Tragedy struck in Oyo State on Friday as a 41-year-old woman identified as Shakirat Rasheed committed suicide in Adeosun area of Apete a surbub of Ibadan.

Rasheed was said to have reportedly hanged herself after her friend whom she stood for as guarantor failed to repay a loan taken from a micro-finance bank.

Her friend allegedly took the loan from a micro-finance bank popularly known as LAPO.

It was gathered that Rasheed reportedly stood as a guarantor for her friend who obtained a loan from LAPO office at Awotan area, but the friend was said to have been at large, forcing the guarantor to be paying the loan in bits.

Sources added that the loan caused Mrs Rasheeds depression and she seemed unable to bear the problem any longer, especially when officials of the micro-finance bank reportedly called her on Friday to see them in their office.

The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Apete police station led detectives to the scene of the incident.

It was further gathered that the family said that there would be need to perform some rituals before the body could be detached from the rope hanging on it from the ceiling.

Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, confirmed the story.

He said that preliminary investigation indicated that the woman committed suicide.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the State Police Command, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi also confirmed the incident to newsmen on Saturday.

Fadeyi told Journalists that more efforts are being intensified to get more details about her death.

Source: NAN

Tunisia on Saturday bid farewell to its late President, Beji Caid Essebsi, who passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 92.

The body of late President Essebsi will be buried in Al-Zallag cemetery in the Tunisian capital.

The burial will be in a procession that will take place from the presidential palace in Carthage with the participation of heads of state and government from 23 Arab and other foreign countries.

The Tunisian Interior Ministry said that extraordinary measures had been taken to secure the funeral for Essebsi.

Essebsi was born on Nov. 29, 1926, in Sidi Bou Said in the northern suburbs of the capital.

He studied law in Paris until 1950; two years later, he became a lawyer in his home country.

His first involvement in politics dates back to 1941 when he joined the Neo Destour party, a Tunisian political party that was founded by a group of Tunisian nationalist politicians during the French colonisation.

Following the countrys independence from France in 1956, he began to exercise high political responsibilities.

He took over the Tunisian presidency after winning the 2014 elections.

Source: NAN

Doctors in an Indian hospital have expressed shock following the discovery of coins and jewelries in the stomach of a 26-year-old lady.

The lady Runi Khatun, was rushed to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital after she became weak and emaciated and the doctors discovered that she had swallowed various items.

The doctors while carrying out surgery on her, brought out 69 chains, 80 earrings, 46 coins, eight lockets, 11 nose rings, five anklets and one wristwatch.

According to Daily Mail of UK, the lady complained to her mother that she was weak and could no longer eat.

She was said to have eventually collapsed and the mother rushed her to the hospitals.

It was at the theatre that doctors who operated on her began to bring out all the coins and jewellery to their shock.

Source: NAN

TheVCIS Global Allianz Fund Assistance Scholarships isa one-off partial award for high achieiving students who are interested in studying a degree program atMacquarie University Australia.

The VCIS Global Allianz Fund provides a partial tuition fee scholarship. This free education award amount is up to ,000 and will be awarded as the fee reduction for the student commencing studies in the 2020 year.

Eligible Countries:International

Type:Undergraduate and Postgraduate

Value Of Scholarships:,000

Number of Awards:One

Eligible Field Of Study:

• Undergraduate programs (Bachelor of Clinical Science, Bachelor of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Bachelor of Human Sciences, Bachelor of Medical Sciences, Bachelor of Psychology, Bachelor of Psychology (Honors), and Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences)
• Postgraduate program (Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Physiotherapy, Master of Clinical Audiology, Master of Clinical Neuropsychology, Master of Clinical Psychology, Master of Laboratory Analysis, Quality and Management, Master of Organizational Psychology, Master of Professional Psychology, Master of Public Health, Master of Radiopharmaceutical Science, and Master of Speech and Language Pathology).

Eligibility:To be eligible for the scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:

• Be a citizen of a country other than Australia or New Zealand.
• Meet the Academic and English requirements for one of the following Macquarie University Bachelor or Postgraduate Coursework Degrees:

Application Process:Interested applicants must hold an offer to study in 2020before completing the online application process for the award.

Visit The Official Website For More Information

Application Deadline:November 30, 2019

Source: Scholarships And Aid

The University of Queensland is giving Schwarzman funding for the brightest Australian and international students.

The award is available for students from all around the world to pursue thepostgraduatedegree program in all subject areas for the academic year 2019-2020.

University or Organization:University of Queensland

Department:NA

Course Level:Masters degree

Award:Varies

Access Mode:Online

Number of Awards:Not known

Nationality:International students

The award can be taken inAustralia

Eligibility

• Eligible Countries:Claimants from any nationality
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: Masters degree in any subject offered by the university
• Admissible Criteria: To be considered for this education award, the applicant must have to be enrolled in undergraduate degree programs must be on track to successfully complete all degree requirements by August 1 of their enrollment year. Candidates must be at least 18 but not yet 29 years of age as of August 1 of their Schwarzman Scholars enrollment year.

Method of Application

To get involved in this program, aspirants are prescribed to take admission in the postgraduate degree coursework at the university. After being enrolled, claimants can apply for the bursary.

Admission Requirements

You will be able to gain a conditional admission for a postgraduate degree program after meeting the entry requirements of the university.

• Supporting Documents:Must attach the resume (2-page maximum), transcripts/academic records essays (2) and letters of recommendation.
• Language Requirement:All applicants must demonstrate that they have met our English language proficiency (ELP) requirements.

Benefits:The grant will provide full tuition, fees, room, and board, travel to and from Beijing, in-country study tours, required books and supplies, Lenovo laptop and smartphone, health insurance and a personal stipend.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

This grant provides support for Ecologists in Africa to carry out innovative ecological research. The British Ecological Society recognises that ecologists in Africa face unique challenges in carrying out research; BES grant is designed to support you to develop your skills, experience and knowledge base as well as making connections with ecologists in the developed world. They support excellent ecological science in Africa by funding services and equipment.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicant should be a scientist and a citizen of a country in Africa or its associated islands, that is a low-income economy or lower-middle-income economy according to theWorld Bank categorisation
• Have at least an MSc or equivalent degree
• Be working for a university or research institution in Africa (including field centres, NGOs, museums etc.) that provides basic research facilities
• Carry out the research in a country in Africa or its associated islands

British Ecological Society Ecologists in Africa Grant

• The maximum value of a grant is 8,000 for research. An additional sum up to 2,000 may be requested to fund travel to help you develop connections with other ecologists outside your usual peer group. This must be requested at the application stage.
• Travel funds are available to spend time working with ecologists in developed countries where facilities and experience will help you on return to your own institution.
• Successful applicants also receive two years of free BES membership and free online access to journals.

Method of Application:

APPLY HERE

OFFICIAL LINK

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA.

The application will be judged by a panel of reviewers on the basis of your personal qualifications, the scientific excellence, novelty and feasibility of the proposal, and the academic and non-academic impact of the planned research.

You should demonstrate that you have made connections with ecologists in a developed country that can provide advice during the proposed project. If international travel is part of the application, you should demonstrate close links with those you propose to visit.

Funding is available for any area of ecological science excluding research focused solely on agriculture, forestry and bioprospecting. Please note that neither purely descriptive work nor studies that might be considered incremental will be funded.

The proposed project could be part of an existing programme but the application should be for a clearly defined piece of research. Researchers must also show how their research will have a wider impact beyond academia.

Scholarship Application Deadline: Monday 9 September at 17:00 (BST).

Source: Scholarships And Aid

The fellowship is a one year, full-time post-graduate diploma programme in built environment designed as a multi-disciplinary immersion to introduce young practitioners and students to new ideas, knowledge and skills to question, evaluate, invent and redefine the built environment. The Anant Fellowship is the flagship programme of Anant National University, Indias first Design University.

Anant University Fellowship Programme.

Anant Fellowship has been carefully curated and structured to prepare you to make exponential change within yourself, to the country, and to the world. Academic rigour and intensity have been combined with first-hand, experiential discovery to create an equitable balance between theory and praxis, between instruction and experimentation, and between paced-learning and open-ended discovery.

• Academic Instruction:The first component of Anant Fellowship is designed to broaden your perspective and aid empathetic solutions by providing you the opportunity of learning from pioneering ideas and thoughts in two thematic clusters: Domain and Technical, and Societal and Cultural.
• Experiential Discovery:In the second component of Anant Fellowship, you will learn from your own and your peers first-hand experiences, and from your own values, beliefs, mindsets, and constructs.
• Live-Action Project:The third and the most important component of the Fellowship is the Live Action Project where you work in teams throughout the duration of one year to solve a real-life challenge in close association with local administrative bodies and community stakeholders.

Anant University Fellowship Programme Eligibility.

• Open to students and practitioners from all professional and educational backgrounds with a preference to those from the disciplines of architecture, design, planning, environmental science, and engineering, civil and construction engineering, IT, social sciences and humanities.
• Applicants must have a sound academic record, and should have successfully completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree before the start of the Fellowship.
• Applicants must be able to show a demonstrated commitment to improving the Built Environment, and an understanding of the issues pertaining to the area.
• Anant Fellowship is committed to diversity; they invite applications from students and professionals of all age-groups, socio-economic backgrounds, and geographies both in India and internationally.

Anant University Fellowship Programme Benefits.

As an Anant Fellows, you expect to:

• Enhance your technical and core skills in architecture, design and planning
• Be trained to think broadly and deeply across topics like Green Urbanism, Earth Based Construction Techniques, Transportation, Anthropology, Sociology, and Economics, among others
• Gain a deeper understanding of yourself and others, and develop imaginative empathy
• Collaborate with like-minded individuals from diverse disciplines and take up a Built Environment challenge with an opportunity for real-life impact
• Become purpose-driven leaders who contribute to the larger society by creating unique Built Environment solutions

Scholarship:

• They are offering 80% scholarships covering cost of Tuition, Boarding, and Lodging to all accepted candidates. Limited 100% scholarships are available for those with combined annual family income of less than INR 8 lacs. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to increase their chances of getting scholarship assistance.

Method of Application

THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED TO IDENTIFY CANDIDATES WITH A STRONG RELENTLESS COMMITMENT TO MAKE A CHANGE TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT:

• Online Application consists of Resume, Work Sample and Statement of Purpose (Three Questions)
• Telephonic Interview
• Personal Interview
• Offer

APPLY HERE

OFFICIAL LINK

Scholarship Application Deadline: Ongoing.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Col. Muhammad Abdallah (retd), says President Muhammadu Buhari has approved recruitment of 5,000 personnel for the agency to boost its manpower.

Abdallah made the disclosure on Friday at the Public Destruction of Drug Exhibits by Taraba Command of NDLEA in Jalingo.

He said that the gesture would go a long way in improving operations of the agency on campaign against drug addiction in Nigeria.

He said increased consumption of illicit drugs among the youths in Taraba was worrisome, appealing to families to brace up to their responsibilities.

According to Abdallah, effective drug prevention must involve positive engagement of children, youths and adults with their families, schools, workplace and community.

He commended Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba for his support to the agency in addressing drug problems in the state.

He also commended Mrs Anna Darius, wife of the governor, for giving great impetus to the war against drug abuse in the state.

The chairman thanked the governor for including NDLEA commandant in the state’s Security Council as well as supporting the agency with operational vehicles.

He noted that the provision of Hope Afresh Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), managed by the wife of the governor for sensitisation against drug abuse was a great boost to anti-drug abuse campaign.

Earlier, Acting Commander of NDLEA in the state, Mr Peter Odaudu, had said that the agency had assembled seven tonnes (6,963.80 kilogrammes) of deadly weeds and psychotropic substances for destruction.

Odaudu said that the exhibits were seized between January, 2003 and December, 2018.

He listed some of the illicit drugs assembled for destruction as Cannabis Sativa, Diazepam, Rophynol, Cough syrups with codeine and Tramadol.

According to him, a court order for their destruction has been duly obtained.

Odaudu commended other security agencies in the state for their cooperation in the success recorded by the NDLEA.

He commended the state government for supporting the agency towards ensuring effective control in consumption of illicit drugs in the state.

In his remarks, the state governor, Mr Darius Ishaku, said that drug consumption had increased violent crimes in the state.

Ishaku, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Haruna Manu, said that most persons arrested for violent crimes in the state were youths.

He, therefore, urged the youths to avoid the use of illicit drugs, saying that it was dangerous to their health and the society.

He also urged the agency to collaborate with office of the First Lady to achieve more feat in its mandate of ensuring a drug-free society.

Ishaku said that the construction of health centres by the first lady’s foundation for sensitisation in the three senatorial zones was a better platform to adopt by the agency.

He assured the agency of continued support by the state government to eradicate drug abuse. (NAN)

Five inmates of Maximum Security Prison in Kirikiri, Lagos, have bagged university degrees from National Open University (NOUN).

The Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, disclosed this in Lagos on Friday during the graduation ceremony and presentation of certificates to the five inmates at Maximum Security Prison, Kirikiri.

Adamu, who was represented by Professor Gregory Okagbare, said over 526 inmates were studying various courses from Nigerian prisons.

He said there had been an increase in the numbers of inmates enrolling in degree programmes of NOUN in the various study centres located in prisons nationwide.

“There are over 526 inmates studying various courses at both under and post graduate levels while in prison detention.

“I congratulate the graduating inmates and urge you to seek for higher qualifications,” he said.

The Controller General of Prisons, Ja’afaru Ahmed, who was represented by Assistant Controller General Chuks VU Chiabua, reiterated the commitment of the prison service to continually provide educational platform for inmates to realise their dreams while in prison.

The successful inmates who received their certificates in various degrees are: Adebayo Ojo, B.Sc Criminology & Security Studies, Idong Nelson, B.Sc Peace & Conflict Resolution and Audu Godfrey, B.Sc PCR.

Others are Akolade Arowolo, PDG in Peace & Conflict Resolution and Okeke Chinonso B.Sc Entrepreneurship and Business Management. (NAN)

Bandits commanders in Birnin-Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara, on Friday agreed to suspend attacks on the people at a dialogue meeting with the state government and security officials.

The bandits also said that the coast is now clear for all those displaced by the attacks to return home.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agreement was reached at the palace of the Emir of Birnin-Magaji.

Present at the meeting were the state Commissioner of Police, bandits commanders, leaders of Fulani, Civilian Joint Task Force and local vigilantes known as “Yansakai”.

The meeting, chaired by Police Commissioner Usman Nagogo, was also attended by Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security Matters, Abubakar Dauran and National leaders of Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).

The bandits’ commanders at the meeting were: Ardo Nashawari, Audu Karki and Muhammad Bello, while the leaders of civilian JTF and vigilantes were Malam Garba Nasarawa-Godal and Alhaji Shuaibu Aliyu.

Speaking on behalf of the bandits, Nashawari, said with the suspension of the attacks, farmers were now free to return to their farms and other residents free to go about their normal businessess.

Nashawari added, “We believe with this dialogue,the Fulani can now go to markets, they can move freely without any hitch.”

The Civilian JTF leader, Alhaji Shuaibu Aliyu, urged the government to ensure immediate disarming of the bandits.

“On behalf of the entire members of Civilian JTF and Vigilance Group Birnin-Magaji Local Government Area, we commend the state government for this dialogue, we abide by it,” he said.

On his part, the commissioner of police described the meeting as “fruitful” and restated the commitment of the command to rid the state of banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.

“We are impressed with the comments of the warring factions, both of them have accepted the dialogue”, Nagogo said.

The National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Ardo Kiruwa, described the dialogue as “succeeding”, noting that most of the markets that were hitherto closed due to insecurity, have been opened.

“We were told that the Fulani were seen in Shinkafi market yesterday”, he added.

Kiruwa called on the Fulani to cooperate with government and security agencies in order to maintain peace and stability in the state.

Also, Dauran, the special adviser on security, thanked the people of the state for their support and cooperation toward ensuring that the dialogue succeeded.

He cautioned against politicising the state government’s efforts at tackling the security challenges in the state.

“We are aware that some people are using politics to challenge the government’s efforts in this regard”, he noted.

The Emir of Birnin-Magaji, Alhaji Hussaini Maude-Dan’Ali, thanked the state government for initiating the dialogue and urged all parties to adhere to all the agreements reached during the dialogue.

“We are happy with the outcome of this meeting, we are going to continue to support government towards ensuring the success of this dialogue”, the emir said. (NAN)

Algeria Desert Foxes have won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) with a lone goal defeat of the Teranga Lions of Senegal in the final played on Friday at the Cairo International Stadium, Egypt.

Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedja found the back of the net in the 2nd minute when his shot took a treacherous deflection off Sane and looped over the Senagelese goalkeeper into the net.

The night's victors 🙌#TotalAFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/ET8eNPR4iC

— CAF (@CAF_Online) July 19, 2019

It is the North Africans second successful outing at the AFCON and the first after 29 years.

Senegal are yet to win the AFCON trophy.

It would be recalled that Nigeria’s Super Eagles defeated Tunisia 1-0 on Wednesday to win the third place match.

Super Eagles forward Odion Ighalo won the highest goal scorer award of the tournament.

Titles by country

Egypt: 7 titles (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Cameroon: 5 titles (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
Ghana: 4 titles (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982)
Nigeria: 3 titles (1980, 1994, 2013)
Cote d’Ivoire: 2 titles (1992, 2015)
DR Congo: 2 titles (1968, 1974)
Algeria: 1 title (1990)
Congo: 1 title (1972)
Ethiopia: 1 title (1962)
Morocco: 1 title (1976)
South Africa: 1 title (1996)
Sudan: 1 title (1970)
Tunisia: 1 title (2004)
Zambia: 1 title (2012)

U.S. singer and reality star, Aubrey O’Day has professed her love for former American President Barack Obama, saying that she needs him as her sperm donor for kids.

O’Day declared in a recent interview that she was now ready to be a mother but would need Obama to be her sperm donor to make her dreams come true.

“I would like to do a show about inseminating me with some brilliant man’s sperm so I can have a child,” O’Day recently told Page Six.

She further said: “Dream donor, Barack Obama.

“Because he’s brilliant, classy, kind, compassionate, witty, gorgeous; everything that a great woman deserves, and that’s why he’s got a great woman.”

The 35-year-old Danity Kane singer has been single since her split from 39-year-old TV personality and disc jockey, Paul ‘Pauly D’ DelVecchio, 39.

She also dated Donald Trump Jr. prior to that and said on the first episode of “Ex on the Beach” — which airs on MTV Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET — that he is her soul mate.

O’Day claim she would have gotten back together with Trump Jr. if he had shown up to compete for her love on “Ex on the Beach,” telling us: “If he gave up what he chose to be with over me and came back, I would jump on and marry him right then and there.”

The 57-year-old Obama, has been married to Michelle Obama, 55, since 1992 and they share two daughters, Sasha, 18, and Malia, 21.

No Sir, we'll prefer them on site.

By Victor Okoye

Super Eagles Coach Gernot Rohr has admitted that his team lost to a better side in the semifinals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a Riyad Mahrezs goal from a free-kick at the edge of the box, with seconds left to play, condemned Nigeria to a 2-1 defeat and steered Algeria to their first AFCON Final match in 29 years.

Rohr told newsmen during a post-match interview that it was a game of two halves, adding however that Algeria were the better side at the end of the day.

Until the last minute, Algeria had a better first half than us, but we came back a much better team in the second half.

Unfortunately, we conceded a goal in the last minute. I think the players wanted to go to extra-time believing that perhaps Algeria will get tired and we could win the match in extra time

It was a wonderful game. We lost it, so we are not happy. Congrats to the winners. They were the better team in the first half.

We scored an own goal. We were unlucky but we came back like we have always done all the time in this tournament.

When we found ourselves in a difficult situation, we always reacted and we did that also today coming back through a penalty and playing a better second half.

But a wonderful free-kick from a football genius made the difference.

In our last game, we won in the last minute against South Africa and today we lost. Thats football, he said.

Coach Djamel Belmadi of Algeria on his part said his side had a tough game against a tough opponent, adding that it had to take the quality of Mahrez to decide the result of the match.

We knew that it would be a tough game because of the quality of our opponents and the tough game we had against Cote dIvoire on Thursday.

My boys had an amazing first half. So, we deserved at that time to score a goal and I think we could have scored even more goals.

Then in the second half, we had a difficult moment for about 15 minutes, we were under pressure.

I think we played too deep and didnt apply enough pressure on our opponents due to fatigue on my players and the quality of course of our opponents.

Then came the penalty which I think my players showed great character and mental strength to come back and fought until the end to score the decisive goal.

We however had some situations in the second half, maybe not clear cut chances where I think we could have scored another goal with a little more accuracy.

Then the free-kick arrived and of course with the quality of players like Riyad Mahrez, its a massive chance at goal and thank God we made it count, he said.

Nigeria will now take on 2004 champions Tunisia in the third place match at the Al Salam Stadium on Wednesday, while Algeria take on Senegal in Fridays final at the Cairo International Stadium.

Source: NAN

By Anita Eboigbe

Nigerians spent nearly 3, 124, 026, 959 billion Naira to watch box office movies at Nigerian cinemas between January and June.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the figures are according to data provided by cinemas and gathered by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).

The year opened with Aquaman, Chief Daddy and Up North sitting on the top three of the chart with an estimated combined earnings of 168, 263, 512 million Naira.

The movies maintained their positions until the fourth week when Glass debuted at number one with Aquaman taking second place and Chief Daddy, third booting Up North to fourth place.

This led to a combined earnings of 91, 409, 100 million Naira which fell to 77, 259, 811 million Naira as January closed with Kevin Harts The Upside kicking Chief Daddy to fourth place.

NAN reports that earnings remained low for February, making it the lowest grossing month with a total of 291, 843, 044 million Naira.

Top spots were alternated between Alita, Cold Pursuit, What Men Want, Escape Room and The UpSide.

By March, viewership picked up steadily and the earnings were almost doubled from that of February leading to a total of 434, 432, 431 million Naira.

What Men Want, Alita, Hire A Woman, She Is, Us and Babymamas enjoyed a relatively good run in March but a chunk of the earnings and viewership went to Marvels flick Captain Marvel.

At the beginning of April, HellBoy, Shazam, Little and Us continued to share the top spot with Captain Marvel until the release of the much anticipated Avengers:Endgame.

NAN also reports that with Avengers: Endgame, earnings from April climbed from 186, 929, 188 million Naira in its third week to 342, 382, 389 million Naira in its final week.

The month, which is the highest grossing in 2019, closed with an estimated total earnings of 734, 151, 060 million Naira due to major boost from Disneys Endgame.

In May, there was a massive dip in earnings similar to that experienced in February. With Endgame, The Intruder and Longshot, it earned a total of 367, 498, 554 million Naira.

The fall in viewership is usual after a global holiday such as Christmas for December/January and Easter for April.

The numbers picked up in June with John Wick, Godzilla and Aladdin leading the numbers. They were supported by Anna, Men In Black, Dark Phoenix and Bling Lagosians.

June opened with 161, 132, 714 million Naira but closed with 100, 663, 647 million Naira leading to a total earning of 576, 322, 779 million Naira.

Source: NAN

Former South African president Jacob Zuma will be questioned at a public inquiry into state graft on Monday, a dramatic fall from grace for a politician who has cast a long shadow over the countrys politics for the past decade.

Zuma, ousted by the governing African National Congress (ANC) in February 2018, will be asked to respond to allegations that he allowed cronies to plunder state resources and influence senior government appointments during his nine years in power.

He has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying the allegations against him are politically motivated. His lawyer said in a letter to the inquiry last month that Zuma believed it was prejudiced against him.

Zuma is expected to give evidence from Monday to Friday, testimony that will be broadcast live on South African television to millions of viewers.

It is a rare example of an African leader being brought to book soon after losing power.

Zuma, 77, has also been in court on several occasions over the past year to answer corruption charges linked to a deal to buy military hardware for the armed forces in the 1990s.

He set up the corruption inquiry in his final weeks in office under pressure from rivals in the ANC, including his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, who feared scandals surrounding Zuma could tarnish the partys reputation indelibly.

Zuma had avoided establishing the inquiry since a 2016 report by the countrys anti-corruption watchdog, the public protector, instructed him to do so to investigate allegations that three Gupta brothers had been able to influence ministerial appointments and had won state contracts improperly.

The Gupta family, business friends of Zuma, denied the accusations and left South Africa around the time that Zuma was ousted.

Ramaphosa, Zumas former deputy, has made sweeping personnel changes in government and state-owned companies as part of an effort to curb corruption and revive the stagnant economy.

The inquiry, headed by South Africas deputy chief justice, Raymond Zondo, held its first hearing in August and is due to finish next year.

Reuters

Source: NAN

By Deborah Akpede

A trader, Mrs Kuditat Ajayi,52, told an Igando Customary Court that she slept with her brother-in-law because she thought he was her husband.

Ajayis husband, Akande, is seeking the dissolution of their 35-year-old marriage, accusing her of infidelity.

I was in bed in the night when my husbands younger brother came to the house my husband rented for me.

I thought it was my husband who normally come to the house at that particular time between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. to play and sleep with me.

It was after he finished making love to me that I realised that he was not my husband.

When I queried him, he claimed that my husband had traveled that was why he came to have sex with me.

I reported the case to my brothers wife, who advised me not to tell my brother so that peace can reign in the family.

The respondent said that her husband treats the children of the other wives better than hers.

The mother of four denied being fetish as claimed by husband.

Ajayiprayed the court not to grant her husbands wish for the dissolution of their marriage that she still love him.

The petitioner, Akande, approached the court to terminate his 35-year-old marriage accusing wife of infidelity.

He said that his wife was wayward and adulterous that her man friend was claiming paternity of one of their children.

When I married her, I rented an apartment for her because I have other wives and I dont want them to live together.

I started hearing from people in the area that my wife was having affair with a man, initially I ignored it until her lover came claiming ownership of one of my children.

The man eventually came to the house but I refused to open the door for him.

When I questioned my wife, she confessed that the man slept with her but it did not result in pregnancy.

The 71-year-old businessman said that his wife was fetish.

I once caught her burying something in my compound, I accosted her and tried to remove what she buried there but I could not.

I went out before I returned, she had cemented the place.

He begged the court to end the marriage that he was no longer interested that the love he once had for her had faded.

The president of the court, Mr Adeniyi Koledoye, urged the two parties to maintain peace and adjourned the case until Aug.22 for judgment

Source: NAN

A socio-political group, Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement (AILM) has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state not to blame Justice Jennifer Ijohor for their seeming poor outing at the Tribunal.

The group while reacting to demands by the APC for the removal of Ijihor from the tribunal, stressed that the party should rather focus on getting their lawyers and witnesses to present a formidable case.

Addressing journalists in Uyo on Sunday, Acting Secretary of AILM, Barr. Solomon Abasiekong, said the APC demand indirectly reflects their resort to blackmail having performed poorly at the tribunal.

Let everyone note that the attempt by APC to blackmail members of the tribunal particularly Justice Ijohor, is the last resort for the party. By now the APC knows it has no case; however leaders of the party are looking for what to hold on to.

We advise them to desist from their current deceitful attempt to whip unnecessary sentiments against the election petitions tribunal by blaming Justice Jennifer Ijohor for its woes at the election tribunal, he said.

Abasiekong alleged that the leadership of APC in the State was making frantic attempts to accuse members of the tribunal of compromise, with the intent to have some of them replaced.

The group claimed it has received reliable intelligence that stalwarts of the APC are working frantically towards relocating the tribunal to Abuja.

We are aware of the antics of the APC, part of it is to accuse the tribunal of working for the PDP and using that to campaign for the relocation of the tribunal from the State.

Every reasonable person who has followed proceedings of the tribunal will quickly corroborate that there has not been any crises or security challenge to warrant any person or group to call for the relocation of the tribunal.

The group called on the President of the Court of Appeal to ignore the purported attempt by Akwa Ibom APC to have the tribunal relocated from Uyo.

Source: NAN

Jacob Zuma has told the Zondo commission today that he is thevictim of a character assassination by foreign intelligence agencies and that his link to the Gupta brothers is not corrupt.

The former president of South Africa has told a public inquiry panel in Johannesburg that his relationship with a group Indian businessmen was not corrupt.

Jacob Zuma, 77, argued in front of the Zondo commission, an inquiry set up to investigate a string of corruption allegations against him during his nine years as president, that he was the victim of a character assassination by foreign intelligence agencies and spies

Zuma has been accused of allegedly aiding Indian businessmen,in winning contracts for their companies with government departments in South Africa, including energy and transport during his time as president.

It is claimed that the Gupta brothers, who have previously employed numerous members of Zumas family in their different businesses, had a great influence over Zuma when he was head of state.

The commission has spent the last ten months investigating claims of state capture, a form of corruption where businesses and politicians conspire to influence a countrys decision making.

Zuma ordered the Zondo commission to begin an inquiry shortly before hisafter public outcry and political pressure about his alleged dealings with the Guptas became too great.

Witnesses in the inquiry have given a number of testimonies implicating Zumas connection with the Guptas, including a claim that he was in charge of a Gupta owned news outlet designed to spread political propaganda.

Siyabonga Dlamini, a Political Scientist at Kwazulu Natal University, told RFI that public support for Zuma will grow, the longer the inquiry goes on.

The man is still very much popular and I think his support will grow the longer that this case continues.

A number of people are feeling that the man has been victimized and vilified so they then sympathize with him.

As the case continues, the number of people even people from other political parties grows because they have this feeling that the man has been vilified and therefore needs their support.

Zuma is currently accused of 16 counts of graft, an offence in which a politician uses their privelleged position for corrupt personal gain, in a separate legal battle.

He has also been involved in past legal battles, including a rape case in 2005 where he was charged, but later acquitted.

Source: NAN

By Martins Odeh

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday described the48 Compact Discs evidence tendered by the People Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atitku Abubakar as lacking in probative value.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four of the video clips played at the Presidential Election Tribunal court hall includes Count down of Osun Decides, a production of Channels Television with Seun Akinboloye as host.

In the above production dated Feb.8, Mr Mike Igini, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom had talked about the readiness of the electoral body to transmit the Feb.23 general election electronically.

The second video was a clip of the postponement of the general election by INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmud.

NAN further reports that the third video was a clip of AFEX Nigeria training of INEC Ad-hoc staff on electronic result transmission.

Similarly, the briefing by the Nigerian Army authority on the status of President Muhammadu Buharis alleged certificate saga completed the four materials shown in court.

Chief Chris Uche, SAN, Counsel for the petitioners had led Mr Segun Showunmi, Spokesman for the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation to tender the materials before the five-man panel of justices.

During his cross-examination by Mr Yunus Usman, SAN, Counsel for INEC, Showunmi agreed that the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom was not a spokesman for the commission.

Usman also made the witness to confirm that the chairman of the electoral body only expressed the hope of the commission to transmit results of the general election electronically, but that it was actually done.

Usman was of the view that the video clips front-loaded by the witness had nothing to do with the Feb.23 general election.

Showunmi, attested to Usmans question by saying that the four clips were events that preceded the election.

The other clip was on the presidents certificate controversy as the army confirmed that the Buhari had West African Examination Certificate with credits in English Language, History, Geography and a pass in English Literature.

Meanwhile, Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN, Counsel for Buhari had tendered a video clip dated Feb.6 where chairman of the commission hinged the possible transmission of the election electronically to the signing of a new Electoral Act.

NAN reports that drama however ensued as the petitioners legal team refused to allow their system to be used to play the CD.

In the circumstance, Izinyon filed an oral application for adjournment to allow his team bring their system and screen to continue with the cross examination of the witness.

Justice Mohammed Garba, went ahead to adjourn the proceedings until July 16 for continuation.

Earlier, the petitioners presented three of their witnesses, totaling about 40 of them out of the 400 that were listed to testify so far.

On their parts, Babagana Kukawa, Hon.Abana Pogu, Suleman Mohammed, Local Government Area Collation Agents for PDP had alleged over voting, vote buying, and violence disruption of the election in their various states.

When they were crossed examined, the witnesses were unable to back up their allegations with documentary evidence.

The counsel to INEC had reminded them that their signature on Forms EC8C (Results transmitted to the local government areas) were approval of the exeercise at polling units and wards level across their states. (NAN)

Source: NAN