SIMON KOLAWOLE: The Return of Atiku Abubakar

Simon Kolawole Live!: By Simon Kolawole, Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com

Reports of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s political death have been grossly exaggerated, as Mark Twain would have said. When the former vice-president was beaten to the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, the conclusion of many commentators, including me, was that Atiku had been finally retired from politics. Having been seeking to be President of Nigeria since 1993, and having failed to beat Jonathan to the ticket despite his deft calculations ─ including the Northern consensus candidate arrangement ─ Atiku could easily have been written off by anyone. But not by himself.

DELE MOMODU: My Trillion Naira Letter to President Jonathan

The Pendulum By Dele Momodu, Email: Dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

Your Excellency, I’m compelled to write you again today since I don’t have any other form of access to deliver this to you. I’m also not sure you read the other open letters I have written to you, especially ‘My Kobo Advise to Mr President’. If you did I hope that you digested the content and pondered on them as I expected you would. My doubts are due to your continued actions.

You must be wondering why I have chosen the present title. The reason is not far-fetched. Since my Kobo advice seems not to have resonated with you and your aides, and our budgets are now quoted in trillions, this title is ostensibly symbolic and truly emblematic of our latest craze and propensity for mentioning figures that most calculators won’t be able to evaluate.

8year old bride dies from injuries after wedding night sex with 40yr old hubby

An eight year old bride in Yemen died from internal injuries
 on her wedding night, bleeding to death after deep vaginal 
tearing caused by sex with her 40 year old husband. The girl, 
identified only by the name Rawan, died in Hardh in the 
governorate of Hajjah in northwestern Yemen, according to 
a report issued by UPI on Sunday, Sept. 8.

FOR REAL? Vector The Rapper Proposes To Chidinma

Rapper Vector today inserted a ring unto the finger of colleague, Chidinma Ekile inside an airplane. The Emi ni Baller crooner can be seen smiling in this picture that went viral today. Fingers crossed sha as we await the truth.

KIKIOWO ILEOWO: Tompolo's N2.12 Billion Private Jet And Opportunity Cost!

Tompolo 

 For those who haven’t heard, 43 year old ex-militant, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) on Monday 26th August 2013 received his Bombardier SE60 LearJet. The Jet according to aviation sources cost a whopping sum of $13.3 million (N2.12 billion).

The aim of this article is not to rubbish the person of Tompolo, [what is there to rubbish anyway] but to address inter alia; the scenarios that continue to play out in favour of his ilk, institutions and systems that perpetually endeavour to make his likes overnight celebrities. I would also analyse the opportunity cost of his latest toy.

Brown: FG, Global Partners Boost Education with $500m

 Former Prime Minister of Britain, Mr Gordon Brown

Nigeria will benefit from a pool of $500 million fund to boost educational development and serve as additional resources to support the development of universal basic education in Nigeria.

Former Prime Minister of Britain, Mr Gordon Brown disclosed this  Tuesday at the meeting of Coalition Interventions to Support Access and Quality of Education in Nigeria hosted by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.

Bicycle Parts Dealer Arrested At Lagos Airport With Heroin

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 40 year-old bicycle parts dealer with 1.700kg of heroin at Lagos Airport. The suspect, Nweke Livinus Uchenna, according to spokesperson of the agency, Ofoyeju Mitchell, started his journey that landed him in the net of NDLEA from Pakistan, where he was allegedly found to have ingested narcotics during routine search of passengers on Etihad flight at the arrival hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Hamza Umar said that the suspect excreted 100 wraps of substances that tested positive for heroin weighing 1.700kg. “While he was under observation, Nweke Livinus Uchenna excreted 100 wraps of heroin. He has provided useful information that the investigation team are working on” Hamza stated.

To Tackle Insecurity, Police Introduces New Vehicle Registration System

IG of Police, Mohammed Abubakar 

As part of efforts at repositioning the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, against the present state of insecurity in the country, a new vehicle registration system would be introduced effective fromMonday, September 16 to replaced the current analogue one. 

The new method is expected to cover all vehicles including tricycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks among others. "It would replaced the old analogue CMR to the new Digital Biometric Central Motor Registration (BCMR) system."

EXCLUSIVE: War-Torn Tunisia Repatriates 90 Nigerians

President Goodluck Jonathan 

The International Organisation for Immigration (IOM), yesterday repatriated 90 Nigerians including women and children, from the war-torn North African country, Tunisia. Out of the total 90 returnees, 17 are female while 73 are males including 14 teenagers.

Also, amongst the returnees were a five-month-old toddler and a year old baby. While 77 of the returnees were from Edo State,  eight were from Delta and the others were drawn from Lagos, Imo, Kano, Plateau States.

Police Arrest Cult Leader For Murder At S/Africa Visa Office In Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended a 32-year-old man, Adigun Muda, in connection with some murders in the Mushin and Fadeyi areas of the state. He was arrested at South Africa Visa Application centre on Billingsway, Ikeja. According to police authorities, the suspect, who is also an alleged leader of Black Axe cult, has been linked to the killings of over 10 youths between 2010 and 2013.

The suspect had, in the past, been declared wanted by the police, charged for murder and remanded at Ikoyi Prison for over a year but with the help of some influential members of his community, was able to obtain a motion for bail application and was released under controversial circumstances.