Anambra State Varsity Undergrad, Chizoba Anselem Nabbed For Drug Trafficking

The newly constructed Enugu State International Airport has made its first arrest on drug trafficking recently when the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the Airport, clamped down on a 32-year old Fine and Applied Arts undergraduate of the Anambra State University, Chizoba Anselem.

This is arrest happened during the inward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian flight from Brazil en-route Addis-Ababa. He was found to have ingested liquid cocaine packed inside male condoms.

The head of the NDLEA at the Enugu Airport Mr Nsikak Abasi Udoh who confirmed the arrest said that the suspect excreted 25 wraps of a liquid that tested positive for cocaine.

FIFA queries Keshi

The world football governing body FIFA has queried Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi about his comment on Malawi’s technical adviser Tom Sainfiet. The Nigeria coach has been given a September 16 deadline to respond to the query.

The Malawi federation reported to FIFA what it called ‘racist’ remarks by Keshi aimed at the Belgian.

“We feel the racist remarks by Mr Keshi are not acceptable,” Fam’s general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda said.

“We thought it was a personal attack on our coach and we had to defend him regardless of skin. We felt we should help our coach and at the same time put a stop to the racist remarks from Mr. Keshi. We have sent evidence of what Keshi said and we hope FIFA will come up with some measures to control Mr. Keshi.”

In the phone interview aired on UK-based African television show, Keshi was quoted to have said, “I think the coach of Malawi is crazy. If he wants to talk to FIFA, he should go back to Belgium. He is not an African person, he is a white dude, he should go back to Belgium.”

The media director for the Nigeria Football Federation Mr. Ademola Olajire confirmed to The PUNCH that they had received the letter from FIFA.

He said, “It came in just before the game against Malawi in Calabar but it was important to avoid distractions. The federation is doing all that is possible to ensure that Keshi adequately addresses the issue and within the deadline given.”

Na’Abba, Turaki others may replace sacked ministers

PUNCH - President Goodluck Jonathan’s strategists and close associates  have begun pushing for the appointment of grass-roots politicians to replace the nine  sacked ministers.

The  PUNCH gathered in Abuja  on Thursday that the strategists and aides believe that  states, whose governors are considered hostile to Jonathan  should produce persons who are politically astute and brave enough to take on their governors’ political structures.

In Kano for example, it was learnt that a  former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Umar  Na’abba,  and a former aide to the President, Dr. Akilu Ndabawa, were being considered for  the state’s ministerial slot.

There is no love lost between Na’Abba and Kwakwanso. It  was even speculated at a time  that the President almost  nominated  Na’Abba  for ministerial position  at the beginning of his tenure but was  allegedly  advised against it  by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Taraba: Court grants acting gov extension of time

A Jalingo High Court, presided over by Justice Ali Andeyangsto, has granted the Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, more time to study the summons served on him by Governor Danbaba Suntai, in the battle over who controls the affairs of the Government House in Jalingo.

Danbaba had dragged his deputy and members of the House of Assembly to court, claiming that the defendants had no power under Section 91, sub section II of the constitution to subject to debate a letter he transmitted to the House, informing the members of his intention to resume work after 10 months of treatment in Germany and US.

The governor was out of the country for 10 months to receive treatment for injuries sustained when a small aircraft flown by him crashed last year.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, both parties agreed that for fair hearing, it was pertinent to grant the defendants extension of time as some of the papers had just been served on them.

APC asks Fashola, others to woo ‘rebel’ govs

The leadership of the All Progressive Congress has directed its governors to enter into talks with their aggrieved counterparts in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

The 11 APC governors, including Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, it was gathered, had been asked to use their contact and speak with the governors on the possibility of defecting from their party.

Seven  PDP governors are at loggerheads  with the leadership of the PDP over the running of the party and other issues.

The  governors  walked out of the PDP mini-convention on August 31 in Abuja to form a faction of the party.

It is not clear if the APC governors have started carrying out the directive of the party’s leaders.

The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, confirmed this while speaking with journalists after the meeting of his party’s National Working Committee in Abuja in Thursday.

Police block Amaechi from entering Rivers Govt House

PUNCH - There was a drama in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday as policemen  stopped  Governor Rotimi Amaechi from gaining entrance into the Government House.

Amaechi was in company with  102 former Speakers of state Houses of Assembly when a team of policemen, allegedly drafted by the State Police Commissioner, Mr.  Joseph Mbu,   blocked  the Forces Avenue which   leads to Amaechi’s residence in the Government House.

After about 30 minutes of heated argument between Amaechi, his aides and the policemen, the governor’s convoy had to turn back and take another route.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who confirmed the incident, told The  PUNCH that even when the governor personally came down from his vehicle to introduce himself to the leader of the police team, he and his guests were still not allowed passage.

The leader of the team, according to her, said,  “ I do  not take orders from civilians.’

Ozekhome home, recounts ordeal in kidnappers’ den

Human rights activist, Mike Ozekhome, who was kidnapped for two weeks, returned home on Thursday to a rousing welcome.

A cow was slaughtered to entertain people who had come to make sure that he was indeed save and sound.

The lawyer, who was kidnapped between Ehor and Ekpoma Road in Edo State and released on Wednesday, narrated his ordeal to well wishers at his home on Mike Ozekhome Lane, Igando, Lagos State.

While addressing the crowd in company with his wife, Josephine and son, Ilugbekai, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria called for a four-minute silence for the four policemen from the Ehor Police Division, who were killed while attempting to rescue him.

He said, “My ordeal began on Friday August 23, 2013. I left Benin at 2pm for my home town.

“I ran into the kidnappers some minutes past 3pm. It was my driver, Chinedu, who noticed that a vehicle had been used to block the road and he told me that the people were armed robbers. So, I told him to quickly turn, but before he could turn, a gun was already on my head. one of the men said if he moved an inch they would kill me.