Saturday, 11 July 2015
Male suicide bomber disguised as a female kills 14 in Chad market
"Our current count is 15 dead," police spokesman Paul Manga, said, a total which included the suicide bomber.
"The suicide bomber was a man disguised as a woman (in a burqa). He tried to enter the market when he was intercepted by police. That is when he detonated the bomb." the Chadian police spokesperson said.
Buhari Meets Amaechi inside Aso Rock, Set to Make Him SGF
Premium Times Attacks Bayelsa State Governor; Alleges He Paid Hackers To Hack Systems In Nigeria
This hacking team is reportedly notorious for equipping governments with tools to hack citizens’ computers and phones, was itself hacked Sunday night and 415 gigabyte of internal data leaked to the public.
Researchers have been pouring through the leaked documents since it was first leaked Sunday night, throwing up many shocking details of the firm’s secret dealings with Bayelsa state and other repressive governments, including Sudan, Russia, and Bahrain.
Documents allegedly seen by premium times show that the Bayelsa government, a small state in Nigeria’s oil rich Niger Delta, paid Hacking Team N98 million to carry out internet attacks, in what appears to be the most ambitious hacking project by a Nigerian state government.
The contract was signed in late 2013, Hacking Team’s internal documents, leaked after the Sunday night hack attack on the company, show.
Details of the extent of the attacks Hacking Team carried out on behalf of the state is not clear at the moment.
The contract with the Bayelsa government is classified as “intelligence ” the same class with contracts the firm unlawfully held with Russia and Sudan.
Hacking Team, now learning how it feels to have one’s privacy breached, is notorious for developing intrusive soft-wares for state clients who use them to hack citizen’s computers and smartphones. Hacking Team’s twitter account was hacked and used to announce the hack. The cost of Bayelsa government’s contract with the firm is equivalent to what the Russian government recently paid the firm for maintenance of its Remote Control System. And worth more than what Turkey, Columbia and Bahrain paid to the firm.
The firm claims its intrusion softwares – Remote Control Systems – are the most invasive and ruthless, with ability to compromise most operating systems, except iOS but including jail-broken iOS.
In one video commercial, it boasted that its software could hack offline and encrypted computers and smartphones, even if the target was outside the government’s “monitoring domain”.
Galileo, one of the company’s most evil soft-wares, is also able to secretly take snapshots and record conversations of its victims.
The Hacking Team is loathed by digital activists and freedom of expression advocates all over the world for helping oppressive regimes abuses citizens’ right to privacy and freedom of speech.
Reporters Without Borders listed the firm on its enemies of the internet index due to its primary surveillance tool, Da Vinci.
The intentions of the Bayelsa state government in purchasing the software is unclear at this time.
As at the time the Bayelsa state government acquired the software, the state was not known to be under any external cyber aggression. But it’s governor, Seriake Dickson, was persecuting a citizen over critical Facebook comments.
It was also in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.
During the same period, PREMIUM TIMES and few other Nigerian news organisations believed to be critical of the former regime, led by Goodluck Jonathan, suffered several cyber attacks.
Mr. Jonathan is from Bayelsa state and enjoyed absolute loyalty from Mr. Dickson at the time.
Hacking Team did not sell its software directly to the Bayelsa state government. The transaction was channeled through an Israeli company, NICE, and then V&V Nigeria.
V&V, also Israeli-owned, is known to have close relationship with former Bayelsa state governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
V&V is responsible for the supply of many government hacking tools in Nigeria.
The Bayelsa Governor could not be reached to comment for this story.
His spokesperson, Daniel Iworiso-Markson did not answer or return calls seeking comment. He is also yet to respond to a text message sent to him. And so also is Dan Kikile, the state commissioner for information.
Despite making all these bold claims, premium times are yet to come up with any concrete evidence to back up the claims being made.
EFCC Set to Begin Probe Of Godswill Akpabio: Investigates alleged N108.1 Billion Fraud
Mr. Ekpenyong had on June 8 petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC, calling for Mr. Akpabio’s probe and accusing him of looting Akwa Ibom state treasury. On his part, Mr. Ekpenyong was summoned on Wednesday, June 17, to adopt his petition and provide more details to some of the allegations he made against Mr. Akpabio.
The former governor, now senator, was elected in 2007, at a time the nation enjoyed robust oil revenue.
Akwa Ibom State and Rivers State are Nigeria’s largest oil-producing states. The two states alternate as first and second top producers periodically.
The two states receive the highest funds allocation from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, monthly.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation indicate that under Mr. Akpabio, known for ostentatious spending, Akwa Ibom received a staggering N1. 6 trillion from FAAC between June 2007 and May 2014.
At the time he vacated office on May 29, the state received more, excluding other revenues like Ecological Funds, internally generated revenue etc. In a new petition to the EFCC dated June 22, and copied to Mr. Buhari and the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, Mr. Ekpenyong gave details of some of Mr. Akpabio’s alleged financial recklessness.
He indicated that between January and December 2014, the ex-governor colluded with two of his top aides to steal a whopping N108.1 billion from the state’s treasury.
Mr. Ekpenyong told the EFCC that the former Government House Permanent Secretary, Etekamba Umoren, and the former Accountant General of the state, Udo Isobara, colluded with Mr. Akpabio to steal the funds.
The former governor is also being accused of using state funds to acquire several assets across the country. Some of those listed include Plot 5 Okogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja, a multi-billion naira mansionette at Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja and another multi-billion naira mansion at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Others include a multi-billion naira mansionette at Plot 23 Olusegun Aina Street, Parkview, Lagos and a multi-billion naira 25 storey building at Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Strange, mischievous and untenable
In an interview with Premium Times, Mr. Aniekan Umana, the former commissioner of information under Akabio’s administation dismissed the claims as being pretentious and false, explaining,
“Every sum withdrawn from a government account is tied to a subhead and there must be a budgetary provision. To attribute fraud to withdrawals, which had the full sanction of Government and was accommodated in the budget is strange, mischievous and untenable.”
The former commissioner also challenged the veracity some of the claim being made
“Senator Akpabio does not own a 25-storey building in Victoria Island or in any part of the world, as alleged by the petitioner. It is also a patent falsehood that the house at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi belongs to Senator Akpabio. It is a rented building which ownership can be verified from Lagos State Lands Registry.
“Senator Akpabio does not own the properties mentioned in the petition to belong to him. You can verify the ownership of the properties (5 Okokosi Close, Maitama and Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama) from the land registry in Abuja,” he said.
Wizkid links up with Skepta as he gets into London (photo)
EXPOSED: NLNG Funds Not Remitted Under Jonathan
Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has revealed Goodluck Jonathan administration illegally refused to transfer funds remitted to it by Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) into the federation account.
Noting that the remitted NLNG funds were not been transferred to the federation account, Oshiomhole said, “For example, all the noise that have been generated over what happened last week, there was nothing extraordinary.
“What was extraordinary is that the NLNG has over the years been remitting funds to the federal government. But the federal government illegally refused to transfer these funds to the consolidated revenue fund which belongs to the three tiers of government."
According to him, with the renewed transparency being returned to the system by President Buhari, Edo State would have gotten N10 billion consecutively in four years of the Jonathan administration.
The governor who spoke to journalists after meeting with President Buhari at the presidential villa, regretted that his state lost N10billion under Jonathan and ex-finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
He said Nigerians have always been happy with Buhari because he had been very clear from day one on his campaign promises “about putting an end to impunity and fragrant disobedience of law and order”.
Oshiomhole explained that the NLNG was not just starting to remit, as it had been doing that every year plus taxes paid by Shell, amounting to about $500 million.
He said the $500 million added to the amount of $1.6 billion from NLNG was what totalled to the amount of $2.1 billion that was shared last week.
“All that President Buhari has done is in line with his commitments to ensuring that all funds and monies accruing to the federation account are so remitted. He has directed the CBN to transfer the funds to the consolidated account.
“Our commissioners along with federal officials met last week to share those funds in line with the revenue allocation formula. If this money had come under the last president, it will have gone the same way as in previous years."
He continued: “The truth is that so much was not paid to the federation account and that explains the huge gap. That was why in some of my statements, I said it is not just question of drop in price but it is also the denial of a lot of revenue that ought to have accrued into the federation account. So, no state has gotten a dime from what we called bail out or Excess Crude Account”.
OAP Freeze and Wife Divorcing after 13years of Marriage
"The Lord’s goodness is awesome. His love conquers all. This birthday has been my best in over 15 years!! The Lord has removed the monster that tormented me all this while. The cause of all my misery and affliction, the plaque in my tent, the thorn in my flesh, the source of my torment that bedeviled me, taunted and teased me, yet was the force behind my ordeal. Thank you lord for setting me free."If you're lucky to have a good wife or good husband, cherish him/her dearly. What some folks go through can be classified as hell on earth, all thanks to fraudulent marriages. See their kids...
...I just feel for their kids!
Ohaneze Ndigbo accuses Tinubu behind plot to remove Ekweremadu
The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ohanaeze Youth Council, has said that
the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, is behind the plot to remove Ike Ekweremadu as the deputy senate
president.
In a statement issued in Umuahia, the OYC National President, Mazi
Okechukwu Isiguzoro, asked Tinubu and other “anti- Igbo forces in APC”
to retrace their steps or face the wrath of Igbo youths.
Isiguzoro said the plot to remove Ekweremadu was an affront on the Igbo nation which would not be tolerated.
He said,
“Being fully aware that the present plot is being orchestrated by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, we ask him to re-trace his steps forthwith or we shall declare him an enemy of Ndigbo.”
Isiguzoro, urged President Buhari to caution Tinubu and other anti-Ekweremadu forces.
He said,
“We are aware that Buhari is under intense pressure to endorse the ‘Ekweremadu must go plot.’ This is the time for the President to prove that he belongs to nobody, Tinubu inclusive, but that he belongs to everybody, Ndigbo inclusive.”
Another Igbo group, Izu-Umunna Cultural Association, also asked the APC
to accept the election of Ekweremadu as the deputy senate president as
the will of God.
In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Ugo Ihekuna, and
Secretary-General, Chief Elvis Chukwu, the association attributed the
crisis in the senate to the handiwork of politicians who wanted things
to always go their own way.
Punch
Tinubu To Emerge Chairman BoT of APC
The party is due for the constitution of its BoT on June 20, 2015 following the rectification of the process by the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, last week.
Tinubu who is a big brain behind the formation of APC by the four defunct political parties - ACN, CPC, ANPP and a faction of APGA - now known as legacy parties, apparently lost out in the power game when his candidates for the Senate Presidency and the Speakership of the House of Reps were defeated at the National Assembly leadership election.
“He is not likely to contest the position with anyone else. Many people want him for the office.”
Speaking in confidence to Vanguard in Abuja, a party source revealed that the odds favour Tinubu even though ex-Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, is said to be angling for the portfolio.
But even with this, it was also learnt that some people may not be comfortable with Tinubu occupying the office. They fear that he may use the office to attack most members of the NWC among whom are the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Barrister Yakubu Dogara whose relationship with him has gone awry following the National Assembly leadership election.
However, those who know what is right believe that he is the one who deserve the office at the moment.
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