Persons
House asks federal government to suspend upcoming census exercise
Following the ravaging insecurity in the country, the House of Representatives yesterday called on the federal government to suspend the upcoming census exercise until security improved. The House also said it will be counter-productive and a waste of scarce financial resources to conduct such exercise amidst the economic recession. The call was made on the heel of a motion under matters of urgent public importance titled “Call on the federal government of Nigeria to Suspend the Proposed 2021 Population and Housing Census to be conducted by the National Population Commission” sponsored by Shelia Barwa Bell. Moving the motion, Bell said that the state of insecurity would not guarantee accuracy if the census was conducted now, arguing that many Nigerians have fled their homes and villages. H...
UNICAL security apprehends suspected cultists with hard drugs on campus
Security operatives in the University of Calabar, UNICAL, have arrested two suspected cultists for being in possession of packs of 100mg of tramadol on campus. The suspect, Abarakwe Darlington, 23, and Asuquo Effiong, 25, were arrested following an interrogation from the security operatives after he allegedly beat up an ice cream vendor, George Emmanuel, who had raised an alarm that he sold the suspects ice cream and they refused to pay him. The Acting Chief Security Officer of the University, So Usani Okon-Etim(rted), told some Journalists on Wednesday on campus that the suspects were arrested close to the moot court on campus. He said: “These two suspects bought ice cream from the seller and they refused to pay him, rather they started flogging him. The boy however raised alarm and some ...
Amotekun evicts another 137 northerners from Ondo forest
No fewer than 137 northerners have again been evicted from the forest reserves in Ondo state by the state security outfit codenamed Amotekun. Those evicted were occupying the Elegbeka forest reserves along Ifon-Owo road. Speaking with newsmen in Akure, the state commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye said that their continued occupation of the forest reserve was a security threat to the state. Adeleye said that all the illegal forest occupants would be escorted out of the state to wherever they came from. “We got an Intelligence report that very many people bombarded (forests at) Elegbeka–Ifon area in the state. “We moved in and questioned the majority of them and they said they were from the northern part of the country “We asked for their mission they were not able to give us a cl...
Nigerian government welcomes ECOWAS court judgment dismissing SERAP’s case
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Tuesday welcomed an ECOWAS Court judgment dismissing a case filed by the trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Federal Government. Malami, in a statement by Dr Umar Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, said the judgment has saved Nigeria from payment of billons of naira for bogus claims. He described the judgment as a clear vindication of the government’s efforts towards respecting human rights and international conventions. Malami, therefore renewed the commitment of his office to protecting the rights of citizens in all ramifications as well as protecting the public interest in the discharge of all constitutionally recognised mandate. Newsmen report that the judgment which...
Whistleblower petitions EFCC, justice minister over corruption in maritime academy
Pool Photo A whistleblower in the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron in Akwa Ibom State, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute the management of the institution over multiple fraud, as well as systemic and perennial corruption. In a two-page petition to EFCC by Mr. Adamu Jibrin, a staffer of the Academy dated 6th April 2021 through his Attorney, Michael Edet and Associates, and made available to newsmen in Uyo titled, “Petition of Fraud, Embezzlement, Misappropriation and Criminal Conversion of Public Funds to Personal Use by the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron,” the petitioner alleged that millions of naira have been siphoned from the treasury of the academy. Copies of the petition to the EFCC Chairman, the Attorne...
Nigerian journalist: Why I returned missing $3,000 to owner
Mr Abdulkadir Shehu, a journalist with Progress FM, a private radio station in Gombe, said he returned the $3,000 dollars he found along the road to its owner, because it would be wrong for him to claim it. Shehu told newsmen in Gombe on Monday, that as at the time he returned the money, he had less than N2000 on him. “I was really in dire need of money at the time because I had received a call from Kano that my son was sick and needed to be tested for kidney and liver diseases at the hospital. “They couldn’t go ahead with the test because there was no money. “My son is still under medical supervision, but I will try to get the N35,000 for the test on Tuesday,’’ he said. Shehu stressed that poverty should not be an excuse for anyone to do what is wrong, adding that a person’s honesty is be...
Ekiti student caught over ‘attempt to use roommate for ritual’
A student of Ekiti State University (EKSU) Ado-Ekiti, was caught with fetish items while allegedly trying to use his roommate for money ritual. The student who identified himself as Saheed Adeniran, was said to have been caught by some persons that exposed him in a video trending online. According to the video, the incident occurred in Ifaki-Ekiti, Ido-Osi Local Government Area of the state. From Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, Ifaki-Ekiti is a town after Iworoko-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area. Iworoko-Ekiti is a town next to Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti. The items found in possession of Adeniran in the video are : clothes, wrapper, two calabashes (one covered with a lid, the other, a small-sized bottle gourd) and a native pot covered with a lid. When cont...
Bayelsa government wades into communal crisis, warns against gunrunning
The Bayelsa State Government has read the riot act to those engaged in gunrunning in the state and warned such persons to desist from the unwholesome activity or they would face the full wrath of the law. Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo gave the warning while addressing the chiefs and people of Peretoru community in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state during a resumed meeting in the Government House, Yenagoa, on Saturday. Among those also present at the meeting were the representatives of the state Command of Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Joint Task Force (JTF). A statement on Sunday by the deputy governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, said the meeting was part of ongoing efforts by the state government to resolve the leade...
Two persons abducted in Ogun community
Two persons have been abducted in Omu, a community near Ofada town in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state. The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident on Sunday. He explained that the abducted persons – a man and a woman – were on a visit to a farm in the area on Saturday when the incident occurred. Oyeyemi noted that following the incident, the command has launched a manhunt to track the perpetrators and rescue the victims from their abductors. He, however, stressed that no ransom has so far been demanded by the abductors to release their victims. The abduction occurred three days after the police arrested some suspects in connection with the abduction of a community leader, Tajudeen Omotayo, and two students of the Olabisi Ona...
May Day: President Buhari promises workers better packages
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured workers of better packages to cushion economic effects of COVID-19 on their resources. The President said his administration has put in place some socio-economic policies to alleviate poverty. Buhari said the Federal Government has expanded the Conditional Cash Transfer for the vulnerable poor from 2.6 million households to 7.6 million. He also noted COVID-19 Rapid Response Register has been expanded for urban poor to 4.8 million households, which included urban poor and working class. The President spoke during this year’s May Day celebration at the Eagle Square on Saturday in Abuja. This year’s celebration had as its theme: “COVID-19 pandemic, social and economic crisis: challenges for decent jobs, social protection and people’s welfare”. Buhari, wh...
TRCN: Nigerian teachers becoming more competitive globally
Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), says Nigerian teachers are currently becoming more competitive globally. Ajiboye, disclosed this at the end of the opening of a one-day training workshop for Education Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (ECAN) on Friday in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. He noted that the narrative about the proficiency of Nigerian teachers had begun to change due to innovations being introduced to keep them at par with their counterparts globally. He said that unlike before those Nigerian teachers had to undergo a certain level of training abroad before being offered appointments, but now they were being offered jobs straight up. According to him, this is because the Federal Government is focusing more atte...
NNPC assures will continue to meet financial obligations to FAAC
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has clarified that the revenue projection contained in the letter to the Accountant General of the Federation being cited in the media pertains only to the Federation revenue stream being managed by the Corporation and not a reflection of the overall financial performance of the Corporation. A press release by the Corporation’s spokesman, Dr. Kennie Obateru, stated that the clarification became necessary in the light of media reports insinuating that the Corporation was in financial straits. NNPC maintains that it is conscious of its role and was doing everything possible to shore up revenues and support the Federation at all times. “The shortfall will be remedied by the Corporation as it relates only to the Federation revenue stream being...
