APGA CRISIS: Obi, Umeh Finally Reconcile Two Years Later

Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi

After about two years in the political trenches over the soul of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi and the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, Monday at the Government House in Awka, finally chose the path of peace to reconcile their differences and bury the hatchet.

While Obi and Umeh were reconciling their differences, the factional National Chairman of the party, Mr. Maxi Okwu, and some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), headed to the Federal High Court, Awka, praying the court to uphold the April convention of the party held in Awka.

Lagos Finance Commissioner Resigns to Take up First Bank Job

First Bank of Nigeria Plc

The Lagos State Government Monday announced the resignation of its Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, to take up an appointment as the Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc and a Board member of FBN Holdings Plc.

Abiru’s resignation, which was formally tendered Monday, but would take effect from August 1, was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Mr. Hakeem Bello.

Kalu Threatens to Sue Fashola over Forced Relocation of Igbos

Former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu

Former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has  given the Lagos State Government a seven-day ultimatum to apologise to the 67 persons of Igbo ethnic nationality allegedly deported from Lagos to Onitsha in Anambra State or he would head to court to defend their interest.

Kalu  said there was no law in the country, which empowers a state or governor to deport any Nigerian to any part of the country.BIn a statement made available Monday, Kalu said there was right to freedom of movement for every Nigerian as enshrined in Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

Finally, INEC to Decide APC’s Fate Thursday

ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on Thursday give its verdict on the request by leading opposition parties to coalesce and be registered as the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) had teamed up to form the coalition on whose platform they would challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections.

Police Arrest Nurse for Setting House help Ablaze

Policemen attached to Bode Thomas Division,  weekend arrested a nurse, Mrs. Nkese Iroakazi, for allegedly setting her 11-year-old house help, Ita Bassey-Eno ablaze at their residence at Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, Lagos.

The victim who was accused of allegedly stealing a piece of meat from the pot of soup, is currently receiving treatment at the Burns and Trauma centre of the Gbadaga General hospital, where doctors are battling to save her life.

Three Kids Die, Eight Injured in Stampede over Sallah Gift

Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko

At least three kids were killed and eight people injured following a stampede at the residence of Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, in Sokoto as a throng of people scrambled for Sallah gifts being distributed by the governor.

checks Monday revealed that the incident occurred at about 9pm on Sunday when a large number of youths, who formed three queues to collect clothing materials for Sallah festivities, began struggling to get the largesse, which the governor usually distributes before the Sallah festivities.

During the scrambling by the crowd, three underage children slumped and died as a result of suffocation while several teenagers were injured and are currently receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.

Terrorism: FG Begins Trial of Lebanese

Federal High Court

The federal government Monday commenced the trial of three Lebanese charged with terrorism-related offences. At the commencement of the trial before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the prosecutors also filed fresh charges related to money-laundering and illegal importation of goods, among other crimes, against the accused persons.

Monday, the prosecution called three witnesses, who were mainly officials of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), to testify in the case. The Lebanese - Mustapha Fawaz (49), Abdallah Thahini (48) and Talal Ahmad Roda (51) - were charged with their companies – Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park Resort.

Before the commencement of the trial Monday, the accused persons were re-arraigned on a 16-count amended charge, to which they pleaded not guilty.

Among the charges against them were that they conspired and engaged in unlawful importation of prohibited firearms between 1988 and 2008 in Kano.

NEITI: $10.9 billion Lost to Crude Oil Theft in 2 Years

Mr. Ledum Mitee

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Monday painted a worrisome picture of the effects of oil theft on Nigerian economy, saying the nation has lost over 136 million barrels of crude oil estimated at $10.9 billion through pilfering and sabotage from 2009 to 2011.

According to the organisation, in addition to the total amount of products and revenue lost to crude oil theft by the country in the upstream sector, about 10 million barrels of products, valued at $894 million, were also lost to pipeline vandalism in the downstream sector within the period under consideration.