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 Two arrested for stealing bitter kola, others in Anambra Two suspected armed robbers have been arrested in Amichi community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, for allegedly stealing bags of bitter kola. The suspects, identified as Onyenachiya and Chigbo were also said to have stolen telephone handsets, ATM cards, and money belonging to a yet-to-be-identified lady, who owned the bags of bitter kola. It was also alleged that suspects raped their victim in turns. This was corroborated in a video currently trending on social media showing how the suspects were being interrogated by some people, while their pump action gun and the stolen bags of bitter kola were displayed. The suspects allegedly confessed to the crime; while blaming their actions on the devil. When contacted on the development on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command was aware of the video. Ikenga said, “The command is aware of the video of two pe...

Naira falls to N1, 000/$ in official market Despite recent moves by the Central Bank of Nigeria to strengthen the foreign exchange market, the naira closed trading on the Investor & Exporter forex window on Thursday at N996.75/$. This is a 13.95 per cent decline from the N874.71/$ it closed trading on Wednesday. So far, the naira has lost 27.75 per cent of its value since opening the week at N780.23/$ according to details on FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange. Since firming up against the dollar last week, after news that the apex bank was clearing some of its backlog broke, the naira has been on a steady decline in both the official and parallel markets. So far, the naira has lost about 40 per cent of its value in 2023, earning the tag of one of the worst performing African currencies from the World Bank. In the parallel market, the currency has lost value too, falling from N950/$ as of Friday to close to N1,140/$ as of Thursday according to Bureaux De Change operators who spoke to The ...

24hrs To Polls: Igala Elders Call For Postponement; Women Protest In Bayelsa With about 24 hours to the Saturday off-season gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states, there is palpable tension and uncertainties across the three states with threats of violence and organised union’s activities feared to be capable of derailing the polls, Daily Trust reports. But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it is working with all stakeholders for a hitch free exercise. This is even as the Igala ethnic nationality group, Kogi East Elders Council (KEEC), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state and postpone the election. They made the call a few hours after the Inspector General of Police (IGP) stormed the state and launched an investigation into the killings recorded in the state earlier in the week. Similarly, many passengers were left stranded on Thursday after the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union ...

Villagers Pay Levies To Bandits Before Harvesting Crops In Kaduna Kaduna villagers are now being forced by bandits terrorising their communities to pay levies before being allowed to harvest crops from their farms in the state. The affected farmers were from Kidandan and Galadima villages, while those from Angular Fala’u and Kerawa villages were constantly harassed and kidnapped while working on their farms. A resident of Kidandan village, Malam Jamil Kidandan, said their people, who are mostly farmers, pay from N70,000 to N100,000 before they can harvest their farm produce. According to him, those who refuse to pay are either kidnapped, killed or have their farm produce seized by the bandits. 30 days after abduction, 5 infants die as 12 villagers remain in bandits’ den We’re engaging bandits strategically — Benue govt  “The bandits’ warlord and his boys stay by the side while a farmer goes to negotiate with him before gaining access to the farm,” he said. He lamented that the same...

Assault On Ajaero Regrettable – Uzodimma Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has said the assault on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, is regrettable. Uzodimma stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, on Thursday. Ajaero was beaten after he was arrested in Imo while leading a protest for better salaries in the state. “I was not aware that the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was in my state. What I did was that to condemn the action. I have never had disagreement with the labour union.” “It has nothing to do with my government. Whether Joe Ajaero is the president of NLC or not, I will not wish this to happen to any human being. Of course I have to apologize because it happened in my state. ‘I am a Christian and believe in God. I can’t support violence. I can never support violence. Whatever happened to Joe Ajaero in my state which I am not aware of that led to him being assaulted must be regretted by both my go...

Nigeria’s major problem is docile citizens – Pat Utomi Renowned political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has lamented that the major problem of the country is the docility of its citizens, insisting that many Nigerians are just at home with anything ditched at them. He called on Nigerians to be dynamic and work on new approaches to hold government accountable, especially on their safety and general wellbeing. Utomi made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a National conversation on building a new value system in Nigeria, with the theme, ‘A Public Sphere Conscious Movement –A Necessary Starting Point for the Journey to Redemption’. He decried that the main problem with Nigeria is that the people are docile and not demanding accountability from the leaders and rather chose to accept a ‘ko mean’ ,that is just take it like that and manage. He noted that: “But this is not working. We are creating poverty every day and I think this is a moral burden. Look at what the Zambian President is doing. So...

Emotional moment Bethel Baptist School pupil reunited with his great-grandmother after 800 days in captivity Treasure Ayuba, a pupil of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, who regained freedom after over two years in captivity, has reunited with his great-grandmother. Treasure and 121 students were kidnapped when bandits attacked the school on July 5, 2021.  The bandits released the pupils in batches. Treasure is the last of the victims to be released on November 2, 2023.   The boy's grandmother, Mary Peter, on Thursday, November 9, shared photos from the emotional reunion of Treasure and his great-grandmother.  "What a new chapter in my life and my family, How amazing is this God, my mother was so happy to see her great grand child. Treasure Ayuba, the last boy from bethel Baptist school Kaduna after the kidnapped, thank u Jesus. You have done it again," she wrote. More photos below. 

In continuation of the repair works by the Federal Ministry of Works on the Marine Bridge, traffic will be diverted on the Bridge from Friday, 10th November till Thursday 21st December, 2023. Consequently, the following alternative routes will be open to Motorists for the duration of the project: Scene 1 Motorists heading to Mobil Road from Ijora/Apapa Road will be diverted to Ijora to link the Total Access Ramp inwards Malu Road to connect Mobil Road for their desired destinations. Scene 2 Motorists going to Ijora/Apapa will be diverted to the Apapa-bound ramp of the Marine Bridge to make a U-turn at Point Road Junction inward Marine Bridge to access their desired destinations. In the same vein, Motorists can make use of Marine Bridge Access Road to Area B and make a U-turn at Point Junction Road towards Marine Bridge to continue their Journeys. The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi assured that Traffic Personnel from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority w...

Man k!lls wife after catching her in bedroom with boyfriend A 41-year-old woman, Chioneso Ephrame has been killed by her 50-year-old husband, Bwanali Bwanado, who walked into their bedroom and saw her on the bed with her boyfriend.    Zimbabwean police said in a statement that an incensed Bwanali whipped out a knife and stabbed his wife ruthlessly.    The statement read;    “Police in Chinhoyi are appealing for information which may lead to the arrest of Bwanali Bwanado (50,) who is being sought in connection with a case of murder in which he stabbed his wife, Chioneso Ephraim (41), to death with an okapi knife after finding her sitting on their matrimonial bed with her boyfriend on 7 November 2023 at a house in Gadzema.”     A relative of the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told iharare that after committing the heinous crime, Bwanali called Chioneso’s mother.    The relative said;    “Bwanali Bwanado called gra...

 “Bro deceived us all” – Brain Jotter reacts after discovering that ‘lady’ he gave financial help is a man Popular comedian, Brain Jotter has reacted after the lady hawker he offered financial help to is exposed to be a man who scams his helpers by disguising. Recall that Brain Jotter had helped a physically challenged lady who hawked pure water on the street. Because of his condition, Brain Jotter had decided to offer her some financial help by sending her 400,000 naira. Davido came across the video on Twitter and alerted his uncle because the lady was reported to be an indigene of Osun state. The lady was however exposed to be a man known as Sultan who disguises as a man to extort money from unsuspecting helpers. Brain Jotter reacted to this discovery as he lamented that the guy deceived them all. He revealed that the boy was once helped in the past with 600,000 naira. Brain Jotter wrote: “If i tell you say i no tire, i dey lie. Just Negodu’?’. Bro deceived us all Some people has...

Why female fans don’t stop being obsessed with married male celebrities – Skales Popular singer, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, better known as Skales, said gone are those days when female fans tame their obsessions with male celebrities after their marriage. The married singer said nowadays ladies use how married male celebrities treat their wives as a yardstick for their obsession with them. He claimed most women prefer “bad boys” and no longer care if a celebrity is married. The ‘Shake Body’ crooner spoke in a recent podcast interview with Echoo Room. The host asked: “I have noticed this about male celebrities, once they get married there is this notion that they are not as attractive or available as before and so most female fans tend to stop supporting them. What do you think?” Skales responded: “I think that is old school. There are a lot of married people that are doing great in the entertainment industry. I don’t think it’s about the marriage anymore. Now it’s about how the married ce...

Nigerian artists losing love for music – Pheelz laments Record producer and singer, Philip Kayode Moses, popularly known as Pheelz, has lamented that Nigerian artists are fasting losing genuine love for music. Speaking on The Dadaboy Show hosted by media personality, Ehiz, Pheelz said Nigerian artists are now more interested in the lucrative business side of music than the art itself. He said there is no difference between Nigerian artists, entrepreneurs, or manufacturers. He, however, warned that marketing strategies are ephemeral as he emphasized that only good music will stand the test of time. Pheelz said, “We [Nigerian artists] are losing that love for music. It’s starting to become manufacturing. It’s starting to feel like we’re manufacturing soaps like we are making iPhones. “It’s starting to feel repetitive like we’re losing our creative sauce and our creative essence. It’s becoming work. Now, it’s harder to promote than to even make the music. Now, it’s becoming about promotio...

Luis Diaz’s father, Luis Manuel Diaz, regains freedom Luis Diaz’s father, Luis Manuel Diaz, has been rescued after he was abducted at gunpoint on October 28 by left-wing guerrilla group, Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN). On Thursday, Colombian news outlet Semana reported that the rescue mission for the footballer’s father was a success. The mission saw a 9 a.m. helicopter flight full of volunteers from the United Nations, UN, and the Catholic Church. Police began preparations for the release of Mr Diaz earlier in the week. He had been held by the guerrilla group for almost two weeks. The UN and the Church have been working in conjunction with the Colombian government to negotiate Diaz’s freedom. Concern grew on Tuesday after there was no sign of the start of ELN release of Luis Diaz’s father process despite measures to facilitate it. The Diaz family called for the group to offer proof that Diaz Snr was still alive. But on Wednesday, hope was renewed again as humanitarian groups in...

NLC strike: Power outage in Imo beyond us – EEDC The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) has explained that the prolonged power outage which has affected the whole of Imo State, occasioned by the industrial action by organized labour is beyond its control while empathizing with its customers in the state. This was made known in a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, on Thursday. Ezeh described the situation which has lasted for nine days as unfortunate and explained that with EEDC’s source of power which is at Egbu Transmission Station shut down by the Labour Union, there was no way the company could get power to distribute to its customers in Imo State. “We can only distribute the power that we receive from TCN Stations, and in this case, the station catering for our customers in Imo State has been shut down by the Labour Union.” He acknowledged the untold hardship and inconveniences this development has caused the company, its s...

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS PRESIDENTIAL AIDE ON DISABILITY MATTERS .. In his determination to ensure that every segment of society is sufficiently catered to within the ambit of the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed Abba Isa to serve as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disability Matters. Mr. Mohammed Abba Isa is a distinguished champion of persons with disabilities with over a decade of experience in local and international advocacy on matters concerning persons with disabilities. The new presidential aide is a graduate of Public Administration with honours from the University of Maiduguri where he would go on to earn a Masters in Public Administration at the same institution in 2017. The President tasks the new appointee to proactively create avenues of opportunity for inclusion through the inculcation of PWD requirements and perspectives in the policies and programmes...

Guber Poll: Atiku leads rally in Kogi, berates Bello, APC for denying PDP use of stadium Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday stormed the ancient City of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital to charge the electorate to vote for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 11 Governorship election. Atiku, who berated the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello for allegedly denying the PDP the use of Confluence Stadium Lokoja to conduct their campaign rally said it was time to sack the ruling APC to put an end to unfavourable policies in Kogi State. “They denied us the use of the stadium in Osun State and we later used the party office for our rally. In the end, the PDP sacked them from the government house. Now they denied us the use of the Confluence Stadium Lokoja and booked all the hotels just to stop us from coming here. Despite what they did, you all still came to the party secretariat to show solidarity and support for Senator Dino Melaye”. According to him...

Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa Guber: PDP warns Yahaya Bello, Uzodinma against rigging The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned Governors, Yahaya Bello and Hope Uzodinma against attempting to rig Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi and Imo States. PDP asked the politicians to perish any thoughts of rigging Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States as the party has mobilized the people of the three states to go to every length allowed by the law to protect their votes. The spokesman of PDP, Debo Ologunagba tasked Bello and Uzodinma to accept defeat following their alleged abysmal failure while in office. Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Ologunagba said the PDP would not allow anybody to manipulate the electoral process in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa States. According to Ologunagba: “Our Party restates that it will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to manipulate the electoral process in the governorship election in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States. I...

INEC Issues Certificate of Return to Col Augustine Okwudiri Akobundu, as Senator-Elect for Abia Central District The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a certificate of return to Col Augustine Okwudiri Akobundu, declaring him as the senator-elect for Abia Central District.  This development comes after the Appeal Court ruling asking Hon Darlington Nwokocha of the Labour Party, the previous occupant of the seat, to vacate it. The certificate of return was presented to Col Akobundu by the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during a ceremony held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. This official recognition by INEC solidifies Akobundu’s win and paves the way for him to assume his duties as the representative of Abia Central District in the Nigerian Senate. The Appeal Court ruling, which prompted the issuance of the certificate of return to Col Akobundu, followed a legal battle between him and Hon Darlington Nwokocha. The court determined that Nwok...

‘They were looking for aspirants with ATM’ – Bode George accuses NWC of PDP for 2023 election defeat Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has criticised the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for failing to secure victory in the 2023 presidential elections. George made the statement while speaking to journalists in Lagos. He faulted the NWC for deviating from the established procedures designed by the PDP’s founding fathers for conducting primary elections and congresses, stating that it is important to return to these established processes to improve the party’s chances in future elections. “Having worked at the national secretariat for 10 years, the problem that resurfaces in every electoral period is very simple. It started during the period of Uche Secondus, and I wouldn’t like to undress my party publicly. It is a monumental crisis, but very simple to handle. “The way the founding fathers designed the handling of primaries ...

No plan to withdraw security details from Vips, Force PRO clarifies The Nigeria Police Force has clarified its position on providing security details to VIPs legally entitled to such services. In a statement issued on Thursday by the Force’s spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, it was emphasized that the Police Force did not intend to remove security details from VIPs with legal and statutory entitlement to such services. The statement further clarified that individuals requiring specialised police escorts will continue to receive the service through other units within the Force, such as the Special Protection Unit. However, individuals not meeting the legal criteria for VIP security details will undergo a strict screening process, with their applications thoroughly assessed if necessary. The clarification sought to dispel misunderstandings and highlighted that the withdrawal of Police Mobile Force personnel should not be misconstrued as a blanket ban on all Police Officers providing VIP ...