June 27, 2014

Page 1

Newspaper of the Year

Abacha loot: Govt to recover $930m more NEWS Page 4

•‘Why we withdrew case from court’

Eagles refuse to train over $2m players’ fee SPOR TS Page 63 SPORTS

•Enyeama, Yobo, Mikel lead protest

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 9, NO. 2890 FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2014

T

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Ekiti: APC for court on eight constitutional breaches

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) insisted yesterday that the process leading to the just-concluded Ekiti State governorship poll was not free and fair. The APC said a Special Task Force, comprising security agencies, was used to manipulate the poll in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It queried what it de-

From Yusuf Alli and John Ofikhenua, Abuja

scribed as the meddlesomeness of Defence Minister Musiliu Obanikoro and his Police Affairs counterpart, Jelili Adesiyan, in the poll. The party will challenge eight constitutional breaches noticed during the countdown and the conduct of the election. National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed stated

SOME OF THE BREACHES

•militarisation of the state •police attack on APC supporters •arrest and detention of leaders •compromise by security operatives •use of huge funds to induce voters •abuse of national institutions e.g. Aviation •setting up of a Special Task Force for PDP the party’s position at a briefing at the end of the inaugural meeting of the National

Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja. The party listed eight con-

stitutional breaches which it would contest in court. They are: • militarisation of the state; •police attack on APC supporters; •arrest and detention of leaders across the state; •compromise by security operatives; •use of huge funds to induce voters; •abuse of national institutions, like aviation;

•setting up of a Special Task Force to do the bidding of PDP; and •skewing everything in favour of the PDP by the Federal authorities. Mohammed said: “It is no longer news that the governorship election in Ekiti State has been won and lost, and that our candidate, Governor Kayode Fayemi, has shown rare Continued on page 4

Abuja blast death toll hits 23 Boy Joshua back with dad More explosives recovered from two suspects From Gbenga Omokhunu, Vincent Ikuomola, Faith Yahaya and Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

B

URNT vehicle engines – remains of what used to be cars – grounds strewn with personal effects, caked blood and people wondering why it all happened. That was the situation yesterday at the scene of Wednesday’s Abuja bombing in which no fewer than 23 people died – going by latest figures. The death toll in the Wuse II Plaza bombing rose by two, as the effect of the third terrorist attack in two months sank in. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. One person each died at the National Hospital and the Maitama Hospital - two of the hospitals where survivors were taken. Family members besieged the major hospitals in search of their loved ones. Some of them went through difficult times in the hands of security men before gaining access to the hospitals. It also emerged yesterday that there was an intelligence report on the blast two weeks ago. The ever-busy EMAB Plaza, scene of the blast, was a ghost of itself yesterday. Security operatives prevented access to the place. Vice President Namadi Sambo led other top government officials to inspect the blast site. Continued on page 4

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WHERE ARE THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15?

INSIDE •Anger over explosion •Sambo: it’s evil •Mark, others warn •UN, NBA, others kick •Insecurity: African leaders okay force •AND MORE ON P AGES 2-4,6,57&59 PA

•SCENE OF HORR OR: Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh HORROR: (right) watching the wreckage of the car believed to have been used for the bombing...yesterday PHOTOS:ABAYOMI FAYESE

I went to a barbing salon there to barb my hair. I was there when a red car parked; it was a Toyota Sunny car. The person immediately left the car and went away and within five minutes, the bomb exploded. The blast affected my mouth and some other parts of my body

•A survivor at the Maitama Hospital...yesterday

•HOUSE HALTS CBN ON BUREAUX DE CHANGE P53 •’STATES CAN CREATE COUNCILS’ P6


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