Author: Abimbola Ogunnaike

The Edo State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service has announced that its four female inmates were among candidates that wrote the June/July 2024 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). It was gathered that the four inmates were among the six inmates that enrolled for the examination conducted by the National Examination Council of Nigeria (NECO). The Command said the inmates are of the Custodial Facility in Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area. The Public Relations Officer of the Command, SC Aminu Suleman, who made this disclosure through a statement, said while the four inmates sat for the…

Chelsea’s new arrival Joao Felix has suffered embarrassment after his plaque was vandalised by fuming Atletico Madrid fans – again. The Portugal star, who is Atletico’s record signing, permanently left the Metropolitano for Stamford Bridge this week. The LaLiga side coughed up an eye-watering £115million to Benfica in 2019 – making him the fifth most expensive player of all time. Despite scoring 34 goals, Felix, 24, failed to live up to his hefty price tag. His £42.7m sale to Chelsea saw the Spanish club ultimately accept a devastating financial loss. And there is clearly no love lost among Atletico fans,…

Chelsea players have a whopping 191 years remaining on their contracts, a figure that far outstrips any of their Premier League rivals. A defining policy of the Todd Boehly era has been handing players extended deals to spread out the transfer fee across the length of the contract. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez are tied down to nine-year contracts and the majority of new players sign at least on six-season terms. Chelsea’s nearest rivals are Tottenham in this respect as their combined total is 97 years remaining. Meanwhile, Everton sit at the foot of the table with 47 cumulative years…

Yaba College of Technology, Nigeria’s foremost tertiary institution, has flagged off the commencement of the training of 5,250 girls in Lagos State with the commissioning of 50 seated capacity Information Communication Technology Hub in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The training is to focus on education and skills to thrive in an increasingly digital landscape known as Girls Education Skills Partnership (GESP). The Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. (Engr.) Ibraheem Abdul, in his welcome address highlighted the significance of th GESP Tech Hub as a milestone for the broader community, college and Lagos State at large. …

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede has stressed the need to uphold transparency and accountability in the conduct of affairs in the country. He commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for refining its processes to uphold the principles of probity. Olukoyede, who spoke when a delegation of the NDDC management, led by its Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, paid him a courtesy visit at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja, said that he was impressed by the “Rewind to Rebirth” initiative of the Commission. He declared: “The five minutes of interaction with the…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has organised a comprehensive two-week leadership training for some selected staff to improve on knowledge gaps as part of measures to strengthen their abilities to deliver on the mandate of the Commission. The training which is being held in Abuja had about 30 participants drawn from different departments of the Commission. While speaking during the opening ceremony on Tuesday, 20 August, 2024, the Chairman of ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN; charged participants to take the training seriously as one of his missions in office was to empower the intellectual…

Five people, including a child, were killed on Friday in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, state-run media disclosed on Friday, 23 August, 2024. Lebanon’s National News Agency, NNA, said an Israeli drone struck a house in the town of Aita al-Jabal with two guided missiles, killing two people, including a seven-year-old child. An earlier Israeli strike on the town of Tayer Harfa killed three people, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. The pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement announced the death of three of its fighters but did not specify where or when. Meanwhile, Lebanese security sources, however, said they died in the strike…

A former head coach of the Sweden national team, Janne Andersson has revealed he held talks with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the vacant Super Eagles coaching job. The NFF are still  searching a new head coach for the Super Eagles over two months after former international winger, Finidi George left the post. Andersson, has reportedly agreed to coach the three-time African champions. The experienced tactician expressed his desire to manage the Super Eagles. “It’s a huge footballing nation. I can confirm that I have had a dialogue with the Nigeria Football Federation,” he told Swedish newspaper, Expressen. “It’s a…

The Nigerian military has disclosed that its troops have foiled oil theft valued at N846m in the South-South region. The Director of Defence, Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who made this disclosure through a statement, said the troops also neutralized 171 terrorists and arrested 302 others. Buba added that a total of 25 perpetrators of oil theft were arrested, and 134 kidnapped hostages rescued. According to the statement, troops recovered 84 assorted weapons and 1,499 assorted ammunition consisting of one PKT gun, one G3 rifle, 3 AK-49 rifles, 44 AK-47 rifles, 10 fabricated rifles, 18 dane guns, 10 pump action…

The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of one Manasseh Hamza Bello (a.k.a Domingos Pereira) before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna and arraigned the duo of Muhammad Ibn Muhammad and Baba Dennis Ndong before the same judge for multiple fraud. Bello was prosecuted on a one-count charge bordering on impersonation. The charge reads: “That you Manasseh Hamza Bello (a.k.a Domingos Pereira) (M), sometime in 2024 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, committed an offence, to wit: falsely presenting yourself as Domingos Pereira (a white man) on Facebook (an online social media application), which…

Jigawa State Police Command has confirmed that a 40-year-old woman (name withheld) set herself on fire after her husband divorced her in Guri Local Government Area of the state. The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Lawan Shiisu, who confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Dutse on Friday, 23 August, 2024, said the woman, who resides in Garin Mallam village, poured petrol on her body and set it on fire. “On Thursday, at about 0740 hours, the command received heartbreaking and pitiful news of an incident from Guri, which indicated that a 40-year-old woman at Garin Mallam village poured petrol…

Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Kemi Nandap has dismantled all unauthorized checkpoints along Nigeria’s border posts. Nandap, however ordered routine patrols to completely forestall dangerous and unauthorized elements from entering into the country. She equally ordered the immediate submission of audit reports on manpower and logistics. A statement on Friday by the spokesman of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kenneth Udo said the CGI gave the order at a meeting with Comptrollers of Border Commands and Commanders at the Service Headquarters in Abuja. According to him, the decision is aimed at ensuring efficient border security and migration management which are…

The Federal Government is currently planning to push for 30 percent youth inclusion in government in the country. Speaking at the commemoration of the International Youth Day in Abuja, Minister for Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio disclosed that efforts were ongoing to enact a law that will guarantee a 30 per cent inclusion of youth in government in Nigeria. At the event organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, with the theme “Forging the Future: Youth-Led MSMEs Innovating with Digital Solutions to Secure Sustainable Growth, Global Trade, and…

The Managing Director, of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engr Freeborn Okhirie has commended the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for standing tall in the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) including numerous arrests of Suspects with vandalized Railway Slippers and other gadgets. He however noted that despite these efforts to salvage the NRC from economic saboteurs, the Corporation still suffer losses through vandalism of its installations across the country. Freeborn stated this while on a courtesy call to the office of the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Audi in Abuja. He expressed worries that some Rail tracks…

The United States has said the idea of establishing a military base in Nigeria was never on the table. Speaking to journalists on what is next line of action for US government after scrapping it military base in Niger as an aftermath of Nigerien government calling for it as a fallout of worldwide criticism of military take over of democratically elected government in the West African country, the Department of Defense West Africa Coordination Element Lead, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman said though it was natural for anyone to suspect that Nigeria would have been the natural destination…

The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Annas has revealed that only Borno State has implemented the 30% bonus allowance for health personnel working in rural areas. The bonus, which is 30% of the total monthly pay, is paid to all rural health workers in Borno, and it aims to improve their welfare and motivate them to provide quality health care services to the people. Speaking during a visit to Maiduguri on Thursday, 22 August, 2024, she said: “We are here, sir, to first appreciate all the work you have been doing in the…

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery has expressed the interest of United Kingdom to develop partnership with Abia State aimed at boosting Nigeria’s economic prosperity. Montgomery who was in Umuahia, the Abia State Capital between the 20th and 21st of August for high-level discussions with the state governor, key government stakeholders, and business leaders, made the disclosure. He said: “Visiting Abia State for the first time was a great opportunity to engage and interact with key stakeholders. “Abia state is key to boosting Nigeria’s economic prosperity and the UK is committed to driving that growth. “We very…

The Governing Board of the National Defence College (NDC) has honoured the Executive Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum with the Excellence and Service to the Nation award. The NDC’s Governing board comprises the Minister of Defence as Chairman, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, and the Commandant of the National Defence College. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence is the Secretary of the Board. The award was presented on Wednesday, 21 August, 2024, at the NDC’s Course 32 Dinner/ Awards Night held…

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun on Friday, 23 August, 2024, flagged off the construction of the 70-kilometer Abeokuta-Ifo-Ota-Lagos Expressway with a pledge to complete it in 18 months. The Governor, who performed the flag-off at Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area, noted that the road is significant not only to Ogun State but also to Lagos State and the nation, as it provides a thoroughfare for people going to the neighbouring country. It would be recalled that the attempt to reconstruct the road was first conceived in 2019, but all efforts to convince the federal government to release the road…

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria, pending her confirmation by the Senate. Kekere-Ekun took the oath of office and signed the oath register at 11.40 am at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja on Friday, 23 August, 2024. She succeedsOlukayode Ariwoola, who assumed office on June 27, 2022, and bowed out on Thursday, upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years. Thegazellenews.com recalls that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had last week recommended Justice Kekere-Ekun to President Tinubu as Ariwoola’s successor. NJC spokesman, Soji Oye, who disclosed…