Major events of the year

Judges’ raid by DSS:
The Department of State Security (DSS) overnight raid on the residences of some nine court judges on October 8 and 9, 2016, culminating in the arrest of several of them, came as a result of petitions and decisions of the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Two Supreme Court justices, John Inyang Okoro and Sylvanus Ngwuta, were arrested in connection with the receipt of bribes.
Justice Ngwuta reportedly travelled to Qatar to receive bribes that he shared with Justice Okoro and other justices.
During a search of his home, Justice Ngwunta was alleged to be in possession of N35,208 million, $319,475, 25,890 pounds and 280 Euros The two judges have been linked with massive properties development in Abuja and Calabar.
Justice Okoro is said to be building seven houses simultaneously in Calabar with the help of former Governor Godswill Akpabio and his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, in Akwa Ibom State.
Justice Okoro had N4.35m, $38,833 and 1000 Euros in his possession during his arrest this morning.
As early as 11 p.m., the siege on the homes of the judges became public knowledge when DSS agents raided the home of a young judge, Dimgba Nnamdi, who apparently has been a thorn in the side of the DSS lately.
One of the most dramatic scenes took place when the DSS team stormed the home of Justice Adeniyi Ademola.
When the team ordered Justice Ademola to come out, the judge claimed he was not home, but his cellphone signal gave him away.
He was subsequently arrested with at least N300 million found in different local and foreign currencies in his bedroom.
Specifically the same of N54m cash, $171,779. 4,400 Euros, 1,010 Rupees, and 80 pounds was found in his residence.
A different team also arrested Justice Kabiru Auta in Kano. When the siege was over, the judge’s brother had been brutalised, after which the security agents showed their victim a “search warrant” meant for Justice Okoro.
Justice Dimgba Nnamdi was “roughened up” but not immediately arrested. One DSS source told our reporter that the raids were meant to be carried out by a joint DSS and police teams, adding that the police bungled some of the raids by apparently tipping off their targets.
Reports also stated that the raids took place following independent investigations that were triggered by petitions submitted to the NJC against some of the judges.
According to one of the operatives, none of the nine judges targeted haven’t spent their salaries in the last two years. Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare’s coronation The coronation of the Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa as the 39th Oba of Benin Kingdom was held on October 20, 2016 with over 100,000 people from all walks of life in attendance. Eheneden’s coronation presented him as the new king or ‘Oba’, Ewuare II.
The new Oba of Benin succeeded his father, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I, who joined his ancestors in April. By virtue of his coronation, he is to rule a kingdom which dates back to the 12th century.
Erediauwa began his 10-day coronation journey by trekking a distance of about 10 kilometres from his palace at Uselu to Eko-Ohae. On a day fixed by the Edaiken, he was escorted by his Uselu people on his journey back to Benin City.
On the way he stopped at an historical palm tree named “Udin ama-mieson aimiuwa” (translated to mean “work before pleasure”) which the Edaiken climbed symbolically.
This little ceremony dates its origin to the time of Oba Ewuare the Great whose life as heir apparent to the throne was characterised by long suffering which included periods when he personally had to climb palm trees on this spot to cut the fruits for a living.
This act of suffering by the father of the first Edaiken has ever since been re-enacted in a symbolic way by every Edaiken.
From the palm tree the Edaiken continued his journey to Benin City; but at the first moat called (lya-akpan) in the vicinity of where the firm of Mid-Motors (Nigeria) Limited now stands, the Uselu chief in the procession took leave of the Edaiken and returned to Uselu while the Edaiken was thereafter escorted into the City by Oredo Chiefs.
Zahra Buhari’s wedding After an initial postponement ostensibly on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari, his daughter, Zahra heaved a sigh of relief when she finally said ‘I do’ to her husband, Ahmed Indimi.
President Buhari’s had insisted on a low-key wedding for the 21-yearold bride to be, after the engagement ceremony was held at Aso Villa on November 18.
Interestingly, Indimi is the marketing director of Oriental Energy Resources while his father, Mohammed Indimi, is a respected billionaire businessman.
It was gathered that the president was uncomfortable with the attention the media was giving to the wedding especially recent reports about the groom’s family presenting 30 Louis Vuitton bags to Zahra.
It was widely reported that the groom, Ahmed Indimi, presented 30 Louis Vuitton leather bags worth about £120,000 (N47,144,502) to the bride ahead of the wedding.
An introduction ceremony between both families had earlier held at the Aso Villa, Abuja on November 18, with the wedding programme scheduled between November 30 and December 4, 2016.
Interestingly, the couple’s wedding was laced with a touch of class as invites and passes were coated in gold, black and white colours. It had the seal of the presidency engraved on it. It was simple but classy.
As expected, only guests who had their invites and passes were allowed into the venue which had an overwhelming presence of security operatives, guests were barred from going into the villa, where some of the activities commemorating the wedding took place, with their phones.
The cultural pre-wedding henna, also known as Kunshi is an event that showcases a Hausa bride adorning herself with locally made dye which is symbolically worn on the arms and legs in the form of artworks prior to the wedding day.
At Zahra’s henna night, she replicated this tradition in its finest form. Her arms and legs were heavily adorned with henna designs.
For her traditional henna night, the 21-year-old alumna of the University of Surrey, wore a purple ankara fabric which was sewn into a simple dress that complemented her svelte figure and light complexion.
Surrounded by her friends and family, she was the centre of attention as expected. Known for her simple but glamorous looks, Zahra is certainly not a pushover in the style department.
Like her mum, she has an eye for classy wears and accessories. Though she likes to dress in a modest manner, her careful selection of bridal attires and accessories did not come cheap. For the nikkah, she wore a white floor-length gown which she complemented with a turban of the same colour.
She was also seen wearing a navy blue traditional Fulani fabric which bears resemblance to the hugely popular aso oke in the west and didn’t pair this with shoes.
She revealed a well-manicured feet which was properly covered with the traditional henna as well.
She later changed into another gown that accentuated her best physical features. The three-tiered cake also came in white, black and gold, similar to the wedding invite and pass at the wed-ding. Shaped in a unique way, the attractive-looking cake was the centre of attention.
Senate President Bukola Saraki’s arraignment at CCT
For the scores of supporters of Senate President Bukola Saraki, most of whom must have kept vigil to be able to be present early enough at the Supreme Court for the delivery of judgment on his bid to stop his trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, it was hopes dashed.
This is because the Supreme Court had declared that the CCT has the powers to try him on charges of false assets declaration, but he declared that he will be vindicated during the trial.
Saraki was arraigned by the Federal Government on a 13-count criminal charge that bordered on corruption, false declaration of assets, and illegal operation of a foreign bank account while in office as a public servant on September 22, 2015.
The charge was preferred against him on the recommendation of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
In the charge sheet which was signed by a deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M. S. Hassan, the Senate President was alleged to have manipulated the assets declaration forms he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB when he assumed office as governor of Kwara State in 2003, on his re-election for a second term in 2007 and on his exit from the office in 2011.
Saraki was alleged to have falsified the forms by making anticipatory declaration of assets, an action which the prosecutor said was contrary to the provisions of section 2 of the CCB and Tribunal Act, and punishable under section 15(1) & (2), and 23(2) of the CCB and Tribunal Act, Cap C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, as well as paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
But getting Saraki to come to court for his trial was not an easy task as the Senate President and his lawyers embarked on a series of legal gymnastics immediately they got wind of the impending trial.
In his bid to stop his arraignment the Senate President, through his lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja asking for declarations that the Tribunal has no power to try him.
He also filed a similar suit at Court of Appeal. When he eventually appeared, Dauda also strenuously tried to prevent his client from entering the dock to take his plea to the 13-count charge by pointing out that proceedings at the CCT cannot be classified as criminal trial going by paragraph 18(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 constitution.
Dauda also noted that if the CCT found that a public officer contravened any provision of the Code of Conduct, such person could be punished by being asked to vacate the office he/she occupies, disqualification, seizure and forfeiture of assets in contention, or made to suffer any other penalty as may be imposed by the National Assembly.
Thus, Saraki was practically forced to enter the dock to plead to the charges which he also did in a very dramatic manner.
The Senate President pleaded not guilty to the charges and the CCT fixed a date for the commencement of the trial.
The prosecution also said he has all the evidence that will ensure a speedy trial ready. From the foregoing, Saraki also did not enjoy the support of most members of his party in his battle with the CCT.
But his allies in the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), however, came to his rescue. Infact, the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had embarked on investigations of bribery allegations made against Justice Danladi Umar, in a move to force the removal of the chairman of CCT from office.
But the investigations have failed to gain traction following the refusal of the author of the petition in which the allegations were contained to come forward to prove his case against the CCT chairman.
Fuel Price Increase
In 2015 after assuming office, President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government reduced the price of petrol from N87 to N86.50k.
But on May 11, 2016, President Buhari removed the entire subsidy and increased it from N86:50k to N145.
Prior to this, the industry had, for years, been contending with challenges of dwindling investments to grow production and national reserves, due to inability of government to meet its funding obligations to the joint venture regularly.

SOURCE..NEW TELEGRAPH