Benin
Gunmen kidnap Edo deputy governor’s brother
A younger brother of the Deputy Governor of Edo State identified as Frederick Shaibu has been kidnapped by gunmen while taking his kids to school in Irhiri, Benin. As of the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the kidnappers are yet to make contact with the family. A family source told newsmen that the incident happened on Monday. The source said, “They attacked him and took him away. It happened in the Aruogba area, Irhiri around 07 am when he was driving his children to school. The children were left by the gunmen who took their father away. But the incident has been reported to security agencies, they have not made any contact with the family. “It is believed that the kidnappers came through the Ogba River because people who witnessed the incident said they went through the...
AFCONQ: Super Eagles will make Nigerians happy vs Sierra Leone – skipper
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa insists the team will go all out for an outright win against Sierra Leone in Friday’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture. The encounter at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City will be played behind closed doors, as the organisers the Nigeria Football Federation implements Confederation of African Football’s guidelines against Covid-19 pandemic. Musa states that the players will give their all in the encounter to make their fans proud. “Playing in Benin is great. It’s the home town of my mum. I would have love to see my family members come around and watch this game, but there is nothing we can do about it,” Musa declared in an interview with the Super Eagles media team. “It is all about the situation of things at the moment, the pandemic here ...
Nigerian government exempts Dangote from border closure – report
The Nigerian government has allowed Dangote Cement to resume exports across its land borders, Bloomberg reports. This is despite the closure of all land borders by the government for over one year. The move has, however, raised hopes that Nigeria may be opening up trade with neighbors after a year-long blockade. The administration of the President Muhammadu Buhari gave its authorisation for Africa’s biggest producer to export cement to Niger and Togo in the third quarter for the first time in ten months, Michel Puchercos, chief executive officer, said on an investor call in Lagos. The export was made possible “through authorisation given by this administration,” he said. The exemption to Dangote Cement is seen as a softening of the government’s position on a border closure that started in ...
NiMet predicts hazy, sunny weather activities Monday to Wednesday
Facebook Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted hazy, sunny weather activities from Monday to Wednesday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday predicted dust haze conditions over the northern region with a moderate visibility range of 2KM to 5KM throughout the forecast period on Monday. According to it, the North central region is expected to be in sunny and hazy condition throughout the forecast period. “The inland and coastal cities of the South are expected to be in partly cloudy to cloudy condition with slim prospects of thunderstorms over Rivers, Cross River, Eket and Bayelsa in the morning hours. “There are prospects of few thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Ebonyi, Delta, Awka, Rivers, Delta, Cross River, Benin and Lagos state during the a...
AFCONQ: Kaizer Chiefs confirm Daniel Akpeyi’s Super Eagles call-up
South African giants, Kaizer Chiefs, has confirmed that goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, has received a call up for Super Eagles’ 2022 Africa Cup of Nations double-header against Sierra Leone in November. The Eagles are billed to face the Leone Stars in a Group L fixture at the newly refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin on November 13 before playing the return leg four days later in Freetown. Akpeyi manned the posts in the Eagles opening two games of the qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho in November 2019, but missed out of the team’s international friendly games against African champions Algeria and Tunisia earlier this month in Austria. Amakhosi confirmed Akpeyi’s invitation on their website, “Chiefs will be well represented on the international front next month during the internati...
AIB signs MOU with France, Saudi Arabia, recommends prevention measures on airspace safety
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France and Saudi Arabia on airspace safety. AIB however said that research and other investigative activities on the agreement could not be implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is also working in collaboration with the National Transport Safety Board in the U.S. and Singapore as well as Republic of Benin, the ECOWAS Commission and its member states. The AIB Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Akin Olateru, who made this known while addressing newsmen during the ongoing Regional Enlightenment Symposium in Kano, said the recommendations were made from 2007 till date. Olateru revealed that AIB has so far recommended over 100 standard safety and accident prevention to avert air spa...
NERC: DISCOs collected N114 billion revenues in Q1 of 2020
The latest quarterly report issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, showed that a total of N114 billion was collected as revenue by the 11 electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, in the first quarter of 2020. The report also indicated that while the collection efficiency decreased considerably, the regulatory agency listed Abuja, Benin and Eko DISCOs as the companies with the most efficient collection systems. Meanwhile, the report which covered the first quarter of 2020 also showed that the country generated more electricity compared to the last quarter of 2019 with total electricity generated put at 8,613,998MWh, 6.33 per cent more than the energy generated during the preceding quarter. The regulatory agency noted that the collection efficiency implied that fo...
Police arrest 12 suspects over attack on police stations in Benin
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday said that 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attacks and arson on Police Stations in Benin. In a statement in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba, disclosed that five AK47 rifles, earlier stolen from vandalised police stations, have also been recovered. Adamu had ordered the deployment of anti-riot police unit, the Police Mobile Force (PMF), to protect lives and property of all Nigerians and secure critical national infrastructure across the country. He had also ordered massive deployment of Police operatives to strengthen security around Correctional facilities nationwide. The IGP said the order followed the increasing attacks and acts of arson and malicious damage to public ...
Jail break: Lawyer wants Benin prisons closed
With the dust over the jail break at Oko Prison in Benin City on Monday yet to settle down, a Human rights lawyer Jefferson Uwoghiren, has called for the immediate closure of all the prison houses located inside the ancient city of Benin, Edo state capital. Uwoghiren in a statement made available to newsmen Monday said “it is shocking how the prison inmates who escaped from the cells promptly fused and melted like butter with the crowd, into the City into our homes, and into our surrounding bushes since morning”. According to him, “This record breaking jail break is horrendously made worst, by the ominous silence of the Prison authority, Warders, sorry nothing correctional about them. The overwheming incompetence of the Prison Officers is detonatingly enabling by the official silence of al...
Edo election: Impunity responsible for APC’s defeat – Odigie Oyegun
YouTube A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Monday attributed the loss by the party during the September 19 governorship election in Edo State to the dynamic nature of democracy. While noting that the electorate voted en masse in line with their conscience, he added that impunity and imposition of candidate at the party’s primaries also contributed to the loss. In an interview with journalist in Benin, Oyegun commended President Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering in the process but allowed the people’s will to prevail. He also lauded Oba Ewuare II for his timely intervention at brokering peace between the major actors and stakeholders of the APC and the PDP. He said, “It is democracy within the parties and impunity within the parties,...
Super Eagles out to end Algeria’s 18-match unbeaten run
The Super Eagles will go into October 9 friendly against Algeria with the sole aim of ending the Desert Foxes’ 18 match -unbeaten streak. The North Africans last defeat came almost two years ago, a 1-0 loss to the Squirrels of Benin in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Since then, the Desert Foxes have won 13 and drawn 5 matches. Djamel Belmadi’s side recorded wins against top sides like Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mali and Colombia during the period. The game will be first time the Super Eagles and Algeria will be meeting in a friendly. It will be a repeat of the 2019 AFCON semi-final which Algeria won 2-1 courtesy of Riyad Mahrez late free kick. Both countries have faced each other 21 times in official match at senior level. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make ...
Aston Villa interested in signing Liverpool youngster
Aston Villa are interested in signing the Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster this summer. The 20-year-old striker was on loan at Swansea City last season and he managed to score 11 goals for them. Brewster needs to leave the club in order to play regular first-team football and it will be interesting to see if the likes of Villa can agree on a fee with Liverpool in the coming weeks. According to Independent, Sheffield United are keen on signing the young striker as well and they have already spoken to the Reds regarding a move. Liverpool value the young striker at £25 million and they are hoping to insert a buy-back clause in the contract if Brewster is sold this summer. Such a deal would be ideal for Liverpool as it would allow the player to develop with the regular first-team football el...
