Embattled former Managing Director of Bank PHB Plc, Mr. Francis Atuche, yesterday, asked Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court to disqualify himself from his (Atuche) ongoing trial before the court.

NATIONAL President of the Niger Delta Youth Movement, NDYM, Mr. Godspower Odenema, yesterday, urged the Federal Government and the international community to call Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to order over its insistence on selling some of its oil wells in the Niger Delta region.

A fingerprint expert, Prof. Patrick Igbigbii, yesterday, told the Delta State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba, that a forensic analysis of the ballot papers used by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the January 6 governorship re-run in the state showed that 55 per cent of the ballot papers had blurred fingerprints.

THE Senate, yesterday, rejected the nomination of former Minister of Water Resources, Dr. Obadiah Ando, just as it confirmed former Head of Service, Ms Ama Pepple from Rivers State as minister.

My father was, however, not a uniform wearing police officer or, rather he did wear the police uniform for a relatively short period. Most times he wore uniform but only to be photographed on attainment of a new rank. In the three decades or so he spent in the Force he worked in the inner sanctum of the investigative arm of the Nigeria Police at Alagbon Close in Ikoyi, Lagos.

THE Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd) yesterday gave an insight into the emergence of the deadly Islamic sect, Boko Haram, saying that the group used to function as a political thuggery cell to a former governor of Borno State.

The Nigerian contingent to the 5th World Military Games flew out of the country for Rio de Janeiro , Brazil last night.

In its determination to force the public and private sectors to implement the new national minimum wage law, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, extended its ultimatum to the federal, state and local governments by one week.

The Nigeria Football Federation said on Monday that it shared in the disappointment of the generality of Nigerians over the failure of the National U-23 team, otherwise known as Dream Team, to qualify for this year’s All-Africa Games Men’s Football Tournament.

The leadership of the House of Representatives has expressed its commitment to consider and adopt proposals for increased transparency and accountability in the affairs of the House presented to it on Thursday 7 July by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

Top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation have admitted that the under-23 side let Nigerians down during their game against Ghana’s Black Meteors in Sunday’s 2011 All Africa games qualifier in Kumasi, Ghana.

Two suspected armed robbers were in the early hours of yesterday roasted alive in Owerri by an angry mob that caught them in the act.

Following last Sunday’s downpour in Lagos, seven additional bodies were yesterday recovered in a canal around Aboru in Iyana-Ipaja area of the state even as President Goodluck Jonathan has called for comprehensive review of the Erosion and Flood Control Policy in view of the increasing incidents of flood across the country especially in Lagos State.

THE announcement of Senator Joy Ifeyinwa Emodi as the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters came as a relief and source of delight and satisfaction to the numerous well wishers and admirers of this outstanding politician.

MORE victims of Sunday’s heavy downpour that wreaked havoc in parts of the country, have been uncovered in Okesa area of Ilesa, Osun State, as corpses of two brothers have been recovered from a building that collapsed during the rain.