Author: Abimbola Ogunnaike

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified that the de-listing of Nigerian airlines from operating in the United States has absolutely nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency in the oversight system. Recall that Nigerian airlines were barred from the United States over category one status certification. This may have affected Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines which were designated to fly to Washington and Houston, Texas. The NCAA Acting Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo, who made this disclosure in a statement issued on Monday, 2 September, 2024, said the delisting came as a result of the inability of…

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly addressed as Wizkid, has revealed that he recorded all his hit songs sitting down. Speaking in a viral video, Wizkid said he doesn’t stress himself to make hits. The ‘Essence’ exponent also claimed he dislikes promoting his music or granting media interviews “All my biggest songs from ‘Holla At Your Boy’ to ‘Soco’, ‘Joro’, ‘Ojuelegba’, I recorded them sitting down,” he said. “You [P2J] know how my things be for Lagos. You’ve been in my house. You know what I do. I’m chilling. You get me, no stress. “You see promo, I hate doing that…

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has engaged a private security firm to protect farmers in the state against incessant attacks. The private security firm, Global Olabod Resources Limited, was contracted by the governor to strengthen the security within the state’s forests. In its operation in the state, the firm will collaborate with the State Security Network Agency, otherwise known as Amotekun Corps, and other security agencies towards flushing out those with criminal tendencies from the forest reserves. Disclosing this in Idanre Local Government Area of the state, the Chairman of the security company, Mr. Eniola Ogunbodede, stated that the move…

An artisan named Lawrence, from Bende LGA but resident of Umueze in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State, has been apprehended and hand over to the police for allegedly trying to remove his wife’s eyes for suspected ritual purposes. The artisan, who is a dealer in Aluminium, was said to have attacked his wife, Amarachi Lawrence when she was still asleep, causing damage to her eyes, head and hands. The suspect, who is now being held by the Police, was said to be living in peace with his wife whom he married from Atta Emede Ibeku, before his sudden change…

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested 19-year-old Timothy Dauda for allegedly shooting one Alex Ezekiel to death. It was gathered that the incident happened at Onumu community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Moses Joel Yamu, who disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin City, said the suspect was arrested by personnel of the Igarra Division. Yamu said the suspect was a self-acclaimed native doctor who specialises in preparing charms against guns and cutlasses. According to Yamu, the suspect after preparing the charms for…

The Ogun State Police Command on Monday, 2 September, 2024 clarified that Mr Akinsanya Aremu, father of the slain 17-year-old secondary school student in the state, Habeebah Akinsanya, paid ₦30,000 to her kidnappers and not ₦1 million as reported. Aremu, a senior officer with So-Safe Corps, was said to have paid the money into a Moniepoint account provided by the kidnappers to facilitate the tracking and arrest of those responsible for the kidnapping of his daughter. The police revealed that the teenage girl was discovered to have been raped by her abductors before being macheted to death. Her corpse was…

An 18-year-old girl, Habibat Akinsanya, who had been reported missing, was discovered dead on her father’s farm in Obasa, Mile 6, along Ajebo Road, in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, the Punch Online report PUNCH Online learnt on Monday, 2 September, 2024 that the victim was discovered dead on Sunday,1 September, 2024 bearing multiple machete wounds to her head and other parts of her body, with her hands bound behind her back. According to reliable police sources, the victim was sexually assaulted before being murdered, as our correspondent was informed. A police source, who wished to remain anonymous due…

The Nigeria Police Force, on Monday, 2 September, 2024 declared a British national, Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, and a Nigerian, Lucky Obiyan, wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government in the country. The police accused the British national of building a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos. Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said Wynne rented a space at Labour House and established a school to serve as a decoy. “The Nigeria Police Force has launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of…

Nigerians are yet to see the end of the Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) crisis as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, blamed supply cost for fuel scarcity. The spokesperson of NNPCL, Soneye Olufemi, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, 1 September, 2024, however, said it is committed to the role of the PMS supplier of last resort and to ensuring national energy security. The firm’s comments come amid a report that its piled-up debt of $6 billion is the reason for fuel scarcity and the product supply hiccups. Reacting to the report, NNPCL admitted to facing financial…

Nigeria’s Letter of Credit payments, used for goods importation dropped by 57.04 percent to $391.91 million in the last seven months of 2024 compared to $912.35 million in the same period of 2023. This is contained in CBN’s weekly data on international payments released on its website. Analysis of the data showed that in the period under review, the country’s LC payment declined by about $520.44 million. Accordingly, the highest LC payments in the year so far were recorded in February at $102.59m, followed by July at $79.65m and $58.33m in January Also, in March, LCs payments stood at $43.53m…

The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said on Sunday, 1 September, 2024 it has returned, rebranded and rejuvenated, with a commitment to constructively engage the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state. The newly inaugurated state Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Tijani Aruwa, who stated this while addressing newsmen in Lokoja, kogi State capital, emphasised that PDP is ready to provide a viable opposition to APC, to ensure that the state is not dominated by a single party. Aruwa appealed to members who defected to APC, Social Democratic Party(SDP), Labour Party(LP), and African Democratic Congress(ADC), to return to…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that it has the capacity to transmit 6,000mw of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide. The Managing Director of TCN, Mr Sule Abdulaziz, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, 1 September, 2024, said that in the last three years, TCN had upgraded several sub-stations. According to Abdulaziz, the company had also built new sub-stations funded through its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and donor agencies. The TCN boss said that the company had installed new transformers to ensure an increase in capacity. “TCN…

Kaduna State Government earned N171.7 billion and spent N164.6 billion, representing a half-year budget performance of 37.48 per cent and 35.92 per cent of the N48 billion approved budget for the year, respectively. The state realised N27.4bn, representing 22 per cent of the targeted N120bn Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2024. The Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission, Ahmed Mukhtar Monrovia, made the disclosure during a presentation to the estimates committee members on Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) figures and other key issues on the preparation of the 2025-2027 budget. According to Monrovia, the statutory allocation expected in the state for…

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has slammed the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), for raising questions concerning the tractor procurement by the state government. Recall that in August, the state government purchased some tractors which it has designated for the revitalisation of agriculture in the state. The party in a statement on Sunday, 1 September, 2024 signed by the Deputy Director, Media and Publicity, James Bamgbose described the comments from the APC as lacking understanding on basic rudiments of government. The party also described the reaction from the Osun APC as a vindication of the rejection of the…

The Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission(KESIEC), on Sunday, 1 September, 2024 declared the All Progressives Congress( APC), as the winner of all the positions contested in Saturday’s local council polls in the state. Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad-Mera, who announced the results in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday,1 September, 2024 said the party won all the 21 chairmanship and 225 councillorship seats. According to Muhammad-Mera, 17 political parties participated in the polls, including APC, NNPP, LP, AAC, Boot party, AP and SDP, among others. He announced that the Commission had ratified and adopted the chairmanship results for the LGAs…

Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 48 suspected internet fraudsters in Umudike, Abia State. They recovered items such as 12 exotic cars, 15 different brands of laptops and 68 expensive smartphones. The commission which disclosed the arrest of the suspects in a post via the commission’s official X handle on Tuesday, 2 September, 2024, they were arrested at different locations within Umudike following actionable intelligence on their suspected involvement in internet fraud. The commission also revealed that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Famous Nigerian R&B music star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has finally opened up, saying she’s open to marriage. Unlike many celebrities who have publicly ruled out marriage, the 29-year-old Grammy-winning singer said she’s hoping to see what the future holds. Tems made this disclosure while appearing in a recent episode of the ‘Shopping The Sneakers’ podcast. The host asked, “Are you going to get married one day?” After dilly-dallying, Tems said, “Yeah. We will see.” Tems, who is not publicly known to be in any romantic relationship, was once rumoured that she was pregnant for American rapper, Future, but she swiftly…

Famous Nigerian international music superstar, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has donated the sum of N105 million to Christ Embassy Church, Benin City, Edo State. Rema, who donated to the Edo Regional Headquarters of the church, located at Erediauwa Street off Ekenwa Road, said it was in appreciation of the church’s support for his family during a difficult period in his childhood. The world famous singer, who was at the church for a thanksgiving service, recounted the role the church played in his family’s life after the loss of his father when he was just eight years old. “I…

Residents of Makwarari quarters in the Kano metropolis are presently in a mourning mood after a one-storey building collapsed, killing a 35-year-old woman, Balarabe Tijjani and injuring two of her children. It was gathered that the building collapsed on Friday, 30 August, 2024 following a downpour in the area which lasted for many hours on the night of Thursday, 29 August 2024 through the morning of Friday, 30 August, 2024 According to a resident, the mother and her two children: Abdulnasir and Abdallah, aged 11 and 13 respectively; were rescued and rushed to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital but the mother succumbed to her…

Victor Osimhen’s move from Napoli to Chelsea on transfer deadline has failed to materialize and he has no option but to stay at the club. The Nigeria international had been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge on deadline day but the parties were unable to reach an agreement, leaving the 25-year-old in a difficult position. According to Italian sports journalist, Fabrizio Romano, negotiations between Napoli and Chelsea broke down late in the window. “No agreement between Victor Osimhen and Chelsea even after a new proposal was presented two hours ago. Deal completely off for Victor Osimhen. No agreement with…