The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has commended the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for successfully conducting elections for their new executive officers. Idris praised the peaceful leadership transition within the NUJ, which saw the emergence of Malam Alhassan Yahaya as President and Abimbola Oyetunde as the union’s first female Deputy National President. He described the election as a reflection of inclusivity and progress within the NUJ, solidifying its role as a leading professional body in Nigeria. “I wish to congratulate Messrs Muskilu Mojeed, Chief Executive Officer of Premium Times,…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
The Supreme Court has scheduled Monday, December 16, to rule on a fresh suit seeking the removal of President Bola Tinubu from office. The case, marked SC/CV/667/2023, was filed by Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru, a former presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in the 2019 elections. Owuru is asking the apex court to sack Tinubu on two main grounds: alleged non-qualification to hold the office of President and the usurpation of his purported 2019 mandate. The defendants in the case are former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Independent National…
A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri has granted bail to Chinonso Uba, popularly known as Nonsonkwa, an Imo radio presenter who has been in detention for 54 days. The bail application was approved by Justice C.U. Nnodim on Friday, following extensive legal arguments by Uba’s defense team. Nonsonkwa was arrested on October 20, 2024, reportedly on the orders of the Imo State Government. He was charged with cyberstalking, defamation of character, and other alleged offenses, sparking widespread discussions about his detention and the legal process. His defense team, led by Barrister Alex Williams, included notable lawyers such as Kissinger…
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Chukwuemeka Woke, has criticized Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his recent comments on projects initiated by his predecessors. Governor Fubara, while inaugurating projects in Ahoada and Etche, had reportedly mocked some projects executed during previous administrations, referring to a road constructed in Omuma Local Government Area as a “farm road that leads to nowhere.” Reacting to the remarks, Woke, who also serves as the Director General of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), described the Governor’s comments as troubling and…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as one of its most devoted and loyal members. Speaking at a book launch in honor of Wike, the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, lauded the former Rivers State governor for his steadfast commitment to the party despite internal challenges. “Our mentor and principal, who has never left the PDP for a day, is one of the most committed and loyal party leaders we have ever had. He has done well, he is doing well, and we wish him well in…
Former federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has called on the northern region to remain steadfast in its support for President Bola Tinubu’s government. Sani advised the North not to abandon the administration, particularly in favor of individuals and groups who did not vote for it. He also urged northerners to back positive reforms initiated by the Tinubu administration, despite growing criticism of some policies. The ex-lawmaker’s remarks, captured in a video obtained by Newsmen, were in response to northern opposition to Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bills currently under consideration by the National Assembly. The tax reforms have faced widespread criticism, with some…
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has declared Chief Tony Okocha as the recognized leader of the party in Rivers State. Ganduje stated that the party’s national secretariat acknowledges the state executive committee led by Okocha, a close ally of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as the legitimate leadership structure of the APC in Rivers State. The APC chairman made this announcement on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the newly elected state executive committee of the party. Addressing the gathering, Ganduje congratulated the newly elected members and explained the…
Activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, has described Nigeria as a “paradise for thieves,” following the courtroom reaction to the bail granted to former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday. The court granted Bello bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum after he pleaded not guilty to a 19-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bello is facing allegations of laundering N80 billion. During the hearing, EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court of the withdrawal of an earlier application…
Civil servants in Ebonyi State under the state government’s payroll are set to receive N150,000 each as a 2024 Christmas bonus, Governor Francis Nwifuru has announced. The governor made the announcement during a banquet held in honor of the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever, at the Government House in Abakaliki. According to a statement issued on Friday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, the gesture is to appreciate the workers’ dedication to duty and their understanding during the recent Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) strike. “Our workers have shown a lot of commitment and respect…
The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has revealed that 9,532 individuals owe outstanding fees on land allocated to them in Abuja. Olayinka disclosed that former Military Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), is among the defaulters, with an outstanding debt of N152 million for a plot of land in the Asokoro area of Abuja. Other prominent figures on the list include former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, who owes N950,000 for a plot in Bazango, and Senator Aminu Tambuwal, representing Sokoto South,…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2024 Edo election, Asue Ighodalo, has threatened to file a defamation lawsuit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) state chairman, Jarrett Tenebe. In a letter issued by Banwo & Ighodalo, the PDP candidate accused Tenebe of making false and damaging statements in a widely circulated video. Tenebe’s comments came in response to a gaffe by Governor Monday Okpebholo during the presentation of the 2025 budget to the Edo State House of Assembly. Governor Okpebholo struggled to articulate the budget’s total estimate during the presentation, admitting that the figures were “confusing” him.…
The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to act on the recommendations of an ad hoc committee set up by the State House of Assembly. The committee investigated the operations of Caretaker Committees across the state’s 23 local government councils from June 2023 to June 2024. In its report, the committee recommended that the Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) account for N2,073,779,218.07. It also directed a former Special Adviser to refund N1,782,000,000. In a statement released on Friday, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Tim Nyor, urged the…
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…
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…