said it carried out a gun attack in Dagestan, southern Russia, that left one person dead and 11 injured.
Gunmen opened fire at the Derbent citadel, a Unesco World Heritage site in the North Caucasus, on Tuesday evening.
A statement posted to IS's main channel on the Telegram messaging app said the attack had targeted Russian intelligence agency officers.
The gunmen fled the scene.

Moscow is fighting an Islamist insurgency in the mostly Muslim North Caucasus, with attacks commonly occurring in Dagestan.
State news agency RIA has reported that one Federal Security Service (FSB) member was killed and another injured in the shooting, quoting anonymous sources.
The citadel in Derbent, one of Russia's oldest cities, is considered a tourist site. It was listed by Unesco in 2003.
IS established a franchise in the region in June, and in September claimed responsibility for an alleged attack on a Russian army base in southern Dagestan.
The al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda linked group active in Syria, had called on jihadists to organise attacks in Russia in retaliation for the country's bombing campaign in support of the Syrian government.
Russia has been bombing IS and other groups it considers terrorists, some of which are backed by Western powers. On Wednesday, the Russian military said it flew 121 sorties over Syria in two days, hitting 424 targets.
Nearly 2,900 Russians have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside militants, according to the FSB.

2016 budget: Wike to begin prompt implementation

Rivers State says it would begin early implementation of its 2016 budget of N307 billion, following its prompt passage by the Rivers State House of Assembly and assent by Governor Nyesom Wike.
The budget, which was presented, passed and assented to in 24 hours, according to Governor Wike, targets to engender enhanced development of road infrastructure across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said critical access roads in strategic towns of the state were targeted for construction with a view to developing the state’s economy.
Over N53 billion is provided for the infrastructure development sub-sector. The Rivers economy has taken the biggest bashing ever in over four years, following the 2015 electoral permutations, crystallising in pockets of violence in parts of the state.
Strong ideological disagreements between two of the political parties – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) often kept the people on edge – with businesses and investments ironically taking the back seat.
But Governor Wike has assured he would drive a people-oriented budget in 2016, having received a much-desired ‘go-ahead stamp’ from the state Assembly. This the lawmakers did in a markedly unusual legislative volte-face.
Commenting further on the 2016 budget, Wike said all construction of roads infrastructure was geared towards empowering the people.
He said: “the provision of transport infrastructure is critical to the socio-economic advancement of any nation. Accordingly, in 2016 we intend to complete all on-going road projects and kick-start the construction of the Trans-Kalabari road network, the dualisation of Ahoada – Omoku road, as well as Bori Sapkenwa Road.”
He also informed that he would continue with construction of inner city roads in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and the headquarters of other local government areas.
The governor stressed that his ongoing sustained renewal of the state’s roads infrastructure will ensure that the headquarters of different local government areas are accessible by road, to enhance the transportation of agricultural produce from the hinterlands and bolster other economic activities in all the council headquarters.
Roads construction has seen marked improvement in Port-Harcourt municipality, Obio-Akpor, Eleme, Ikwerre and Oyigbo local government areas in the governor’s first phase of urban renewal programme in the last seven months.

Kano proposes N14bn for water, rural roads in 2016

 

Kano State government is to spend N14 billion for the provision of potable water and construction of rural feeder roads in 2016.
Usman Riruwe, commissioner for water resources and rural development, made the plan known in Kano on Tuesday soon after he appeared before the Kano State House of Assembly to defend the budget estimate for the ministry.
According to Riruwe, the budget will ensure the provision of rural, urban, regional and greater water supply as well as electricity in rural areas.
Riruwe said over three billion would be used for the expansion of irrigation facilities, in addition to N2 billion meant for reactivating and rehabilitating dams.
According to him, the ministry will also provide three dams for mini hydropower supply, as the 2016 budget would ensure the provision of 500 transformers in various communities.
The commissioner added that the ministry ”is ready to ensure the proper execution of those proposed projects for the betterment of Kano people.

Again, DSS refuses Dasuki bail

 

 SAMBO DASUKI

After being granted bail by two Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high courts and another Federal High Court, the Department of State Security (DSS) has refused to allow Sambo Dasuki, the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), enjoy his freedom.

An FCT High Court sitting before Justice Peter Affem had earlier granted him bail alongside former minister of state finance, Bashir Yuguda, former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son Sagir Bafarawa, and the director of finance, office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu at N250 million each and two sureties in like sum.

But having perfected the bail, according to Ahmed Raji, operatives of the DSS had refused to allow Dasuki go home on bail.

The DSS, according to reports, shortly after perfecting the third bail granted him by Justice Peter Affem after two other courts had done same, the DSS took a dramatic turn by re-arresting him.

According to his lawyer, the former NSA had met all the bail conditions given by Justice Affem but regretted that the court order was not obeyed by the operatives of the SSS.

It would be recalled that Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court Abuja had granted the ex-NSA bail on November 3, in the charges of unlawful possession of firearms. In fact, his international passport was asked to be released to him, but the bail was on November 4 scuttled by the DSS who laid siege on his Asokoro residence and placed him under house arrest.

The DSS had premised its actions on the fact that he was being investigated on another matter, after which he was later arraigned before Justice Husseini Yusuf-Baba of another FCT High Court, who eventually granted him bail.

Raji, Dasuki’s lawyer who perfected the bail condition of his client, said the action of the security agents was an affront to the rule of law under democracy, and appealed to the authorities of the security agents and the Federal Government to respect court order and allow Dasuki to enjoy the bail granted him by a law court of the country.

Brussels police arrest six over 'New Year terror plot'

Police in Brussels have arrested six people in connection with an alleged plot to target the city on New Year's Eve, prosecutors say.

The arrests come as cities around the world heighten security measures ahead of large-scale New Year celebrations.
The arrests in Brussels were made during raids in suburbs including Molenbeek, which was used as a base by the 13 November Paris attackers.
The city's main fireworks display has been cancelled over the feared plot.
None of the six people arrested on Thursday has been identified.


Arrests were made in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, which has ties to the Paris attackers

 ARRESTS IN BRUSSELS OVER TERROR PLOT
Two people arrested in Brussels earlier this week, named as 30-year-old Said S and 27-year-old Mohammed K, have been charged with threatening to carry out a terrorist attack.
Brussels police say the apparent plots to target New Year celebrations are not related to the network behind the Paris attacks.

Extra measures

Security is being stepped up in major European cities ahead of New Year celebrations, with officials wary of possible terror plots.
New Year fireworks and festivities have been cancelled in Brussels and extra measures are being put in place in other cities, including Paris, London, Berlin and Moscow.


Security has been stepped across Europe ahead of New Year's Eve

Meanwhile in Turkey, security services say they have thwarted a major plot to attack celebrations in Ankara.
Earlier this week, Austrian police claimed a "friendly intelligence service" had tipped them off that major European capitals were at risk of being attacked over the holiday period.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the Brussels decision had been taken "given information we have received".
Last year 100,000 people turned out in Brussels to welcome in the New Year. "In these circumstances, we can't check everyone," Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur said.