Buhari to hand over presidential jets to NAF

OLAEKAN ADETAYO

Barring any last-minute change in plan, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday hand over some aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet to the Nigerian Air Force, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

Why some people say I use juju –AY

’Nonye Ben-Nwankwo and Ademola Olonilua

Not just a few wonder aloud how popular comedian, Ayo Makun, aka AY, has been able to hit the pinnacle even faster than the comedians who had been there before him. For a first time movie maker, his ‘30 Days in Atlanta’ broke records as the highest grossing film in Africa and then, his shows are usually well-attended.

As such, so many people believe that AY might have achieved this success through diabolical means.

The comedian, in a recent chat with Saturday Beats during the launch of his latest movie, ‘A Trip to Jamaica,’ also admitted that he had heard that so many people believe that he is into ‘juju’.

“I am just a product of God’s grace. When I shot ‘30 days in Atlanta,’ I just set out to go there and have fun but a lot of people are attributing it to something else. They are saying maybe I did juju. I’ve heard all sorts and I’m beginning to suspect myself in the sense that anything I do always comes out well. My stand-up comedy show is one of the biggest in the country. Same with my TV show. I’m just a product of grace. That is what I tell people. Not because I am the best, not because I know how to do it better. I just have this shining light and I keep praying that the grace remains. For now, let me enjoy my grace.”

He added that it was his wife’s idea to begin shooting movies since he studied Directing in the university. The comedian said that while growing up, he always went to the library to read the Guinness Book of World Records but he never dreamt that his name would be in one of its editions.

 “Before the Guinness World Record came, we were done with ‘A Trip to Jamaica.’ Let me take you back to ‘30 days in Atlanta.’ This was me just setting out to go and have fun. I’m known as a stand-up comedian with my programme, AY Live. One day, I had a discussion with my wife about diversification and doing something different. Since I do a lot of skits that made my YouTube channel the most viewed in the country for three years consecutively, she suggested I put them together to make a full movie. That was what gave birth to ‘30 Days in Atlanta.’ And because I was new in the business, the idea was just to put some budget together and go and shoot a film. I didn’t know it was going to make a difference. And right now, I am basking in that euphoria. I enjoy and appreciate the fact that ‘30 Days in Atlanta’ made it to the Guinness Book of Records. I feel very happy. I didn’t see it coming, not even for a second. I mean, I always tell people, I used to go to the library back in the days to just grab that book and read. I had this impression that the people they featured probably had four heads. I never knew a day would come when I would see myself in the book. Maybe, somebody is reading it now and thinks AY has four heads too,” he said.

Mother strangles one-year-old, dumps corpse in river

UMAR MUHAMMED

The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old woman identified as Mrs. Asabe Andrew for allegedly strangling her one-year-and-three-month-old daughter, Esther.

According to the command, the suspect then dumped the baby’s body into a river in Gunduma.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar Bello, who paraded the suspect in Lafia, said the command also apprehended a total of 20 armed robbery suspects for committing various offences, including armed robbery and car snatching.

“One Asabe Bawa Andrew, 25, was arrested for strangulating her daughter, Esther Andrew, a one-year-and-three-month, and throwing the dead body into a river in Gunduma, Uke Development Area, Karu Local Government Area of the state,” he added.

According to the police boss, one 20-year-old Kumi Jayi was also arrested for allegedly killing his friend, Hassan Adamu, 27, for making him impotent, after using a native concoction to enhance sexual performance.

I play football but I’m sexy — Adule

FK BIIK Kazygurt Nigerian forward Charity Adule talks football, lifestyle, fashion, guys and more in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA

How would you describe your season so far in Kazakhstan?

I can say that I’ve had a fantastic season and year. It has not been easy but I thank God for what He has done for me so far in Kazakhstan and Europe.

How is FK BIIK Kazygurt doing in the Kazakhstan topflight league?

We are doing very well in the league, and we occupy the first position after 20 matches.

Are you okay with your performance so far?

It’s been so far so good and I’m happy that I have contributed immensely to the success of my team. I have contributed more than 20 assists and scored 23 goals. I can only thank God for that.

What is the experience like playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League?

Honestly, it’s  been a great and a wonderful experience for me playing in the Champions League. It exposed me to greater challenges as a footballer. Now, I understand that playing in the domestic league is quite different from playing Europe. It’s a more difficult task playing in the Champions League than in your domestic league because that is where the best clubs play.

BIIK Kazygurt lost 4-1 to Barcelona after holding the giants 1-1 at home in the Champions League. What was it like playing against such a big side?

(Laughs) Well, we lost to Barcelona not because they are better than us; I just believe that they were better on that day. That’s football anyway. But playing against such a big team in Europe was something I had been dreaming of as a player; so it was a great moment that I would like to savour and experience again.

Was it easy adapting when you first got to Europe?

As a young girl, who left her country to another country all alone, of course I found it a little bit difficult to adapt then because of the language, the food and the new environment that I found myself. So, it was difficult for me to interact and communicate with my fellow players and people over here. However, I have moved on and I’m enjoying every moment in Kazakhstan.

Are you looking at moving to the big leagues of Europe very soon?

Yes by God’s grace and hopefully, it will be very soon. I’ve had offers from clubs in other countries but I’m not ready to move yet because I still have a contract with my club. And I’m happy at BIIK Kazygurt, the fans love me.

Did your parents support you when you first started playing football?

(Laughs) My mum and dad didn’t support me, they didn’t like my involvement in football. You know as a girl, what most parents believe is that football is meant for guys and not for girls. So, at the initial stage, my parents were not happy seeing me playing football but later when they saw that it was my talent, they started supporting me.

Did they punish you for playing football?

Yes, they did. They punished me a lot because I would leave what my mum asked me to do and go and play football. And once I was caught, she (mum) and my elder brothers punished me by not giving me food; sometimes they even flogged me. But I used several tricks on them just to play football. Sometimes I would tell them that I want to go and visit our relatives, and then from there I would go and play football. After I finished playing, I would buy water and wash my body so that they won’t notice that it was football I had gone to play.

You probably started playing with boys…

(Cuts in) Yes I started playing football with men but it was not easy because back then as a young girl, you had to put in extra effort before the guys would recognise and consider you to play with them.

What were the major challenges you faced when you started as a footballer?

I think the major challenge is that some people see you as doing a job meant for men and don’t regard you the way they do to the male footballers. Normally, I felt bad because I felt neglected but as I grew up and got mature, I realised that you don’t have to mind what people think or do as far as you are doing what you love and what you know how to do best.

If you were not a footballer, what would you have been doing?

I think I would have been a fashion designer and a model because I love fashion and always love to look good and presentable. That’s why I love modeling.

What do you do before and after every game?

What I normally do before every game is to focus and pray to God to give my best. After every game, I refresh and reflect on how I played.

Which goal is your best so far?

The goal I will pick as my best was the one I scored while playing for the Flamingoes against South Africa during the qualifiers for the U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2010. It was a volley from about 40 metres away from goal.

Who are the toughest players you have played against?

They are Yinka Kudiasi and Rita Nwadike. Kudiasi was Nigeria’s best defender while Nwadike was the best defensive midfielder then. The two of them were very strong, hard-tackling and highly experienced. Both were tough to play against. They used to kick me so hard but I knew they wanted me to be a better player because I was small then. But in 2007 I played with Nwadike in Rivers Angels and in 2008, I was with Kudiasi at Pelican Stars.

Sports people usually have charity foundations where they contribute to help the society. Are you thinking of doing that too?

Yes. My name is Charity, so I should be a charitable person. Giving back is what I love doing. Whenever I come back to Nigeria, I normally go to a charity home every weekend and give food items and some cash.

Lots of Nigerian female footballers have physique like men. How have you been able to keep your good looks as a female playing football?

(Laughs) Don’t I look like a boy? Well, I will say it is because of my nature. But I believe it is how one trains his or her body to be, that’s how it will be. How I take care of my skin is not anyway different from the way other girls do. But my looks are natural because I don’t use expensive creams or soap.

Are you saying you don’t like to look masculine?

It’s not good for a woman to look like a man just because you are a footballer. A female footballer must always make sure that she does everything possible to keep her shape and physique as a woman. For me, even though I play football, I want to look good and sexy.

What part of your body do you like most and why?

I love my physique so much because my entire body gives me the opportunity to always express myself the way I want to.

How do you cope with advances from guys?

Honestly, it hasn’t been easy. But it’s easier for me now because I have a boyfriend and I don’t like to cheat on my man.

Who are you attracted to: Nigerian or white guys?

Of course I’m attracted to Nigerian guys, they are more romantic and very neat too.

It took us 22 years to build our demolished building — Church

Tell us about yourself.

I am Jonathan Adebari; ex-pastor of a church that was pulled down in Abule Egba by the Lagos State Government.

For how long have you been a member of the church?

I was born and baptised in the church in 1945. I became the pastor of the church between 2006 and October 2015. My father was one of the foundation members of the church.

How do you feel about the demolition of the church?

It goes to show that we have a government that lacks vision, a government that does not think about the future of the younger generation. In developed countries, the government would have planned the exercise out properly. A demarcation would have been made.

Did the church authorities get government approval for the building?

Yes we did. If the government knew it was going to destroy the building, why did it approve it? It has been over 10 years since we got the approval. It took us 22 years to build the church. We are not rich. We contributed money from the little income we made to erect the structure. It would cost us about N20m.

What role has the church been playing in the lives of its worshippers?

It is a moral builder not only to the congregation but also to people in general. It consistently strives to build morals and deepen the spiritual lifestyle of people. Indirectly, we are helping the government to reduce criminality in the state. The government should consider our impact on the society and compensate us for the loss.

Day of the bulldozers: Lagos landlords, tenants rendered homeless same day

The demolition of structures in the Abule Egba area of Lagos has left in its wake a gale of tears and joblessness, write ARUKAINO UMUKORO and MOTUNRAYO JOEL

In front of the one of the several buildings that were demolished recently at Abule Egba, a densely populated suburb in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, three little children were seen trying to make sense out of the confusion.

Wearing a sweatshirt and trousers with the green white green colour of the Nigerian flag, one of the children, a boy of about eight, was seen trying to fix his father’s broken keyboard, which was damaged during the bulldozers’ visit the day before, while the family’s television set lay on its face among the rubbles. A few feet away from him, a four-year-old girl wearing only white singlet was literally trying to lift off her crying two-year-old brother from the rubble. The little boy screamed as his sister tried holding him. He seemed unwilling to vacate the place now in ruins.

But all that lay before them was a pile of rubble caused by the bulldozers’ rage at noon. The kids were among the thousands that have either been rendered homeless or jobless by the recent demolition exercise carried out by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development on Wednesday and Thursday.

The state government has said the demolition was a necessary measure to expand the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. As of Thursday, residents, landlords and business owners claimed that about 1,000 houses and shops in the area had been affected by the demolition exercise. They said they were only given a seven-day notice by the state government.

When SUNDAY PUNCH visited the area on Thursday, the rubble, tears and sorrow the bulldozers left on its trail were still visible. Many watched with awe and despair as the heavy machines raged on.

Mattresses, home furniture and other household items were among the rubble, stretching more than 500 metres from the Abule Egba Junction, where a Reinforced Concrete Dual Carriage Flyover bridge, is still in its early stages of construction. Business, bank and residential buildings were affected by the demolition.

Many told our correspondent that they lost property worth millions and their means of livelihood to the exercise.

“The demolition has taken place; there is nothing we can do. I have lost millions to the demolition, I had many shops. There is serious economic recession and unemployment in the country. This demolition is inflicting more pain on us. I have only been managing and I have a wife and children to take care of. We have only been hearing that the government would compensate us but we do not know how true it is. Life goes on. My point now is, people have been rendered jobless and homeless.

“One of those who rented shops in my building received a call in my presence on Wednesday. I heard him asking the caller to help him look for a job. He is a graduate but he rented a shop to sell paints to make a living,” said Mr. Olawole Olanrewaju, a landlord in the area.

Another property owner in the area, Mr. Oladeinde Bakare, lamented that his one-storey apartment with three flats was affected.

Bakare, who had lived in the area since 1980, said the state government reneged on its agreement with the landlords in the area to demolish structures within a 32-metre marking from the electric pole near the road.

He said, “But they (state government) increased the marked area further to about 92 metres which extended to my house. I thought there was going to be further discussion on the matter. We wrote a letter to the state government, but our efforts were to no avail. I would spend about N1m to fix the demolished part. There was no way we could have found another apartment within the seven-day ultimatum they gave us. We are at the mercy of hoodlums and there is no security.”

Many others are now homeless, like a petty trader, Mrs. Alimot Akintunde. SUNDAY PUNCH met her in front of what used to be her home, in tears. “This was the room my family and I used to sleep in,” she said, pointing to a portion in the rubble. “I am so sad; we have nowhere to sleep. Our property is scattered all over the place. I have been crying since. I do not know where to go. There is nothing left for me.”

Like many of the tenants in some of the demolished buildings, Akintunde had lived in one of them for about thirty years.

“I was born in Abule Egba. This is the only home I have known and my father was buried there,” said another resident, who inherited the property from his father. The father’s white tomb was covered with remnants of the building.

At another three-storey building, some members of an extended family were seen huddled up at different sections, lamenting their fate. They could not hold back tears and grief as they condemned the actions of the state government.

“We have lived here since 1982. My father is a retired soldier and over 70 years old. He is very depressed about the demolition of his building. I am angry but what can we do?” said Abdusalam Aliu, a son to the owner of the building

Another son and student of the National Open University, 27-year-old Rahman Abdusalam, said the state government was insincere with the way it went about the demolition.

“I was born here. The state officials did not say anything about compensation for us. I want to beg them to make the compensation a very quick one so that we can get another accommodation. We all slept outside on Wednesday. Some thieves were also caught stealing the property of our neighbours,” he said.

The pastor of First African Church Mission, Abule Egba, Venerable J.A. Akande, lamented that 104 years of the church’s proud history had been demolished in one swoop. He showed our correspondent pictures of the old and new church.

Akande said it took the congregation 22 years to erect a new structure beside the old one they had used for over a century.

Despite their loss, the congregation at First African Church Mission, Abule Egba branch, held a service a few hours after a section of their historic church building was brought down.

He said, “The demolition happened between 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday. But we still managed to worship in the building. We found a spot that could accommodate us. We just had to pray to God to send us help because we do not know where to start from. It took us 22 years to erect a new structure and it was destroyed within an hour or two. Sadly, the old church building was also demolished.”

Business owners and workers in the area also lamented their losses. Structures housing an outlet of a popular eatery, Tantalisers and a branch of Guaranty Trust Bank were among those affected.

A manager at the eatery, who did not give his name, said over 50 of employees of the fast food firm lost their jobs to the demolition.

“The building has been in existence for seven years. The bakery downstairs produced about 10,000 loaves per day. We had 30 workers in the bakery and over 20 working upstairs in the eatery. I believe in the rule of law and that things should be done according to the rule of law. A lot of people felt bad about it because they government did the right thing but in a wrong way,” he said.

Some of the aggrieved persons included the workers at a fish processing company. The workers were seen assessing the damage with hollow eyes. One of them, Ms. Badmus Abiola, said she searched for a job for almost a year before she was employed in the company four months ago. “Now, look at what has happened. Where am I going to get another job?” she lamented.

A human resource manager at the company, Mr. Adeyemo Olabimtan, a graduate of accounting, also echoed the same. He said, “I had been looking for a job for years until I got one as a human resource manager in the fish processing firm. I have been working there since last year. I have not been married because of unemployment. The company has in operation for over 20 years.”

The owners of the houses pulled down claimed they had genuine certificates of occupancy.

When contacted on the telephone, the state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Wasiu Anifowose, said residents with original certificate of occupancy would be compensated by the state government.

Anifowose said, “What we have in Abule Egba is a federal land acquired in 1971. It has a gazette and there are laws to that. What the Federal Government did with the gazette is what we are doing. If their houses fall within the right of way and they have the certificate of occupancy, they should take it to the office. We will then look at the certificate of occupancy and they would be adequately compensated if the certificate of occupancy is genuine. Anybody that has a title document on his property will be compensated.”

He added that the government would not remove any house that did not fall within the right of way.

‘‘What we are doing is for the people. We will only take what is needed, not an inch or a property more than what is required for the expansion. I think it is about time we citizens believed our government. This is Lagos State, whatever we say, we stand by it,” he stated.

Tinubu makes peace with former political foes

Tunde Odesola and Leke Baiyewu

Following the simmering crisis in the All Progressives Congress, the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has started reaching out to his former political foes in the South-West in order to consolidate his influence in the region.

The multi-layered crisis in the ruling party is threatening the erstwhile chummy relationship between Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari.

The crisis in the ruling party started before the 2015 general elections but became full-blown after Buhari was sworn in as president. There has been discontent within the Tinubu camp. Sources said that members of the group and their principal were not happy with what they saw as attempts by the party leadership and the presidency to diminish Tinubu’s premium contributions to Buhari’s emergence as president and undermine the former Lagos State governor’s leadership in his South-West power base.

But SUNDAY PUNCH learnt over the weekend that some of Buhari’s closest associates have been pushing back by telling those who are close to Tinubu that Nigeria cannot have a ‘co-presidency.’

Although the two leaders had tried futilely to keep the frosty relationship away from public knowledge, things came to a head a few days ago when Tinubu wrote an open letter lambasting the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who is believed to enjoy the support of the president.

Tinubu, who faulted the way the party’s governorship primary was held in Ondo State, accused Odigie-Oyegun of conducting a fraudulent primary and he asked the former Edo State governor to resign as the national chairman of the party.

After the letter was published, Oyegun refrained from responding to Tinubu. But he later visited President Buhari in Aso Rock and photographs of the duo laughing and sharing banters was made public. Shortly thereafter, Oyegun replied Tinubu and described the latter’s open letter as ‘reckless.’

Tinubu’s harsh denunciation of the party chairman has been widely interpreted as a direct protest against Buhari. In private, Tinubu’s loyalists are complaining that his political capital is being eroded by the hostile actions of the president’s men and the inactions of the president.

Tinubu’s loyalists in the South-West have listed Buhari’s hostile actions against the APC national leader to include the exclusion of his candidates from Buhari’s final ministerial list, the gang-up against his candidate in the Kogi governorship election, James Faleke, who was the late Audu Abubakar’s running mate; and the alleged fraud against his candidate in the Ondo governorship primary, Olusegun Abraham.

Until the recent crisis, the party had successfully managed the growing discontent within its leadership as insinuations were rife that some of Buhari’s closest political associates had perfected a plan to destroy Tinubu politically.

But pro-Tinubu elements within the party and other sympathisers have vowed to resist any attempt to humiliate Tinubu.

Some of Tinubu’s close associates spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH but pleaded anonymity because of possible reprisal.

A chieftain of the party in Osun State, said, “This is the beginning of the end of the APC. The party will shatter into smithereens. We are ready for them. They are going nowhere.

“We know the political leader of the South-West and that person is unmistakably Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. They are envious of Tinubu’s achievements, but they don’t have Tinubu’s clout. None of those scrambling to wear Tinubu’s shoes have the clout to do so. These ingrates are the people that have benefitted immensely from Tinubu’s large-heartedness. Now, they are stabbing him in the back. We are in the South-West together, we shall see.”

Speaking in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, said he would not hesitate to fight against any anti-Yoruba policy by the Buhari-led administration. He said he would team up with like-minded leaders in the South-West to resist attacks on any of the region’s political leaders. Fayose said, “I will resist any policy that is formulated by the Buhari administration against the interests of the Yoruba. Some people may say it is too early to criticise them now, so, we are watching.

“We will keep our fingers crossed and our gunpowder dry. We won’t be hasty in our condemnation; when you put water on fire, you wait for it to boil. We don’t want it to appear as if we are looking for an opportunity to nail them. Let them continue their governance, we are watching.”

A pro-Tinubu stalwart in the ruling party also told one of our correspondents that the plot to ridicule Tinubu and reduce his standing in the South-West had “already failed.”

Another top APC leader in the South-West told SUNDAY PUNCH that apart from trying to destroy his political structures, many in Tinubu’s camp believe that one of the ways the national leader’s opponents would attack him is to go after his business interests and associates.

“We won’t be surprised if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission wakes up tomorrow to say they are probing Tinubu or his associates. They may even send the Department of State Services after him because that is the step the Buhari government has taken against all their perceived enemies. Asiwaju knows that they may come for him.”

Similarly, a chieftain of the party said in a telephone interview on Friday that a former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, had warned Tinubu against the alliance with the North.

The chieftain said, “Baba Akande didn’t like the idea of teaming up with the North. He had advised that the APC should concentrate on the South-West and seek ways to develop it massively.

“But the emerging political scenario at the time made the possibility of the Yoruba coming into the mainstream of Nigeria’s politics a reality. Baba Akande was of the opinion that we should not participate in governance at the centre.”

A party source, who said he was privy to the earliest events that signaled trouble for Tinubu, added that the president had assured Tinubu that he would be shown the list of ministers before it would be made public so that the latter could have his own input. He added that the president, however, sent a copy of the list to Tinubu and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the same time.

“By sending the list to Asiwaju and Saraki at the same time, Buhari subtly undermined the promise he made to Tinubu because he knew that with the copy of the ministerial list in Saraki’s hands, there was no way Tinubu could make any input into the list.”

A chieftain of the APC in Ondo also explained that Tinubu was deliberately undermined in the Ondo governorship primary with Abuja’s backing of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who emerged the winner of the primary.

It was gathered that Tinubu had reached out to prominent Yoruba leaders, such as Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, among others, in the bid to reposition himself and the South-West.

Also, it was gathered that an attempt at rapprochement was ongoing between Tinubu and the Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

It was learnt that some Yoruba leaders had volunteered to broker a truce between Tinubu and Mimiko as the echoes of their disagreement during the countdown to Mimiko’s re-election is still fresh.

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, a staunch Tinubu loyalist, is said to be the arrowhead of the move to reconcile Tinubu and Mimiko.

A top member of the APC, who is in the know of the developments, told SUNDAY PUNCH that it was public knowledge that Tinubu had been sidelined at the national level.

The source said, “Those leading the rebellion against Tinubu are politicians who lost their wards and constituencies in elections, even when they were governors. His loyalists are not in government, despite the contributions of Asiwaju to the 2015 electoral victory. Asiwaju has realised that they are ready to go to war with him so he is consolidating. This is not a time to hold on to past wounds and we are glad Yoruba elders who were critical of Tinubu before are rallying round him because they understand that this is a South-West matter. It is beyond our national leader.

“The elders have held several meetings with him and they are realigning. Don’t forget what Pa Ayo Adebanjo said; he said any insult to Asiwaju is an insult to the Yoruba race and Adebanjo is not known to be flippant in his choice of words.”

Also, a former leader of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, told our correspondent in confidence that Tinubu had reconciled with some Yoruba leaders. He said the former Governor of Lagos State now needed the leaders in the ongoing political realignments in the South-West.

The source said, “I am aware that they (leaders) have held meetings.  One of such meetings was held in Asiwaju’s home. The 2015 electioneering was a solo game for Tinubu. The Yoruba leaders did not agree with him on the formation of the APC and the choice of the presidential candidate (Buhari). Now that the game is turning against him (Tinubu), he has to manoeuvre. However, I’m not sure that all the people he is realigning with can help him.”

Another Yoruba leader confirmed that some Yoruba leaders, who were opposed to Tinubu up till the 2015 elections, had been holding meetings with him lately.

The ex-Afenifere chieftain said, “The whole thing is shocking to some of us. How come those who knew all Tinubu did to them politically have suddenly made a U-turn in an attempt to save him from the onslaught on him in the APC?”

A founding member of the Obafemi Awolowo-led Yoruba socio-political organisation, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, confirmed to SUNDAY PUNCH that the leaders of the region met with Tinubu recently. He stated that the meeting was to reconcile all political divides in the South-West and chart a common course for the Yoruba race.

The nonagerian had in an earlier interview with SUNDAY PUNCH strongly criticised Tinubu and other governors of the Alliance for Democracy, a party founded by Afenifere leaders, alleging that the governors dumped the AD after gaining power and went ahead to form the Action Congress. He further alleged that the same group of governors, led by Tinubu, destabilised Afenifere for political reasons.

Speaking to our correspondent on Friday, Olaniwun said, “Yes, we had a meeting with him in the recent past. Yes, the meeting was about the Yoruba coming together for the benefit of the Yoruba nation. We have for long been on our separate ways, which is not good for the Yoruba nation. We went to him and the Governor of Lagos State (Akinwunmi Ambode); we met the two of them together. We decided to see (meet with) the former governors and the current governors.”

When asked if Afenifere leaders had forgiven Tinubu, whom they had always accused of leading the rebellion against the group, the elder statesman said, “He has not offended me, if you are referring to me as a person.”

Olaniwun denied that the reconciliation was to protect Tinubu politically.

Obasanjo is happy I exposed Dogara – Jibrin

The former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, tells JOHN ALECHENU how lawmakers commit budget fraud, the reason he is tackling principal officers of the House and his relationship with Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila

Buhari’s DSS boys go crazy — •Arrest over four top judges in Abuja, P/Harcourt, Gombe

TUNDE ODESOLA,  OLUSOLA FABIYI,  CHUKWUDI AKASIKE, FRIDAY OLOKOR, ADE ADESOMOJU and RAMON OLADIMEJI

A pall of darkness descended on the nation’s judiciary on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday, as gun-wielding security agents swooped on the residences of senior judges, breaking doors and threatening to harm their family members and aides.

SANs condemn DSS crackdown on judges

We are not in 1984

The Federal Government should know that this is not 1984. By 1984, I refer to that year and the dystopian novel written by George Orwell on dictatorship. Nigeria is a country ruled by law and even for the worst of crimes, we must follow the process of law. If we don’t, we will end up like Uganda