Author: Olamide Obayemi

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Local airlines selected to airlift Nigerian pilgrims for the 2023 hajj have refused to sign a letter of agreement with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) due to the Sudan crisis. The representatives of the airlines: Air Peace, Azman Air, Max Air and Aero Contractors. The signing of the airlift agreement, which was supposed to hold today,Thursday 4 May, 2023 was postponed till Tuesday next week as the airlines requested consultations from their superiors. However, the only foreign airline among them, Fly Nas, signed the agreement as it was allocated over 28,000 pilgrims which represent 40…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The decomposing body of the nursing mother, Kehinde Ikeanabi Jibril, abducted by suspected kidnappers at Ago-Oja town in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State has been discovered, an online medium reports The community was thrown into mourning following the discovery of the corpse on Thursday, 4 May, 2023, after delivery of part of the ransom demanded. The corpse was reportedly found on Thursday, 4 May, 2023, along Ojoku road in Ago-Oja axis after frantic efforts to locate and rescue her and had since been buried according to Islamic rite. The community leader of Ago-Oja, Baale Daudu…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Gunmen have beheaded an Assistant Superintendent of Police, simply identified as Linus, on East Street, Ndiegoro, Aba, Abia State, a Lagos based national newspaper reports The gunmen were said to have attacked the police team at Tenant Road junction by East Street, at about 5am on Wednesday, 4 May, 2023.It was gathered that on sighting the hoodlums, the policemen allegedly fled and, during an exchange of gunfire, the gunmen overpowered the ASP, popularly known as ‘Agbalagba’, and cut off his head.It was also gathered that the gang also made away with the dead policeman’s gun and uniform.A resident,…

Wema Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, has announced the launch of the ALAT Alumni community, virtual community exclusively designed for former employees of the bank. The announcement was made during a virtual launch session on May 1st, which had over 350 former employees in attendance. The platform provides former employees with a platform to connect, network, and grow both personally and professionally. Members of the community will have access to a range of resources and benefits, including access to a robust networking platform, educational content, mentorship opportunities, and exclusive discounts on products and services from the bank’s partners.…

On the occasion of today’s commemoration of the 2023 World Press Freedom Day, the Nigerian National Committee of the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) is asking the new government that will be inaugurated in Nigeria on May 29 to commit to creating a better operating environment for journalists and media organisations.In the past few years, cases of media and journalists’ harassment have been rampant. These violations include arrests, physical attacks, denial of access, threats, equipment damage, equipment seizure, lawsuits and high-handedness and arbitrariness by some agencies of government.Nigerian journalists are in perpetual danger, and we are urging the incoming government to…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Edo State Police Command has commenced the training of officers of the command on weapon handling and other activities. The Commander Mopol 5, Benin, ACP Habib Rabiu, who is in charge of the training, said the exercise was to enhance the capacity of the officers and professionalism in their day-to-day activities. According to Rabiu, the training centres on physical training, handling of arms and hazard manoeuvring, would strengthen the force in responding to issues, and also end accidental discharges. “To ensure effective weapon handling, the Edo state Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara, announced personnel of the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, 4 May, 2023 secured final forfeiture of 324 houses recovered from the Kano State Pension Fund Trustees. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, gave the order of final forfeiture while ruling on a motion filed by the EFCC that the houses were “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities of Kano State Pension Fund Trustees”. EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said: “The properties comprise 168 homes situated at Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam Bandirawo City, Kano; 122 houses at Sheikh Nasiru Kabara (Amana City), Kano and…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Former Golden Eaglets star, Akinkunmi Amoo, will appear at the District Court in Denmark on June 23 on alleged charges bothering on sexual assault and other two unspecified others, journalist Osasu Obayiuwana posted on Twitter page Amoo is reportedly in Nigeria after being granted permission by his club FC Copenhagen to visit his family and at the same time train with the Nigeria Football Federation’s medical staff. The 20-year-old has been training with the Flying Eagles in Abuja as he continues his rehabilitation from a long-term knee injury. In the latest development, Amoo, who was the Eaglets’ standout player…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A 35-year-old suspected ritualist, Ifasoji Ayangbesan, has confessed that he bought a pair of fresh human legs at the rate of N20,000. The suspect was paraded alongside 12 other suspects on Wednesday, 3 May, 2023, at the Ogun State Police Command headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital. Ayangbesan, who was accused of attempting to bribe policemen with N1 million to evade arrest over the killing of one Adeyemi, said he did not participate in the killing. The victim was reportedly killed on January 28, 2023. Ayangbesan, who is a resident of the Iloti axis of the Ijebu-Ode…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Millions of electricity consumers may be plunged into darkness in the coming weeks as the Federal Government via the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Market Operator have begun a massive disconnection of debtor electricity distribution companies from the national grid, an Ogun State based national newspaper reports. The newspaper findings showed the development followed notices of disconnection from the grid served on some of the Discos by the Market Operator. The MO, a division of the Transmission Company of Nigeria had informed some Discos, including generating companies of the disconnection plan, due to failure to make…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has sacked over 200 aides, including commissioners from office with immediate effect. A statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media Projects to the Governor, Crusoe Osagie, on Wednesday, 4 May, 2023, said the termination of appointments, which took immediate effect, affected all Special Assistants (SAs) and Senior Special Assistants (SSAs). The state’s cabinet was dissolved during the weekly executive council meeting on Wednesday, 4 May, 2023 The Governor however expressed appreciation to members of the council for their service to the government and people of the State.

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The first batch of Nigerians who fled the war in Sudan has returned to the country late on the night of Wednesday, 3 May, 2023. The Nigerians, who were airlifted on yesterday evening, Wednesday, 3 May, 2023, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, around 11:30pm, and each of them, according to Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Farouk, would get the sum of N100,000 to enable them settle in. Farouk in company of Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa; and the Director General of the National Management Emergency Agency (NEMA), Ahmed Mustapha,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The United States of America has become the first country to approve the Respiratory Syncytial Virus in the world. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. The senior US Food and Drug Administrator, Peter Marks, who made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday, 4 May, 2023, said,, “Today’s (Wednesday) approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening.” RSV can cause…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Yobe State Police Command has arrested one Muhammed Audu, 18, for raping a 5-year-old girl in Kayeri village of Fune LGA of the state, a northern based national newspaper reports. The victim had on Sunday, 30 April, 2023, accompanied her elder sister to hawk kola nut around Kabul area in the Kayeri community when the man sent the girl to buy something for him. The suspect followed her immediately without the knowledge of her sister and took her into an uncompleted mosque in the Kabul area where he raped her. According to the source, the suspect…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has broken the record for goals in a Premier League season. The Norwegian scored his 35th league goal of the campaign against West Ham to move past Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole’s previous best of 34. Haaland had already set a new high in a 38-game season, surpassing Mohamed Salah’s 32 goals for Liverpool in 2017-18. He now holds the overall record and has another five games to add to his tally. Cole’s 34 goals for Newcastle in 1993-94 was matched by Shearer as he fired Blackburn to the title the following…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Protesters on Wednesday, 3 May, 2023 stormed the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to demand the resignation and arrest of the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, over the new naira notes policy. The protesters, who were sighted at the premises of the apex bank holding placards, noted that Emefiele had inflicted undue hardship on Nigerians which had allegedly led to the death of many Nigerians Some of the inscriptions on their placards read, “Emefiele Must Go”; “CBN Now Bureau De Change”; “Emefiele Bring Out The Names of Those You Gave Our Money To”; “Where Is The…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Governor-elect for Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, on Wednesday, 3 May, 2023 set up Finance and Debt Verification Committee to probe the administration of the outgoing Governor Aminu Tambuwal. Sokoto was elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition party to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. The committee headed by the Deputy Governor-elect, Mohammed Idris Gobir, is tasked to identify all loans secured by Tambuwal’s government since inception. The committee would also ascertain if the loans collected were utilized for the purpose they were meant for. It…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The state-run Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) on Wednesday, 3 May, 2023 confirmed that no fewer than 109 people died in flooding in northern and western parts of the country. Quoting figures from local authorities, RBA said on its official website that, “The rain that fell last night caused disaster in the Northern and Western Provinces. “Currently, the provisional figures published by the administration of these provinces say that 109 people have been declared dead”. The broadcaster said the floodwaters were still rising, “causing a threat to more lives”. It said 95 people had perished in the hardest-hit Western…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Suspected gunmen, on Monday night, invaded the Kofar Doka area of Zaria city, Kaduna State and killed two people. It was gathered that the bandits came in their numbers on foot around 9:40 pm and went straight to the house of a Customs officer. According to the source, “The bandits who came in large numbers invaded the residence of a customs officer, Malam Abubakar Modibbo and kidnapped his wife Asiya Abubakar, alongside his two daughters, Khadijatul Kubra and Hafsat, with one Falalu Ibrahim,” a source told an online medium. According to the source, the gunmen shot to…