Wednesday
Ibrahim Gambari an appointee of global standard ― APC governors
The forum of governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) have described Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari assumption of office as Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari as a challenge to appointees of the government. The former External Affairs Minister and former Nigeria representative at the United Nations replaced the immediate past occupant of the office, Mallam Abba Kyari who died last month due to health complications from COVID-19. Professor Gambari formally assumed office on Wednesday. The PGF in a statement signed by its Chairman and Kebbi State governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said Professor Gambari’s rich credentials and vast international network were a challenge to those seeking appointments in government to “ai...
Senator, CAN condemn Kajuru killings, sue for peace
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Uba Sani, and the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have condemned the spate of killings in communities in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state. In separate statements issued on Thursday in Kaduna, they decried the ugly situation in the communities and sued for peace. In his statement, Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District which include Kajuru, said he was “pained over renewed Fulani/Adara hostilities” in the area and called for restraint among the two groups. He noted that the Fulani and Adara communities have been living in peace for decades, adding that just like other communities in Nigeria and across the world, misunderstandings and cha...
PDP expels former Kogi guber aspirant
Son of former governor Ibrahim Idris and a governorship aspirant of the People Democratic Party, PDP, in the November 2019 Kogi Guber election, Abubakar Ibrahim, has been expelled from the party for supposedly anti-party activities. Ibrahim’s expulsion followed fortnight directive of the state executive to the Disciplinary Committee set up by his home PDP of Icheke Ward in Omala Local Government Area to explore charges against him. The executive also wants his father, former governor Ibrahim Idris to face similar fate from the national Board of Trustee which he belongs to. Abubakar had however in a swift response said the supposed expulsion was a political gimmick to arm-twist him from stepping down his case at the Supreme court where he (Abubakar) is challenging the winner of the Guber pr...
WHO warns virus may be here to stay as toll nears 300,000
The coronavirus may never go away and populations will have to learn to live with it just as they have HIV, the World Health Organization has warned, as the global death toll from the disease nears 300,000. There were also gloomy forecasts from the US Federal Reserve, which said prolonged shutdowns to stem the spread of the virus could cause lasting economic damage in America. Washington ratcheted up tensions over the pandemic by accusing China of trying to steal research into a vaccine, while US President Donald Trump upped the rhetoric with a colourful phrase that could anger Beijing. “We just made a great Trade Deal, the ink was barely dry, and the World was hit by the Plague from China. 100 Trade Deals wouldn’t make up the difference — and all those innocent lives lost!” Trump tweeted....
Rivers court sentences two to death for ritual murder of 8-year old
A High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Wednesday sentenced Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike and Ugochukwu Nwamiro to death for the ritual murder of eight-year-old Victory Chikamso. Justice Adolphus Enebeli in his judgement ruled that Dike, 200-Level Student of Physics at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) be hung on his neck till death while Ugochukwu Nwamiro should be hung on his leg until dead with no option of fine for both convicts. Police Sergeant Johnbosco Okoronze, who was found guilty of aiding and assisting the escape of Dike from police custody before being rearrested in course of his trial, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment. Justice Enebeli said he so sentenced Johnbosco Okoronze because he has served two years in prison already and has been dismissed from the poli...
68 travellers hidden in trucks arrested in Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ministerial Task-team on the enforcement of COVID-19 Restrictions, on Wednesday, arrested about 68 persons travelling through the territory from various parts of Nigeria. Confirming the incident in Abuja, the Chairman of the task force, Ikharo Attah, lamented the increasing rate in which people violate the ban on interstate travel as announced by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to him: “Drivers of the two Dangote trucks who were coming from Kano and Zaria after delivering goods, they now took passengers who were charged N1,500 each. “Owners of the trucks must do all to ensure their trucks which are meant for haulage of goods are not converted to be illegally transporting persons from one state to another, thus violating the lockdown directives of t...
Governor Wike extends relaxation of Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor lockdown till Sunday
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has extended relaxation of the Covid-19 lockdown he imposed on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas till Sunday. Wike in a Wednesday evening broadcast said, the total lockdown on the Port Harcourt metropolis, expected to take effect again from Thursday following two days. (Tuesday and Wednesday) breather for residents to restock for food and medicals will now resume 17 May. He said, “In consideration of concerns of our people, and need for residents to replenish their supplies especially, the State Security Council decided to impose night-time curfew and review the effective date of the complete lockdown on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City LGAs from the Thursday 14 May to Sunday 17 May 2020 by 8.00 p.m.” “Consequently, there will be nigh...
WHO: Coronavirus may never go away
The new coronavirus may never go away and populations around the world will have to learn to live with it, the World Health Organization warned Wednesday. As some countries around the world begin gradually easing lockdown restrictions imposed in a bid to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading, the WHO said it may never be wiped out entirely. The virus first emerged in Wuhan in China late last year and has since infected more than 4.2 million people and killed nearly 300,000 worldwide. “We have a new virus entering the human population for the first time and therefore it is very hard to predict when we will prevail over it,” said Michael Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies director. “This virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away,” he told a ...
Court issues bench warrant for arrest of two Sri Lankans
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory High Court at Maitama, on Wednesday, issued a bench warrant for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to arrest two nationals of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Trial Justice Olasumbo Goodluck ordered that the two Sri Lankans Messrs Saththiyaraj Kantharasa and Vinith Ukantharasa, should be arrested after they failed to appear in court to enter their plea to a criminal charge pending against them. They were accused of forging the passports, national identity card and driving license of the Republic of Malaysia, in connivance with their Nigerian partner, Anthony Adetokunboh. A statement that was signed by spokesperson for the Commission, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, disclosed that the trio were ...
Ibrahim Gambari’ll give President Buhari’s administration a global appeal – ex-minister
Former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s choice of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari as his new Chief of Staff will pave the way for the administration to be reckoned with internationally. Gbagi, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, described the newly appointed Chief of Staff as a man of character and excellence, whose outstanding academic accomplishments would stir the nation in the direction of meaningful progress. “When I heard about the appointment of Ibrahim Gambari as the new Chief of Staff, I was completely impressed by the President’s choice. “Without a doubt, he is a square peg in a square hole. In fact, while I served as a foreign officer in Hong Kong, he was my boss as the Foreign Affairs Minister at the time. “From my de...
Tottenham’s Dele Alli injured in knifepoint robbery
Tottenham star Dele Alli was held at knifepoint during a robbery at his London home in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The property in north London has been housing the England international and his brother along with their partners and another friend throughout isolation. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the house was broken into just after midnight on Wednesday by two thieves wielding knives. Alli sustained ‘minor facial injuries’ after a scuffle broke out, having been punched several times in the face. The story states that the culprits made off with watches and various other items of jewellery before making their escape. Given that the house in Barnet has CCTV footage, that has now been passed on to the police, although no arrests have been made as yet. The local authorit...
Kebbi discharges four coronavirus patients, total recoveries now five
Kebbi State has discharged four COVID-19 patients from its isolation centre in Kebbi Medical Centre, Kalgo, after they have recovered fully from the virus. The Special Adviser on Media to the State Governor, Yahaya Sarki, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday. The development brought the number of patients that have fully recovered in the state to five. Sarki quoted the chairman of the state task force on COVID-19, Alhaji Jafar Muhammed, as having confirmed the development on Tuesday. He quoted Muhammed as saying that the patients were discharged after they have fully recovered from the virus and had tested negative twice. He explained that their recovery came after they were isolated and treated for two weeks. The statement read, “Muhammed commended all ...
