Abuja
300 more Nigerian nationals return from US
Three hundred more Nigerians who had been stranded in the United States have arrived in Abuja. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), announced this on Saturday via Twitter saying the returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 15:00pm via the Ethiopian Airlines. According to NIDCOM, the evacuation is the fifth from the US since the Federal Government started flying Nigerians who were stranded as a result of the COVID-19 back home. It said all the evacuees tested Negative to COVID-19 before boarding the flight but will also observe the mandatory 4-day self-isolation as mandated by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. So far, a total of 1,430 Nigerians have been flown back home while the Federal Government says it has spent over N169million in...
COVID-19: Nigerian government receives second Batch medical supplies of UN basket fund
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has joined other stakeholders to receive 2nd Batch Medical Supplies purchased with UN Basket Fund for COVID-19 Response on behalf of the Federal Government. Mr Olujimi Oyetomi, Director, Information, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, said this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja. Oyetomi said Ehanire joined the National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu at the Cargo Section of Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja to receive medical supplies from EU contributions worth N26 Billion. Ehanire said this 2nd Batch of medical supplies would allay the fears of the health workers, especially the frontline health workers, who thought that Nigeria might be running short of supplies and were thre...
212 stranded Nigerians return home from Egypt
File Photo At least 212 Nigerians stranded in Cairo, Egypt due to the coronavirus pandemic have returned home, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has said. Announcing via Twitter on Friday, NIDCOM said the evacuees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. It explained that the 212 evacuees tested negative for coronavirus before departing Khartoum, adding that they would undergo another Covid-19 test in the country. It added that the returnees would undergo 14-day isolation in line with the guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as well as the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. EVACUATION UPDATE 31/07/2020. .@EGYPTAIR conveying 212 Stranded Nigerians arrive Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at exactly 1350HRS today 31st of July, 2020 from Cairo...
Troops arrest killer of Benue monarch
File Photo Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), on Thursday, reportedly arrested the killer of a Benue State traditional ruler, Chief Awua Alabar. Alabar, a district head of Kundav, was murdered by gunmen on July 21, 2020, at his residence in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. Newsmen gathered that a criminal kingpin, known as Asaaghar Igye in Zaki Biam, Ukum LGA, allegedly linked to the traditional ruler, was captured by troops of OPWS who have been ridding the area of criminal elements in recent times. Sources in Makurdi told newsmen that the soldiers, on Thursday morning, responded to a distress call from villagers on sighting Igye, who was fingered in the assassination of the traditional head. The sources added that the troops responded to the distress call in search of...
Nigerian Army to investigate attack on Borno governor’s convoy
The Nigerian Army is to investigate Wednesday’s attack on the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, disclosed in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. Musa said that the governor’s convoy came under terrorists fire while visiting Baga town. He said the governor had earlier paid a visit to the Commander, 19 Brigade at the Nigerian Army Super Camp Baga where he was briefed about the prevailing security situation in the general area. According to him, the unfortunate incident occurred shortly after the Governor and his entourage departed the Super Campaign to visit other parts of Baga town. “The incident forced the Governor to abort his planned movement to Baga. “Although, details of the unfortunate ...
Police arrest pastor, 34 others for kidnapping dispatch rider
The Police force headquarters in Abuja has paraded a 52-year old self-acclaimed pastor, Adetokunbo Adenokpo, for abducting a dispatch rider and detaining him in an underground facility in his church in Sagamu, Lagos. The suspect, had called the company where the dispatch rider works, Glory Master Logistics, who mainly distributes Forever Living products and ordered for supply of some products to be delivered at his residence only to abduct the rider. The police also paraded 34 other suspects for kidnapping, armed robbery ritual killers, and cattle rustlers for terrorizing innocent travelers with their deadly activities. Parading the suspects, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, said the dispatch rider with Glory Master Logistics, Job Ekpe Jonathan, who mainly distributes Forever...
PDP: President Buhari government frustrating war against corruption
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Wednesday, accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government of deliberate hoarding of relevant information from Nigerians on the extent of corruption in his administration. This is even as the party said Nigerians have noted the blackmails, intimidation, and threats coming from government quarters, “in their feverish bid to frustrate whistleblowers and truncate on-going uncovering of widespread corruption in ministries, departments and agencies, under the All Progressives Congress, APC, administration.” Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said one of such antics by this administration was Tuesday, July 28, 2020 press conference by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Moh...
President Buhari presides over virtual FEC meeting
Expectedly, President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday presided over his 10th virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) which also had in attendance his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and eight ministers physically present. The meeting holding at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, is also being attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd). The ministers who are present are the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, Informatoon and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Interior, Rauf Aregbesola...
Senate invites finance, works ministers, others over road projects
The Senate committee on finance has invited the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, over the funding status of three federal government legacy road projects estimated to cost N2.7 trillion. Also to appear before the panel are the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Uche Orji. The chairman of the panel, Solomon Olamilekan, gave the directive during an interactive session with the NSIA boss on Tuesday. The legacy projects are the Abuja-Kano road, Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the Second Niger Bridge. They are funded and implemented through a tripartite agreement between the ministries of finance, works and the NSIA. Orji, who was invited for the same r...
Nigerian government declares Thursday, Friday public holidays to mark Eid-el-Kabir
The Federal Government has declared Thursday 30 and Friday 31 July, as public holidays to mark 2020 year’s Eid-el-Kabir. The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, through a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, ministry of Interior, Mrs Georgina Ehuriah, on Tuesday in Abuja. Aregbesola congratulated Muslim faithful and all Nigerians both at home and abroad on the occasion. He called on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). The minister also called on Muslims to use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country especially as the world is witnessing global health challenges cause...
Nigerian government deregisters Ohanaeze, Arewa CF, others over security clearance
The Federal Government has deregistered frontline socio-cultural groups in Nigeria as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has withdrawn the registration certificate of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), among others. Disclosing this in Abuja, the Registrar General of CAC, Garba Abubakar, said the measure was part of the reforms the Commission was putting in place to subject such applications to thorough scrutiny following security threats that may arise from such registrations. He said: “Yes, we have withdrawn the certificate of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly because the certificate should not have been issued in the first instance. “We have an established protocol that all organizations; ethnic, religious with political implication should be referre...
Nigerian government extends Phase 2 lockdown by 1 week
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has extended the phase two lockdown by one week from the initial one month extension. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the PTF-COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, revealed this at the daily briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja. “The PTF has continued to evaluate the developments as well as the level of compliance nationwide. “(It) has regrettably come to the inevitable conclusion that majority of Nigerians irrespective of status, creed and level of education continue to live in denial on the virulent nature of the virus and consistently breach the guidelines and non-pharmaceutical measures put in place. “We informed you two weeks ago that the process of submitting the 6th Interim Report and recommendations for next step...
