Author: Abimbola Ogunnaike

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Gunmen have abducted Catholic priest, Very Rev. Fr. Oliver Buba, serving with the Yola Catholic Diocese The incident, it was gathered, occurred during the early hours of Tuesday, 21 May, 2024 in the reverend father’s rectory at St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Bare, in Numan Local Government of Adamawa State. Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese, Rev. Dr. Stephen Dami Mamza, made this disclosure through in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen. Mamza invited all Christian faithful and men and women of goodwill to earnestly pray for the quick and safe release of the priest.

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Pope Francis has finally opened up on the controversy over his stance on same-sex couples. The Pope explained that he allowed the blessings of individuals but not on same-sex unions. Fox News reports that the Pope was asked about a seeming change to Vatican policy when he approved the blessings of Catholics in same-sex unions in a conversation with CBS ’60 Minutes’. “Last year you decided to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples,” CBS ’60 Minutes’ anchor Norah O’Donnell said. “That’s a big change. Why?” “No, what I allowed was not to bless the union. That…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that the National Working Committee (NWC), of the party is working to get new state Governors come 2027. Ganduje stated this on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024 in Abuja at a policy roundtable titled, ‘The Asiwaju Scorecard Series’, organised by APC Professionals Forum. He said the leadership of the APC was gradually restructuring the party into a truly grassroots progressive party. The APC National Chairman said the NWC has directed the state chapters of the party to liaise with their respective governors and other…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Central of Nigeria Monetary Policy Committee has raised interest rates by 150 basis points to 26.25 per cent from 24.75 per cent in March to tackle rising inflation. The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, made this disclosure on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024 at the 295th MPC press briefing in Abuja. The Apex Bank boss said the decision to raise the interest rate was to tame the country’s soaring headline inflation which increased to 33.69 per cent in April. CBN had continued tightening of monetary instruments to bring down inflation. The 295th MPC meeting is the third since…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike At least, one person died and dozens others were injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “severe turbulence” while heading from London to Singapore before it was diverted to Bangkok on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024, the company said. “We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” the airline said on Facebook. It was gathered that the airline also on its X account, #SingaporeAir, confirmed the incident. It posted, “Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024 left the club by mutual consent after just one season at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino, 52, took charge of Chelsea on 1 July, signing a two-year contract with the option of a further year. The Argentine was under pressure after an underwhelming first half of the season but a run of five successive wins to end the season ensured they finished sixth in the Premier League. Chelsea were also runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. “Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Kano State House of Assembly has commenced the process of amending the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law amidst call for the return of the deposed 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi. The House resolved to amend the law after the Majority Leader and member representing Dala constituency, Hussien Dala, moved the motion during plenary on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024. It was gathered that the law was first amended in 2019 during the rift between then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the deposed Emir. The first amendment had broken the Kano Emirate into five different Emirates…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A physically-challenged Nigerian man, who has resided in the UK for 38 years, is facing the prospect of being forcibly deported from the country by the Home Office, the Guardian UK reports. Anthony Olubunmi George, now 61 years old, arrived in the UK at the age of 24 back in 1986, from Nigeria. Since then, he has remained in the UK and, according to the Guardian, has a clean record with no criminal convictions. In 2019, he experienced two strokes that had a significant impact on his ability to speak and move. According to George, he no…

By Abimbola Ogunaike Banex Plaza, a shopping complex located in the Wuse 2 area of the Abuja, has been shut down by Officers of the Nigeria Army following attacks on some soldiers over the weekend, the Punch online reports. A trader at the nearby Emab Plaza, Mr Somto, confirmed this to the medium via a phone call on Monday, 20 May, 2024. “Yes, Banex is locked down. We are not affected by it though. Some men of the Army are here”, he said. Another shop owner, who runs an Apple Products store, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border on Sunday, 19 May, 2024, officials and state media reported. In a statement on Monday,20 May, 2024 the Iranian government assured that operations will continue “without the slightest disruption” despite the loss of the President. Aviation accidents have claimed the lives of several presidents over the years. Below is a list of some presidents who lost their lives in aviation crashes. President José Félix Estigarribia, Paraguay (1940) José Félix Estigarribia, Paraguay’s 34th president, died in a plane crash on September…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike with agency report South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled Monday, 20 May, 2024 that former President, Jacob Zuma is ineligible to be elected a member of the National Assembly in next week’s general election. The top court threw out Zuma’s complaint against an electoral commission decision that a previous conviction for contempt prevented him from becoming an MP. This decision by the court may deepen political turmoil in the country just over a week before a crucial national election. The latest development could draw the curtain on the political career of the 82-year-old Zuma, a former anti-apartheid hero…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Bola Tinubu has extended his condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi; Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials who died in a helicopter crash. Raisi and nine others on Sunday, 19 May, 2024 lost their lives after a helicopter conveying them crashed due to poor weather in the mountains near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media confirmed Monday, 20 May, 2024. On the afternoon of Sunday, 19 May, 2024, rescue teams had begun searching for Raisi when the aircraft went missing.…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced on Monday, 20 ,May, 2024 five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died alongside 7 others in a helicopter crash on Sunday, 19 May, 2024. “I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province. Meanwhile, Iran’s powerful allies on Monday, 20 May, 2024 mourned the death of its President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, while regional…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A former Minister of Labour and Productivity under the Interim National Government of Chief Enerst Sonekan, Prince Ajibola Afonja, is dead. It was gathered that the former Chairman of First Bank and native of Oyo town, Oyo State, died on Sunday night, 19 May, 2024 at the University College Hospital (UCH), in Ibadan, at 82. He was said to have sustained injuries from a lone accident he was involved in at Ilora, a few kilometres from his country home. He was thereafter rushed to UCH in Ibadan where he eventually died. The deceased was at a time…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammad Mokhber, is expected to assume the presidency after Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash as the country gears up for early elections. The Iranian constitution stipulates that the First Vice President takes over “in the event of the president’s death, dismissal, resignation, absence or illness for more than two months”. Raisi, who died on Sunday, 19 May, 2024 along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials, was nearing the end of his first four-year term as president. Mokhber’s interim appointment requires the approval of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Gunmen killed two soldiers stationed at an outpost in Aba, Abia State just as they also shot dead a commercial tricycle operator. Eyewitnesses, including a tricycle operator named Chima Ibekanma, recounted the panic and chaos that ensued during the attack, saying one soldier died instantly and another succumbed to injuries at the hospital. The incident, it was gathered, disrupted business activities in the area, with luxury bus operators unable to load passengers due to security measures imposed by the military. The incident occurred less than a year after a similar attack on a military outpost in Aba,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo, on Monday, 20 May, 2024 thrown out the request by terrorist negotiator, Mohammed Tukur Mamu, for his transfer from the custody of the Department of the State Service (DSS), to Kuje Prison in Abuja. Mamu is standing trial for terrorism offences slammed on him by the Federal Government and had been in DSS custody following the refusal of the court to admit him to bail. Justice Ekwo, while delivering the latest ruling, said the Federal Government had raised the issues of incessant jail breaks…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has asked all banks to stop the implementation of 0.5 per cent cyber-security levy after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on its suspension. The withdrawal was disclosed in a notice dated Friday, 17 May, 2024, signed by Chibuzo Efobi, CBN’s Director of Payment System Management, and Haruna Mustapha, Director of the Financial Policy and Regulatory Department. Recall that on May 6, the Apex Bank ordered the implementation of a cyber-security levy, which required all banks and financial institutions to charge a 0.5 per cent levy on all electronic transactions. However, the levy was…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The United kingdom (UK), has stated that only international students coming in for their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) studies were eligible to bring in dependents to the country. The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, made this disclosure during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, 5 May, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power. According to Montgomery, the educational system policy changed earlier this year for international students in higher education not to bring dependents into the UK was to curb the increase of foreign students bringing in dependents. The envoy…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A federal jury in Camden, New Jersey, has convicted a Nigerian couple – Isiaka and Bolaji Bolarinwa aged 67 and 50 years old respectively for forced labour in the United States and other related crimes with possible 20 years imprisonment. The couple, residing in Burlington County, used coercive scheme to force two people in engaging in domestic labour. The jury also found the couple guilty of two counts of forced labour, one count of sheltering a stranger for financial gain and two counts of document servitude. According to a press release by the US Department of Justice,…