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The embattled spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday tore a statement he voluntarily made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission regarding his alleged involvement in the $2.1billion arms fraud being investigated by the anti-graft agency.

The hard and soft copies of the 2016 budget documents President Muhammadu Buhari handed over to the National Assembly on December 22, 2015, have been declared missing, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report. The Nigerian Senate was scheduled to commence deliberation on the proposed budget Tuesday (today). But Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, shocked lawmakers at a closed-door session, when he told them the budget documents had been stolen, people familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES. Mr. Ndume, our sources said, explained that deliberation on the budget could therefore not begin until fresh copies of the documents were obtained from the presidency, the Ministry of Finance or that of national planning.

An Isis suicide bomber who entered Turkey from Syria killed 10 foreigners when he exploded in a popular central Istanbul tourist area know as Sultanahmet Square. ​ The attacker has been identified as 28 year old Nabil Fadli, a Saudi Arabian born Syrian National. According to witnesses, the blast shook buildings and was heard across the city, while images showed corpses and body parts strewn across the square, close to iconic sites, and also in a Blue Mosque. 10 foreigners mostly Germans have been confirmed dead, while others are badly injured and have been taken to a near by hospital for treatment.

The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Cross River Command disclosed on Tuesday that it arrested two suspected human traffickers with 29 victims on January 10. The state Comptroller, Mrs. Funke Adeuyi, told newsmen in Calabar that the suspects were apprehended by men of the NIS on border patrol at Itigidi in Abi Local Government Area of the state. According to her, “On January 10, the immigration border patrol officers at Itigidi intercepted two buses carrying 29 youths which we found out to be victims of human trafficking. “On first line interrogation, we discover that a lot of them were going to an unknown destination. We have profiled them, and we have cause to suspect that they were about to be trafficked to an unknown destination.

Four suspected armed robbers who robbed a woman were this afternoon apprehended at Fadeyi bus stop. They were apparently beaten and later handed over to the police.

Super Eagles and Amkar Perm of Russia midfielder, Fegor Ogude, has revealed that his wife was set free by her abductors after he paid the sum of N1.3 million. This is contrary to claims by family sources that the victim was rescued by officials of the Department of State Services, DSS. It will be recalled that Ogude’s wife, Maimunat, was on January 4 abducted from her family home in Warri, Delta State and the kidnappers reportedly demanded a ransom of N30m. The Media Officer of Nigeria U-23 team, Timi Ebikagboro had disclosed on Sunday night that Maimunat was ‘now a free woman.’

FIFA has revealed how national team coaches and captains voted in the 2015 Ballon d’Or. Super Eagles handler, Sunday Oliseh, voted for Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez in that order. His captain, Ahmed Musa, voted for Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Yaya Toure. Messi was named the world’s best player for a record fifth time, after finishing second behind Ronaldo for the last two years. The Argentine superstart finished with 41.33% of total votes. Ronaldo had 27.76% and Neymar garnered 7.86%.

  Nigerian singer, Oluwatobiloba Daniel, popularly known as Kiss Daniel was on Monday night involved in a car accident in Lagos state. According to the singer, he was driving and at same time, operating his phone when he crashed into a canal at the Lekki area of the state but was fortunately rescued by friends. Disclosing this on his Instagram page @iamkissdaniel, the singer advised people not to operate their mobile phones while driving.

Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo has insisted that the only way to make Nigeria great again is to root out corruption. According to the Vice President, the only panacea for ensuring the growth and development of Nigeria was to put a stop to corruption. He added that he was happy that Nigerians could see from what was happening in the country that the present administration was committed to ending corruption.

The Argentine footballer won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for a record fifth time yesterday January 11.

  The Presidency has once again refuted the claims in some quarters that President Muhammadu Buhari has withdrawn the 2016 Budget from the National Assembly. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, while reacting to the report insisted that the budget was still in custody of the national assembly. Shehu said the executive arm of government delivered copies of the budget in hundreds to the two chambers of the National Assembly, adding that they were still with them.

  A factional wing of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has assured that Biafran passports being issued to its citizens are valid and accepted in countries across the globe. MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor, also warned the federal government to stop seizing Biafra passport or threatening its holders.

  The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday barred MTN Nigeria Communications Limited from moving any funds from all banks in Nigeria abroad pending the hearing of its suit challenging the N1.4trillion fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).