Nigeria
AFCONQ: Super Eagles will make Nigerians happy vs Sierra Leone – skipper
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa insists the team will go all out for an outright win against Sierra Leone in Friday’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture. The encounter at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City will be played behind closed doors, as the organisers the Nigeria Football Federation implements Confederation of African Football’s guidelines against Covid-19 pandemic. Musa states that the players will give their all in the encounter to make their fans proud. “Playing in Benin is great. It’s the home town of my mum. I would have love to see my family members come around and watch this game, but there is nothing we can do about it,” Musa declared in an interview with the Super Eagles media team. “It is all about the situation of things at the moment, the pandemic here ...
Northeast elders asks President Buhari to sack service chiefs
The Coalition of North East Elders for Peace and Development, Monday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack his service chiefs, accusing the military of deploying massive strength during the #EndSARS protests in parts of the country, thereby leaving the zone at the mercy of Boko Haram, an Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists. According to the elders, scores of civilians were killed as a result of the strategic and operational blunders, which they argued, was avoidable, had greater tact been adopted. In a statement signed by the chairman, Engr. Zana Goni, the North East elders said pro-active intelligence would have revealed this lapse to the military high command, had the service chiefs not been lethargic in their responsibilities. Consequently, the elders, for the um...
Nigerian government exempts Dangote from border closure – report
The Nigerian government has allowed Dangote Cement to resume exports across its land borders, Bloomberg reports. This is despite the closure of all land borders by the government for over one year. The move has, however, raised hopes that Nigeria may be opening up trade with neighbors after a year-long blockade. The administration of the President Muhammadu Buhari gave its authorisation for Africa’s biggest producer to export cement to Niger and Togo in the third quarter for the first time in ten months, Michel Puchercos, chief executive officer, said on an investor call in Lagos. The export was made possible “through authorisation given by this administration,” he said. The exemption to Dangote Cement is seen as a softening of the government’s position on a border closure that started in ...
Arabic inscriptions on naira doesn’t threaten Nigeria’s secular status – central bank tells court
The Central Bank of Nigeria has vehemently opposed a suit before the Federal High Court in Lagos praying that the Arabic inscriptions on naira notes be removed. A Lagos-based lawyer, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, who filed the suit before Justice Mohammed Liman, contended that having Arabic inscriptions on the naira notes portrays Nigeria as an Islamic state, contrary to the country’s constitutional status of a secular state. Omirhobo, who said he does not know what the Arabic inscriptions mean, is praying the court to order the CBN to replace the Arabic inscriptions with either English language, which is the country’s official language, or any of Nigeria’s three main indigenous languages – Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo. According to the lawyer, with the Arabic inscriptions on the naira note, the CBN ha...
Strange illness kills two in Kogi community
Two persons have been confirmed dead at a Fulani and Tiv farm settlement in Odo-Ere, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State as a result of strange illness. Others affected by the strange illness were said to be receiving treatment at some private hospitals and ECWA Hospital Egbe. A Director in the YWLGA, Reuben Oshagbemi, said the incident was first reported at a private clinic, adding that symptoms of the sickness include stooling, diarrhoea and vomiting. He however pointed out that the situation was under control. Oshagbemi explained that the Ministry of Health had been contacted, noting that the “state epidemiologists will determine the nature of the illness.” However, when our correspondent contacted the state Commissioner for Health, Saka Audu, he said his team of medical pers...
Zamfara commission boss slumps, dies
The chairman, Zamfara State Local Government Service Commission, Dr. Malami Aliyu Yandoto, slumped and died on Sunday immediately after the wedding ceremony of former Governor Ahmed Sani Yarima’s daughter. The wedding ceremony took place at Yarima’s resident in Sokoto and immediately after the wedding, the guests were invited to Sokoto Government House for a luncheon. Malami, who was in the company of other guests, rushed to the Government House for the luncheon, and immediately he arrived at the venue, he slumped on the spot. He was rushed to the hospital in Sokoto where he gave up the ghost. Aged 57, Malami Yandoto was born in Tsafe town in 1962. He attended Township Primary School, Tsafe from 1969 to 1976, Government Teachers College, Tsafe, from 1976-81, and went to Ahmadu Bello Univer...
Ohanaeze, South-East governors meet Governor Wike
Some Governors of the South-East and apex socio-cultural organization of the Igbo, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, are in a crucial meeting with Governor Nyesom Wike in Government House, Port Harcourt on Sunday. Though the agenda of the meeting could not be immediately ascertained, newsmen report that it may not be unconnected with the recent issues concerning the activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and Wike’s stand on the issue. Also at the meeting were selected leaders of the Igbo community in Rivers State. Some prominent names at the meeting include Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Abia State counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu as well as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo. Also at the meeting which just ended was prominent Igbo politician and chieftain...
Victor Osimhen grabs winning goal for Napoli
The Nigeria international, Victor Osimhen, got the only goal of the game as his Serie A side, Napoli battled to a lone goal victory away to Bologna on Sunday. Osimhen in the 23rd minute headed in an inch-perfect cross from his teammate Hirving Lozano to register what is now his second official goal in the Serie A after nine appearances. The Nigerian striker had scored his first goal against Atalanta last month. Interestingly, Napoli had the ball in the back of the net again in the 49th minute through Kalidou Koulibaly from a corner, but Osimhen was adjudged to have fouled in the build-up to the goal. Having contributed his own quota, Osimhen was then replaced by Andrea Petagna with seven minutes left in the game. Napoli saw off stiff opposition before they landed Osimhen from Lille in a re...
UN delegation visits Nigeria, Ghana, others over virus pandemic
A delegation of the United Nations led by Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is visiting Nigeria and three other West African countries – Niger, Sierra Leone, and Ghana to discuss with the governments and other stakeholders on strategies to rebuild after the devastations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the visit scheduled for November 8 to 11, 2020, the delegation would meet with President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. A statement on Sunday from the UN office in Nigeria explained that Mohammed would also join Osinbajo to launch the ‘Nigeria UN Plus Offer For Socio-Economic Recovery: 2020 -2022,’ as an offer for immediate and medium-term support to the government and people of Nigeria in response to the socio-economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It s...
FAO: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, others risk famine
A new report by two United Nations agencies warned Friday of a heightened risk of famine in three conflict-torn African states and Yemen, and a high hunger risk in 16 more. The Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Food Programme warned that a “toxic combination of conflict, economic decline, climate extremes and the Covid-19 pandemic … is driving people further into the emergency phase of food insecurity”. The agencies swung the spotlight on Burkina Faso, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, all facing rising levels of acute hunger with potential risk of famine. Issuing “a stark warning” in their Early Warning Analysis of Acute Food Insecurity Hotspots, the agencies said the four countries have areas that could soon slip into famine. Some parts of the population “are already experiencing...
Enugu: Yellow fever cause of ‘strange deaths’ in communities
The Enugu State Government has confirmed that Yellow Fever is the cause of deaths from a reported strange illness in Ette Uno and Umuopu communities of Enugu Ezike town in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state. A statement by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, stated that the disease was confirmed “through verifiable diagnostic tests”. Dr. Obi explained that “Yellow Fever is not a new disease but one of public health importance internationally and in Nigeria” adding that “It is one of the diseases controlled for in the Nigerian set of routine and mass immunizable diseases.” According to him “a suspected case is anyone with a sudden onset of fever who develops jaundice (yellowness of the eyes) within 14 days it is verifiable by diagnostic tests”. The ...
IPOB leader warns Rivers governor, Nigerian Army over arrest of members
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday, warned Governor Nyesom Wike over the arrest of two of his members in Rivers State. Kanu warned both Wike and the Nigerian Army that nothing should happen to the two IPOB members. He issued the warning over the arrest of two IPOB members, Sandy Kufre and Akpan Magen in Oyigbo area of Rivers State. In a tweet, the separatist leader called on Wike and the Nigerian Army to release his members. According to Kanu, the two IPOB members were arrested for wearing ‘Kippah and Magen’. He wrote: “Army came to our Synagogue in #Obigbo and picked Sandy Kufre and Akpan Reuben when they saw them wearing Kippah and Magen – This SOS came from someone at the scene. “Well, let me warn @GovWike and @HQNigerianArmy that no harm must come...
