*LASU Fires Senior Lecturers for Sexual Assault

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The Lagos State University (LASU) on Tuesday confirmed the dismissal of three of its academic staff for sexual harassment and misconduct.

The university’s spokesman, Mr Ademola Adekoya, said the institution’s Governing Council took the decision at its 119th Statutory Meeting on Oct 4, as recommended by the Joint Council/Senate (Academic) Disciplinary Committee.

Adekoya named the affected staff as Dr Sunkanmi Odubunmi, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Dr Ajani Ogunwande, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry.

“Also, Dr Emmanuel Gbeleyi, Lecturer II, Department of Anatomy, Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja, Lagos,” Adekoya said in a statement.

According to him, the council also approved the promotion of 49 Academic Staff and 200 Non-Academic Staff into various positions.

The spokesman said 29 non-academic staff of the university had benefited from an internal recruitment exercise recently conducted by the university.

“They include 18 Administrative Officers II, three Technologists II, four System Analysts, two Academic Planning Officers II and two Industrial Liaison Officers,’’ he said.

Adekoya, however, noted that the current authority of the university by the development had further demonstrated its zero-tolerance for sexual harassment and general indiscipline.

He said the decision of the university was also in line with its drive to continually promote the welfare of both deserving staff and students of the institution.

*Nikki Haley Resigned✉ as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

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President Trump‘s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, has resigned, leaving the White House with one less moderate Republican voice on his cabinet’s foreign policy team.

Ms Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, had been an early and frequent critic of Mr Trump, so when he named her the envoy to the world body weeks after his election in November 2016, the appointment was seen as an olive branch.

The daughter of immigrants from India, Ms Haley favoured free markets and global trade and earned international attention for speaking out against the Confederate battle flag in the aftermath of the 2015 massacre at a black church in Charleston. During Mr Trump’s presidential campaign, she sharply criticized his demeanour and warned what it might mean for American diplomacy — even suggesting that his tendency to lash out at critics could cause a world war.

*Plateau LG🗳 Polls: Agbonlahor Replaces Adie as Police Commissioner*

Barely 24 hours to the Local Government polls in Plateau State, a new Commissioner of Police has been posted to the State in the person of CP Austin Agbonlahor.

In a press statement signed by the spokesman of the Command, DSP Mathias Terna Tyopev, the new police boss replaces Undie Adie in the aforementioned position.

Tyopev said Agbonlahor was until his posting to the Plateau Command, a commissioner of police in the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

He added that the new police boss, who hails from Edo State, has served in different capacities which includes; Director of Courses, Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, CP in Niger State, among others.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, maintained that the new commissioner has worked in virtually all the six geo-political zones of the country and departments in the Police Force.

In the meantime, local government elections would be held in only 13 councils out of the 17 in the state, with the government citing insecurity as reason for excluding Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs.

*APC Senator, Marafa Speaks on Being Arrested by DSS*

The Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabir Marafa, has said he was not arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS.

Reports had it that Marafa was arrested by DSS operatives at a hotel in Gusau, the state capital, over the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Zamfara.

In a statement by his media aide, Abubakar Umar, the lawmaker described the claim of his arrest as a “wicked lie concocted by agents of darkness.”

The statement reads, “My attention has been drawn to malicious reports that I have been arrested.

“This is nothing but a wicked lie concocted by agents of darkness and blood thirsty politicians who are hellbent on scuttling the wishes of the Zamfara people through the backdoor.

“As a law abiding lawmaker, I will continue to conduct my political activities as usual within the confine of the law, no matter the provocation.”

The lawmaker alleged that despite the “desperation” by the governor, he has succeeded in leading the most peaceful campaign which is reason he enjoys “massive support”.

“We thank Almighty Allah for the massive support we are enjoying from the people of the state. I sincerely appreciate and I won’t let them down.

“Insha Allah, if elected, I will work hard to address the challenges bedeviling the state,” he said.

*Buhari Approves New Team on Nigeria’s Security

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Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on Monday inaugurated a “Defence and Security Think-tank” team approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, to “proactively and continuously examine security situation in the country”.

According to the minister, the team is to give necessary advice based on its findings. 
Dan-Ali said the think-tank was also empowered to co-opt any person deemed necessary to contribute positively to its assignment. 
“You are further expected to constantly intimate the Ministry of Defence of your findings and recommendations on quarterly basis,” he said.

The minister noted that the nation was faced with different security challenges which had claimed a lot of lives and property. 
“Addressing these challenges require analysing the causes of threats as well as critical evaluation of the performance of the security agencies in handling emerging scenarios.

“It also requires the provision of thought-out and far reaching advice by security experts and experienced individuals. 
“The effective implementation of a comprehensive approach to these challenges require the contribution of all security agencies and other stakeholders based on shared sense of responsibility, openness and determination, taking into account their respective strengths, mandates and roles as well as decision-making autonomy,” Dan-Ali said.

*Saraki, Melaye, Ben Bruce Drag IGP Idris to Court, Demand N500m*

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Ben Murray-Bruce have dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to court.

The move was over their invitation by the Nigeria Police.

The lawmakers were among the three leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party who led a protest march to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Friday to protest against the outcome of the Osun State governorship election.

The police had invited only Melaye and Murray-Bruce to appear before the Federal Capital Territory Command over alleged assaults on its men and destruction of its property.

The lawmakers, however, failed to answer the invitation. Instead, they are praying the court to, among others, direct the defendants to “jointly and severally pay the applicants the sum of N500m only, same being the pecuniary and exemplary damages arising from the humiliation, intimidation, harassment and unlawful attempt to arrest the applicants by the agents of the second respondent (Commissioner of Police).”

Court papers obtained by our correspondent on Monday showed that the suit, with Number FHC/ABJ/03/095/2018, was filed by Mahmud Abubakar Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, on behalf of the lawmakers.