Author: Khadijah Olowode

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Vice President, Senator Kashima Shettima has called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and other Principal Officers of the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Shettima made the call on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023 while receiving members of the House at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to Shettima, the state of affairs in the country requires the cooperation of all citizens irrespective of differences in political affiliations or religious persuasions, tribal and sectional backgrounds to support the Tinubu administration in its noble objective of transforming the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the killings and violence in Plateau State. Tinubu said this through his spokesman, Dele Alake, in a stament issued on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023. The President, who strongly condemned the recent internecine killings in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau and parts of Benue State, also added that the country must break the cycle of violence. “It is most unfortunate that in this orgy of violence, an innocent eight-month-old baby in Farin Lamba community of Vwang District, Jos South Local Government, died in a conflict…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Nigerian billionaire, Femi Otedola has disclosed that he nearly committed suicide following the loss of $480 million in the diesel market when he failed in business around 2008. Otedola disclosed that his failure was so abysmal to the extent that his colleagues mocked him when Akin Akinfemiwa, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Geregu Power Plc, wanted to work with him at that time. Otedola, who made this disclosure at Akinfemiwa’s 50th birthday celebration in London on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023, added it was the thought of his wife, Nana and their children that halted the suicide thought.…

Popular Nollywood actress Cynthia Okereke has reportedly died. The news of her death was revealed by the late actress’s colleague, Joseph Okechukwu, on his verified social media page on Wednesday, 12 July, 2023. According to the filmmaker, he was about to pay for Cynthia Okereke’s flight ticket to come to America but sadly, she died on Tuesday night, 11 July, 2023. Sharing her photo on his verified social media page, Joseph wrote: “REST IN PEACE, Nwanyi oma. I’m shattered beyond words. The fact that I was about to pay for your flight ticket to come finish what we started only…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Argentine football icon, Lionel Messi, has landed in Florida on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023 ahead of putting the final touches on his move to US Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. ESPN television footage showed Messi walking off a private jet at a small, executive airport adjacent to Inter Miami’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Fans had begun to gather at the stadium early in the morning ahead of his expected arrival. The World Cup winner is expected to put pen to paper on a two and a half year deal, reported to be worth $60 million a year,…

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023, charged members of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation to make the country proud by winning the World Scrabble Championship coming up in Las Vegas, United States of America. Akpabio, who is also the Grand Patron of the Federation gave the charge while playing host to members of the federation in his office. He also bid the National Scrabble team farewell to this year’s World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPAC) He charged them to do the country proud by repeating the feat of 2015 which saw them emerge the world champions.…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Manchester Football Club of England have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen after Napoli President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, said he believes only Paris Saint Germaine (PSG) can afford to buy their talismanic striker, Victor Osimhen this summer. Napoli President said that only the riches of PSG will be enough to prize the 24-year-old away from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this summer. “The only club that could afford Victor Osimhen is Paris Saint-Germain,” De Laurentiis told Mediaset. “If Nasser Al Khelaifi [PSG president] wants to send in a bid around £170m, we wait and we see what…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike FIFA has sanctioned Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club, Al-Nassr, because of an issue involving Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa. The world football governing body banned the club from registering any new signing going into the new Saudi Pro League. Al-Nassr have failed to pay Leicester City the money they owe them over Musa’s transfer. Recall thatMusa signed for the Saudi Arabian Pro League side in a €16.50m deal in 2018, shortly after impressing at the World Cup in Russia. While the Knights of Naja have paid the transfer fee, they are yet to pay the add-ons, despite…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Immediate past Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to integrate voters’ registers with the National Identification Number (NIN) database in order to maintain the integrity and transparency of the country’s elections, thegazellenews.com reports. Aregbesola said that by doing so, the era of underage voting and numerous registrations will come to an end. The former Osun State Governor made the remarks on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023 while presenting the lead paper, “Towards Free, Fair, and Credible Elections,” at the 7th International Conference of the Professional Statisticians Society of Nigeria (PSSN) at Nasarawa State…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja has said that intelligence gathering is a critical element to the success of military operations The Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday, 12 July, 2023, said the COAS stated this on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023 when the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani paid a visit to the Army Headquarters, Abuja. The COAS, who noted that the visit afforded the Nigerian Army (NA) the opportunity to receive feedback on the security situation in Kaduna state,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mr Emmanuel Damis, on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023 appeared before the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal as subpoenaed witness and tendered Mr Peter Mbah’s qualifications. Damis, petitioner’s witness three, works at the Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, INEC headquarters, Abuja. The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal presided over by Justice M.K Akano is hearing the petition filed by Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party(LP) against Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Edeoga is praying the tribunal to disqualify Mba over the alleged NYSC certificate forgery. When the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Both Kano and Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have generated over N18.8 billion as revenue from January to June. The NCS Area Comptroller, Sambo Dangadima, made this known in an interview in Kano on Wednesday, 12 July, 2023. ”We have positioned our officers at strategic locations to deal decisively with all those involved in sharp practices and illegal businesses,” Dangadima said, adding that the area command has ordered officers deployed to border posts to intensify efforts in preventing any form of smuggling. He further stated that the area command has ordered officers deployed…

A Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday, 12 July, 2023, dismissed a suit filed by an aspirant in the All Progressives Congress’ governorship primaries in Kogi State, Senator Smart Adeyemi, against the emergence of the candidate of the party, Usman Ododo, saying it lacks merit. Delivering judgement in the suit marked “FHC/CS/556/2023 Smart Adeyemi v. APC & 2 Ors”, Justice J.K. Omotosho held that Adeyemi’s allegations were criminal in nature, as he alleged that elections did not hold and that the produced results were forged. He said the Applicant needed to prove the allegations of forgery,…

Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, convicted and sentenced Iyamu Odeh Richie, a 33 year-old fashion designer, and two others to jail for internet fraud.The two others are Ojo Destiny Osarobo and Honda Onoriode Meluin. The convicts’ journey to prison began following their arrest by operatives of the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged involvement in internet fraud.They were subsequently arraigned on separate one count charges bordering on unlawful possession of fraudulent documents and impersonation. The charge against Onoriode Meluin reads: “that you, Honda…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today, July 11, 2023 arraigned Sa’adu Maiwada, Deputy Accountant General of Katsina State, alongside Sani Lawal BK before Justice M.S Abubakar of the Federal High Court Katsina on a two count charge of conspiracy and money laundering. Also arraigned along with the defendants is a company, Integrated Gas Services Limited, where the 1st defendant doubles as managing director. The defendant, in their capacity as then Sub-Treasurer and Deputy Sub-Treasurer in the office of Accountant General of Katsina State, allegedly colluded and diverted the sum of N261, 869. 824.00 (Two Hundred and Sixty-one Million, Eight…

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of a 24-year-old tiler, Yusuf Olalekan Ibrahim from Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State for offences bordering on cybercrime. Yusuf was convicted alongside Abdulazeez Taofeek Ademola from Oyan in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State and Nurudeen Abdulmajeed from Ile-odo compound, Lasoju in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State by Justice Mahmoud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin The trio of Yusuf, Abdulazeez and Nurudeen had upon arraignment, pleaded guilty to the separate charges preferred against them. …

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Gunmen have kidnapped a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Joseph Azubuike and three other persons in Ebonyi State, thegazellenews.com reports. It was gathered that the cleric was abducted on Monday, 10 July,2023 in Isu, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State close to his residence in the area. Although the police authorities are yet to react to the incident as at the time of filing this report, the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki confirmed the abduction in a statement on Tuesday, 11 July, 2023. The Chancellor of the diocese, Fr. Matthew Uzoma Opoke, said Azubuike was whisked away by the gunmen…

The Kogi State governorship candidate of the Accord Party (AP), Vice Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin Rtd, has refuted social media report that he had stepped down for candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Alhaji Yakubu Murtala Ajaka. Jibrin who said there was no iota of truth in the mischievous report deliberately planted to cause confusion, said it was an insult to his person to step down for Muri who by all standards, is not his match. The AP flag bearer in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Lokoja urged his supporters and members of…

Justice F.E. Messiri of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted and sentenced a former Director of Echo Logistics, Abdulrahman Aliyu, to five years imprisonment for his involvement in a N250, 000, 000 (Two hundred and Fifty Million Naira) fraud. He was jailed on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 on a three count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery and cheating to the tune of N250 million. One of the counts read; “That you, Abdulrahman Aliyu, sometime between July 2018 to July 2019 within the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory while…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Command, on Monday, July 10, 2023, secured the conviction of one Agbo Julius Agbo before Justice Abdul Dogo of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, Benue State on one count charge bordering on impersonation. Agbo, presented himself as a female American citizen through Goggle Chats with the username ‘Nick Lance’ and procured various gifts cards and Bitcoins worth $200US Dollars (Two Hundred United States Dollars) from one Tasha Little, a United States citizen, whom he misled into believing that he was into Bitcoin Investment. The charge against Agbo reads: “That you, Agbo…