Author: Abimbola Ogunnaike

Lazio Manager, Marco Baroni has told Nigerian midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to step up his game after a difficult start to life in Italy. Dele-Bashiru joined the Biancolesti on loan from Turkish Super Lig club, Hatayaspor, in the summer. Lazio, an Italian Serie A club side, has a mandatory option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. The Nigeria international is still settling down in his new environment and Baroni has urged him to work on his weaknesses. Baroni “Dele-Bashiru has great potential, but it’s clear he has to find the rhythm of the match, the mentality,…

American rapper, Sean Carter, aka Jay-Z, has reacted to a lawsuit that accused him of raping a 13-year-old girl with disgraced music mogul Sean Combs, aka Diddy, in 2000. A lawyer, Tony Buzbee, had filed a civil lawsuit accusing Jay of statutory rape.Reacting in a swift statement shared via his social media pages on Sunday, 8 december, 2024, Jay-Z denied the allegations and challenged Buzbee to file a criminal complaint. The rapper described the allegations as “false and blackmail.” The statement partly read: “My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee.

Popular Nigerian rapper, Blaqbonez has hinted at retirement. The ‘Like Ice Spice’ exponent, who announced that he would be retiring in the next three to five years, made this disclosure during a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo. “I will keep doing my music to the point where I know that I’ve saved up something that would last me for a lifetime; enough legacies. And I project I will be done in the next three to five years,” he said. On his retirement plan, he said, “I will find another job in the entertainment industry. I would probably work…

Personnel of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service have rescued a 63-year-old plumber, Akin Kuboye, alive from a deep well in the Igando area of Lagos State. The Director of the fire agency, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, made this disclosure in a statement issued on Sunday, 8 December, 2024. She said that the incident happened on Sunday, 8 December, 2024 at 9:54 a.m. at 20, Muyibi Adebayo Street, off Agric Road, Egan–Igando, Lagos. According to Adeseye, the rescue team responded to a life threatening distress call and saved the survivor. “On arrival at the scene of emergency, it was discovered…

Police operatives in Delhi, India, have arrested three Nigerians for allegedly running a cyber fraud network that defrauded a local woman of ₹2.62 lakh (approximately N4.9 million). The suspects—identified as Lezhu John, Gibril Mohammed, and Egboola Ekena—were arrested on Friday, 6 November, 2024 in connection with an elaborate scheme involving the use of fake bank accounts and social media profiles to target victims. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime), M.M. Rajput, who confirmed the arrest of the trion, stated that the suspects had overstayed their visas and turned to cyber fraud as a source of income. “They were systematically transferring large…

Tragedy occurred in the early hour of Monday, 9 December, 2024 as a fire outbreak killed an 18-year-old boy at Sayi area of Alore in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. The incident was said to have occurred at about 1:30am in the early hours of Monday, 9 December, 2024 A government official confirmed the sad the incident to Leadership. As of press time, a delegation of the Kwara State Government was about to visit the scene of the fire outbreak for an assessment of the situation.

Operatives of the Delta Police Command have arrested one Rich Otokwame aka Chinaranbo for allegedly raping a fourteen year old girl (name withheld) to coma in Oghara Community, Ethiope-West Local Government Area of state. The suspect, who is currently in detention at the Oghara Police Division, was said to have committed the act on Sunday, 8 December, 2024. In a text message sent to an online medium in Warri, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the report. The message read: “Confirmed.” Source: Daily Post

The 2024 Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is set to begin its inaugural and pre-hearing session over petitions challenging the declaration of the APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as winner of the 21 September, 2024 governorship election. It was gathered that there are seven petitions before the tribunal, one from the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo. Thegazellenews.com reported that the PDP candidate had emerged second while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP)) Olumide Akpata, came third in the results of the September 21, 2024 governorship election declared by INEC…

Gunmen on Sunday, 8 December, 2024 invaded Kakin Dawa village, a district in Gidan Goga, Maradun Local Government Area, Zamfara State and abducted over 50 women and children. According to a community member, the gunmen stormed the village with sophisticated weapons, moving from house to house. “Everyone started running because the armed bandits have been targeting our village; later we discovered that more than 50 of our women were abducted,” he told an online medium While disclosing that the kidnapped victims included young girls and married women, he e appealed to the federal and the Zamfara State governments to deploy…

Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has been granted bail by the Ekiti State High Court. The court granted Farotimi bail in the sum of N50 million, with a surety of the same amount. The court ruled that the surety must possess a landed property and adjourned the matter to 29 January, 2025, for further proceedings. Farotimi was taken to court by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Afe Babalola, after being arrested by operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command. Babalola, 95, accused Farotimi of defaming him in a book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. Men of the…

The Minister of Youth Development, Oyedele Olawande, has announced a collaborative effort with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to establish a Youth Desk Office aimed at tackling issues affecting young Nigerians. Speaking during the International Anti-Corruption Day event, the minister emphasized the critical role of this initiative in empowering the youth and addressing corruption. He noted that: “The Nigerian Youth Aid Desk is not just a platform; it is a confirmation that this administration sees, hears, and values the youth.” Olawande, while describing the initiative as a direct link between young Nigerians and decision-makers, providing avenues…

In order to put an end the prolonged environmental crimes in Nigeria and the rest of Africa, the Green Growth Africa has established EcoJustice Africa to bring violators of environmental laws and standards to book. The rise of environmental crimes across Africa, and its catastrophic consequences on our socio-economic prosperity and natural ecosystems has become of great concern. Speaking at a pre-launch press conference of EcoJustice Africa, Dr. Adedoyin Adeleke, the Executive Director of Green Growth Africa, a leading United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)-accredited NGO committed to the innovation, development and implementation of ‘greened’ socio-economic development solutions to address Africa’s…

The Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas has promoted the ending Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Nigeria, calling on Speakers of State Houses of Assembly to ensure that the law is passed in all there states. He made this call on Monday, 9 December, 2024, in Abuja at the convergence of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly to commemorate the conclusion of the 16 days of activism against Gender-based Violence. An event hosted by UN Women in conjunction with the House of Representatives. The Speaker while stating that the UN bent was part of activities lined up…

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has reaffirmed the commitment of the Commission to executing impactful projects and fast-tracking development for the benefit of all the ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region. Ogbuku gave the assurance when he hosted a delegation led by the President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, Eze (Dr) Godspower Onuekwa, at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt. The NDDC Chief Executive Officer stated that the Commission was open to all ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region, noting that its mandate was to serve the people…

The arrival of Dr Samuel Ogbuku at the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, on January 5, 2023, to assume office as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer marked a historic turning point. The rapid development of the Niger Delta region, which is the core mandate of the NDDC, got an impetus when the current Management, led by Ogbuku, mounted the saddle. From day one, Ogbuku and his team were confronted with the daunting challenges of development in the Niger Delta region. However, the challenges spurred them to look for new ways of achieving results. That inexorably…

A total of 227 staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, have been given plaques for long service awards for their contributions to the progress and performance of the Commission. Speaking during the award ceremony at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the awards’ essence was to motivate and build staff confidence in career progression and promote excellence through healthy competition for better service delivery. Ogbuku noted that the Commission’s management placed a high premium on staff development and growth, stating that the 227 awardees were recognised for their long-term service and…

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on Thursday, November 28, 2024 convicted and sentenced Aisha Alkali Wakil and two others to five years imprisonment each. Wakil who is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Complete Care and Aid Foundation (NGO) alongside Programme Manager Tahiru Saidu Daura and Country Director , Prince Lawal Shoyode were re-arraigned on Monday, September 1, 2020 on four- count amended charges bordering on cheating, conspiracy and giving false information to the tune of N6 million. Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyade…

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, 9 December, 2024, commissioned the Abiola-Onijemo Link Road with a bridge in the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of the State. The Abiola-Onijemo Link Road with bridge provides a strategic connection linking the Abiola/Ajayi/Ogba and Obawole/Iju-Ishaga communities, which are separated by a 25-meter swamp belt. The project covers a total length of 643 meters, including a 135-meter reinforced concrete bridge with retaining walls. The infrastructure features 7.3-meter-wide carriageways, alongside slip roads, walkways, and solar-powered street lighting—all representing state-of-the-art infrastructure tailored to meet the needs of a growing population. It also has a…

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Nigeria will hold its 70th Jalsa Salana Platinum celebration from Friday, 20 December to Sunday, 22 December, 2024 at the Conference Ground of the Jamia Ahmadiyya in Ilaro -Owode Road, Ogun State, reports TheGazelleNews.com. The theme of historic gathering of hearts and mind is: “And We Have Sent Thee (Mohammad) Not But As A Mercy For All People”.  Those invited to grace the august occasion include President Bola Tinubu, some Governors from the northern and southern parts of Nigeria, political and traditional rulers and Islamic scholars among others. The Amir (National Head) Ahmadiya Musim Jamaat of…

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has restated governments commitment to rebuilding the healthcare sector in Nigeria. She stated this at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the National Hospital Abuja. Senator Oluremi Tinubu pointed out that the hospital remains pivotal and critical to the development of the sector. “Every Nigerian deserves quality health care, regardless of their background or circumstances. The Federal Government, under the able leadership of President Tinubu, GCFR is committed to rebuilding the healthcare system in Nigeria. Therefore, the NHA plays a vital role in ensuring that all Nigerians have access to quality…