Author: Khadijah Olowode

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has opened up on why he pushed for the club to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea, saying the German born winger is talented, versatile player and only 24 years old. Although the Gunners are yet to make the transfer official, Havertz is believed to have undergone his medicals and agreed a five-year deal. The German will cost Arsenal £65 million and become Arteta’s first summer signing. “Talent has a price and at Arsenal we are always interested in young people with experience. “I’m not talking about players from other clubs, but in the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Turkish Super Lig outfit, Besiktas, have tabled an offer for Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho, according to the Star. Iheanacho, Nigerian international, is among the players expected to leave Leicester City this summer following the Foxes’ relegation from the Premier League. Everton, Burnley and Nottingham Forest are among the clubs interested in the Nigeria international. Besiktas are now leading the race for his signature after establishing contact with Leicester City. The Black and Whites want to sign Iheanacho on loan, with an option to make the deal permanent. The 26-year-old was named Leicester City Player of the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, has donated N200 million to various categories of people in the state for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. This is contained in a statement signed by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Tukur Danfulani, issued in Gusau on Saturday, 24 June, 2023 by the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Malam Yusuf Idris. Danfulani, who is the Chairman of the Distribution Committee said that the beneficiaries included members, stakeholders of the party, women, youth groups and associations. “Other beneficiaries were orphans and the less privileged, Islamic…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has dismissed allegations that he was filing a lawsuit against the Tinubu-led administration over the appointment of Service Chiefs. The former Minister said those circulating the claim on social media are mischief makers.Keyamo was accused of dragging Tinubu to court over the appointment of Service Chiefs without the approval of the National Assembly.However, Keyamo said his tweet on the matter was misconstrued, stressing that he only praised the Federal Government for obeying a ruling he instituted in the past.Tweeting, Keyamo said he instituted the legal action…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In his efforts to determine the actual number of workers in the state’s public sector, Osun State Governor, Sen Ademola Adeleke, has approved staff audits across the state public service, just he said that the exercise is not witch-hunting. The audit started with his biometric capture, that of the Deputy Governor and the Speaker of the House of Assembly.The Governor’s media aide, Olawale Rasheed, said the data capturing was preceded by a closed door meeting with the state labour leadership where processes and procedures were firmed up to ensure protection and fulfillment of the interest of all stakeholders.Governor…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Gunmen on Friday, 23 June, 2023 shot dead three miners at a mining site around Tanjol in Jol community of Riyom local government area in Plateau State. The National Publicity Secretary of Berom Youth Movement (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the incident, saying other miners and farmers have fled the area. Tengwong explained that two other persons were injured in the incident that happened at about 11am when everyone around the area was going about their activities. The publicity secretary called on the government and security agencies to intensify efforts towards the safety of lives and property in…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike An Inspector attached to 62 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Kafanchan, Kaduna State, has been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly killing his colleague. The Inspector, whose name SaharaReporters is not revealed for now, also allegedly took the deceased’s rifle and sold it to terrorists, locally dubbed as bandits for N300,000.A police source who shared the video of the alleged killer Inspector on handcuffs and leg chain, with SaharaReporters on Saturday, 24 June, 2023, lamented the ugly situation.Although, the police source expressed appreciation that the killer Inspector was exposed, he called for greater accountability in the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A former police spokesperson and police commissioner, Frank Odita, has died at the age of 84. Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi , confirmed the death of Odita via a statement issued on Saturday, 24 June, 2023. The statement said Odita died on Friday evening, 23 June, 2023 at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) after a brief illness.Before his retirement from the force, Odita was the public relations officer of the Nigeria Police between 1990 and 1992.Adejobi said Kayode Egbetokun, acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), has sympathised with the family of the late police officer.“The inspector…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Millions of worshipers robed in pilgrims made solemn circles around the Kaaba, the black cube at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, on Sunday, 25 June, 2023 as the biggest hajj pilgrimage in years began in the scorching the Saudi summer. Islam’s holiest site is expected to host more than two million worshippers from 160 countries during the annual rites that could break attendance records, with 1.6 million foreigners already arriving by Friday evening. The hajj began early on Sunday, 25 June, 2023 with the “tawaf” – the circumambulation of the Kaaba, the large cubic structure draped in black cloth…

Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has said that the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has come to show to the rest of Nigerians the jewel he was while handling the demoralizing Boko Haram crisis he could still move Borno State in the path of development as a governor. The group, in a statement on Friday, signed by its National President, Hon Khalil Bello said Kashim Shettima’s magic in Borno State is gradually being unraveled at the national level since he was appointed first as a Vice Presidential candidate and later elected. Bello said: “Sincerely speaking, before he…

We, members of The Governance Advisory Council, extend our warmest wishes to you on your 61st birthday! Today, we join in celebrating your remarkable journey, exemplary leadership, and invaluable contributions as the Chief of Staff to the President. Throughout your illustrious career, you have demonstrated unwavering dedication, integrity, and a deep commitment to public service. As the Chief of Staff, you play a crucial role in shaping the policies and governance of our great nation, ensuring effective coordination and implementation of the President’s vision. Your astute leadership as the Speaker of the House of Representatives showcased your ability to navigate…

We, members of the Governance Advisory Council, extend our warmest wishes to you on your 58th birthday! Today, we join the people of Lagos in celebrating your remarkable journey and the invaluable contributions you have made as the Governor of this great state. Your tenure has been marked by exemplary leadership, unwavering dedication, and a steadfast commitment to the welfare of the people. Under your guidance, Lagos has experienced unprecedented growth, development, and transformation across various sectors. As members of the Governance Advisory Council, we have had the privilege of witnessing your visionary policies and strategic initiatives firsthand. Your focus…

Introduction/ Background Our attention has been drawn to inaccurate reports of the proceedings of the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, circulating on various online platforms to the effect that – ‘Lagos Deputy Governor, Renounced Nigerian Citizenship’ The aforestated is not what transpired at the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on 21st of June 2023. In a bid to advancing the course of the Labour Party outside of the proceedings of the Election Tribunal, the reports have deliberately set out to mislead members of the general public and to whip up sentiments against the incumbent Governor of Lagos State,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike An Ondo State High Court presided over by Justice Yemi Fasanmi, has sentence a community leader, Ojo Komolafe, 78, to death by hanging for the murder of a school proprietor, Taofik Babalola, in 2021. Komolafe, who pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge, was convicted of using a gun to kill Babalola in the Kajola area of Odigbo Local Government Area on August 7, 2021. The court heard that Babalola was asleep when he was shot in the thigh by the convict. During the trial, four witnesses were called by the prosecutor, including the deceased’s wife, a neighbour, a…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A 48-year-old man, Anthony Igbinogun, and his girlfriend, Joy Umukoro, 28, have been arrested by the Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking for allegedly selling their one-month-old baby for N.7 millionto buy hard drugs. The Taskforce Head of the Investigation Unit, Abigail Ihonre, who disclosed this on Friday, 23 June, 2023 in Benin, the state capital said the suspects were arrested alongside their friend, 26-year-old Precious James, who reportedly facilitated the illegal transaction and linked the couple to the buyer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. “Our investigations revealed that Joy Umukoro, the mother of the baby, delivered the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Nigerian Grammy winner, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly addressed as Burna Boy, has made history by becoming the first African musician to cross one billion streams on Audiomack. On Thursday, 22 June, 2023, a message of congratulations was sent to the Nigerian via its Twitter account by Audiomack, a music streaming service that enables producers to freely share a limitless amount of music and podcast content. “Congratulations, Burna Boy on becoming the first African Artist to hit 1 billion Audiomack streams,” the message read. The afro-beat singer, who has dominated the global Afrobeats scene, reacted to the announcement…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Police authorities in France have accused a man, identified as Dominique P, for drugging his wife and filming at least 83 men raping her over the course of a 10-year period, Daily Mail reports on Thursday, 22 June, 2023 According to the medium, Dominique found the men on a website called ‘Without Her Knowing’, where members talk about conducting sex acts on unconscious partners and saving the proof in a file named “ABUSES” on a USB stick. Investigators said they discovered 92 incidences of rape between 2011 and 2020, and 51 individuals, ranging in age from 26…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has ordered commissioners who served under the immediate past administration of his predecessor, David Umahi, and are still residing in Commissioners’ quarters in Abakiliki, the city capital, to vacate within two weeks. It was gathered that some past commissioners are still living in the state-owned quarters and this situation has caused untold hardship for the present commissioners who were appointed by the incumbent Governor. According to a statement signed and issued by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof Grace Umezuruike, on Friday, 23 June, 2023, the Governor said…

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate in the Feb. 25 election on Friday in Abuja, closed their case at the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC). This was after calling just 27 out of the 100 witnesses they had said they would call to give evidence in support of their joint petition challenging the outcome of the presidential election. The witnesses included expert witnesses such as forensic analysts, star witnesses and subpoenaed witnesses mostly Presiding Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC). The petitioners’ tendered their last batch of documents through their 27th witness, Mr…

Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Hon Wahab Alawiye-King has emerged as the winner of the inaugural award of excellence in education reforms instituted by an online media platform, Lagos Monitoring Team (LMT). Alawiye-King, according to the LMT Editor, Mr. Tunde Opeseitan, emerged as the winner of the award on account of his outstanding performance as LASUBEB boss and reforms so far initiated to reposition primary education in the state. Presenting the award to Alawiye-King, Opeseitan said: “Since your emergence as Chairman of LASUBEB, we have observed your passion and tireless commitment towards ensuring that…