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     Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the nation's democracy is under threat as result of the military-terrorist style of the present administration. Speaking on the invasion of the National Assembly by the Department of State Services, Governor Wike said that democracy revolves around diplomacy and lobbying. He said: "I have said it before and I will continue to say it. There is a threat to democracy. When they started with Judiciary, I raised alarm that this thing will happen to all arms of government. Now it has spread to the legislative arm. "If well meaning Nigerians don't speak up, our democracy will be truncated. Just one week ago, they laid siege and locked the Benue State House of Assembly . To the chagrin of all Nigerians, they invaded the beacon of democracy at the Federal Level ". He stated that the APC Federal Government believes in intimidation and coercion of opponents, rather than following the principles...

     Senate President Bukola Saraki wrote on social media two hours ago that '' The heavy presence of armed security men who unnecessarily militarized the National Assembly and harassed legislators and the workers in the complex cannot be justified in a democracy. We urge Nigerians and the international community to condemn this illegal invasion of the National Assembly complex and the attempt to asphyxiate the legislature as undemocratic, uncivilized and irresponsible''

    UPDATE: Matthew B. Seiyefa, the most senior Director in the Department of State Services (DSS), will act as Director-General until further notice.More details later.

     In other news, while the National Assembly was on fire, one of its Senator, Sen.   Oluremi Tinubu   was busy collecting some accolades from RCCG. She was today ordained Assistant Pastor at the 66th Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.One more photo below.

      The Lagos State Government has given a 21-day ultimatum to owners of bonded terminals in Ajegunle, Ajeromi Ifelodun area of the State to vacate their current locations. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye disclosed this  on Monday  after a closed-door meeting with the Commissioner of Police Mr. Edgal Imohimi and owners of the terminals at the State Police Command Ikeja. Ogunleye, who attended the meeting in company of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security Mr. Yinka Akinrinde, also directed trailers parked on various Streets in Ajegunle and Olodi Apapa to vacate the Streets, stressing that the bonded terminals are located in residential areas thereby conflicting with the State’s Urban and Regional Planning Law. He said the illegal siting of the terminals had disrupted the socio-economic lives of the people of Ajegunle and its environs, causing hardship to motorists. Recall t...

      Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has described the unauthorized takeover of the National Assembly complex earlier today as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order. According to him, the unlawful act which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency is condemnable and completely unacceptable. By this statement, Professor Osinbajo is consequently assuring Nigerians that all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action. Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Acting President, 07 August,2018.

     According to sources '' Police in Katete have appealed to members of the public to help identify a woman who recently dumped a newly born baby boy in Katete. Eastern Province Commissioner of Police Luckson Sakala who confirmed the incident to Mphangwe FM this morning said the baby was picked yesterday by some residents of Tikondane 1 Section near Modern Academy School area.The Commissioner said the baby was taken to police yesterday morning by one 56 year old Mirriam Phiri of Tikondane Section in Katete.The baby boy whose age was estimated to be between 2 and 4 days was found dumped at one of an uncompleted buildings between Sunday, 5th August and Monday 6th August, 2018.The mother of the baby has not been identified and the baby is currently admitted at St Francis Mission Hospital Maternity Ward. Commissioner Sakala has since made an appeal to members of the public who may have information that may lead to the arrest of the woman who dumped the child to report to ...

      A woman has fallen to her death while trying to escape from a scorpion in Alaja community, Megida, in the Ayobo area of Lagos State. The 40-year-old petty trader, Ablavi Hunkpati, fell into an abandoned well and died, PUNCH Metro reports. Our correspondent learnt that after failed attempts by residents, relatives and sympathisers to rescue her, officials of the Lagos State Fire Service were called to the scene. Her remains were subsequently recovered and handed over to the police by officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency. The Togolese woman, her husband and their four children were said to have lived in the house for over 20 years. A resident, who did not identify himself, said the incident happened on Saturday around 2pm. He said: “The woman has been living in the house for over than 20 years. As of the time she packed in, that well had been abandoned. Usually, people sit and relax on the planks used to cover the well. ...

      Cynthia Cherop, a student at the Moi University, in Kenya has pleaded guilty to stealing money from her mother to spend with her boyfriend. Cherop, had been accused of stealing KSh70,000 from her mother’s two accounts at the Barclays and National banks before spending it with Josephat Ng’ang’a. She pleaded guilty to the charge but said she was a first offender. The student, in defense, told the court that she bought second hand ( mitumba ) clothes for her business. CCTV footage of the Barclays Bank captured Ng’ang’a and Ms Cherop withdrawing the money. Ng’ang’a was also charged with creating disturbance by threatening to beat up Cherop’s mother, Milka Chebosisi Sitati, on June 5 this year. He denied the charge and was released on a cash bail of KSh30,000. Cherop’s mother pleaded with the court to jail her daughter after she pleaded guilty. Chief magistrate Francis Andayi said it was unfortunate that the accused stole the money to spend with her bo...

      Women across the country, as well as stakeholders involved in policy formulation in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, have converged in Lagos for the 18th Regular National Council Meeting on Women Affairs and Social Development. The 2018 edition of the annual event, organised by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in partnership with its counterparts in States and the private sector, would focus on the promotion of peaceful co-existence across the country and the need for increased vigilance ahead of the 2019 general elections among other issues. The five-day event hosted at the Academy Hall, Agidingbi, Ikeja with the theme: “Peace, Security and Social Inclusion: Key Building Blocks for achieving Sustainable Development in Nigeria” would also examine essential Policies and Laws that dwell on women issues. In her address at the event, the Permanent Secretary – Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs ...

      A man identified as Bongani Sebuzo,is celebrating his recent divorce on facebook.He shared about twenty six photos with the caption '' # Married  26November 2011. # FiledForDivorce  03June 2015 # Divorced  03 August 2018. # ItsOver   # AmFree   # Zasha   # KimberlyHighCourt ''.More photos below.

    According to Punch '' In what appears to be a twist to the siege on the National Assembly by security operatives on Tuesday, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has sacked the Director-General of the Department of State Service, Lawal Daura. The DSS and the Police had locked down the National Assembly on Tuesday, even as the Senate leadership had scheduled a meeting to hold in the chambers in the afternoon.Lawmakers who came with the hope of attending the meeting were denied entry into the Assembly by the security operatives. Lawmakers elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress had dissociated themselves from the security operatives’ actions, even as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party had accused the Executive and APC lawmakers of an attempt to truncate democracy. Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, disclosed Daura’s sacking on his Twitter handle, @akandeoj. He wrote, “AgP Yemi Osinbajo has directed the termination of the appointm...

      The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has again called on Nigerian students to shun corruption and other forms of criminality. This call was made on Monday, August 6, 2018 at a sensitization and enlightenment campaign at the Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State. Speaking on behalf of the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu, Head, Public Affairs Directorate, Benin Zonal  Office, Williams Oseghale, urged the students to shun internet fraud and other social vices that were capable of truncating their dreams. He stated that rather than seeking for shortcut to wealth and fame, which could truncate their dreams, they should become agent of change by enlisting as foot soldiers in the fight against corruption and economic and financial crimes. His words, "today, we have come to tell you and even appeal to you to shun yahoo yahoo and other forms of economic and financial crimes. We are doing this because if you are caught, the law will...

      According to the magazine '' Pregnancy & Body Acceptance After the birth of my first child, I believed in the things society said about how my body should look. I put pressure on myself to lose all the baby weight in three months, and scheduled a small tour to assure I would do it. Looking back, that was crazy. I was still breastfeeding when I performed the Revel shows in Atlantic City in 2012. After the twins, I approached things very differently. I was 218 pounds the day  I gave birth to Rumi and Sir . I was swollen from toxemia and had been on bed rest for over a month. My health and my babies’ health were in danger, so I had an emergency C-section. We spent many weeks in the NICU. My husband was a soldier and such a strong support system for me. I am proud to have been a witness to his strength and evolution as a man, a best friend, and a father. I was in survival mode and did not grasp it all until months later. Today I have a connection to a...

      The operatives of the Lagos State Task Force over the weekend nabbed 210 miscreants/street urchins and impounded 125 motorcycles around Iludun Town, New Oko-Oba area of Agege. The enforcement operation, which was carried out based on complaints by various communities in the area, also included the demolition of 98 illegal shanties built on drainage alignment and road setbacks. Chairman of the Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, who led the enforcement team, disclosed that the arrested miscreants and street urchins include those recently dislodged by the Agency along railway behind abattoir at Agege. Egbeyemi stated further that these street urchins terrorised these communities both day and night by robbing them of their valuables such as phones, wallets and pieces of jewellery. He stressed that the 98 demolished illegal shanties and containerised shops within abattoir and adjourning streets, aside from being built on drainages and road setbacks, also harbo...

      The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, on Monday, August 6, 2018, secured the conviction and sentencing of 10 persons and a vessel, MV Peace, for their involvement in an illegal oil deal before Justice Muhammad B. Idris of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos. The convicts are: James Abatan, Wasiu Abdul Owonikoko, Patrick Ameh, Johnson Ademola, Felix Otto, Chigozie Oguike, Olu Salisu, Jomo Gadagbe, Kunle Oba Saheed Rasheed Adio and a vessel, MV Peace. They were intercepted about five nautical miles off the Lagos Fairway Buoy by the Nigerian Navy Ship Ikot-Abasi on April 4, 2015 on suspicion of illegal dealing in petroleum products and handed over to the EFCC for prosecution. The convicts were subsequently arraigned on July 23, 2015 on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products  One of the counts reads: “ That you, MV Peace, James Abatan, Wasiu Abdul Owonikoko, Patrick Amen...

      Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday charged the Federal and State Governments to focus on strengthening all agents of economic change towards increasing the capacity to diversify the nation’s economic base, create jobs and provide equitable opportunities for millions of Nigerians. The Governor who gave the assurance through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello at the opening ceremony of the Lagos State edition of the National MSME Clinic held at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere added that the present administration sees and treats MSME as the engine of growth and development. He assured Lagosians that the two days edition of the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) would close the gap between Lagos entrepreneurs and several government agencies, especially at the Federal level. In his words: “Lagos State Government had always been a trailblazer in entrepreneurship and small enterprise developme...

      The Enforcement Unit of the Lagos Central Business Districts Management office over the weekend arrested ten miscreants popularly known as “Area Boys” and demolished their operational base around the outer Marina, Lagos. The enforcement operation, which has been a continuous exercise by the Agency, was to rid the island of street urchins in view of their criminal acts and complaints by motorists in the area. The team also demolished shanties built under the pedestrian bridge close to the Leventis bus stop, Marina where the hoodlums hibernate to attack unsuspecting motorists, especially at night. Speaking on the recent operation, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts, Prince Olarenwaju Anofiu Elegushi said those arrested had earlier been dislodged from the disused CBD Toilet in Marina a few weeks ago but had relocated under the pedestrian bridge, around Leventis bus stop. In his words, “These street urchins smoking marijuana...

      Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Senator Godswill Akpabio has resigned as the Minority Leader of the 8th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In a resignation letter addressed to the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, Senator Akpabio said his resignation was with effect from August 4, 2018. Senator Akpabio thanked the Senate leadership, the minority leadership, all distinguished Senators, his party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the opportunity to lead the PDP Caucus in the last three years. Senator Akpabio is expected to be received into the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a rally in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.One more photo below.