Former governor of Lagos State, AKINWUNMI AMBODE has urged his supporters and the general public to remain calm and law-abiding as there was no cause for alarm.

 

AMBODE, in a statement by his media aide, HABIB ARUNA, was reacting to the search by the EFCC on his Epe Country home and Parkview Ikoyi residence.

 

He said the Commission, till date, has not opened any direct communication with him on any issue, adding that he was ready and willing to respond if or when they do so.

 

Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, DEBO ADENIRAN said the EFCC must carry out its exercise without any influence.

  

It would be recalled that AMBODE, in an earlier response to allegations by the EFCC that it had frozen certain accounts linked to him, insisted that no account of his contained N9.9bn let alone being frozen by the Commission.

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the People’s Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, ATIKU ABUBAKAR seeking access to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s sever.

 

The Justice DATTIJO MUHAMMAD-led five-man panel, in a unanimous judgment, dismissed the appeal, saying there was no basis to interfere with the earlier decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal rejecting the appellants’ request to access the said server.

 

Justice CENTUS NWEZE, who read the lead judgment of the apex court, said the appellants failed to establish that the tribunal wrongfully exercised its discretion in dismissing their request.

 

Justice CENTUS NWEZE noted that the allegation by the appellants that they were denied fair hearing by the June 24, 2019 ruling of the tribunal was unsubstantiated.

 

ATIKU and the PDP had alleged in their petition pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that the “authentic” results of February 23, 2019 election which gave them victory were stored in the said INEC server.

There has been a report on the revelation from the captured suspected kidnapper, HAMISU WADUME on how he escaped from the operatives of Intelligence Response Team two weeks ago.

 

In a video clip posted on the verified Twitter handle of Nigeria Police Force, WADUME, who spoke in Hausa, virtually implicated soldiers at the Battalion 93, Takum, Taraba State, in his escape from the IRT custody.

 

According to him, after his arrest by the police, the army chased after them and opened fire.

 

He said from there, the soldiers took him to their headquarters, and cut off his handcuffs.

 

Force spokesman, FRANK MBA, confirmed in a statement that the kidnap kingpin, HAMISU WADUME was re-arrested at his hideout at Layin Mai Allo Hotoro area of Kano State.

 

You will recall that the IRT operatives came under attack from soldiers attached to Battalion 93, Takum, Taraba State, as they conveyed WADUME from the scene of his arrest.