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       DISCLAIMER:   Reports that the Presidency barred some media houses from coverage of the President's Town Hall Meeting in Benue are incorrect. Press accreditation/access for the event was NOT handled by the Presidency. Standard practice is that on occasions like this, host governments are in charge of media accreditation. We encourage media houses to clarify their facts before publication, to avoid peddling falsehood and misinformation.One more photo below.

       After meeting with stakeholders in Damaturu, Yobe State, President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday proceeded to Dapchi where he reassured parents of the abducted schoolgirls that the Federal Government will not rest on its oars, until their wards are safely brought back home. The President, who was accompanied by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State, said he had directed full scale aerial surveillance and investigation to ensure that the girls were returned safely. “I have read the full report of what happened in Dapchi. As I received the report, I was saddened and I am praying that God will continue to console you,” he said. President Buhari also said that government will ensure that the Boko Haram menace is totally brought to an end. “Boko Haram was in control of many local councils in Borno and some parts of Yobe State before we came. Now it has resorted to using young girls for suicide missions in mosques, churches and motor parks. “We will...

    The trial of Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continued on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 with Metuh asking the court for leave to travel to UK for medical treatment.   Metuh is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, for allegedly receiving N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, in 2014 to run advocacy campaign for former President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 general elections.   Emeka Etiaba, SAN, while moving the application on behalf of Metuh said: “We have an application dated and filed on February 23, 2018. It is made in pursuant to Section 33 (1), 36 (5) and 6b of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and under the inherent of the decision of this Honourable Court”. Though, the court said it would take the application of the first defendant, it wonde...

      A mathematics teacher in a secondary school in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Chiadikobi Ezeibekwe, has married his 16-year-old biological sister.He claimed that God told him to do so.Ezeibekwe told Punch that he had a revelation where God told him to marry his sibling.He further quoted Bible passages in Deuteronomy to illustrate that siblings could marry each other.He said, “One advantage of doing this is that it discourages divorce. It also retains family values and norms.”The teacher said he did not pay any bride price to anybody in respect of the marriage.“I don’t feel guilty. I don ’t feel ashamed. I don ’t feel intimidated in any way. Only God can stop us,” he said.According to Punch, the wedding was conducted by Chiadikobi’s elder brother, Chijioke Ezeibekwe, who is the priest of Dwelling Fullness of God Church, Agba, Ekwulobia.However, the youth of the village had set ablaze the church, Dwelling Fullness of God Church, where the w...

      Chinenye Genevieve is reporting today that ''A man said to be demented went on rampage earlier today as he attacked and killed two students during break in Ogun State. According to reports, the two students of the St John primary school, Agodo, Ogun State, were allegedly butchered by the mentally unstable fellow, who reportedly fled the scene after the incident before the arrival of the police.The suspected killer identified as Lekan Olori Ilu, stormed the school during lunch break and hacked Obituyi Alabi and Kalesanwo Ibrahim to death..May their souls rest in peace''.More photos below.

       President Muhammadu Buhari visited Government Girls Science and Technology College, Dapchi, Yobe State, where 110 students were abducted by Boko Haram.  More photos below.

       President Muhammadu Buhari is attending a town hall meeting with traditional/community leaders and other stakeholders in Damaturu, Yobe State. The President will meet with the parents of the DapchiGirls later today. ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, ON HIS OFFICIAL VISIT TO YOBE STATE, WEDNESDAY, 14TH MARCH, 2018 PROTOCOLS: I am here in Yobe State today, to express my sincere sympathies with the parents, families, the Government and the entire people of Yobe State whose daughters were callously abducted by unrepentant terrorists. 2. On 19th February, 2018, we woke up to the painful news of the abduction of One Hundred and Ten (110) students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi. Since this ugly incident happened, I have not left any stone unturned in making sure that the girls are rescued. 3. I have ordered the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take direct charge and brief m...

      No fewer than 400,000 primary school pupils will benefit from the Federal Government school feeding programme in Adamawa state, an official has said. Mr Ahmad Abba, the State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), made this known  in an  interview with the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Tuesday. Abba said that the benefiting pupils were those from primary one to three. He said that the state government would carter for the feeding of those in class four to six as earlier agreed. “The Federal Government has fixed April 1 to kick off the School Feeding programme in Adamawa. “About 400,000 primary school pupils across the state are expected to benefit in the programme,” Abba said.He explained that during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between federal and state governments last year, the state government was expected to feed those from primary four to six.According to Abba, the programme is aimed at targeting vulnerable pup...

      Umukoro Akpobaro, the husband of late bank worker, Peace, who allegedly committed suicide at their home at Iwhrekpokpor, Ughelli, Delta State, has denied having a hand in her death. This is just as the deceased’s family accused Umukoro of masterminding the death of their daughter, saying he had always threatened to kill her. It had initially been reported that Peace allegedly took her own life over her husband’s alleged i nfidelity. The 32-year-old mother of two was reported to have died after allegedly taking insecticide when she returned home from work. But Umukoro said the allegations against him were unfounded, adding that they were in good term. He said the late Peace had complained of some debts she incurred after “overposting” funds to some customers. “One happened in January and the amount was about N100,000. She called me and asked for my help and I sent N50,000 to her. I told her that I would send the balance when another one happened in Febr...

       The Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Pharmacist Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf has disclosed that the State government is about to extend the duration of its Internship Programme for graduates to six months as a way of expanding the practical knowledge of participants and increase their chances of gainful employment. The Commissioner, who disclosed this on Tuesday during a Breakfast Roundtable meeting on Graduate Internship Programme with off-takers and stakeholders, informed that special attention would be paid to the maritime sector this year through the use of necessary technologies that would meet the job needs of the sector.She explained that the Graduate Internship Programme, GIP, was one of the several initiatives developed by the Ministry to achieve its mandate of reducing unemployment in the State.According to the Commissioner, the Ministry was working to bridge identified gaps militating against the gainful employment of graduates, noting...