NEWSBuhari approves new security operation

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, commissioned ‘OPERATION SWIFT RESPONSE’ as a border drill exercise to checkmate the illegal activities of smugglers across our borders.
His spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement, explained that this is part of the Federal Government’s effort to ensure food security and improve local production of goods at competitive prices,
The presidency said the border drill has been hugely successful and has led to the interception and seizure of large quantities of foods, materials, minerals and petroleum resources illegally trafficked across our borders.
The President commends the security agencies for a job well done. He, however, finds it disheartening to learn that 295 smuggled petroleum tankers were released without due authorization on 17th December, 2019 by some security officials charged with the responsibility of protecting our borders.
Sequel to this act, the National Security Adviser (NSA) was directed to set up a Board of Inquiry to investigate the crime, and it was recommended to the President that all officials (civilian or security operatives) found to have connived to undermine government’s efforts should be withdrawn from the border drill and severely sanctioned by their respective organizations.
The President has accepted the recommendations and directed the immediate withdrawal and replacement of all those found culpable. He has also directed that their respective organizations should mete immediate appropriate disciplinary actions to them”, the statement added.

We’ve moved Coronavirus patient to better facility now – Lagos govt

The Lagos State Government on Saturday said it had moved the coronavirus patient to a better facility where he would be comfortable.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who made the latest disclosure, said the Italian was currently receiving treatment at the Infectious Disease facility at the Mainland Hospital in Yaba area of the state.

He said, “We were renovating part of the facilities, so we kept him in a single isolation room for his privacy but we’ve subsequently moved him to one of our completed wards which were recently renovated with the full complement of facilities.

He is there now and he is comfortable.

As of this morning, his condition has improved, he hasn’t developed any new symptoms but he still got a mild fever and we would be running tests to see what the situation is with the virus in his body.”

Abayomi, who spoke during a visit to the centre on Saturday, said the patient would be discharged when he has been certified to be okay.

He said, “The patient has been with us for two days now. He arrived here on Thursday and he has been on supportive treatment and he is actually doing very well.

As soon as we get a negative screening, then we will keep him for another two or three days and repeat the test to make sure there are no more virus particles in his saliva and that means he will not be contagious again, then we will release him back into the community.

DSS Claims Buhari Ordered Arrest, Unlawful Detention Of Businessman Who Bought SIM Card Previously Used By Daughter, Hanan

The DSS has now said that it received official letter of instruction from the Presidency dated July 5, 2019 upon which it acted to arrest Okolie.

The Department of State Services has said that the unlawful arrest and detention of a young Nigerian businessman based in Asaba, Delta State, Anthony Okolie, was ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Okolie was arrested at Asaba and later  transferred to the DSS Headquarters in Abuja where he was unlawfully detained for at least 10 weeks for purchasing and using an MTN mobile telephone line previously used but abandoned by Hanan, President Buhari's daughter.

Okolie, through his lawyer, has since sued the DSS, Hanan and MTN for the breach of his fundamental human rights.

He had earlier revealed that DSS officials informed him that Hanan ordered his arrest and that she was contacted three times to back up her claims but failed to show up, prompting the secret police to release the young businessman.

But in twist of events, the DSS has now said that it received official letter of instruction from the Presidency dated July 5, 2019 upon which it acted to arrest Okolie.

In an affidavit deposed to at the Federal High Court, Asaba, where the case is being heard, the DSS said Okolie's purchase and use of the MTN mobile telephone line formerly belonging to Hanan, was a "classified national security issue" upon which basis the security outfit had no option than to arrest Okolie.

Reacting to the latest development, Okolie's lawyer, Tope Akinyode, National President of Revolutionary Lawyer's Forum, said, "The Nigerian constitution made no provision of any kind for first family and the involvement of the Presidency in the matter was a disgraceful deployment of state apparatus for personal gains."

Meanwhile telecommunications company, MTN, has argued that it did not transfer absolute right of ownership of the SIM card to Okolie because it was a national asset, which cannot be personalised.

The matter is scheduled to come up on March 3 before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba for hearing.

Coronavirus: 28 people have been quarantined in Ogun State

28 persons have been identified and quarantined in connection with the victim of the Coronavirus (COVID – 19) earlier confirmed by the Federal Government on Friday. Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun disclosed this on Friday.

The victim, an Italian who is also a consultant to a cement company, reportedly visited the factory in Ewekoro, Ogun State, on Tuesday.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, who addressed journalists earlier on Friday, said the victim had arrived from Lagos on Tuesday, but developed fever and was treated at the clinic located within the cement factory before he was rushed to Lagos. She said the facility of the cement factory had been quarantined.

However, Governor Abiodun while giving an update on the case, said the cement company had identified 28 contacts with the victim. He added that those contacts have been quarantined.

The governor said the factory had been locked down, while two of its guest houses have been turned into isolation centres where those contacts are being examined.

He warned against panic, saying ” we are on top of the situation.

Speaker of Kaduna Assembly, Aminu Shagali resigns

Alhaji Aminu Shagali, Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly has resigned his position.

Shagali resigned following rumour that some members of the assembly were planning to impeach him today.

But, speaking on his resignation, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr Tanimu Musa, said the speaker “honourably tendered his resignation”

NAN reports that the former speaker would continue his normal duties as a member of the assembly.

Shagali was elected Speaker of the State’s 5th Assembly on 8 June 2015.

He is representing Sabon Gari constituency in Kaduna State.

I’m not threatened by gang-up in APC – Akeredolu

Following the plan by the Unity Forum of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress to pick a consensus governorship aspirant in the group to tackle Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the forthcoming primary of the party, the governor has said he is not perturbed by the alleged gang up.

The senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Ajayi Boroffice, and another APC aspirant, Chief Bukola Adetula, who are members of the group, had earlier said the Unity Group would present the candidate that would represent the party in the governorship election in October.

Akeredolu, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Segun Ajiboye, on Sunday, said he was not a desperate politician and would not be threatened by any gang up in respect of the 2020 governorship race.

He stated that his belief in the sanctity of the people’s backing remained unshaken.

He also alleged that there were some leaders in the party who had made huge investment to destroy the party and stem the pace of development in state but their investment appeared to have yielded no positive results.

The governor said, “Our initial perception of the pernicious outburst of the senator (Boroffice) was to ignore him because such was misguided. At best, empathy was most desirable for a man whose lust for excessive mischief has severally spurred him to paths of perfidy against his South-West kinsmen.

“However, the public, especially all lovers of our dear party, the APC, deserve to know that the vituperations of Senator Boroffice are fallouts of deflated ego.

“Just as the government of Ondo State led by Governor Akeredolu believes in the right of all qualified persons to aspire to be governor, it is perhaps, untoward on the part of supposed leaders to be unrestrained in the pursuit of their ambitions.

Man dies after taking sex enhancement drugs to satisfy lady in Onitsha hotel

Barely two weeks after a married man was found dead in Lagos, while lodging with a prostitute; another middle-aged man, Paul Okwudili, was confirmed dead Monday morning, after having sex with a lady in Onitsha, Anambra State.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Anambra Command, SP Haruna Mohammed, Mr. Okwudili’s cause of death may not be unconnected to overdose of sex enhancement drugs taken to satisfy the lady.

The statement reads in part: “On the 24/2/2020, at about 0:3am, the manager of Plus View hotel in Onitsha reported at Central Police Station, Onitsha that one Paul Okwudili ‘m’ aged about 40years of Ogboliolosi, off Awka Road, Inland town, Onitsha, allegedly took a lady to the hotel and lodged.

Minutes later, the lady came out shouting for help and the hotel management who went to the room and discovered the man grasping for breath took him to St Charles Boromeo hospital Onitsha for medical attention where the victim was later confirmed dead by a medical Doctor on duty.

“Meanwhile, scene was visited by Police detectives attached to CPS Onitsha and photograph of the victim obtained. No marks of violence on the deceased body but some drugs were discovered in the hotel room reasonably suspected to be enhancement drugs”.

The Police spokesman said, the corpse has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy, while the lady was arrested for further investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident.