A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
A prosecution witness, Tosin Owobo, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in a case involving a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosun( retd.) and two other serving senior officers of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, told Justice M.B. Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos how the defendants allegedly converted to personal use huge sums of money in the NAF's Special Emergency Operation Account.
The defendants are standing trial on a 23-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, money laundering, concealing of proceeds of crime and conversion of funds belonging to the Nigerian Air Force to their personal use.
In his testimony, Owobo told the court that the second defendant, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, a former Director of Finance and third defendant, Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, a former Deputy Director of Finance, were signatories to the NAF Special Emergency Operations Account.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, Otobo told the court that sequel to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Air Force, the total sum of N3bn( Three Billion Naira) was paid into the NAF Special Emergency Operation Account domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc in three tranches of N1bn( One Billion Naira) on different occasions.
Owobo further said the money was paid into Right Options Oil & Gas Limited, Judah Oil Limited, Delfina Oil & Gas, McAllan Oil & Gas Limited and Lebol Oil & Gas Limited.
EFCC operatives
He said:''As part of the investigation, we invited the Managing Directors of Right Options Oil & Gas, Judah Oil & Gas and Lebol Oil & Gas Limited, who stated in their statements that they were Bureau De Change (BDC) operators and not oil dealers.
''They said when the monies were paid into their accounts, they gave the dollar equivalents to the Account Officers of the NAF Special Emergency Operation Account for the second and third defendants.
''They also stated that their companies were registered as Oil & Gas companies because they were given a high threshold of monies that could be transferred with fewer deductions.''
Also, while giving further evidence on the account opening packages of Delfina Oil & Gas and McAllan Oil & Gas, Otobo told the court that the CAC documents that were used in opening the accounts bore Adigun's name as director.
According to Otobo, investigations further revealed that certain monies that did not originate from NIMASA were paid from other NAF accounts into the NAF Special Emergency Operation Account.
The money, he said, was in turn paid into McAllan Oil & Gas Limited, Delfina Oil & Gas Limited and Trapezites BDC to the tune of about N15bn.
Otobo also told the court the money received by the defendants were used to buy properties in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, adding that Solomon Enterprises, which is allegedly owned by Amosun, received money from Delfina Oil & Gas and McAllan Oil & Gas Limited.
He also stated that the sum of N95m (Ninety-five Million Naira) was allegedly paid to Amosun's wife, Omolara, who is one of the Directors of St. Solomon HealthCare.
When the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, sought to tender the statements of the second and third defendants in evidence, the defence counsels prayed the court for an
adjournment to enable them review the documents before them.
Justice Idris adjourned the matter to Wednesday, May 3, 2017 for continuation of trial.
It will be recalled that at the last hearing, the defendants had challenged the admissibility of the FCMB account opening package and statement of account of Deegee Oil and Gas Limited sought to be tendered by the prosecution.
But in his ruling today, Justice Idris admitted the document as evidence, saying that the document satisfies the provision of the law after being duly certified.
The Attorney General of Sokoto State, Suleiman Usman is to take over the prosecution of the corruption charge brought against a serving Commissioner in Sokoto state and former Permanent Secretary of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the administration of ex-governor Aliyu Wamakko, Mohammed Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
This followed a ruling today by Justice Idrissa Kolo on the fiat by Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami SAN which purportedly allows the State Attorney General to take over criminal cases being prosecuted by any agency of the government including the EFCC.
EFCC operatives
The initial Fiat annexed to the application of the Attorney General of Sokoto State was dated 30 January, 1995 authored by Chief M.A Agbamuche SAN, the then Attorney General of the Federation but it was later replaced by another one dated 30th January, 2017 authored by the incumbent AGF, Abubakar Malami SAN.
The case with charge No. FHC/S/22C/2014 between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Mohammed Bello, Abubakar Abdullahi Ahmed, Rose Gallery Nigeria Limited, Silver Spring Global Concept Limited and Sitex Multiservice Limited has been under prosecution by the Commission since 2014 before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court Sokoto who was recently transferred to Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.
The defendants were charged with 43 counts which borders on Money Laundering, Forgery and Uttering. The charge followed an investigation which uncovered that money running into hundreds of millions was diverted by the first and second defendants during the first defendant's tenure as the Permanent Secretary for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Sokoto State.
The alleged diversion was perpetrated through the 3rd to 5th defendants in the charge which are said to be companies owned by the first and second defendants who used their relatives as directors of the companies.
In the course of trial, the prosecution had called its first witness, the investigation officer. However, when the matter was called on 24 November, 2016 the Attorney General of Sokoto State Suleiman Usman announced appearance and informed the court that he intended to take over the case.
The reason given by the Attorney General of Sokoto State for the takeover of the case was to serve the interest of justice, public interest and to make sure that the legal process is not abused. The prosecution counsel, S.K Atteh in his response, expressed fears on how a serving Commissioner can diligently prosecute his fellow Commissioner and be expected to serve the interest of justice and public good.
The then trial judge, R.M Aikawa made an order asking the Attorney General of the Federation to either appear in person or send a representative or write to the court to clarify whether or not, he had authorized the Attorney General of Sokoto State to take over the prosecution of the case.
In today's proceeding Mohammed, who was holding brief for the Attorney General of Sokoto State moved his application to take over the matter.
Counsel representing the first defendant Y. C Maikyau SAN who also holds brief for counsel representing the 2nd,3rd and 5th defendants made his submissions in which he supported the idea of the Attorney General of Sokoto State taking over the case from the EFCC.
Counsel for the 4th defendant I.A Sule aligned himself with the submission of the Maikyau.
Prosecution counsel S.K Atteh however informed the court that he has affidavit of service which he served the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, asking for clarification on whether this particular case was covered by the Fiat issued to the Attorney General of Sokoto State but there has been no response from the AGF. Atteh asked the court for an adjournment pending when the Commission receives a reply from the AGF but the application was refused.
Justice Kolo held that the application for the takeover of the charge by the Attorney General of Sokoto State was in order and in line with the provisions of the constitution. He therefore granted the application as prayed, even as he advised parties dissatisfied with the decision to seek redress at the appellate court.
The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a rather salacious news report published in Vanguard and The Punch newspapers of May 2, 2017.
The report published under two different headlines: "DSS accuses anti-graft agency of protecting Jonathan's former aide", and "Jonathan's wanted aide being protected by govt. agency –DSS", contained allegations that an anti-graft agency which is purportedly investigating Mr. Kingsley Kuku, a former Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, on the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme, is in reality shielding him from the law. The phantom claim is made more ludicrous by the fact that it is attributed to some unnamed sources in the Department of State Services, DSS.
EFCC operatives
The EFCC ordinarily ought not to dignify the reports with a response given that it was not directly named by the ghost sources. However, the stories are dripping with innuendos that left little to the imagination regarding the agency under reference. While Vanguard stayed within the script of the game of ostrich handed to it by the purveyors of the unsubstantiated report, The Punch took a further step to identify the EFCC as the agency that is known to be investigating Kuku. Punch's allusion is a fact known to everybody but the authors of the malicious story were either scared of the Commission or too embarrassed by their infantile gambit to name the EFCC.
For the avoidance of doubt, EFCC is investigating the Amnesty Office managed by Kuku. The Commission was compelled to declare him wanted in July 2015 after he failed to honour an invitation sent to him for interrogation on July 28, 2015. Rather than appear before the team investigating the allegations of fraud against him, he sent a letter, through his counsel, Karina Tunyan, claiming that he "is currently in the United States of America to keep an appointment with his doctors", with a promise to appear on September 30, 2015. He never did, and his last known place of abode has remained the US, a different territorial jurisdiction.
In February 2016, in a bid to forestall his arrest by the EFCC, Kuku approached a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to stop the agency from arresting him on his possible return to Nigeria. The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, dismissed his application as lacking in merit, and upheld the statutory powers of the EFCC to investigate him.
It must be stated unequivocally that the EFCC has no personal interest, or business with Kuku, other than the fact that he is a fugitive, who is wanted by the Commission to stand trial in Nigeria. The allegation in the reports that "the agency is in criminal connivance with fugitive Kingsley Kuku" is a blatant lie. Also untrue and fallacious is the claim that the EFCC is "directly and brazenly facilitating the concealment of the looted several billions of naira".
After he spurned the Commission's invitation, Kuku's aides who are believed to have assisted him in perpetrating various acts of corruption were arrested, questioned and charged to court. Henry Ugbolue and Lawrence Pepple, close aides to Kuku, are facing charges before a Federal Capital Territory High Court Abuja.
An agency which is on the lookout for Kuku and had docked his aides on corruption charges cannot be the same agency that would be accused of offering assistance to the same suspect or doing his bidding by harassing his adversaries. So the so-called cover up is deliberately concocted tissue of lies, apparently aimed at impugning the good image of the EFCC
The EFCC is inclined to believe that this campaign of misinformation has no official endorsement of the DSS. Otherwise it should have no problem owning its report by stating it openly as it has done in recent times. It is the Commission's hunch that someone is dropping the name of "unnamed DSS Sources" to give a veneer of credibility to a lie and set both agencies on a collision course.
This seemingly concocted report is the latest in a series of orchestrated campaign of calumny against the Commission by shadowy forces that are obviously envious of the success of the EFCC, especially at a time, when the anti-graft agency enjoys the status of the shining light of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration's war against corruption.
Furthermore, the allegation that a raid on the house of a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, was carried out "based on the instruction of Kuku" is nothing but the figment of the imagination of the authors and their "sources". How logical is it that the Commission would be taking instruction from a man it has declared wanted and who has remained a fugitive? The nation should be saved this "Dugbe Intelligence", as the EFCC is fired only by professionalism and would not be sucked into the apparent political battle between Nwuche and Kuku.
Nwuche is perfectly aware of the outcome of the Commission's investigation as it affects him and it will serve his interest to direct his energy to dealing with the other issue of alleged illegal possession of firearms currently being investigated by the Nigeria Police.
Abdullahi Shuaibu, the Nigerian charged with a string of bank robberies in the U.S. two weeks ago, got some relief from prosecutors on Monday who amended the charge.
Shuaibu was arrested on April 17 and accused by U.S. authorities of robbing four banks in Manhattan, New York.Shuaibu's photo circulated by NYPD
When the matter came up for hearing, Shuaibu, who was present in the court, pleaded "not guilty", through a member of his legal team, Tim Pruitt.
The case has been changed from 'First Degree Robbery' to 'Attempted Robbery' in the 'Second Degree' and 'Robbery' in the 'Third Degree'.
Consequently, the case also moved from Class 'B' felony to Class 'D' felony, which is a significant reduction in the charge against him.
With the significant reduction in the charge, Shuaibu's jail exposure has also been significantly reduced.
Pruitt, after taking the "not guilty" plea for Shuaibu, sought for an adjournment. The judge adjourned the matter until June 26.
Another member of the defence team, Olayinka Dansalami, said Shuaibu had a hope of even a lighter sentence and that his legal team was not resting on its efforts.
"With the class 'B' offence, Shuaibu could receive a jail sentence anywhere from five to 25 years in jail.
"But with the class 'D" offence, he can get 'conditional discharge 'time serve' or 'probation' but the maximum sentence is five years in jail," he said.
'Time serve' is a condition whereby an accused is sentenced to the time already served in detention.
'Conditional discharge' is where an accused is given another chance but warned to be of good behaviour for a period of time,'' Dansalami said.
"The charge against him has also moved to 'non-violent charge' from 'violent charge'. We thank God for the reduction.
"We (defence attorneys) will continue to fight the case vigorously and aggressively despite the reduction of his jail exposure. Our goal is to spare our client of any time in jail.
"His bail condition has also been reduced.
"But we may be able to further reduce the bail if someone can come forth. So, overall, there is a change in circumstances and it is not as serious as before.
"Within the next few days, we will look at a lot of options that will help him."
According to him, now that the severity of the charge has significantly reduced, it behoves the judge to temper justice with mercy.
"Before, when he was charged with 'class B' felony, the best a judge can do is to give him minimum sentence of five years on each of the two 'B felony charges.
"But now the judge can do something because of the reduction of the charge. The judge has some latitude to lessen the sentence from conditional discharge or time served or probation up to five years.
"So to be clear, despite the fact that the charges have been reduced, our approach to the case remains the same.
"We are not taking anything for granted and we are committed to defend our client to the best of our abilities.''
Dansalami said one of the best social workers in the State of New York, James Graves, has already been assigned as part of the team to help ascertain Shuaibu's psychological wellbeing at the time the offence was allegedly committed.
Nigeria's number two, Sylvester Emmanuel, on Tuesday lost 4-6, 3-6 to Bega Alessandro of Italy in the first round of the singles event at the Tombim Abuja Open tennis tournament.
The tournament, which is an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures event where players can garner Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) points, is ongoing at the Abuja National Stadium.
Emmanuel, who was ranked 1162 in the world, reached the quarter-finals of the Lagos Governor's Cup last year, however said the game was a good experience for him.
"Tennis is like that. Sometimes you win, and at other times you lose.
"It is also a good experience for me, though. I fought as hard as I could hoping to get a good result, but unfortunately I lost.
"I was also able to notice that I needed to be solid with the baseline,'' he said.
Alessandro, on his part, hailed the effort of his opponent, while describing the game as tough.
"Sylvester is a good player and I respect him a lot.
" It was however a tough match because he was serving great, really good service even from the baseline.
"So, I had to be focused and I broke him twice,'' he said.
Newsmen report that a baseline is the rearmost line of the court, furthest from and parallel to the net in a tennis court.
In the other matches played, Kumar Mukund of India defeated fellow countryman Anvit Bendre 6-2, 6-4 while Raman Rishabdev also of India was humbled 6-2, 6-0 by Ivan Marrero from Spain.
Another Nigerian, Emmanuel Emeruwa, also fell 1-6, 1-6 to the tactics of Zimbabwe's Benjamin Lock while Moez Echargui of Tunisia defeated Australia's Mark Verryth 6-4, 6-4.
The tournament which has over 50 players jostling for the 25,000 dollars prize money began on Monday and will end on Saturday.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has called condemned the arrest and continued detention of former Governors of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, warning the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to stop what he described as regime of harassment and intimidation of people perceived as having presidential ambition in 2019. *Sule Lamido
The governor, who called on the international community and the media to save democracy in Nigeria from being truncated by the APC cabal's desperation to hold on to power by whatever means, added that; "It appears that the cabal in the APC led government that is holding Nigerians to ransom want their candidate to contest the 2019 election unopposed. Obviously, that is the reason for the arrest and detention of former Governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu and Alhaji Lamido who have shown interest in the presidency."
In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, and signed by Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, he described the police for Sule Lamido's arrest and detention as childish and ridiculous, saying; "If a former governor is arrested and incarcerated for what they called incitement, what should the police have done to those Fulani herdsmen that have killed thousands of Nigerians across the country?"
He said; "With the arrest of Alhaji Lamido, the detention of former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan since February this year and the arrest and detention of Dr Babangida Aliyu, it is becoming clearer that these APC people will only contest election against themselves in 2019.
"It will even be unnecessary to continue to fund the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) since they don't want anyone to contest the 2019 presidential election against their party. The APC cabal can as well proscribe INEC and declare their party the perpetual ruler of Nigeria instead of wasting money on conduct of elections."
Describing Lamido's arrest as the height of power drunkenness, Governor Fayose said; "That the police claimed Alhaji Lamido was arrested for allegedly inciting his supporters to go violent if the results of the local government elections fixed for July 1, 2017 is to say the least irresponsible and ludicrous.
"How can you arrest someone in April because of an election slated for July and keep the person in detention for the past 24 hours? Is it not even laughable that the APC government in Jigawa State is so afraid of allowing the people the freedom to participate in an election to be conducted by the State government itself such that it opted for the arrest and detention of a former governor of the State more than two months to the elections?"
The governor, who also condemned the continued detention of former Governor Suswan; said "Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswan has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the DSS reason for keeping him in detention since February is that he has failed to cooperate with investigators. The question is; what cooperation does the DSS need from someone that will require him being kept in detention for close to two months?"
While calling for a stop to the APC government's regime of political intimidation and harassment, Governor Fayose said "Nigerians will resist any attempt to foist a one party State on the country and no matter how tyrannical the APC chooses to become, Nigeria will overcome its tyranny just like the country survived past tyrannical governments."
About 80 British troops on Tuesday arrived South Sudan to provide engineering and medical support to UN mission (UNMISS).
UNMISS said the UK contingent, proudly wearing their distinctive blue UN berets, would provide military engineering taskforce to the Malakal and Bentiu protection of civilian sites, as well as a Level II Hospital at Bentiu.
"Nearly 80 medics will arrive to staff a Level II Hospital in Bentiu, providing world class medical care for over 1,800 UNMISS military and civilian personnel," the UN mission said in a statement issued in Juba.
The Royal engineers will conduct tasks at the UN camps to improve accommodation, routes, security and drainage, as well as the construction of a jetty on the River Nile and a helicopter landing site.
Alongside their UNMISS colleague, their efforts will make a contribution to protecting civilians and creating conditions to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid.
"With almost 400 troops in total, this will be one of the UK's largest operational deployments across the world," UNMISS said.
Last week, UNMISS confirmed the arrival of the first elements of the Regional Protection Force in Juba.
The deployment of the 4,000-strong force was authorised by the UN Security Council.
UNMISS says the force will provide protection to key facilities in the nation's capital Juba and the main routes into and out of the city.
It will also strengthen the security of UN protection of civilians' sites and other UN premises.
The deployment of the force, to be staged over coming months, would free existing UNMISS peacekeepers to extend their presence to conflict-affected areas beyond Juba.
Dangote Sugar Plc says it is has set a target to produce 1.5 million tonnes of refined sugar from locally grown sugarcane in the next six years.
Mr Abdullahi Sule, the company's acting Managing Director made this known at the company's fact behind the figures at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos on Tuesday.
AGM : From left , Chairman, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Aliko Dangote; Group Managing Director, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Mr. Graham Clark; and Deputy Group Managing Director, Engr. Abdulllahi Sule at the 9th Annual General Meeting , AGM, of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc in Lagos
Sule said that the company was also projecting to produce 130 million litres of ethanol across all its sites.
According to him, the company will also generate not less than 100,000 jobs under its master plan.
Sule explained that the company remained a zero debt entity since it started operations, adding that N106 billion was required to fund the expansion project.
"We are going to spend about N106 billion to expand its operation during the preview period of which 20 per cent of the fund will come from equity,'' he said.
Sule noted that 20 per cent of the fund would be raised through equity, adding that the board of directors would decide the direction of the equity raising programme.
"Dangote Sugar remains a zero debt company. In the first three years of the project, we will spend about N106 billion and the board members have decided that 20 per cent would be raised through equity.
"By the end of this year, we will be able to fund the N20 billion but it is taking us time to decide whether it is through extra-ordinary meeting or through loan.
"The company is still in position to borrow and still pay dividends,'' he said.
Sule, however, assured that the company would continue to pay dividends.
"We are confident that this ambitious goal is achievable and we will leave no stone unturned in seeing that it becomes a reality," he said.
Sule added that about N101 billion had been committed toward actualisation of the company's Backward Integration Project (BIP) targets.
"To date, about N101 billion has been committed toward the actualisation of these projects on equipment purchase, land studies and survey, and sensitisation campaign for the local communities," he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the company for the financial year ended Dec. 31, 2016 posted a turnover of N169.72 billion against N101.06 billion achieved in the comparative period of 2015.
Profit after tax stood at N14.39 billion against N11.14 billion in 2015, while profit before tax rose to N19.61 billion in contrast with N16.16 billion in the previous year.
A jihadist assault led by suicide bombers killed dozens Tuesday at a camp for the displaced near Syria’s border with Iraq, as pressure grows on the Islamic State group in both countries.
The violence left at least 38 people dead and came as another surprise IS attack on Tuesday killed 10 soldiers in Iraq, to the south along the border.
The jihadist group appears to be lashing out as it faces escalating offensives on its last two major bastions: second city Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in neighbouring Syria.
IS’s dawn attack in Syria’s northeast hit a makeshift camp near the border with Iraq where some 300 families were waiting to cross into territory held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, the US-backed alliance leading the assault on Raqa.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said at least five suicide bombers blew themselves up inside and outside the camp in Hasakeh province which hosts Syrians and Iraqis forced from their homes.
Heavy clashes then erupted between the IS fighters and the SDF near the camp, which lies just inside Syrian territory, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
He said at least 38 people had been killed including 23 displaced Syrians or Iraqi refugees.
“At least 30 people were wounded, and the death toll may rise because some people are in critical condition and others are still unaccounted for,” the Britain-based monitor said.
IS claimed the attack via its propaganda outlet Amaq, saying a groups of jihadists attacked an SDF position near the camp as part of a multi-pronged assault on the group.
– ‘Appalled, saddened’ –
Kamal Derbas, a press officer for the Kurdish Red Crescent, said the attack began at 4:00 am (0100 GMT) and put the civilian death toll at 22.
Thousands of people — from the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor further south and from the Iraqi city of Mosul across the border — have used the crossing to reach safety, according to the International Rescue Committee.
“We are appalled and saddened to hear of the attacks today in Hasakeh province,” said IRC regional advocacy adviser Thomas Garofalo.
Conditions in the area are harsh, with little shelter, the authorities overstretched, and the risk of renewed violence.
The other IS attack in Iraq saw jihadists fire on an army base near the remote outpost of Rutba, near the country’s western borders with Syria and Jordan.
An Iraqi army lieutenant colonel said IS jihadists fired mortar rounds and rockets at the 1st Division base in the Saggar area, east of Rutba, before trying to storm it.
IS appeared to be trying to breach the defence of Rutba, which is the last sizeable town on the road from Baghdad to the Jordanian border, as well as to create diversions to ease pressure on its fighters in Mosul, military officials said.
A massive offensive was launched in mid-October to retake Mosul, where IS head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the establishment of IS’s so-called “caliphate” nearly three years ago.
– ‘Violent’ Tabqa clashes –
IS once controlled swathes of land on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border, but US-backed offensives have seen much of that territory retaken.
A US-led coalition began bombing IS positions in Iraq in August 2014 and launched raids against the jihadists in neighbouring Syria the following month.
In northern Syria, the coalition is backing the major assault by the SDF — an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters — on Raqa.
A key waypost in that offensive is the city of Tabqa, which lies along the Euphrates River and on an IS supply route about 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Raqa.
On Tuesday, the SDF was locked in “very violent clashes” with IS in a northern district of Tabqa, the last section of the city still held by the jihadists, the SDF said in a statement.
SDF fighters managed to seize a tank and several vehicles used by IS, it said.
More than 80 percent of Tabqa is now in SDF hands, just eight days after the group first entered the city.
More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the country’s conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.
The Kogi Government has appealed to the World Bank, through its FADAMA III AF intervention project, to facilitate the state's plans to become the largest producer of rice in North Central Nigeria.
Mr Kehinde Oloruntobe, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, made the appeal on Tuesday when he received the Mid-Term Review Mission Team of the World Bank/FGN on Fadama III Additional Financing (AF) Project in Lokoja.
He said that the appeal became imperative in view of the enormous agricultural potential of the state, coupled with the myriad opportunities that were currently being wasted.
Oloruntobe said that the intervention would also enable the state to attain its desired target of becoming the largest producer of rice in the North Central geopolitical zone, while addressing youth unemployment.
"We have just completed some arrangements with a private investor who will be establishing a rice mill, capable of milling 50 tonnes of rice per day, at Omi in Yagba West Local Government Area of the state.
"The Federal Government has also pledged to set up another rice mill with the same capacity in Ibaji and so, we must upscale our rice cultivation to produce paddy rice to feed these mills,'' he said.
Oloruntobe appealed to the team to urgently consider the request, adding that the state government had already mobilised all the stakeholders to provide all the necessary logistics for the venture.
"We need the intervention because the resources that are available to the state may not be enough to pursue the project but if we have intervention from the World Bank and other development partners, we would be able to actualise all our rice development plans,'' he said.
Earlier, Dr Adetunji Oredipe, the Task Team Leader, Fadama III AF, said that the mid-term review mission team was in the state to re-assess the intervention programme, with a view to finding pragmatic solutions to the challenges facing the programme.
Besides, Oredipe said that Kogi had signed a subsidiary agreement to access a 20-million-U.S.-dollar facility but had thus far drawn only three million dollars for its intervention projects.
He, however, said that a new window of opportunity to access the funds had opened with the extension of the programme by eight months for the benefit of the northeastern states which were hitherto ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.
He solicited the support of the Kogi Government for the success of the Fadama III AF in the state by waiving the new order compelling all the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to operate a Single Treasury Account (TSA).
He added that the practice would impede progress of the programme.
Oredipe said the four-day mid-term review would enable the team to address issues regarding the perceptible successes or glitches of the FADAMA III AF programme in the state and identify specific areas that required modifications or outright overhaul.
President Donald Trump took the unusual step of advocating a shutdown of the US government Tuesday, after Republicans and Democrats reached a budget deal that ignored key White House demands.
After Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress jettisoned his promise to build a border wall and cut environmental spending, the embattled president lashed out, saying maybe the government should not be funded at all.
Previous shutdowns have cost the US economy tens of billions of dollars and seen federal services grind to a halt, as thousands of non-essential personnel are temporarily laid off.
Trump’s outburst came amid a rocky few days for his young presidency.
His latest crack at health care reform is also faltering in Congress and a series of presidential media interviews have roiled markets, allies and — thanks to controversial comments about the American Civil War — some historians.
But Trump appeared especially angered by the perception that the White House and the Republican majority on Capitol Hill had been rolled in a deal with Democrats to fund the government until September.
“Our country needs a good ‘shutdown’ in September to fix mess!” Trump tweeted, lamenting the need for bipartisan compromise. US President, Donald Trump Trump also called for a change in rules that require 60 votes in the Senate to pass such measures — a threshold that makes party compromise necessary.
“The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We… either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%,” Trump tweeted.
That would substantially change US politics, making budgets more partisan and poisoning what is left of inter-party cooperation.
His view appeared to be backed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham who said: “I think the Democrats cleaned our clock. There are things in this bill that I just don’t understand. This was not winning from the Republican point of view.”
– Reversal?-
Trump could, if he wished, veto the Republican-Democrat deal, which is still being finalized in Congress and has yet to land on his desk.
But in later Rose Garden comments, Trump appeared once more to embrace the agreement, calling it a “clear win” for the American people and a “victory under the radar” for Republicans.
“We didn’t do any touting like the Democrats did,” Trump said, flanked by a trophy-winning Air Force sports team.
Echoing Republican allies, Trump described the deal as “a very important thing for the men and women of the United States military.”
The $1.2 trillion agreement would increase military spending by $25 billion, or 4.5 percent, above fiscal year 2016 levels.
It also funds an authorized 2.1 percent pay raise for the military.
Republicans have also hailed the $1.5 billion in funding for non-wall security efforts along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,218-kilometer) border with Mexico.
Democrats decried Trump’s call for a shutdown.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said “bipartisanship is best summed up by the Rolling Stones, ‘you can’t always get what you want.'”
An FBI translator who was hired to spy on a German member of the Islamic State group instead apparently grew attracted to him and snuck off to Syria to get married.
According to court documents seen Tuesday, Daniela Greene, who had a “top secret” security clearance, told her colleagues at the Detroit office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that she was heading to Germany to see her parents for a few weeks in June 2014.
Instead she flew to Turkey and snuck across the border to meet up and marry an IS fighter. He was not identified in the documents, but according to CNN, he was Denis Cuspert, a notorious former German rapper who went by the name of Deso Dogg.
Cuspert was officially designated a terrorist in early 2015 by the US State Department, which described him as an IS recruiter focusing on German speakers, and noted that he had appeared in numerous IS videos, including on in which he was holding the severed head of an Islamic State opponent.
It was not clear how Cuspert, also known as Abu Talha al-Almani, wooed her. Court testimony suggested they may have communicated privately via a Skype account he used that Greene did not report to her FBI colleagues.
– Quick marriage, then regret –
Greene, who was born in Czechoslovakia and married a US soldier, began work at the FBI in 2011, with no problems until her mysterious disappearance in June 2014.
Immediately after her arrival in Syria she married Cuspert, on June 27, 2014, according to court documents recently unsealed. But within days Greene, now 38, began to seek a way out,
“I really made a mess of things this time,” she told a friend in a July 2014 email from IS territory.
“I don’t know how long I will last here, but it doesn’t matter, it’s all a little too late,” she said in a subsequent email. In another, she said she recognized she could be imprisoned for years if she returned.
Court documents did not explain how she escaped from IS territory, but by early August, less than two months after travelling to Syria, she returned to the United States and was arrested.
She immediately confessed and began cooperating with US prosecutors. Her cooperation “was significant, long-running and substantial,” said an investigator, supporting a lenient sentence.
Ultimately she pleaded guilty to one charge of “making false statements involving international terrorism,” based on what she originally told the FBI about her travel plans. She received a relatively light 24 month prison sentence, and was released last year.
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission says the EFCC is not involved in the ongoing investigation of the Kano Emirate Council over alleged misappropriation of N6 billion.
Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II
The Chairman of the commission, Mr Muhiyi Magaji, in Kano on Tuesday that the speculations in the social media over the involvement of EFCC operatives were false and an attempt to distract the probe.
The reports alleged that EFCC operatives jumped fence into the Emir Muhammdu Sanusi's building in the Palace and carted away some documents.
Reacting to the development, Magaji said the rumour was not only baseless, but unfounded and a deliberate attempt to cause confusion in the state.
"Yes, I met with the EFCC Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, last week, but it was on the general activities of the commission as well as its success or achievements.
"We have not handed over this case to EFCC, so how can their operatives storm the Emir's Palace and locked some offices as being peddled.
"Any contrary information on my meeting with the EFCC chairman is not only baseless but untrue and unfounded, so people should disregard it," Magaji said.
On the recent reconciliation meeting convened by some northern state governors to intervene in the Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje and Sanusi's feud, the anti-graft boss said the commission had no business with the meeting.
"The state government did not ask us to do what we are doing and did not also ask us to stop.
"The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended) provides for the independence of the commission.
"In exercising its powers under the law, the commission shall not be subjected to the direction and control of any authority.
"As such the commission is only attached to the government to address administrative issues but not operational.
"So we are acting on the petition and any other thing is secondary to the commission,'' he said.
Magaji said the commission would go ahead with the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds by the emirate council.
He disclosed that all those invited had indicated their willingness to honour the invitation on Wednesday (May 3), and not Tuesday (May 2) as being speculated.
"Initially we gave all those invited to appear before the commission on May 3 not May 2.
"Some have indicated their willingness to appear on the stated date,'' said the chairman.
Also normal activities were still going on at the commission contrary to rumours in some quarters that there was uneasy calm. (NAN) MTM/MST
Free-scoring Monaco will look to break down the best defence in Europe when they host Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final today.
The Ligue 1 leaders have scored plenty of goals this season and boast one of Europe's most exciting newcomers in striker Kylian Mbappe.
The 18-year-old has netted 18 goals in his last 18 competitive games, including three in the 6-3 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the last eight.
But Juventus boast the tightest defence in Europe's top club competition, with just two goals conceded in this campaign.
"Even Barcelona could not score in two games against them so it will be complicated for us", said Monaco defender Kamil Glik.
The Italian champions, who advanced to the last four with an aggregate 3-0 win over Barcelona, were held to a 2-2 draw at Atalanta in a rare defensive mix-up in Serie A on Friday.
Their pedigree and record for being impregnable when it matters, however, suggest Juventus should be regarded as the favourites. "Monaco have technical and tactical qualities as well as talented young players," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.
"They do not have the same history as Juventus but that does not mean it will be easy for us to make it to the final."
Monaco have shone in Europe and at home this season and their domestic title hopes received a welcome boost when a nervous PSG side lost 3-1 at Nice on Sunday, leaving the club from the French Riviera three points clear at the top with a game in hand.
Juventus, meanwhile, are closing in on a record sixth straight Serie A title and can turn to their European history for inspiration, having won the showcase club competition twice, in 1985 and 1996.
Monaco, by contrast, reached the Champions League final only once, in 2004, losing 3-0 to a Porto side coached by Jose Mourinho after a great run featuring wins over Real Madrid and Chelsea.
The sides have faced each other twice before on the Champions League stage with Juventus winning both ties, in the 1998 semi-finals and the 2015 quarters
Fast rising music diva, Helen Obi, popularly known by fans as Olumireggae, is back to the music scene, as she recently released her debut album titled ‘New Errand’.
Olumireggae
According to the artiste, the album consists of 10 tracks, produced by late Jazzist Andrea Allione and Paolo Conte.
Also, the song writer cum recording artiste and dancer disclosed that she was inspired by a Nigerian Reggae Star and multiple award winner Winning Jah, who noted the potentials of artistic career in her, when she first performed a live concert at theatre of Villar Perosa in Italy, with over 3,000 spectators alongside with late legend Jazzist, Andrea Allione, guitarist of the Mama Africa late legend Miriam Makeba and the living legendary Jazzist “Paolo Conte”.
It was gathered that the massive concert was organised by the Governor of Villar Perosa in Italy with the Collaboration of the famous musician, Winning Jah, Nigerian Reggae Super star from VP Records arms VPAL Music, also the CEO of AMC1D aiuta Bambini onlus, a global Charity organisation.
Winning Jah persuaded her to start her studio recordings, few days after the massive concert., Jah was so pleased with Olumireggae’s performance on stage, this fueled Jah in pleading to the late legend, to become Olumireggae’s mentor and producer, this was how the Nigerian female Singer Olumireggae recorded several singles, live albums on stage with Andea Allione and his band.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday in Abuja decried the unsuccessful prosecution of high-profile corruption cases in Nigeria.
Obasanjo expressed his displeasure while delivering the inauguration lecture of the Olusegun Obasanjo Good Governance and Development Research Centre, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
The title of the lecture is "Leadership, Governance and the Challenges of Development in Nigeria: The Way Forward.''
He regretted that in spite efforts by successive governments, corruption still posed a daunting challenge to the progress and development of Nigeria.
"The lack of successful prosecution of high-profile corruption cases involving Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) is giving serious course for concern, both for Nigerians and the international community.
"We must take away the proceeds of illicit enrichment and remove negative role models in our society.
"I know that each arm of government has its responsibility and we must respect the separation of powers under our constitution.
"At the same time, we must have an acute and common perception of our problem and do all that is necessary to mitigate the impact of corruption in our society.''
Obasanjo said that instead of pointing accusing fingers and passing the buck, Nigerians including the Church and the Mosque should all rise against corruption.
According to him, fighting corruption is not a popular agenda, but the apparent realisation of the negative impact of corruption has promoted the fight against corruption as a measure of good governance.
The former president said that the aim of fighting corruption was to correct certain wrong doings.
"The aim of fighting corruption is most importantly, to remedy the dark sides of bad governance, such as poverty, unemployment, hunger and disease; as well as improving the well-being of the citizens.
"Hence, we must pay equal attention to the economy which is the bedrock of all-round development.
"The beginning of getting leadership right is to make the electoral system transparent and credible to ensure that only the choices of the people are actually elected into electable political offices.
"People with integrity, vision, wisdom and purpose should be elected, not those who try to buy their way into leadership position,'' he said.
Obasanjo said that there was need to strengthen institutions saddled with responsibility of ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.
NOUN's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, who spoke, said that the institution was concerned about solving the problem of leadership and good governance in Nigeria, which informed the establishment of the centre.
Adamu said that the centre was named after Obasanjo because he was a success story in democratic governance in Africa.
He said that Obasanjo demonstrated strong abhorrence for corruption hence the establishment of anti-graft agencies.
Adamu said NOUN decided to immortalise Obasanjo because he resuscitated the institution in 2003, after it was abandoned in 1984.
"He introduced the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) bill.
"He also went ahead to establish Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the first of its kind in Nigeria.
"He established due process to ensure transparency and accountability, which transformed into Bureau of Public Procurement.
"He established the Financial Intelligence Unit which helped the Ministry of Justice in the recovery of stolen fund—the highest sum recovered so far was during his tenure.
"He is currently pursuing his PhD in NOUN; he is not pursuing it because he needs money or job but because he needs knowledge,'' he said.
Adamu added that Obasanjo was one of the few presidents in Africa that went back to school after leaving office.
The Chairman of the occasion and former Ghanaian President, Mr John Mahama, said it was imperative for Nigerians to get its leadership right in order to lead Africa to greatness.
He said that the West African sub-region and Africa in general was looking up to Nigeria for economic integration and development.
On her part, the Chairlady of the Occasion and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloma Mukhtar, urged NOUN to ensure that the good governance centre lived up to expectation.
There was panic at the Iga Iduganran, Lagos Island palace of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu , following a fire out break at a section of the palace.
As at time of writing this report, details of its cause could not be ascertained. But Vanguard learned that it started at about 1.25 pm.
Information at Vanguard’s disposal said that smoke was sighted billowing from the roof of a section of the palace where the monarch’s traditional regalia were stored.
Oba Akiolu
An alarm which alerted palace guards was raised , in the process of which efforts were made to contain the fire from spreading to other sections.
Everyone in the palace were reportedly conducted to safer places until the arrival of fire men. The fire was said to have destroyed clothing materials, beads among other traditional regalia.
Contacted, South West spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency , Ibrahim Farinloye, described the incident as a minor one.
He said officials of the Federal and State Fire services brought the situation under control immediately they arrived the palace .
" The fire was contained within few minutes. There was no injury or casualty recorded", Farinloye said.
The Federal Government has directed the new board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to provide electricity to millions of Nigerians yet to be connected to the national grid.
Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power,Works and Housing, gave the task while inaugurating the board in Abuja on Tuesday.
Fashola said although the new members of the board had the required qualifications for the job, what mattered most was the delivery of the power to communities in the country.
"I think it is important to underline why we are here, and start with the common understanding of what our objective is; you know what is expected of you and you understand the necessity to succeed.
"Your qualifications, your experience , your achievements mean nothing, if these things do not deliver electricity to Nigerians who are in their millions and are yet to be connected to the national grid.
Fashola
"When I meet legislators they tell me that their communities have never been connected and I think we can make that to be a matter of history," he said.
Fashola said that over the years, government had tried to formulate policies and implement them, using the ministries.
He, however, said that the ministries were not necessarily well designed to formulate and implement policies at the same time.
He said many countries that had succeeded in various sectors of the economy had created separate agencies to help implement the policies of government.
"This is our policy we want a set of people to go and implement so that they don't get distracted with bureaucracy .
"Yes government has a policy for rural electrification, access to electricity for as many people as is possible; your responsibility is to go and achieve that," the minster maintained.
He said that the Federal Government would continue to make polices and provide enabling environment for the development of the power sector.
"We will continue to provide guidance; we will continue to help you get your budget through parliament; we will break down barriers for you, but really and truly, it is you who will do the work," Fashola said.
He expressed expectation that the new board would build on the legacy of the past management of REA, adding that the purpose of the agency was to provide electricity to Nigerians, especially to the rural communities.
According to him, one of the reasons responsible for the lack of electricity to many Nigerians is the high cost of connecting people, using the high tension wires.
"There are so many urban and rural communities that have not be connected to the grid and one of the reasons they have not been connected is that the high tension wires are often meant to cover many hundreds of kilometres and they are expensive to deploy to the small communities.
He, however, said that the REA would champion the connection of all unconnected communities.
The minister said that all the unconnected communities would look up to the REA to connect them, using the off grid connection.
Fashola also told the new board to focus on the implementation of grid extension policy in the rural electrification programme of government.
He said that about 2,000 grid extension projects were yet to be completed in the country, hence the need to focus on their completion.
The minster also said that the new management of REA should focus on the development of hydro dams for the provision of electricity to the rural people
He said that the construction of over 57 hydro dams was part of the anchor plan in the rural electrification programme of government.
Other areas of focus, according to him, is the development of Independent Power Plants (IPP) for the universities in the country.
He said that the envisaged development of the plants in 44 universities in the country was designed to provide electricity for the rural communities within the institutions.
He said that most of the plants due to be developed in the universities were solar-based, adding that 27 of the them had been initiated.
The minster thanked the Federal Government for appointing young people in the board of the REA.
Newsmen report that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the appointment of a new Board and Executive Management for the agency.
The new Chairman of the board is Mr Umaru Maza Maza, while the Managing Director is Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi.
Two Hundred and Sixty-Seven (267) Bachelor Degree holders in Education from the Faculty of Education and Arts, Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai, were on Tuesday inducted into the teaching profession.
Mr Baba Apatu, the Institution Public Relations Officer said in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Minna that the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) conducted the induction in Lapai, Niger.
Speaking while administrating oath of induction at the University , Prof Josiah Ajiboye, Registrar of the Council, charged the new members not to engage in any act that would undermine the teaching profession.
He said that the Teachers Council has the right to withdrawn the certificate of any teacher found wanting and necessary disciplinary measures would also applied.
He also enjoined the University management to introduce a training programme for faculty's members without teaching background.
In his remarks at the occasion, Prof. Mohammad Maiturare ,Vice-Chancellor of the University, assured the management of the Teachers Council of the University's support and cooperation to its activities at all times.
He said that effort would be made in due course to establish post doctoral Teaching Training programme for faculty members of the University without requisite teaching background.
Also speaking, the Dean Faculty of Education and Arts, Dr Mohammed Sabe, said that the induction exercise was a basic requirement for every professional teacher before being admitted into the Teachers Council.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday expressed confidence that closer partnership between his country and Somalia would enable them to overcome terrorism and other challenges facing the country.
He made the remark in Nairobi when he bid farewell to outgoing Somali Ambassador, Gamal Mohamed Hassan.
Kenyatta said he was particularly keen to see more coordination between the two countries in promoting peace.
He added that "I want to assure President Mohamed that he has a friend here. I like his approach of prioritising security and we will work together in this.''
The two countries had suffered from terrorism attacks from Al-Shabaab militants.
Kenyatta said he was also keen to work with his Somali counterpart in encouraging formal trade between the two countries.
"I look forward to opening one border post — either at Liboi or Mandera — with President Mohamed to encourage the people of our countries to do legal trade," President Kenyatta said.
"We need to work together to formalise the cross-border movement of our people," he added.
He noted that the two countries would be holding regular high-level meetings to enhance their cooperation, saying "Somalia's problem is also our problem".
Hassan, who was appointed a minister in the new Somali Federal Government, thanked Kenyatta and the people of Kenya for making his tour of duty successful.
