March
Ebonyi attacks: VP Osinbajo visits affected communities
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has assured the people of Ebonyi State that justice would be served in the case of persons recently killed by assailants in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Osinbajo stated this on Sunday when he visited the affected communities including Egedegede, Obegu and Amuzu. He was led to the affected communities by the state governor, Dave Umahi. The vice-president also directed the National Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Ministry Of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management And Social Development to assess the level of damage done by the assailants with a view of providing succor for the affected communities. According to the governor, at least 15 persons were killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen who attacked the communities on the ...
Troop arrests 23 ‘bandits’ in Plateau
The Operation Safe Haven also known as the Special Task Force (STF) has arrested 17 suspected kidnappers and five Armed robbers for attempted kidnapping and robbery in at Lishin village, in Pengana Chiefdom in Bassa and Lamingo in Jos North Local Government Areas of Plateau State. Commander, Operation Safe Haven, Major General Dominic Onyemulu stated this while parading the suspects at the Command headquarters in Jos and vowed to make his area of operation uncomfortable for kidnappers and other criminal elements. “On the 16 of March, troops of Operation Safe Haven responded to a distress call on an attempted kidnap of one Alh. Gambo Yawurp from his residence at Lishin village in Pengana Chiefdom Bassa LGA. “Troops in collection with vigilante members and locals foiled the attempt kidnappin...
Ekiti reduces stake in Wema Bank
Ekiti State, one of the shareholders of Wema Bank Plc, has reduced its stake in the bank by 666.670 million from 1.191 billion shares. Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, and Osun States are shareholders in Wema Bank. While Oyo, Osun, and Ogun held 666.670 million or 1.73 per cent each, Ekiti held 1.191 billion or 3.09 per cent as at December 31, 2019. But in a notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), signed by the Company Secretary of Wema Bank Plc, Johnson Lebile, the bank said Ekiti State Government sold 666.670 million shares at 65 kobo per share on the floors of the NSE, amounting to N433.336 million. According to the bank, the transaction took place between March 3 and 4, 2021. With the transaction, Ekiti State now holds about 524.1 million shares. Neem Tree Limited remains the majority shar...
Rivers governor speaks against travelling abroad for medical check-up
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says he doesn’t have any reason to travel abroad for a medical check-up because the State Government House Clinic is equipped with everything he needs for medical examination. The governor said this on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, when a delegation of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt. Wike’s comment came at a time President Muhammadu Buhari left the country for a medical check-up in London. In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri. Wike urged the council not to play politics with the approved quota for medical and dental schools in Nigeria. Wike was quoted as saying, “The health care system in Nigeria requires very serious attention. It is unfortunate wh...
AFCONQ: CAF confirms new date for Sierra Leone vs Benin clash
The Confederation of African Football has announced the postponed Africa Cup of Nations qualification encounter between Sierra Leone and Benin Republic will now take place during the June international window. The Group L fixture initially billed for Tuesday, March 30, at the National Stadium, Freetown did not take place owing to a Covid-19 controversy. However, both teams will now square up against one another in three months’ time – a game that will determine the last team to secure a place for Cameroon 2022. “The Africa Cup of Nations organizing committee has decided to postpone the above-mentioned match to the next Fifa international window scheduled for June 2021. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding,” a post from Benin Football Federation Facebook page read....
#EndSARS: Lagos governor extends panel sittings by three months
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has extended the tenure of the state’s Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Related Abuses and Other Matters for another three months. This was disclosed on Tuesday by the panel headed by retired Justice Doris Okuwobi. With the extension the panel had been granted legal backing to six till July 19 instead of the initial deadline of April 19 in its terms of reference. The Lagos Judicial Panel was inaugurated by the Lagos State Governor on October 19 to among other things receive memoranda from concerned members of the public and inquire into cases of abuse, brutality, torture and extra judicial killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in Lagos. Its terms of reference als...
Another batch of 255 Nigerians stranded in Saudi Arabia arrive Abuja
Another batch of 255 Nigerians stranded in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. This was disclosed by the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) via its official Twitter handle @nidcom_gov, adding that the returnees arrived via Saudi Air Flight SV3405 at about 1.00pm time Monday, 29th March. According to the commission, they will proceed on quarantine at the Federal Capital Territory Hajj Camp for 14 days in line with the reversed COVID-19 protocols by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. The Nigerian government has evacuated nearly 2,000 of its nationals from the Kingdom in the last three months even as more returnees are expected in subsequent days. In February, Nigerian government received a batch of 420 returnees from S...
Daniel Sturridge on the verge of MLS move
Daniel Sturridge could be set to move to the MLS, according to the Daily Mirror. Sturridge has been without a club since being released from Trabzonspor back in March 2020. The striker had just received a four-month ban and a £150,000 fine after a breach of betting rules. It’s been a difficult few years for the Englishman, who was once one of the Premier League’s deadliest strikers. In his first season-and-a-half at Liverpool, he scored 31 league goals in just 43 appearances, finishing as runner up in the 2013/14 Golden Boot race behind strike partner Luis Suarez. However, he suffered numerous injury problems which severely limited his game time over the next few years. Suarez’s departure and the replacement of manager Brendan Rodgers with Jurgen Klopp also impacted his form, and he found ...
Suez Canal Authority says stranded ship partially refloated
The stranded container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week was almost fully re-floated on Monday and has restarted its engines, a shipping source with knowledge of the matter said, raising hopes the busy waterway will soon be reopened. The 400-metre (430-yard) long Ever Given has been straightened in the canal and will undergo initial inspections before being moved, two sources said. Video posted on social media appeared to show the ship’s stern had swung around, opening space in the canal. Other footage, which could not be immediately verified by Reuters, included cheering and ships’ horns sounding in celebration. Ship-tracking service VesselFinder has changed the ship’s status to under way on its website. The Ever Given became jammed diagonally across a southern section of...
Ilorin ‘priest’ remanded for ‘beheading’ man for money ritual
An Ilorin priest, Abdurasak Al-Sulati, popularly called Kewulere, has been charged for allegedly killing one Sumo Usman. He was arraigned at an Ilorin Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide contrary to Sections 97 and 221 of Penal Code Law. In the Police First Information Report (FIR), the defendant was said to have conspired with Sheidu Mumini, Isiaka Dauda and Suleiman Usman to murder the victim. They were accused to have cut off Usman’s head and hands for money ritual. The prosecuting counsel, Issa Abubakar, said investigation is ongoing and requested the remand of Kewulere. The prosecutor told the court that the offences against the accused are not ordinarily bailable. But the defence counsel, Adam Abdulrahman, disagreed and insisted that ...
LOC: Nigerian government yet to release funds for 20th National Sports Festival
The Federal Government is yet to release the funds it promised Edo for the hosting of the 2020 National Sports Festival (NSF) with less than a week to its commencement. Musa Ebomhiana, a Project Manager in the Media and Communications Sub-Committee of the festival’s Local Organising Committee (LOC), disclosed this on Sunday in Benin. He told newsmen however that, while the Edo State Government still remained hopeful the fund would be released, an early release would be better. “This will ensure smooth planning for the nation’s number one sports fiesta,” he said. Ebomhiana pointed out that the need to have a smooth planning was the reason the state’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, had last week appealed for the funds’ early release. “We are taking seriously the promise by the Minister of Y...
EFCC warn POS operators over illegal cash transaction
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, recently warned operators of Mobile Money and Banks Agents otherwise known as POS operators over illegal cash transactions. The Commission’s Zonal Head in Sokoto CDS Bawa Usman Kaltungo on Thursday March 25, 2021 gave the warning at a meeting with the Sokoto Chapter of Mobile Money and Banks Agents Association, (MMBA) Sokoto State Chapter in his office. EFCC boss express concern at the high rate of mobile money fraud in the country, and called on the association to join hands in the fight against money laundering and electronic transaction fraud. But while reacting to this, the South West coordinator of Moniepoint, Israel Eniolorunda frowned at this development noting that nefarious activities of many of these POS operators in the country...
