Author: Khadijah Olowode

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In a bid to tackle hunger in the land, the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, 6 February, 2024, called on the Federal Government to immediately open the grain reserves and distribute grains to needy Nigerians. A member representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency, Ogun State, Ibrahim Isiaka tabled this motion before the House, saying this is urgent and of national importance, and subsequently his motion was adopted Leading the debate, Isiaka noted the cost of living has become very difficult for Nigerians even as he lamented the rising cost of cement “Even though we have all the raw materials…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Ukrainian club side, Zorya Luhansk FC, has confirmed the signing of Plateau United defender, Christopher Nwaeze. Nwaeze joined the club for an undisclosed fee. Zorya Luhansk announced the signing of the former U-20, U-23 defender on their official X handle. “Nigerian central defender Christopher Nwaeze became the next rookie of Luhansk Zorya in the winter of 2024,” the club stated. “Christopher played exclusively for Nigerian clubs: Akwa United (14 matches), Kwara United (63 matches, 7 goals) and Plateau United (25 matches, 3 goals and 1 assist). “It was for Plateau United that he played in the African Champions…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Popular veteran singer and social activist, Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy, has confessed that he was fully engaged in scamming before 419 became popular in Nigeria. According to Wikipedia, “Advance fee fraud or “419 fraud”, is a scheme in which a sender requests help facilitating the illegal transfer of money, The scam typically involves promising the victim a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment, which the fraudster claims will be used to obtain the large sum. If a victim makes the payment, the fraudster either invents a series…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Self-proclaimed pastor, Paul Mackenzie, who has already been charged with terrorism, manslaughter as well as child torture and cruelty, was on Tuesday, 6 February, 2024, appeared in Kenyan court . The court charged the leader of a starvation cult and dozens of suspected accomplices with murder over the deaths of nearly 200 people in a forest near the Indian Ocean. Mackenzie is alleged to have incited hundreds of his acolytes to starve to death in order to “meet Jesus”. On Tuesday, Mackenzie and 29 other suspects pleaded not guilty to 191 counts of murder A 31st suspect…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has approved the sack of the Vice Chancellor of the Plateau State University, Professor Bernard Matau and four other heads of tertiary institutions in the state. Matau was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the state university while serving as the state Commissioner for Higher Education in the last administration led by former Governor Simon Lalong. It was learnt that the Vice Chancellor whose tenure is yet to elapse was removed from office alongside four other heads of tertiary institutions in the state including the Rector of the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi; Provost,…

Civil Society Organisations as well as Media organisations have urged Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger military juntas to refrain from transforming to civilian rulers but instead allow for democrats back in power. They stated this in a communique they issued at the end of CSOs, Media interactive meeting on the state of ECOWAS and regional integration in West Africa. The communique signed by CSOs, media organisations, lamented: “The stability of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a regional bloc of economic, human and political development has been threatened in recent years by political instability and security challenges…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) as the winner of the re-run election for the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State. Ukpong-Udo, who is returning to the National Assembly for a second term, polled a total of 24,050 votes to defeat his closest challenger Glory Edet of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 17,282 votes. He was first elected to the National Assembly on the platform of the PDP but boycotted the PDP primary and later defected to the YPP. This would be the second time that the…

A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva has said President Bola Tinubu, has done so bad by mismanaging the economy of Nigeria He also attributed the current economic crises to Tinubu’s “poorly constituted cabinet riddled with scandals.” According to him, Tinubu’s economic policies are slowly tearing the country apart with high inflation rate and an unprecedented level of poverty. “Nigerians are now in frying pan and our only prayer is that we should not be dumbed in the inferno”, Sylva said in a statement by one of his Spokespersons, Dr John Idumange. Sylva insisted that the…

For Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the battle to free Orafite Clan in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State from the imperialism of his kinsman, Emeka Offor is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. Consequently, the face-off between them deepened on Tuesday as Ejiofor shed light on why Offor who he described as Emperor of Orafite is after him. Ejiofor was reacting to the allegation raised by Vincent Dike, Manager of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), a company in which Emeka Offor holds controlling shares, and which…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Kano State Fire Service has confirmed that a fire outbreak has claimed the life of 4-year-old Abubakar Sani, popularly known as Musaddiq of Yakasai Layin Inuwa Mai Mai in the state capital. The Public Relations Officer of the State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif Abudullahi, confirmed the sad development on Tuesday, 6 February, 2024. According to Abudullahi, the victim was trapped inside a room but was later rescued unconscious and rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Special Hospital where he was confirmed dead. “The boy was found in a building of one floor of about 40 x 30 feet…

The Federal Government on Tuesday, 6 February, 2024, arraigned Oladipupo Adebutu before an Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the State capital, on seven count charges bordering on money laundering and other offences, with case number AB/10c/2023 (FRN Vs Adebutu &Ors. Recall that Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the gubernatorial election held on March 18, 2023, was accused of criminal inducement during the poll by security agents alongside other members of his party He was alleged to have ordered through his bank the issuance of 200,000 preloaded ATM verve cards with N10,000 and distributed same on…

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has been commended for his giant strides in road construction and infrastructural development in the last four and a half years. Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, gave the commendation on Monday, 5 February, 2024, when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Abiodun at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. Governor Sule who described infrastructure as catalyst for investments, expressed delight with the good road network that crisscross the State. He said: “So many projects like the Agro-Cargo Airport are going on in the State. I know about the various projects that President Muhammadu…

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has described the death of renowned African culture ambassador, Olujimi Solanke as a colossal loss to the theatre community and Ogun State. The governor also condoled with the family of the veteran poet dramatist and the people of Ipara-Remo in Remo North Local Government Area of the State. Mostly remembered by many for his television programme ‘Story land’, on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Solanke reportedly died on Monday morning after a brief illness. He was aged 82. He is survived by his wife, Toyin, children and grandchildren. In a statement, Abiodun said the…

Work is yet to begin on the reconstruction of the Abeokuta-Ota-Lagos Expressway because the Ogun State Government is still waiting for final approval of the concessioning of the road from the Federal Government. It will be recalled that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced in October last year, during a briefing after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Aso Villa, that the Federal Government had finally concessioned the all important road to the Ogun State Government to reconstruct after several efforts made to that effect by the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration. The reconstruction was to be carried…

Nigeria broke new grounds in the global mining industry on Monday, 5 February, 2024, clinching the chair of the newest mining pressure group, the Africa Minerals Strategy Group. Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake was unanimously elected the pioneer Chairman of the group. Speaking at the signing of the resolution, Dr. Alake charged African leaders to forge a common front to get maximum benefits from the mineral resources on the continent. The event which held on the sidelines of the 30th edition of Investing in Africa Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, was attended by ministers of mineral…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A Kano High Court presided over by Justice Halima Sulaiman has sentenced a housewife, Rukayya Abubakar, to life imprisonment for killing her stepchild. The prosecution counsel, Barrister Rabia Sa’ad, informed the court that in 2021, Rukayya threw her stepchild into a well, an action that led to his death. According to Sa’ad, the offence that the accused committed contravened section 221 of the Penal Code. During the trial, the prosecution counsel presented four witnesses before the court. The defense counsel, Barrister Rilwan Muhammad, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy becauss the convict is a…

The Member representing Ibadan North East/South East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abass Adigun Agboworin, on Monday, 5 February, 2024, visited the scene of the fire incident, which razed some shops at the Orita-Aperin market, Ward 4 of the Ibadan North East Local Government Area, in Ibadan. Agboworin, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Narcotic Drugs, sympathized with the victims, urging them to trust in God for a speedy recovery from the shock and rehabilitation of their shops and goods. At the scene, the lawmaker announced a donation of N500,000 which, according to…

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday, February 5, 2024 arraigned a businessman, Alexander Adeniran Babarinde from Oro-Ago in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State over alleged involvement in contract scam, obtaining money under false pretence and forgery. Babarinde was arraigned by the EFCC, alongside his company, Ajays Engineering Limited and one Suleiman Muhammed, (who is currently at large) before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on eight-count charges bordering on obtaining under false pretences. The defendants allegedly obtained several amounts of money from the complainant under the guise of…

We commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), under the theme “Her Voice, Her Future: Investing in Survivors Led Movements to End Female Genital Mutilation”. We are once again reminded of the responsibility we bear to protect the rights, vulnerability and well-being of the girl child. Today, I call upon parents, particularly mothers, traditional leaders, and community leaders , where Female Genital Mutilation persists to consider the damage and irreversible health implications inflicted on our daughters. While acknowledging the progress made in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria, we must confront the practices…

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has called on Wives of Governors of the 36 states in the country to remain steadfast and supportive of one another. She spoke during the meeting she had with them at the State House Abuja under the umbrella of the Renewed Hope Initiative. The First Lady while commending them for their efforts in their various states especially to ameliorate the hardships as occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy appealed to them to intensify their efforts. “As we all know, the mission of the Renewed Hope Initiative which is driven by…