Eid attack: Ahmed denies rift with Saraki

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, denied on Saturday that there is a rift between him and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, over Thursday’s attack on the Senate President and other dignitaries.

Some protesters reportedly threw sachet water, stones and other objects at dignitaries, including Saraki, during the Sallah on Thursday.

The other dignitaries on the occasion included a former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who now is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress; Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad; a member representing Ilorin West and Asa Federal Constituency, Mr Razak Atunwa; and a former Chairman of Federal Character Commission, Prof Oba Abdulraheem.

Others were a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore; the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu-Gambari; and the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Bashir Muhammed.

Ahmed, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, described as false, malicious and unfounded, the story published by an online medium, which claimed that Saraki blamed the governor for the miscreants’ attack on the dignitaries.

Ahmed said at no time did Saraki accuse him of leaving the Senate President vulnerable to attack by the miscreants at the Eid Prayer Ground, Ilorin.

He also described as false the report that Saraki got N1bn out of the N4.3bn bailout loan the state government.

“The Senate President neither received any kobo out of the money which was fully used to pay the two-month salary arrears owed state civil servants in August, 2015 nor any other money from the state government,” Ahmed said.

The governor stated that Saraki was fully preoccupied with the onerous task of lawmaking and providing good leadership fpr the National Assembly.

He added that Saraki had no time to either interfere with or control the state’s finances which he said were fully under the jurisdiction of the state government and its authorised officials.

Ahmed said Saraki attended the Ilorin Eid Ground prayers on Thursday not in defiance of any security reports or for any publicity but in fulfillment of his religious obligation.

Saudi prince facing sex assault charge in the US

A Saudi prince has been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly trying to force a woman to perform oral sex on him at a Beverly Hills mansion.

Prince Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud was arrested in the early afternoon Wednesday after police were called to the gated compound, Officer Drake Madison, of the Los Angeles police department, told AFP.

He said the 28-year-old prince was arrested on suspicion of forced oral copulation of an adult and spent the night in jail before posting a $300,000 (268,000 euros) bail on Thursday.

Witnesses reported seeing a bleeding woman scream for help as she tried to scale the wall of the property, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The prince, who was also detained for false imprisonment, battery and criminal threats, is due to appear in court on October 19.

If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The State Department said there was no information indicating that the prince enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Many members of the Gulf monarchies have multi-million dollar mansions in Los Angeles, and it is not the first time one has had a run-in with authorities.

Last week, a member of Qatar’s ruling family — Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al Thani — was questioned by Beverly Hills police after a video surfaced showing a yellow Ferrari speeding through stop signs and past pedestrians.

Residents called police, who determined that Al Thani, a well-known figure in international racing circles, owned the car. He denied that he was driving the vehicle and claimed diplomatic immunity before leaving the country.

In 2013, a Saudi princess was also accused in Los Angeles of enslaving a Kenyan woman as a housemaid, but the charges against Meshael Alayban were eventually dropped.