Wednesday News In Brief

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning by Daily Post:

1. After several efforts to agree on who becomes Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate failed, the APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, told journalists at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday, that Buhari would likely announce the party’s choice today (Wednesday).

2. The Divisional Police Officer attached to the federal parliament, Mr. James Ndachaba, while denying that the FCT police command was responsible for the November 20 National Assembly invasion by the police said security details attached to the Senate President, David Mark were responsible for the firing of tear-gas at Tambuwal and others. This denial came up at the Senate probe of the incident. The probe panel however dismissed Ndachaba’s denial.
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3.Two Fulani herdsmen, Mohammed Umar and Manu Hassan, have been detained by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly robbing motorists on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Report says Umar and Hassan, herdsmen from the Ngaski area of Kebbi State, were arrested by soldiers attached to the OP MESA during a operation on the expressway.

4. Report says President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP national chairman, Adamu Mua’ Azu on Tuesday had a secret meeting with some members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. It was gathered that the meeting was targeted at resolving the crisis that erupted after the party’s primaries. Report also says the meeting addressed the impeachment threats against President Goodluck Jonathan.

5. An Abuja Federal High Court has adjourned indefinitely a suit filed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, challenging moves by the PDP to declare his seat vacant. Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the suit indefinitely going by the requests for a stay of proceedings by some parties who had gone to the Court of Appeal to challenge a previous ruling of the court in the suit.

6. Other six police officers at the scene of the torture of a couple in the Lekki area of Lagos State have been arrested by the police. The policemen have already been detained at the state police headquarters in Ikeja to explain their role in the incident.

7. Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, has cleared that the five war ships alleged to have been bought by Tompolo’s company, Global West Vessel Specialist Ltd, were acquired on behalf of the agency. He further disclosed that the ships were for the use of the Nigerian Navy and other relevant government agencies to fight piracy and other related crimes on the nation’s maritime areas.

8. About seven fake Boko Haram suspects were yesterday paraded by the SSS following their roles in the allegation made by an Australian negotiator, Steven Davis against former Governor of Borno State, AIi Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika. The suspected fake Boko Haram members are Junaid Idrissa khadi, Abubakar Yusuf (a.k.a Baba Sani), Saleh Alhaji Ibrahim (a.k.a Liman Ibrahim), Abdullahi Saleh (a.k.a Babadale), Nurudeen Ibrahim; Mubarak Adamu (a.k.a. Molo), and Mustapha Maidugu (a.k.a. Musty/Small).

9. President Goodluck Jonathan will today present the 2015 budget proposal of N4,357.96 trillion to the National Assembly. In a letter to both the Senate and the House of Representatives which was read on the floor of the two chambers, Jonathan also informed the lawmakers about the revision of the oil benchmark from the initial $73 per barrel to $65 per barrel. The Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala will present the budget.

10. Former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu has denied a report published on Sahara Reporters that he sold out the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and its presidential candidate in the 2011 elections to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, terming the report as a campaign of calumny against his APC Vice Presidential candidate’s aspiration.