Fayemi accuses Jonathan of influencing Fayose’s victory

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of foisting a former Governor Ayo Fayose on the Peoples Democratic Party as its governorship candidate with the aim of using him to unleash violence on the state ahead of the June 21 governorship poll.

The governor, who spoke in a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson of his campaign organisation, Mr. Dimeji Daniels, said that the opposition party wanted to prepare the ground for rigging through violence.

Fayemi said that the President would be held responsible for any act of violence by his party’s governorship candidate.

The governor, however, warned Fayose against violating the law saying he would face the wrath of the people if he caused violence in the state.

Diezani jet scandal: Reps to hire aviation expert

The House of Representatives gave indications on Sunday that it would engage the services of an aviation expert to assist in the investigation into the alleged N10bn expenditure on a private jet by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The chartered aircraft is said to be maintained on a bill of 500,000 Euros or N3.120m monthly for Alison-Madueke’s personal use.

A member from Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Adejare, who brought the issue before the House on Thursday last week, had stated that N3.120bn had been spent on the maintenance of the jet in the last two years.

The matter was referred to the House Committee on Public Accounts for investigation.

Investigations on Sunday showed that an aviation consultant would be hired to assist the committee in carrying out the assignment.

We are not mad – Victims of Ibadan horror

Some of the victims rescued from the kidnappers’ den at the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State, are gradually regaining fitness and mental ability.

Although they have yet to give the accounts of activities in the forest, they  could remember events leading to their sudden disappearance from their normal life.

One of them, Nafiu Shittu, told our correspondent at the Adeoyo State Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan, that he was a native pile medicine seller with customers in the business districts of Gate and Iwo Road.

Speaking in an almost inaudible whisper and intermittently pausing for breath, he explained that he was at work when he was kidnapped and taken to the forest.

He said, “I am a native of Ibadan, living in the Foko area of the city. I sold pile medicine to people. I was doing the business on the day I was kidnapped about four months ago.

“After going round the area where I had customers, I felt tired and decided to rest in the Gate area. Suddenly, a bus stopped by my side and two men came out and forced me into the back seat of the vehicle. That was all I could remember.

PDP can’t win with Fayose, aspirants tell party

Thirteen aggrieved governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State have said that the party should forget about winning the state if the leadership of the party ratifies former Governor, Ayo Fayose, as its candidate in the governorship election of June 21.

Senator Gbenga Aluko, who spoke through the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Mr. Tunji Olatunde, said this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.

Another aggrieved aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, also said the same thing in a statement made available to our  correspondent in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

The 13 aggrieved aspirants had dragged the party to court over Fayose and boycotted the primary election, which  Fayose eventually won.

The DG of the Aluko  Campaign Organisation ruled out the possibility of his principal defecting to another political party. He also said that Aluko had held discussion with the other 12 aggrieved aspirants and they all  agreed that they would not move away from the PDP.

Ibadan horror: Victim recounts ordeal in forest

One of the victims that were rescued by the police at Soka forest, Ibadan, Oyo State, which is believed to be a ritual killers’ den, said she was kidnapped in September 2013.

The victim, whose name is being withheld for security purpose, is currently recuperating with seven other victims in Adeoyo Hospital, Ibadan.

No fewer than 20 decomposing bodies were discovered in the forest on Saturday, while about 23 others were rescued alive.

They were taken to different hospitals in the city, with eight of them – four men and four women – in Adeoyo Hospital.

The woman, who was still weak from her experience, told PUNCH Metro that she knew she left her home in September and since then could not remember anything until Saturday when she was rescued.

She said, “I remember that I left my home in Okebola and was going to Challenge. I entered a taxi and that is the only thing I can remember until police rescued us yesterday (Saturday).”

Immigration tragedy: Moro may appear before Senate Tuesday

THERE were indications on Sunday that the Senate Committee on Interior had invited the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service’s, Mr. David Parradang, to appear before it on Tuesday (tomorrow) over the NIS tragic recruitment two Saturdays ago.

An aide to the Senate President, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said that though there were pressures on his principal from some elders in his state to save Moro, he maintained that Mark would not interfere in the probe process.

He said Mark would subject the report of the committee to an extensive debate by the senators before demanding for votes from members to show his neutrality in the entire process.

“It is a known fact that the Interior Minister is from the same state with the Senate President but that does not mean he would not perform his legislative duties to Nigerians,” the source said.

No fewer than 19 job seekers lost their lives during stampedes that occurred in the various centres for the NIS recruitment across the country.