Author: Khadijah Olowode

There have been torrential rainfall in Lagos in the past one week but the one that poured down on Thursday, 15 June, 2023, it was the heaviest of the lot. It left devastating effects on the various communities and households in Lagos with properties worth millions of Naira destroyed. The greatest tragedy however was the loss of lives and the Agege community appeared to be the highest hit. According to reports, more than eight people were feared killed on Thursday, 15 June, 2023 in Agege alone as a result of the flood that swept through the Abattoir area of the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In order to reposition the education sector by giving it the needed intervention, Kano State Governor, Engr Abba Yusuf, has approved the settlement of the National Examination Council’s outstanding debts of N1.5 billion in the state. Yusuf, who made this disclosure on Sunday, 18 June, 2023 through his official Twitter handle, said the decision was to enable 55,000 students of public schools in the state to sit for the 2023 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, SCCE. “As part of our government’s resolve to reposition the educational sector by giving it the needed intervention, I have approved the immediate…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the elimination of three more suspected cultists and kidnappers terrorising the Emohua axis of the East-West Road in the state. The state Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka, confirmed the development while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, the state capital. “Operatives of the Rivers State Command on June 16, 2023, at 3:30 pm stormed the hideout of kidnappers, located at Ishiodu Forest in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. “On sighting the operatives, the kidnappers opened fire. But, due to the superior firepower of…

Sola, June 17th is a day that we both hold dear. It’s your birthday! My dear love, I thank Almighty Allah for His mercy and blessings over your life and our family. You are not just a wife, but also a mother. Through thick and thin, you have remained a reliable confidant, a strong pillar of support, and a wonderful mother to our three lovely children. For close to three decades of our union, our marital bliss has never waned even for a day because you are an exemplary and virtuous woman. I am grateful to have you as my…

Some anti-corruption crusaders have urged Nigerians to reject the bill passed by the Senate to whittle down the power of the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye. They also urged President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent on the amended bill. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senate had on June 4, passed a bill to amend the law establishing the ICPC, which steeply cuts down on the power of the commission’s chairperson. Speaking in separate interviews, with NAN, they posited that signing the bill into law would undermine the war…

For over two decades, the issue of Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) has been a major concern for the Africa as assets and funds running into billions of dollars continue to find its way out of the continent as a result of corrupt public servants and multinational corporations. Their destination is the Western and European countries. Though stakeholders including the African Union Member-States have played significant roles in the international efforts to combat these opaque and destabilizing transfers of capital, such efforts have not yielded the desired goal. Tackling corruption, particularly IFFs, has become a matter of survival for Africa’s development…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A 26 -year-old man, Nuhu Mohammed arrested alongside Sani Usman, 22, of Izom town, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State has confessed to the police why they killed a 14-year-old secondary school student identified as Ubaida Surajo. In his confession, Mohammed said the deceased mother in the early hours of the day of the incident, accused him of stealing her N90,000 saying that the accusation got him angry, and he decided to kill the girl. He stated that he thus invited his friend, the second suspect, to partake in the heinous crime. The state Police Public Relations…

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyanya Judicial Division, has struck out a defamation suit instituted by a Senatorial Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Kogi State, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, against Governor Yahaya Bello. In a ruling delivered on Friday, 16 June, 2023, by Justice Idris Mua’wiya, the Court struck out the defamation suit marked “CV/412/2022” for being incompetent. The suit, filed on behalf of Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Chambers of Femi Falana, SAN, was struck out upon the objection challenging the competence of the suit by Counsel to Kogi State Governor, Abdulwahab Muhammed, SAN. Counsel to the plaintiff…

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo has expressed confidence that the party will win the Saturday, 11 November, 2023 poll, “massively”. Fanwo who made this known while speaking with journalists in Lokoja said the pedigree of the party in the state is such that the opposition will “continue to struggle”, saying the aspiration of Alh. Usman Ododo is a “movement of a united Kogi people”. His words: “Our candidate, Alh. Usman Ahmed Ododo has met virtually all key stakeholders in Kogi State. He is still meeting more people…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A veteran Nigerian politician and elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is best for Nigeria at this time and moment. Yakassai’s statement countered former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent comment that Peter Obi the Labour Party(LP) presidential candidate remained a better presidential candidate Nigeria needed. Yakasai, after meeting with President Tinubu recently, said that what Nigeria required at this time was a man with a track record of good governance and a well-versed politician to get it out of the woods. The elderstateman added that with the precedent set in Lagos State when Tinubu was the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike French Police authourities on Friday,16 June, 2023 has disclosed that man confessed to the killing of his wife who has been missing for two and a half months in western France and has led investigators to the bush where he buried her Karine Esquivillon, 54, a mother-of-five, disappeared on March 27 without a trace from her home in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. Her cell phone, missing a SIM card but enclosed with a photo of one of her daughters, was discovered two weeks later in a ditch by a car park by…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Editor of Vanguard newspaper , Eze Anaba, on Friday, 16 June, 2023, was elected as the new President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to pilot the affairs of the body for the next two years. Anaba and others emerged victorious at the 2023 NGE’s Biennial Convention which took place in Owerri, Imo State. He polled 250 votes to defeat his rival, Bolaji Adebiyi of THISDAY newspaper who got 81 votes. Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren was returned as General Secretary, while Steve Nwosu also retained his seat as Treasurer. Over 300 editors from all parts of…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Militants linked to Islamic State killed 25 people in a terrorist attack on a school in western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ugandan police said on Saturday, 17 June, 2023. “So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital. Also recovered are eight victims, who remain in critical condition at Bwera Hospital,” Ugandan police said on Twitter but did not say how many of the dead were school children. Soldiers were pursuing the attackers who fled towards Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, police…

Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a civil society organization made up of Nigerian journalists who monitor and report activities in the Hajj and Umrah industry has saluted what it describes as the “Exemplary Patriotism” and full cooperation shown by airlines selected by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for this year’s pilgrimage. NAHCON had selected seven Airlines: Max Air, Azman, Air Peace, Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Value Jet and Saudi based Flynas for the airlift operations of Hajj 2023. Payments to these airlines for the airlift exercise was agreed on United States Dollars as is the norm in international travels. …

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Oyo State Police Command have arrested one Adebayo Salami, a landlord, for allegedly inviting robbers who killed one of his tenants and raped the deceased daughters. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, who confirmed the suspect was arrested in the hours of Friday, 16 June, 2023, said during interrogation he confessed to have invited the group for the robbery operation at the Apaatuku area, where Ogedengbe was killed and his two daughters deflowered. Osifeso said the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for investigation, adding that one Ibrahim Rasaq, Abiodun Olalekan…

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday, 16 June, 2023 restated its administration’s commitment to support the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in its efforts to ease passport processing, visa issuance and ensure proper documentation of migrants. He said Lagos State Government would collaborate with the NIS to address issues which included the provision of land for staff residence and passport offices, furniture for offices, and a good working environment for staff, among others to make the federal agency more effective in meeting the needs of Lagosians and Nigerians. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu spoke on Friday, 16 June, 2023 when the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Federal Road Safety Corps, Atiba Unit Command in Oyo State has confirmed that at least six persons died, while 14 others sustained varying degrees of injuries, in a road accident which occurred on the Ibadan-Oyo Expressway in Afijio Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, 17 June, 2023. It was gathered that the driver of the 18-passenger white Toyota Hummer bus with number plate Lagos JJJ 941 XA, who was at a high speed, took off at the popular Akinyele market in Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan, before he suffered a tyre burst and lost control.…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal office, has arrested a staff of Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta in Ogun, and 47 others for alleged involvement in internet fraud. This is contained in a statement signed by the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren and made available to newsmen on Friday, 16 June, 2023 in Ibadan, Oyo state capital According to Uwujaren, 48 suspects were arrested in Ogun and three in Oyo State. Uwujaren, who said that the suspects were arrested on Wednesday, 14 June, 2023 at Idi-Aba area of Abeokuta, following intelligence on their alleged fraudulent…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Receiver Manager appointed by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria for Arik Nigeria Limited, Mr Kamilu Omokide, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged misappropriation and diversion of about N120bn, The Punch reports. According to the medium, the EFCC detained Omokide alongside one Captain Samuel Caulcrick in connection with alleged illegal sale and tearing down of a $41m CRJ 1000 aircraft, which was operated by Arik Air. The medium said the documents it obtained on Friday, 16 June,2023 revealed that the detention of the two top executives was sequel to…

The last Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) was an epochal milestone in the evolution of the journalism profession in Nigeria. An event that witnessed the election of new officers of the Guild to guide the affairs of the organization for the next two years, it is most gratifying that the outcome was successful and rancor-free despite the intensity of the contest for the various positions competed for. On behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), I congratulate the newly elected President of the Guild, Mr Eze Anaba, Editor…