Author: Odeworitshe Okafor

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to appoint more justices to the Supreme Court to accelerate determination of cases and dispensation of justice. This followed the adoption of a motion of Urgent Public Importance moved by Hon. Onofiok Luke during plenary presided over by Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, on Thursday. The motion was titled: “Call on the Federal Government to Appoint More Justices to the Supreme Court to Expedite Justice Delivery in Nigeria.” Presenting the motion, Luke said the Supreme Court of Nigeria was the apex and final court of the land with original and appellate jurisdiction…

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The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, has sacked the General Managers of the state-owned media houses. The affected media organisations are The Herald newspaper, Radio Kwara and Kwara Television Service. The latest development was communicated via a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Communications, Muritala Olanrewaju, made available to journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday. AbdulRasaq, in the release, asked the axed officials to hand over the companies’ properties to the most senior official in their establishments. “Governor Abdulrazaq directed that the most senior officer in the three media houses should take over pending the appointment of substantive Chief Executive…

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To deepen digital lending opportunities and further empower individuals and SMEs in Nigeria, SystemSpecs, a leading provider of financial technology and human capital management solutions and services, would be hosting an insightful session during the 2020 edition of the Social Media Week in Lagos. The session, with the theme: “Human-Focused Lending in a Digital World: Impact of Fintech Collaborations,” would hold between 11am and noon on February 27, 2020 at Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos. Bringing together customers, providers, facilitators and regulators of digital lending in Nigeria including banks, other financial technology players, and policymakers, panelists at the…

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The operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) nabbed two suspects for impersonating Security Officers at Oshodi, Lagos. Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of the Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, disclosed that while one of the suspects, Monday Job, impersonated a Police Officer using his commercial motorcycle to scout for passengers on restricted routes, the second, Rasak Oloyede, presented himself as an Army Officer using his commercial bus for fraudulent acts along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. Egbeyemi stated that after their arrest, the two suspects confessed to the crime, saying they indulged in the act in order…

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The Fourth Party Playhouse is bringing to the stage another intense, thrilling and eye-opening performance titled Slender Shoulders. A play set around the early 90s, Slender Shoulders focuses on the life of a young woman who loses her cousin to the bullet of enemy soldiers in her war-torn country, Liberia. She has no choice but to leave the love of her life and escape to neighbouring Nigeria with her only surviving aunty and younger cousin as refugees. But as they say, a man’s gift makes a way for him. Her beauty and sultry voice secure for her a life of…

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In deep appreciation of its socio-economic impact on young people and the continent, the African Union Commission has restated its continuous support and commitment to the partnership with All Africa Music Awards. The commitment was made at a strategic meeting held at the African Union headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 12, 2020 after the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. In attendance at the strategic meeting for the advancement of creative industry in Africa and preparation for AFRIMA 2020 were Commissioner for Social Affairs, African Union Commission, Amira Mohammed…

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A medical doctor with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Gbenga Adebusoye, has warned that the abuse of paracetamol in general and in tenderising meat in particular, could lead to liver and kidney failures. Adebusoye gave the warning in a telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday. He said drugs were chemicals and should not be taken lightly and when abused, they could be toxic to the human system and could endanger lives. According to him, the abuse of paracetamol leads to rapid damage of the liver, which can cause acute liver injury that could result in liver…

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The Nasarawa State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria says it has banned night grazing to reduce the conflicts between the farmers and herders. MACBAN’s Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Hussaini, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lafia. Hussaini said the association had also banned the use of underaged for grazing, blaming most destruction of crops on underaged and night grazing. He said the group had already directed its members to comply with the ban. The chairman noted that any violation of the directive would not be tolerated, adding…

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The Katsina State Police Command has killed a notorious kidnapper, Abubakar Nayabale, and arrested another, Tanimu Salisu, in Kurfi Local Government Area of the state. This was contained in a statement by the command’s spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Katsina. Isah said: “On 17/02/2020 at about 15:00hrs, bandits numbering eight on motorbikes, armed with AK 47 rifles attacked Kumare village, Kurfi local government area of Katsina State, begun shooting sporadically and kidnapped a 55-year-old, Yahaya Tella. “Operation Puff Adder, led by the DPO Kurfi, in collaboration with Vigilante group swiftly responded to the…

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NJustice Peter Affen of an FCT High Court, Maitama on Thursday dismissed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to join the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, and Secretary-General, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the alleged misappropriation of $9.5 million FIFA grant. Affen in his ruling held that it would amount to abuse of court processes to join the duo after they were acquitted of similar charge at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division. He held that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court had earlier acquitted Pinnick and Sanusi. Affen…

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja advised Christian and Muslim leaders and preachers generally in the country to give more attention to issues that strengthen the family and build society, describing them as “custodians of our values and of social ideals”. Speaking at the Joint National Conference of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Future Assured Initiative on Repositioning the Muslim Family for National Development, President Buhari said the family provides the bedrock for any society and deserved more attention in Nigeria. He said: “In this endeavour, our religious leaders and organizations are most important catalyst. They…

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The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has charged the enlarged Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission to cooperate with forensic auditors to audit the operations of the Commission as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari. The President had on Wednesday approved the enlargement of the IMC of the NDDC from three to five. The five members of the Committee are: Prof Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, Acting Managing Director, replacing Joi Nunieh; Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang, Acting Executive Director (Finance and Administration); Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Acting Executive Director (Projects); Caroline Nagbo (Member); and Cecilia Bukola Akintomide (Member.)…

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The bill for a law to establish the Ogun State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps on Thursday scaled second reading at the Ogun State House of Assembly. Yusuf Sherif, the Majority Leader, moved the motion for the second reading of the bill, which aims to assist in maintaining law and order in the state, during plenary in Abeokuta. Opening debate on the bill, seconded by Sola Adams, Sherif said Amotekun Corps would be a community policing body that would complement the work of other security agencies in the state. The Majority Leader added that the mandate of Amotekun was…

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The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to liaise with the Minister of Finance to ensure that all outstanding arrears on First Line Charge to both the National Assembly and the Judiciary relating to 2018 and 2019 Appropriation Acts are paid. This followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Rep. Babangida Ibrahim (APC-Katsina) during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, on Thursday. The motion was titled: “Need to Ensure the Implementation of the National Assembly  Budget of 2018, Particularly on Staff matters.” Presenting the motion, Ibrahim recalled that the reports…

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The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested a 33-year-old man over alleged possession of fake currency in Kazaure Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesman in the state, SP Abdu Jinjiri, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Thursday. Jinjiri said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday in Kazaure town after he bought six bags of rice and two cartons of spaghetti at the cost of N98,400 from a shop in Kanti quarters. He said the suspect allegedly used counterfeit notes to pay for the items he bought. The spokesman added when the…

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A High Court in Kaduna State on Thursday ordered that two men who allegedly hacked their friend to death be remanded in a Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Kaduna. The police charged Isah Yusuf, 35, and Aminu Shuaibu, 32, with two counts of  conspiracy and culpable homicide. Justice Hanatu Balogun, who gave the order, adjourned the case until March 5 for hearing. Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Aisha Abdulmalik, told the court that the alleged offence was committed in November 2019. Abdulmalik alleged that the defendants on the said date conspired and killed one Shehu Abbas of Ungwan Rimi in Kaduna.…

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Organised Labour and the Kwara State Government have reached an agreement on the N30,000 minimum wage to be paid to workers in the state. To this end, labour has shelved its plan to embark on industrial action over the new wage. Labour announced the suspension of the strike in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeriaon Thursday in Ilorin. The statement was jointly issued by the Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Alhaji Issa Ore; Trade Union Congress, Kolawole Olumoh; and Joint Negotiation Committee, Saliu Suleiman. It said in part: “This is to inform the Kwara State…

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London will be ready to host the 2020 Olympics if the outbreak of the coronavirus forced the Games to be moved from Tokyo in Japan, a political figure said on Thursday. Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate for the position of Mayor of the British capital, said this on social media. London had last hosted the Games in 2012. The flu-like coronavirus, which has killed more than 2,000 people in China and infected over 74,000 globally, has had a major impact on the sports calendar in Asia. Already, a host of events have been cancelled and postponed. With the Tokyo Games…

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Dr. Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor, Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, has urged the Federal Government to end insurgency and pay more attention to security challenges facing the country. Enenche made the call in Abuja on Thursday during a conference organised by the church in collaboration with some faith-based organisations to mark the second year of Leah Sharibu in the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents. The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Sharibu was one of the over 100 students of the Government Science Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State abducted in February 2018 by insurgents in the North East. The terrorists…

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A witness, Michael Udeh, Head of Anti-fraud Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has alleged that the 56 sacked officers of the corps were recruited through a “racketeering syndicate” and so they are fake officers. Udeh was led in testimony by the NSCDC Defence Counsel, Ani Joel, in a case filed by the 56 sacked officers of the corps against the Interior Minister before the National Industrial Court demanding for their immediate reinstatement. They are also seeking an order of court for payment of N230 million accrued salaries and allowances. Udeh told the court that he headed…

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