PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 LIFELESS BABY FOUND DUMPED BY UNKNOWN MOTHER IN GBOKO 8th March, 2024      A mother who is yet to be identified reportedly dumped a baby on the street of Gboko, Benue state. At the time residence of the area discovered the baby, the baby was already dead. Attempt by the residents to save the baby’s life proved abortive. An eyewitness familiar with the incident said the baby was dumped behind the stadium located in Gboko. The source further stated that the mother must have dumped the baby in the night and walk away. As at the time of this report, the remains of the baby have been evacuated from the area by security operatives. 

 Michael Chidozie allegedly beats his 32 – year – old wife and mother of three to death in PH Mrs. Ufuoma Eriera Michael has died from alleged domestic violence from one Mr. Michael Chidozie who happened to be her husband. According to report, Ufuoma, a mother of three boys ( age 10, 7 and 5 respectively) died in in Portharcourt. Ebi Layo , a close friend to late Ufuoma narrated the ordeal the deceased went through before her last breath. According to her , the Late Mrs. Ufuoma Michael (32 years) who hails from Delta State, Nigeria always receives severe beating from her husband almost on a daily basis. She explained further that anytime the man want to carry out his onslaught against his wife, he will lock the room and beat her to his satisfaction before he will let go. The routine beating started again late yesterday night. But this time around, the wife did not come out as usual or respond to the calling of the children. The husband later came out to order the children to go to ...

 Mother arrested after she made a drink for her son's bully that sent him to the hospital.  45-year-old Jennifer Rossi has been arrested after becoming fed up with her son being bullied and took matters into her own hands. Her son had his drink stolen by his bully the day before at Legacy Traditional School in Alamo Ranch, Texas.  Jennifer concocted her plot for revenge. She reportedly mixed lemon juice, vinegar, salt and Gatorade together and instructed her son to give that to his bully.  Shortly after drinking the mixture, the boy became sick to his stomach and had a headache. The school took the child to the hospital for his symptoms, after learning he was given the drink during PE. Normally the boy would just take a normal Gatorade from the child. This time the Gatorade had the non-toxic ingredients added.  Bexar County Sheriff's office said that although the drink was completely non toxic it did require the child to be hospitized. After learning the drink w...

 Alleged $6.2m Fraud:  Forensic Expert Confirms forgery of Buhari, Mustapha's Signatures Bamaiyi Haruna Mairiga, Sixth Prosecution Witness, PW6, in the trial of a former governor of  Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,  Godwin Emefiele on Thursday, March 7, 2024 told Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court,  Abuja, that forensic examination showed that the signatures of former President Muhammadu Buhari and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF,  Boss Mustapha were allegedly  forged for the payment of $6.2million to foreign election observers in the 2023 General Election. Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Mairiga, a forensic expert informed the court that forensic evaluation of the “Presidential Directive on Foreign Observers Election A” and “Presidential Directive on Foreign Observer Election A2,” which were the documents upon which the payment was made by the CBN under Emefiele, showed m...

 Alleged N4bn Fraud: EFCC Decries Obiano’s Delay Tactics Lead prosecution counsel in the trial of Willie Obiano , former governor of Anambra state,  Sylvanus Tahir, SAN,  on Thursday, March 7, 2024, accused the defence team of Obiano of allegedly evading prosecution’s service of a counter-affidavit. Obiano is facing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a nine-count charge of embezzlement and money laundering to the tune of N4 billion before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.  At Thursday’s session, Tahir told the court  that the prosecution fruitlessly knocked at the gate of the chambers of the lead defence counsel,  Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN,  that was placed under lock and key, with no access in a bid  to serve him a motion on notice in good time as ordered by the court at its Monday, March 4, 2024 sitting.  “My Lord, you will recall that on Monday, March 4, 2024,  when this matter was...

 WHISPERS OF RESILIENCE is a Book that aims to remind the world of what transpired during the days of Covid 19.. Unarguably the Biggest Story in our world at that that time COVID 19 indeed took the world by storm. Millions died from every corner of the globe as there was no immediate known treatment to the Lethal disease. lt became apparent that even in the 21st Century and with all our Sophistication we were ill-prepared for it . lt is hoped that with this Book, HUMANITY does not forget in a hurry how we overcame, that Health is indeed wealth, that Preparation is Key, that Politics should not override our common purpose or goals. There is also the need to invest. Invest in our health care system, infrastructure and Research, invest in family and relationships, invest in financial literacy and balance out our lives, Work, Career and priorities. At end of the day, LIFE IS FRAGILE, LIFE IS SHORT.  Though a somewhat humbling experience : Covid 19 experience shows the Resiliency, ...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU SUSPENDS RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AGENCY MANAGING DIRECTOR AND TEAM FROM OFFICE In the light of new findings unearthed during a comprehensive investigation into the financial activities of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), President Bola Tinubu has approved the indefinite suspension of the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, alongside three Executive Directors of the Agency, from office: (1) Olaniyi Alaba Netufo — Executive Director, Corporate Services (2) Barka Sajou — Executive Director, Technical Services (3) Sa'adatu Balgore — Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund (REF) Furthermore, President Tinubu has ordered a wider investigation into the conduct of the aforementioned officials in a fraudulent misexpenditure amounting to over N1.2 billion over the past two years, some of which has already been recovered by anti-graft agencies. By the directive of the President, the foll...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE  PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS MINISTERS TO ENSURE RESEARCH OUTCOMES GUIDE POLICY FORMULATION AND EXECUTION ACROSS KEY SECTORS  President Bola Tinubu has directed relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDA) of the Federal Government to ensure that the outcomes of research in science and technology are used to enrich policies that impact the real sector. The President issued the directive when the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science and the fellows of the Academy paid a courtesy visit to the President at the State House in Abuja on Thursday. President Tinubu emphasized that his administration is advancing an all-encompassing approach to leveraging the capacity of Nigerians to innovate and create solutions from all spheres of human initiative across the public and private sectors, including farming, manufacturing, information technology, and the academia. "The pathway to unlocking the potential of our national contribution to the glob...

 Amendment of NDLEA Act ‘ll significantly enhance war against illicit drugs – Marwa . As Inter-Ministerial Committee calls for state of emergency on drug abuse Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has said that the ongoing amendment of the NDLEA Act, when passed into law, will significantly enhance the organizational capability of the Agency to curb the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country. Marwa stated this while making his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Drug Control meeting on Thursday 7th March 2024 in Abuja. “We have to acknowledge, however, the existence of the funding challenge, which is limiting our capabilities in various ways. Nonetheless, we are looking forward to some positive developments that will lend impetus to the attainment of our set objectives. One such is the amendment of the NDLEA Act, which will significantly...

 Repayment of student loan begins two years after NYSC – FG The Federal Government has said the recovery process from beneficiaries of the Nigeria Education Loan Scheme would commence two years after the National Youth Service Scheme. The Executive Secretary, NELFund, Dr. Akintunde Sawyer, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja. On June 12, 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023 into law, to enable indigent students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution However, Sawyer said that the reason for the two-year grace after NYSC was to afford the beneficiaries enough time to get a job and be stable before the repayment. “The law provides that for students who go into paid employment, repayment will be two years after NYSC, but that does not mean that they cannot pay back before that time. “However, if they don’t have a job two years after NYSC...

 Why Other Nations Recruit Nigerian Doctors, Nurses — Pate The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, says other nations recruit health workers who left Nigeria for greener pastures overseas because of the level of training the health workers received back in Nigeria. Pate stated this on Thursday during a briefing organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja. “There is no country in the world today that has enough health workers for what it needs, that is why they are poaching from us. That is why the developed nations are recruiting our doctors because we train our doctors, our nurses, our health workers so well, that’s why they are being recruited,” the minister said. He called on parents to encourage their children to study medical courses and also urged states to establish training institutes where fresh doctors and nurses would be trained to fill the vacuum that has been created by those who left the country to prac...

 Reps to go after 5,000 companies owing Nigerian Govt N5.2 trillion in unpaid taxes The House of Representatives has mandated its committees to investigate the non-remittance of N5 trillion to the Federal Government by some businesses operating in Nigeria. The decision to go after the tax defaulters followed the adoption of a motion moved by Esosa Iyawe on Thursday during plenary. The House resolved to mandate the Committees on Public Account and Finance to probe the non-remittance by the organizations and recover the money owed the government. Moving the motion, Iyawe said 5,000 companies owe the Federal Government N5.2 trillion between 2015 and 2019. He said that there is another report stating that in 2021, some companies failed to remit over N17 billion. “Audit reports from 2015 to 2019 which revealed government agencies owing hundreds of billions in FIRS taxes comprising underpayments and under-recoveries and over 5,000 Companies and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)...

 EFCC Defends Arrest of Suspected Food Smugglers The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 justified the interception and arrest of 21 trucks loaded with food items allegedly being smuggled into neighboring countries, describing it as economic sabotage. The justification was made in Abuja on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 by the Spokesperson of the Commission, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Dele Oyewale while fielding questions in an interview session with the EFCC Radio, 97.3Fm. According to him, the EFCC is saddled with the mandate of tackling all forms of economic and financial crimes, especially issues that directly affect the economy to avert sabotage. “Anything that has a negative bearing on the economy is an act of economic sabotage or serving as a leakage, distortion or disequilibrium in the economy, the Commission has a responsibility to tackle it and that is what the EFCC has done”, he said. Continuing,  the image maker explain...

 Court Jails 27 Internet Fraudsters in Awka  Enugu Zonal Command of the EFCC on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, secured the conviction and sentencing of 27 internet fraudsters before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State.   The convicts are: Ajaero Chidiebube, Kosisochukwu Wisdom Ugwu, Apeh Samuel, Hyacinth Henry, Ebuka Moses Ugwu, Abugu Emmanuel Ebuka, Ogbu George, Onoja Chekwube, Onu Ogbonna Celestine, Ugwude Innocent Ekene, Solomon Emeka Okechukwu, Kosisochukwu Mamah, Idoko Fidelis Ejiofor, David Ifebuche Moses, Jude Ikechukwu, Kosisochukwu Idoko Martins and Victor Odoh Chinecherem.   Others are; Eze Caleb Somtochukwu, Ekeleme Victor, Osuji Kingsley, Eze Sopuruchukwu Marvin, Osuji Nnaemeka, Ikechi David, Ejiogu Chizoba, Arinze John Ojobo, Eze Daniel Chinecherem and Michael Ojo.   They were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charges bordering on fraudulent impersonation and obtaining by false pretence. The charg...

 EFCC Arrests 48 Suspected Internet Fraudsters, Herbalist in Lokoja The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested 48 (Forty-eight) suspected internet fraudsters and herbalist for offences bordering on conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence in Lokoja, Kogi State capital. They were arrested upon credible intelligence on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at various locations in Lokoja, The herbalist, believed to be a spiritual godfather of internet fraudsters, was arrested with various charms. Items recovered from them include 10 exotic cars, two motorcycles, 11 laptops, 83 mobile phones and charms. The suspects, all male, between the ages of 17 -34 will be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigations.

 EFCC Arraigns One for N67m Fraud in Yola The Gombe Zonal Command of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 arraigned one Zakariyau Yahaya before Justice Benjamin Manji of High Court 9 of the Adamawa State High Court, Yola. He was arraigned on one-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation and obtaining to the tune of N67,080,000.00 (Sixty-Seven Million, Eighty Thousand Naira). The charge reads; “That you Zakariyau Yahaya, sometimes 2022 in Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, convert to your own use the sum of N67,080,000.00 (Sixty-Seven million, Eighty thousand Naira) property of Alh. Umar Zuhairu, which was meant for the purchase of cotton seeds and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 300 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa State 2018”. He pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him in Hausa language. Following his plea, prosecution counsel, M.O Tijani prayed the court for a speedy tria...

 Blackout: FG threatens to revoke DisCos licences The Federal Government, on Wednesday, declared that it would withdraw the operating licences of power distribution companies that were intentionally not supplying electricity to consumers across the country, leading to widespread blackouts in Nigeria. It stated that despite efforts by the Federal Ministry of Power and electricity generating companies, some Discos were not distributing the power supplied to them by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, which had resulted in abysmal supply since this year. Power supply across the country has been terrible since January 2024, as many towns and cities nationwide have been thrown into darkness for weeks due to the lack of electricity. In a post on his official X handle on Wednesday, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, lamented the poor supply of electricity across the country, stressing that this was despite efforts by the government in tackling the challenge. He, however, point...

 Motorists trapped in gridlock as Lagos closes Third Mainland Bridge Lagos road users on Wednesday expressed their frustration over the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge after being trapped in traffic for hours. The Lagos State Government had on Tuesday said the Island-Iyana Oworo bound lane of the Third Mainland Bridge would be shut for 36 hours for maintenance work. The state Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, in a statement, said the closure of the Island-Iyana Oworo bound lane would take effect from 12.00 am on Wednesday till 12.00 noon on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Osiyemi said consequently, motorists plying this route were advised to use the alternative routes previously provided during this period. He further noted that the initial traffic diversion arrangements on the bridge would return after this 36 hour closure. Motorists heading back to the Mainland on Wednesday however had a hectic time connecting back to their destination due to the traffic congestio...

 Lagos Computer Village vendors fear revenue loss amid relocation plans The plan to relocate Lagos Computer Village from Ikeja to Katangua in the Abule-Egba axis of the city has triggered fear of revenue loss among gadget vendors, JOSEPHINE OGUNDEJI writes Computer Village, nestled in the heart of Ikeja, Lagos, is the technology hub for the Sub-Saharan region. It is the go-to destination for the latest gadgets and reliable repairs. The significance of Computer Village extends beyond its role as a marketplace. It catalyses Nigeria’s technological advancement, fostering entrepreneurship, driving economic growth, and facilitating access to cutting-edge technology. However, despite the significance of Computer Village to the country’s technological innovations, its location has been a source of the Lagos State Government, residents and road users in that part of the city. Traffic congestion clogs the streets surrounding the market, impeding business operations and road users. The lack ...

 ‘What Herbert Wigwe Told Me Before He Died’, Last Person Who Saw Late Access Holdings CEO Alive Speaks Sola Faleye, Personal Assistant to the late Herbert Wigwe, former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Holdings Plc, has narrated his last encounter with the deceased. Wigwe, Chizoba, his wife, Chizzi, his first son, Abimbola Ogunbajo, former Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, all died in the ill-fated crash alongside two pilots. Speaking at Eko Hotel, Lagos, where a night of tribute was held for Wigwe, Faleye narrated how he missed the flight. “It was a sweet journey. 11 Hours we flew from London. I remember in the middle of the air. I walked up to him. I said, “Sir, how comfortable are you at night flying choppers? I’ve never done it before. And he said, ‘This is America, they have a navigation system for flying choppers at night’; and I went back to my seat. And we landed. Everybody was filled with joy that we were finally almost there. “We sat, waiting to be cleared by...

 Murder in the cathedral: How Church worker killed pastor over woman THE altar, considered a sacred place where priests offer prayers, turned into a slaughter slab at Grace of Comfort Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ, Ile-Ife in Osun State. It was not just an ordinary person that was allegedly killed on the sacred platform, but the shepherd of the church, Most Senior Evangelist Morris Fadehan by his assistant, Lekan Ogundipe, following several disagreements between them. Ogundipe was said to have laid ambush within the church premises and unleashed terror on his victim while the deceased bowed and prayed on the altar. He allegedly stabbed him in the head several times, hit a nail through his ear and nose before dragging the lifeless body out of the altar, wrapped it with clothes and set it on fire. Ogundipe while allegedly perpetrating his crime also sustained injuries on his hand while the deceased, during the struggle, scratched him severely on the face. Woman, money pala...

 First Lady Tinubu donates 100,000 exercise books to Lagos public schools Wife of the President Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu has donated 100,000 exercise books to pupils of public primary and junior secondary schools in Lagos state as part of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Education Support Programme. The books were presented by the wife of the governor, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, on behalf of the First Lady. She said: “This gesture is well appreciated and will further support our students in their academic pursuit, enhancing learning outcomes. These books will be distributed to public primary and junior secondary school students through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), ensuring they reach those who need them most. “Therefore, I encourage our younger generation you can become whatever they desire to be in life. Whatever you can conceive, you can achieve provided you are truly determined to pay the price. I implore you to have...