Bayelsa: ‘Avengers’ hit two pipelines.....

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday launched into a gun battle with members of the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), in the creeks of Bayelsa State in the aftermath of twin blasts by the militants on two pipelines belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Aiteo.
 
Simultaneouly, soldiers laid siege to Oporoza community, Warri South-West council area of Delta State, suspected to be the hideout of wanted ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.
The troops arrested seven suspects and recovered explosives, arms and ammunition.
There is suspicion in security circles that the NDA is working for Tompolo who has repeatedly denied the claim.
Attacked at 2.15am yesterday were Nembe 1, 2 and 3 Brass to Bonny Trunk lines belonging to Aiteo, the latest by the group on targets in the oil and gas sector of the economy.
Aiteo acquired the 100kn Nembe trunk line from Shell Production Development Company (SPDC) in 2014 but Shell still uses it to convey crude to its Bonny Export Terminal.
The militants, who accessed the locations of the pipelines in speedboats, reportedly blew up the trunk lines with the aid of dynamites.

My 12 months as president..........

Twelve months after he swept into office on an euphoric tide of Nigeria’s desire for change, President Muhammadu Buhari is a man beset on every side  by problems with no easy solutions. The economy is in trouble with Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele warning of a looming recession. The naira rate has crashed against major global currencies. In the North East, the Boko Haram insurgency has weakened considerably. But that spot of good news is offset by the resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta, with a new group called the Avengers bombing oil pipelines. In the South East, a dormant Biafran agitation has been revived.
 
But to look at him, you wouldn’t know that Buhari is a leader confronted with all these troubles. On Thursday, May 27, just 48 hours to the first anniversary of the administration, he was scheduled to speak with interview teams from selected national newspapers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
As we wait our turn in one of the conference rooms, he is ushered in with scant ceremony by the aide-de-camp. ‘Gentlemen, let rise for Mr. President’ and we are up and running. After introductions by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, we get down to business.
Buhari has a tough guy image but is soft spoken and hardly raises his voice above a reasonable cadence. But one thing anyone who has ever
interviewed him, would not miss is his dry wit. That jocular side was on display intermittently during and after the interview session.
He spoke on the bumpy transition from the last government, shocking discoveries in office and the huge burdens which face his administration going forward. At the session with Buhari were Editor, Sunday Nation, FESTUS ERIYE, and Managing Editor, Northern Operation, YUSUF ALLI.
Looking at the last one year, how would you assess what has happened in terms of your expectations when you took office, the challenges you met and the progress made or lack of it?

Information ministry to unveil recovered assets – Buhari....

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said the Ministry of Information will give details of the assets recovered from corrupt public officers in due course.
 
The President, in his Democracy Day broadcast, said the recovered assets will be ploughed back to the national treasury.
Several past government officials are currently standing trial for corruption and other economic crimes committed during the last administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
President Buhari said: “We are engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in different jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be tedious and time consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far, significant amount of assets have been recovered.

Buhari: I’m ready for probe.....

•Says no reprieve for those behind $2.1b arms deals
•Draws battle line with militants, kidnappers
•Admits being under pressure over Naira free fall
•Accuses Jonathan of wasting N9b on National Conference
 President Muhammadu Buhari says he is ready for probe over his 2015 campaign funding or any corruption-related allegations at any time.

And he is not prepared to spare any suspect implicated in the $2.1billion arms deals because the cash was illegally drawn from the public funds in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The President, in a wide ranging interview with select newspaper editors as he concludes his first year in office, vows to deal with militants in the Niger Delta and kidnappers holding the nation hostage.
To him, the National Conference organized by the Jonathan Administration, is nothing more than a waste of N9billion, and admits he has not even bothered to touch the report of the confab.
The report may end up in the archives, he says.

FG Plans Dialogue With Militants To End Vandalism – Lai Mohammed.....

The Minister for Information and Culture with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Monday, said the Federal Government is considering opening a robust dialogue with the Niger-Delta militants on the need to stop militancy in the oil rich region.

The duo who spoke an interactive session with a coalition of civil societies in Lagos, chaired by Dr. Moses Ilo, founder of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, stressed that nefarious activities of militants is currently sabotaging efforts being made by the government to revamp the nation’s economy.
Mohammed while lamenting the situation said there was no other solution to the issues happening in Niger Delta other than engaging them in meaningful dialogue.

Alexis Sanchez Takes No.7 shirt At Arsenal Following Tomas Rosicky’s Departure.........

The Chilean has ditched No.17 following Tomas Rosicky’s departure from the club, joining the likes of former Gunners stars Liam Brady and Robert Pires to wear the shirt.

Arsenal unveiled their new home kit for the 2016-17 season on Monday and, with it, Alexis Sanchez picked a new shirt number.
Having donned the No.17 since arriving from Barcelona in 2014, the Chilean has taken advantage of Tomas Rosicky’s imminent departure from the Emirates Stadium by picking up the vacant No.7 shirt.

Boko Haram’s Chief Bomb Maker Killed By Shekau’s Bodyguard, Another One Goes Blind......

The Nigerian Army in a statement signed by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, has said that Boko Haram’s chief bomb maker was shot dead by his colleague.
The statement read:

In what will be described as a major breakthrough in the clearance and rescue operation by the Nigerian military and to also confirm that all is not well within the Boko Haram terrorists camp, as their chief bomb maker and a high ranking terrorist, was shot dead today.
The chief bomb maker, apart from his high status in the command structure of the Boko Haram terrorists, he was one of their capable hands involved in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), coming after their chief scientist, called Abu RPG (who has been killed long ago).

Lagos Court Orders Fani-Kayode’s Remand In EFCC Custody For 3 Weeks..........

An Ikeja Magistrates Court in Lagos on Monday ordered the remand of Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for three weeks.

Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi while ordering Fani-Kayode’s remand said:

The defendant is hereby remanded in EFCC custody for three weeks pending a proper arraignment in court. The applicants have never suppressed the date of the arrest of the defendant before this court.
Also, no evidence of the suit of the defendant before the FCT High Court was tendered by his counsel before the court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC brought Fani-Kayode to court to seek a remand order against him over a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretences and the alleged theft of N1.5 billion property of the Federal Ministry of External Affairs.

Fresh N2.23trillion Fraud Uncovered In NNPC.........

The Nigeria oil and gas as well as the solid minerals sectors Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative NEITI audit report for 2013 has been published.

The Minister of Solid Minerals and Chairman of the NEITI Board, Kayode Fayemi, said the audit, which focused on all aspects of the extractive industries, showed that total revenue flows into the Federation Account from the oil and gas sector in 2013 was about $58.07 billion.

Armed Policemen Seal Off PDP National Secretariat Over Leadership Crisis (Photos)........

The crisis and internal dissent among the top echelons of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) have taken a new dimension as heavily armed policemen were seen to have sealed off the Wadata Plaza National secretariat of the party on Saturday in Abuja.
 
It was gathered that the armed law enforcement officers took over the premises earlier today apparently to prevent any of the members of the National Working Committee from gaining entrance to the building.
Five police vehicles, comprising two trucks and two pick up vans blocked access on both end of the street directly in front of the secretariat, while about 28 policemen were seen around the building, turning back people from entering the premises.