Global Naija Info

Murtala-Muhammed-International-Airport-Lagos The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says no fewer than 20,000 pilgrims have been transported to Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage since the exercise started a week ago. The Media Officer to the Commission, Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi, said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday that reports from the various departure centres across the country indicated that the exercise was going on smoothly. He said the last batch of 454 intending pilgrims and officials in Ilorin Zone was expected to leave on Monday . Abdullahi said there was strong indication that given the steady progress made so far and the with the number of aircraft made available for the operation by the airlines, the exercise might be completed before the closure of Saudi Arabia airspace on Sept 4. He said the first batch of pilgrims from Zamfara, which left the country on Aug 8, was expected to leave the second holy city of Medina on Monday for Mecca after completing

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode The Lagos State Government on Sunday shut down and dislodged the cow skin (popularly known as ponmo) processing section of the Oko-Oba abattoir and Lairage Complex in Agege. This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, Asst. Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture. According to the statement, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Toyin Suarau, led a team from the ministry in the company of men from the Lagos State Task Force to shut down the cow skin section of the abattoir. Suarau said “closure of the ponmo section and dislodgment of the processors became necessary because of the health hazards inherent in the unhealthy processing of ponmo. “The ponmo processors use heaps of burning tyres, thereby, emitting thick toxic smoke into the air endangering residents of the adjoining neighbourhood. “This bonfire emits a thick toxic smoke which spreads from within the complex to adjoining neighbourhoods, endange

Bill Gates in Abuja Nigeria The Borno Government said it received a cash donation of one million U.S. dollars from the Bill Gates Foundation for victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the state. Governor Kashim Shettima announced this on Sunday in Mainok, Kaga Local Government Area, while distributing food items and farm inputs purchased by the government. “We are gathered here today to commence distribution of a key intervention of one million U.S. dollars food and farming aide donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.’’ He said that about 40,000 households were targeted to benefit from the distribution. Shettima said each of the household would receive a 25 kilogramme bag of rice and a 10 kilogramme bag of beans. He said that part of the money donated by the foundation was used to acquire 100 hectares farm for beans cultivation. Shettima explained that 200 farm-families will be allocated tilled and fertile land, measuring half hectare each along with improved seeds, fert

Elaine Thompson Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson won the women’s 100m at the Rio Olympics as two-time champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce had to settle for bronze. Thompson, 24, took the title in a time of 10.71 seconds, just 0.01 seconds outside her personal best. Compatriot Fraser-Pryce, 29, who was attempting to become the first woman to win three successive golds in the event, finished third in 10.86. USA’s Tori Bowie won the silver medal in 10.83. Dutch star Dafne Schippers, second behind Fraser-Pryce at the 2015 World Championships, finished fifth in 10.90. Thompson said: “When I crossed the line and glanced across to see I was clear, I didn’t know how to celebrate.” Fraser-Pryce said: “What I’m most happy about is the 100m title is staying in Jamaica. I’m on the podium with my training partner. I’m proud of Jamaica.” Britain’s Desiree Henry, 20, failed to make the final after finishing fourth in 11.09 in her semi-final, while Asha Philip was eighth in 11.33 in her race. “I guess

Lai Muhammed The Federal Government says it is doing everything possible to secure the release of the Chibok girls and put an end to the horrible saga of their abduction. Reacting to the latest video of some of the girls, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday that the government was in touch with those purportedly behind the video. ”We are on top of the situation. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram. We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls. ”Since this is not the first time we have been contacted over the issue, we want to be doubly sure that those we are in touch with are who they claim to be,” he said. Mohammed expressed the hope that the latest development would signal the beginning of the end of the nightmare to which the girls, their families and indeed all Nigerians had been subjected since the un

The accidented LAGBUS being towed away Kazeem Ugbodaga A ghastly motor accident on Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has claimed five lives, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has confirmed. The accident involved three vehicles- a LAGBUS, Hilux truck belonging to a vigilante group and a Rover Jeep. The tragedy occurred around 6:10pm on Sunday inward Iyana Oworo by UNILAG waterfront, says Michael Akindele, LASEMA’s General Manager. Rescue agencies like the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA; Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC; Nigerian police and the Rapid Response Squad, RRS were on ground to rescue victims. “Five persons have been confirmed dead. They include three female adult and two children. Five persons were also injured and were taken by the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS to the Truma Centre,” Akindele confirmed. One of the vehicles involved in accident According to him, proper investigation would be carried out to

Parents of Chibok girls during a peaceful march Parents of the abducted schoolgirls from Chibok have called on the United States, United Kingdom, France and other countries to assist in rescuing the girls who have been in Boko Haram captivity for more than two years. The Chibok parents made the urgent plea after confirming that the girls in the new Boko Haram video released this morning are the Chibok schoolgirls. The group campaigning for the rescue of the girls Bringbackourgirls (BBOG) confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Allen Manaseh, the spokesman of Chibok Area Development Association in Abuja, identified a girl who spoke in the video as Dorcas Yakubu, “whose mother Esther and husband live in Abuja, and are both present here with us.” “In addition, the recognition of several of the girls leaves no room for doubt that these are our girls,” it said. The movement called on the United States, the United Kingdom, France and other countries to assist in rescuing the girls. Th

Ahmad Salkida, declared wanted by the Nigerian Army over video released by Boko Haram on the missing Chibok schoolgirls The world is quite aware of the abduction of several persons; women, children and men, including the female students of Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State Nigeria by Boko Haram Terrorists group. Consequently, appeal was made for their unconditional release by the Federal Government. The military also made concerted efforts to rescue them. We also appealed to Nigerians that have any information to volunteer to the military or security agencies to enable us rescue them. However, two recent incidents have pointed to the fact that, there are three individuals namely; Ahmed Salkida, (Ambassador) Ahmed U. Bolori and Aisha Wakil that have information on the conditions and the exact location of these girls. Therefore, the Nigerian Army hereby declare the two gentlemen and the lady wanted for interrogation. We are relying on the relevant laws of the land and

Supporters of Edgar Lungu, leader of the Patriotic Front party (PF), gather during a rally in the capital Lusaka, Zambia, Aug. 10, 2016. Zambian President Edgar Lungu maintained a slim lead over his main rival on Sunday with nearly half of votes counted as the opposition called for greater urgency in releasing results amid concerns about rigging. Lungu faces a stiff challenge from Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) who accuses him of failing to steer the economy out of its slump after Africa’s second-largest copper producer was hit by weak commodity prices. Lungu led with 669,960 votes against Hichilema’s 644,132 after 69 of the country’s 156 constituencies in Thursday’s vote had been collated, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) told reporters on Sunday. Lungu’s Patriotic Front (PF) party and the UPND have both said they believe they have won the election. The winning presidential candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the valid v

Kidnapped girls in another video released by Boko Haram Following the release of a fresh video by the Boko Haram insurgents showing the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, the Nigerian Army on Sunday declared the Nigerian journalist who revealed the fresh video, Ahmad Salkida, wanted. Two other persons, including a woman, were also declared wanted in connection with the over 200 missing girls abducted by Boko Haram since 2014. They are Ambassador. Ahmed U. Bolori and Aisha Wakil. A statement issued by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said the wanted persons have information on the conditions and the exact location of those girls.‬ “Therefore, the Nigerian Army hereby declares the two gentlemen and the lady wanted for interrogation. Ahmad Salkida “We are relying on the relevant laws of the land, and in particular the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (as amended) where Nigerians could be punished for failure to disclose information about terrorists or terrorist

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana Femi Falana Last week, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives arrogantly maintained that he would not subject himself to the investigation being conducted by both the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). As far as he is concerned, he enjoys immunity under the provisions of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act. The embattled Speaker also claimed that the padding of the 2016 is not a criminal offence. Honourable Dogara’s confidence is likely to have been anchored on the statement credited to the Presidency that the budget was not padded in any material particular. Before then the All Progressives Congress (APC) had decided to follow the discredited path of the Peoples Democratic Party by treating the serious allegation of monumental corruption as a “family affair” of the ruling party. But unlike the PDP the party failed to act timeously. In other words, a cover up is n

Bulldozer demolishing shops in the market Kazeem Ugbodaga Officials of the Lagos State Taskforce have demolished 360 illegal shops and containers at Igbara Market at Jakande area, Lekki, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The market was erected under high tension cable. Over 235 shops and 125 containers were demolished by the taskforce at the market in compliance with the state government’s directive that all structures built under high tension cable should be removed. The market before its demolition Buldozer from the state government stormed the market at the weekend and began demolition after notices were served the traders earlier to remove their wares from the market. Taskforce Chairman, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi called on market leaders to enforce government directives on high tension cables across the state. Egbeyemi who supervised the demolition said the exercise should not be seen as being punitive but to be viewed as efforts geared towards saving of lives and properties of member

The two suspects Kazeem Ugbodaga The operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have apprehended one Hakeem Fatai, 24, for allegedly stealing 20 car batteries from the premises of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) at Ojota area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The policemen who acted on a tip-off by the LASTMA’s management about the missing batteries from their premises, laid siege for the suspect, and caught him while attempting to remove another battery from an impounded bus. It was gathered that no fewer than 20 batteries have been removed from the impounded vehicles which were parked inside the premises within a fortnight. On his arrival at the RRS’ headquarters at Alausa, the suspect confessed to the crime, saying that he operated with an accomplice he identified as ‘Yahoo’, now at large. According to him¸ “I am responsible for the missing batteries. But I didn’t work alone. We are a two-man syndicate who usually steal batteries. Our targeted vehicle was V

Governor Udom Emmanuel (left) with the General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi during the worship of the Governor at the International Bible Training Centre (IBTC), Ayobo in Lagos on Sunday. Kazeem Ugbodaga In the midst of economic hardship, the General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi and the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom have predicted hope for Nigeria. The due spoke on Sunday at the International Bible Training Centre, IBTC, Ayobo area of Lagos,Southwest Nigeria during the Sunday service of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry. Udom, who addressed thousands of Deeper Life congregation expressed hope that the nation would get over its present economic hardship. The governor said despite the challenges facing the nation, Nigerians should know that there must be a wilderness before the Promised Land. He said the nation had been sustained despite the challenges due to the prayers of Christian le

Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Information in Lagos State The Lagos State Government on Sunday said it had sealed off the Western Lodge Hotel, located on Isawo Road, in Ikorodu area of the state, over alleged illegal and criminal activities. This is contained in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde. According to Ayorinde, recent security investigations in the Ikorodu area of the state have revealed that the hotel has been associated with criminal activities. He said that the state government had decided to seal it until further notice. The commissioner said that government would immediately reinforce the presence of security agents in and around Ikorodu to further reassure residents of the determination of the government to safeguard lives and property in the area. Ayorinde urged members of the public not to allow any building to be used to harbour criminals or serve as a base for criminal activities. “The State Govern

FILE PHOTO: Kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls wearing the full-length hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram releases new video purporting to show kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls. The video was sent to Ahmad Salkida, a Nigerian journalist who fled to Dubai after being harassed by security agents during the Jonathan administration. Salkida had claimed in interviews that he had direct connection with the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau. The video shows some of the missing Chibok girls with a Boko Haram member reading a message to the family of the girls and the federal government. One of the girls was carrying a baby. Details later.

Michael Phelps bidding the sport he loved most bye-bye The U.S. closed the Rio Olympics swimming competition with a final dominating flourish on Saturday, sweeping the medley relay events and sending Michael Phelps out on a triumphant note. The women’s 400 metres medley relay was first, and the American quartet delivered an emphatic victory in a time of 3:53.13. Australia came up second with a time of 3:55.00 to take silver and Denmark rounded out the podium one-hundredth of a second later. The men’s medley relay followed with its own moment of glory, maintaining an all-time perfect Olympic record in the event when the U.S. has participated. Double gold medalist Ryan Murphy led off on backstroke, followed by Cody Miller on breaststroke, Phelps on butterfly and Nathan Adrian swimming the freestyle leg. After Murphy delivered a world-record breaking backstroke leg, the writing was seemingly on the wall. Phelps did his part in the third leg, pressing ahead of Great Britain and set

Reuben Abati Reuben Abati One other outcome of our democratic experience since 1999 is how demanding and insatiable the Nigerian voter has become, and because political office holders and the professional political class are yet to fully decipher and understand the implications of this, they continue to make similar mistakes and draw the same responses from the same public that voted them into power. I have no better illustration of this than the manner in which the critics of the incumbent administration at the centre are beginning to sound exactly the same way they sounded about two years ago under the Jonathan administration. Check the social media, some newspapers, and listen to the conversation on the streets. The personnel in power have changed, there is a new party in charge at the top, but public conversation has gone back to its old ways. Questions are being asked about the meaning of change and the dividends it has brought to the people. Some commentators are openly apol

Professor Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò Two years ago, I published a piece titled, “God Don’t Love Africa and Africans”,[http://ift.tt/2brv6ii]. For whatever reason, the piece never made it to the pages of any Nigerian publication, print or electronic. This piece is a sort of follow-up to that earlier essay. Nigerians need and must take a break from God. The God from which I ask Nigerians to take a break is the monotheistic, vengeance-seeking centerpiece of Islam and Christianity. As far as I know, like other old religions characterized by pan-theism, Òrìsà, indigenous Yorùbá religion, was not a proselytizing one; the gods were infinitely interchangeable and, except for their priests, did not require total abdication of responsibility for their own lives from their adherents. Furthermore, there was no profession of faith and whichever god seems to work for you is the one that you go with. On this score, the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans were very similar to our ancestors. Now to the busin

Emeka Anyaoku Former Nigeria’s Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku says the National Conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 is certainly not the answer to the nation’s problems. Anyaoku, who spoke at the 2016 United Nations International Youth Day, held at University of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Saturday, also said there was the urgent need for President Muhammadu Buhari to consider regionalizing the country into the current six geo-political zones for national and economic development. “The 2014 National Conference is not the answer to the restructuring that Nigeria needs,” Anyaoku said. Anyaoku charged the youths to mobilize for the restructuring of the country. “You should mobilize and channel some of your youthful enthusiasm into clamoring for a restructuring of the country’s governance architecture. The restructuring that I am advocating for proposes no threat to Nigeria’s unity. “On the contrary, it is the continuation of

Monica Puig beats Angelique Kerber in the women’s tennis final to win Puerto Rico’s first ever Olympic gold medal. The 22-year-old holds her nerve to save five break points and eventually seals the win on her fourth match point. It’s all to much for her to handle and she falls the ground in tears of joy. She also becomes the first ever unseeded player to win Olympic gold since tennis’ reintroduction in 1988. They will be partying in Puerto Rico tonight! Source: CNN