The first batch of 187 Nigerians being evacuated from South Africa have arrived Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Nigerian evacuees departed their base in South Africa from OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, around 4.00 p.m aboard an Air Peace Boeing 777 aircraft, which landed in Lagos at 9.34 pm on Wednesday night.

The flight was received on arrival by the Chairman, Diaspora Commission, ABIKE DABIRI-EREWA, and the Chairman of Air Peace airline, ALLEN ONYEMA.

President MUHAMMADU BUHARI has dedicated his victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to Nigerians, describing it as a well-deserved win for citizenry who elected him for a second term in office on February 23.

The five-man tribunal led by Justice MUHAMMAD GARBA had on Wednesday unanimously dismissed the appeal by the PDP and its presidential candidate, ATIKU ABUBAKAR, rejecting the petitioners’ appeal in its entirety. 

According to the president, he was confident that the tribunal would rule in his favour as majority of Nigerians voted for him freely at the poll.

Justice GARBA said the PDP and ATIKU failed to provide enough evidence to support the claims in the petition including those bothered on electoral malpractices.

The national assembly petitions tribunal sitting in Abia state has sacked ORJI UZOR KALU as senator representing Abia north.

KALU, who is currently the senate chief whip, had been elected under the All Progressives Congress.

But the tribunal nullified his election at its sitting, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days.

KALU was declared winner of the election by INEC, which the PDP candidate, MAO OHUABUNWA described as excess electoral fraud and broad daylight robbery.

Although the tribunal upheld OHUABUNWA’s argument that KALU was not duly elected, it ordered a rerun acrossthree local government areas where votes were cancelled during the poll.

The Department of State Services has reiterated its alert to the nation about plans by subversive groups and individuals to undermine national security, peace and unityin the country.

This was revealed in a statement by the DSS spokesman, PETER AFUNAYA, who did not mention any name or group but said the service would not relent in its bid to secure the country.

He said the said elements are determined to exploit political differences and other occurrences, within and outside the country, to destabilize the nation.

According to the statement, theyalso initiate narratives to deepen their subversive objectives so as to achieve preferred illegal outcomes.

AFUNAYA said the aim is to set the country on fire as well as inflame passions across ethnic and religious divides with expected violent consequences.

He also urged the public to be conscious of fake news, warning those in the habit of spreading false reports to desist.