Nigeria
Cross River monarch, three others nabbed for kidnapping
The Cross River State joint military outfit code-named, Operation Akpakwu on Monday arrested a traditional ruler along with his two wives and son for alleged kidnapping. The royal father named Etiyin Akamba Eyo is the Clan Head of Ikot Atambi in Akpabuyo Local Government Area and was arrested for using his houses as base for kidnapping activities. His shrine and two houses where kidnappers and militants are fortified with juju were demolished by the security outfit The operation was led by the State Security Adviser, Mr Leo Nyambi, where the chief confessed that his son was involved in kidnapping. Also on Monday, a building at the Eta Agbo Satellite Town was demolished after kidnappers who abducted a medical consultant in the University of Calabar were kept some weeks back. Get more storie...
Nigerian government grants approval for $2.9 billion Escravos seaport
The Federal Government has granted approval for the establishment of the Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex, ESIC, to Mercury Marine Concession Company, MMCC. The proposed $2.9 billion project is majorly designed to boost economic/national development of Nigeria particularly, Delta State.Chairman, Chief Executive of the firm, Rear-Admiral Andrew Okoji, who confirmed the approval, weekend, said the Federal Ministry of Transport has directed the firm to pay N1 billion, apparently to express its interest. He said: ‘‘It is going to be a lease for about 50 years, the investment for the port is coming from abroad. “We have gotten provisional approval from the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, as they have told us to lodge in $1 billion as evidence of capacity to...
Kebbi: NSCDC sets up committee to investigate ‘extortion’
File Photo The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) says it has set up a five-man committee to investigate alleged N1 million extortion by its staff in Kebbi State. The State Commandant of the corps, Alhaji Suleman Ibrahim, made this known at a news conference in Birnin Kebbi on Monday. Ibrahim said, “I have read a report online that my officers have been alleged to have extorted money from a client. ”This has never been the tradition of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps in the state as one of our core values is serving with integrity, honesty and diligence. “I am not a party to such an incident and I am not aware of it, and I doubt if any of my officers will do such an illegal and unlawful act. ”But still, we will take any allegation serious to its logical conclusi...
Registration: JAMB introduces USSD code
File Photo The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) says the board will introduce the use of USSD code as an option to the SMS process of generating a profile code for registration. This, it said, was part of measures it had put in place to address some challenges experienced by candidates of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The Registrar of the board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, disclosed this during a news briefing at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, on Monday. Oloyede said the use of the USSD code would commence from Friday, April 30. He said the board had received complaints especially from parents of candidates who had tried to register their children and wards but had been unsuccessful. He said that service providers had, however, continued to ext...
Katsina: Gunmen kill six in three communities
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have in the wee hours of Monday killed no fewer than six persons in three communities in Sabuwa Local Government Area of the state. A source in the area told newsmen that the incident happened when the bandits heavily armed were passing by and clashed with the persons along the road. The source said the bandits who shot sporadically leading to the death of the persons. According to the source, the bandits shot at four persons in Sayau Kasuwa, one in Unguwa Nakaba and the other person in Sayau Malamai. “The incident happened in the midnight around 00:40 am when the bandits were passing by with their guns and suddenly clashed with the persons on the way. They shot sporadically killing four persons in Sayau kasuwa. They shot one in Unguwa Nakaba and another in S...
EKSU: SSANU urges Ekiti governor to intervene over proscription of staff unions
File Photo The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Western Zone, has called on the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to as a matter of urgency, intervene in the crisis rocking the Ekiti State University, following the proscription of staff unions by the Governing Council of the university led by Prof. Tale Omole. Staff unions proscribed by the Governing Council are the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) of the university. While addressing journalists at a press conference on Monday at the University of Ibadan, the National Vice President of SSANU, ...
NAFDAC alerts Nigerians on effects of hair products containing formaldehyde
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the use of hair smoothing products containing formaldehyde. The agency says the U.S Food and Drug Administration has informed it of the short and long-term effects of formaldehyde exposure in hair smoothing products. The alert, No: 006/2021 – Formaldehyde in Hair Smoothing Products, was signed by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday. It said most hair smoothing or straightening products release formaldehyde gas, a known human carcinogen, as classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, into the air during hair straightening or smoothing. According to the alert, when formaldehyde is re...
Delta governor: We inherited N100 billion unpaid pension under compulsory pension scheme
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Sunday said his administration inherited about N100 billion unpaid pensions under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Okowa disclosed this at the third session of the 8th Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ughelli Diocese. The session was held at Bishop Agori-Iwe Memorial Church, Ughelli. Okowa said that the financial burden forced 18 state governments out of 26 that enlisted on the scheme to withdraw, leaving only eight state governments, including Delta, in the Programme. The governor explained that the major challenge which forced the states to withdraw and others not to enrol in the scheme, was the huge backlog running into billions of naira. He said that his administration was up-to-date with payment of pensioners in the old scheme. ...
Ex-NOC official: National Sports Festival remains good investment in youths
Elias Gora, a former Secretary-General of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), says the biennial National Sports Festival (NSF) remains a good investment in ensuring Nigerian youths are positively engaged. Gora told newsmen in Lagos on Monday that the Festival could however be improved upon to discover more talents for Nigeria. He emphasised on the need to also use the Festival to continue to promote peace and unity in the country. “It is an investment, and it has kept the youths busy. Other youths who watched would have been motivated. “So, with the height of insecurity in the country, such distraction is needed. “I was part of the officials and one thing I understand is the fact that these youths will rather focus on what they enjoy doing. They can’t be bothered about anything. “If we can in...
Ekiti election: Lere Olayinka names Bisi Kolawole campaign spokesperson
File Photo Otunba Bisi Kolawole, one of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Ekiti State, has appointed Lere Olayinka as Spokesperson and Director of Media and Publicity of his campaign organization. Kolawole, who is the current PDP Chairman in the state was endorsed by former Governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, as his preferred candidate for next year’s guber race. Olayinka, a seasoned journalist, political communicator, public affairs analyst and one-time Southwest PDP and former Governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose’s spokesperson is from Okemesi Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state. Kolawole, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bola Agboola, said Olayinka will coordinate media and publicity activities of the governors...
South-east governors reiterate support for state police
The South-East Governor’s Forum on Sunday reiterated its support for the establishment of state police in view of the current security challenges in parts of the country. The chairperson of the forum, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, disclosed this in a communique issued at the end of their security meeting with opinion leaders in the zone in Enugu. The governor said the forum had set up a committee to work out acceptable modalities for the workability of state policing and would submit the same to the National Economic Council (NEC). “The meeting is in support of restructuring, the setting up of state police and other national issues as discussed at the last NEC meeting. “A committee has been set up to work out acceptable modalities and submit the same to NEC in its next meeting,” he said. ...
Sheikh Gumi: Nigerians’ll regret it if Isa Pantami is removed
Renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, says Nigerians will regret it if embattled Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, is removed from office. Gumi, who recently met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and recommended special courts to try bandits and kidnappers, also said the country needed more people like Pantami in government. The controversial cleric spoke on Monday in an interview with Roots TV monitored by newsmen. He said, “All his (Pantami’s) actions, one hundred percent, shows he is not a terrorist. Those who are terrorists are after his life. The minister should continue. His presence there is fighting the terrorist ideology. “Show me one person he has killed. He has not killed anybody. He has not ordered the killing of anybody. The man is stabi...