CHAOS AND CONFUSION ON DAY 2 OF TRUMP'S BAN


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A federal judge has blocked part of President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration, ruling that travellers who
have already landed in the US with valid visas should not be sent back to their home countries.
Lawyers had filed a legal case in response to the order that includes a 90-day entry ban on citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations.


US District Judge Ann Donnelly's ruling late on Saturday concerns dozens of people who were detained at US airports following Trump's actions.


The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which had filed a class action lawsuit against the ban, hailed the temporary stay of execution as a victory.


"This ruling preserves the status quo and ensures that people who have been granted permission to be in this country are not illegally removed off US soil," Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, said.




An Iranian professor (left) who has a green card is reunited with friends and family after being questioned at Boston's Logan Airport
ACLU said it would help 100 to 200 people with valid visas or refugee status, who found themselves detained in transit or at US airports after Trump signed the order late on Friday.


The legal case was raised after two Iraqis were held by law enforcement officials at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) while trying to legally enter the country.


More than 100 detained
At least 12 travellers have been detained at JFK,
prompting mass protests at the airport.


Less than 24 hours into the ban, Homeland Security said that at least 109 travellers had been denied entry into the US in total.
Homeland Security said on Sunday it would "comply with judicial orders", referring to
Donnelly's ruling, but that Trump's order remains in place.


A group of state attorneys general, meanwhile, are discussing whether to file their own court challenge against the order, officials in three states told the Reuters news agency.


Officials in the offices of attorneys general in Pennsylvania, Washington and Hawaii said they were evaluating what specific claims could be filed, and in which court.


Trump signed the executive order on Friday that effectively denies entry to refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including those with green cards, who otherwise have permanent residence in the US.


Signing the order at the Pentagon, Trump said the move would help protect Americans from "terrorist" attacks.

OSCAR NOMINEE MAY NOT ATTEND CEREMONY DUE TO TRUMP’S MUSLIMS BAN

 Oscar nominee may not attend ceremony due to Trump’s Muslims ban  Academy Award nominee,Asghar
Farhadi  who is an Iranian may not attend the Oscar Awards due to the new US immigration ban.


 Citizens of Iran and six other predominantly-Muslim countries have been banned from entering the United States for 90 days.  Farhadi, a movie director whose movie The Salesman is nominated for the foreign language film award may not attend.


Head of the National Iranian American Council, Trita Parsi said Farhadi can only attend if granted an exception. “He can’t come in. He’s an Iranian passport holder, so he cannot come in. There’s no way around that unless Trump wants to give an exception.


“Obviously it’s putting a dark shadow over this event. This is supposed to be a celebration of art that’s supposed to be without boundaries. And now we see what boundaries do. “I think they are a truly peace-loving people.



 I hope the winner will speak on this behalf, and express their sentiments about rejecting a genius like Asghar Farhadi on the sole basis that his origin is Iran.”


Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has also released a statement, saying, “The Academy celebrates achievement in the art of filmmaking, which seeks to transcend borders and speak to audiences around the world, regardless of national, ethnic, or religious differences.


“As supporters of filmmakers-—and the human rights of all people—around the globe, we find it extremely troubling that Asghar Farhadi, the director of the Oscar-winning film from Iran A Separation, along with the cast and crew of this year’s Oscar-nominated film The Salesman, could be barred from entering the country because of their religion or country of origin.”


Farhadi won in 2012 with the movie, A Separation which also won the Golden Globe. The Academy awards will take place on February 26. 

SPORTS MINISTER, DALUNG LOSES WIFE




Solomon Dalung has lost his wife. Dalung announced her death on Facebook on Sunday.



He wrote, “I AM BEREAVED: “For it is appointed for man to live thereafter comes death and judgment says the Holy Bible.


While in the Quran, it states that it is appointed that every soul shall test death. “My heart is heavy, I cannot continue, I lost my first wife this morning.


May her soul and the souls of faithful departed rest in the bosom of the Lord, amen. What a black Sunday.”

'I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!' 2017: Cast PHOTOS

And so, here they are:

The 'I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here' 2017 cast...




Natalie Bassingthwaite (singer/fashion designer)




Tom Arnold (US TV star)




Nazeem Hussain (comedian)




Tegan Martin (ex Muss Universe)




Dane Swan (sportsman)


And now, round two:

Steve Price ('shock jock')




Lisa Curry (ex Olympian)




Ash Pollard (ex MKR and Dancing With The Stars)



Jay Laga'aia ('Play School' presenter)



Casey Donovan (singer)

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BREAKING: BOKO HARAM AMBUSHES MILITARY ESCORT, KILLS 8 CIVILIANS

 

Boko Haram insurgents have attacked troops of operation Lafiya Dole who were escorting some
vehicles from Maiduguri to Damboa in Borno.


 According to TheCable, the insurgents killed eight civilians, and two soldiers.  A military source said the insurgents hijacked two commercial vehicles and drove them into Sambisa forest.

SAFETY: GAS PLANT EXPLOSION KILLS 2, INJURES 7 IN OGUN

Gas plant explosion kills 2, injures 7 in Ogun  A gas plant explosion in Abeokuta Ogun state on Thursday has led to the death
of 2 persons while seven others were injured. The incident reportedly occurred at about 11:30am.

 A eyewitness said the gas in a gas tank escaped and made contact with a generator being used nearby while a welder was wielding the tank.


 The eyewitness said the fire followed the vapour back to the gas plant located inside a filling station, RABENG Oil, and exploded. Two fuel attendants were caught in the fire while a 7-year-old boy sustained burns.


The 7-year-old boy and a fuel attendant simply identified as Ibrahim later died. The fire raged for almost two hours, and gutted many shops, apart from the filling station.


Ogun State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Akinwande Aboluwoye, said two persons died in the inferno, while seven others were injured.


He said, “The corpses of the deceased have been deposited in the mortuary of the State General Hospital, Ijaiye in Abeokuta, while those injured are receiving treatment in the same hospital.” He said the command dispatched its team to the scene of the fire.



He said, “This morning (Thursday) around 11.30am, we got an emergency call that a filling station caught fire in the Adigbe area of Abeokuta “Our officers and men quickly went there. On getting there, we found out that the incident was caused by a welder trying to weld very close to a gas filling plant.


 And very close to that place, you can see a generator, which caught fire. Since we know that fire is just like a magnet, all the nearby shops and a filling station were gutted by fire.


 “A motorcycle and another vehicle were also affected. “Presently, we have two dead casualities while seven people were seriously injured.

WELCOME HOME: PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW ARRIVES GAMBIA (PHOTOS)

 Gambian President Adama Barrow on Thursday arrived Banjul after spending weeks in
neighbouring Senegal.

Barrow was forced to flee after his predecessor Yahya Jammeh refused to step down following his loss at the December 1 Presidential election. 

  Barrow took the oath of office in the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. Gambians took to the street to welcome their new President yesterday.

 See photos:





Greek court blocks extradition of Turkey coup suspects



Supreme Court has ruled against extraditing eight Turkish air force officers, in a decision likely to complicate relations between the two countries.



"It is a great victory for European values, for Greek justice," said the claimants' lawyer, Christos Mylonopoulos, after the ruling on Thursday.


"The legal thinking is obvious. It is the observation of European values, the observation of legality, and the conservation of judicial civilisation."


Turkey said it would review its ties with Athens in light of the ruling.

"We will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of this decision - which we believe has been taken with a political motive - on our bilateral ties, cooperation in the fight against terrorism and on other bilateral and regional issues," a Turkish foreign ministry statement said.


Turkish authorities want the officers to stand trial for their alleged involvement in the coup last July, which nearly toppled the government, and issued arrest warrants for the eight men in an apparent response to the ruling.



They stand accused of attempting to dissolve the constitution, overthrow parliament, placing civilian human life at risk and stealing army materiel.


The eight have been in police custody since landing at Alexandroupoli airport in a Turkish army helicopter on July 16. The court set all of them free, but it wasn't clear when that freedom would take effect.


They had sat petrified in court ahead of the decision, but as the first rulings were read out, they began to smile and nod in acknowledgment.


"We didn't escape the war. We just saved our lives, and waiting has changed our lives," one officer later told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity.


He said he and his colleagues made up their minds to escape after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on his supporters to rise up against the coup, leading to clashes with troops and bloodshed.


"From our iPads we saw what was happening," said the officer. "We couldn't reach our commanders. We waited six or seven hours."


Turkey has dismissed an estimated 100,000 people from public sector jobs on suspicion of political affiliations hostile to the ruling AKP Party.

An estimated 36,000 have been arrested on suspicion of collusion in the July 16 coup attempt.
"The arguments were that first of all they were in danger to undergo inhuman and degrading treatment.


The reintroduction of the death penalty in Turkey was an additional danger," Mylonopoulos told Al Jazeera.


A tall order
The request for extradition was always a difficult proposition, because of the thickness of the legal requirements.


Turkey is a signatory to the European Treaty on Extradition , which forbids extradition for political or military crimes, and gave Greece the right to refuse extradition if the crimes are punishable by death.


Erdogan has said that he may hold a referendum on the return of capital punishment.
Under the European Convention on Human Rights , which Greece has ratified, the officers are deemed to be refugees if they are at risk of torture, execution or inhumane treatment and serious bodily harm in Turkey.


Also under Article 6 the Convention, they may not be extradited for legal process unless they are assured of a fair trial.


Partly on these legal and humanitarian grounds, three Supreme Court criminal prosecutors have in the past weeks weighed against extradition.

 All outside legal opinions the court has heard have also weighed against it.

The decision is final and cannot be overturned by the Greek government. Asked if this raises the possibility of more Turkish nationals fleeing what they fear is political persecution,

Mylonopoulos said: "The circumstances under which these people came here were very eloquent, it was very obvious that their prosecution was due to political reasons.


This does not mean that everybody who has a problem with Turkish authorities can come to Greece to find a shelter."
The officers have applied for asylum in Greece, a process likely to take months.

Asked what they want to do now, one officer replied: "We would like for none of all this to have happened. We would like to go home and be with our families."

Mexico leader cancels Trump meet over border wall spat



Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Thursday he will not go to the US for meeting with President Donald Trump next week amid a deepening dispute over a
border wall promised by America's new leader.


"This morning we informed the White House that I will not attend the work meeting planned for next Tuesday with the POTUS," Pena Nieto said on Twitter , referring to Trump. "Mexico reiterates its willingness to work with the United States to reach accords that favor both nations."


The Mexican president's rejection came after Trump said it was "better to cancel" the scheduled visit to Washington if Mexico was unwilling to foot the bill for a border wall.


Manuel Suarez-Mier, a columnist for Mexico's Excelsior newspaper, told Al Jazeera from Washington DC that Trump's ultimatum came as a surprise for the Mexican government.


"The minister of foreign affairs and the minister of commerce were in Washington from Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday to determine the details for the upcoming meeting of the presidents on Tuesday.


And Trump comes out and announces that the wall will be built and Mexico will have to pay for it," said Suarez-Mier.
He said that the wall is "totally unnecessary".


"One third of the border is already fenced, another third has a vigorous river dividing the two countries, and the last part if full of mountains and deserts, so it is a very difficult terrain," said Suarez-Mier.


No intention of paying
Pena Nieto has repeatedly condemned Trump's move to build a border wall, and insisted that his country has no intention of paying for it.


"I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us," President Pena Nieto said in a brief televised message on Wednesday.


"Mexico does not believe in walls. I have said it time and again: Mexico will not pay for any wall," he said, referring to Trump's vow to make his southern neighbour pay for the barrier.


Trump's plan has also been roundly condemned by other Latin American leaders .

INFOGRAPHIC:

Building Trump's border wall
"Mexico gives and demands respect as the completely sovereign nation that we are," Pena Nieto said.

He said he would wait for a report from a high-level Mexican delegation holding meetings in the US capital this week and consult governors and MPs before deciding on "the next steps to take."


Pena Nieto said he had ordered Mexico's 50 consulates in the US to act as legal counsel for the rights of Mexican migrants.
"Our communities are not alone. The government of Mexico will offer legal counsel that will guarantee the protection they need," he said.


Al Jazeera's John Holman, reporting from the Mexican side of the US border, said Pena Nieto was trying to be cautious in responding to Trump's latest policy proposal.


Earlier on Wednesday, Trump signed directives to order the building of the wall, and crack down on US cities that shield undocumented immigrants.


"A nation without borders is not a nation. Starting today, the US gets back control of its borders," Trump said in an address at the Homeland Security Department.


Family planning is no licence to abortion – NURHI


The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), has declared that its aggressive campaign on family planning and child spacing methods and strategies is not
in any way to encourage abortion.


NURHI Senior Program Officer, (Advocacy and Demand Generation), Oyo State Field Office, Mr. Tunji Samuel made this declaration on Thursday in Ibadan at a one-day training for religious leaders on methods, choices and benefits of family planning.


Speaking at the training which had in attendance of no fewer than 50 clerics drawn from the 15 Local Government Areas covered by NURHI in the state, Samuel informed that the organization since its inception in 2010 has impacted positively on methods, strategies of family planning and its benefits on women, men and the entire family and the nation in general.



Samuel said the organization which is presently working in Oyo, Kaduna and Lagos states is also working in Senegal, India and Kenya to promote healthy living among families through the promotion of family planning.


He said the program was organized to increase the level of family planning awareness and campaign among religious leaders in the state.


Samuel said the family planning services were free as he warned prospective clients to always patronize the designated health facilities in case of any side effect.


He said “We are the organizers of the training for religious leaders, we want to build the capacity of religious leaders so that they will be able to preach about family planning to their congregation.


We are telling them to preach to their followers on how to adopt family planning and the benefits attached to it.


“Now we are telling them that family planning is not a license to abortion neither is it for promiscuity. We discovered that very many men are accusing their wives that many of them are taking family planning for the purpose of promiscuity.


We are telling them that family planning is not for abortion, it is not for promiscuity, so that is what we are telling them that family planning is for them to space their children and be able to cater for the number of the children they want to have and cater for”.


He said the need to call religious leaders to the meeting was because of their influence on their followers and congregations because religion plays an important role in the life of couples and their families.


He said, “Religious leaders can address problems among couples directly, religious leaders can address gender issues.”
He said “We want religious leaders, community leaders and other stakeholders to help us and support family planning.


Please, don’t preach against family planning anymore, we want a situation where women will be having safe delivery, we don’t want women to die prior, during and after pregnancy.”

2Baba plans to lead nationwide protest




Foremost Nigerian singer, 2Baba , has called on Nigerians to join him in a nationwide protest against the Federal Government.




According to the artiste, the protest, which will hold on February 5, is a call for good governance and an urgent explanation for the economic downturn nationwide.


He shared the news with his 1.8 million followers on Instagram with the caption, “First Massive Nationwide Protests.”


No further details of the planned protest was announced by the singer.

“A call for good governance. A call for urgent explanation into the reckless economic downturn nationwide.


A call for nationwide protests as we say No to the Executive, No to legislatures, No to judiciary… You have all failed us. We the people are tired.


We can no longer continue with all of you. All your excuses and mistakes are not funny. We do not wish to continue with a system and government that is not working but afflicting the people. We the people of this country not living under the privileges of government allowances and remuneration have now accepted to take the bull by the horn to come out and protest this obnoxious and baseless policies and excuses of the government of the day.


Where are the recovered looted funds?
Why do we still have the executive arms and legislatures still enjoying their salaries and allowances while we hear there’s no money to pay workers?

Why do we still see ceaseless power failures with no explanation and hope of getting out of it unlike before? Why do we keep seeing peace talks in Niger Delta, Fulani herdsmen and ipob without any solutions being reached, while the strategies keep aggravating the people involved as political leaders stage forums to extort funds in the name of addressing their subjects?


Why did we have petrol price rise to 145 for the sake of global oil price crash and removal of subsidy but such price is still being maintained despite significant reawakening of the oil price from $30/barrel to $56/barrel?


Who is to be held accountable for the sudden and continuous hike in price of commodities in the market, where for the first time in history, Nigeria is suddenly selling kerosene at 400 naira per litre as against 50 naira per litre, diesel at 300 naira per litre as against 100 naira per litre and petrol from 87 naira to 145 naira? Yet maintaining the same systems, environment and maybe a lesser money spending government.

LAGOS RESIDENTS CAN NOW ACCESS GOVT SERVICES ONLINE



The Lagos State Government on Thursday launched a mobile application aimed at providing communication between citizens and government agencies.



The app known as Citizens Gate allows Lagosians to get services from the government without necessarily visiting the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Olufemi Odubiyi said the app is aimed at bringing the government closer to the people.


He said, “The Citizens Gate is an integrated web and mobile-based platform through which Lagos State’s citizens can lodge feedback to the State Government on various services provided, receive quick responses on services as well as interact with government officials via web and mobile phone.

“The platform is designed to promote communication and connectivity between citizens and government while it will also enable citizens to inform the government on problems and issues occurring in their areas, communities and beyond.” According to Odubiyi, the platform can be accessed via

www.citizensgate.lagosstate.gov.ng
 and a downloadable mobile app from Google play store and Apple store both on Android and iOS.

BOKO HARAM HAS CREATED A FOOD CRISIS EXPECTED TO LAST LONG – FG




   The Federal Government on Thursday said the food crisis caused by terrorist group, Boko Haram may last for a long time.




 Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this in Abuja during a visit by members of the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative.


  Mohammed said farmers in the trouble areas in the North East have been unable to farm for six years. The Minister said the insurgency affected over 20 million people in seven countries.


He also said almost every company in Nigeria is affected by the insurgency, stating that it was not just a Northern issue. The minister said, “The Boko Haram insurgency affects seven countries and more than 20 million people are also affected.


 “The food security or scarcity caused by the Boko Haram will take time to fix, this is because, for six years, people could not go to their farm.


“Until we win the war in the North-East, we may not have peace. All companies are feeling the heat. “Pharmaceutical companies are feeling the heat as well. All manufacturing companies are feeling it.


“Before the crisis, Potiskum (in Yobe State) used to be the largest cattle market in West Africa. But now, it is deserted.” He praised the military for the war against the insurgents, stating that victims were now returning to their homes without fear.


He said, “The military has completely defeated Boko Haram. This is because before now, for about six years, many people could not visit their homes in North-East.


“Apart from that, schools were also closed while Boko Haram was in charge of 14 local government areas in Borno State.


 “Today, not a single local government, not even a ward, is under the control of Boko Haram. Today, schools, markets have been opened while football league is being played in the state.”

DON’T VISIT WASHINGTON, IF YOU WON’T PAY FOR THE WALL” | TRUMP TELLS MEXICAN PRESIDENT

 President Donald Trump on Thursday told Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto to cancel his trip to
Washington if he was unwilling to pay for the Mexican border wall.


 “The US has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers of jobs and companies lost,” Trump said on Twitter.

  “If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.” Nieto had earlier stated that Mexico will not pay for the construction of the wall

OIL SPILL: UK COURT STRIKES OUT NIGER DELTA CLAIMS AGAINST SHELL

 Oil spill: UK court strikes out Niger Delta claims against Shell  Anglo-Dutch multinational oil company, Shell on
Thursday won an argument before a British court over oil spills in the Niger Delta.


Over 40,000 Niger Delta residents had dragged Shell to a UK court over oil spills in their communities.

 The court ruled that the high-profile case should be heard in Nigeria, but the complainants have argued that they can only get a fair hearing in British courts. 

SERENA WILLIAMS TO FACE SISTER, VENUS IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL




     The 2017 Australian Open final will see Williams sisters, Venus and Serena clash in the finals of the Women’s singles.


Venus, 36, beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-3 to reach her first major final since 2009, while Serena, 35, saw off unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2 6-1 in the second semi-final.

 Saturday’s final at the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne will be their first Grand Slam final between the pair since Wimbledon 2009 when Serena won in straight sets.


 “It is unbelievable to watch Serena play tennis – the way she hits the ball and the competitor she is,” Venus Williams said after the first semi-final. “It would be a dream to see her on the opposite side of the net on Saturday.”


Speaking after her win, Serena said “I am really proud of Venus – she is a total inspiration. I am really happy for her and to be in the final together is a dream for us. “She is my toughest opponent, no-one has ever beaten me as much as Venus.


“I feel no matter what that we have both won after all we have been through. I know a Williams is going to win this tournament.” Serena is aiming for a record 23rd Grand Slam singles title.

'Married At First Sight' 2017: First Episode VIDEO + Trailers

'Married At First Sight' for 2017 promises to be a cracker.

And: you can watch the first episode right now.

CLICK HERE for the whole first episode - but only available to view for a limited time.

This is series number four, and the ads have been on loop on Channel 9 ahead of the season premiere on Monday January 30.


This season, the show promises to be bigger than ever, with 20 singles searching for love and getting hitched to total strangers. The participants will also all live in the same apartment block and attend weekly dinner parties to really up the drama.

As usual, the cast of characters (and they really are handpicked and cast so well) include Michael the stripper, the "pickiest man" in Australia, a set of gorgeous twins who want a joint wedding, and the much-hyped "runaway bride".

If you're one of those people that actually don't want a surprise spoiled, here are some teaser clips, below.

'Married At First Sight' starts on Monday January 30, then continues on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the same screening days each week.
















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Ellen's Tribute to the Obamas: VIDEO

It's clear the Obamas and Ellen Degeneres are super close.

And this tribute Ellen created for the former United States President and First Lady is fantastic.

Watch:




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Donald Trump Inauguration Day: Bad Lip Reading VIDEO

Please stop what you are doing and WATCH THIS.

The crew from 'Bad Lip Reading' are the champions when it comes to what we Aussies call a "piss take".

And this... well... it's everything.

Donald Trump's inauguration day... Bad Lip Reading style:




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Mary Tyler Moore Dies, Age 80

Actress Mary Tyler Moore has died, age 80.

She starred in two top-rated television shows in the 1960s and 1970s, helping to define a new version of the American woman.

She was the woman full of gumption, Mary Richards, on the CBS hit sitcom 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' which was broadcast from 1970 to 1977, produced by Mary and her second husband, Grant Tinker, who later ran NBC and who recently died, on November 28.


She represented the busy, working unwed 30-something woman, making her own way in the world.

Mary died in Greenwich, Connecticut, and her family said her death, at Greenwich Hospital, was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest after she had contracted pneumonia.

Watch this video below, but first, this breathtakingly beautify photo:


On “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” Ms. Moore played Laura Petrie, the stylish wife of a comedy writer played by Dick Van Dyke. Credit: Don Brin/Associated Press


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PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO START MEXICO BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION

President Donald Trump has signed two immigration-related decrees aimed at fulfilling his
pledge to “build a wall” on Mexican border on Wednesday.


Trump visited the Department of Homeland Security to sign an order to begin work to “build a large physical barrier on the southern border,” according to the White House. 

SARAKI- I HAVE NO HAND IN PLOT TO REMOVE OSINBAJO –I HAVE NO HAND IN PLOT TO REMOVE OSINBAJO



I have no hand in plot to remove Osinbajo – Saraki  Senate President Bukola Saraki has debunked reports that he contracted some
governors to pressure acting President Yemi Osinbajo to resign.

The report stated that Saraki was looking to take over as President once Osinbajo reign.

 But the Senate President in a statement said such reports were baseless, empty and unintelligent. He said, “My attention has been drawn to a speculation on some online media about supposed meeting of some Governors who held Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to ransom and sought for Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to take over the Presidency.

 “My first initial reaction was to ignore this empty rumour but after being inundated with calls from across the country and abroad, it became necessary for me to make clarifications from our own end.

“It is a good thing that the Presidency had dismissed the speculation and showed that there is no substance to it. “However, i feel it should be known that those behind this baseless, empty and unintelligent mischief are those who do not love this country.


“Such suggestions as contained in the speculation can only bring ill-will, disunity and crisis to the country and i therefore advise the sponsors to desist immediately.


More importantly, these trouble makers should refrain from linking Senator Saraki’s name to their evil plot.

Nigerian govt to evacuate more citizens from Libya – NEMA



The Federal Government is to evacuate another set of Nigerians from Libya in
February, Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Bandele Onimode, has said.


Mr. Onimode said this on Tuesday in Abuja when he led a delegation to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.


The delegation had come to shed light on the efforts of the agency in the rescue operations in Libya and other countries and what the Federal Government had been doing to secure the lives of Nigerians trapped in transit.



According to him, the Federal Government has been doing a lot to help Nigerian citizens wherever they are having challenges.


“It is a well known fact that Nigerians do cross the desert to Europe through Niger Republic, Mali, and Sudan and in the process some are tired, stranded and trapped.


“Our Nigerian missions abroad never leave them alone, they always come to their rescue. As I am talking to you there are still some of them that are stranded in Niger and we are working on that.


“But the one that caught the attention of recent is the issue of Nigerians trying to get to Europe through Libya. There is need to set the record straight on what the government has been doing,” Mr. Onimode said.


He said the Federal Government had already evacuated no fewer than 1,000 voluntary returnees from Libya between 2015 and 2016.



BREAKING NEWS: Car bomb attack targets Mogadishu hotel



A suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed car at the gate of a popular hotel in
Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, according to police.


"Shooting is taking place. It is too early to know more details," Major Ali Hussein, a police officer at the scene, told the Reuters news agency, shortly before a second blast was heard in the area.


Several Somali journalists said on social media that the target of the attack was Dayah Hotel, located near Somalia's parliament in central Mogadishu.


There were no immediate reports of casualties and no immediate claim of responsibility.
Armed group al-Shabab has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Somalia to try to topple the country's Western-backed government.


  

NDDC APPEALS TO N’DELTA MILITANTS TO HALT DESTRUCTION OF OIL FACILITIES

 
 The Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has appealed to militants in
the region to stop the destruction of pipelines.


Ndoma-Egba said this during a courtesy visit by the Cross River State University of Technology Alumni Association at the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt.


  He said the region was in need of urgent development and not destruction of facilities. “We are in urgent need of development in the region and it is only in an atmosphere of peace that we can develop,” he said.


He said the issues affecting the region can only be addressed when there’s peace. He said, “We cannot develop in an environment of militancy.”


He said the government has increased the allocations to development agencies in the Niger Delta region, which according to him was a sign of good faith. He said, “President Buhari has demonstrated goodwill in some of the steps he has taken.


 If you look at the 2016 budget, there is a marginal increase in everything concerning the region. “Allocation to Niger Delta Ministry went up, the budget of the NDDC went up, and the budget of the Amnesty Programme went up.


Now, something is being done with some urgency on the completion of the East-West Road. “We have the Lagos-Calabar rail line and recently, the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, visited Delta State and gave very firm assurances that the problems of the region will be addressed urgently.”

JAMB, WAEC, NECO, NABTEB HARMONISE EXAMINATION TIMETABLE

 

   The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reached an agreement with other examination bodies on a
harmonised timetable.


The West African Examination Council, National Examination Council, National Business and Technical Examination Board and JAMB took the decision during a meeting held at the headquarters of JAMB in Abuja.

  The decision was necessary to avoid further overlapping of examinations, which had led to the disqualification of numerous candidates.


 Spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin said all the bodies “unanimously agreed to harmonise the examination timetable because of the desire of the candidates for qualitative tertiary education.”


He said, “…At the end of the brainstorming session, it was resolved that WAEC would speak to all its authorities that from 2018, specifically between March and April, a window of two weeks should be created where all other examinations that have nothing to do with Nigeria will be held so as to allow a window for JAMB to conduct its examination.


 “The bodies agreed that for the purpose of the 2017 UTME, JAMB will shift its examinations to allow students face WAEC, NECO and NABTEB. However, a 10-day window for JAMB’s UTME has been created by all examination bodies for JAMB to conduct its examination.


 In view of this, JAMB will soon announce the commencement of the sale of the 2017/2018 admission forms for UTME and Direct Entry candidates.” He said NECO and NABTEB also adjusted their timetables to avoid clash of subjects. 

BOKO HARAM KILL 5, KIDNAP WOMEN IN BORNO VILLAGE

 
     Suspected Boko Haram members have killed five people in Dagu village, Askira-Uba local government area of
Borno State.

 According to residents, the insurgents attacked the village which is located along Adamawa border on Monday, killing 5 and also kidnappings some women.




 Army Public Relations Officer of the 28 Task Force Battalion in Mubi, Major Bakare Akintoye said only two civilians were killed and there was no case of abduction. Akintoye said the insurgents flee after troops mobilized to the village. 

Troops preparing for Barrow's return to Gambia: Ecowas



Abuja - New Gambian President Adama Barrow is expected to receive a security report this week that could greenlight his return to the
country, the head of he regional Ecowas group said on Tuesday.


Barrow won a December election, but for weeks incumbent Yahya Jammeh refused to recognise the result, setting off a crisis that saw the new president take his oath of office in neighbouring Senegal last week.


Worried for his safety, Barrow has yet to return from Senegal.
Speaking at a briefing in Nigeria's capital of Abuja Marcel Alain de Souza, head of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), said the troops were working to secure Banjul and the surrounding area.



"Today or tomorrow, we will be able to indicate that President Adama Barrow, if he's comfortable, can fly on," De Souza said.


Ecowas forces are investigating claims that armed mercenaries and weapons had seeped into the tiny West African nation during the weeks of turmoil when Jammeh refused to step down.


"It was said that a lot of arms were imported into the country. There were heavy arms and there were mercenaries who spoke neither English nor (the local language) Wolof.


That an entire hospital was evacuated and filled with weapons and people who were armed to the teeth," De Souza said.


"President Adama Barrow has asked us two, three weeks so that we can evaluate whether there are stock piles of arms anywhere. Are there mercenaries hidden anywhere," he said.


"The forces need to go in to secure the environment. Imagine President Adama Barrow goes in, he wanted to go in since Sunday, what of if he goes in and he is assassinated, the entire process will be put to question."


Barrow has requested the troops to stay in the West African country for "six months", said De Souza, adding that the decision to stay or leave is ultimately up to the Ecowas defence chiefs.



Jammeh initially conceded defeat after the December 1 election, but the mercurial strongman then announced he no longer recognised the result.


Under the threat of a regional military intervention, Jammeh chose exile in Equatorial Guinea, which is not party to the International Criminal Court, and left The Gambia.


Barrow has assured Jammeh he will have all the rights legally ensured to an ex-president, which under Gambian law includes immunity from prosecution, barring a vote by two-thirds of the national assembly.

TWO UNILAG students arrested for attacking VC

    The Lagos police have arrested two students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for allegedly attacking the
Vice Chancellor.

Commissioner of the police in the state, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the incident on Tuesday said the students were arrested for plotting to disrupt the institution’s convocation week.


  In a related development, Owoseni said three secondary school students were arrested in Ikoyi for alleged involvement in cult activities.


He said the students were arrested over a supremacy battle over a girlfriend related matter. “We have invited the parents of the three students for discussion. “Although they are minors, the three students will be prosecuted because they were found with dangerous weapons.


“They will face the same law adult accused of similar crime face while the remaining students and their parents will be counselled by the police,” Mr. Owoseni said.

OSINBAJO- BAD BEHAVIOUR MUST BE PUNISHED


 Bad behaviour must be punished – Osinbajo  Acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday said there must be a
system in place to punish bad behaviour in the country.

Osinbajo stated this while speaking at the monthly meeting of the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) at the State House, Abuja.

 In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said, “We have to be committed to what we want to achieve.


We must develop a system that punishes bad behaviour and reward good behaviour.” Osinbajo recalled how the during his time as Attorney General of Lagos, the state judiciary was rid of corruption due to punitive measures put in place.


According to him, an overwhelming 89 percent of lawyers in Lagos said in a survey held in 1999 there was corruption in the state judiciary and yet no one was being sanctioned.


He added, “So we decided to deal with the situation. In the first year, we sacked 21 magistrates and three judges in the second year.

By 2007 when we conducted the same survey, the result was zero per cent. “Nigerians, like any other will behave well if we put in a system where people won’t get away with misconduct. We are the ones to do it.”

SUSPECTED HERDSMEN KILL 5 COLLEGE OF EDUCATION STUDENTS IN KADUNA 

Suspected herdsmen on Sunday evening killed students of the College of Education, Gidan
Waya Kaduna State while on their way to school from Kafanchan, Vanguard reports.


It was learnt that the herdsmen ambushed the taxi and killed the students but spared the life of the driver.

Kaduna State Police spokesman, ASP Usman Aliyu, said he was not aware of such development. He said: “In fact, you know what, nothing like that happened.”


However, Senator representing Southern Kaduna, Senator Danjuma Laah said he heard of the incident but the Kaduna Police command has denied the incident.


“I am still in Abuja and I am doing everything to find out what really happened and I will get back to you,” he said. A relation of one of the victims, Michael Joseph, said his brother, James Joseph was returning to school.


He said the driver of the vehicle suddenly stopped at a sharp bend on the Kagoro-Passakori- Gidan Waya Road around 5p.m., Sunday, claiming the car had developed a problem.


 He said, “Suddenly, a group of armed herdsmen emerged from the bush, brought out the five passengers and summarily shot them at point blank range. They did not touch the driver.


 The killers disappeared back into the bush. “My family was informed that a farmer, who was on a hill not far away, saw everything.


We have taken the corpses to the Zangon Kataf General Hospital.

GUNMEN KILL ONE, INJURE 5 IN KADUNA

 


 One person has been killed and five others injured after unknown gunmen attacked
Zankan village, Kaduna State, the police said on Sunday.

Spokesman of the command, ASP Aliyu Usman said the incident occurred at about 8.30 p.m. on Saturday.

“The dead and the injured persons have been taken to the nearest medical centre in Ganawuri town, Plateau State,” Usman said. He said the police has started investigating the incident.


“We are trailing the suspects behind the attack, but so far, no arrest has been made. “We are, however, optimistic that the additional police operatives deployed in the area will fish out the culprits very soon,” he said.


 He appealed to the public to always assist security agencies in the state with useful information to enable them to take proactive measures. 

WE MAY SOON TAKE UP ARMS FOR SELF-DEFENCE’ – IPOB   

     The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that it may soon take up arms to protect members from continuous attacks from
security agencies, TheCable reports.

 Deputy leader of the group, Uche Mefor while speaking to the online platform said security forces have continued to attack and kill IPOB youths even though they are harmless.

“IPOB is law-abiding. We have continued to apply ourselves to the law. We have not killed anybody, we have not attacked anybody, but Buhari has continued to attack us,” he said.


“We have respect for human life, and we have not asked for war. We have exhausted every democratic process. We have been pushed to the wall. We are forced to defend ourselves. “Self defence is a fundamental right; we have a right to self defence.


We have been pushed to armed struggle, and if the millions of us take up arms the Nigeria army cannot stop us. “The killings are a deliberate attempt to exterminate us. What we are asking for is a free state of Biafra.


Buhari is supporting an independent state for Palestine and Western Sahara, why not Biafra? “What we are doing is not illegal. It is supported by international law. We believe in the sanctity of human life.”


Recall that Amnesty International last year had claimed security agencies killed 150 pro-Biafra protesters in the South East. IPOB also alleged that the police killed 11 of its members during the Trump solidarity rally on Friday.

IDPS CAMP BOMBING: NAF INVESTIGATIVE PANEL VISITS BORNO  The Nigerian Air Force



investigative panel into the accidental bombing of Rann Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in
Borno State will today visit the scene of the incident, ChannelsTV reports.

The panel is expected to investigate the number of casualties, issues surrounding the incident as well as the flight crew and submit a report on its findings. - adver


 There have been disparities in the number casualties reported. While the Doctors Without Borders (MSF), put the death toll at 90, the locals put the figure at over 200.

 Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, had visited the village for an on the spot assessment of the scene. 

I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT BLOWING UP THE WHITE HOUSE – MADONNA (WATCH)

 

 Share American singer, Madonna has said she once taught of blowing up the White
House, the residence of US President, Donald Trump.

Madonna said this on Saturday during the Women’s March demonstration in Washington.

  The singer said, “Yes, I’m angry. Yes, I am outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House,” she said. “But I know this won’t change anything.

 We cannot fall into despair.” “Are you ready to shake up the world? Welcome to the revolution of love, to the rebellion, to our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny.


Where not just women are in danger, but all marginalized people. Where being uniquely different right now might truly be considered a crime.


 It took this horrific moment of darkness to wake us the f___ up. “Let’s march together through this darkness and with each step know that we are not afraid, that we are not alone, that we will not back down, that there is power in our unity and that no opposing force stands a chance in the face of true solidarity.


And to our detractors that insist that this march will never add up to anything, f*** you. F*** you. It is the beginning of much-needed change, change that will require sacrifice,” Madonna added.


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