Statement
Bandits kill nine persons, rustle 500 cows in Sokoto
The government and people of Sokoto State are in deep mourning over bandits attack that left at least nine persons dead and several others injured. The attack happened on Thursday in Rarah, a village in Rabbah Local Government of the State. The assailants also rustled away about 500 cows. It has been wailing and gnashing of the teeth in the community since the attack. The Sun reports that a statement from Abdulnasir Abubakar Sanyinna, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public affairs to Governor Aminu Tambuwal, also confirmed the attack. It stated that the Governor alongside heads of security agencies in the state had condoled with people and relatives of the victims. “Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal today condoled with the people of Rarah town of Rabah LGA over the recent killing of nin...
Mexico president backs extension of supreme court head’s term, sparks backlash
Mexico’s Senate on Thursday voted to extend the term of the president of the Supreme Court for an extra two years, a move criticized by opposition lawmakers who called it a bid by the ruling party to strengthen its hold on the country’s institutions. Arturo Zaldivar, who has been publicly supportive of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, was appointed in January 2019 with a term slated to end on Dec. 31, 2022. If the modification to extend his term passes in the lower house of Congress, he would hold his position until Nov. 30, 2024. Lawmakers approved the proposal by a wide majority, the Senate said in a statement. Both houses of Congress are controlled by the ruling party MORENA and its allies. The Federal Judiciary Board, whose president is Zaldivar, said it was not involved with the...
Oyo: Police rescues three abducted women after four days in captivity
The Oyo State Police Command on Friday confirmed the release of the abducted victims at Onipe, a suburb along the Ijebu-ode/Idi-Ayunre axis of Oluyole Local Government Area of the state on Monday by unknown gunmen. According to a press statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Adewale Osifeso, and made available to newsmen on Friday evening, the release of the abducted victims, Mrs Temitope Okeowo, Mrs Abosede Adebayo and Mrs Bola Ogunrinde, was a result of pressure and meaningful intelligence from police along with effective utilization of local hunters and vigilantes. The statement added that the effective utilisation of local hunters and vigilantes who under the supervision of the police, combed the suspected location in search of the abducted victims before recording the brea...
NAF chief: Terrorists’ll be brought to their knees
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has said the Nigerian military will win the war on insecurity in the North-East and other parts of the country. Amao said this when he received the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, at the Nigerian Airforce Headquarters in Abuja. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by Gabriel Odu for NIDCOM Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit. According to the statement, “Air Marshal Oladayo Amao believes that with the professional competence of the air servicemen and women, and well-boosted morale, the terrorists and their kind will be brought to their knees. “CAS said the NAF is willing to collaborate with Nigerian Professionals in diaspora in relevant fields as it is imperative to tap into the enormo...
DPR: We’ve accurate record of crude production
File Photo The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Friday debunked claims that the exact volume of crude oil produced in the country was not known. Mr Paul Osu, Head, Public Affairs, DPR, in a statement issued in Lagos, said every litre of crude produced in the country was adequately captured during the process of extraction. Osu said it was the responsibility of the DPR to monitor and account for crude oil production as basis for determining government’s revenue through royalty payments by operators for sustainable development. He said: “As a further step to boosting crude accounting process from production to export, DPR recently launched the National Production Monitoring System (NPMS). “NPMS is an online platform for direct and independent acquisition of production data from oil...
Damasak attack: EU calls for safe passage of people caught in web of violence
The European Union (EU) has called on all parties in the ongoing North-east crisis to allow people caught in violence to move freely to safe places and facilitate unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need. A statement issued on Thursday by the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Mr. Janez Lenarčič, on the latest terror attacks on Damasak, Borno State, said: “The EU is following with deep concern the recurrent violent attacks by non-state armed groups against the people of the town of Damasak, Northeast Nigeria.” The statement lamented that the life and security of civilians is in danger and that humanitarian premises have been destroyed with humanitarian workers deliberately targeted. It said because of the recent increase of violence in North-east Nigeria, hundreds...
Jailbreaks: Nigerian Army to train NCoS armed squad
The Nigerian Army has accepted to assist the Nigerian Correctional Service in giving refresher training to its armed squad personnel. This is sequel to the increasing spate of invasion of custodial centres by armed hoodlums and the consequent jailbreaks. The acting Controller-General of Corrections, John Mrabure had, in a letter to the Chief of Army Staff, requested assistance in training the armed squad personnel in the low-intensity engagement of armed non-state actors who have made jail attack a regular feature. A statement on Wednesday by the NCoS spokesman, Francis Enobore, a controller of corrections, said the training, which was expected to commence soon, will cover relevant tactical components to strengthen the capacity of Correctional Service armed guards to engage invaders adequa...
Nigerian faces 10 years in jail for obtaining U.S. citizenship using fake identity
The United States authorities have charged 48-year old Modestus Nwagubwu Ifemembi to court over fraudulent claims he provided to obtain the US citizenship 10 years back. Ifemembi, who secured his US citizenship in 2001, has worked as a Federal providers’ officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for seven years. According to a report by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Ifemembi, originally of Nigeria, was arrested in Maryland on Wednesday, April 7, 2020, on a federal charge that he obtained U.S. citizenship under a false name. It added that he made false statements to acquire U.S. citizenship, in addition to employment with USCIS. The report disclosed that Ifemembi was charged under the false name of Karl Nwabugwu Odike Ifemembi. His arrest followed investigatio...
Saudi Arabia announces Ramadan starts Tuesday
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, announced that the holy fasting month of Ramadan will start on Tuesday, as Muslims worldwide face coronavirus curbs. “Tomorrow, Tuesday… is the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan this year,” the kingdom’s supreme court said in a royal court statement. Other Muslim countries, including Sunni-majority Egypt and Lebanon, have also announced that Tuesday marks the start of Ramadan, while Shiite-majority countries like Iran are expected to start a day later. The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening. It is also a time of prayers, during which Muslims typicall...
MSF: Maiduguri, environs record 1,158 cases of measles
Médecins Sans Frontières Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) known as Doctors Without Borders said that 1,158 cases of measles were recorded within Maiduguri and environs within the past five months. A statement on Monday by Mr Abdulkareem Yakubu, Borno Field Communication Officer of MSF, said that the cases were recorded from December 2020 to April 3, 2021. According to the statement, Zabarmari, a village near Maiduguri, has the highest cases. “So far a total of 1,158 children with measles have been recorded in Gwange Paediatric Hospital in Maiduguri. “In response, MSF strengthened the hospitalisation capacity in both Gwange and Fori health facilities, increasing the number of beds from 65 to 105 in Gwange. “MSF has also launched activities in partnership with the authorities in the town of Za...
Ondo governor dissolves OSOPADEC board
Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu has approved the dissolution of Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) board. This is contained in a statement by the state Acting Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Monday in Akure. He directed the most senior officer to take charge of the commission with effect from April 12, pending the reconstitution of the board. “The erstwhile members of the board are hereby directed to hand over all government property in their possession to the secretary of the commission who is the most senior officer,” he said. The governor while appreciating the board members for their services and contributions to the development of the oil producing areas and the state at large, wished them well in their future endeavours. Get more stories like this on Twitter You ...
OPC berates ex-COAS for equating group with Boko Haram
The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) yesterday berated a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, for comparing the group with the terrorist organisation, Boko Haram. In a statement, the group’s newly-elected President, Mr. Wasiu Afolabi, said the former army chief displayed a dangerous level of mischief, prejudice and narrow-mindedness by equating what it termed a pro-democracy group like the OPC with a world-acclaimed terrorist organisation. Afolabi maintained that the comments by Dambazzau were an attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, insisting that the move will not work. “We shall not succumb to this cheap attempt at blackmail and negative profiling. OPC is not, has never been and will never be a terrorist organisation. Nobody should link us or lik...