PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

Kim Jong Un Meets Vladimir Putin In Russia  North Korea's Kim Jong Un has met Vladimir Putin in Russia in a highly scrutinised visit which was expected to yield an arms deal. After talks ended at the Vostochny space centre, Mr Kim began his long journey home on his private armoured train, Russian state media reported. Speaking later on Wednesday, Mr Putin said the pair discussed "possibilities" for military cooperation. Moscow has indicated it will help Pyongyang develop satellites in return. Both sides denied the US' claim that the talks are aimed at buying weapons to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Besides advanced space technology, Mr Kim is also thought to have asked for food aid in return. The meeting between the two sanctioned regimes, which included senior officials from both sides, took place at a time when their relations with the West are at an all-time low. The high-profile visit saw Mr Kim, who travelled for two days to Russia's far east, war...

Nigeria, Beninoise Customs Partner On Managing Cross-Border Trade Acting Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, says the Nigeria Customs Service is committed to collaborating with the Republic of Benin Customs Administration using technology to manage cross-border trade between the two countries. The proposed partnership came to light at a two-day interactive session in Abuja between the Nigeria Customs Service and their Beninoir counterparts. Mr Adeniyi said the meeting would strengthen the existing bilateral trade ties and cooperation between the two countries and pave the way for a comprehensive mechanism to harmonize the import prohibition lists of both neighbours. The Acting Customs CG lauded the Beninoir Customs and Embassy for expressing interest in collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service to facilitate trade. He expressed the hope that the programme would address the issues of trade and set a roadmap for implementation of new strategies that would enhance the ec...

13th September, 2023 PRESS RELEASE DELTA STATE POLICE COMMAND RESCUES FOUR KIDNAPPED VICTIMS, ARRESTS TWO SUSPECTED ARMED ROBBERS/CULTISTS, RECOVERS ONE MAKAROV PISTOL, AND FOUR LOCALLY MADE CUT-TO-SIZE GUNS CP Wale Abass assures residents that the command won’t relent in doing all it takes to protect the lives and properties of the populace in the State. 1. RESCUE OF FOUR KIDNAPPED VICTIMS: On 12/9/2023 at about 1600hrs, acting on information of the kidnap incident reported at Orerokpe Division on 11/9/2023, at about 0400hrs  of four persons (names withheld) all residents of orerokpe while on transit along Abraka-Eku expressway by Orerokpe Bridge, Okpe LGA  and that the kidnappers were demanding Ten Million Naira {#10,000,000.00} ransom. The DPO Orerokpe Division CSP Paul Oboware in a swift response led a team of Policemen, with the active support of troops of the Nigerian Army, and members of Oreorokpe community vigilantes, trailed the kidnappers into the adjoining bushes us...

  Says no bickering between executive, legislature Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, swore in 37 Commissioners and Special Advisers, charging them to engage collaboratively and work together to build on the successes of the incumbent administration’s first four years in office. The state executive council, which is a mixture of politicians and technocrats with 29 male and eight female, is made up of 18 returning members of the immediate past cabinet members and 19 new names. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the State Executive Council held at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, Governor Sanwo-Olu charged the Commissioners and Special Advisers to do their best to surpass the expectations of Lagos residents.  He said the new Commissioners and Special Advisers have been carefully and painstakingly chosen, adding that “They are, by any measure, some of our best brains, not just in Lagos State, but right around the country. These are men and wome...

Court Convicts Two for N44m Fraud in Maiduguri The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, 12 September, 2023, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Bukar Muhammad before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court Maiduguri to one-year imprisonment.   The defendant was first arraigned on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and later re-arraigned on an amended charge for the offence of criminal breach of trust to the tune of N43,328,000.00(Forty-Three Million, Three Hundred and Twenty-Eight Thousand Naira) His journey to prison started when the Commission received a petition by one Alhaji Ali Mohammed who alleged that he entrusted the above-mentioned sum to the defendant for safe keeping but converted it to his own use.   The count reads: “That you, Bukar Mohammed sometime in 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fr...

  Mohbad, five other celebrities who died at 27 By Samuel Oamen  Popular artiste Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Alabama aka MohBad died on Tuesday September 12, 2023. He was 27.  The artiste formally signed under Marlian record was however not the first superstar to die at 27.  Here are celebrities who died at 27. 1. Anton Viktorovich Yelchin Anton Viktorovich Yelchin was born on March 11, 1989 and died on June 19, 2016. He was 27. He was an American actor. He was born in the Soviet Union to a Russian Jewish family, he immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of 6 months. 2. Shot (rapper) Evgeny Yurievich was born on December 1, 1989 and died on  September 21, 2017. He was known professionally as Shot, and previously First Shot was a Kazakh-Russian rapper. Ilnitsky died in a diabetic coma in September 2017, he was 27 years old. 3. Kim Jong-hyun Kim Jong-hyun was born on April 8, 1990 and died on December 18, 2017. He was a South Korean singer-songwriter...

 Family opens up on singer MohBad’s death Family of singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba aka MohBad, has confirmed his death. The family posted a statement on his official Instagram page on Tuesday night. Without disclosing the cause of his death, MohBad’s family begged for privacy at this difficult time.  “It is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Promise Oladimeji Aloba PK/A MohBad (Imole) today, the 12th of September, 2023. “MohBad was Light until the very end, and as we mourn the loss of the brightness he carried, the family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time. “Imole is finally at Peace,” the family wrote. MohBad died on Tuesday at 27.

 NIS issues 55,000 passports in five days Five days after getting a marching order from Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo,  the Nigeria  Immigration Service (NIS)  has cleared 55,000 out of the  200,000 international passports awaiting issuance to applicants. Tunji-Ojo revealed this during a meeting with Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister Betta Edu in Abuja yesterday. He reassured that once the remaining 145,000 passport backlogs were cleared, it would take new applicants only two weeks to receive the travel document. The Nation gathered from a source that the biggest challenge to passport issuance is the difficulty NIS  faces in linking applicants’ National Identity Numbers(NINs) to their booklets.  The NIS  source, who did not want his name in print, said that  National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) servers have been down in the past month.  NIMC is the Federal Government agency responsible for the allocat...

VP SHETTIMA TO REPRESENT PRESIDENT TINUBU AT G77+CHINA LEADERS’ SUMMIT IN HAVANA, CUBA Vice President, Kashim Shettima will depart Abuja today to represent President Bola Tinubu at the G77+China Leaders’ Summit in Havana, Cuba from 15th to 17th September, 2023. He will be joining other world leaders, including the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres at the Summit to deliberate on development issues facing members mostly from the global south. The Summit will equally explore proactive ways of addressing challenges facing the development of the member-states leveraging science, technology and innovation to enhance socio-economic growth. Also, The Vice President will on the sidelines of the Summit hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to promote Nigeria’s trade and investment relations in line with the economic development diplomacy of the Tinubu administration. The Havana Summit is being hosted by the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel in his c...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU CONDOLES WITH LIBYA OVER STORM DANIEL AND RESULTING FLOODS President Bola Tinubu extends his profound condolences to the government and people of Libya in the aftermath of the devastating impact of Storm Daniel and the subsequent flooding that has severely affected the eastern regions of the country. The President further commiserates with all families who have lost loved ones in this monumental disaster and sends his best wishes for a speedy recovery to all who have been injured during the tragic incident. The Nigerian leader assures the great people of Libya of Nigeria's unwavering solidarity and goodwill during these trying times, adding that this disheartening loss of lives, homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure remains a shared grief that further unites the people of both nations.  "Nigeria is ready to provide all necessary support to assist the Libyan people in overcoming this harrowing tragedy," President Tinubu...

Reps Halt Demarcation To Cede Sina The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on International Boundary Dispute has directed that the demarcation exercise to cede Sina Area in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State to the Republic of Cameroon be halted immediately. The Chairman of the Committee, Mrs Beni Lar, gave the ruling during a hearing on the series of lingering boundary hotspots across the Nigeria-Cameroon boundaries, which stretch from the Lake Chad region down to the Cross River estuaries. The hearing was also to assess the role of the military, paramilitary, and security agencies in safeguarding the borders and territorial integrity of the country. Mrs Lar stated that the committee has to continue the engagement with the relevant community as well as the boundary commission and come up with a solution, noting that the communities have rights that must be considered. She explained that the second aspect of the interactive briefing, which is very critical, is on the ...

RIFAN To Cultivate 400 Hectres For  Improved Rice Seeds Kebbi State Chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria RIFAN, is to cultivate 400 hectres of land for improved rice seeds to boost production in the state.  The State Chairman of the association, Alhaji Bello Barade who stated this when he led members on a courtesy visit to governor Nasir Idris said the 400 land  hectres in Bagudo LGA was meant for the project and would cost N70 million for distribution to farmers.  According to him, Kebbi State is famous in rice and wheat production in Nigeria but farmers are now using rice -for - food as seeds which motivated the association to start the cultivation of the improved seeds. He appealed to the governor for intervention and support to upset the cost in other to boost rice production in the state.   Responding, Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Nasir Idris, said his administration had placed top priority on agriculture and would explore ways to help f...

Actor Ibrahim Yekini acquires new ride Actor Ibrahim Yekini aka Iteledicon has received lots of congratulatory messages after acquiring a brand new car.  The Yoruba screen sensation rewarded himself with a new car.  His female colleague Olayinka Solomon shared photos of his new whip. Noting how he deserves it, she wrote:  “Well deserved @iteledicon02 person wey they work must chop Yasin”.  

How Woman, Daughters Were Forced Out Of Their Car In Abuja, Marched Into Kuje Forest Mistura Olasinde, a resident of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and her two daughters Hauwa, and Fatima, got the shock of their lives when they were attacked in the nation’s capital, on Friday. According to the victim’s husband, Surajudeen Olasinde, the incident happened around Galadima District of Abuja Mr Olasinde, a staff member of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), said his wife and children were driving home in their Toyota Highlander from Garki to Starwood Estate where they reside. “Their abduction happened around 7 pm last Friday on their way from Garki. Immediately they reached Kabusa Garden Estate at the spot where the road was terribly bad, the kidnappers came out from the nearby bush and attacked them.” “They started shooting to scare people away before they marched them into the bush,” he said. We’re working to save kidnapped Lagos-bound passengers – Benue govt Kidnapper...

Rihanna is back at the center of the sneaker world. The superstar, who covers FN’s September issue is ready to make big return to PUMA. After striking gold once with the Creeper, the pair is looking to do it again, this time with a fresh take on the classic Puma Avanti. FN got an exclusive first look at the campaign and talked to Rihanna about her vision for her new Fenty x Puma collection.  “Football is a universal language that brings people together from all over the world, all walks of life, and I wanted to pay homage to that,” Rihanna told FN exclusively. The launch is generating major excitement within the company, who first teamed up with the artist at the end of 2014. The mom of two has been busy building her family with partner and rapper A$AP Rocky. And she hasn’t released another album — instead shifting much of her attention to the Fenty empire, which now includes her wildly successful cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin and the growing Savage x Fenty lingerie line...

'Pulpit isn't for politics', MFM Olukoya lambasts prophets over failed 2023 election prophecies The General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr D.K Olukoya, has cautioned prophets who are fond of predicting elections in the country to desist from the despicable acts. Olukoya said the pulpits in the House of God are for saying truth to the children of God, and should not be manipulated for political campaigns for politicians. The revered pastor made this known during the sermon on Sunday, at the headquarters of the church, while lamenting how many Christian clerics that predicted the outcomes of the 2023 elections failed. He said the so-called prophets brought shame to the religion of Christianity by declaring unfounded predictions on their preferred politicians in the build-up to the electrons. He said, “You see what happened in Nigeria during these last elections, disgraced the religion of Christianity very well. This prophet said this person would...

I offered to sponsor his studies abroad with my hairdressing business – Lady rejoices as boyfriend graduates from university She wrote: “I still recall the day @Alex_Houseof308 told me he wants to start another degree in a different school. I asked him if he would consider going abroad, and I would sponsor it. Lmfaooo. On top the 1k braids I dey do for hostel that year. I got admission for him in China. Long story short, two pastors in different states saw a vision for babe that he must not travel abroad until he completed his degree in Nigeria. Some prophesies are mind blowing, but we accepted. Jamb lesson for Uniben started. Alex had to increase his focus on Twitter because he did not want his parents to sponsor him in school. During my school holiday, I came to Benin to help him. We would attend the JAMB lesson together, I would be taking recordings and writing notes for him. At night, I would explain and revise with him. Did this for a while till I went back to school for final sem...

I want to become Asake’s full time backup singer, says DJ Cuppy Popular Disc Jockey Florence Otedola aka DJ Cuppy has gushed over becoming raving artiste, Asake’s full time backup singer. Cuppy’s tweet sparked a light-hearted reaction from fans who understood her humorous tone. In her tweet, DJ Cuppy said she had finally met Asake in person and took the opportunity to discuss her deep desire to join his music journey as his main backup singer. She even used the hashtags #mrsmoney and #Asake, referencing Asake’s nickname “Mr. Money” that he often mentions in his songs. She wrote: “Hadn’t met @Asake in real life until this surprise A I was finally able to discuss my deep desire and career development of becoming his full-time backup. “#CuppyOnAMission #MrsMoney”