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House member accuses military of extrajudicial killings, looting in Imo
A member of the House of Representatives, Bede Eke, has said men of the Nigerian Army and the police are carrying out extrajudicial killings and displacement of people in Imo State following the recent killing of a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak. Mr Gulak, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was killed by unknown gunmen on May 30 while on his way to Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, en route Abuja. According to the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Mr Gulak was consulting for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, which he (Omo-Agege) heads. The police said Mr Gulak’s killers were subsequently killed in a gun battle. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Mr Eke, who represents Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency of Imo State, alleged tha...
Gunman kills at least 8 in mass shooting at California rail yard
At least eight people were killed when a transit employee opened fire at his co-workers at a light rail yard in San Jose, California, on Wednesday morning, the county sheriff’s office said, in the latest in a string of mass shootings this spring. The gunman, who like the victims was an employee of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), was also dead, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy Russell Davis said at a news conference. He did not say how the gunman died or whether police officers fired their weapons at the scene. The name and age of the suspect were also not disclosed. The first emergency calls reporting the shooting at the VTA light rail yard near the city’s main airport came through shortly after 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time (1330 GMT). A bomb squad was searching the yar...
Belarus’s forced landing of Lithuania-bound Ryanair plane sparks outrage
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania to land on Sunday in Minsk, where a Belarusian opposition activist on board was detained, prompting international condemnation. EU member Lithuania urged the European Union and NATO to respond, Germany called for an immediate explanation and Poland’s prime minister called it a “reprehensible act of state terrorism”. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Belarus’s action was “utterly unacceptable”. The aircraft, flying from Athens to Vilnius, had almost reached Lithuania when it changed direction and was escorted to Minsk, the Belarusian capital, after reports that it had explosives on board, according to an online flight tracker and BelTA state news agency. Belarusian law e...
Ebonyi commissioner escapes gunmen attack
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Infrastructure Development, Engr. Fidelis Nweze, narrowly escaped gun attack on Tuesday as he abandoned his car and ran into the bush leaving his SUV at the mercy of gunmen who shot sporadically in all directions. The incident happened at the site of a proposed international airport in the State. The gunmen were feared to have targeted the State Governor, Dave Umahi who was scheduled for an inspection visit to the airport. Newsmen gathered that the gunmen stormed the airport site at about 3:30 p.m. but missed their target as the Governor failed to turn up. A highly placed source at the Ebonyi State Government House told newsmen that the heavily armed men came on seven motorcycles and two vehicles. “On getting to the site, they opened fire, but God averted ...
Nigerian government grants approval for $2.9 billion Escravos seaport
The Federal Government has granted approval for the establishment of the Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex, ESIC, to Mercury Marine Concession Company, MMCC. The proposed $2.9 billion project is majorly designed to boost economic/national development of Nigeria particularly, Delta State.Chairman, Chief Executive of the firm, Rear-Admiral Andrew Okoji, who confirmed the approval, weekend, said the Federal Ministry of Transport has directed the firm to pay N1 billion, apparently to express its interest. He said: ‘‘It is going to be a lease for about 50 years, the investment for the port is coming from abroad. “We have gotten provisional approval from the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, as they have told us to lodge in $1 billion as evidence of capacity to...
Delta government commends Nigerians in Diaspora for developmental efforts
The Delta Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Lawrence Ejiofor, has commended the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) for its efforts toward the development of the state. Ejiofor made the commendation during a courtesy call on him by the former National Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora, Europe Chapter, Mr Kenneth Gbandi, on Friday in Asaba. The commissioner expressed excitement at the idea of more developmental efforts from the private sector and assured them of the willingness of the government to create an enabling environment for development to thrive and for the promotion of partnerships. Earlier, Gbandi said that he planned to develop housing units in the state for Nigerians in the diaspora. He solicited partnership with the government in terms of access roads, adding that...
Nigerian government receives stolen Ile-Ife artefact from Mexico
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, on Thursday in Abuja received a stolen Ile-Ife artefact recovered from Mexico. Receiving the artefact, he called for a more secured border to prevent future occurrence of theft. Onyeama collected the artefact from Dr Yakubu Dadu, Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Mission in Mexico. The minister hailed the Embassy’s efforts in recovering the artefact. He said that the interventions of Nigerian Envoys in recovering stolen possessions of the country shows the important works they were doing as against negative reports of Nigerian missions on social media. Onyeama also appreciated the government of Mexico for its cooperation in ensuring that the artefact was duly returned to Nigeria. He however stressed the need for sensitising Customs o...
Boosie Is Unsure Why He Was Mistaken For Flavor Flav But Twitter Knows Why
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Prince Williams / Getty While Boosie has some classic tracks under his belt it is his personality that makes his celebrity so unique. We just got another classic Boosie moment when a woman recently mistook him for Flavor Flav. As spotted on HipHopDX the Baton Rouge, Louisiana native was travelling last week when a lady, who he had never met before, thought he was the legendary Public Enemy hype man. Given that the “Don’t Believe The Hype” rapper isn’t heralded in the looks department BooPac felt a serious ways. “I was just in the f***ing airport, lady going to talk about ‘Flavor Flav!’” he said angrily. “I don’t look like no damn Flavor Flav, I look like Boosie! That’s why I don’t wear these damn red glasses. Got me fucked up early in the morning… to...
Easter: Abuja airport records high traffic
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Friday witnessed increased traffic due to huge number of passengers travelling to different parts of the country to celebrate Easter. According to NAN reports, flights from Abuja to other routes were fully booked before Thursday. Also, booking and check-in counters of many airlines were crowded with travelers rushing to board their flights. Many of the airline officials who spoke with NAN in separate interviews said there was upsurge in traffic, but ticket fare still remained same. The Max Air Station Manager, Kehinde Ogunyale, said that more people had chosen to fly home for the Easter celebration than the previous years. Ogunyele further said that Max Air also possibly experienced unique increase in passengers due to reduction in flight...
President Buhari departs Abuja for London
President Muhammadu Buhari has departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for the United Kingdom, where he will meet his doctor for a routine medical check-up. Buhari, 78, embarked on the journey after meeting the nation’s security chiefs earlier today. The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, FCT Minister Mohammed Musa Bello, media aides Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu, and other dignitaries accompanied him to the airport. He is expected to return to Nigeria in the second week of April 2021, according to Femi Adesina. Buhari had embarked on several medical trips between 2015 and 2019. During one of his trips in 2017, he spent 103 days in London with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, acting as president. Get more stories like this on T...
Anambra governor resolves airport land matter
The social media was agog recently that some purported women from Umueri in Anambra-East local government area protested half naked at the construction site of the International Cargo Airport over what they termed forceful land-grabbing by government to build the airport. Reports also had it that the said protesting women from Umueri had accused the state government of encroaching into areas the community didn’t release to them. But the traditional ruler of Umueri His Royal Majesty Igwe Sir Ben Izuchukwu Emeka stated unequivocally that such reports were malicious and economical with the truth because nobody protested naked and that his subjects were not known for such amoral behaviour. Igwe Emeka stated that Umueri was grateful to the government and people of Anambra state that the Interna...
Minister: Suspension of international flights at Kano airport affecting our revenue
The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has said the continued closure of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is affecting the revenue of government. International flights into the airport were suspended in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown. When he received a high-powered delegation from Kano State, led by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in his office in Abuja on Tuesday, Sirika lamented the effect of the suspension. He said it does not make economic sense for government to spend so much money, as it has done on the airport, and abandon it in the end. He highlighted the attendant degeneration of infrastructure, redundancy amongst operational staff, revenue loss, hardship on travellers, amongst others. The Minister promised that necessary steps were being taken for the resumption ...
