BOKO HARAM STRIKE AGAIN!!!!

Reports say several persons were last night feared killed in multiple bomb explosions which rocked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to residents of the town, two of the bombs which were planted at a mosque, exploded at about 7.30p.m. when the Muslims gathered to observe their prayers.

The other explosion occurred almost simultaneously at a close distance from the mosque at a joint where teenagers gathered to play computer games.

There is no official confirmation as to the number of casualties but a statement from the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said the attacks signified the level of desperation on the part of the Boko Haram terrorists. Unofficial sources put the casualty figure at above fifty.

SENATE PRESIDENT, SARAKI IN MURKY WATERS

The alleged false assets declaration case against the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, is continuing at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.

The tribunal had on Friday, issued a bench warrant, requesting the Inspector General of Police to arrest and compel Senator Saraki to appear before it today to defend the allegations dating back to his tenure as governor of Kwara State.

Senator Saraki is not at the Tribunal. The issue of technicality and composition of the tribunal is currently being debated. More details in subsequent bulletins.

Meanwhile, Senator Representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has tasked the Code of Conduct Bureau to publish all assets declaration made by public office holders from 1999 to date.

In a statement, Senator Sani said such publication will enable Nigerians form what he called ‘Transparency vigilante groups’ to verify such claims and depositions, to compliment the manpower deficiency of the CCB.

Staying with the Saraki saga, the Presidency says contrary to insinuations in some quarters, it has nothing to do with the current travails of the President of the Senate.

BUKOLA SARAKI, SENATE PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Senator Saraki is being invited to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja, on a three count allegation of false declaration of assets, dating back to his tenure as governor of Kwara State.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the presidency said attempts to link the ongoing trial of Senator Bukola Saraki to the Presidency, are unacceptable, adding that those claiming that the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal were acting on external influence were uninformed.

While stating that the war against corruption has no sacred cows, Mallam Garba Shehu emphasized that the President Buhari has vowed to respect the rule of law and will therefore not interfere in the matter.

In the meantime, a Professor of Criminology at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Femi Odekunle, says the current effort at eliminating corruption is yielding appreciable results.

He said though corruption has left a deep scare on the nation’s fabric, the ill must be seen as a threat to Nigeria’s overall existence for it to be tackled head-on.

Professor Odekunle who is a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee against corruption, said anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC has suddenly woken up from slumber, due to President Buhari’s disposition.   

He however requested that the current anti-graft campaign must extend beyond a single regime, while the strategy should tilt more towards the social and scientific approach.

OLISEH FIRST 11 AGAINST TANZANIA

THE SUPER EAGLES PLAY AGAINST THE TAIFA STARS OF TANZANIA. COACH SUNDAY OLISEH HAS HIS JOB CUT OUT, HERE IS HIS FIRST 11 FOR THE GAME.

BAYERN WHIP FC PORTO 6-1; ADVANCE IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.

The Champions league returned yesterday with so much uncertainty surrounding the chances of Bayern Munich advancing after suffering a defeat in Portugal in the hands of FC Porto. 

Trailing 3-1 from the quarter-final first leg, Pep Guardiola's side produced a devastating first-half display, scoring five times in the opening 40 minutes to leave the visitors shell-shocked.

Defensive errors had cost Bayern dear in the opening encounter, but it was their supreme attacking quality that came to the fore at the Allianz Arena.

Club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt resigned in the wake of last week's reverse, claiming his medical team had been blamed for the defeat, but even without the absent trio of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Guardiola's team simply had too much for the 2004 winners.

Thiago Alcantara - who netted Bayern's away goal at the Estadio do Dragao - opened the scoring inside quarter of an hour and it was 3-0 before the 30th minute thanks to further goals from Jerome Boateng and Robert Lewandowski.

Thomas Muller's deflected effort made it four, before Lewandowski doubled his tally with a clinical finish as Porto failed to live with Bayern's movement and incisiveness.

With the job done for the Bundesliga champions, the second half proved a low-key affair, Jackson Martinez's goal 17 minutes from time proving nothing more than consolation, especially as there was still time for Xabi Alonso to curl home a late free kick following a tackle that saw Ivan Marcano sent off for his second booking.

BAYERN MUNICH TORE OPEN THE DEFENSE OF FC PORTO, PEP GUARDIOLA'S PANTS ALSO GOT TORN.

Bayern suffered a nightmare first 10 minutes in the opening leg when they found themselves 2-0 down, but there were no such mishaps here and it proved a sign of things to come when Muller's shot was saved by Fabiano and Lewandowski sent the rebound against the upright.

Martinez went close with a low shot soon afterwards, but Porto's faint hopes were extinguished when Marcano was dismissed for a second bookable offence and Alonso curled the resulting free kick into the left-hand corner to seal a 7-4 aggregate scoreline.

The result capped a fine way for Bayern to celebrate Guardiola's 100th match in charge in style, this marking his 77th win in that time, and few can have come more convincingly than this.

WHY I REFUSED ASSENT TO CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT BILL.-- PRESIDENT GOODLUCK

President Goodluck Jonathan has listed reasons why he refused to assent to the Constitution Amendment bill passed by the National Assembly.

GOODLUCK JONATHAN, NIGERIA PRESIDENT

In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal and read at plenary today, President Jonathan pointed out that the section of the amended constitution which seeks to do away with the ‎assent of the president in the process of constitution amendment was not supported by the required number of votes. 

President Jonathan also noted that the section which provides that a bill will become law after the expiration of 30 days in the event that the president fails to signify the withholding of his assent may be inappropriate.

The President said the provision of the sections which seek create the new office of the Attorney General of the federation from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the states of the Federation, has certain provisions which negate the principle of separation of powers.

‎The National Assembly forwarded the amended constitution to the president for assent in October 2014.

ABDUCTED OREKOYA BOYS REGAIN FREEDOM

Reports say the three Orekoya boys abducted from their Home in Surulere, Lagos, by a 'housemaid' have been found.

The children, 11 months old Aderomola, four-year-old Adedamola and six-year-old Demola were dumped in a compound in Egbeda, a suburb of Lagos State.

The three Orekoya boys were kidnapped by their 23 year old nanny, Mary Akinloye, on April 8th, just 24-hours after she was employed.

The kidnappers had demanded a 13million naira ransom, but it is not clear whether the money was paid.

'SUCCESSFUL ELECTION DISAPPOINTED DOOMSDAY PROPHETS'- NIGERIA SENATE

President of the Senate, David Mark, has commended Nigerians for the outcome of the 2015 general elections. Speaking at the commencement of plenary, Senate President Mark noted that the outcome of the elections has clearly disappointed doomsday prophets who predicted disaster and even a possible breakup of this country. 

Senator Mark also commended the maturity and sportsmanship displayed by President Goodluck Jonathan who willingly conceded defeat and congratulated the president elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari even before the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the result.  He maintained that, that singular act saved the country from a possible crisis and catastrophe.

The Senate President who also commended Professor Attahiru  Jega and his team at INEC for the introduction of Card Readers however urged the electoral body to note the areas of its shortcomings.