Monday, 6 July 2015
Pastor, 4 others killed after suicide bomber attack RCCG church in Potiskum, Yobe state
A pastor, a woman and her 2 children were killed after a male
suicide bomber attacked a Redeemed Christian Church of God parish in the
Jigawa area of Potiskum, Yobe state this morning June 5th. Eyewitnesses
say the suicide bomber forced his way into the church at about 10am while the church service was ongoing.
Confirming the incident, the
Yobe state Police Public Relations Officer ASP Toyin Gbadegesin said
“A male suicide bomber at about 10 o’clock this
morning detonated a bomb at the Redeemed Church Jigawa area in Potiskum
killing five persons including the suicide bomber" - he said
An
eyewitness, Garba Manu while giving an account of what happened said
“I
saw when the bomber alighting from a motorised rickshaw and
entering the church and as soon as he entered a loud explosion ripped
through the church which is under construction. I saw him walked into
the church and he didn’t raise any suspicion.
Five worshippers, including three females and two males were in the
church when the bomber entered and they were all killed. The dismembered
body of the bomber was also recovered,”
A pastor, a woman and her 2 children were killed after a male
suicide bomber attacked a Redeemed Christian Church of God parish in the
Jigawa area of Potiskum, Yobe state this morning June 5th. Eyewitnesses
say the suicide bomber forced his way into the church at about 10am while the church service was ongoing.
Confirming the incident, the Yobe state Police Public Relations Officer ASP Toyin Gbadegesin said
Confirming the incident, the Yobe state Police Public Relations Officer ASP Toyin Gbadegesin said
“A male suicide bomber at about 10 o’clock this morning detonated a bomb at the Redeemed Church Jigawa area in Potiskum killing five persons including the suicide bomber" - he said
“I saw when the bomber alighting from a motorised rickshaw and entering the church and as soon as he entered a loud explosion ripped through the church which is under construction. I saw him walked into the church and he didn’t raise any suspicion. Five worshippers, including three females and two males were in the church when the bomber entered and they were all killed. The dismembered body of the bomber was also recovered,”
Jonathan tells Nigerians: Support Buhari to Finish Boko Haram
He said, “The death of any Nigerian at the hands of terrorists is a sad reminder that the war on terror is a task for all Nigerians not just the armed forces.”
Dino fights Tinubu: you want to give my seat to Smart Adeyemi
Senate President Bukola Saraki's loyal boy and Senator representing Kogi West District, Dino Melaye, has alleged that the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had decided to offer support for Senator Smart Adeyemi, who is currently challenging his electoral victory at the Court of Appeal.
Melaye, an APC senator, told journalists in Abuja that Tinubu had contacted Nigeria's ex Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), to take over the legal battle on behalf of Adeyemi.
He also said that Adeyemi, on the request of Tinubu, had forwarded details of the suit to Adoke, asking him to look for a judge in the Court of Appeal that would offer assistance.
But Tinubu, in his reaction, had asked Melaye to look elsewhere for people to blackmail. Asiwaju, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Sunday Dare, said it was nothing but a “kitchen of malicious lies.”
Dare said, “This is another lie from their kitchen of malicious lies. They are all over the social and traditional media, spewing lies and planting stories. We are not about that. Nigerians are not as gullible as they think.
“He is aligned with people who want to kill the party, and we wish him luck, but they will not succeed because the party belongs to the Nigerian people.
“This blackmail, like other ones, will not work. It cannot stick. Adoke? Who is he? Tinubu cannot recall when last he saw him or even spoke with him. Dino should look elsewhere for people to blackmail.”
Melaye had claimed that he incurred the wrath of Tinubu after refusing to back down from supporting the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, during the recently concluded election of presiding officers of the 8th Senate. He said he had no regret over his role, leading to the emergence of Saraki.
Deadly Robbers who Robbed Bank in Ikorodu have been caught
The suspected robbers were arrested from Okitipupa, Ondo State and Ikorodu, Lagos State, while three new Sport Utility Vehicles allegedly bought from the proceeds of the robbery were recovered.
The names of the deadly robbers were given as:
Monday Akpan, Bright Agbojule, the third identified simply as Jafaru, and one Baba Ibeji.
On Wednesday, June 24, the gang, which was reportedly led by a woman, had stormed the Ebute-Ipakodo branches of the First Bank and Zenith Bank at about 8.30am, and carted away millions of naira.
The robbers, who overwhelmed policemen from the Ipakodo division, were said to have carted away about N60m from the Zenith Bank’s strong room, while N20m were stolen from the bank’s ATM room.
The suspects, who dared policemen to confront them, later escaped in two speedboats at the Ipakodo jetty. Four persons, including a bank customer, who were hit by bullets during the one-hour operation, were taken to the General Hospital, Ikorodu.
The four members of the gang were arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, in an operation involving a former SARS commander, SP Abba Kyari, and another officer, DSP James Okeke.
According to PUNCH, one of the suspected robbers, a week after the operation, had headed for the Okitipupa area, Ondo State, with a Lexus bought with the proceeds of the robbery.
A police source told PUNCH Metro that the suspect was arrested by soldiers, who were on a stop-and-search exercise in Ondo State.
It was learnt that the suspect was also found with bundles of new N1,000 notes with bank seals.
The police source said the arrest was the break that the police needed, adding that the suspect later led them to arrest other members of the gang.
He said, “The soldiers were on a stop-and-search and they found the suspect, identified only as Baba Ibeji, while on his way to his home town in Okitipupa, Ondo State.
“During a search, they found bundles of new N1,000 notes with bank seals in his bag. The soldiers, who were also aware of the bank robbery in Lagos, smelt a rat and contacted the Lagos State Police Command on the development.
“The former CP, Kayode Aderanti, immediately contacted experienced hands in SARS for the interview of the suspect. The suspect gave the contacts and names of other suspects. The operatives subsequently mobilised more officers to Ikorodu and made some arrests.
“Three suspects were picked up by the police in Ikorodu. Two of them had bought Sport Utility Vehicles with the proceeds. All of them had bought plots of land with their loots. Three vehicles have been recovered for now.”
The suspects would be paraded on Monday at the Lagos State Police command headquarters, Ikeja.
Efforts are being intensified to get other members of the gang, which reportedly numbered about 15.
Police to investigate Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu over alleged forged Senate rules
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase,on Sunday summoned
the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, over alleged forgery of the
Senate Rules on election of its principal officers,the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, said.
The PDP said Ekweremadu is expected to appear before a team of
investigators at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday (today).
It said the letter inviting the deputy senate president was dated July
1, 2015 and was signed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in
charge of criminal investigation at the FHQ.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said this at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday.
The Force Headquarters has however said that he did not single out Ekweremadu for investigation.
The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Shogunle, explained
that the investigation was not about an individual, rather, the police
are investigating a petition by a senator alleging forgery of the Senate
rules and standing orders.
Shogunle said the case was being handled by the Force Criminal Investigation Department.
He said:
“In line with the resolve of the police leadership to gather evidence, the FCID sent a letter to the Senate clerk requesting a meeting with principal officers. The police didn’t send a letter to the deputy senate president, but to the clerk.
“What we did was to write to the clerk to facilitate a meeting with some of the senators to verify the allegations that were made, the police have respect for democratic values; but the clerk is yet to respond to the letter.
“No invitation was sent to the deputy senate president. It’s not about an individual, but about those that should be in the know of the senate rules and standing orders. The investigation is being led by the DIG, FCID.”
The 'forged rule' was said to have been used for the election of the
leadership of the 8th Senate, in which Bukola Saraki emerged as the
Senate President and Ekweremadu the deputy.
Saraki is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, while Ekweremadu is of the minority PDP.
Metuh however alleged that the invitation to Ekweremadu was a ploy to arrest and detain him by the APC-led Federal Government.
He insisted at the Sunday briefing that Ekweremadu would be detained at the FHQ when he showed up on Monday (today).
The PDP spokesman said the national leadership of the APC had not been
happy with the election of Ekweremadu as the deputy senate president and
that all the attempts allegedly made to let him resign by the ruling
party had failed, hence the alleged plan to use the police to intimidate
him.
Metuh said,
“We are aware that some APC senators opposed to the emergence of Senators Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as senate president and deputy senate president respectively met last week and concocted a petition, accusing the deputy senate president of altering the Senate Rules on the process of election of the presiding officers, upon which the police via a letter dated July 1, 2015 and signed by the Deputy Inspector General in charge of criminal investigation at the Force Headquarters has invited him to appear tomorrow (today), Monday, July 6, 2015 where he will be detained and put under pressure.”
He said neither Ekweremadu nor any other senator-elect, prior to the
inauguration of the Senate and the election of presiding officers, could
have been involved in the process of producing the 2015 Standing Rules
of the Senate.
The Senate Standing Rules is strictly done by the bureaucracy under the Clerk to the National Assembly.
He said:
“Senator Ekweremadu was not in any way involved in the process other than being nominated for the position of the deputy senate president and could not have been privy to the secret ballot procedure adopted by the National Assembly bureaucracy, which has been widely adjudged as transparent and credible,” Metuh explained.
“Apparently to ensure that the agenda is given an official stamp, the Inspector General of Police, acting on instructions, has invited the deputy senate president with a view to arresting him over phantom charges as a build up to incarcerate him, create a vacuum in the Senate and pave way for the imposition of an APC preferred senator to take over his position.”
Metuh said that the petition by the aggrieved senators to the police lacked merit.
Metuh also said the PDP had information that instructions had been
passed to certain officials at the Independent National Electoral
Commission to alter some electoral documents and records in order to
create the impression that Ekweremadu did not file proper documents for
the general elections in order to eventually pave way for his removal.
“In line with the above plot, the APC has been having secret meetings with some judges and lawyers to procure injunctions to prevent Ekweremadu from playing his role as the deputy senate president,” he further alleged.
The PDP spokesman said that part of the plot was a conspiracy to tarnish Ekweremadu’s image and open him to public ridicule.
He alleged that on Monday last week, some APC leaders met in Abuja to
perfect a plot to blackmail the deputy senate president by planting
bizarre publications against him in the media.
Metuh stated that “the government and APC leaders should be held
responsible should any harm come upon the deputy senate president or any
of our party leaders for that matter.”
He said,
“We state this because information available to us indicates that there are also plans to compromise security around the deputy senate president to make him vulnerable and open for sponsored violent attacks.
“We do hope that the era of political assassination is not about to return to Nigeria and that our nation will not descend into a draconian regime where a strike force is created to hunt key opposition figures.”
He said the PDP would
“not consider it a mere coincidence if our key leaders suddenly become victims of terror attacks or are suddenly killed by armed robbers.”
“This is especially as we are aware that the APC has even gone to the ridiculous extent of trailing key PDP leaders and bugging their telephone lines,” he said.
The National Publicity Secretary of the the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
said in a statement on Sunday, that it had nothing to do with the
decision of the police to invite Ekweremadu.
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