The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abuja has arrested a 25-five-year old man, John Okafor, with N48,450,000 during a routine surveillance on the Abaji-Abuja Expressway. The anti-narcotics agency also arrested a cannabis dealer, Chukwuka Ugbai, with 79 bags of dried weeds weighing 817kg, which tested positive for cannabis. The agency’s Federal Capital Territory Commander, Mrs. Obijuru Chinyere, said the suspect claimed the money belonged to a bureau de change. She said: “The suspect was in a commercial bus from Onitsha in Anambra State when N48,450,000 was found in a brown carton concealed in a sack”. Also found on…
Author: Wale Adebayo
The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, Comrade Shehu Sani, on Tuesday, distributed Army Recruitment Forms and PIN Codes to 190 youths in the seven Local Government Areas of his zone. While handing over the forms and personally filling out the PIN Codes from a computer to beneficiaries at the Conference Centre of the National Teachers Institute, NTI, in Kaduna, the senator said the exercise is a gesture to help unemployed youths from poor families with the forms PIN Code in order to become useful to the society and to directly contribute in bringing lasting peace and security in the…
Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, has faulted those calling President Muhammadu Buhari “Baba go slow”, warning that such a derisive appellation demeans the Office of the President in the eyes of the global community. Speaking during a news conference at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, the Bayelsa governor said that calling the president derogatory names was bad politicking. He said, “What are you saying when you call President Buhari ‘Baba go slow?’ In what light are you putting the President before the international community? When you refer to someone as ‘clueless’ (in apparent reference…
Heartland FC duo of David Obiozo and Nelson Obonnaya have been dropped from the Super Eagles camp through injuries. Following examination by the team’s medical doctor, it was agreed that both goalkeeper Obiozo and forward Ogbonnaya be excused from the country’s preparation for a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on 5 September. The coach of the Nigeria senior national team, Sunday Oliseh, is expected to announce the duo’s replacement in due course. Aside the injured two, a host of the invited 23 players from the domestic league have stayed back at their…
Pedro Rodriguez is in London ahead of a possible move to Premier League champions Chelsea. The 28-year-old has long been linked with Manchester United, with the side’s executive vice-president Ed Woodward traveling to Barcelona on Monday to try and put paid to what had become an overdue negotiation with the Spanish champions. Pedro is flying to London to finalise terms on a move to the west London outfit and also have a medical. More to follow…
Immediate past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has slammed Edo State Governor, Adams Oshimhole, for describing the Agricultural Programme of former president Goodluck Jonathan as a scam. In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, the former minister said it was most uncharitable for the governor who was in a better position to know the success of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) to attempt to discredit it for reasons best known to him. “Foremost, it is a bad public relations stunt, not expected from the governor. Secondly, his comments detract from…
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has promised to complete projects of importance to the people that were started by previous administrations, including that of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi. Speaking in Port Harcourt, yesterday, when the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province, Anglican communion, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike said that his administration will take the state to a greater height. He vowed to fulfil his campaign promises to the people. “Our administration shall never lose focus. We have made promises and we shall keep to the promises. Any project that will…
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday, awarded N12 million against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the illegal arrest and detention of the Administrative Manager of a firm, Rana Prestige Nigeria Industries Limited, Mr Adewale Adeniyi. Adeniyi had dragged EFCC to court, claiming N30 million as general, exemplary and aggravated damages for the violation of his rights, as well as N10 million as cost of the suit. He argued in the suit that he was arrested without a warrant, which makes it illegal. The EFCC effected his arrest following a petition by Mrs Rachadatou Abdou, who…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has denied accreditation to foreign printers that have been printing cheque books for some Nigerian banks. In a circular released, yesterday, entitled Circular to deposit money banks, cheque printers and other stakeholders on the accreditation of cheque printers for 2015/2016 and signed by Director, Banking and Payment Systems Department, Dipo Fatokun, the CBN said it has duly notified all accredited printers and issued certificates to them. It listed all the accredited cheque printers to include Superflux International Ltd, Tripple Gee and Company Plc, Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Plc, Euphoria Group and Popi Printing…
Total E&P Nigeria Ltd (TEPNG) said it has stopped exploration of crude on its Obagi-Rumuekpe 12 Oil Export Pipeline in Rivers State following an oil spill. The company suspects the spill was caused by pipeline sabotage. This will be the second time in a matter of months that the pipeline will be attacked, the first being in May this year. The Obagi field produces about 35,000 barrels of oil equivalent and 6 million cubic metres (212 million cubic feet) of natural gas per day. However, it is uncertain how much production has been shut in from the field due to…
Former Olympic 1500m champions Sebastian Coe has been voted new president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Englishman, Lord Coe, 58, succeeds Senegalese Lamine Diack, 82, who has been head of athletics’ governing body since 1999. The elections was held in Beijing just three days before the 2015 World Championships. Votes came from the sport’s 214 federations in the wake of the fall-out from a series of doping allegations. The other contender was Ukrainian Olympic pole vaulter Sergey Bubka. Delighted and humbled by the confidence shown in me by the IAAF family – thank you, now the hard…
The umbrella body for Ijaw youths, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, has said the December terminal date for the Niger Delta amnesty programme is not feasible. The IYC President, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, made the group’s position known at a news conference at the Izonware headquarters of the council in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Monday. According to Eradiri, the date was not feasible because there were a lot of issues concerning the amnesty programme that had not been tackled such as the training of some set of ex-militants, rising wave of insecurity in the region and issues of post-amnesty programme.…
The Yola Electricity Distribution Company has restored electricity supply to Mubi, Gombi and Garkida towns in Adamawa after many months of blackout. The towns have been without electricity for months due to the destruction of electricity facilities in the areas by Boko Haram insurgents. The new Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Baba-Umar Mustafa, announced this on Tuesday in Yola while addressing journalists. Mr. Mustapha said that restoring power to the areas was capital intensive due to the level of damage. He said the company needed Federal Government’s intervention to restore electricity to Michika, Gwoza, Bama…
The Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, has warned the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, against associating with some of its former members. The OPC, in a statement on Tuesday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Yinka Oguntimehin, said it had uncovered plans by dismissed members of the group to co-opt the former Lagos State Governor in their desperate attempt to oust Chief Gani Adams as the organisation’s President/National Coordinator. According to the OPC, the dismissed members of the group had written a letter, dated August 4, 2015, to Tinubu, seeking his support and blessing…
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has restated his administration’s commitment to implementing the Lagos Development Plan. According to him, his administration has fashioned out a framework to commence the implementation. Speaking when a delegation of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) led by the Country Representative, Mr. Ben Mellor paid him a courtesy visit in his office, Ambode said his administration is setting up a framework which the Permanent Secretaries are already working on. “I would like our development plan and issues which DFID would be assisting us in to be germane to our people. The bottom line…
A zero-tolerance for indiscipline message has been read out to Nigerian players Under-17 national side as they settle into their pre-tournament close camp in Katsina at the weekend. The Golden Eaglets are preparing for the 2015 Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Chile, beginning from 17 October to 8 November. They have been drawn in Group A along with the host nation, Croatia and the USA. “The technical crew in line with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) directives would not condone any undisciplined conduct and the players have been told in clear terms that discipline is not negotiable,” said Prince Udofia,…
Goals from Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew’s second Premier League goal inspired Swansea City to a 2-0 win at home to Newcastle United on Saturday. Daryl janmaat’s miserable afternoon culminated with a second booking, leaving the Tyne side outfit to finish the match with ten men at the Liberty Stadium. Jack Cork came on for the injured Ki Sung-Yeung as Steve McClaren named an unchanged Newcastle side from last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Southampton. The Magpies were pegged back inside their own half early on and rarely threatened the hosts from the first minute until the last. They could have…
Enugu Rangers defeated fellow Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side El-Kanemi Warriors 3-0 in Abuja on Wednesday to set up a last-4 clash with Lobi Stars. The Flying Antelopes claimed lead courtesy of Osas Okoro’s well-taken free-kick on the nick of halftime. Marshal Odah Onoriode tapped home a cross to double Rangers’ lead and completed his brace with a solo effort which sealed a convincing win for his side. Lobi accounted for non-league side BJ Foundation 2-1 in Lokoja to advance into the semi-finals. Mohammed Farouk Umar opened scoring for the Makurdi-based outfit; his second goal in this year’s Federation…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State during the last general elections, Dakuku Peterside, has commended members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State for defecting to the APC. Peterside, who gave the commendation in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital Tuesday while speaking to reporters, urged them to imbibe the progressives ideals of APC so that the people of Niger Delta could develop their region. “Today, the people of Niger Delta stand on the threshold of history. What we do with our lives and our future depends on our choices at the moment. We…
The Anambra State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Willie Obiano of abandoning projects initiated by his predecessor, Peter Obi. Rising from its meeting yesterday in Awka, the state capital, the Anambra PDP Chairman, Prince Ken Emeakayi, asked the state governor to explain to the people the local government allocations he had received since assuming office in March 2014. The party also alleged that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secretariat was being built with state funds. In an open letter to Obiano, the Anambra PDP alleged that the governor was planning to appoint caretaker transition committees…