Author: Abimbola Ogunnaike

Mr Onyekachi Kingsley Ugochukwu, 34, has been declared missing by his family in Isiala Akpaa Amaiyi village, Osisioma Ngwa LGA of Abia State. According to his family, Ugochukwu, who is said to be fair in complexion, was said to have disappeared without trace after allegedly answering phone calls from an undisclosed person. Onyekachi Alfred Ahuama, the father of the missing person, Ugochukwu was last seen on June 24, 2024 at about 5:PM when he picked a phone call from someone and has not been seen again. The father, who expressed fear over the whereabouts of his son, appealed to anybody…

The NNPC Ltd and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), through its Joint Venture partnership, have reiterated their commitment to impact on lives through sustainable development projects in Nigeria. This was disclosed by the two companies during the commissioning of a state-of-the-art ICT Centre at the Bauchi State University, Gadau (BASUG), built by the NNPC/SPDC JV, on Thursday, 4 July, 2024. Speaking during a colourful commissioning ceremony held at the university in Gadau, Bauchi State, NNPC Limited’s Chief Upstream Investment Officer (CUIO) Mr. Bala Wunti said CSR has always been the hallmark of the NNPC-SPDC JV CSR commitments. “Today’s historic commissioning…

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, has declared Monday as a public holiday to mark the beginning of the new Islamic calendar, lst muharram 1446AH. The state Commissioner for Establishment, Alhaji Auwal Manu-Dogondaji, announced this through a statement issued in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital on Friday, 5 July, 2024. According to him, the 1st of Muharram is on a Sunday, due to the importance of the Islamic newyear, the government decided to shift the public holiday to Monday, 8 July, 2024. Manu-Dogondaji congratulated the Muslim Ummah on the advent of the new Islamic calendar, urging the Muslims to sustain fervent…

An Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court presided over by Chief Magistrate Dolamu Babalogbon has ordered that a 30-year-old man, Olaniyi Sunday be remanded in a correctional centre for allegedly raping a minor. The defendant, whose address was not provided, is facing a lone charge of alleged rape. The police prosecutor, Inspector Sodiq Adeniyi, told the court on Friday, 5 July, 2024 that the defendant allegedly committed the offence of raping a 12-year-old girl between April and June at Araromi in Omuo-Ekiti. According to Adeniyi, the defendant, a neighbour to the victim, saw her stealing meat in another neighbour’s pot and threatened to…

Licences Of 10 Private Jet Operators The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has given reason why it suspended 10 private jet operators in the country. According to NCAA, the development became necessary over their failure to begin the recertification process. The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, made this disclosure in a statement issued on Friday, 5 July, 2024 in Abuja. The agency said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 Part 18.3.4 forbids holders of Permit for Non-Commercial Flights from using their aircraft for carriage of passengers, cargo or mail for hire or rewards (commercial operation…

Coastguards in Mauritania have recovered 89 bodies of migrants from a boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. Nine people – including a five-year-old girl – were rescued, but dozens more are missing. Survivors say the vessel – a traditional fishing boat – set sail last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with 170 people on board. It capsized off Mauritania’s south-western coast. Mauritania is a key transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe from West Africa, with thousands of boats departing from the country last year. The most common destination on the perilous route is Spain’s…

By Ibrahim Jagaba The Chairman of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Taskforce), CSP Akerele Adetayo, on Thursday, 4 July, 2024, extended the operations to enforce and ensure statewide compliance with the Lagos State Traffic Law to Lagos Island via Adeniji Adele. The Task Force Chairman personally led officers and men of the agency to purge and free up the popular Adeniji Adele bridge and its adjoining routes of traffic violations caused by unlawful and indiscriminate parking of vehicles by private and commercial motorists. According to Akerele, the operation was part of a broader plan to abate…

The lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara have declared their intention to appeal the recent Court of Appeal judgment regarding the jurisdiction of the Rivers State High Court in suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024, describing the ruling as a miscarriage of justice. Speaker of the pro-Fubara lawmakers, Victor Oko-Jumbo announced this during a plenary session held on Friday, 5 July, 2024 in Port Harcourt, the state capital. According to Oko-Jumbo, their legal team has been instructed to urgently appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision. He clarified that contrary to…

Afrobeats star, Abiola Ahmed Akinbiyi, popularly known as Bella Shmurda, has spoken on why he cannot collaborate with controversial singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly addressed as Portable. According to Shmurda, he and Portable would have good song chemistry but he doubt about collaborating with the ‘Zazoo’ crooner because of his controversial nature. Speaking in a recent interview with Max FM, the ‘Cash App’ exponent said he was not ready for Portable’s “wahala.” “I feel me and Portable will blend on a song but I am not ready for wahala [problem] right now.” Portable of late has been embroiled in controversies since gaining…

British Jamaican rapper, Stefflon Don has finally opened up about reviving her relationship with Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Burna Boy. While speaking on her recent clash with fellow Jamaican star, Jada Kingdom, over Burna Boy in an interview with GRM Daily, Steff told the interviewer that he was “funny” after she wrongly interpreted his question about rekindling her relationship to mean Burna Boy rather than Jada whom the interview was referring to. Recall that Stefflon Don and Jada Kingdom threw shade at each other after the former, who was recently rumoured to have rekindled her love affair with Burna Boy, released…

The Bauchi Police Command has confirmed that it rescued a five-year-old boy reportedly chained by his father and starved for three days in the Gwallagan Mayaka area of the state. Neighbours of the father, Abubakar Nuhu aka Wanzam, were said to have alerted the police after they found the boy chained. The State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil confirmed the development through a statement issued on Friday, 5 July, 2024. According to Wakil, the ward head of Gwallagan Mayaka reported to the police on Wednesday, 3 July that he received information from a good Samaritan about…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended warm congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, on the victory of his party in the United Kingdom general election. As a former leader of the opposition in Nigeria himself, President Tinubu specially noted the determination and courage the incoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom demonstrated throughout his years in the opposition and as the leader of the Labour Party. The President stated that the party’s ability to reform, mobilize, and position itself for victory after 14 years clearly affirms the leadership qualities of Sir Starmer. President Tinubu also…

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has dismissed the claims of human rights violations brought by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that asked the Court to hold the Federal Republic of Nigeria liable for breaching its international obligation to protect human rights. Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, Judge Rapporteur who delivered the judgment on Thursday,4 July, 2024 said the Court dismissed all claims of rights violations due to lack of facts and evidence in support of the allegations, and ordered the NGO to pay a nominal cost of N100,000 to the Nigerian government. The initiating application with suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/40/21 was filed on…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Ferry Service, Abdul Baqi Ladi Balogun, has called on individual, firms, organisation, to come and benefits from the potentials, the state water tourism offers. Balogun said they need to partake and harness the state’s waterways as a way to boost tourism and promoting economic growth of Lagos State and Nigeria. He said one third of Lagos state is covered by water, saying the state waterways are safe and are yearning for people to tap in into them and benefit from their potentials. Balogun stated all these…

In a significant move to enhance digital infrastructure in Enugu State, Nigeria, executives from Galaxy Backbone Limited, led by Hon. Olusegun Olulade, Executive Director, Customer Centricity and Marketing, paid a partnership visit to the state government. The delegation was warmly received by Governor Peter Mbah, at the Governor’s Office in Lion Building, Enugu. Galaxy Backbone Limited, a premier ICT services provider in Nigeria, aims to foster connectivity and digital transformation across various sectors within the state. The collaboration encompasses several critical areas, including the provision of connectivity in all 265 Smart Schools across 260 wards, 160 primary health centers, the…

English Premier Club, Manchester United on Thursday, 4 July, 2024 announced the club manager, Erik ten Hag, has signed a contract extension that keeps him at Old Trafford club until 2026. Before this latest development, there had been intense speculation over the former Ajax manager’s future after a poor 2023/24 Premier League campaign but he guided the club to FA Cup success against Manchester City. It was widely leaked in the British media last month that after a review by the club’s new part-owner, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, Ten Hag would be staying at the club. “Erik ten Hag has…

Suspected cultists on Wednesday, 3 July, 2024 killed Ahmed Ayinla, a final year student of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State. It was gathered that the sad development occurred around 3 pm on Wednesday, just as the exam was about to commence, was a renewed cult clash between the Eiye and Aiye cult group. Fabiyi, a student of History and Diplomatic Studies Department, who was seated for his final paper, was dragged out of the examination hall by the cult group. The gang disguised themselves as friends who came to surprise Fabiyi for his birthday, and “carried”…

Famous American rapper, Cardi B, has been dragged before the court of law by two singers from Texas and Oklahoma for allegedly using their song in her track “Enough (Miami)” without their permission. Recall that Cardi B scored top 10 hits with the release of “Enough (Miami)” in March. According to the lawsuit documents obtained by TMZ, Miguel Aguilar, known as Kemika 1956, and Joshua Fraustro, also known as Sten Joddi, alleged that Cardi B and her producers used elements of their 2021 song “Greasy Frybread” in her track. The plaintiffs claimed that their song was also featured as a…

The Federal Government on Thursday, 4 July, 2024 commenced the reconstruction and expansion of the Sango, Ota/Idiroko Expressway in Ogun State, The Punch online reports. Several buildings marked for demolition are currently being pulled down to pave the way for the expansion of the deplorable 64-kilometre Ota-Idiroko Road. A source living in the area told our correspondent in a WhatsApp chat that landlords and tenants whose buildings were marked for demolition were helpless when the demolition started. “That is what is happening now at Oju-ore, Ota towards the border. Most buildings are going down from the Oju-Ore to Owode-Atan to…

Niger’s army said Thursday, 4 July, 2024 confirmed that it had killed more than 100 “terrorists” during air and ground operations in response to a deadly attack against soldiers near the Burkina Faso border. The army said a coalition of armed groups killed 20 troops and one civilian in the region of Tera in jihadist-plagued western Niger on June 25. “More than 100 terrorists have been killed since,” the army said in its latest bulletin, adding its operations were ongoing, just as also added that it had killed around 30 “terrorists” in the region the day after the Tera attack and…