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A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday refused to grant an application filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, seeking an order restraining President Muhammadu Buhari, the Department of State Services and others from re-arresting or taking any “untoward action” against five of the eight judges whose houses were recently raided by DSS operatives. Justice Gabriel Kolawole declined to grant the prayer shortly after Ogungbeje’s counsel, Mr. Ayo Ogundele, moved the ex parte application on Friday. In his ruling, Justice Kolawole held that he needed to clear his doubts about the locus standi of the plaintiff, among other issues, after hearing arguments of all parties before he could make a pronouncement on the prayer. The plaintiff had sought in his motion ex parte, “an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents, their agents, servants, privies, men, officers or anybody deriving authority from them by whatever name called from further arresting, intimidating,

Indications emerged on Friday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was intensifying moves to gather evidence against the former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, for a possible prosecution. A top operative of the commission said on Friday that the leadership of the commission had initiated a discreet probe of the former First Lady in a bid to assemble evidence against her in the event of her prosecution as a fallout of the commission’s decision to freeze $20m traced to her. The source said that the commission had assembled a team of detectives saddled with the responsibility of identifying all houses and property belonging to the former First Lady. It was stated that the operatives had been instructed from the office of the commission’s chairman to mark such houses and property as part of the preparation for the prosecution of the First Lady. It was further stated that the operatives were focusing attention on property in Abuja, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt and other cities in

So when Hatton fought Manny Pacquiao in May of 2009 it was billed as the most-high profile and exciting fight of the year. And it was, but not for the reasons Hatton would’ve wanted. Pacquiao, to be fair, was brilliant. His hands were incisive and lightning fast, but the devastating manner of his soon-to-be victory was brought on in large part because of Hatton’s mistakes. The Englishman didn’t move his feet enough, but above all else, he didn’t move his head. He was boxing like the old Rickie Hatton, trying to fight toe-to-toe with Pacquiao, and he ended up swallowing far too many big punches because of it. With every one you could see him slipping deeper and deeper into his old habits, opening the door ever-wider for Pacquiao to walk through. And he did towards the end of the first round. Twice actually, when the Filipino knocked Hatton down on two different occasions.Mayweather saw what was happening and implored his man to listen.

Lionel Messi celebrates his third in Barcelona’s 4-0 thrashing of Man City. (Getty Images) Pep Guardiola may be in the process of building a fine Barcelona replica with Manchester City, but when faced with the real deal on Wednesday, it was painfully clear that there isn’t yet a substitute for Barca’s ball-wizardry machine. Or indeed for Lionel Messi. The little magician scored a hat trick in the 4-0 Barca win, with Neymar getting the final goal, as the game ended with both sides reduced to 10 men. [ Champions League: Matchday 3 Live | Scoreboard | Group Standings ] Guardiola was demonstratively glad to return to the soccer cathedral where he made his name as both a midfielder and as a manager, giddily embracing his former teammate and successor Luis Enrique in the tunnel prior to the game. But it was not a happy return. After a tentative start between sides fully cognizant of the other’s many tools for hurting them, a series of lovely Barca attacks eventually culminated in a

For Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, something feels a bit different this season. Two months into the campaign, the Gunners are very much in the title race in England and have not shot themselves in the foot in Europe. A 6-0 destruction of Ludogorets in the Champions League on Wednesday has Arsenal level on points with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Group A, but the remaining head-to-head fixture against the French champions will take place at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsene Wenger’s men can and, based on their play so far, should win that game. [ Champions League: Matchday 3 Live | Scoreboard | Group Standings ] A victory over PSG would almost certainly secure the top spot in Group A, and thus, Arsenal would be on the verge of breaking one of the most infamous streaks in club history. Although the Gunners have advanced to 19 straight Champions League group stages, they have been eliminated in the round of 16 in each of their previous six showings. Finishing second in the grou

Manchester City's goalkeeper Claudio Bravo leaves the pitch after being shown a red card for handling the ball outside the box during a Champions League, Group C soccer match between Barcelona and Manchester City, at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. Francisco Seco AP Photo By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer LinkedIn Google+ Pinterest Reddit Print Order Reprint of this Story MANCHESTER, England With one of the world's best strikers bearing down on him, Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had a quick decision to make as he received the ball five meters (yards) outside his penalty box. Smash it downfield and quickly retreat to his area? Or keep possession and instigate another attack for his team? Most goalkeepers in that situation would choose the safer first option, but not Bravo. Instead, he attempted a delicate lob-pass over Luis Suarez to teammate Fernandinho — and completely fluffed it. T

Ramon Oladimeji The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arrested a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was re-arrested by operatives of the anti-graft about 1.55pm outside the premises of a Federal High Court on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos. Fani-Kayode, who was in court for his trial over an alleged fraud of ‎N4.9bn, was re-arrested shortly after he stepped out of the court premises. Also read: EFCC planning to re-arrest me – Fani-Kayode Details later.

Hadiza Buhari-Bello Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja Hadiza Buhari-Bello, one of the daughters of President Muhammadu Buhari, has faulted a statement credited to a former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, that she is using her Africa Support and Empowerment Initiative to infringe on the franchise of Bring Back Our Girls group. Buhari-Bello in a statement she jointly signed with AFRISEI Secretary, Don Uche, on Friday said her organisation was a responsible body that would never engage in illegal activities by stealing someone else’s franchise. She explained that contrary to Ezekwesili’s allegation, her organisation did not need to lean on the BBOG to be of service to the Chibok Girls and therefore had no reason “to steal anything from BBOG or use its name to achieve any advantage.” The President’s daughter explained that her organisation has its own defined objectives and that it didn’t need to steal anybody’s ideas to operate in line with its own objectives. She said the organis

Kamarudeen Ogundele, Ado Ekiti The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), has said the present administration’s fight against corruption will touch every sector in the society. He lamented that corruption had permeated every stratum of the society and was responsible for poverty and other challenges facing the nation. Osinbajo spoke in Ado Ekiti on Friday during the 2016 convocation ceremonies of the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, where Governor Ayodele Fayose called on the Federal Government to support the state in the construction of an airport. “I have great respect for Chief Afe Babalola because of his stand against corruption. Sometimes in 2002, Chief Babalola argued the case for the establishment of Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission where he let the court realised that corruption is the greatest problem of our nation. “All the institutions of government , I mean the executive, legislature and the judiciary are corrupt. What we nee

One of the 21 freed Chibok girls on Wednesday told President Muhammadu Buhari that while in Boko Haram captivity, they never believed that they could regain freedom. Tolu Ogunlesi, head of digital communications for the presidency, made this known in a tweet shortly after the girls met with President Buhari. According to Ogunlesi, the girls who had spent two and half years as captives of Boko Haram were full of joy when received by the president. During the meeting which held at the presidential villa, Ogunlesi said the girls sang the Nigerian anthem louder than everyone present. “We didn’t know we would come back to be a part of Nigeria, but the grace of God made it possible”, one of the girls was quoted to have said. “We don’t have anything to say again, only thank you”, said another girl. Following the meeting, Buhari promised the 21 girls that they would enjoy the best of life, having survived the worst.

Seventy-year-old Tanko Isiyaku tells FRIDAY OLOKOR the story of his daughter, Habiba’s marriage to one Jamilu Lawal said to be an aide to the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabiru Usman Kindly tell us about yourself. My name is Isiyaku Tanko. I am from Warkaza community in Kudun Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State. I am a Christian and belong to the ECWA denomination. I am 70 years old. When did you hear about the marriage of your daughter to Jamilu Lawal, believed to be an aide to the Emir of Katsina? It was when she left home that we heard about it. She left home on August 16. When was the last time you saw her? It was when I went to see the state commissioner of police about the matter that I saw her last. I have forgotten the date. Did you marry her off to him? I did not do that. She was forced into marriage. Do you know Jamilu Lawal? Yes, he lived close to us in the community. When you said he lived close to your family, was he a friend to your family

Friday Olokor with Agency Report A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), on Saturday reflected on the state of the nation and came with a verdict that Nigeria is “walking in the wilderness.” He however expressed optimism that all the challenges currently facing the country would be temporary because God’s promise was that joy cometh very soon. Gowon, who spoke in Abuja, during the thanksgiving service to commemorate 20th anniversary of “Nigeria Prays”, a prayer movement for the country, advised Nigerians to continue to pray. According to him, the first rally by the Nigeria Prays held was held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on October 1 1996, when the ship of the Nigerian State was experiencing great turbulence for which the nation needed effervescent prayers of righteous souls to move God’s right hand to calm the storm. He said, “When you ask what prayers has God been answering, you think of all the problems and crisis that we have had in the country a

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, in this interview with KAMARUDEEN OGUNDELE, bares his mind on many issues You made some predictions about Nigeria. Have they come to pass? The predictions were published in December last year. After the publication, so many people attacked me and said I predicted doom for Nigeria. But today, I won’t say I’m happy. Ninety per cent of the predictions I made have come to pass not because I wished so. I have always said I’m ‘Peter, the Rock.’ When you look at my life, I have overcome a lot of challenges. This is divine grace. I am an anointed man of God. So going by the predictions, they were out of God’s inspiration and they have all come to pass by 90 per cent. The only prediction that did not come to pass is the Kogi governorship poll and God knows best. I want to say it expressly that I predicted that an attempt to take the South-South states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and others by force would lead to unprecedented deaths and it happened lik

John Alechenu With the dust yet to settle over an interview Aisha Buhari granted the British Broadcasting Corporation, a Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, has stated that the President’s recent trip to Germany was for medical reasons. Mohammed, a Russian-trained medical doctor, revealed this in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday. Mrs. Buhari had accused an unnamed cabal, made up of individuals who were not part of the struggle for Buhari’s emergence as president, of having hijacked the Presidency. Expressing her frustration, Mrs. Buhari threatened not to support any attempt by her husband to re-contest in 2019 if things do not change. Mohammed alleged that the president’s handlers were making similar mistakes committed by those who served as close advisers to ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua. According to him, Buhari was in Germany to receive treatment for an undisclosed ailment but his handlers arranged a state visit in an attempt to mask the truth. Mohammed said,

erians on Saturday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reshuffle his cabinet, following the revelations made by his wife, Aisha. This call came on the heels of the displeasure expressed by the President’s wife that her husband does not know most of the appointees in his cabinet. Aisha Buhari had, in a British Broadcasting Corporation interview, noted that the Buhari’s government was hijacked by a few people, who were behind presidential appointments. In the interview, Mrs. Buhari said, “The president does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years. “Some people are sitting down in their homes, folding their arms, only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.” Following Aisha’s comments, which have since gone viral, many Nigerians said the President must take urgent steps to reconstitute his cabinet and remove incompetent ministers and aides. Accordi

Leke Baiyewu, Abuja The Senate on Thursday extended the validity of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination result conducted the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board from one year to three years. It also backed the scrapping of the conduct of post-UTME for tertiary institutions’ admission seekers. If President Muhammadu Buhari gives his assent to the bill and it becomes law, candidates with old results will, henceforth, be given preference over new UTME candidates in subsequent admission processes by the tertiary institutions. The validity extension and the post-UTME scrapping was part of the amendments made to the JAMB Act. The Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, which presented its report on “A Bill for An Act to Amend the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Act and for Other Matters Connected Thereof, 2016 SB.245” to the chamber during Thursday’s plenary, said the purpose of the bill was to amend the JAMB Act to increase the validity period

There were strong indications on Thursday that the Federal Government freed some top Boko Haram commanders for the 21 Chibok girls, who were released by the insurgents at Banki, a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon. The released girls were among the over 200 schoolgirls, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014. Most of the girls wept profusely when Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo met them on Thursday at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services after the girls’ arrival in the Federal Capital Territory. The 21 girls were released after 913 days in captivity. A security source said five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the 21 Chibok girls. The source stated, “Five top commanders of the Boko Haram were traded for the released Chibok girls. “Those released are not among those earlier released by the military in the North-East on October 1, 2016. These ones are conf