Nigerian
Cross River agency chief calls for legislation to back labour migration
The director-general, Cross River Migration Control Agency, Prince Michael Nku Abuo, has called for enactment of a legislation to back labour migration in order to engender national development. Abuo made the call at the Cross River State Migration Summit held in Calabar, the state capital on Saturday. The DG, who also represented the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, at the summit, pointed out that several solutions by both federal and state governments have been given to address the issue of unemployment in order to curb the challenge, but the way forward is to tackle the menace was through labour migration. According to him, Cross River Migration Control Agency was exploring and advancing for opportunities for citizens of the State who are at home and in the Diaspora under a work study p...
NAF chief: Terrorists’ll be brought to their knees
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has said the Nigerian military will win the war on insecurity in the North-East and other parts of the country. Amao said this when he received the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, at the Nigerian Airforce Headquarters in Abuja. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by Gabriel Odu for NIDCOM Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit. According to the statement, “Air Marshal Oladayo Amao believes that with the professional competence of the air servicemen and women, and well-boosted morale, the terrorists and their kind will be brought to their knees. “CAS said the NAF is willing to collaborate with Nigerian Professionals in diaspora in relevant fields as it is imperative to tap into the enormo...
Ike Shorunmu applauds Ahmed Musa’s courage to return to local league
Former Super Eagles assistant coach Ike Shorunmu has lauded Ahmed Musa’s decision to return to the Nigeria professional football league after 18 years. Musa joined four-time Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars, ahead of the second stanza of the 2020-2021 Nigeria professional football league campaign. The Super Eagles Captain is expected to remain with the Sai Masu Gida until the end of the current campaign and will allow a move should he receive an offer from Europe. Reacting to the transfer, Shorunmu who also made name for himself in the domestic league before going to Europe, applauded Musa’s courage to return home and sign for a team. “His return to the league is a welcome development and it’s a great one for our football and Musa himself,” he told brila.net “We have to applaud his courage...
Nigerian faces 10 years in jail for obtaining U.S. citizenship using fake identity
The United States authorities have charged 48-year old Modestus Nwagubwu Ifemembi to court over fraudulent claims he provided to obtain the US citizenship 10 years back. Ifemembi, who secured his US citizenship in 2001, has worked as a Federal providers’ officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for seven years. According to a report by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Ifemembi, originally of Nigeria, was arrested in Maryland on Wednesday, April 7, 2020, on a federal charge that he obtained U.S. citizenship under a false name. It added that he made false statements to acquire U.S. citizenship, in addition to employment with USCIS. The report disclosed that Ifemembi was charged under the false name of Karl Nwabugwu Odike Ifemembi. His arrest followed investigatio...
Tokyo Olympics: Minister confident Nigeria will return to track and field podium
Youth and Sports Development Minister Sunday Dare is confident Nigeria’s 13 year wait for a track and field medal at the Olympics will end this year at the Tokyo Games. Nigeria last won a track and field medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 when the women’s 4x100m relay team and Blessing Okagbare (long jump) won silver medals and the Sports Minister is confident track and field will start delivering the medals like it did in 1996 in Atlanta. Track and Field has accounted for 13 of the 25 medals Team Nigeria have won at the Games. The sport has also delivered two of the three gold medals won with a first ever individual gold by Chioma Ajunwa in the women’s long jump. ”The performances of our athletes so far this year have given us renewed hopes that Nigerian track and field athletes can be...
UN expresses worry over violence against women in Nigeria
The United Nations has expressed worries over rising violence against women and girls in Nigeria. The UN National Programme Manager, Patience Ekeoba, lamented that the country’s security is weak in handling gender-based matter. Ekeoba called on the federal government to retrain security personnel, especially the police in handling gender-based matter in order to put an abrupt end to the narrative across the country. She said this while speaking at the 8th Triennial Convention of the Mothers’ Union of the Church of the Lord International held in Ogere-Remo, Ogun. The UN personnel who spoke on the theme “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” disclosed that 3.85 million of Nigerian girls are out of school, warning that the victims are at risk of social violence. According to her, violence against w...
Kaduna monarch: Nigerian politicians are greedy opportunists
The emir of Birnin Gwari, Malam Zubairu Jibril Mai Gwari II, has lashed out on Nigerian politicians whom he described as greedy opportunists. The monarch made the comment in Kaduna during the North-West Conference on the State of the Nation and contemporary challenges in Nigeria organised by Arewa Research and Development Project ARDP and Savanah Center. He said some politicians have capitalised on illiteracy and poverty among the people to attain power. “I have said it on so many occasions and so it’s easy for me now to repeat what I have said before. Why do we have failure in politicians running state, local and federal governments? I traced the problem to who we consider as politicians in our localities. “If you go to every part of the country those who call themselves politicians, stak...
Kelechi Iheanacho wins Leicester City’s Goal of the Month for March
Kelechi Iheanacho has added more glorious feathers to his cap as his goal won Leicester City’s Goal of the Month for March. The Nigerian first made History With First Premier League Hat-Trick In Leicester City’s Emphatic Win Over Sheffield United The 24-year-old scored seven goals for the Foxes last month, but only one could win the goal of the month Kelechi Iheanacho has received another accolade after his goal against Burnley was voted Leicester City’s goal of the month for March. Iheanacho enjoyed a good run of form for the Foxes last month, scoring seven times in five games. The first of those strikes came in the 1-1 draw against Burnley, and it has earned him the goal of the month for March. The former Manchester City striker fired in a superb volley following a long ball from his cou...
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...
Nollywood actor grateful after family escapes death
A Nigerian actor, Junior Pope Odonwodo, a.k.a Jnr Pope, has expressed gratitude to God for sparing his life and that of his family members after a fire incident destroyed his house. The actor, who said he was so thankful to God for saving his entire family, took to his Instagram handle to show appreciation to God. He said his house went up in flames while the family was sleeping but God intervened, adding that he was safe and no one sustained any injury. ‘‘Join Me In Thanking God Ooooooooo. My house almost went up in flames while my family slept. But GodIntervened. My hands are clean Oooooooooooo, (Akam di Ocha). God Is The Greatest (final full stop). My family and I are safe,” he wrote. In 2006, the actor joined the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood) and started attending movie auditions...
Seplat issues $650 million oil and gas bond
Seplat Petroleum Development Company, a Nigerian independent oil and gas firm, has issued $650 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due in 2026. It is said to be the largest ever Nigerian oil and gas bond issuance. A senior note is a type of bond that must be repaid before most other debts in the event that the issuer declares bankruptcy. It is more secure than other bonds. The dual listed company said the five-year bond was well-received in the market with orders from high quality institutional investors. “The notes priced at a yield of 7.75%, representing a significant pricing reduction from its $350 million debut issuance in 2018, which priced at a yield of 9.50% , with a coupon of 9.25%,” a statement by the company read. “The offering was well oversubscribed with deman...
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...
