Makurdi
NFF committee sanctions NPFL 2019/20 final table
Football Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has endorsed the final table of the Nigeria Professional Football League for the 2019/2020 season as prepared and released by the League Management Company. At its virtual meeting, held at the instance of the President of NFF, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to deliberate on all the issues arising from the forced ending to the season by the COVID-19, the agreement reached by all stakeholders to use the Points-Per-Game (PPG) to determine the final table and the subsequent petition by Rivers United FC, the Committee unanimously recommended that the NFF Executive Committee endorse the LMC decision and the Final Table for the 2019/2020 season in line with the NFF Statutes. It also charged the LMC to work out its calendar to ensure that very minim...
Police arrest nine for ‘armed robbery, cultism’ in Enugu
Nine persons have been arrested by the Police in Enugu state for involving in offences of conspiracy, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearm, cultism, and receiving of stolen property. Their arrest followed a renewed charge by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad AbdurRahman, that police operatives should increase the tempo to rid the state of criminal elements. The suspects according to the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Daniel Ndukwe are, 21-year-old Victor Obute (a.k.a. “Choiyi”) from Igbo-Etiti local government; Ebuka Omene (a.k.a. “OPEC”) aged 21 of Edemani Nsukka; Chekwube Alumona (a.k.a “Electric”) aged 22 of No. 1B Aludele Street, Nsukka; Chibuike Onoja (a.k.a. “Ginger”) aged 24 of Enugu-Ezike; and Odoh Nnaemeka (a.k.a “Pastor”) aged 24 of Enugu-Ezike. Othe...
Benue governor advises appointees not to shun invitations by investigative panels
Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue has advised both current and former appointees in the state to always appear before investigative panels, when invited. Ortom gave the advice on Tuesday in Makurdi when the Committee saddled with the responsibility of investigating the current state of the State Teaching Service Board (TSB) presented its report to him. The governor said that when they fail to make such appearance before investigative panels, they would be doing a lot of disservice to themselves. “You will be doing yourselves a lot of disservice when you are invited to come and make explanation on an issue or issues concerning you and you fail to turn up. “The panel avails you the opportunity to come and clear the doubts about you, but if you fail to appear, whatever the outcome may be, it will be...
Kaduna denies report on abduction along Abuja-Kaduna Highway
The Kaduna State government has denied media reports on the abduction of travelers along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on Thursday. The government said there was no such incident on that day as reported by some news platforms. The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, alongside the Police Commissioner, Umar Musa Muri and Operation Thunder Strike Sector Commander, Colonel Ibrahim Gambari, led journalists to the location where the said abduction was said to have taken place to interact with residents of the area. Aruwan pointed out that their findings revealed that contrary to what was reported, nobody was abducted on that day. “The Operation Thunder Strike team is working on this road. The police too are working here, Operation Puff Adder, the Intelligence Response ...
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...
Benue health commissioner resigns
The Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo, has resigned his position. Dr. Ongbabo until his resignation also doubled as the Secretary of the State Action Committee on COVID-19. His resignation was announced Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Mrs. Ngunan Addingi, at the end of the weekly State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Samuel Ortom. According to the Information Commissioner, Dr. Ongbabo resigned on his in terms of duly informing the Governor of his decision to quit his position. “Dr. Ongbabo disclosed that he was resigning for personal reasons and not in connection with any problems whatsoever. And Governor Ortom wished him well in his future endeavors,” Mrs. Addingi said. The Information Commis...
Benue university pro-chancellor, other staffers test positive for coronavirus
Juju Films/File Photo The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Benue State University, Makurdi, Prof. Zacharys Gundu has tested positive for COVID-19. Prof. Gundu made his status known in a letter he wrote to the Vice Chancellor of the institution and university community. This came after the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Msugh Kembe last week announced he tested positive while the Deputy Vice Chancellor, DVC, Administration, Prof. Godwin Achinge lost his life to the virus. In the said letter the Pro-Chancellor wrote “This is to write and inform you that samples collected from me and sent to Abuja for COVID-19 testing returned a positive test result to me on July 9, 2020. “A few days after the samples were taken and sent to Abuja, I went into one of the isolation facilities ...
ICPC tracks 67 constituency projects in Nasarawa
File Photo The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday said it has started tracking 67 selected constituency projects in Nasarawa State. Mr Clement Obaniyi, the commission’s Commissioner in Benue, also overseeing Nasarawa and Plateau, told newsmen in Makurdi on Wednesday, noting that the projects were 2016 constituency projects of National Assembly members in Nasarawa State. Obaniyi said that the selected projects ranged from construction of boreholes, HIV campaign projects, provision of buses/cars, erosion control and flood, electrification, dams and road construction. He added that the projects were selected for tracking by a team from Budget Office of the Federation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, ICPC, National Instit...
EFCC docks Benue deputy speaker, clerk for alleged N5 million fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Deputy Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Christopher Adaji, and the Clerk of the house, Torese Agena, before Justice S. O. Itodo, of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi, for their complicity in an alleged fraud totalling N5, 040,950 (Five Million, Forty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira only). They were arraigned on two-count charges bordering on conspiracy, bribery, criminal breach of trust and abuse of office. They pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. Counts one read: “That you, Torese Agena, on 18th day of October, 2019 being Clerk, Benue State House of Assembly, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage to yourself as bribe, to the tu...
Police confirm three killed in suspected herdsmen attack in Benue
The Police Command in Benue, on Sunday, confirmed that suspected herdsmen attacked and killed three persons at Adama village in Agatu Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed the attack in a statement in Makurdi. Anene described Adama village as a riverine community in Agatu with no motorable roads. He said that the Command has so far recovered three dead bodies, adding that more personnel had been deployed to the area to enforce law and order. The statement reads: “Information received on June 14, 2020, at about 05:30 hours that suspected herdsmen attacked Adama village, a riverine area in Agatu that is not motorable. “A team of police officers has been deployed to the area but the level of destruction and casualties ar...
EFCC investigates assault on Shawarma seller by officers
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it has launched an investigation into the alleged assault of Ms Mnena Ato, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Star Shawarma, Makurdi, Benue State. The EFCC said in a statement by its Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, that it is not the character of the commission to assault innocent citizens. The statement read in part, “The attention of the EFCC has been drawn to reports of a recent arrest made by its officers at a pastry firm in Makurdi, Benue State, involving Ms Mnena Ato, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Star Shawarma. “The commission has commenced investigations into the circumstances of her arrest and would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all facts related to the arrest are unearthed. It is not in the cha...
Nigeria: 10 die of coronavirus in Kano, Ogun, three other states
No fewer than seven patients died of coronavirus-related complications in Kano and Ogun states on Friday. Three other patients also died of COVID-19 in Bauchi, Kaduna and Sokoto. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known in its 70th Situation Report on COVID-19 published on Saturday. According to the report, 10 COVID-19 fatalities were recorded in the country as of 11.30 pm on Friday. The 10 new COVID-19 fatalities bring the total deaths recorded in the country to 117. Of the 117 fatalities, 33 died in Lagos, Kano, 18; FCT, four; Borno, 14; Katsina, eight; Bauchi, one; Ogun, four; Kaduna, two; Sokoto, nine; Jigawa, one; Edo, four; Zamfara, three; Oyo, two; Osun, four; Nasarawa, one; Rivers, two; Delta, three; Akwa Ibom, two; Yobe, one and Ekiti one. Part of the report read, “3...
