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The panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to probe the December 10, 2016 re-run elections in Rivers State, said, yesterday, that an alleged sum of N360 million was given as bribe by the state government to 23 electoral officers to influence the election. Rivers State government in a swift reaction, dismissed the money evidence presented to the police panel as a cheap blackmail, even as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, welcomed the police panel report, saying it would help it cleanse its system. Meanwhile, presenting the report of the joint Police and Department of State Security, DSS, team, led by Mr Damian Okoro, a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Abuja yesterday, it said out of the alleged N360m bribe, N111million and N300,000 were recovered from the electoral officers. Okoro said investigations revealed that each electoral officer got N15m, while the three senior electoral officers for the senatorial zones received an extra N5m

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the receipt of President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter to extend his 10-day vacation in UK. Aliyu Sabi, spokesperson of the senate, made this known to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. Mr. Sabi said that the letter did not specify when the president would return to the country. “You will recall that we received a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari before suspending plenary to attend to the budget. “In the letter dated January18, he informed the senate that he was proceeding on a 10-day vacation and for medical checkup. “He also stated very clearly that in his absence, the Vice President will be in charge of the affairs of the country. “We are also in receipt of a second letter informing us that he is extending his vacation because in the course of the routine checkup, his doctors recommended more checkups,“ he said. Mr. Sabi said further that he was not privy to when the letter was transmitted to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki. He sai

The Action Congress (AC) has renewed its call on the federal government to give Nigerians a daily update on the health of President Umaru Yar’Adua to stem the growing rumours surrounding his state of health. In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, December 21, 2009 by its national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said the current situation whereby ministers and aides of the president give out uncoordinated information on his health, is doing more harm than good. “It is clear to discerning Nigerians that those pretending to speak authoritatively on the president’s health are deceiving the public, since they are neither well informed on the issue nor competent to speak on it,” Alhaji Mohammed wrote. “Therefore, a daily briefing by the minister of information, based on authentic details provided by the president’s doctors, should start forthwith. “As we have said many times, the health of the president, as a public figure can no longer be of interest only to his fami

The number of billionaires in Africa--and the size of their fortunes--continues to drop. On this year's list, FORBES is only including African billionaires living in Africa, instead of featuring Africa's 50 richest people. There are 21 billionaires on this year’s list, worth a combined $70 billion. On the November 2015 Africa Rich List, there were 23 African billionaires worth a combined $79.8 billion. That in turn was down from 28 African billionaires in 2014. Nigerian cement tycoon Aliko Dangote remains Africa’s richest person for the sixth year running with a $12.1 billion fortune, despite a nearly $5 billion drop in his net worth for the second year in a row. Dangote is joined by just two other Nigerian billionaires on this year’s list -- telecom tycoon Mike Adenuga, who is Africa’s third richest person with an estimated $5.8 billion fortune, and oil billionaire Folorunsho Alakija, who has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion. Two Nigerians dropped off the Billionaires

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday said he bore no grudge against those who criticised him while in office. Writing on his Facebook Page, Mr. Jonathan said those apologising to him for criticising him during his tenure needed not do so because they only performed their civic duties at the time. “There is no need for forgiveness because you did not commit any sin against me,” the former president said. “I never felt offended or held a grudge.” Mr. Jonathan was reacting to a tweet by one Mohammad Deedee who asked the former president to forgive him for criticising him on November 20, 2014, when the Nigerian naira exchanged for 180 to a dollar and 280 to a pound. “Today a dollar is N180 and a pound is N280. Hope you have a family… This is really the transformation agenda. GEJ has finished Nigeria,” Mr. Deedee, who tweets from the handle @deee009, posted at the time. That post was an instant hit, getting 980 retweets, 159 replies and 150 likes. But the dollar now exchanges