Global Naija Info

President Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja ordered Inspector-General of Police to commence immediate investigation into alleged sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camps. This information is contained in a statement issued by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu. According to the statement, the President is worried and shocked by the recently released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report which alleges sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls in the camps. Buhari assured Nigerians and the international community that the allegations raised in the reports were not being taken lightly by his administration. He, therefore, instructed the Inspector General of Police and the state governors of the affected states to immediately commence investigations into the issue. “Their findings will determine the next course of action for the government and define an appr

President Muhammadu Buhari The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has postponed the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state to November 10. The president’s visit was initially scheduled for November 3 for the commencement of the campaign of its governorship candidate, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). Ondo state would hold its governorship election on Nov. 26. The APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Abayomi Adesanya, said this at a press conference in Akure on Tuesday. Adesanya said that the postponement was due to the “tight schedule of Mr President”. “The president wants to be present at the campaign rally in person. “This is due to the economic importance of Ondo State in the development of Nigeria,” he said. Adesanya urged party faithful and the people of the state to ensure that the president receive a rousing welcome during the visit. A 30-man local organising committee for the campaign chaired by Mr Agboola Ajayi, the Deputy Governorship candidate, was inaugurated

Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) A ruling of the Court of Appeal expected to be delivered on Tuesday afternoon has been suspended. Court officials told journalists at the court premises that the ruling was suspended following a petition against the judges accusing them of bias. No new date has been fixed for the ruling. According to Premium Times, two factions of the party led by former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, and former Borno State governor, Ali Sheriff, have for months battled in court over the leadership of the PDP. As part of that battle, the faction led by Mr. Makarfi had approached the Appeal Court to seek nullification of previous decisions by a Federal High Court presided over by Okon Abang which has affected that faction’s candidate for the November 26 election in Ondo state. Mr. Abang had on October14 given an order in furtherance of his June 29 decision where he had asked the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC, to recognise the faction led by Mr. Sheri

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Tuesday appealed to the Senate to revisit the bill seeking one per cent allocation to Lagos from the revenue accruing to the Federal Government. Ambode, who made the appeal when he received members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport in his office at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said that the passage of the bill would translate into economic prosperity and well-being of Nigerians. The Senate Committee was in Lagos to perform oversight functions on federal institutions. Ambode said Lagos, being a cosmopolitan and the economic capital of Nigeria, should be assisted by the Federal Government to address the infrastructure challenges confronting it. According to him, considering the fact that Lagos used to be the capital of Nigeria and is home to every tribe in the country, the passage of the bill by Senators should be viewed from the point of its importance to the country and not just to Lagos. “Come De

court A Gudu Upper Area Court on Tuesday admitted, Peter Iwu, to bail in the sum of N1.5 million for allegedly cheating his girlfriend of N1.39 million. The Upper Area Court judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, also ordered the defendant to produce one surety that must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, and adjourned the case till Dec. 6 for hearing. Iwu of Waru village, Abuja, was arraigned on a two-count charge of cheating and criminal intimidation, which he pleaded not guilty. The Prosecutor, Donaldtus Abah, told the court that Faith Onah of Chafuyi Village reported the matter at the Apo Police Station on Oct. 8. Abah said the defendant, a boyfriend to the complainant deceived her and collected N1. 39 million from her to purchase some electronics and a car in her name. He further said the defendant used his name instead to purchase the said items on the sales invoice. He added that the complainant confronted the defendant when she noticed it, but the defendant intimidated her b

Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State No fewer than 150 less privileged children in Hadejia, Jigawa, have benefitted from an education support programme initiated by an NGO, Association for Advancement of Women in Nigeria (ASSAWIN). The Programme Manager of ASSAWIN, Mrs Ameachina Chinelo, said in Hadejia on Tuesday that the organisation had been providing the education support in the last two years. Ameachina said that the NGO distributed school uniforms, bags, shoes books and other instructional materials to the children selected from 20 primary and junior secondary schools in the area. She said that the gesture was to encourage enrolment and retention in school. “This is part of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Initiative to support education of less privileged children. “We also secured over 30 birth certificates of children whose mothers could not do so following death of their fathers,” she said. Ameachina added that the organisation trained over 200 mothers in the ar

TRACE Officials The Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) in Ogun say it has begun towing of vehicles parked indiscriminately on the highways in Sango-Ota and its environs. The TRACE Zonal Commander, Mr. Ajibade Adekunle, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Sango-Ota. Adekunle said that his office had been inundated with many petitions by road users on hazard posed by parking of the articulated vehicles on highways in Oje-Ore, Ilogbo Roads and other places. He said that the dual-carriage ways in the areas had been turned to a single lane. Adekunle decried the nonchalant attitude of motorists, especially the drivers of articulated vehicles, who park their trucks indiscriminately to obstruct the free flow of traffic. ”We can no longer tolerate accidents that could have been averted, and injuries being suffered by innocent people due to reckless parking of vehicles on major roads,” he said. Adekunle said that average of five crashes was be

Alhaji Lai Mohammed The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the Police are critical stakeholders to the national reorientation campaign “Change Begins With Me” by virtue of their duties. The minister stated this on Tuesday in Abuja when he presented the campaign to the police hierarchy attending the Inspector General of Police (IG) Conference at the Force Headquarters. He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari launched the campaign on Sept. 8, noting that “it is a Pan Nigeria Campaign that has no coloration whatsoever – whether it is political, religious or ethnic’’. “It is a campaign for all Nigerians, with the sole objective of achieving a paradigm shift in the way we do things. “The campaign is based on one principle: Each one of us must be the change we want to see in our society,” he said. The minister said that contrary to the misconception in certain quarters, the campaign was designed to start from the very top, right from the President, the

Korodo Jamiu Yisa The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Lagos State chapter, has kicked against the planned privatisation of the nation’s refineries, urging the federal government to allow partnership with a view to rehabilitating and managing them. NUPENG’s State Chairman, Tokunbo Korodo, said this while speaking on whether the FG should privatise or rehabilitate the refineries. He said that any policy that would lead to job losses should not be supported, adding that more of government intervention ws needed. According to him, “Any policy of government that will lead to job losses should not be supported. You will notice that some of the multinational oil companies are winding down and this is leading to more job losses. Over 3,000 workers have lost their jobs recently. This is why we need more government intervention at this time. NUPENG does not support selling of public property. “If at all they want to have a little shift from taking sole respons

court-of-law A Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday sentenced to four years imprisonment, a 51-year-old husband of four wives, who unlawfully possessed 26.5kg of marijuana. Justice Taiwo Taiwo sentenced Akindele Oso without an option of fine, after he pleaded guilty. “The defendant was shown all exhibits tendered to the court by the prosecution, and he confirmed signing them without objection. “I have listened to the submission of the prosecutor and the plea of guilt by the defendant in the open court. The defendant is found guilty as charged. “In exercising my discretion in sentencing, in line with Section 416 (2), I have to consider the age of the defendant, the fact that he is a father with children and his plea for leniency. “The court will not consider the maximum sentence as prayed by the prosecutor; Oso is hereby sentenced to four years imprisonment from today,” Taiwo held. The prosecutor, Mr Charles Ugwuja, had told the court that the defendant committed the offe

President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with Niger Delta stakeholders as part of deliberate efforts toward finding lasting solutions to the menace of militancy in the region. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those attending the meeting are Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, some governors, ministers and other political appointees from the Niger Delta region. The affected governors are those from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and deputy governor of Rivers. Others are Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police Idris Ibrahim and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Alhaji Lawal Daura, as well as traditional rulers and representatives of militant groups. Also attending are former governors, civil rights activists and community leaders from the Niger Delta region, including Obong Victor Attah, Chief Edwin Clark, Timi Aliabe, Diette Spiff, Ledu Mitee, Florence Ita-Giwa, Tony Uranta, Nkoyo Toyo, Sen. Ewa Henshaw, Seminatri B

court A Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja, on Tuesday sentenced a 26-year-old man, Frank Ugochukwu, to seven strokes of cane for stealing N9, 500 worth of alcoholic wine from a hotel. The judge Upper Area court judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, also ordered Ugochukwu to clean the court premises and warned him to desist from committing crime. Ugochukwu of Sharpcorner, Mararaba, Nasarawa state, was convicted on a two-count charge of criminal trespass and theft. The Prosecutor, Donaldtus Abah, told the court that Stanley Emmanuel of Karibu Hotel, No. 32, Ladoke Boulevard Way, Garki 2, Abuja, reported the matter at the Garki Police Station on Oct. 21. Abah said the defendant, a former staff of the hotel, entered the wine bar of the hotel and stole two big bottles of Medowels Gin, one bottle of Red Label gin and one bottle of Andre wine all valued at N9,500. He said the offences contravened sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code. Ugochukwu pleaded guilty and prayed for leniency.

The gavel of justice An Oredo Magistrates’ Court in Benin on Tuesday sentenced a teenager, Shegun Olamide, to one month imprisonment for stealing a Samsung telephone. The Magistrate, Mrs P.E Foy-Yamah, convicted the accused after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of theft and begged for leniency. The Prosecutor, Insp. Ada Johnbull, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Oct. 21, at about 4:00 p.m., in Benin. Johnbull said that the accused stole a cell phone valued N5,000 belonging to Amen Kingsley. The offence contravened Section 390 of the Criminal Code.

Korodo Jamiu Yisa The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Lagos State chapter, has kicked against the planned privatisation of the nation’s refineries, urging the federal government to allow partnership with a view to rehabilitating and managing them. NUPENG’s State Chairman, Tokunbo Korodo, said this while speaking on whether the FG should privatise or rehabilitate the refineries. He said that any policy that would lead to job losses should not be supported, adding that more of government intervention ws needed. According to him, “Any policy of government that will lead to job losses should not be supported. You will notice that some of the multinational oil companies are winding down and this is leading to more job losses. Over 3,000 workers have lost their jobs recently. This is why we need more government intervention at this time. NUPENG does not support selling of public property. “If at all they want to have a little shift from taking sole respons

Chief Olusola Oke Mr. Kehinde Aworele, the National Legal Adviser of Alliance for Democracy (AD), says he will go to court to challenge the eligibility of Chief Olusola Oke as the party candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo. Aworele told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that Oke did not meet the party’s requirements to contest on its platform. “Although, there is a pending suit before a Federal High Court in Akure which I do not want to pre-empt, but as the national legal adviser of AD, I will challenge Oke’s eligibility to contest on the platform of our party in court anytime from now. “Obviously, for anybody to contest on the platform of AD, the person must have spent a minimum of 10 weeks as financial member, the requirement Oke did not meet. “Besides, the process of presenting such candidate must be tabled at the quorum of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party and not just by three leaders as they did in his case. “Chief

Annie-Idibia Annie Idibia, wife of popular Nigerian entertainer TuBaba has kickstarted her very own foundation with a mission to give back and contribute to society at large. The Ai care Foundation kicks off its initiative to empower African women and youths with easy to start  business skills and ideas to open their minds , explore the business world and become financially independent, with a focus on people with intellectual disabilities and anyone who is perceived to be different. She shared the good news on her Instagram page today. See her post below: ”Annie Idibia Care Foundation is a NOT FOR PROFIT organization founded and supervised by Mrs. Annie M. Idibia with a focus to share and exchange empowering intelligence, knowledge, ideas and provide support to African women and youths, through an engaging world class vocational training concepts, funding educational bills and providing healthcare support. We are on a mission to honor and empower a better world through kindnes

Mr. Antaih Violin, Community Relations Officer, Nigeria Gas Processing and Transportation Company (NGPTC), said Nigeria’s gas deposit would last for 20 generations. Violin said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday on the sidelines of ongoing 10th Nigerian Gas Association International Conference and Exhibition. He described Nigeria as a gas nation, saying that the country had gas in abundance. He said that the country had continued to sell gas to Ghana and other neighbouring countries, adding that the transaction had been sustained because Nigeria had enough gas. “In a lay man’s term, the NNPC subsidiary has enough gas for use domestically and to sell. There is abundant gas and shortage is not a problem. “Nigeria is a gas nation, it has gas in abundance. If we can conveniently give gas to Ghana and other neighbouring countries, imagine what we have in our reserves. “Shortage is not a problem for the NGPTC. We have more than 1.85 tril

For their outstanding performances in the art industry, authorities of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos on Tuesday, honoured 12 alumni of its School of Art, Design and Printing. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the award would be a big boost to attract youths to embracing art industry, which is showing positive contribution to the nation’s GDP. Despite a contraction in Nigeria’s second quarter GDP, activity in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector contributed 0.26 per cent, a rise from the 0.24 percent in the second quarter of 2015. NAN also reports that the alumni are Olumide Oresegun, Abass Kelani, Folami Rasaq, Ejiro Amos-Tafiri, Ngozi Schommers and Taiye Idahor. Others include Richardson Ovbiebor, John Adeyemo, Sonde Ibukun, Stanley Ohikhvare, Ayodeji Balogun and Soji Kuforiji. The awardees displayed several genre of articulation at the maiden edition of the Home Coming Exhibition holding from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30 at the Yaba Art School. Rector of the

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (right), presenting a State plaque to Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Sani Yerima during a courtesy visit to the Governor by the Committee, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Tuesday. Kazeem Ugbodaga The Senate is to reconsider the one percent special grant for Lagos from the Federation Account, being the former Federal Capital Territory and commercial nerve of the country. Last month, the senate threw away the bill presented before it by Senator Oluremi Tinubu demanding one percent special grant for Lagos. But Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Sanni Yerima, who paid a courtesy visit on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria said the senate would reconsider the one percent grant for Lagos. Ambode had appealed to senate to reconsider one percent special economic assistance from the revenue accruable to the Federal Government to Lagos. Speaking with n

FILE PHOTO: students receiving lesson the under tree No fewer than 150 less privileged children in Hadejia, Jigawa, have benefitted from an education support programme initiated by an NGO, Association for Advancement of Women in Nigeria (ASSAWIN). The Programme Manager of ASSAWIN, Mrs Ameachina Chinelo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Hadejia on Tuesday that the organisation had been providing the education support in the last two years. Ameachina said that the NGO distributed school uniforms, bags, shoes, books and other instructional materials to the children selected from 20 primary and junior secondary schools in the area. She said that the gesture was to encourage enrolment and retention in school. “This is part of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Initiative to support the education of less privileged children. “We also secured over 30 birth certificates of children whose mothers could not do so following the death of their fathers,” she said. Ameachina adde

Jonah Jang, former governor of Plateau State. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry sitting in Jos has reserved ruling in a memo submitted by Njin Gyara against former governor of Plateau, Jonah Jang. The Chairman of the commission, Justice Stephen Udah, reserved the ruling to a date to be communicated to the parties after hearing them on Tuesday. Gyara, a former Deputy Director, Plateau Ministry of Finance, had filed a petition against Jang for dismissing him in office for refusing to sign a cheque of N112 million contract. He alleged that he was suspended from office in 2012 after he refused to sign the said cheque, which he said, did not follow due process. The petitioner said this when he testified before the commission which was set up by Gov. Simon Lalong in August to probe activities of government from May 2007 to May 2015. Gyara alleged that the said cheque of over N112 million was meant for the payment of consultancy service carried out for the proposed Plateau Specialist

Alhaji Bello Goronyo, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources Development, says the ministry is facilitating the establishment of a mini cement company in the state. The commissioner disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Tuesday. He described Sokoto State as one of the states in Nigeria which were blessed with vast deposits of limestone and gypsum. “In this light, the ministry is currently facilitating the establishment of a cement company in Kware in partnership with Messrs Brewtech Germany and Saboo Industries of India. “At the initial stage, the capacity of the cement plant was for 100 tons per annum, but now it is being expanded to 300 tons per annum,” Goronyo said. He said that the total cost of the firm would be over 26.9 million dollars and N2.334 billion. “The financial services agreement has been signed with NEXIM Bank which is to serve as a financial adviser and fundraiser to the company. “It i

The gavel of justice A 20-year-old driver, Adebayo Akintunde, who allegedly stole 10 pallets of big Stout valued at N3.8 million from Cryslad Group of Companies, a haulage company, was on Tuesday granted temporary freedom as he was granted N3.8 million bail. An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court which gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties as part of the bail condition. The Magistrate, Mr. T.O. Shomade said the sureties must be gainfully employed and also show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government. Akintunde, who plead not guilty to a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, resides at Agege area of Lagos. The prosecutor, Insp. Raji Akeem told the court that the accused and some others now at large committed the offences on Oct. 10 at Guinness Nigeria Plc, Ikeja. He alleged that the accused was directed to deliver 10 pallets of big Stout to a customer, but diverted them to another location. Akeem said when the customer did not get the beer,

Jigawa Hisbah Guards For dumping her new baby boy in a refuse dump, a middle-aged woman is now cooling her heels in police custody in Jigawa. Malam Sa’idu Aliyu, the State Commandant of the Jigawa Hisbah Guards, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Dutse that the suspect (names withheld) was arrested by the guards on Oct. 29. NAN reports that Hisbah is the Sharia Law enforcement agency in the state. According to Aliyu, the suspect is a resident of Bulakalu Village in Dutse Local Government Area. He said that the woman dumped the baby in Shuwarin Village in Kiyawa Local Government Area of the state. The commandant said that the baby was picked by a ‘good Samaritan’, who took him to the district head of the community and later reported the incident to the police. According to Aliyu, upon receiving the report, Hisbah deployed its intelligence officers to the two local government areas to fish out the mother of the baby. Aliyu told NAN that the guards eventually go

NDE-logo The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Jigawa had trained 1,225 youths, including 228 women, in various income-generating vocations within the last 10 months. The NDE State Coordinator, Alhaji Muhammad Sambo, said on Tuesday in Dutse that 73 of the women were trained in farming under the Commercial Farmers Training Programme. He said that another set of 99 women were trained in environmental beautification under the NDE’s Environmental Beautification Training Scheme (EBTS). The coordinator said that 50 other women received training in tie-and-dye under the Directorate’s Women Employment Promotion (WEP) scheme. Sambo also said that 227 youths were trained in auto mechanic, tailoring, carpentry and electrical installation under the agency’s Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS). The coordinator said 25 others were trained in commercial farming, mobile phone repairs, motorcycle repairs, tailoring and electrical installation, under the NDE’s Commercia

Butchers in Edo on Tuesday appealed to the State Government to provide them with modern abattoirs, preservation facilities and vehicles to transport meats. The Chairman of the State’s Butchers Association, Mr. Ikponmwosa Orhue, made this appeal in an interview with newsmen in Benin. Orhue also appealed for soft loan for members, noting that when provided, the facilities will enhance their businesses as well as ensure that meat consume are of good hygienic condition. The chairman, who bemoaned the present condition of abattoirs in the state, said a modern one have become imperative in order to avoid epidemic in the state. According to him, the state of abattoirs, especially the government-owned, are all in a mess, aside the issue of water, the sanitary condition of the abattoirs have become something one is not proud to discuss. “Our fear is that this poses a serious health danger to the people of the state, who consume meat. “There is the need for the government, especially the

Explosion Police in Borno said nine persons were killed on Tuesday in Maiduguri in a vehicle explosion. Spokesman of the command, Mr Victor Isuku, said in a statement that the dead were all in the vehicle when it exploded. Isuku said that the incident occurred at about 10.30 a.m. near a military checkpoint along Gubio road in the metropolis. “There was an explosion today along Gubio road just before the military check point. The incident occurred at abolut 10.30 a.m. “According to preliminary report, a pick-up van with nine persons on board emerged from a bush path to join the road to Gubio town, when it exploded, killing all the persons,” Isuku said. He added that details of the incident would be released after due investigation.

JAMB Mr Tajudeen Habeeb, the Chairman of Kwara Chapter of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has lauded JAMB for its decision on the three-year validity of its examination results. Habeeba said in Ilorin on Tuesday that this would afford students the opportunity to save cost and time for writing another examination for which they had no certainty of passing. “The proposed three-year validity of JAMB examination results due to be passed by the legislature is indeed a right decision at the right time,” he said. The NANS chairman said that admission into universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education had its attendant hindrances since capacity of institutions were limited. “On this note, I want to emphatically and unequivocally say that the three-year validity for JAMB results is a good and right decision,” he said. He, however, said that the capacity of existing institutions of higher learning was being over stretched and called for the establis

Buhari and Saraki The Senate on Tuesday threw out President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to borrow $30 billion from external bodies for infrastructural development. The president had sent a request to the Senate recently seeking approval to borrow $30 billion to finance critical projects in the country. At its sitting on Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria, the senators did not even debate the borrowing plan but decided to vote on the borrowing plan. Majority of the senators voted against Buhari’s move to borrow $30 billion for infrastructural development between 2016 and 2018. There have been dissented voices for and against Buhari’s plan to borrow $30 billion at this period of economic recession. While some supported the move, others said it would further plunge the nation into serious debt crisis.

NSCDC operatives Alhaji Muhammad Iya, Jigawa Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has warned vandals of electricity cables and other criminals to desist or face full wrath of the law. Iya gave the warning in Dutse on Tuesday. He said the command had been directed to ensure that all electrical cables were protected and secured from vandals. The commandant pledged that he would not leave any stone unturned in fighting criminals to a standstill in the state. Iya appealed to members of the public to help with useful information on the activities of criminals in the state. According to him, “getting rid of bad eggs in the society is the collective responsibility of all and sundry”

President Muhammadu Buhari The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has postponed the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state toNov. 10. The president’s visit was initially scheduled for Nov. 3 for the commencement of the campaign of its governorship candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). Ondo state would hold its governorship election on Nov. 26. The APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Abayomi Adesanya, said this at a press conference in Akure on Tuesday. Adesanya said that the postponement was due to the “tight schedule of Mr. President”. “The president wants to be present at the campaign rally in person. “This is due to the economic importance of Ondo State in the development of Nigeria,” he said. Adesanya urged party faithful and the people of the state to ensure that the president receives a rousing welcome during the visit. A 30-man local organizing committee for the campaign chaired by Mr. Agboola Ajayi, the Deputy Governorship candidate, was inaugurated on

Magistrate-court A 42-year-old company marketer,Temitope Adamson, who allegedly disappeared with clients’ N6 million, is on reprieve as the court released on N6 million bail. Adamson, who works for Mutual Benefits Life Assurance Ltd, collected the money from clients on the pretext of remitting same into their policy accounts. An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court which gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties as part of the bail condition. According to Magistrate T.O Shomade, the sureties should be gainfully employed and also should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government. Adamson, a resident of No.39, Ezekiel Ayebola St. Aruje, Lagos is facing a three-count charge of stealing, obtaining money under false pretences and forgery to which he pleaded not guilty. Prosecutor Raji Akeem told the court that the accused committed the offences between May 2014 and June 2016 at Mutual Benefit Life Assurance Limited located at No. 19/21, Town Planning Way,

Nigeria-police The police on Tuesday arraigned a female accused, Fatima Ibrahim, at a Chediya Magistrates’ Court in Zaria, Kaduna State, for impersonation. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abubakar Ibrahim, said the police had on Oct. 17 received a petition bordering on impersonation from Augustine Agum, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Zaria branch on behalf of the association. Ibrahim said that the accused had been parading herself as a lawyer having not been trained and qualified as one. He told the court that in the course of police investigation, the accused neither affirmed nor denied the allegation against her. The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 179 Penal Code. Fatima confessed committing the offence and said that circumstance made her do so. The accused immediately retracted her guilty plea shortly after the prosecutor applied for her summary trial under Section 157 of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). The accused counsel, Abdurrasaq Ahmed, thereafter appli

President Muhammadu Buhari The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has postponed the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state toNov. 10. The president’s visit was initially scheduled for Nov. 3 for the commencement of the campaign of its governorship candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). Ondo state would hold its governorship election on Nov. 26. The APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Abayomi Adesanya, said this at a press conference in Akure on Tuesday. Adesanya said that the postponement was due to the “tight schedule of Mr. President”. “The president wants to be present at the campaign rally in person. “This is due to the economic importance of Ondo State in the development of Nigeria,” he said. Adesanya urged party faithful and the people of the state to ensure that the president receives a rousing welcome during the visit. A 30-man local organizing committee for the campaign chaired by Mr. Agboola Ajayi, the Deputy Governorship candidate, was inaugurated on

FILE PHOTO: Street Hawkers. A hawker and concerned resident of Abuja, Mr. Daura Usman, on Tuesday, saved a student of Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, from being kidnapped by a motorist. The incident took place along Ibrahim Babangida Way in Wuse Zone 4 as the young lady was going to school. Usman alleged that he saw the man alighted from the backseat of a Sienna (SUV) vehicle and walked toward the young girl in school uniform and dragged her toward the vehicle. “The man walked straight to her as if he knew her and I expected a confrontation. “At first, I thought he would confront her because she was outside the school premises during school hours, but he just lifted her by the waist and made his way toward the car. “She began screaming, so I quickly dropped my things and ran to confront the suspected kidnapper. “The man noticed that people were coming around so he left her and got into the sienna which sped off on the Central Mosque Express Way. “We thank Allah that

China-miners Rescuers are working round the clock to search for 20 miners who have remained trapped in a colliery in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality for nearly 24 hours following a gas explosion. Chongqing’s Deputy Mayor, Mu Huaping made the statement at a press briefing held in the small hours of Tuesday in the city. Mu said the 33 miners were stranded in a pit of Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District after the explosion went off at 11:33 a.m. on Monday. “As of midnight, rescuers had retrieved 13 dead bodies but the remaining 20 were still unaccounted for,’’ Mu noted. The official corrected previous casualty reports provided by the local coal mine safety authorities on Monday, which said 15 miners were confirmed dead. “We are still working all-out to search for the 20 missing miners and will exert our utmost as long as there is still a ray of hope,’’ he said. Over 400 rescuers have been working overnight, taking turns to go down the shaft for the search and resc

NTI The National Teachers Institute (NTI) will next week train 450 primary school teachers in Kebbi under the Sustainable Development Goals Programme. The state Coordinator of NTI, Alhaji Salman Maiwada, said in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday that 12 resource persons had been hired for the seven-day training. He said that the training would be conducted simultaneously in three designated centres located in Birnin Kebbi, Argungu and Zuru Local Government Areas, adding that 150 teachers would be trained in each centre. Maiwada said that the training would focus on four core teaching areas – effective classroom management, basic teaching methods, language communication skills, and information and communication technology. Officials of the National Commission for Colleges of Education were in Kebbi last week to inspect NTI distance learning study centres.

FILE PHOTO: NEMA official address Internally Displaced Persons The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Borno remained 32 in spite of recent return of some persons to liberated communities. The North-East Coordinator of the agency, Malam Muhammad Kanar, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Maiduguri. Kanar said that 16 of the camps were located in Maiduguri, while 16 were cited in some local government areas. He said that the number of displaced persons in the camps in Maiduguri ranged from 120, 000 to 130, 000. “We still have 32 camps in the state; 16 of the camps are in Maiduguri, while 16 others are in the local government areas, which we call satellite camps. “The number of persons in the 16 camps in Maiduguri fluctuates between 120,000 and 130,000; sometimes it is 120,000, sometimes it is less depending on the situation,” Kanar said. He said that the number of IDPs in satell

Mrs Roseline Ololo A 92-year-old woman, Mrs Roseline Ololo, has sued the Lagos State Government (LASG) at an Ikeja High Court over alleged acquisition of two schools belonging to her. The schools are Metropolitan College and Isolo Secondary School. The Attorney-General of Lagos and the Lagos State Commissioner of Education are joined as co-defendants in the suit. Ololo, an indigene of Abia, alleged that she and her late spouse established the Metropolitan College in 1956. She also claimed in her affidavit that her family ran the schools until 1976 when the schools were acquired by the military administration of Commodore Adekunle Lawal by virtue of the Education Private Secondary Institutions (Special Provisions) Law of 1976. According to her, “the civilian government of Alhaji Lateef Jakande split my school into two namely; the Metropolitan College and the Isolo Secondary School. “This was in order to accommodate the influx of students occasioned by the free education policy

Umaru-Tanko-Al-makura-Nasarawa-state-governor Mr Ekwere Ekanem, Controller of Nigeria Prison Service in Nasarawa state has disclosed that the population of awaiting trial inmates has increased from 1,143 to 1,712 within a month. He made the disclosure in Lafia on Tuesday. Ekwere, who decried the increase, added that if the court continues with its slow pace of dispensing justice, the population of awaiting trial inmates in the state might further increase before the year end. He said the increase in awaiting trial inmates had overstretched the resources of the prison officials and wondered how the command would cope with the high population in the state. “I am worried because the population keeps increasing despite our lean resources. The population of awaiting trial inmates is more than double the population of convicted inmates. “Lafia Prison alone is suppose to hold 300 but right now we have about 630. “We are simply managing to cope with the awaiting trial inmates and very

Mrs Florence Ajimobi The wife of the Oyo state governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has admonished women to have confidence and not be deterred in any way as they struggled to gain prominence in the nation’s political scene. The governor’s wife made the remarks on Monday at the distribution of food items to women in the Ibarapa-North and the Ibarapa-Central local government areas of the state, as part of the Ajimose Food Bank Initiative. “I believe Nigerian Women are very hard working and they contribute effectively to every aspect of the society. She urged the women not to lose focus of their responsibilities at the home front, just as they struggled to make their impact felt in Politics. “Even in politics, we still need to take care of our husbands and children, just as well as the nation,’’ she said. The governor’s wife, however, noted that women empowerment was a catalyst for social and economic development. Over 1000 women benefited from the food bank. NAN reports that the be

As Christmas approaches, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) wants Nigerians to be wary of the spirits, gins and wines they consume to avoid adulteration. NAFDAC’s Ports Head in Enugu State, Mr John Okwori, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the agency recently found out that beverage fakers were focusing on these drinks. The agency recently seized 11 large cartoons of fake Chelsea Dry Gin labels which could be used to package gins worth N64.76 million. NAFDAC also tracked down and confiscated a large number of fake labels of Amarula drinks. Okwori, a deputy director in NAFDAC, said that the agency had commenced a nationwide massive mop-up of these products. “Apart from the tracking of fake labels imported into the country, the agency is currently doing a mop-up of substandard, expired and fake spirits, gins and wines in the market. “But we need the co-operation of every Nigeria on this issue. “Our people should be wary of

COPA Lagos Beach Soccer tournament. The 6th edition of the COPA Lagos Beach Soccer tournament will hold on Dec. 16, dovetailing into CAF Beach Soccer tournament scheduled also for Dec. 16 to Dec. 18. Samson Adamu, the Managing Director of Kinetic Sports, organizers of COPA Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the CAF Beach Soccer had forced the organizers to reduce the usual three days for COPA tournament to one day. According to him, the two tournaments will hold simultaneously at Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, Lagos. Adamu noted that with both competitions taking place at the same venue, the COPA Lagos would be bigger and better than the previous editions. “It’s a two-in-one project, so it’s going to be big, and there will be side attractions apart from beach soccer itself which is the main event. “We cannot run the two events differently unlike what we had in previous editions, COPA Lagos is going to be for just one day because of CAF beach soccer tou

Mallam Gimba Kumo and Fatima Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari’s newly wed son in law Mallam Gimba Yao Kumo is currently under investigation by the Economic and financial crimes commission (EFFCC) over N3b alleged fraud he committed as MD of Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN). The former FMBN MD got married to president Buhari’s second daughter, Hajiya Fatima at her father’s home in Daura, Katsina state at the Maiaduwa resident of the president, GRA by 2pm on Friday, October 28 2016. Fatima became the 4th wife to her 57-year-old husband. As Under the Islamic tradition a man is allowed to marry up to four wives. Gimba Ya’u Kumo was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria on the 4th December, 2010. His tenure ended in August 2014. The management he headed approved various sums of monies for themselves as ‘severance allowance.’ Kumo is reputed to have worked with the First Bank, also was with the Federal Mortgage Bank for nine year

Mrs Florence Ajimobi The wife of the Oyo state governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has admonished women to have confidence and not be deterred in any way as they struggled to gain prominence in the nation’s political scene. The governor’s wife made the remarks on Monday at the distribution of food items to women in the Ibarapa-North and the Ibarapa-Central local government areas of the state, as part of the Ajimose Food Bank Initiative. “I believe Nigerian Women are very hard working and they contribute effectively to every aspect of the society. She urged the women not to lose focus of their responsibilities at the home front, just as they struggled to make their impact felt in Politics. “Even in politics, we still need to take care of our husbands and children, just as well as the nation,’’ she said. The governor’s wife, however, noted that women empowerment was a catalyst for social and economic development. Over 1000 women benefited from the food bank. NAN reports that the be