Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang says death toll in the latest coordinated attacks on villagers in Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government has skyrocketed to well over 115. The Governor who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday, said the attacks were launched for no reason at all and pleaded with security agents to unmask the sponsors of the “carnage” as well as the violence-loving assailants. “Just when we had finished preparations for Christmas, unprovoked attacks were unleashed on our communities,” a sombre-faced Mutfwang narrated the blood-curling simultaneous attacks by assailants on over 15 communities in the Bokkos…

Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu has received sixty-six victims of kidnap rescued by the troops of the Joint Task Force North West ‘Operation Hadarin Daji’, OPHD, of the Nigerian Army. While receiving the victims, the governor applauded the troops of the Nigerian Army and other security operatives for their efforts towards ensuring peace in the State. “Today, we witnessed another significant milestone, as our security operatives succeeded in rescuing 66 victims who were kidnapped from various villages and communities in Isah local government area of the state,” he said. Aliyu disclosed that by the information gathered, the feat was recorded…

The Enugu State Government says it has to postpone the reopening of one lane of the collapsed Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway Bridge, following expert’s advice. The government stated that it received advice from the Project Manager, Mohammed Fadi, not to reopen the bridge “for safety purposes”, until it had been fully completed. The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka-Eze Aka, disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu and made available to newsmen on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Commissioner for Works, Gerald Otiji, had said at a post-State Executive Council meeting news briefing on December 15 that…

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Monday urged health workers to remain selfless in their service, to ensure a healthy state. Sanwo-Olu gave the urge during a programme organised by the Alimosho General Hospital to celebrate Christmas with patients on admission. Sanwo-Olu, represented by Dorcas Shonibare, the Director of Nursing Service, Lagos State Ministry of Health, commended the management and staff of the hospital for delivering quality service to the people of Lagos. “Alimosho is the biggest local government in the state and out of the over 20 secondary health facilities we have in the state, Alimosho General Hospital is…

Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has revealed that she has contacted her legal team to explore possible options to seek redress over allegations of 37 billion naira money laundering levelled against her. The anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) had earlier accused the Farouq-led ministry of laundering the total sum of N37,170,855,753.44. According to Punch Newspaper, the money was transferred from the Federal Government’s coffers and sent to 38 different bank accounts domiciled in five legacy commercial banks belonging to or connected with a contractor, James Okwete. Following receipt of the funds, Okwete allegedly transferred N6,746,034,000.00…

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, said President Bola Tinubu will continue to intervene in states battling political crises if such development will affect the country. President Tinubu, in recent weeks, had to intervene in the political crises in Ondo and Rivers State. Despite criticisms claiming Tinubu’s actions undermine the government of such states, Ajuri believes it was a move in the right direction. Speaking on Channels TV, he said, “That has nothing to do with, of course, political development, destabilisation of a particular region or state or subnational entity that could potentially turn into a national conflagration. “If the President sees that,…

Senator Ali Ndume, has decried the impact of the sanctions placed on the Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) saying that it is the people of the eight states bordering Niger as well as the over 120,000 refugees from Borno State who fled Boko Haram attacks that are suffering the sanction. Senator Ndume added that the ECOWAS sanctions on the Niger Republic following the July coup that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum violated international humanitarian law. Ndume stated this in an interview with journalists in Maiduguri, weekend. The lawmaker who said that he is not in…

The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the economic policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu. Otti stated this on Sunday while speaking with reporters after meeting with the Nigerian leader in his Ikoyi residence in Lagos. The Abia State governor stated that the economic reforms will yield prosperity and other positive results if sustained. Otti said the economic policies are good but then they come with challenges for an economy where over 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. He said “One thing is that he has a very courageous,…

A former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied a media report claiming that she pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to allow her to return to Nigeria. Recall that a report quoted Alison-Madueke as saying that she granted a recent press briefing in London and admitted that she embezzled money from Nigeria during her time as the Petroleum minister. The report also claimed that the former minister alleged that she entrusted nine billion Dollars to the incumbent Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal. The media report said Diezani, who is said to be battling cancer, is now appealing to President Tinubu…

The immediate-past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has vehemently denied a report alleging his involvement in the illegal withdrawal of $6.3 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) during Muhammadu Buhari administration. The report, published by an online newspaper, claimed that a special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu uncovered the alleged theft, which allegedly occurred on February 8, 2023 — weeks before the presidential election. The report further alleged that Mustapha, along with the embattled former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, authorised the removal of the cash from the apex bank’s vault under the guise…

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25% stake in Manchester United for about $1.3bn (£1.03bn). Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group will take control of football operations. The 71-year-old will also provide $300m (£236m) for future investment into the club’s Old Trafford stadium. The announcement comes 13 months after the club’s owners, the Glazer family, stated they were considering selling to “explore strategic alternatives”. The American family bought the club for £790m in 2005. The only other publicly declared bidder, Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, withdrew his offer to buy 100% of the club in October.…

Mauricio Pochettino admits his Chelsea team need to be more clinical after Wolves condemned them to an an eighth Premier League defeat of a tepid campaign. Second-half goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty secured victory for the hosts, who recorded successive league wins against Chelsea for the first time in nearly half a century. Substitute Christopher Nkunku headed home in injury time on his Premier League debut but it was not enough to salvage a point for the Blues, who lost a fourth consecutive away league game for the first time since December 2000. This was another day when…