Author: Abimbola Ogunnaike

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has presented a budget proposal of N790 billion for the year 2025, which prioritizes critical sectors like infrastructure, human capital development, security, and agriculture. Presenting the draft budget at the chambers of Kaduna State House of Assembly on Monday, 2 November, 2024, the Governor said that his administration adopted a conservative but strategic approach to resource allocation, given the prevailing financial headwinds. The Governor disclosed that the 2025 budget earmarked N553 billion for Capital Expenditure while N237 billion is for Recurrent Expenditure. According to him, ‘’the capital allocation reflects our continued focus on infrastructure, with…

The Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), said Nigeria records 42,700 AIDS-related deaths annually and 1.1 million AIDS orphans. The National Secretary of the NEPWHAN disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during a candlelight event held in Abuja to commemorate lives lost to AIDS and recognise efforts in combating the epidemic. The National Secretary of NEPWHAN, Nicholas Ugbenyen, stated that of the 42,700 deaths, 14,400 were children and 14,500 were women. He stressed the urgency of prioritising pediatric HIV prevention and treatment to end AIDS in Nigeria by 2030. He urged stakeholders to adopt innovative and sustainable approaches…

As part of the commemoration of this year’s 16 days of Activism to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence, which started on 25, November, 2024, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has disclosed that it has engaged 16 traditional rulers to bridge the advocacy gaps in the fight against the menace state. Speaking at the flag off of the advocacy campaign at the Oniwaya of Iwaya Palace in Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos, the Executive Secretary, Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said that the essence is to leverage the international days, through the traditional…

The Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Agency for the Control of AIDS, (ADSACA), Boniface Gundiri, has reported a decline in the prevalence of HIV in Adamawa State, with a drop to 1.1 percent from 2.5 percent in 2014. Gundiri made the revelation during an event to mark this year’s World AIDS Day, on Tuesday,3 December, 2024. “Today, we celebrate the drop in HIV prevalence in Adamawa State from 2.5 percent in 2014 to i.1 percent,” the ADSACA executive secretary said. “The reduction of HIV prevalence in the state is a testament to impactful intervention against HIV/AIDS by implementing partners with…

Gunmen on the evening of Monday, 2 December abducted a former member of the House of Representatives, Joseph Haruna Kigbu, while he was traveling to Jos, Plateau State capital. The attack occurred between Nunku in Akwanga Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, and Gwantu in Sanga Local Government Area, Kaduna State, around 6:00 p.m. During a gun battle, the assailants fatally shot the police escort assigned to Dr. Kigbu, who attempted to resist the abduction. According to a source, the bandits fired sporadically, causing panic among motorists in the area. Local villagers confirmed that the incident occurred at a location that…

Libyan authorities have arrested six Nigerians in Tripoli, the country’s capital for alleged drug trafficking after they were found with significant quantities of cocaine intended for distribution . The arrest was made by Libya’s Stability Support Agency’s Department of Investigation, which handed over the seized narcotics to Libyan authorities for further examination. Their arrest was disclosed by Migrant Rescue Watch, a humanitarian organization, in a statement. The suspects, consisting of one male and five females, have been referred to public prosecution for legal proceedings. “Stability Support Agency—Department of Investigation dismantled a drug trafficking gang in Tripoli and arrested 6 migrants…

Former Managing Director of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria(AMCON), Ahmed Kuru, was absent in court on Monday,2 December, 2024 where he was to be arraigned on six-count charges, including stealing property worth N4.9 billion belonging to Arik Air and abuse of office. Kuru, alongside current MD of Arik Air, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, the receiver manager of Arik, Kamilu Omokide, the Union Bank plc, and a company, Super Bravo Limited, were to be arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The complainants in the matter are the…

The Osun State Government has condoled the family of Tijani Kabiru and the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, over the loss of its personnel, SC Tijani Kabiru. The state government also added that it is saddened by the unfortunate loss of Tijani, his wife and three children, in an inferno that occurred at his house in Ede, Osun State. Recall that the inferno which occurred in the early hours of Monday, 2 December, 2024 had claimed the lives of Tijani, his wife and three of his children who were sleeping in the house with one lone survivor, his thirteen-year-old son. The source…

Civil society organization has disclosed that at least 2,000 sexual and other Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases have been recorded in Nigeria in the last ten years. An official of a Civil society organisation, Ophelia Adeleye, made this disclosure in Calabar, Cross Rivers State capital as the 16-day activism on GBV continues. Adeleye, the communication officer of Stand Up Against Rape, spoke on the sidelines of a women’s event to advocate for greater inclusion of women in politics and a reduction in GBV. “There have been more than 2,000 GBV cases across the states in Nigeria in which we have intervened.…

Following the controversy trailing President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills before the two Chambers of the National Assembly, the 36 State Governors, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, his Deputy and other stakeholders in the tax industry may have thrown their weight behind the bills, saying the time for it is now. The support for the controversial came from the submission of the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule who spoke on behalf of 36 State Governors during a Town Hall conversation on the bills aired by Channels Television. At the three-hour town hall conversation on the…

The presentation of the Ogun State 2025 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly by the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, earlier fixed for last week Friday, will now be held tomorrow, Wednesday, 4 December, 2024. The Clerk/Head of Legislative Service, Sakiru Adebakin made this disclosure in statement made available to media houses on Tuesday, 3 December, 2024. According to the statement, the budget presentation, which would be the second in the Governor’s second term, would be a twin celebration, as he would take advantage of his visit to commission the newly redesigned Assembly Complex. The redesigning process saw the…

A late night inferno has gutted some parts of popular Bayan Tasha market in Damaturu, destroying shops and goods worth millions of Naira. The cause of the fire outbreak was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report It was gathered that the fire was controlled through the combined efforts of fire fighters, as well as that of good samaritans. As of the time of filing this report, no life was reported to have been lost, but unquantifiable goods and other belongings were destroyed. One of the residents of Damaturu, Mustapha Mohammed Gujba took to his…

Nigeria’s Afrobeats sensation, Rotimi, has revealed why he left American rapper, 50 Cent’s record label, G-Unit. Rotimi, who disclosed that he exited the label because the boss didn’t understand his style of music, added that afrobeats wasn’t mainstream in the Western world at the time he was signed to G-Unit. The singer, who made this disclosure while speaking in a recent interview with Adesope Live, Rotimi said, “I was signed to G-Unit, but then in 2017/2018, Afrobeats was not mainstream in the United States. Davido and Wizkid had records that were gaining traction in Boston, New York, but it wasn’t…

Rave of the moment and Nigerian singer, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has made history by becoming the first African artiste to perform at the British Fashion Awards. Wizkid closed the 2024 British Fashion Awards ceremony with a captivating performance of his hit song, ‘Troubled Mind.’ The event, which was held at London’s most iconic venue, Royal Albert Hall, was attended by A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, Dave Chappelle, Tems and other celebrities.

Fenerbahce manager, Jose Mourinho, has showered praise on Nigerian striker David Okereke following his record -breaking feat for Gaziantep. Okereke was on target in Gaziantep’s 3-1 loss to Mourinho’s Fenerbahce at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Monday night, 2 December, 2024. The visitors took the lead after three minutes through Oguz Aydin. Okereke equalised for Gaziantep just before the break. Rodrigo Becao and Edin Dzeko scored two late goals to hand Fenerbahce maximum points in the game. “I congratulate David Okereke. He is the first player to score against all three teams that I managed. “He scored against my teams…

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has commenced the 10th season of its popular “Millionaire Promo,” a campaign designed to reward and empower customers across Nigeria. During the nationwide promotion, 20 customers will win N1 million each, while hundreds more will receive cash prizes ranging from ₦20,000 to ₦100,000. The promotion runs until September 2025, with thousands of customers expected to benefit. In the last season, FCMB awarded 2,310 customers cash prizes and 14,780 consolation prizes, totalling 17,080 winners. The Promo remains inclusive. It is open to new and existing savings account holders, with scheduled draws nationwide to ensure widespread participation…

Tragedy occurred in Olowopoku area of Ede, Osun State in the morning of Monday, 2 December, 2024 as fire incident killed six family members. The victims, it was gathered, were identified as a Customs officer, Tijani Kabiru, attached to the Oyo/Osun Command, his wife, and four children. The fire reportedly started around 2 am at the family’s residence in the Olowopoku area of Ede in the state. It was gathered that Kabiru, who was in his late 40s, was asleep alongside his wife and five children when the fire, believed to have originated from the solar panel installed on the roof…

After the country returned to the international market, Nigeria’s Eurobond achieved a milestone on Monday, 2 December, 2024 raising $2.2 billion. This comes as the country recorded a $9 billion oversubscription of its Eurobond. The bond issuance, which commenced on Monday, 2 December, 2024 under the Global Medium Term Note Programme, had a target issuance of $1.7 billion; however, it was oversubscribed. The federal government aims to use the Eurobond to take care of the country’s fiscal deficit. The federal government sold $700 million worth of the 6.5-year Eurobond maturing in 2031 at a coupon rate of 9.625 percent and…

The Edo State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have engaged in war of words over the first flyover construction in the state. Thegazellenews,com recalls that the state governor, Monday Okpebholo, had last month flagged off the construction of the bridge at Ramat Park in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state. Recall that at a press briefing on 26 November, 2024, the chairman of the Edo State caretaker committee of PDP, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, had alleged that the award of contract for the project violated all standard procurement procedures. According to him:…

The Ondo State Deputy governor-elect, Olayide Adelami, under the platform of Progressives Congress (APC) is presently in a happy mood as the Division of the Federal High Court in Ondo State on Monday, 2 December, 2024 dismissed a lawsuit seeking his the disqualification in the just concluded gubernatorial poll in the state. Agboola Ajayi, the candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had approached the court to contest the qualification of Adelami. Ajayi, who finished as the second runner-up in the election, argued that there were inconsistencies in the names submitted by Mr. Adelami to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)…