The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria on Saturday decried the spate of insecurity in Nigeria even as they advocated for community policing as a way out of the current security challenges bedeviling the country. They also commended the Federal Government on its efforts at fighting the insecurity in the country, calling on the goverment to beef up the security architecture in the country to reflect the demographic reality of Nigeria. This was contained in a communiqué issued by the Conference at the end of its general meeting held at the Hazibal Event Centre in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital, which had representatives of the 36 states in attendance. The communique, which was signed by the chairman of the Conference, Right Honourable Suleiman Y Abubakar, who also doubl...
The Kano state Executive Council has approved the constitution of a committee, to design a Strategic Metropolitan Transport Master Plan, in order to regulate the transport system in the metropolis. This is contained in a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Muhammad Garba, made available to newsmen on Friday. It said the development of a Transport Master Plan for the state would strengthen economic growth and development, in line with the megacity goal of the Ganduje administration. Garba, in the statement, noted that the terms of reference of the committee, included a comprehensive mass transit system, to address the current transportation challenges. “It will also identify facilities and services to manage the dynamics of Kano as an emerging Megacity.” the state...
A late evening fire outbreak on Thursday gutted a three-storey building at No 74 Jubille Road, Aba, Abia, destroying goods worth more than N35 million. The fire also gutted a makeshift warehouse at the back of the three-storey building with Motorcycle spare parts and also burnt the contents of rooms on three floors at the back of the main building. Newsmen visited the scene of the incident and reports that the three-storey building, other adjoining blocks with their wares were not spared by the inferno. Mr Donatus Ezenwaka, a victim and Motorcycle Spare Parts dealer at the building told newsmen on Friday that he was called back at about 11 pm to his shop by a neighbour because the building was on fire. “I came and it was as told me and there was a crowd around here. “They said the fire beg...
Arsenal’s squad trimming has continued, with Shkodran Mustafi joining Schalke on a deal until the end of the season. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said prior to the January transfer window that he was keen to trim some flab from his squad. Mesut Ozil has been the highest-profile departure, with the former Germany international joining Fenerbahce and in so doing the club cleared a sizeable chunk of wages from the monthly bill. Sokratis Papastathopoulos joined Olympiakos earlier this month after being released from his contract, William Saliba, Sead Kolasinac and Matt Smith have left on loan, while Matt Macey joined Hibernian on a permanent basis. World Cup winner Mustafi emerged as a possible departure towards the end of January, and he was linked with a shock move to Liverpool. Premier League ...
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has denied all allegations of using racist abuse during his on-field clash with Romelu Lukaku in the Coppa Italia match between Inter and AC Milan on Tuesday evening. The attackers squared up to each other at half-time, trading verbal blows and ultimately being cautioned by referee Paolo Valeri. Lukaku came out on top in the end, scoring the equaliser in a 2-1 win for the Nerazzurri, while Ibrahimovic was shown a second yellow in the second half and was given his marching orders. The dust has far from settled in the wake of the spat, however, as pitch-side microphones picked up the heated conversation between Lukaku and Ibrahimovic, with the latter reportedly calling the former a “donkey” and telling him to go do his “voodoo sh*t”, among other things. The voodoo referenc...
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, has declared war against ritual killings in his domain, saying he would confiscate the ritualists’ den that was recently discovered in Iwo. Oba Akanbi, who condemned ritual killings, said no man of conscience would kill fellow human beings for monetary gain. In a statement made available to journalists through his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, the monarch expressed shock that some elements in his domain engaged in ritual killings despite the regular campaigns against the ills. It described the perpetrators as “bastards” and urged security agencies to conduct full investigation into the development. The statement partly read, “As an ardent campaigner against ritual killings, I condemn in totality the recently discovered ritual den in Iyemoja, Iwo...
British race driver, George Russell, will take Lewis Hamilton’s place at Mercedes for this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix after the seven-time champion tested positive for coronavirus. Mercedes has backed Russell’s career since 2017 and he is effectively on a three-year loan at Williams, where he has posted some impressive races since making his F1 debut last season. Jack Aitken, a 25-year-old British-Korean, will race in Russell’s place at Williams for his F1 debut while Russell is away at Mercedes. Mercedes had approached Williams to see if a deal to release Russell was possible as soon as it became apparent that Hamilton’s absence from the first race of his career was confirmed after the positive COVID-19 test and retest. And the confirmation of an agreement arrived on Wednesday morning. T...
The Oodua Progressive Union, OPU, Sunday, lamented that the security situation in Nigeria is being coloured with nepotism, sectionalism, and lack of competence. The group, in a communiqué at the end of the meeting, said: “OPU is disturbed with the news coming from home, regarding the killing of a first-class Yoruba monarch, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Adegoke Adeusi in Ondo State. “We also condemn, in totality, the dastardly acts of Fulani herdsmen who yearly burn down Chief Olu Falae’s farm. In the same vein, we commend Amotekun in the rescue of the wife of the Chief of staff to the governor of Ondo State. “After careful observation of the 1999 Constitution, we realised that the document was unfit and unproductive, making it the source of nearly all our problems. “As a group that is poised fo...
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has said that the murder of the first class traditional ruler in the state, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Isreal Adewusi was an indication that the country was in a serious security crisis beyond the ordinary. Akeredolu who led a top government delegation to the affected area on Thursday night described the murder of the monarch as heinous. A statement by the information and Orientation commissioner Donald Ojogo said “With a heavy heart, the Ondo State Government hereby confirms the unfortunate incident around Elegbeka, Owo-Ifon road in Ondo State to be true. Truly, Ondo has lost a great one-a deep cut, too sad. “This is a heinous crime, an incident which has, again, confirmed that we are indeed, in a serious security crisis beyond the ordinary. “Already, ...
In an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept defeat, former US First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has said the willingness of American Presidents to accept defeat distinguishes American democracy. She said this in post on her Facebook page, where she posted a letter written by then outgoing President George H W Bush to then incoming President Bill Clinton, in 1993. “Here’s how it’s done in America, “she wrote. Continuing, the former presidential candidate said: ‘This is the gracious letter George H.W. Bush left for Bill in the Oval Office on the day of Bill’s inauguration.” Quoting the letter, she said:”Your success now is our country’s success,” President Bush wrote. “I am rooting hard for you.”” “Since the very beginning, American presidents ...