The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, is of the opinion that Nigerian presidents have no need to travel abroad for medical treatments, following the inauguration of the 21 billion naira Presidential Wing of the State House Medical Centre. Mrs Buhari stated this when she joined President Muhammadu Buhari and other dignitaries for the commissioning ceremony of the facility situated in the premises of Presidential Villa, Abuja.   The president’s wife told State House correspondents that she established the idea of the wing six years ago, after the extensive stay of her husband abroad, for medical treatment.   She assured that with the facility in place, Nigerian Presidents and their family members will no longer need to go abroad for treatment but may only fly medical experts to assist their colleagues in the country.

  With exactly a week left to vacate the presidential quarters, the presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina has written a farewell post reliving his experience in the villa stating that he did not and was yet to experience the evil spirits Reuben Abati wrote about. According to him, contrary to the claims of the former resident of the villa, he did not experience the evil spirits that the former media aide wrote about in 2016. In a lengthy Facebook post where Adesina said revealed that he’d be vacating the presidential quarters on the 26th of May, he also made it known that all his experiences were exactly opposite of what his predecessor had written about. He wrote, “My predecessor in office (read, ancestor) Dr Reuben Abati, had alleged that Aso Villa is haunted, and should be turned to a museum. Abandoned. True? I didn’t see any of his rather wild claims, not in eight years. He referenced Abati’s seven-year-old post where Abati had claimed that a pastor had informed him that the villa was full of evil spirits and even a word that there would soon be a fire accident which eventually came to pass. But speaking about his eight-year experience in the villa, the seasoned editor wrote, “Fire accidents in the Villa? I lived there for eight years. And not even a knockout exploded. Reason to be thankful to God. A good in goodbye.” Further on Abati’s statement that someone always died in the presidential villa, Adesina “True? False. To the glory of God, I never experienced anything like this. Human beings normally face one vicissitude or the other, it is part of life. But God equally spares His own. No ailment to nurse, other than things typical of aspiring senior citizens like me. And nothing died under the waist. Lol” Also contrary to the experience of Abati where he wrote that “I never slept in the apartment they gave me in that Villa for an hour,” Adesina said his experience was glorious, adding that “…I snored, even so loudly to wake myself up. So, it’s really different strokes for different folks. And it really has nothing to do with Aso Villa.”

  Conjoined Nigerian twins, Hassanah and Hasina have been successfully seperated after a 14 hour operation in Saudi Arabia. Born on January 12, 2022, in Kaduna, Hassana and Hassina, shared an abdomen, pelvis, liver, intestines, and urinary and reproductive systems. According to Arab News, 85-member specialist medical team successfully completed seven of eight stages of the surgery at the King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children in King Abdulaziz Medical City. The conjoined twins and their parents were airlifted to Riyadh on November 9, 2022, on the approval of the King to conduct their separation at the expense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. were airlifted to Riyadh on November 9, 2022, on the approval of the King to conduct their separation at the expense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.   Saudi-bound widower nabbed with cocaine concealed in fabrics Before the operation began, the leader of the surgical team, Dr Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, an advisor to the Saudi Royal Court and supervisor-general of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Cente said the operation would include eight stages. Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian initiatives have previously assisted with 130 cases of conjoined twins from 23 countries over a period of 33 years, and Hassana and Hassina will be the 56th set of twins to be separated as a result, Arab News said. Nigeria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yahaya Lawal, thanked the leadership of the Kingdom for their kind humanitarian gesture extended to these conjoined twins.

  Three men have been executed on Friday, following their judicial conviction of killing security force members during protests triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death last year, the judiciary said. This has drawn condemnation from rights groups across the globe. The judiciary’s Mizan Online news website said, “Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaghoubi were found guilty of ‘moharebeh’ — or waging ‘war against God’ — for shooting dead three members of the security forces at a demonstration in the central city of Isfahan on November 16. The three men were found guilty of “moharebeh” — or waging “war against God” — for shooting dead three members of the security forces at a demonstration in the central city of Isfahan on November 16, the judiciary’s Mizan Online news website said. Iran witnessed waves of nationwide protests following the September 16 death of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd who had been arrested for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules for women. Thousands of Iranians were arrested and hundreds killed including dozens of security forces in a protest which Tehran generally labelled as foreign-instigated “riots.” Kazemi, Mirhashemi and Yaghoubi were charged with membership of “illegal groups with the intention of disrupting national security and collusion leading to crimes against internal security,” Mizan said. They were arrested in November and sentenced to death in January. In total, the number of Iranians executed in connection with the demonstrations have gone up to seven, including Friday’s hangings. According to human rights groups including Amnesty International. Iran executes more people a year than any other nation except China, Mizan disclosed that “evidence and documents in the case and the clear statements made by the accused” showed that “the shootings carried out by these three people led to the martyrdom of three security forces.” Surge in executions A video shared on social media on Friday showed Tehran residents chanting “Death to the Islamic republic” and other anti-regime slogans. AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage from the capital’s Ekbatan district, a middle-income area that saw repeated anti-regime actions in the past months. The cases of the three men have caused concern abroad, including in Australia where some of Kazemi’s family live. His cousin Mohammad Hashemi wrote an open letter to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong asking for her support. “Majid is only 30 years old. He is a compassionate, loving, and strong-willed person. He, like many other Iranians, participated in peaceful demonstrations to raise his voice and demand change,” Hashemi wrote in the letter, published on the petition website change.org. Wong on Friday condemned the execution, which she said “exemplifies the regime’s brutality against its people”. “Australia stands with the people of Iran,” Wong tweeted. The authorities last year carried out the executions of four protesters, prompting international condemnation. Since the start of the year, Iran has witnessed a surge in executions on various charges to campaigners’ alarm. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights said, the latest executions “must have serious consequences” for Tehran or dozens of “other protesters will be in danger.” “We must make the Islamic republic leaders understand that execution of protesters will not be tolerated,” he said on Twitter. The authorities hanged 75 percent more people in 2022 than the previous year, IHR and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty said in a joint report in April. At least 582 people were executed in Iran last year, the highest number of executions in the country since 2015 and well above the 333 recorded in 2021, the two groups said. But the frenetic pace of executions in 2023 has not slowed, with IHR recently counting over 220 executions so far this year. Norway-based rights group, Hengaw, decried an “unfathomable wave of executions in Iran,” urging in a Twitter message “special attention from human rights organisations as well as Western governments.” Advocacy groups have warned that members of ethnic minorities have been disproportionately targeted in the current wave of executions. Earlier this month, UN rights chief Volker Turk sounded the alarm over Iran’s “abominable” track record this year, with an average of more than 10 people being put to death each week.

  The Anambra police command says it has rescued two abducted staff of the US consulate. Ikenga Tochukwu, Anambra police spokesperson, said the rescue took place in the early hours of Friday. On Tuesday, gunmen attacked a convoy conveying staff of the US consulate, officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and some civilians. More to follow…

  Details have emerged on the lawsuit instituted by the Governor-elect of Enugu State, Dr. Peter, against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, as he demands N20 billion in general and exemplary damages against the Defendants “jointly/severally; for conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts”. Recall that Justice Inyang Ekwo had on Monday, upon a motion ex-parte by Mbah’s counsel, Emeka Ozoani (SAN), sequel to the lawsuit, made “An order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants and Respondents whether by themselves, their directors, officers, servants, legal representatives, counsel or any other person or persons howsoever described and connected, from issuing, publishing or continued to issue, publish disclaimer to the effect that the NYSC certificate of National Service dated 6th January, 2003, certificate No. A808297 issued to the Plaintiff Barrister Mbah Peter Ndubuisi, in accordance with Section 11 of the NYSC Decree No. 51 of 1993 was not issued by NYSC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this suit”. However, it has emerged that besides the N20 billion damages pressed, Mbah, in the writ of summons by his counsel, is equally seeking a declaration that he participated in the NYSC scheme for one calendar year vide a call-up letter number FRN/2001/800351; Lagos code LA/01/1532 and upon completion was issued certificate of National Service No. A808297. The writ also seeks: “A declaration that the Defendants (NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification) conspired by fraudulent design, suppressed and misrepresented facts in supposition that the Plaintiff’s certificate of National Service with number A808297 was not issued by the Defendants, a fact they knew or ought to know as untrue, incorrect, which act constitutes an act of conspiracy. “A declaration that the Defendants were negligent and maliciously misrepresented facts, which facts the Defendants know or ought to know as untrue and ought reasonably to have foreseen that damages would flow from such negligent misrepresentation of material facts. “A declaration that the predominant purpose of the deceitful misrepresentation… was intended albeit to inflict damages in legal profession, politics, business, as it was to unlawfully profit the defendants. “An order that the Plaintiff’s certificate of National Service number A808297 is authentic and was validly issued by the 1st defendant. “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants either jointly/severally, their officers, servants in whatsoever manner and howsoever called from disclaiming/resiling/repudiating the certificate of National Service No. A808297 issued to the plaintiff, Barrister Peter Ndubuisi Mbah”. Meanwhile, in the affidavit in support of the Motion on Notice deposed by Grace Udeagha, a legal practitioner, the Governor-elect’s lawyers, Emeka Ozoani (SAN) and Co., stated, among others, that Mbah, “after graduating in Law from the University of East London in 2000, returned to Nigeria and as prerequisite to practice as a barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar Part I programme of the Nigerian Law School”. She further deposed: “That the plaintiff upon completing the Bar Part I exam had to wait for the Bar Part II programme. He was advised that instead of idling away to proceed on the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps Programme. “That the plaintiff in view of the above was called up for the NYSC and was deployed to Lagos State, with the following particulars: Mbah Peter Ndubuisi; Call up letter No 01134613; reference No NYSC/FRN/2001/800351….   “The Plaintiff/Applicant by letter dated 11th March, 2002, addressed to the Director, NYSC, Lagos State, Udeh & Associates accepted the Plaintiff’s posting/service vide Lagos State NYSC code LA/01/1532, NYSC No. NYSC/FRN/O1/800351… “That the plaintiff in the course of his NYSC programme aforesaid and after six months of NYSC, the Nigerian law School scheduled the commencement of the Bar Part II programme usually called Bar Final for which the Plaintiff was offered admission to the Nigerian Law School. By a letter dated 20th June 2002, the plaintiff applied to the State Director, NYSC, for deferment of NYSC year 2001/2002 (annexed and marked as exhibit H. “Pursuant to paragraph 12 and by a letter dated 01/10/02 from the NYSC Directorate headquarters vide Ref: NYSC/DHQ/CM/M/27 approved the Plaintiff’s application for deferment of NYSC Ref: LA/01/1532 of 6th August, 2002 (annexed and marked as exhibit I). “That the Plaintiff by a letter of 3/04/2003 written in long hand through the State Director, Lagos State, to the Director-General, NYSC, National Directorate headquarters, Garki Abuja, applied for re-mobilisation, having successfully completed his Bar Final exam (letter dated 24/4/2003 annexed and marked exhibit J)”. Continuing, Udeagha further deposed that by a letter from the Director, Lagos State NYSC Ref LA/01/1532/T dated 24/4/2003, to the Director-General, National Directorate headquarters, Area 3, Garki Abuja, the National Directorate headquarters wrote back stating, “I am directed to refer to your letter of 24th April, Reference No. LA/01/1532/T on the above subject matter and to request you to re-instate the corps member to continue his service year from where he stopped, with effect from May 2003”.   She explained that the “T” was inserted as the last alphabet in the referencing implied “Temporary). She also deposed: “That pursuant to paragraph 16, the law firm of Udeh & Associates accepted the Plaintiff and he resumed duty on 27/05/2003. The said letter of acceptance and assumption of duty in the law firm of Udeh & Associates is hereby annexed and marked as exhibit M. “That the plaintiff upon acceptance by the law firm of Udeh & Associates and assumption of duty in the said office was regularly issued with clearance letters to enable him receive monthly allowances. The letters were issued in chronological order thus: Letter dated 26th June for payment of allowance for the month of May and June, 2003; Letter dated 29th August, 2003, for payment for the months of July and August, 2003; letter dated 8th September, 2003 for payment of September, 2003. “That the final letter issued to the plaintiff was dated 16th September, 2003. In the said letter, the plaintiff was recommended most