Gunmen launched an early morning attack on Powishi Village in Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State on Thursday, killing a resident and setting several houses ablaze. Livestock was also rustled during the assault. The victim, identified as Malam Yusuf Akwara, was reportedly killed when the assailants, riding motorcycles, stormed the community. In a statement, the Gombe State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Buhari Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, stating that neighbors and security teams managed to extinguish the fires started by the attackers. Despite a swift response from security forces, including personnel from the 301 Artillery Regiment and the police, the…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
Two suspected bandits were reportedly killed during the testing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a camp allegedly operated by the notorious extremist leader, Bello Turji, in Zamfara State. The incident was disclosed by Zagazola Makama, a counterterrorism and insurgency expert in the Lake Chad Basin, in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday. According to Makama, the explosion occurred at a terrorist camp located in Barikin Daji Village and Dan Bagudu Hills, both in Talata Mafara Local Government Area. The mishap reportedly triggered panic among residents of nearby communities, including Garin Gwale Village, forcing many to…
The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the last Bayelsa State election, Udengs Eradiri, has announced his resignation from the party. His running mate, Commodore Benjamin Nathus (retd), also stepped down from the party alongside him. Eradiri, who placed third in the November 11 governorship poll, made his decision known in a resignation letter dated December 8, addressed to the state chairman of the party in Yenagoa. The letter, titled “Letter of Withdrawal as Labour Party Member,” officially marked his departure from the LP. In his statement, Eradiri explained that his decision was driven by the need to continue his…
The National Leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth League (AYL) has inaugurated its Imo State chapter, tasking the new executives with driving an aggressive campaign to expand the party’s membership base in Imo State and the Southeast region. The inauguration ceremony, held in Owerri, was presided over by the National President of AYL, Olamide Lawal. In his address, Lawal charged the State executive members, led by Promise Okolie, to exhibit exemplary conduct and promote the party’s manifesto to every corner of the state. He described the inauguration as a call to service and urged the team to embody…
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dismissed allegations of instability and disunity within its ranks, describing such claims as “erroneous assertions” propagated by detractors. This clarification followed a meeting of the South-South State Chairmen held in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, where the party reiterated the absence of any internal crisis. In a statement jointly signed by the South-South NNPP state chairmen, the party declared that individuals such as Boniface Aniebonam, Agbo Major, and Oginni Olaposi are no longer members of the NNPP, having been suspended and expelled for various offenses. The statement was signed by Elder Inemisit Akpan (Akwa…
A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, on Thursday ordered the remand of a 30-year-old woman, Mercy Michael, in a correctional facility over allegations of killing her eight-month-old daughter with rat poison. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) charged Michael with culpable homicide, an offence that contravenes Section 189 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law. According to the NSCDC prosecutor, Marcus Audu, the case was reported on December 11 by a resident of Fadia Bakut, Zonkwa, identified as Godfrey Sunday. Audu stated that on December 10, Michael allegedly fed her baby with rat poison for reasons…
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended eight suspects accused of vandalizing public infrastructure in Abuja. FCT NSCDC Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, presented the suspects to journalists at the Command headquarters in Wuse, Abuja, on Wednesday, stating that the arrests were part of a broader campaign against vandalism in the territory. According to Odumosu, four of the suspects were apprehended around 2:10 a.m. at Idu Layout CITEC with vandalized solar panel poles. The other four were arrested along the Bannex-Gishiri axis at about 1:30 a.m. while attempting to transport five streetlight…
The murder trial of 12 suspects accused of stoning Police Inspector Christiana Erekere to death was stalled at the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt on Wednesday due to the absence of a defence counsel. The case, presided over by Justice Augusta Chukwu, was set for the continuation of testimony by the prosecution’s third witness (PW3). However, the absence of the defence counsel led to an adjournment of the matter to December 18, 2024, for further hearing. During the previous hearing, Barikwe Nkwalwo, a witness, narrated how he witnessed the tragic incident from his wife’s shop, located opposite a…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has pledged to end unauthorized land acquisitions in the territory. Wike made the declaration on Thursday while handing over 50 operational vehicles to security agencies in Abuja. Expressing concern over the growing activities of land grabbers, Wike said, “We will stop anybody who thinks they can obtain government land for whatever reason without formal approval. We will not consider who you are. Whether you are a civil rights activist or a television commentator, what is wrong is wrong. No amount of blackmail will deter us.” FCTA Refutes Land Grabbing Allegations…
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State has presented a proposed 2025 budget of N1,558,887,565,358 to the State House of Assembly for legislative scrutiny. Tagged the “Budget of Hope, Sustainability, and Food Security,” the governor described the appropriation as exceptional, emphasizing its role in advancing the state’s socio-economic development. “This budget is to reinforce the strides already achieved, which is why it is titled the ‘Budget of Hope for Sustainability and Food Security.’ It reflects our deliberate focus on ensuring a sustainable and secure future for all Nigerlites,” Governor Bago stated during the presentation. The proposed budget marks a 48.32%…
The Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriations has pledged to address the lingering effects of the transatlantic slave trade and internal injustices within Nigeria. The committee also plans to engage Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders in exploring ways to demand restitution and compensation for historical and contemporary wrongs. Speaking to journalists after the committee’s inauguration on Tuesday, its chairman, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, emphasized the need for public orientation to garner support for the committee’s objectives. He described the initiative as groundbreaking in the legislative history of Nigeria. “We are working towards hosting a stakeholders’ meeting early next…
The Court of Appeal, Kaduna Judicial Division, has cautioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against meddling in civil transactions, emphasizing that its statutory powers do not extend to investigating or resolving disputes arising from simple contracts. The warning was issued in a judgment delivered by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Ntong Ntong, while ruling on an appeal brought by the EFCC against Mr. Bela Becker, Managing Director of DKG ITCC Nigeria Limited, an oil and gas engineering company. The case involved allegations of criminal misappropriation and breach of trust amounting to over N30.4 billion in…
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with other progressive political forces across party lines to build a nation Nigerians can be proud of. Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, the National Chairman of APGA, Sly Ezeokenwa, reiterated the party’s commitment to national development, echoing the sentiments of its National Leader and Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo. Ezeokenwa highlighted that the resolution of APGA’s internal leadership crisis by a Supreme Court judgment affirming his chairmanship has paved the way for the party to reclaim its prominence in Nigeria’s political space. “APGA proudly has elected…
The All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in Imo State, under Governor Hope Uzodinma, has dismissed allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding the state’s low Value Added Tax (VAT) collection, accusing the opposition party of economic ignorance. In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation, and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, the government criticized the PDP for its “misguided and uninformed” comments on VAT dynamics in the state’s economy. According to Emelumba, VAT is a consumption tax collected by the Federal Government, which bears no direct correlation with the economic growth or productivity of individual states. He described…
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has applauded the Federal Government’s decision to halt the relocation of the MKO Abiola International Airport project from Ido-Osun to Aisu in Ede South Local Government Area. The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development announced on Tuesday that the turning of the sod for the proposed airport in Ede had been suspended due to unresolved issues. The announcement came shortly after the Ademola Adeleke administration revealed plans to relocate the project as part of its second-anniversary celebrations. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Osun APC, through its Director…
The Adamawa State Police Command has called on vehicle owners to reclaim their cars, which were either stolen or abandoned, and recovered by the police. In a statement issued Wednesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Suleiman Nguroje, the vehicles include those stolen during criminal activities or abandoned following accidents. The Command disclosed that the recovered vehicles are currently kept at the Central Motor Traffic Division (CMTD) in the state. According to the statement, the recovered vehicles include brands such as Nissan Hilux, Honda Accord, Honda EOD, Toyota Starlet, and others. “The Commissioner of Police, CP Dankombo Morris, calls on…
Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) and the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army have arrested two suspected kidnappers and recovered a cache of ammunition in Plateau State. The Media Officer of OPSH, Maj. Samson Zhakom, disclosed this during a press conference on Wednesday in Jos, the Plateau State capital. According to Zhakom, the suspects were apprehended during a special operation codenamed Operation Golden Peace conducted in Bassa Local Government Area on December 10. “Troops of 3 Division and OPSH carried out intelligence-based raids at identified criminal hideouts in the Rafiki general area of Bassa LGA, capturing notorious kidnap kingpins…
The family of Bello Bodejo, President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has accused the Nigerian Army of arresting and detaining him under unclear circumstances. In a statement on Wednesday, Suleiman Waziri, Bodejo’s brother, claimed that his arrest was carried out by officers of the 117 Battalion on Tuesday at Bodejo’s office in Maliya, Nasarawa State. Waziri linked the arrest to a confrontation between herders and a retired Army General in Tudun Wada, Karu Local Government Area, which began on December 8, 2024. He alleged that the retired general fired at a herd of cattle, causing losses for the herders, who…
Paul Ibe, spokesperson for the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has hinted at a possible alliance between Atiku and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ibe stated that both Atiku and Obi have learned valuable lessons from the 2023 elections and are determined to prevent a repeat of past mistakes. Atiku and Obi collectively garnered over 12 million votes in the 2023 presidential election, which was won by the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu,…
A former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has criticized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its recent remarks about the APC. He described the PDP as fortunate for not being investigated over its 16 years in power. Okechukwu made this statement while reacting to the PDP’s claim that the APC’s days were numbered following the outcome of Ghana’s presidential election, where the opposition party emerged victorious. In a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to the media, Okechukwu responded to PDP spokesman Debo Ologunagba, who had…