The former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State, Femi Hamzat has emerged as the running mate to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s governorship election in Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Hamzat, who had aspired to be governor twice, stepped down for Sanwo-Olu to emerge as the party’s candidate before the primaries. He had also served as a Commissioner in the Ministry of Science & Technology, in Lagos from August 2005 till until June 2011.

He announced the development in a post on his official Facebook page saying,

‘In our collective resolve to take Lagos to greater heights I offer myself to serve and join hands with the Lagos APC governorship candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as running mate by filling the INEC nomination Form. The progress and development of Lagos is our collective vision and with your entire support and electoral mandates come 2019, the dividends of democracy will be delivered to all lagosians’.
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A Federal Capital Territory High Court has empowered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to keep former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, in detention for two weeks.

The former governor gave himself up to the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, facing allegations of receiving N1.3 billion from the office of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in the run up to the Ekiti State governorship election in 2014.
Fayose made a show of turning himself in on Tuesday as he wore a shirt with "EFCC, I'm here" inscribed on it, and also carried two packed bags as he earlier said he was prepared to be detained.
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According to a report by The Punch, a source disclosed that the anti-graft agency has secured a two-week remand order that is subject to a renewal if requested.
"We have obtained a court order to hold Fayose for at least two weeks pending investigation. He could be released earlier or later than two weeks depending on the outcome of investigation," the EFCC source said.
However, Fayose's lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said the anti-graft agency will be sued for breach of fundamental human rights if Fayose is not released on Thursday, October 18.
He said the former governor is not a flight risk and should not be indiscriminately detained for questioning especially since he willingly surrendered.
He said, "His lawyers will consider approaching the court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights if he is not released on Thursday. Section 35 and 36 of the constitution are clear on this.
"He is not a flight risk. He willingly submitted himself to the EFCC even earlier than the time he was supposed to come. What the EFCC is doing is nothing but media trial.
"From the way they have been chasing Fayose in the last three years, one would have expected that the EFCC would have completed its investigations and would arrest him immediately his tenure expires and charge him the next day but that is not the case.
"They want him to write a statement by force and then use the statement against him instead of using their own evidence."
How Fayose allegedly received N1.3bn from Obanikoro

According to a fact-sheet obtained from the EFCC and published by The Nation in August 2018, Fayose received $5.377 million and another N1.3 billion (through a proxy) from then-Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, to help his re-election campaign in 2014.
The sheet read, "On his part, Fayose was allocated N1.3 billion and $5.377 million (at the exchange rate of N168. The $5,377,000 was handed over in cash by Obanikoro to Fayose while the N1.3 billion was received by Fayose's associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele, in the presence of the ex-Minister's Aide-de-Camp, who also accompanied them to the bank along with bank officials.
"From the $5 million, Fayose gave his Personal Assistant, Agbele about $1 million, which he exchanged to Naira and paid for properties on behalf of the governor. Detectives suspected that Fayose added more of the N1.3 billion cash to what he gave Agbele to buy the affected assets.
"The properties worth N1.8 billion purchased with the said proceeds of crime have been recovered from Fayose and his sister, Moji Ladeji. These assets include four in Lagos (N1.1 billion) and two in Abuja worth about N500 million to N700 million.
"But Fayose has been claiming that he used his company, Spotless to obtain a loan of N120 million from Zenith Bank as part of what he used to buy one of the properties in Abuja. We are already tracking how he disbursed the N1.3 billion.
"A prima facie case has been established against Fayose but he is enjoying immunity from prosecution as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. He will, however, face trial as soon as he hands over power to his successor.
"But the associate of the governor, Abiodun Agbele, has been charged to court accordingly."
Fayose's other 'sins'

Fayose is also believed to be under probe for allegedly receiving bribes from various contrac

Four suspected armed robbers have been arrested while robbing Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank) at the Cattle Ranch in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The suspects, led by one James Udofia, a graduate of the Cross River University of Technology, CRUTECH, were caught by some members of the Ranch Youths.
An eyewitness, who gave his name as Matthew, said Udofia, who is also known as Junior, is a native of Akwa Ibom State.
He said the suspects were later handed over to the police after they had been thoroughly beaten.
“The young man named Udofia James and his gang attacked GT Bank, Obudu Cattle Ranch on Sunday morning being September 2nd, 2018 but unfortunate for them, they were apprehended by the youths.
“And I say bravo to the Ranch Youths after which they handed them over to the police. They were four of them”, he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo confirmed the incident and said, “The suspects are in our custody and the Ranch Youths did well.
“Instead of committing the Jungle Justice crime, the Ranch Youths handed them over to the Police which is the right thing to do.
“I am glad the people are beginning to know that it is unlawful to take the laws into their hands.”

Another year, another trekker.

Isa Mohammed Munlaila has commenced the trek from Lagos to Abuja to show how displeased he is with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Spotting a black T-shirt with a box inscribed with the words 'RIP APC’ perched on his head, Munlaila told journalists in Lagos that his trek is against the re-election bid of President Buhari.
Munlaila said the Buhari administration has brought untold suffering and hardship to the masses. He also took on the administration for not fulfilling its 2015 election campaign promises.
Munlaila joins a long list of Nigerians who have taken to trekking for political reasons.
A season of trekkers

In April 2015, 33-year-old Hashimu Suleiman  did the 752-kilometer trek from Lagos to Abuja to celebrate Buhari’s election victory.
In May of 2015, 43-year-old Abubakar Duduwale hit the road from Yola to Abuja to witness the inauguration of Buhari as president. Duduwale is currently nursing a leg injury from the trek, and his medical bills are being underwritten by the federal government.
On April 9, 2018, Buhari announced his intention to seek a second term in office.  Opinions remain divided on his performance in office thus far, amid the president’s frequent travels to London on health grounds.

Former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode has revealed the gruesome murder of 19 people by Fulani herdsmen in a village in Plateau state.
The ’defenseless’ people were said to have been killed in their sleep. The former minister lamented the high rate of insecurity under the present administration.
According to Fani-Kayode, the only thing Nigerians have seen under president Mujammadu Buhari, is tragedy upon tragedy.
Speaking via his Twitter handle on Thursday, the former minister reiterated that Buhari must gone in 2019.
He wrote:

Fulani herdsmen butchered another 19 innocent and defenceless people in a village in Plateau state last night.
Under Buhari all we have seen is tragedy after tragedy, calamity after calamity, mass murder after mass murder and slaughter after slaughter.
IJN FLUSH HIM OUT!
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, not to “succumb to pressure by the Presidency, to return Mrs. Amina Zakari as Director of Operations.”
PDP alleged that Nigerians were aware of the “pressure from the Buhari Presidency to return Amina Zakari, a blood relation of President Muhammadu Buhari, as Director Operation, so that they can use her to manipulate the electoral processes and rig the election for President Buhari.”
The opposition party also charged INEC not to change its “statute-bared stand on the exclusion of Zamfara state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC)” from presenting candidates in the 2019 general elections, following its failure to conduct congresses.
A statement by the party’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan stated that with the “redeployment of Amina Zakari to another directorate, nevertheless, its position that her continuous stay in the commission constitutes a threat to free, fair and credible 2019 general elections, given her relationship with President Buhari, who is a major contender in the election.”
The statement said, “Amina Zakari’s removal as Director of Operations has been hailed by majority of Nigerians, a fact, which shows that voters had already lost confidence in her integrity to hold such a sensitive position, for which they prefer her outright removal from the commission.
“Furthermore, Nigerians are also already abreast of the provisions of the law leading to the exclusion of Zamfara state APC chapter from presenting candidates for the elections and we caution INEC against any contemplation to change the rules for the APC.
“The case of Amina Zakari and that of Zamfara APC constitute another direct integrity test for Prof. Yakubu on his capacity, integrity and readiness for free, fair and credible general elections in 2019.
“We, therefore charge Prof. Yakubu to ensure that he remains on the side of the people and take urgent steps to weed the commission of compromised officials, as Nigerians will accept nothing short of a transparent process in their quest for a replacement for the reckless, vindictive, incompetent and anti-people Buhari-led APC administration.”