News In Brief Today 21/04/16

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. As the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki continues, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Michael Wetkas, yesterday disclosed that some documents of the transactions on the foreign bank accounts of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, were allegedly burnt in a fire incident at the Guaranteed Trust Bank, GTB. He told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), while being cross examined by Paul Usoro, one of the counsels to Saraki.

2. The Defence Headquarters has disclosed how Boko Haram terrorists recruit unsuspecting youths into their fold by offering them juicy loans.
This was contained in a statement by the Acting Director, Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar. He said the loans were merely to entice the youth to join the group.

3. The Senate presided by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu had on Wednesday announced that the amendment of CCB and CCT Act had been suspended forthwith. The Senate also unanimously resolved after a closed door session that reports of Petitions, Ethics, and Privileges on Senator Kabiru Marafa, who had been having running battle with the leadership of Saraki since inception of the 8th Senate, had also been put on hold.

4. The abducted Enugu State auditor, Ogbobe Stephen, who was allegedly whisked away by Fulani herdsmen on Saturday along Nsukka- Adani highway has regained his freedom after a ransom was paid. Report claims that a ransom of N700,000 was paid before his release.

5. The national and ward congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been rescheduled. The new timetable for congresses was contained in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh on Wednesday.

6. The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, has disclosed that the Federal Government will begins payment of staff salaries by the 25th of every month, as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari. He said the practice will start by the end of the month.

7. The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has reacted to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, which denied that the agency decorated him as its Anti-Corruption Ambassador. In a statement issued on Wednesday night by Uche Anichukwu, his media adviser, Ekweremadu insisted that the EFCC Liaison Officer to the National Assembly, Mr. Suleiman Bakari, and his team, applied for and subsequently paid a courtesy call on him in his office on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. He also insisted that he was decorated as an Anti-Corruption Ambassador of the EFCC.”

8. National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cheif John Odigie-Oyegun, has debunked media reports that the party would sacrifice the senate presidency on the altar of change. Odigie-Oyegun while speaking to newsmen at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday said he was misunderstand as his statement was clear on that fact that the party was never going to give up the leadership of the Senate.

9. A patient at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, has reportedly died of Lassa fever. Consequent upon the development, all ‎doctors, nurses and other auxiliary staff of the hospital who had contact with him at the theatre and ICU have been quarantined and closely monitored for symptoms of the hemorrhagic disease in the hospital.

10. Report has claimed that two Policemen were crushed to death by a hit-and-run vehicle in Lafia on Wednesday. The men were reportedly returning from their duty post along Shendam road, Lafia, on a motor cycle and were knocked down by an unknown driver that sped away. The development was confirmed by Shehu-Batsari, Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State.

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