The Late 5: IGP orders withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs, politicians, Sagay vows to reveal Saraki’s allowances, and other top stories

These are the top five Nigerian stories that drove conversation today.

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on Monday ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons and political office holders.

Idris announced this in Abuja during a conference with senior officers.

He said the directive also affected private businessmen, multi-national companies and other corporate organizations.

He announced that a task force had been constituted at the Force headquarters under the command of ACP Mohammed Dankwara to ensure compliance to the directive.


Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , Nuhu Ribadu has said the commission is going through hell.

Ribadu was speaking at an anti-corruption town hall meeting tagged ‘A spanner in the wheel of corruption’, organised by the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation in Abuja, on Monday.

He said law enforcement agencies must support the EFCC for the war against corruption to be successful.

“The EFCC alone has over 3800 ongoing corruption cases in the courts, not to talk of other cases,” he said, adding: “but they have their hands full.

“They (EFCC) has done fairly well. You need to see what these people go through to get one case to court. It is hell. Because some people will do everything possible to make sure you don’t drag them to court. They do not even sleep,” he said.


The last batch of 108 Nigerian police officers has been withdrawn from the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) after five years of service.

UNMIL said the remaining 108 Nigerian FPU officers, the last UNMIL uniformed contingent remaining in Liberia, withdrew as part of the UN mission’s termination.

The batch of 200 Nigerian peacekeepers withdrew from Liberia in February as part of the termination of the mission’s mandate, scheduled on March 30, the mission said.

“The Nigerian contingent has been deployed in Liberia since UNMIL was first established in 2003,” the mission said in a statement .


The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has said the polity will explode when he releases details of the allowances of the principal officers of the National Assembly.

While speaking to Punch, the N13m allowances being received by senators is only a tip of the iceberg.

He said, “There are many things the press doesn’t know yet. If you come to know the allowances that the leadership of the two houses are getting… My God! It will blow up the country. What is the Senate President getting? It is not the ordinary N13m.”


The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has predicted that Nigeria will be able to generate 100,000 megawatts of power by 2030.

Eli Bala, ECN director-general, made this known on Monday in an interview with NAN.

He said the projection would be possible with an annual economic growth rate of seven percent and steady implementation of the national energy plan by the federal ministry of power, works and housing.

“With the incremental power programme; every time, every year, we must have an increment in power generation,” he said.


And now, stories from around the world…

The UK and EU have agreed on a “large part” of the agreement that will lead to the “orderly withdrawal” of the UK.

Brexit negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis said the deal on what the UK calls the implementation period was a “decisive step”.

But issues still to be resolved include the Northern Ireland border.

The transitional period is set to last from 29 March, 2019 to December 2020, and is intended to smooth the path to a future permanent relationship.


Vladimir Putin has said he is open to “constructive” dialogue with other states after being re-elected president of Russia with an increased majority.

“But of course that doesn’t depend on us alone,” he added. “Just as in love, both sides must show an interest or there will be no love.”

Saying there would be no “arms race”, he promised to cut defence spending.

Mr Putin officially won more than 76% of the vote in an election from which the main opposition leader was barred.


Police in Austin, Texas, have said four explosions that have rocked the city, killing two people, are believed to be the work of a serial bomber.

The latest explosion on Sunday night, which injured two white men, aged 22 and 23, may have been activated by a tripwire, police say.

Three parcel bombs left on doorsteps have killed two people and injured two others since early March.

Investigators say they have seen similarities in all four cases.


President Donald Trump will roll out new plans to tackle the country’s opioid epidemic on Monday in New Hampshire, the White House said Sunday.

The plan will include stiffer penalties for high-intensity drug traffickers, including the death penalty for some, Andrew Bremberg, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, told reporters Sunday.
Trump’s long-awaited plan will focus on three areas: Law enforcement and interdiction, prevention and education through a sizable advertising campaign,, improving the ability to fund treatment through the federal government, and help those impacted by the epidemic find jobs while fighting addiction, Bremberg and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said.


A Cirque du Soleil performer died Saturday night after he fell during a performance in Tampa, Florida.

The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group said in a statement that Yann Arnaud, an aerialist, was performing during the company’s show “VOLTA” when he plummeted to the stage. Arnaud received medical attention and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

“The entire Cirque du Soleil family is in shock and devastated by this tragedy,” said Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of the entertainment company, in the statement. “Yann had been with us for over 15 years and was loved by all who had the chance to know him.”

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