FORMER governor of Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, yesterday gave an insight into why he mobilized Igbo leaders in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to endorse the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), saying the people of the South-East must not put their eggs in one basket.

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said about $20 trillion had been stolen from the treasury by leaders who had access to the nation’s money between 1960 and 2005.

IN just a matter of three days the long anticipated 2015 elections would have been under way. What took several years of arduous planning and billions of tax payers’ money that both the government and the election planners may never be able to account for would have come. Six weeks ago Nigerians felt ready for the elections before top members of the Jonathan administration engineered a shift in the electoral date.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Monday, arraigned one Nwakanma Chukwudi before Justice D. V. Agishir of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, on a 12-count charge bordering on cyber crime, obtaining money by false pretence and impersonation.

Maiduguri—A 38-year-old woman (names withheld), who escaped from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, Monday, said yesterday that hundreds of women kidnapped by Boko Haram sect were still trapped and kept in various houses in the town.

ABEOKUTA—Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, raised alarm of a rumour that the Jonathan administration planned to hand over to the military if he loses next Saturday’s presidential election, warning that this would undermine the integrity of Nigeria among the comity of nations.

Lagos—The deployment of soldiers to Lagos streets ahead of Saturday’s Presidential election is eliciting mixed reactions among residents in the state.

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has directed some systemically important bank considered too big to fail, that are short of capital to submit recapitalization plans to it by June 13th.

LAGOS—Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday alleged that some Yoruba leaders collected money from some politicians, with the aim of persuading their subjects to vote for the financiers.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar yesterday frontally dismissed insinuations of his possible endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term as he affirmed that only General Muhammadu Buhari could tackle the critical problems facing the country.

A foreign correspondent first called my attention to it. We were at the same party in Lagos. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, in a tone that suggested conspiracy and/or gossip, asking if I had heard about the missing $49.8 bn at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). There was a glint in his eye. A knowing look and a half smile that said: “after all this is Nigeria and so we love to give headline coverage to the negative – theft, corruption, sleaze etc.” I pointed at the glass in his hand and asked him if he had been drinking a little too much.

“When I was growing up in Otuoke, a small town in Bayelsa, as the son of a boat builder, life was hard. Of nine children to my parents, only two of us survived. But I had the chance to go to school. Many did not. I worked at my studies. God smiled on me. I am here today as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I tell you now: there is not a moment that I forget where I come from, or how tough life can be for so many of us

Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, adjourned 10 separate suits that are seeking to disqualify the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Major-General Mohammadu Buhari, rtd, from participating in the March 28 presidential election, for hearing today.

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, promised to ensure the creation of an additional state in the South-East and also address issues of infrastructure decay in the zone if re-elected.

Allegations levelled against the Federal Government by Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola over the fate of the Lekki Deep Seaport project has been described as false.