The war of words between the All Progressives Congress, APC, and a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode continued on Wednesday with the latter daring the party to go ahead and institute a court case against him. Mr. Fani-Kayode was reacting to the APC’s latest response to his claims that the Boko Haram group was the opposition party’s armed wing and that some of the party’s leaders were sympathetic to the terrorists’ cause. APC National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, who was directly mentioned by the ex-minister in his allegation, had on Wednesday said that it was too late for Mr. Fani-Kayode…
Author: Wale Adebayo
The All Progressives Congress on Wednesday said it had started making progress in its bid to reconcile aggrieved members of the party, including ex-Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, who claimed he was stampeded out of the race for the national chairmanship of the party at its inaugural national convention in Abuja last month. Ikimi, who had boycotted APC’s convention, accused party leaders, specifically, Asiwaju Bola Tinibu, of foisting Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on the party as its national chairman even before the convention. Aside Ikimi, other party chieftains, including former governors of Ogun and Borno States, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and…
An Islamic organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has flayed Sunday’s deadly attacks on Christians as they worshipped in their separate churches in three villages near Chibok town, Borno State, by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. According to locals, five churches, including COCIN, EYN and Deeper Life Bible Church, in Kwada village were affected in the attacks, which left over 30 worshippers dead. MURIC in a statement by its Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola on Tuesday, said the attack of Sunday coming on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan, is an infringement on the rules…
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has maintained that the underlining factor for the deadly Boko Haram massacres in Nigeria is based on religion and plans to Islamize Nigeria and not poverty, as widely postulated by some people. Oritsejafor, who spoke at the Christians Elders Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF) National Conference 2014 in Abuja with the theme “Voices Against Violence”, said that Boko Haram is a phase of problems that have always existed in the northern part of the country. The CAN president, who said he believes in the unity of Nigeria, stressed that…
Operatives of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, code-named Operation Pulo Shield, have shut down 40 illegal refinery camps in the creek of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre of the JTF, Lieutenant Colonel Mustapha Anka, yesterday in Yenagoa, said the camps were smoked out due to proactive intelligence gathering on the activities of the illegal oil bunkerers and oil thieves in Niger Delta. “Troops of JTF have shut down 40 illegal distillery camps along Alkini Kalatoro, Lagosbene and Epelene creeks in Southern Ijaw council of Bayelsa State, where…
The remains of prominent northern politician and Minister of Transportation in the second republic, Alhaji Umaru Dikko, who died on Tuesday in London at the age of 78, would be interred tomorrow (Friday). It was learnt that the corpse of the late minister, which was supposed to arrive Kaduna State Tuesday night and buried in Zaria the following day, did not go as planned due to logistics and unresolved diplomatic issues. However, following the resolution of the above issues, a family source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said the late elder statesman’s corpse would arrive the country today…
Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has warned Nigerians against politicizing the national census, saying that previous exercises in that regard failed to achieve the desired results because of the way it was handled. According to him, Nigerians preferred to see census as a means of getting higher returns from the national purse instead of seeing it as a guide to effective national planning for the development of the country. Gov. Aliyu gave the warning on Wednesday while receiving the report of the National Population Commission at Government House, Minna, presented by the National Commissioner, Aliyu Datti. He…
The current security challenges being faced by Nigeria, occasioned by attacks from the Islamist group Boko Haram has been described by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka as greater carnage than a secessionist Civil War, which he says has ironically made the country’s break-up less likely, Reuters reports. Soyinka said the horrors inflicted by the militants had shown Nigerians that unity between Muslims and Christians might be the only way to avoid even greater sectarian slaughter, as the country witnesses bloodshed Soyinka regards as worse than during the 1967-70 Civil War when a secessionist attempt by the Eastern region nearly tore the…
Na wa ooh, it seems there is more to the tales behind his constant broken marriages ooh. The amebo involved in this Dino guy’s intimate life keeps getting interesting. According to Moses Fabiyi, Dino’s ex-wife Tokunbo Fabiyi’s brother; Alero had traditionally wedded Dino last year December and the excited new hubby took to Facebook, Twitter later in January to show off his new bride. Now, reportedly 5months old pregnant Alero has abandoned her marital home, barely after 7 months of marriage. Tweets continue below… Na wa oooh!
Uyi Igbe, Speaker Edo House The crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly took a new dimension on Wednesday with the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, for alleged misconduct and misdemeanour. Ebea’s impeachment was endorsed by 15 lawmakers, including the Speaker of the House, Uyi Igbe, during plenary at an old chamber, located in the Government House in Benin. The Edo House of Assembly has remained polarized over the suspension of some lawmakers and the alleged plan to impeach the governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. While moving the motion for the impeachment, a member representing Owan East I,…
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of a former Kano State Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Adedayo Adeyeye (Ekiti), Dr. Stephen Orhu (Delta), and Dr. Abdul Bulama (Yobe) as ministers. The nominees, who were grilled by senators on topical issues, agreed that an urgentb review of the country’s education curriculum remained the best way to tackle youth unemployment, poverty and insurgency. Shekarau, who is the most popular of the nominees as a result of his antecedents as a two-term governor and former presidential candidate, decried the high level of unemployment in the country which he linked to the disruption of…
The Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Abuja, Mr. Mike Omeri, has expressed the optimism that Nigeria will overcome its current security challenges before the 2015 general elections. Omeri, who spoke during a chat with journalists in the nation’s capital on Wednesday at the regular briefing on security challenges across the country, said everything was being done, not only to secure the freedom of the girls abducted from Chibok, Borno State on April 14, but also to ensure peace across the country. He said, “We have not reached election period yet and all efforts now are essentially geared towards rescuing…
The N78 million donated to the Kogi State Agency for AIDS and HIV Control (KOSACA) by the World Bank is missing! Some top officials of the agency were said to have set up some “emergency NGOs” to siphon the fund.The money was earlier earmarked for disbursement to various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to curtail the spread of HIV in the state. Some of the non-existent NGOs had no offices, while the few that could boast of offices were largely owned by staff of the agency and government officials, Vanguard learnt. “out of over 160 NGOs in the state, only 18 of…
The Lagos State Government yesterday began an outright enforcement of section 24 (c) of the state’s road traffic law, which outlawed the indiscriminate and unlawful use of siren in the state. The notice of enforcement was contained in a statement issued by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeola Ipaye, directing members of the public to comply with the law. The attorney-general said the state government announced the ban to remind the general public, especially drivers and other road users in the state on the use of siren. He said the use of siren and other noisy…
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday in Abuja accused the outlawed Boko Haram sect of attempts to destabilise and Islamise Nigeria. Speaking at the National Conference of Christian Elders’ Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF), CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said the plans by the perpetrators of terrorism and insurgency was to replicate what is currently happening in Iraq, with the creation of an Islamic caliphate by extremists in Nigeria. “I heard the other day, somebody said we don’t know what Boko Haram wants, I don’t know what people mean by that? How can you be telling me you don’t…
It’s obviously clear to say that this is one of those rumors that was beginning to sound like reality, considering the long period of the claims. Nigerian singer Olu Maintain has finally come forward to clear the air, stating that he is not a Yahoo boy and has no ties whatsoever with Internet fraud and scams attributing his riches to other non-music related activities. The singer who broke into the music scene with his single, ‘Yahoozee’, which glorified ’yahoo’ (a popular name for Internet fraud), and who leads a very affluent lifestyle finds it difficult to believe that people would…
A civil society organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the federal government to court over the withdrawal of N446.3 billion corruption charges against Muhammed Abacha, son of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. Joined in the suit are President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Muhammed Bello Adoke (SAN). In the suit with the number FHC/L/CS/1007/2014 filed yesterday before the Federal High Court in Lagos by Adetokunbo Mumuni and Oyindamola Musa on behalf of the organisation, SERAP argued that: “Section 15 (5) of the 1999…
A pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God has been shot dead by soldiers, while about three others were injured at Opuraja community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, Vanguard reports. Quoting a security source, the news platform said the soldiers, led by a Captain, stormed the quiet community in two Hilux vans to conduct an investigation, but were allegedly mobbed by villagers, who misconstrued their motive, as they took away vigilante leader and community chairman. The soldiers have however denied killing anybody, but admitted that they shot into the air when the villagers surged towards them,…
An Executive Bill sent to the Niger State House of Assembly for the regulation of religious preaching and establishment of places of worship has caused uproar in the state, with religious leaders airing their opposition before the lawmakers. A public hearing held at the state House of Assembly in Minna, the capital city of Niger State, yesterday, witnessed a vehement opposition by the 16 religious leaders who spoke on the matter. According to them, the law would be contrary to the 1999 Constitution which gives people the right to expression, freedom to association and religion as it is in Christianity…
Prositution rampant despite Aids predicament Brothels are home of the most desperate girls on earth, well as people see them. But despite this down-ward spiral acknowledgment, they are also patronized by even celebrities- Which apparently illustrates their necessity to mankind. The girls in the organization are seen as inferior materials, with no ambition in life other than having s*x with a customer, and getting their reward of cash. With Benue State having the highest HIV/AIDS mortality, it’s no surprise that patronizing Brothels in the state has been greatly affected, and that has made life unbearable for the girls in the…