INEC: Bello is APC candidate..............

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said Alhaji Yahaya Bello is the APC governorship candidate for Saturday’s supplementary election.
He replaces the late Abubakar Audu, who died before the conclusion of the election process.
The INEC’s Deputy Director, Publicity, Mr Nick Dazang said: “They have sent the name of their replacement candidate, the runner-up in their primaries, that is Yahaya Bello, to the commission”.
 
The INEC spokesman assured the people of Kogi State that the commission is fully prepared to conduct both the Kogi Supplementary and Bayelsa governorship elections. Both polls are slated for Saturday,
According to him: “Commission is committed to conduct the two elections, that is why in respect of Kogi, in spite of what happened, we came out with public notice which invites the APC to submit its replacement candidate for the election”.

Faleke’s, Bello’s supporters clash at APC secretariat............

Supporters of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who was chosen to replace the late Prince Abubakar Audu in this weekend’s supplementary election in Kogi State and those of James Abiodun Falake clashed yesterday at the APC National Secretariat.
The supporters, carrying sticks and stones, tore at one another as policemen looked helpless and unable to curtail them.
 
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who arrived at the secretariat at about the time the supporters were beginning to go violent, abandoned his car at the gate and walked into the secretariat.

Seven schoolgirls die in hostel fire..............

Seven pupils died on Sunday night when a “mysterious” fire razed the Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS) at Jogana, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The fire, according to an eyewitness, started at 8.10pm, when the pupils were preparing to go to bed.
A security man, who pleaded not to be named, said: “…The school was in darkness because there was no power supply. The pupils had taken their dinner and were preparing to retire to bed when we heard the girls screaming from Alhaji Sani Yaro Ahmed Hostel.


“We thought they were being attacked by rapists. But we saw thick smoke coming out of the hostel. As we rushed to the place, there was stampede: the pupils struggled to escape from the fire.”
It was learnt that the casualty figure was high because the pupils rushed through a narrow gate, which caused the stampede.

Abacha loot spent on roads, electricity, others, Okonjo-Iweala tells World Bank....

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has “received several documents from the World Bank totalling over 700 pages on information on the spending of recovered assets stolen by the late General Abacha, with some of the documents suggesting that Abacha loot was spent on roads, electricity, education, health and water.”
This information was disclosed by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, in a statement dated November 29, 2015.
 

The organisation said, “SERAP can confirm that last week we received several documents from Ann May of the Access to Information Team of the World Bank following our Access to Information Request to the Bank. We also received a letter dated 24 November 2015 from Mr. Rachid Benmessaoud, Director of the World Bank in Africa.”

The N155billion Malabu Scam: EFCC quizzes Jonathan’s associate who helped distribute ‘slush fund’....

In continuation of its investigation into the N155billion Malabu Oil deal involving former Petroleum Resources Minister, Dan Etete, and some top officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday interrogated a close associate of both Mr. Etete and Mr. Jonathan.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Aliyu Abubakar, a businessman with interest in construction, arrived the agency’s headquarters on Monday morning on the invitation of the EFCC and was still being grilled as at 6 PM.
 

Mr. Abubakar, this newspaper learnt, is being questioned for his alleged role in the laundering and distribution of at least $523million, being part of the proceeds of the controversial Malabu oil deal.
Investigators found that Mr. Etete allegedly transferred the funds into Mr. Abubakar’s account, from where it was diverted into several other accounts of individuals and organizations.

Building Collapse Trial Stalled As Synagogue Church Pastor TB Joshua And Contractors Refuse To Honor Lagos Court Summons....

A Lagos State High Court presided by Justice Lawal Akapo has adjourned till 11th of December, the trial of senior pastor and prophet of Synagogue Church of All Nations, Temitope Joshua over death of 116 persons, mostly South Africans, in a building within the church premises that collapsed last year.

The trial scheduled to commence today was stalled by absence of four engineers who were to be arraigned alongside the Synagogue church's board of trustees. Only a person appeared in respect of the Church's board of trustees.
Oluwaseun Abimbola, counsel to the defendants told the court that the contractors were not served with court papers by the Ministry of Justice, and therefore had no cause to appear before court.
Lagos State's Attorney General, Adeniji Kazeem said no valid physical addresses were found for the contractors, which he said was reason that the Ministry could not locate or serve the court papers on the engineers.

Former National Security Adviser Dasuki Got Jonathan’s Approvals To Collect $2.1bn From NNPC In 9 months...

Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser, received an extra-budgetary allocation of $2.1 billion from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) within nine months after approvals by former President Goodluck Jonathan, TheCable can report.

Dasuki is currently being investigated by the federal government over the billions of dollars released for the procurement of arms for counter-terrorism operations under Jonathan.
Documents seen by TheCable showed the breakdown of NNPC’s disbursements to the office of the NSA as follows: $1 billion on March 27, 2014; $200 million on April 9, 2014; $600 million on May 5, 2014; and, same day, $200 million following a request for $250 million.

Boko Haram Burns Down Nigeria Army Base In Adamawa As Soldiers Flee...

A report from northeastern Nigeria says Boko Haram burned down a military base on Sunday night as soldiers fled their attack.   A terrorists vehicle set ablaze by troops

The Associated Press (AP) said in a report from Yola that only local fighters prevented the insurgents from retaking Gulak, the headquarters of Madagali Local Government area of Adamawa State.
James Ularamu, a former chairman of the council, told AP the brave civilian fighters held Gulak town after the soldiers ran away, until the military sent reinforcements who then fought off the extremists.  By that time, the base had been burned down.
“Sunday night's attack came as a military intelligence officer confirmed that 107 soldiers remain missing nearly two weeks after a Nov. 19 battle,” the report said.  The Nigerian Army has denied that the soldiers were missing.