As it has been learnt by Daily Post, at least 9 people were on Wednesday slaughtered along Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road by suspected members of the Boko Haram.

Reportedly the insurgents attacked a passenger bus and a car, close to Bulabulin Ngaura village of Damboa Local Government Area.

Supporters of the All Progressive Congress, APC, from Biu Local Government council, who were on their way to Biu, made a u-turn.

According to their words, lifeless bodies of nine passengers were seen lying by the road side.

It would be recalled that there have been series of attacks along Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road since last week.

The latest was on Monday when two lorries carrying oranges were attacked and the passengers abducted.

By the moment there has been no official confirmation of Wednesday's attack from either the military or the police. However, a lot of passengers traveling to Biu had to postpone their trip.

09:47

Super Eagles' coach, Stephen Keshi, will not be resting on his oars despiteNigeria's 'fair' draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cupin Brazil.Nigeria is drawn in Group F alongside Argentina, which boasts of four-time Ballon d'Or awards winner, Lionel Messi, and, probably, one of the world's deadliest attackers in the history of modern football, as well as Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.Stephen Keshi knows Argentines rather well. For both countries, the group stage of the world's most prestigious football tournament is almost a romantic affair, having met at that phase in 1994, 2002 and 2010.Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran, according to the tactician, poise more threat because of their relative unknown status. The two countries finished top of their respective groups during the qualifiers."Argentina versus Nigeria is something that is becoming a recurring decimal."We keep playing against them at every World Cup. It's good. We will see how it goes this time."Not knowing Bosnia is a difficult thing but they are a good side. I thinkI've seen them once or twice on television. Iran? I've never seen them. For them to be here means they are a good team," Stephen Keshi said after the draw in Brazil onDecember 6, 2013, Friday.The schedule of the Eagles' games:16 June 2014Iran v Nigeria, Arena da Baixada, Curitiba21 June 2014Nigeria v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba25 June 2014Nigeria v Argentina, Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre.It would be recalled that the Super Eagles have never passed beyond LAST 16 of a World Cup.

20:12

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has started plot to halt the defection of its members to the All Progressives Party (APC) in order to retain the leadership of the House.As the investigation of Punch journalists showed, the PDP was already plotting to frustrate moves by some of the reps who might want to toe the line of their governors and defect to the APC.It was learnt that the plan provided for engaging the services of the police and other security agencies to "harass and intimidate" PDP members who chose to join the APC.A source, that preferred to say anonymous, revealed that the PDP was not comfortable with the relationship of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, with the APC.Tambuwal reportedly met behind closed doors with leading members of the opposition on Wednesday at the Kano Governor's Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.At the meeting were a former head of state, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, erstwhile Lagos State governor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso [Kano], Aliyu Magartakada Wamakko [Sokoto], Rotimi Amaechi [Rivers], Ibikunle Amosun [Ogun], former Governor Ali Modu Sherrif of Borno State, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, Malam Nuhu Ribadu and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari.On Thursday, a senior lawmaker, whose governor joined the APC, confided in Saturday Punch that part of the plot against the defectorswas to stop the members from attending sittings.On the other side, it was learn that while the PDP was plotting to thwart the defection of its members to the APC, the opposition party had also intensified its efforts to gain upper control of the House.The party had continued to lobby PDP members to join it even as it compiled a list of prospective defectors.According to the information gathered, the opposition party was planning to vote out the leadership of the House except the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, if it got the required majorityof House members on its side.It was earlier reported that the APC caucus in the House was preparing to unveil 186 members as its latest numerical strength in the House of Representatives.According to the report, the figure is made up ofthe original APC members of 137 and the "49 members of New PDP" that have reportedly joined the caucus.The APC caucus was reported to have requested each defecting PDP member to sign a list, which would be used to arrive at the finalnumerical strength of the party.Sources within the APC claimed last week that the party's membership had increased to 176 from 137 following the defection of five PDP governors to the party.About 39 PDP lawmakers from the states of theaffected governors (Kano, Adamawa, Rivers, Sokoto and Kwara) were said to have joined the APC, taking after the example of their governors.However, none of the said 39 has defected formally on the floor of the House till date.Although, APC sources had hinted that the party would unveil 186 members this week, preparatory to taking over the majority leadership of the House, nothing of such happened.The Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, confirmed that APC was working towards taking over the leadership of the House.Additionally, the APC leaders have claimed that the PDP would not succeed in its plot to frustrate defecting members of the House.It said that no amount of intimidation would prevent the members from joining the APC.

00:47

The striking lecturers of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, have vowed to continue with the strike until "the government do the right thing." This position has been announced after an emergency meeting at the AAU on December 5, 2013, Thursday.The lecturers of this Edo State owned university also called for the immediate sack ofthe Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, over what they termed"incompetence".The ASUU chapter at AAU said Mr. Wikelacked the intellectual capabilities and competenceto handle the country's education system.The communiqué, signed by the chairman of ASUU-AAU chapter, Prof. Fred Esumeh, and theSecretary of the Chapter, Dr. S. Omoikhoje, also described the ultimatum by the Federal Government as"unfortunate and ill-conceived in a democratic rule".

08:26

Speculations were rife on Wednesday that the trip of President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, to Germany which the Presidency described as "a private visit" might be on health grounds.The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, had on Tuesday issued a statement indicating that Jonathan would leave Abuja for Germany en-route to Paris, France to participate in the Summit on Peace and Security in Africa.Abati said the President would stop over in Germany for a private visit on his way to Paris and return to Abuja at the conclusion of the summit on Saturday.The announcement of the "private visit" cominga few weeks after he fell sick in London, fuelled speculation that Jonathan might have decided to visit the same German hospital where his wife sought medical attention for about seven weeks last year.Since he was accompanied by Patience, speculations were also rife that she might use the opportunity of the visit to undergo a medical check-up.The fears were further confirmed on Wednesday when it was discovered that many of the President's close aides, who usually accompany him on foreign trips, did not travel with him.It was learnt that some of them might join the President in Paris later in the week.The social media were on Wednesday awash with reports of the motive of President's German trip.Although Jonathan fell sick during his recent trip to London and was treated of severe abdominal pains , he had since his return been attending state functions.Efforts to get Abati to speak on the President's alleged visit to a German hospital did not yield any positive result as of 10pm on Wednesday.When contacted on the telephone, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said he could not comment on the matter because he had not established contact with the President abroad.It would be recalled that the President during the burial of his second cousin, when he was still deputy governor of Bayelsa state had said a story was told of how anybody in his community, who was attaining prominence always died mysteriously.Jonathan had added that all eyes were focusedon him, apparently insinuating that it was his time to die.He said he had prayed hard that he would not die young and God had answered him.

08:23

2The Nigerian government has been asked to make the evidence of the 200 billion Naira it claims to have paid into a Central Bank Account, as agreed with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), public.This call was made after the government spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said that the Federal Government had deposited the money into a CBN Account, as it was previously agreed with the union.But a public affairs analyst, Mr. Victor Odunaiya, described the statement as a strategy by the government to find justification for its actions, insisting that an evidence is required."The government has not complied with the agreement and it is insincerity on their part,"hetold Channels Television on Wednesday's edition of Sunrise Daily.Mr. Odunaiya, urged the FG to send a copy of the evidence of payment to the ASUU leaders."The government says it has made payment but ASUU is not notified. If they were notified then they would not be justified for continuing the strike."'Political Language'"What is wrong with Okupe bringing a copy of the payment and handing it over to the unionorwhat is wrong with the CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi, calling the leadership of the union to confirm payment?"he questioned.Odunaiya, who is also a lawyer, said that since2009, the Government had not deemed it feat tomeet their obligations towards the union."How do you expect them to accept oral speechor comments?"he also questioned.The lawyer supported the view that an agreement should be enforceable among the parties that reached the agreement and must carry in it clauses that would ensure its enforcement.Mr. Odunaiya called on both the government and the union to reconsider their positions as the parents and students are suffering from the current situation.

08:10

Second Republic member of the House of Representatives and Russian trained Medical Doctor, Junaid Mohammed, has declared that blood would flow on the streets of Nigeria, should President Jonathan insist on running for the presidency in 2015 Excerpts;The closest President Goodluck Jonathan has come to saying whether or not he would run in 2015 was to say recently that he was under pressure to run. Should he run?First and foremost, I do not believe he should run. He should not run, whether he is under pressure or not. He is his own man, therefore, he should be responsible enough to take that decision, and not to bore us with the irresponsible statement of saying he is under pressure. He should stop playing with the destiny of this country. He is humble enough toknow the consequences of his action, should he insist on running. But let me warn that he should not do anything that would plunge the country into avoidable anarchy.Quote me,if Jonathan insists on running, there will be bloodshed and those who feel short-changed may take the warpath and the countrymay not be the same again.His running will amount to taking about 85 million northerners for a ride and that is half of the country's total population. So, there will be bloodshed. But wedon't pray to get to that level, before his ethnic and tribal advisers pull him back.In case these advisers are unable to pull him back, what are the options available to Nigerians?The option is to pile up pressure, to ensure that he does not take the country for a ride. Nigerians must be prepared not to allow him force any political upheavals or violence on us,because that will be the consequence, if he fails to listen to the voice of reason.At any rate, on the three criteria globally used to measure preference for a leader, this man has got none of them. They are competence, integrity and acceptability. On competence, you journalists know this better.President Jonathan is incompetent.He has got no integrity, because he is also corrupt and irresponsible.On acceptability, apart from his few ethnic and tribal advisers, who are urging him to contest, Jonathan today is not acceptable to the generality of Nigerians.So on all these three counts, he is nowhere, so on what basis is he going to run? Answer me, I am asking? So like I said from the onset, in order to avoid political upheavals and violencethat his action would cause this country, it will be in the best interest of Nigeria for him not to run. And history will surely be kind on him, should he decide to take that path of honour.Having said that, if there is going to be a free and credible election, I don't mind if Jonathan runs, because I know he would be roundly rejected by Nigerians. But the last thing you want to guarantee in a country where the police have suddenly become an arm of PDP's militia is a free and credible election. You don'twin election by using the bullets. So we are in a Catch 22 situation.

06:41

New operators in Nigeria's power sector ask for increase in electricity tariff, as power situation keeps worsening. The plea also comes after service charge rise from N750 to N1,500 per month.The Federal Government and organised labour are to meet today to review labour issues in thesector especially non-payment of terminal benefits for thousands of sacked workers, alleged victimisation of labour leaders in the massive sack of workers immediately after the take-over of the assets of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), among others.It was gathered that, last week, the operators met with the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for increase in tariff.Director-General of the Commission, Mr. Sam Amadi, told the operators there is no basis to ask for increase while Nigerians were still lamenting the negative effect of last increase.He was said to have also blamed the new operators for the massive sack of workers of the defunct PHCN, which had created shortage of manpower and compounded the power situation.According to some sources, the new operators were said to have dissociated themselves from the sack, blaming the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), for same.However, it was not confirmed if NERC approved the increase in service charge from N750 to N1,500 monthly less than one month after take-over of assets.

06:35

FG Bribes Our Members in an Attempt to Break the Strike – ASUUThe Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the FederalGovernment of taking money round campuses to influence some lecturers to abandon the 155-day long strike embarked upon by the union.Appearing on a TV programme, Mr. Karo Ogbinaka, the Chairman of the University of Lagos chapter of ASUU, said the union was aware that some agents of the government have been going round the campuses to influence lecturers to abandon the strike."Government is just changing its tactics by bribing members to break the strike. That won't resolve the issue. Rather than address the issue, they are attempting to break the strike," Mr.Ogbinaka said.He further noted that the move to break the ranks of the lecturers by influencing them with money will fail.The leader of UNILAG ASUU also blasted FG forallegedly sponsoring market women to protest against the striking lecturers. Ogbinaka said the move will ultimately fail because the lecturers are resolute.It would be noted that the congress scheduled by the union at UNILAG for December 2, 2013, Monday, was shifted for the following day.Theunion asked parents to keep their children at homepending the resolution of the dispute between the government and the lecturers.

06:33

How Members Are Mobilised Against Resuming LecturesThe Academic Staff Unionof Universities (ASUU) at the weekend embarked on mass mobilisation of members not to comply withthe ultimatum by the Federal Governmentto resume lectures by December 4, 2013.The members of the union were also directed not to sign any register that may be opened by their Vice Chancellors.ASUU leaders directed all branches chairmen to find means of mobilising their members not to fall for the threats of the Federal Government,describing the threat as "empty", pending the next National Executive Council (NEC) meetingof the Union, which will be held in Minna.The Chairmen were also advised not to hold public congresses in order to avoid any face offwithpolice and security forces the government deployedto all institutions for the implementation of the December 4 deadline of re-opening.ASUU have started using the short message service (SMS) and other social media platforms to reach out and to mobilise members not to succumb to the Federal Government's threat.The Nation published some of these SMS:"Dear members, FG decision to threaten us withsack confirms our suspicion that FG may not be honest and can not be trusted. Don't sucumb (sic) to this empty threat. The strike continues. We shall triumph again. Please, DO NOT SIGN ANY REGISTER. ALUTA CONTINUA-CHAIRPERSON"."Dear Congress member, I'm appealing we should stay calm and remain resolute. There isnothing wrong in asking govt to do what it says it will do immediately. ASUU is not making any new demands as the Minister is propagating Govt is only repeating a 'one act play' scripted by the IBB dictatorship in early 90s. It didn't work then, and, it won't work now ALL BRANCHES are intact. We cannot be intimidated!!! UNITED WE BARGAIN DIVIDED WE BEG!!! ALUTA CONTINUA".A professor at the Federal University of Technology Minna, who spoke with the newsmen on conditions of anonymity, expressed shock over the ultimatum:"One is shocked by the deadline. Ifthey sack all of us, government will go to Kasua Gwari to pack lecturers or pick Professors on thestreets. It is a pity, our leaders are reckless."We are not moved by the ultimatum. We are waiting to see how they (govt) intend to wriggle itself out of the self inflicted problem. Do they know how the system runs? The era of intimidation is gone," the university don stated.At the same time, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and Enugu State University of Science and Technologyare set for reopening

23:44