Photos from Yomi Casual's Store opening

Designer Yomi Casual opened his luxury flagship store last Sunday August 16th at Caroline Atuona Street in Lekki Phase 1 and was attended by many celebs including his brother AY, designer Frank Osodi, Sammie Okposo, Mai Atafo, Okey Bakasi, Juliet Ibrahim, Freda Francis, IK Ogbonna, Gideon Okeke, Iyanya, Ubi Franklin, Melvin Oduah, Uche Nnaji and others. See more photos after the cut...

More photos from Ubi Franklin and Lilian Esoro's introduction

Their wedding introduction was yesterday. Their traditional wedding is in October. More after the cut

Oshiomhole & wife at Femi Adeshina & Garba Shehu's NGE Honour

On Friday night August 21st, the Special Adviser to Pres. Buhari, Femi Adesina and Senior Special Assistant to the President Mallam Garba Shehu were hosted to a dinner party by the Nigerian Guild of Editors on their recent appointment. The event held at the Transcorp Hilton and was attended by Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his wife and other dignitaries. More photos after the cut...

Ex-Leaders will Protect Jonathan from Buhari's Probe — Kukah

You have expressed your concerns about Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign. In specific terms, what are your grievances?

President Buhari has not told anyone how his anti-corruption war will be fought. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are Obasanjo’s vehicles. The last vehicle Gen. Buhari used was the Military Tribunals, whose consequences we know. For now, the President has said he will fight corruption but the strategies are not clear yet. So, I do not know how and why people have already started speaking of (an) anti-corruption campaign.

Personally, I have not expressed concerns beyond the fact that due process is important and must define how we go. I am still convinced that we do not need to hear so much lamentation because the case has already been made.

It is quite sad that the media has deliberately continued to distort this issue of probe. I do not know where the media got and started spreading this baseless rumour about our committee, for example, pleading on behalf of former President Jonathan not to be probed. Since he left government, I have neither spoken with nor seen ex-President Jonathan until we met him on Tuesday (penultimate week). In our discussion with him, he stated clearly that he was not against any probe but he was pained by what seemed to be like acts of victimisation and persecution. Jonathan is a former President and if he needs shelter, his brother former presidents are there and alive. And they are in a better position to protect the office of a former president with the architecture of respect and integrity. We must be careful not to play into the hands of those dictators who, for fear of persecution and humiliation, have decided to cling on to power at all cost and at the risk of destroying their people.

Should President Buhari just forget about the stolen monies kept in places and move on?
How can he or anyone forget? But first, where are the places where the monies are? Identifying the location is the first step. The problem is, these monies are stolen and they are not necessarily lost. The challenge is to find those who will help us find them. But finding them is just the beginning of the problem. The real problem is getting the loot back because it — the loot — is sustaining banks, corporations, businesses, industries and careers abroad or in the safe havens and these people (countries) will fight back with everything. You think these banks will just wire this loots to you just like that? They have more lawyers, better lawyers than our entire country. It is almost 20 years now and we still have not seen the Abacha loot. All we hear are stories, since (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo’s time. I am just pointing out difficulties and not discouraging anyone; but there are choices to make. The President has only four years; he has to decide on how he will conserve his energies and which battles to fight, when and how. Our people love drama, but theatre has only a passing use for us now. He does not have a Supreme Military Council of Generals to throw people into jail. He has a National Assembly to deal with and there are still lingering problems with that august body. The President needs help in clearing the debris and banana peels ahead.

Should monies only be recovered and the looters be left unpunished?
I was with the Oputa Panel and I have also studied some part of the justice system as it concerns issues of human rights, reconciliation and justice. We can put all the people we want in jails but what will that do? We can even kill them, but then, what next? The African mind is not so much tuned to punitive justice but we tend to focus more on integrative and restorative justice. The theft has denied us development. So, Buhari can and should learn from ex-President Obasanjo who got back so much of the loots after he came in without any noise. I recall him saying that even pastors helped to bring back loots from repentant parishioners. I believe the President, using the intelligence resources available, should consider surprise as the most vital tool in this fight. My worry has not been about not probing as some of my critics falsely think. I have been saying ‘think, plan and execute.’ If you make so much noise, vital evidence, data and files will be destroyed by collaborators in the civil service or the relevant offices. The President has not named his team in this battle yet and he needs to court whistleblowers and wean them from the looters who may still have control over them. We must all know that loyalties have not changed yet.

- This is an abridged version of a chat Father Mathew Kukah had with Punch recently.

Bukola Saraki’s Associates Beg President Buhari

                

Some loyalists of Senate President Bukola Saraki are beating a retreat in the lingering cold war with the All Progressives Congress (APC) hierarchy over the leadership crisis in the Red Chambers.

They have already reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari for the purpose of reconciling with him and, by extension, the party leadership.

However, the Saraki loyalists were said to have left the first meeting with Buhari “uncomfortable” on account of his body language.

Saraki and his loyalists had defied the party by rejecting its candidates for principal positions in the Senate.

They shunned the June 9 meeting convened by the APC to resolve the matter and teamed up with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to elect their own candidates including Saraki as Senate President and PDP’s Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy.

It was gathered that House of Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s compliance with the APC’s directive on the choice of principal officers in the House was largely responsible for the change of heart by Saraki and his supporters having being put under pressure as a arrogant fellow by Dogara’s move.

It was gathered that the Saraki’s loyalists and strategists meeting took place at the Presidential Villa a few days ago. It was shielded from reporters for what a source described as “avoiding media backlash on the fresh peace process.”

The “peace team”, according to sources, was led by Senate Leader Ali Ndume.

Those present were Senators Adamu Aliero, Danjuma Goje, Kabiru Gaya and Abdullahi Adamu.

Two of the Senators admitted last night that they were at the meeting.

According to SR, the Senators were disturbed that all is not well between the Senate and the Presidency.

So far, President Buhari is said to have refused to meet and discuss policy issues with Saraki, causing more anxiety for loyalists of the Senate President.

Masquerades arrested for stealing N57,000 from trader in Enugu

The Police in Nsukka on today arrested two men in masquerade costume in Ovoko Community, Nsukka LGA, Enugu State, for allegedly beating up a passenger on a commercial motorcycle and robbing him of N57,000. The incident happened on the Nsukka/Oballo-Afor highway. 

A police source said policemen moved to the scene when the victim, Mr. Chinonso Ezewaji, reported the matter to Nsukka Police Area command and the two men were arrested...

"The escorts of the masquerade however ran away. There were eight masquerades. They blocked the Nsukka/Obollo-Afor road and harassed people. The two arrested masquerades however denied collecting the N57,000 from Ezewaji but claimed they know the person who collected the money from the victim. When we searched one of the arrested masquerade, we saw Indian hemp in his pocket,” the police source said.

When contacted, Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amarizu, confirmed the incident, saying investigation had commenced on the matter. He urged communities to regulate and monitor those who wear masquerade costumes, adding that some of them used the opportunity to harass, intimidate and rob innocent members of the public.

“The Police are not against the people practising their tradition and culture but community leaders must know the character of people they allow to wear costumes of masquerade in the name of culture. A masquerade has no right to mount road block on busy highways where motorists, motorcyclists and other road users move on daily basis. The police have commenced investigation and will get to the root of this matter as issues of masquerade disturbing people have become a recurring decimal,” Amarizu said.

The victim, Ezewaji, a trader, who deals on clothing materials, told the News Agency of Nigeria he was on his way from Nsukka to Obollo-Afor to see his mother when the masquerade stopped the motorcycle he was riding on.

“They beat me, searched me and collected N57,000. When they left, I ran into the bush and when I discovered they have gone some distance, I came out and went to the police to report"he said

The two masquerades identified themselves as Kenchukwu Eze, a carpenter, and Ejiofor Eze, a brick-layer. They, however, denied the allegation that they stole money from Ezewaji They claimed that their colleague, Chima Mamah, stole the money. Eze, however, admitted that the police saw Indian hemp in his pocket, saying it was the leftover of what they smoked before coming out.

“If the police release me, I will not wear masquerade costume, nor smoke Indian hemp again,” he pleaded.

Chris Brown says his new album will be named after his daughter

Makes sense...