Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had said: “I commend the role of Ooni in ensuring peace in Yorubaland. Continue what you are doing, especially your unity course. I am happy with the moves so far. It is only a sign of honour for the Ooni to visit anyone. That does not deny Ile-Ife of its position in the history of Yorubaland.”

I trust Baba Iyabo to to do this...after all Ooni is like the head of other Obas in Yorubaland. More pics...

...the Ooni was very happy to be so respected by the former president. Nice one!

Ministry of Justice has proposed eight witnesses to testify against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, when his trial on 13 counts of false assets declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal resumes.

A top secret list has shown eight proposed witnesses who were said to have been involved in the investigation of the four forms in which Saraki had allegedly made false declaration of his assets between 2003 and 2011 during his two terms as governor.

The list of witnesses has now been filed along with charges instituted against Saraki.

The document bears the signature of a then-Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Muslim Hassan (now a judge of the Federal High Court), who had also signed the charges.

The trial of the Senate President is expected to commence any next week following Friday’s judgement of the Supreme Court affirming the validity of the charges against him and the jurisdiction of the CCT.

Following the apex court’s judgement, the Danladi Umar-led tribunal is expected to issue a hearing notice to parties to enable the prosecution, led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), to open its case against Saraki.

Those listed by the prosecution to testify against him are: 

Yahaya Bello, Michael Wetkas, Mustapha Abubakar Musa, Nura Ali Bako, Adamu Garba, Samuel Madojemu, Abdulrahaman Bayo Dauda and Nwachukwu Amazu.

Some of the witnesses were said to be detectives who secretly investigated Saraki without him knowing.

Saraki, who was said to have submitted four assets declaration forms which were investigated by the CCB, was found to have “corruptly acquired many properties while in office as Governor of Kwara State but failed to declare some of them in the said forms earlier filled and submitted.”

He also allegedly made an anticipatory declaration of assets upon his assumption of office as governor, which he later acquired. Just imagine that!

He is also accused of sending money abroad for the purchase of property in streak of property in London.

Saraki initially refused to appear before the tribunal prompting it to issue a warrant for his arrest.

The Senate has threatened to order the revocation of land said to have been allocated to Goodluck Jonathan and 29 others in Maitama district, Abuja.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory ( FCT Abuja), Senator Dino Melaye who issued the threat during a budget defence meeting between the committee and the FCT Minister, Muhammed Bello, did so on the ground that the plots of land were allotted on a reserved area.

Insisting that the plots of land allocated to Jonathan and others in the Maitama District fall within an area designated for erection of tourist structure for foreign visitors, Melaye said that his committee had directed that work should stop on construction and buildings in the area.

He listed former Justice Minister and Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Bello Adoke; former Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda; acting National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus; late National Security Adviser, Andrew Okoye Azazi etc, as beneficiaries of plots of land in the area.

Following Senate’s directive to all its standing committees last week to embark on oversight functions of agencies under them, Senator Melaye had stormed the plots of land in Maitama district along with members of his committee where they saw workers erecting structures on them.

Aside ordering the workers to stop work, the committee also summoned the FCT Minister to appear before it on the matter which he did on Friday and they reached some resolutions.

An Ibadan Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Iyaganku has remanded Mrs. Yewande Oyeniran, who is said to have stabbed her husband, Lowo Oyeniran, to death on February 2, 2016, in prison custody.

The sad incident happened at Akobo area of Ibadan.

But there was some commotion at the premises of the court on Friday when the two family members of the couple, confronted each other with abusive songs...

The presiding chief magistrate, Kehinde Durosaro-Tijani, ordered the accused person should be remanded in Agodi Prison and adjourned the case to February 16 for mention.

The prosecuting police officer, Inspector Amos Adewale, had preferred one-count charge against the suspect, who pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, told the court that “Yewande on February 2, 2016, at about 06:10am at No 30 Abidi Odan Akobo area, Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial District did unlawfully cause the death of one Oyelowo Oyediran, 38, by stabbing him with knife on the neck, which later resulted to his death.”

He further told the court that the accused had committed an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Volume II Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria.

The court rejected a request by the defence counsel, Mr Seun Abimbola, to have Yewande remanded in police custody because she was traumatised as a result of the incident.

Another drama occurred when some Prison officials threatened to attack journalists and photographers who had positioned themselves near a Black Maria that was to convey Yewande to Agodi Prison.

She was later conveyed out of the court premises in a blue Primera Nissan car purportedly owned by a lawyer, while other accused persons were taken to Agodi Prisons in a Black Maria.

The family of the husband has insisted that justice must be served in the case...no room for mago-mago!

Remember the 3year old little boy named Abubakar Usman whose eyes were removed by some ritualists in Kaduna last week? Read story here. The boy's father, Usman Isa, says doctors at the Ahmadu Bello University have performed an operation on the little boy. According to Isa who spoke with Daily Trust, the doctors said the ritualists removed everything in the boys eyes and that there was no hope of him seeing again except by a miracle.

“The Kaduna hospital has referred us back to ABUTH. Doctors have conducted surgery yesterday. From what they told us, the perpetrators have removed everything that has to do with the eyes, which would make fixing them difficult. However, doctors said that they would review the operation to see the outcome, hoping they can fix artificial ones.” 

He said the doctors said the artificial eyes would be fixed just to fill the holes, but not for the young boy to see. “Except if Allah performs a miracle,” he sobbed.

Meanwhile the grandmother of little Usman, Malama Hadiza Usman, narrated how she got to know that her grandson's eyes had been removed by ritualists while he was on his way to an evening Islamiyya class.

In tears, Malama Hadiza told Daily Trust that she would never forget the incident for the rest of her life. “I’d given him N5 to buy sweets on his way, on Sunday, January 24. He left the house with his brother Umar, but on their way they were intercepted by yet-to-be identified men who took him to an uncompleted building and gouged his eyes out.”

At the hospital, little Abubakar was telling those around him to open his eyes to enable him see his mother and grandmother. “Open my eyes, I want to see Mama. Mama, where are you? Where’s Grandma?” he kept wailing.

Kano State Govt through the state Commissioner for Women Affair, Barr. Zubaida Damakka Abubakar empowered the family of Rahma Haruna, a limbless 19-year old girl of Lahadin Makole in Dawakin Kudu local government area of Kano state.

 

Rahma, who has no functional limbs but tiny appendages in the position of arms and legs, is being moved about in a synthetic washbasin by a young cousin, to beg for alms in Kano city, about 26 kilometers from her village. The earnings help in sustaining the family of four.

 

Her father, Haruna Muhammad said her challenge started when she was 6 months old and largely due to poverty, he could not take her for specialized medical attention. He had sold his farm and personal belongings but no progress was recorded in her treatment. At last, he resigned to the sad fate, which many people in his community seem to believe, that her condition is the handiwork of evil spirits.
Because of her condition, the poor girl cannot do virtually anything without the support of a family member. She and her brother, who carries her to solicit alms to feed the poor family, do not go to school.

 

While presenting the donation of empowerment items to the family on Friday, January 29, the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Barr. Zubaida Damakka said the state government is touched by the condition of the girl stressing that the government would do all it could to see that Rahma does not feel forsaken.

"Government would continue to look after her welfare to ensure that she lives as comfortable as possible and to make sure that she does not beg because of her physical challenge" the commissioner assured.

Barrister Zubaida stated that she was “amazed by the girl's zeal to do something meaning for herself rather than the usual street begging which she and her younger brother engaged in”, adding that the donation was meant to empower the family so that they can earn a living decently and take their children to school.

Items donated to the girl’s mother to start a business include 10 cartons of noodles, 2 bags of detergent, 10 cartons of biscuits, 2 bags of semovita, 2 bag of rice, a sack of soya bean, 2 gallons of cooking oil 25 liters each and the sum of twenty thousand naira.