Popular Footballer Shot Dead By Two Gunmen

Former South African football player Marc Batchelor was shot dead outside his home in Johannesburg on Monday, local media reported on Tuesday.

Marc Batchelor, Mamelodi Sundowns Marc Batchelor The 49-year-old, who played for South African teams Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, was shot in his car.

Another person in the vehicle was unharmed in the incident. “He was attacked by two men who were driving a motorbike,” a police spokesman said.

“He was about to drive into his premises. The suspects shot several times at him… “At this stage, we are still investigating what the motive for the attack was and these suspects have not yet been identified.”

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Latest Letter:Buhari Replies Olusegun Obasanjo

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday took a swipe at those criticising him on the insecurity situation in the country, saying that they were not patriotic.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had on Monday written an open letter to President Buhari accusing him of not doing enough to tackle the increasing rate of insecurity in the country among other challenges.

But receiving the National Executives of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO, at the Presidential Villa Abuja, the President said that those criticising the isolated cases of insecurity in the country were not patriotic Nigerians.

According to him, countries around the world were facing one security challenges or the other. He also pointed out that there were new challenges of banditry and kidnapping around the globe.

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Atiku Denies Buhari Use Of Video Player At Tribunal

Hearing in the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal took a dramatic turn on Monday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s lawyers denied lawyers to President Muhammadu Buhari access to a video player in the tribunal.

Atiku and PDP had brought a 48-inch Samsung Television and Mac laptop with which they played back three videos downloaded from TV stations ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The videos, tendered and played back by Atiku’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN) through the former spokesman of the PDP Campaign, Segun Sowunmi, showed interviews by the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu and former Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini discussing the use of server for the election.

After the conclusion of evidence, Buhari’s counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN) sought to cross examine Sowunmi with with a CD of another interview by an INEC official through the equipment brought by the petitioners, but PDP lawyers prevented him from using the equipment after one of the lawyers switched off the TV.

In his objection, Uche said “You may show the witness the CD, but what I object to is to play the CD on my equipment.” Izinyon expressed shock to the development, saying “I can’t even believe that a counsel could be so bold to go to the TV and switch it off.” The courtroom was thrown into laughter after Uche alluded to “virus” infestation of the CD sought to be played in the equipment.

He also replied that the video has not been certified in compliance with the Electoral Act. The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Garba said he expects the lawyers to show good example by continuing to cooperate in the course of the matter. He said he would not want the matter to degenerate into professional misconduct.

Consequently, the matter was adjourned to Tuesday to enable the Buhari legal team present their own video equipment to the tribunal.

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Just In:Police Denies Arresting Fasoranti Daughter's Killers

The Police in Ondo State have said that contrary to the reports that they have arrested some suspects in connection with the death of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Afenifere’s leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, they have actually not arrested anybody.

The command’s spokesman, Femi Joseph, said in a telephone interview that they had raided the forest.

He however, added that those apprehended were those who could not give satisfactory account of themselves and what they were doing in the forest at that time but said no arrest had been made so far.

Joseph, who said the IGP’s team and other officers from the command were working with other sister agencies to solve the case, expressed optimism that they will definitely get the suspects.

Joseph said he was also on the field with other officers and will keep our reporter updated.

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Confirmation :Senate To Screen Acting CJN Tanko Mohammed On Wednesday

The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, will on Wednesday appear before the Senate for screening and confirmation of his appointment by President Mohammadu Buhari.

The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, disclosed this at the plenary on Tuesday.

Lawan said Tanko would appear before the Committee of the Whole of the Senate to commence his screening exercise.


He said copies of the nominee’s Curriculum Vitae had been distributed to the lawmakers to enable them to have adequate background information about him and his career.

He urged his colleagues to take time to go through the copies before Wednesday so as to direct relevant questions to him.

The Senate Leader, Sen. Yahaya Abubakar (APC-Kebbi), had earlier made reference to the letter of request for Tanko’s confirmation as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Abubakar said the president’s request was in accordance with Section 231 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the President of the Senate on July 11, read Buhari’s letter at the plenary.

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Senatorial Seat Dispute:Regina Daniel's Husband,Ned Nwoko Loses At Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the election of Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party primary held on Oct. 2, 2018 for the Delta North Senatorial District and therefore duly elected on Feb. 23, 2019.

The Supreme Court five-man panel of Justices lead by Justice John Okoro dismissed the two suits filed by Chief Ned Nwoko for lack of jurisdiction.

In a unanimous decision, the apex court held that the originating summons filed by Nwoko on Dec. 11, 2018 at the Federal High Abuja was incompetent and that the trial court judge was therefore in error as the incompetent process had robbed the court of its jurisdiction.

Justice Okoro in the judgment, said: ”the originating summons is incompetent; judgment of the trial court is without jurisdiction’’.

”This court has raised the issue of jurisdiction suo moto (on its own) in the light of section 295(8) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) as to when the cause of action arose’’.

The appellant and indeed all parties agreed that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) declared Sen. Nwaoboshi winner of the primary election on Oct. 2, 2018 and that the declaration set off the action taken by the appellant.

“Nwoko was already aggrieved on Oct. 2, 2018 when the result was announced,’’ justice Okoro held.

He said that the argument by Nwoko ‘s lawyer that the cause of action was a continuous injury did not fly at all in the light of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution.

The amendment provides that pre-election matters should be filed within 14 days when the action, event and decision took place.

NAN reports that Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, granted the relief sought and declared Nwoko as senator -elect for Delta North district.

Aggrieved by the court’s decision Sen. Nwaoboshi approached the Court of Appeal and lodged an appeal.

The Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgment set aside the judgment of Federal High Court and struck out Nwoko’s suit for being statute barred at the time it was filed at the lower court.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Mohammed Idris held that “by the time the matter was instituted the action was statute barred having commenced outside the 14 days allowed by the law”

Dissatisfied with the decision Nwoko had brought the matter before the Supreme Court. But before the appeals could be argued the five justices of the apex court panel raised the issue of jurisdiction and asked the lawyers to address them.

Subsequent to this, the court delivered its judgement.

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Revealed:Buhari Has Houses In Kaduna,Katsina,Kano,Port Harcourt And Abuja

Claim by a former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, that President Muhammadu Buhari does not own a house in Abuja and Port Harcourt are not true

Kalu, who is the Chief Whip of the Senate, had, while addressing journalists on Saturday, said, “I have known him (Buhari) now for 32 years; he and former military President (Ibrahim) Babangida.

“He has not changed. Think of it… a man that ruled Nigeria as military head of state and has no house in Abuja or Lagos. He does not have a house in Port Harcourt or Ibadan.

“If you go to his house in Daura, it is the same house, the same small house he built long ago.

“The television I saw there when I went there last year for Sallah – that television must have been bought in 1973.”


However, checks show that Kalu’s claims are not completely true, as the President has five properties located variously in Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on September 3, 2015, the Presidency gave some details of what Buhari declared in his asset declaration form which was submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

The statement reads in part, “The (CCB) documents also revealed that President Buhari had a total of five homes, and two mud houses in Daura.

“He had two homes in Kaduna, one each in Kano, Daura (Katsina State) and in Abuja.

“One of the mud houses in Daura was inherited from his late older sister, another from his late father.

“He borrowed money from the old Barclays Bank to build two of his homes.

“President Buhari also has two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt. He is still trying to trace the location of the Port Harcourt land.

“In addition to the homes in Daura, he has farms, an orchard and a ranch.

“The total number of his holdings in the farm include 270 heads of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a variety of birds and a number of economic trees.

“The documents also showed that the retired General uses a number of cars, two of which he bought from his savings and the others supplied to him by the Federal Government in his capacity as former Head of State.

“The rest were donated to him by well-wishers after his jeep was damaged in a Boko Haram bomb attack on his convoy in July 2014.”

Source:Punch

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