Confidence
Senator Ayogu Eze not suspended – APC
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the purported suspension of former senator representing Enugu North senatorial district, Senator Ayogu Eze, describing it as a ruse. A former chairman of Ward 7, Mr. Nwokedi Ugwuoke, had circulated information on alleged suspension of Sen. Eze. Reacting to this, APC State Caretaker Chairman, Enugu State, Dr. Ben Nwoye, in a letter to the party’s National Chairman and governor of Yobe State, Buni Mai Mala, said the former chairman of Senator Eze’s Ward 7 had no power to suspend anybody. While asking the APC and the general public to ignore the purported suspension of Eze, he said the APC was investigating Ugwuoke and will soon apply appropriate sanction against him. He said the alleged suspension of the former senator was laughable and of no...
APC group commends President Buhari, security agents for ‘decimating’ IPOB
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness and Campaign has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and federal security agents for decimating separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The group, in a statement issued by the quartet of Barr Ismail Ahmed, Lanre Issa-Onilu, Tolu Ogunlesi and Salihu Moh Lukman, claimed that the country will in the next few months witness even more progress on all fronts. ‘On security, the fear that has gripped the nation in recent times is receding while confidence is being renewed as the security agencies are chasing down the criminals, taking the battle to the bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers, and other criminal elements who have been holding the country by the jugular and turning Nigeria to a killing field,’ the group stated. ‘From the...
Antoine Griezmann: Karim Benzema will end goal drought soon
Karim Benzema needs just one goal to get up and running for France again, says team-mate Antoine Griezmann. The striker approached Euro 2020 off the back of an excellent season at Real Madrid, having scored 30 goals in 46 matches, but Benzema is yet to find the net since making his return to the France squad after a six-year absence. Griezmann is confident the 33-year-old will start scoring regularly for Les Bleus before long, insisting he just needs one to get him going. “I think each attacker wants to score the first goal and the quicker he does that, the better it is for everybody,” Griezmann said at a press conference. “As soon as Karim gets one in the net, that will help him. We just need to be patient and remain confident. “You know me, I feel a lot better in the centre, I feel a lot...
Lagos governor asks security agencies to crush criminals
Lagos State Government has tightened the noose on criminal elements, as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu fortifies the armoury of the State Police Command with new hardware and gadgets. One hundred and fifty units of double cabin vehicles, 30 patrol saloon cars, four high-capacity troop carriers and two anti-riot water cannon vehicles are part of the crime-fighting equipment donated to the police, yesterday, by the Lagos Government to strengthen security responses across the state. President Muhammadu Buhari took inventory and inaugurated the security equipment before Governor Sanwo-Olu handed over the gears to the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Alkali Usman, for the use of Lagos Police Command. The equipment and gadgets were procured through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) –...
Nigerian Army reshuffles senior officers in major shakeup
The Nigerian Army has redeployed some of its senior officers in a major shakeup. Outgoing Army spokesperson, Mohammed Yerima, a brigadier general, made this known in a statement on Thursday. Notable amongst the new appointments was that of C.G. Musa, a major general, who was named the new Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the counter insurgency operation in the North-east region. Also, Onyema Nwachukwu, a brigadier general, has now been appointed as the army spokesperson. Another brigadier general, A.M. Umar, was named the chief of staff to the COAS. The reshuffle, considered normal when there is a new leadership in the force, was expected when the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Faruk Yahaya, a major general, was appointed on May 27. He replaced the late COAS, Ibrahim Attahiru, who di...
Edo PDP factional chairman calls for unity, backs Governor Obaseki
File Photo The factional Chairman of the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Harrison Omagbon, has said that his main task is to unite the party which is currently embroiled in a leadership crisis. Omagbon became a factional chairman penultimate week, when the substantive chairman, Tony Aziegbemi was suspended over alleged misconduct, which has polarised the party. Aizegbemi, however, rejected his suspension. In a press statement issued at the end of the Omagbon’s faction’s State Working Committee meeting on Tuesday, and endorsed by the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the chairman harped on cooperation among members of the party while advocating for total commitment, loyalty and oneness. He said: “My task as acting chairman is to unite our party. There must be coo...
President Buhari orders IGP to reduce insecurity to barest minimum
President Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to ensure insecurity is reduced to the barest minimum. This is even as the Police Council made up of the President, Vice President, governors, ministers of Police Affairs, Interior and the Federal Capital Territory, confirmed Baba as the IGP. Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, who confirmed the development at the end of the one and half hours meeting, said he was unanimously confirmed. President Buhari had on April 6, appointed Baba as acting the Inspector General of Police. Baba was a Deputy Inspector General of Police before his promotion. Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting held at the First Lady Conference Room, the main purpose of the meeting was to “get the appo...
Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy receives hero’s welcome in Senegal
Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was given a hero’s welcome by his Senegal teammates on his arrival at the national team camp on Thursday evening. Players and members of the national team management waited until late on Thursday evening to welcome the 29-year-old, who helped Chelsea win the Uefa Champions League trophy last Saturday after a 1-0 victory over Manchester City. Mendy is the second Senegalese player to lift the coveted European title after Sadio Mane won it with Liverpool in the 2018-19 season. He played a vital role in the Blues’ successful European campaign with a record nine clean sheets in 12 games. Following an impressive debut campaign in England, Mendy, who has made himself Chelsea’s no. 1, said he will continue working to improve his game. “I don’t set limits for myself...
Eden Hazard says he will be ready in time for Euros
Eden Hazard is still having “some thigh problems” after missing much of Real Madrid’s season but “will be there when the Euros start”, he told a video press conference on Monday. The midfielder said he was “not yet at 100 percent” but added that “physically I still have to prepare myself and I obviously hope to be ready for the first game on 12 June.” Belgium, one of the favourites for the title, start Euro 2020 on June 12 against Russia in a group that also includes Denmark and Finland. Hazard arrived at the national training centre at Tubize on Monday, at the same time as most of his team-mates and, as captain, was the first to speak at the press conference. “I missed the last game with Real because of a little discomfort in my thigh. Since then I have been able to rest for a week and me...
Security forces kill five gunmen allegedly preparing to attack Rivers
At least five gunmen allegedly preparing to launch an attack on a police division in Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State, have been killed by security operatives. It was gathered the operatives also arrested six of them after a gun battle that lasted for some time. The gunmen were reportedly camped at a forest between Oyigbo and Eleme council areas where they mapped strategies to launch the attack. But they were said to have been ambushed by security operatives following an intelligence report. A source, who spoke in confidence, said on sighting the security operatives, the gunmen opened fire provoking a gun battle that left five of the gunmen killed and six of them arrested. The source said: “Many of them who came from the Oyigbo axis on their way to Eleme were killed. More than six...
Russia calls U.S. decision to not rejoin Open Skies arms pact ‘a political mistake’
Russia on Friday called a U.S. decision to not rejoin the Open Skies arms control pact, which allows unarmed surveillance flights over member countries, a political mistake that strikes a sour note ahead of a summit, Russian news agencies reported. The United States told Russia on Thursday it would not rejoin the pact, which Washington left in November, accusing Russia of violating it, something Moscow denied. The original decision to quit the pact was taken by the administration of then U.S. president Donald Trump and Moscow had hoped that Joe Biden would reverse that decision. Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, was quoted by the RIA news agency on Friday as saying that Moscow was disappointed but not entirely surprised by Biden’s decision. “It certainly does not make us ha...
Mali’s coup leader seizes power again
Mali’s president and prime minister have been ousted by the officer who led last year’s coup and became vice-president of an interim government. Col Assimi Goïta says President Bah Ndaw and PM Moctar Ouane failed in their duties and were seeking to sabotage the country’s transition. They were arrested hours after a government reshuffle which saw two senior army officers replaced. Col Goïta says elections will still go ahead next year as planned. But he ignored pleas from the UN chief, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), the EU and the US that the president and prime minister be released without any preconditions. The two men have been held at a military camp outside the capital, Bamako, since they were arrested on Monday evening. A delegation from Eco...
