05/24/18

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

US President Donald Trump informed Kim Jong Un Thursday he is canceling their nuclear summit next month in Singapore, blaming “anger” and “hostility” from the North Korean regime for the collapse of the historic event. 

Trump and Kim had been due to hold high-stakes talks on June 12 aimed at ridding the reclusive state of nuclear weapons, but the meeting was recently thrown into doubt as both sides raised the prospect of scrapping the discussions and traded threats.

Trump’s letter came a day after North Korea attacked US Vice President Mike Pence as “ignorant and stupid.”

“Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote in a letter to Kim released by the White House.

“Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place.”

Trump also brandished the threat of America’s nuclear might in his letter, writing: “You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.”

The US leader’s letter appeared to leave the door open to a future meeting with Kim, however, stressing that he had been “very much looking forward to being there.”

“We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions” relative to the summit, he told Kim.

“I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters,” Trump said. “If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write.

“The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.”

The decision came as North Korea said it had “completely” dismantled its nuclear test site, in a carefully choreographed move portrayed by the isolated regime as a goodwill gesture ahead of the Singapore summit.
AFP/LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.


The Mace of the Gombe State House Assembly has been stolen during a session to remove the Minority Leader.

The Minority Leader, Mohammed Usman Haruna, was reported to have held a press conference on May 5 condemning the ward congress of the All Progressives Congress in the state.

This angered members of the party in the Assembly, which is dominated by the People’s Democratic Party, and they moved to remove him. Five out of eight APC members had signed the motion for his removal.

But on Thursday, during the process for his removal, one of those who had endorsed his removal made a U-turn, saying he had been forced to endorse the motion under duress.

This led to an equal split of those for his removal and those against it. In the ensuing drama, a member of the Assembly reportedly made away with the mace aided by another lawmaker.

After the lawmaker exited the chamber with it, his accomplice held the door close to enable him to get away.

After the incident, the Majority Leader of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Mr Fabulous Amos, said those involved in the theft of the mace had been suspended.

“We have suspended them for four legislative days,” he said adding that the matter was referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

The committee was mandated to investigate the incident and report back to the Assembly on Monday, May 28.

Beyond the action being taken by the Assembly, the Gombe State Police Command is aware of the incident and plans to take appropriate action after failing to stop the lawmaker from getting away with the mace.

“The policemen (at the Assembly) made strenuous efforts professionally to stop the man who was going with the mace in his vehicle,” the Commissioner of Police in the state, Shina Olukoku, said.

“In addition to that, the tyres of the vehicles were professionally shot at to prevent the escape of the member who had the mace. Eventually, the vehicle was immobilised, and it stopped on the road. But he still succeeded in going away with the mace.”

According to the police commissioner, the police are “on top of the situation” and that they will recover the mace.


“We are trying to ensure that the mace is recovered as quickly as possible while working with the leadership of the House of Assembly as well as the party leadership in the state.”

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.


A Special Offences Court Sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has declared the Chairman of Innoson Motors Nig Ltd, Innocent Chukwuma, wanted following his continuous refusal to attend court proceedings for his alleged fraud trial.

Justice Mojisola Dada issued the bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for his arraignment for the fifth time.

Mr Chukwuma who is standing trial in a matter between his company and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously failed to make an appearance in court for his arraignment on Jan. 17, Feb. 9, March 14 and April 25.


He was arraigned alongside his company for allegedly forging documents to facilitate the clearing of some goods at the port.

Specifically, he was alleged to have forged documents purportedly emanating from GTB Bank.

The issue, however, degenerated as Innoson alleged victimization and harassment by the EFCC and GTB Bank.

During the proceedings of March 14, it was revealed that Innoson had petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) over Justice Mojisola Dada, the judge trying the case.

At today’s proceedings, the EFCC Counsel, Anselem Ozioko said, “this appears to be the fifth time this matter is coming up before your Lordship for arraignment.

“The learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria representing the second defendant (Innoson) is still insisting on taking his application without ensuring the defendant is physically present in court.

“The question is, where is the second defendant? Is he too big for the court? Is he too big for the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Is he too big because he has money? Where is he?

“What my learned friends, the defence counsel are doing is contemptuous.

“We shall be applying for an order to declare the second defendant wanted,” he said.

In granting Ozioko’s request, Justice Dada said, “The second defendant is hereby declared wanted and the case adjourned until June 22 for possible arraignment.”
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Kano Ex-Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau


A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has granted bail to the former State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau.

Shekarau was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside two others; a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Bashir Wali and Mansur Ahmed before Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar.

They were arraigned on 6 counts of conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N950,000,000.

The defendants were said to have collected the sum of N950,000,000; part of the $115,000,000, allegedly distributed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Allison Madueke for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the 2015 general election.

The EFCC further alleged that the said money was shared among the PDP chieftains without going through a financial institution, in violation of provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.

One of the charges read, “You Ibrahim Shekarau, Aminu Bashir Wali on or about the 27th March, 2015 within the Kano Judicial division of the Federal High Court , retain, took possession and control of the cash sum of N950,000,000 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira only), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of an unlawful act of Deizani Allison Madueke to wit: gratification, commits an offence contrary to Section of 15 (1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act”.

All the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Subsequently, the counsel for the prosecution, Johnson Ojogbane pleaded with the court for a trial date in view of the plea of the defendants.

The defence counsel Ologunolisa Sam, (SAN) moved bail application on behalf of his clients, urging the court to admit them to bail on self-recognizance.

Ojogbane, on the other hand, responded with 19 paragraph counter affidavit urging the court to refuse bail.

After listening to the arguments by the parties, Justice Abubakar granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000,000 each and two sureties in like sum.


One of the sureties shall be a civil servant in either federal or state service not below the rank of director.

While the other surety is expected to own a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

The court also ruled that the sureties must swear an affidavit of means while the Certificate of Occupancy in respect of the landed property shall be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court.

Also, the defendants were ordered to submit their international passports to Deputy Chief Registrar.

The matter was then adjourned till June 26, 2018, for the commencement of trial.

Earlier, it was reported that the police had to fire to teargas to disperse excited protesters.

Prior to the ruling, they were seen carrying placards bearing different inscriptions as they accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of victimising the former governor.

Subsequently, there was a celebration in the air as the former governor was granted bail. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Ex-IGP, Musiliu Smith

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has appointed former Inspector-General of Police, Musiliu Smith, as Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC.

Smith’s name has been forwarded to the Senate for approval as he will succeed former IGP and Chairman, PSC, Mike Okiro.

Buhari also appointed five others as members of the PSC.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who read a letter from President Buhari on Thursday for the upper chamber to confirm the new appointee, also said five other members of the PSC have also been forwarded for approval.

Okiro had been serving as Chairman, PSC since May 2013 when he was appointed by former President, Goodluck Jonathan. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Doctors have confirmed that three people with Ebola have fled the hospital in DR Congo on Wednesday.
Two of them have died after returning home, Doctors without Borders (MSF) said.
“Between Sunday May 20 and Tuesday May 22, three patients voluntarily left the isolation unit at Wangata hospital” in Mbandaka, Henry Gray, the agency’s emergency intervention coordinator in that city, said in a statement.
“The first patient, who was on the brink of being cured, left the hospital on Sunday evening,” he said.
“The two others left the facility with their families on Monday night. One of them died at home, and his body was returned to the health centre for a secure burial,” Gray said.
“The second was taken back to the centre yesterday morning and died during the night.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo announced on May 8 that there had been cases of the notorious haemorrhagic fever in a remote northwestern district called Bikoro.
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DR Congo authorities confirm Ebola case in Mbandaka
Last Thursday, the first case was reported in a city — in Mbandaka, a transport hub located on the Congo River.
Twenty-seven people have died out of 58 cases, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) toll.
Lacking a licensed drug to treat the contagious disease, doctors use tried-and-trusted measures to contain its spread by quarantining patients and tracing those who have been in contact with them.
MSF, which supports the hospital in Wangata, said it was important to understand that “forced hospitalisation” would not work.
“The commitment of the patient” to being quarantined “is fundamental,” it said, highlighting the need for public awareness on how to halt the outbreak.
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Minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun

Federal, states and local governments have shared N701 billion as revenue for the month of April, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, said.
Isa-Dutse told newsmen that the amounts shared were the outcome of Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting.
Giving a breakdown of the revenue accrued in April, the permanent secretary said mineral revenue increased by N50.7 billion, that is from N360.51 billion in March to N411.2 billion in April.
He added that non-mineral revenue also increased by N81.25 billion, from N120 billion in March to N201.3 billion in April.
He noted that Value Added Tax (VAT) collected increased from N80.35 billion in March to N83.4 billion in April.
He indicated that “gross statutory revenue of N613 billion received for the month was higher than the N480.59 billion received in previous month by N132.45 billion.
“Crude oil sales volume increased by 64 per cent, compared with 7.72 million barrels from the previous month, resulting in increased revenue from the Federation Crude Oil Export Sales by 226.90 million dollars.
“Also, average crude oil price increased from 65.7 dollars to 66.78 dollars per barrel.
“Performance for the month in review would have been better but for a few production shut-ins and shut-downs at various terminals for repairs and maintenance.”
Isa-Dutse said looking at the significant increase in revenues, the federal, states and local government decided to save some of the month’s revenue for rainy day.
To this end, the permanent secretary said, N24.5 billion would be converted and added into the dollars denominated Excess Crude Account.
He added that “based on increased revenue for the month and after due consultation, it has been decided that we will take out N24.5 billion and credit it into the Excess Crude Account.
“This brings the Excess Crude Oil Account balance to 1.11 billion dollars and the Excess Petroleum Profit Tax Account is 0.133 billion dollars,” he said.
In summary, Isa-Dutse said, N276.53 billion was allocated to Federal Government, N140.2 billion to states and N108.1 billion was allocated to local governments.
On the issue of reconciliation of accounts with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Isa-Dutse said it was ongoing.
He explained that reconciliation of monies collected by revenue generating agencies was also ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Finance Commissioner’s Forum, Mr Mahmud Yunusa, said states were planning to contest the current revenue sharing formula.
He said it was not fair that Federal Government should take the lion share of the revenue “when states and local governments were closer to the people.
“We are clamouring for review of the revenue sharing formula because most people reside in states and local governments.
“The Federal Government only controls Abuja but where the real Nigerians reside are states and local governments.
“So, we believe they should have more revenues so that they can work better, so that the people will feel the impact and presence of government.”
Yunusa said states would soon make their demand formal so that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) would begin the process of reviewing the current revenue sharing formula.
Currently, the country is operating on a revenue allocation formula of; Federal Government — 52.68 per cent, State Governments — 26.72 per cent and Local Governments — 20.60 per cent.
Also, 13 per cent of the oil and gas federally collected revenue is given to oil producing states and communities as derivation revenue to compensate for ecological risks of oil production.
This formula was designed during the President Olusegun Obasanjo Administration.
However in 2015, the RMAFC saw the need to review the formula for balanced development of the country, hence it embarked on nationwide sensitisation tour to the 36 states of the federation to campaign for review.
The result was later submitted to former President Goodluck Jonathan, though it was never made public. LR News
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