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Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has charged the acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Idris Isah Jere, to effectively secure the Nigerian borders and ensure no person slipped in from outside with the intention to harm our country in any way.  The Minister gave the charge when Federal Commissioners and Board Secretary of the Civil Defence, Corrections, Fire, Immigration Service Board (CDCFIB), visited his office to present the Acting CGI to the Minister. In his speech titled, Power is Responsibility, Aregbesola noted that the primary responsibility of the CG is to “lead the NIS to provide security at the Nigerian borders”. He then enjoined the CG that under his superintendence “no person should come in from outside with the intention to harm our country in any way. “It is important also that you ease the passage of persons that will add value to our country. You will maintain the delicate balance of stopping the bad guys and attracting the good guys.” On Passport ...

The Chairman, House Committee on Customs and Excise, Honourable Leke Abijide, has asked lawmakers to engage their constituents on the need to stop car smuggling in Nigeria.  Honourable Abejide was speaking during an interface with the Nigeria Customs Service on Trade and Tariff, about the time and amount expended on Customs clearance and transfer of imported goods. The House Committee Chairman,  implored the Comptroller General of Customs to give  Nigerians especially Ministries that may have erred by buying their vehicles through smuggling three months to pay their duties and regularise their papers or go to jail. He said the essence of the interface, is to facilitate trade and the ease of doing business in Nigeria and asked the ministry of finance to provide scanners for automation of the Customs Service. Another member of the House Committee, Honourable Ibrahim Mohammed,  had stressed the need for decongestion of the ports which according to him, can be facilitate...

 #TodayInSenatePlenary PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF TUESDAY, 14TH SEPTEMBER, 2021 Welcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!  Senate President Ahmad Lawan led the Principal Officers into the Chambers, took the official prayers and began the day's proceedings at 11:05am. VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS Senator Surajudeen Ajibola moved for the adoption of (first and second sitting) Votes and Proceedings for Thursday, 15th July, 2021.  The motion was seconded by Senator Theodore Orji. EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION  Senate President Ahmad Lawan read three letters from President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR: 1. “Transmission of the Explosives Bill, 2021 to the National Assembly for consideration; 2. “Transmission for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons Bill, 2021 to the National Assembly for consideration; 3. “Addendum to the request of the Senate on concurrent approval of multilateral funds project under 2018-2021 federal government ext...

  '' God bless all content curators ooo My team: Tiwa we should drive to the waterfall and create nice content Me: Sure, I’m sure we only need couple hours After 6 hours drive, missing the road, finally finding the road, no food or drinks, muscle pull on my leg, no where decent to pee, it starts pouring down with rain. Water was freezing cold. We had to climb 250 steps to get to the bottom and back up again … JUST TO TAKE A PIC  If you people don’t like these my pics nobody’s son will find you o 😩 ''.More photos below.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has asked the Senate to consider two executive bills to tackle insecurity in Nigeria. The proposed legislations are meant to control the proliferation of arms and regulate the importation and exportation of explosives in the country. They are, the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill 2021; and Explosives Bill 2021. He said, “The Explosives Bill 2021 seeks to repeal the Explosives Act 1964 and enact the Explosives Act, to regulate the manufacture, storage, possession, use, distribution, purchase, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation of explosives and for related matters.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has listed six Nigerians as financiers of Boko Haram and terror activities. the information was released at the country’s federal cabinet meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The Nigerians are Abdurrahaman Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuke, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad. They were prosecuted in 2020 for wiring funds to Boko Haram. 1. Ahmed Mohammed Abdulla Mohammed Alshaiba Alnuaimi (UAE) 2. Mohamed Saqer Yousif Saqer Al Zaabi (UAE) 3. Hamad Mohammed Rahmah Humaid Alshamsi (UAE) 4. Saeed Naser Saeed Naser Alteneiji (UAE) 5. Hassan Hussain Tabaja (Lebanon) 6. Adham Hussain Tabaja (Lebanon) 7. Mohammed Ahmed Musaed Saeed (Yemen) 8. Hayder Habeeb Ali (Iraq) 9. Basim Yousuf Hussein Alshaghanbi (Iraq) 10. Sharif Ahmed Sharif Ba Alawi (Yemen) 11. Manoj Sabharwal Om Prakash (India) 12. Rashed Saleh Saleh Al Jarmouzi (Yemen) 13. Naif Nasser Saleh Aljarmouzi (Yemen) 14. Zubiullah Abdul Qahir Durani (Afghanistan) 1...

  Nollywood veteran Patience Ozokwor turns 63-years today.She was born in September 1958.Shared very nice photos of herself to celebrate her birthday today with the captions ''  Thank You Thank You Thank you I will be going live soon for a few minutes. #MamaGLovers❤❤   '' and ''  I Dance I Sing I Praise I'm Alive 🎥 Courtesy  #WhiteDoveProduction 🎵 🎶 🎵 Credit #KirkFranklin  ''.One more photo below.

  President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja said ongoing efforts to reduce poverty in the country continue to grow, with 1.6 million poor and vulnerable households, comprising more than 8 million individuals currently benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer program, while N300 billion has been disbursed to farmers. Speaking virtually at the opening ceremony of the 14th Annual Banking and Finance Conference of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, the President said the National Social Register of poor and vulnerable Nigerians had 32.6 million persons from 7 million poor and vulnerable households identified, imploring bankers to play a stronger role in improving livelihoods.   “From this number, 1.6 million poor and vulnerable households, comprising more than 8 million individuals are currently benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer program, which pays a bi-monthly stipend of N10, 000 per household,’’ he said. President Buhari said the National Social I...

Chairman/ Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has said that the use of credible data is essential in the fight against drug abuse even as he warned that the number of people using illicit drugs in Africa might rise by 40 percent in year 2030. Marwa stated this on Tuesday 14th September, 2021 while launching the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) Report of Statistics and Trends on illicit drug use and supply 2018-2019. He expressed Nigerias preparedness to continue to provide credible data to sustain the fight against drug abuse.  According to him, The misuse of psychoactive substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine as well as prescription medications exert tremendous toll on the individual, families, communities and societies.  Substance use has impacted negatively on public health, caused injuries, loss of income and productivity, family and community ...

… As Host Community Exonerates LASG on Proliferation of Facilities   The Lagos State Government has emphasised that it will not tolerate any physical development in the State, particularly Petroleum Tank Farms and Filling Stations, without Planning Permit. The Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, disclosed this in a chat with some news reporters in Alausa on Tuesday, stressing that the Ministry is statutorily mandated to regulate all forms of physical developments in all parts of the State. He explained that the Physical Planning Law did not leave room for any conflict of interests and has even been supported by a Supreme Court judgment, which specifically placed the responsibility and regulation for physical development within a territory under the purview of the State Government. Salako decried the situation in which the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), a Federal Government Agency, issued licenses to facilities without rec...

  Lagos State becomes the first sub-national Government to activate the framework for the unlocking of the $1 trillion Nigerian Green Bond Market Development Programme to finance key infrastructure projects. On Tuesday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FMDQ Group and Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa, which are the programme’s implementing partners on the proposed N25 billion (over $60 million) financing. The historic event, held at the State House in Marina, came less than 24 hours after Lagos was upgraded to AAA(nga) rating from AA+(nga) by Fitch International for the State’s good standing on debt sustainability and resilience. Sanwo-Olu said the green bond programme, being supported by the UK Agency for International Development (UK Aid), would raise the capacity of the State Government to deliver more key infrastructure and social projects that would keep Lagos on the path of prosperity. Launched in 2018, the Green Bond Market Deve...

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has approved the appointment of seven new Permanent Secretaries in the Lagos State Public Service with immediate effect.   A statement released by the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, explained that the appointees were drawn mainly from the pool of qualified candidates, following the rigorous screening exercise of substantive Directors, which spanned over two months from November - December 2020, culminating in Mr. Governor’s final one-on-one interview of eligible candidates. Muri-Okunola expressed confidence that the new appointees possess the qualities, competence and experience required to serve as Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Public Service. He further noted that the deployment posts of the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries will be announced in due course. The appointees are:   S/N NAME PREVIOUS DEPLOYMENT i EMOKPAE Olatokunbo Director Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture ii OKE-...

Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, alerted residents in areas contiguous to the Ogun River about the steady release of water from the Oyan Dam, urging everyone to standby in case there is a need to move from their locations. A statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, said officials of the State have been monitoring the release, which was earlier announced through an advisory. He listed areas where the release of water is being felt as Isheri North, Kara, Itowolo, Ajegunle, Majidun and Ogolonto, stressing that the intensity of rainfall recorded in Lagos and flow of connecting rivers determines the level of water that would be released by the Oyan Dam authorities. He added that within the last week, the volume of water released had increased from 15,000 to 21,000 millilitres but reduced to 17,000 millilitres on Monday. Bello stated that more water would be released  from Oyan Dam and is expected to reach the peak in October, advi...

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 arraigned one David Osigbe Irumekhai before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on one count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust. The defendant allegedly used the original title documents of a property kept in his custody for safe keeping  to secure a loan of N2, 300, 000.00 (Two Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira). The count read: “That you David Osigbe Irumekhai sometime in February, 2021 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court being entrusted with original title document in respect of Plot No. 86 BOTP/99 Fika Close on Damboa Road, Comm/ Res Layout area of 1800sq.m by Tosin Joseph Todo for safe keeping converted the title document to your personal use in violation of the mode in which such trust is to be discharged and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 Penal Code Law Cap 102,...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has warned hotel owners across the country to be wary of allowing internet fraudsters to congregate or hibernate around their facilities. The Commission gave the warning on Tuesday September 14, 2021 on the heels on an operation by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the agency that led to the arrest of 56 suspected internet fraudsters in Abeokuta, Ogun state. The suspects include: Garfar Olamide Taiwo, Fadimaye Habeeb, Badmus Idris, Samuel Victor, Seun Fuad, Alli Isaac, Oyeleke Mubarak, Bolu Soetan, Koleosho Eniola, Saheed Abidemi, Olaewe Tosin, Ayedun Idowu, Oniyitan Ayomide, Akinlabi Precious, Gbadebo Sultan, Adeyemi Habeeb, Balogun Hassan, Sulaimon Ayub Damilare, Akinsola Usman, Others are; Ajibola Femi Sodiya, Ridwan Alani, Olusesi Lanre, Eniatimo Oludare, Taiwo Opeyemi, Akindele Kabiru Johnson Hammed, Idowu Gabriel, Adekanmi Adejumo, Peter Babatunde, Okeowo Sunday, Abudu Habeeb, Sabair Rasaq, Ademuyiwa Basit, Toriola Opeyemi, Babayode A...

Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced two final year students of two tertiary institutions in Ilorin to various jail terms for offences bordering on cybercrime. The convicts are Oyewale Wasiu Adetunji and Adebayo Ibrahim Abiodun, who are students of Kwara State University, KWASU, Molete and Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, respectively. Also convicted alongside Oyewale and Adebayo was one Saheed Sikirullahi, who claimed to be a former student of Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin.  The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC prosecuted the three convicts on separate charges. The convicts during trial pleaded guilty to their charge. Innocent Mbachie prosecuted for the EFCC in the case against Oyewale and Saheed, while Rasheedat Alao represented the Commission in the case against Adebayo. The two counsel urged the court to adopt the plea bargain agreements and sentence the defendants. Delivering judgment on the...

By Abayomi Oyelami • MSN Planning Committee urges ladies to take advantage of final audition The glamorous events of the Miss Security Nigeria has officially opened with a remarkable audition ceremony which held in the Opebi area of Lagos yesterday. Coordinated by reputable judges in fashion, media, entertainment, beauty, pageantry and other industries, the audition attracted a number of interests from young ladies including twin girls and siblings. Following the coverage of MSN Audition session on a live TV platform, some contestants who could not attend the physical screening session have pleaded for a rare window of opportunity to be opened for them to be a part of the security cum beauty pageant. Speaking at the audition, artiste manager and Chairman of the MSN Planning Committee, Dupe Noma praised the young ladies for taking up the challenge to be a change agent in the society in the security sector which is bedeviled with current issues. On her part, popular celebrity blogger and...

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has ordered demolition of a shanties where counterfeit bottled water, carbonated soft drinks and acholic beverages are produced at Nkpogu, Port Harcourt. He said the Rivers State government will acquire the land as the shanties are also known to be used by criminals for other nefarious activities. The governor told journalists during a visit to Nkpogu on Sunday,  that he had received credible intelligence report that some criminal network involved in counterfeiting of bottled water, carbonated soft drinks and acholic beverages were operating in the area. The governor asserted that no government that is very responsible and responsive, will allow illicit production of counterfeit bottled water and drinks to take place within its jurisdiction. Governor Wike noted that several unsuspecting persons have been afflicted with deadly diseases after innocently purchasing fake products produced by the miscreants operating from the Nkpogu shanties. “I...

By Ekwi Ajide (ABS Abuja Bureau Chief) The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr.Uche Ogah, has lamented the absence of support from Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for the development of mines and solid mineral sector. The minister, was speaking at a two - day public hearing, organised by the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Mines,Steel Development and Metallurgy. The  public hearing was designed to get input of stakeholders on the establishment of four bills and an investigative motion for the solid minerals sector. The bills, Nigerian Minerals Development Corporation Establishment Bill 2021, Solid Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission Establishment Bill 2021, Institute of Bitumen Management Establishment Bill 2021, Explosive Act 1964 Repeal and Re-enactment Bill 2021 are response to the urgent need to investigate  loss of nine billion dollars annually due to illegal mining and smuggling of gold. Ogah, while making his presentation said that the mi...

The truck was said to have started its journey from Kwanar Dangora to Kiru town in Kano State. The Kano State Hisbah Board has seized a truck loaded with 3,600 crates of assorted beer covered with bags of chicken feeds. This comes five days after the Islamic police confiscated two vehicles loaded with 5,760 cartons of assorted beer on the Kano-Madobi road. “Hisbah board has prohibited the sale of beer in the state to avoid being intoxicated,” he said.

Bandits have set the home of the Speaker of Zamfara State House of Assembly, Nasiru Muazu Magarya, and other residents ablaze in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Chairman of the Committee on Security and Prosecution of Bandits in Zamfara State, Abdullahi Shinkafi, confirmed the incident on Monday. He said the bandits invaded the community and set ablaze some houses including that of the speaker. According to him, this was coming as a result of the ongoing onslaught by the military in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state.

Chairman, South East Governors forum and Governor of Ebonyi state, Chief Dave Umahi on Sunday evening said the zone loses over N10 billion in every sit-at-home the people of the region observe. Since the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was arrested, the organisation has declared every Monday sit-at-home until he is released. He noted that the state would not subscribe to incessant calls for sit-at-home, insisting that any Civil Servant who was absent from work to observe sit-at-home, would be sanctioned. “Evil will continue to thrive if good people keep quiet; we must make Ebonyi State very exceptional by rising to the challenges. When we shout true federalism, I say I agree but it should be administrative restructuring, Ebonyi State is not in support of any State collecting VAT, we are in support that FIRS should continue to collect tax and share. “We are destroying our economy, the sit at home is not happening in South West, the North is not sitting ...

Yoruba Nation agitators and other self-determination activists have asked United Nations to declare Miyetti Allah a terrorist organisation. They made this known in a statement by the Chairman of Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination, Prof. Banji Akintoye,. The statement was issued ahead of the group’s million-man freedom march sheduled to hold at the United Nations Headquaters in New York, United States of America from 14th to 24th September, 2021. Part of the statement read, “We want an end to the ethno-religious killings in Nigeria. We want the Government of Nigeria to stop funding terrorism against us. What is happening today in Nigeria is a State-sponsored Terriorism. “The herdsmen you see in the South and Middle-Belt today are different from the nomadic herdsmen we grew up to know. The current ones are imported members of ISIS, AL-QUAEDA, ISWAP and Boko Haram Terrorists being masqueraded as Bandits. “By the grace of God, we shall be demanding from the w...

 The Deputy Minority Leader of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA), Luka Iliya Zhekaba has been suspended with immediate effect.  Zhekaba who represents Obi-II constituency was suspended over alleged involvement in the fake employment of 38 Secondary School teachers in the state.  Speaker Ibrahim Abdullahi Balarabe announced this on Monday after House deliberated on the reported submitted by the Daniel Ogazi-led committee on Education over the recruitment of 366 teachers and 38 Fake teachers in the state.  The speaker has set up a 3-man Ad-hoc committee  to investigate the suspended member and to report back to the House within two weeks. "The committee recommended that Hon. Luka Iliya Zhekaba, Deputy Minority Leader of the House should be suspended and Ad-hoc committee be set up to investigate his alleged involvement in the fake employment of the  teachers. "I hereby set up three man Ad-hoc committee to investigate his alleged involvement and repor...

… As Special Team Commences Rescue Operations True to its words of ensuring that Lagos is rid of all forms of environmental nuisance, the State Ministry of Youth and Social Development has begun ridding the street of beggars and destitute persons. In an exercise tagged “Rescue Operation” undertaken by a special team of the Rescue and Rehabilitation department of the Ministry, in collaboration with the Police, Man ‘O’ War and other volunteers, major streets and markets in Mushin, Fadeyi, Yaba, Lekki and Sabo areas of Lagos were visited to rescue beggars as well as destitute and vulnerable people from the streets, under bridges, uncompleted buildings and other places unfit for human habitation. Recall that a few weeks ago, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Olusegun Dawodu addressed a press conference at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa,  informing the public of the plan, purpose and modus operandi of the special team set up to rescue beggars, destit...