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 Obaseki’s new minimum wage a greek gift to blackmail Edo civil servants – Okpebholo Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship flag bearer in the September 21, governorship election, Senator Monday Okpebholo has warned the people of the state to be wary of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s N70,000 minimum wage.  He said the new wage Obaseki announced is a Greek gift to blackmail civil servants to vote for his party and a deliberate plot to distract Edo people from real issues. The APC standard bearer also challenged the governor to explain the whereabouts of the N5 billion approved by the Federal Government as palliatives to cushion the hardship of civil servants in the State. A statement by Okpebholo media office released to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday hinted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023, approved N5 billion for each state and the FCT to enable them procure food items for distribution to the poor in their respective States and pay civil servants certain amou...

 Olubadan: Olakulehin’s enthronement takes another twist as Ladoja, kingmakers differ on terms of settlement The enthronement of 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, on Thursday took another twist when the Otun Olubadan High Chief Rasidi Ladoja and other kingmakers differed on signing of terms of settlement to facilitate the process. Ladoja, while playing host to Mogajis in Ibadanland led by Chief Asimiyu Ariori at his Bodija residence, indicated readiness to withdraw the suit he initiated against members of Olubadan-in-Council on condition that the two parties must sign terms of settlement as prepared. According to Ladoja: “Myself and other members of Olubadan-in-Council have been sitting together and talking. We have accepted to withdrawal  the case from court. “I heard that they have started signing the agreement. After all of them had signed, I will also sign my own aspect, and the next day, we will file for withdrawal of the case from court.” However, othe...

 Lagos uncovers another illegal settlement under a bridge in Ikoyi The Lagos State Government says it has discovered another illegal settlement under the Osborne Bridge in Ikoyi area of the State. This is coming less than three days after the government uncovered 86 rooms under the Dolphin Bridge where tenants paid N250,000 rent annually. Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab disclosed this on his X handle on Thursday. He said the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) had begun immediate clearance operation. “Another illegal settlement was discovered under the Osborne Bridge, Ikoyi. Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI) commenced immediate clearance operation,” he tweeted. On the Dolphin bridge incident, Wahab said “A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities were discovered under the Dolphin Estate bridge. “T...

 Protest: New York Police say 282 protesters arrested in two varsities The New York Police have said 282 people were arrested on Tuesday night from the City University of New York and Columbia University during the pro-Palestinian protest. The New York Police Department (NYPD) released information on the arrest on Thursday. According to the BBC, the police had released information showing some of those arrested were well above the average age of university students. The police said 90 of those arrested were in their 30s and 40s, while three were over 50. The NY Police, while given a breakdown said 115 people were detained for disorderly conduct; three for assault and 48 for burglary. The police added that around one in 10 of those arrested had been detained on previous occasions for unlawful protest actions and that the vast majority of them were aged 22 years and above-older than undergraduate student age. Due to the pro-Palestinian protest, students at Columbia University will be...

 Deadly serial burglar Paul Debenham jailed 12 years in London A deadly serial burglar, Paul Debenham has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the Croydon Crown Court in London. Fingerprints left on a box of alcohol he discarded while fleeing a scene resulted in Debenham’s sentence on Monday, 29 April, 2024. Debenham, 30 of no fixed address was sentenced for a linked series of aggravated burglaries in the Orpington area, as he targeted the elderly, as on two occasions he broke into homes whiles the residents were inside. The police reports that the first time, on Tuesday, 31 October 2023, Debenham forced his way into a house in Spur Road, wielding a handgun at the occupant, a 78-year-old man, and pushed a 76-year-old woman to the floor before stealing their car. He was said to have fled the scene in the stolen car, and a few days later offended again. The police added that on Thursday, 2 November 2023, Debenham used a brick to smash a glass panel in the back door of a 96-year...

 Japa: Number of dependants down by 80% – UK PM, Sunak The Prime Minister of United Kingdom has revealed that the recent action to mitigate the number of dependants in the country has experienced a “significant fall” as they have now reduced by 80 per cent. Sunak said in a statement on social media on Wednesday that the figures mean that his changes to the country’s visa system were working. “The number of students bringing family members and dependants to the UK was too high. This wasn’t fair. “Our changes are working—student dependant numbers are now down by 80 per cent,” he wrote. We complained, teachers did nothing – Abuja expensive school students0.00 / 0.00 Recall that the UK government had earlier called for a drastic reduction in the number of dependents, or close family members such as a spouse and children, accompanying overseas students effective from early this year. In an update issued on Tuesday for the period of January to March this year compared to the same period ...

 I used to accept Davido’s used clothes as payment for writing his songs – Peruzzi Singer and songwriter, Tobechukwu Victor Okoh, popularly known as Peruzzi, has confessed to accepting ‘used’ clothes as payment for writing songs for his record label boss, Davido. He disclosed this during an interview on the show “Curiosity Made Me Ask”, hosted by content creator Bae U Barbie. The host asked: “Is it true that Davido used to pay you with his used clothes for writing his songs?” Peruzzi replied: “I will be honest with you, I used to collect Davido’s used clothes as payment for writing songs for him. “But there was a particular one I did and he gave me some money so I stopped that. “I actually used to do that before.” Peruzzi has in the past revealed that he wrote some of Davido’s songs, including ‘Assurance,’ ‘Unavailable,’ ‘Flora My Flower’, and many others.

 Fuel Scarcity: Man shot dead over argument at petrol station in Lagos The family of a young man, Toheeb Eniafe, has been thrown into mourning after he was shot at a petrol station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at Obalende in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State. The incident, our correspondent learnt, happened late Wednesday and has left residents in the area in fear. Our correspondent, who is currently at the scene of the incident gathered from residents that Eniafe was in the queue to get petrol when the incident happened. While in the queue, two men, believed to be military officers, attempted to drive into the station to buy petrol even though they were not in the queue to get the product. This, our correspondent learnt, was met with stiff resistance from people in the queue; many of whom had been waiting for hours. Several eyewitnesses confirmed that Eniafe spearheaded the argument, telling the men to join the queue like everyone else. This further deg...

 Anambra State Government Rescues Another Victim Of Abuse In Ezinifite By Chidinma Ikeanyionwu Anambra State Government through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare has rescued one Chidiebere Otenyi, another victim of domestic abuse in Ezinifite, Aguata local government area of the state. This they did when a whistle blower who witnessed the ugly incident brought it to the attention of the Honourable Commissioner.  Reacting in her office in Awka after the team sent from the ministry had rescued the girl, Honourable Ify Obinabo, who was furious over the dastardly act vowed to deal with the perpetrator Mrs Martha Umenweke. Obinabo, who was angry over the extent of damage given to the girl, stated that the culprit won't go scot-free since she had the mind to inflict injuries and pain on another person The victim, a 19 Year old Chidiebere Otenyi from Nkanu, Enugu state said that her Madam Martha  accused her of stealing her twenty five thousand naira which she said she di...

 Customs Again Visits Families of Rice Sale Stampede Victims …Demonstrate Unwavering Support The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has once again expressed compassion and empathy towards the families affected by the tragic stampede that occurred during the sale of 25kg bags of rice in Lagos on 23 February 2024. A delegation sent by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adeniyi, led by the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs/Zonal Coordinator Zone "A," Hammi Swomen, visited the family of the Late Comfort Ajayi on Tuesday, 30 April 2024, in Anthony, Lagos. Stating the purpose of the visit, ACG Swomen said, "In line with the CGC's directive, it is an ongoing interaction and support for the families, so even after today, we will continue to keep in touch with them and see the best ways going forward that we can support them in this difficult time. "It just tells you that the service is responsive, we are caring, we are a responsible Nigerian Government A...

 GOVERNOR UZODIMMA ASSENTED IMO ELECTRICITY BILL INTO LAW Governor Uzodimma has officially signed the Electricity Bill into law at the New Exco Chamber, Government House Owerri. This development marks a pivotal moment in the state's efforts to improve access to reliable electricity for its residents.  Emphasizing the importance of uninterrupted power supply for economic growth, he announced the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to take over the Egbema Power Plant, which has been abandoned since 2006 and an MOU has been signed for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in the State with a reputable Company.  The Governor is optimistic that within 12 months, Imo State's power infrastructure will substantially improve, thanks to the new legislation.  Presented by the Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chike Olemgbe, accompanied by other Principal Officers of the Assembly, the Governor described the occasion as "another milestone in...

 "Officials say this young hero ran a MILE in approximately ten minutes with nothing but lightning strikes to light the way!" A 9-year-old boy is credited with saving his parent's life after tornado wrecks their truck. As the Baker family hurried to a friend's storm shelter last Saturday in Dickson, Oklahoma an EF4 tornado was bearing down on them. Suddenly as Wayne, Lindy and 9-year-old Branson drove along... their pickup truck was swept up by the tornado. The vehicle was slammed into a pile of trees where it came to rest. Both Wayne and Lindy were trapped and suffering serious  injuries including a broken back and neck. However, Branson was able to miraculously escape the debacle completely unharmed. After assessing the situation both of his parents were in, this brave boy made the decision to run for help. Branson then crawled out of the wreckage and began his harrowing run through debris and downed power lines. Officials say this young hero ran a MILE in approxima...

 19-year-old Texas woman charged with stabbing her boyfriend after looking through his phone.  Breasia McLeain was visiting her boyfriend at his apartment. As her boyfriend was busy cleaning McLeain, began snooping on his phone.  Apparently she found something of importance on the phone as she began approaching the victim swearing and brandishing an aluminum rod. McLeain then began stabbing the victim multiple times with the aluminum rod before he was able to force her from the home. However, she had forced her way back in as police arrived. She then fought police as she was being taken into custody. Paramedics treated the victim at the scene of the incident.  McLeain was charged with aggravated assault, family violence and assault on a police officer. She was booked into McLennan County Jail where she remains awaiting court.

 GOVERNOR UZODIMMA ACCENTED IMO POLYTECHNIC AMENDMENT BILL INTO LAW  Governor Uzodimma has officially signed the Imo State Polytechnic Amendment Bill into law, transitioning the institution to a mono-campus system.  Governor Uzodimma, in his address during the signing ceremony, emphasized the importance of polytechnic education, highlighted the key provisions of the bill, which includes centralizing the activities of the institution in one campus.  The Governor informed that making Imo State Polytechnic a mono-campus is to, among other things, "cut cost and reduce student’s risk of movement and ensure prompt verifications and effective supervision as well as allow for easy teaching and learning and graduation of the students at the appropriate time."  The Speaker and other House members, along with key state officials like the Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, and Attorney General, attended the bill signing ceremony. 

 Naira Abuse:  Court Adjourns Cubana’s Trial till June 5 Justice  Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday,  May 2,  2024 adjourned further hearing in the trial of   Pascal Okechukwu, a.k.a. Cubana Chief till June 5,  2024. Okejukwu was arraigned on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 by the EFCC on a three-count charge bordering on abuse of the Naira. One of the counts reads: That you, Okechukwu Pascal, on 13th February, 2024, at Eko Hotel Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500(Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.” Another count reads: “That you, Okechukwu Pascal, sometime in 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, during a social...

 EFCC Cautions Students against Internet Fraud The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has charged students of the Federal Science and Technical College, Ukana Offot, Akwa Ibom State, to abhor all forms of internet crimes, and imbibe tenets of integrity. This charge was given on Friday April 26, 2024, by the Head, Public Affairs Department, EFCC Uyo Zonal Command, Assistant Commander of the ACE II, T. E. Nwosu during a sensitisation session with old and new members of the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Club of the Federal Science and Technical College Uyo. She charged the students to always remember that crime does not pay, but brings pain, suffering and setbacks to offenders, as well as their family and friends. "I urge you to embrace good morals, shun crime and imbibe a culture of integrity so that the foundation you are laying now for your tomorrow, will be rooted in the right principles”, she said. Nwosu reminded the students that whatever crime that is committed to...

 PRESS RELEASE POLICE ARREST MASTERMINDS OF ABUJA/KADUNA TRAIN ATTACK, PARADE 63 SUSPECTS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES ALONG ABUJA-KADUNA EXPRESSWAY, KADUNA STATE.  As IGP Sustains Deployment of Chopper for Aerial Support, Proactive Measures Along Train Route The Nigeria Police Force, under the astute leadership of Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun Ph.D., NPM, continues to make significant strides in combating crime and ensuring the safety and security of citizens in the country. The recent sustained deployments along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway and kaduna state at large have led to massive successes in the fight against violent crimes in the state between January 2024 till date. Notably, a strategic initiative implemented along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway is the deployment of a helicopter as an escort for trains traversing the route. This measure, under the directive of the Inspector General of Police, serves as both a deterrent to criminal elements and a rapid r...

 Ten Hag Heaps Praise On Exiled Sancho After Champions League Star Turn Erik ten Hag says Jadon Sancho’s impressive Champions League semi-final performance for Borussia Dortmund shows why Manchester United bought him and underlined his “high value”. The 24-year-old winger struggled to live up to the hype after moving to Old Trafford from the German club for £73 million ($91 million) in 2021. He was banished from the first-team set-up last September after claiming on social media he had been made a “scapegoat”. Sancho hit out after United manager Ten Hag said he had underperformed in training ahead of their match against Arsenal. He has not played since for the club, who loaned him out to his former employers for the rest of the season in January. Sancho sparkled in Dortmund’s 1-0 Champions League semi-final first-leg win over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, increasing talk about where his future lies. “Yesterday he showed why Manchester United bought him,” Ten Hag told reporters ...

 EPL: Why I stopped watching Chelsea’s matches – Mourinho Former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, has explained why he stopped going to Stamford Bridge to watch matches, despite living “two minutes” from the stadium. Mourinho enjoyed two successful spells with the Blues and secured back-to-back Premier League titles as well as the FA Cup and two League Cups in his first stint. He returned to the club in 2013, when he won a third Premier League title as well as another League Cup title before leaving in 2015. Mourinho has recently been linked with a third spell at Chelsea, amid mounting pressure on current manager Mauricio Pochettino. But he told A Bola: “In London, I live two minutes from Chelsea’s stadium, from my house you can hear the goals and people’s demonstrations. “The day the stadium started singing my name, I stopped going to football. I have to go to other stadiums. “It takes 20-30 minutes from my [other] house to [Benfica’s stadium] Luz. I went to two or three games. “Th...

 Social media outburst: Wizkid going through pain of losing mum – Yul Edochie Nollywood actor Yul Edochie has claimed that singer Wizkid’s recent social media outburst was due to the pain of losing his mother. Wizkid set social media platform, X on fire recently after shading Don Jazzy and engaging in a heated exchange with Davido. Reacting, Edochie stated that the Starboy Entertainment boss’ outburst was due to psychological issues. Speaking in a video message shared via his Instagram page, the actor said: “Many people would not understand what is happening to Wizkid. But I will tell you, it’s the pain of losing his mother. “Wizkid is going through the pain of losing his mother. It’s a terrible pain. You see that pain of losing a loved one? It’s a terrible pain. It’s a pain that would make you question God. It’s a pain that would make you question life. It’s a pain that would make you throw caution to the wind. It’s a pain that would make you sometimes want to even take your life....

 Ogun To Tighten Truck Regulations to Enhance Road Safety Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that a policy that would enforce road worthiness of truck heads plying roads in the state would be put in place. Addressing the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo and his entourage, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, after visiting the site of last Saturday's explosion, Governor Abiodun said attention would also be paid to gas cylinders used by the trucks to ensure quality and standard. The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, said the steps became necessary in view of the preponderance of gas utilisation in the state. He said: "I was very worried when the report of the incident reached me, and the reason for that is that Ogun State is the industrial capital of Nigeria with over 6,000 manufacturing industries and companies. We enjoy gas reticulation more than any other state in N...

 Police Arrest Two Suspected Traffickers With Five Children In Abuja Police authorities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested two suspected traffickers with five children.  The suspects were attempting to evade arrest by police operatives in Sokoto, according to the FCT Police Command spokesperson Josephine Adeh. “The operatives of the FCT police command, on April 27, 2024, at about 8:00 p.m., arrested two female suspects, Kulu Dogonyaro and Elizabeth Ojah, in connection to the trafficking of five children,” she said in a Thursday statement. “The suspects who attempted to escape arrest from Sokoto police operatives were intercepted and arrested by FCT police operatives at Kagini junction, Abuja, while suspiciously conveying five (5) children into the Federal Capital Territory.” According to her, the suspects have now been handed over to the Sokoto Police Command for further investigations in “the spirit of oneness”

 EFCC Arrests 23 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Ebonyi Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have arrested twenty-three (23) suspected internet fraudsters in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. The suspects were arrested in the early hours of Thursday, May 2, 2024 following actionable intelligence on their suspected involvement in internet related activities. Items recovered from them include one laptop and mobile phones. The suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.  

 Japanese Agency Backs  Olukoyede’s  Focus on Economic Development The Japan International Cooperation Agency ,JICA,  has thrown its weight behind the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede in his determined bid  to use the fight against economic and financial crimes as a potent weapon of achieving sustainable economic development and good governance in Nigeria. This gesture was made in Abuja on Thursday,  May 2, 2024  by the Chief Representative of JICA ,Yuzurio Suzumu while on a courtesy visit to the the corporate headquarters of the EFCC.  According to Suzumu, "EFCC is a very important partner for collaboration, and our aim is to contribute to the sustainable development of Nigeria. We have identified sustainable economic development, social development, good governance and peace building as key pillars of our collaboration,  he said.  Suzumu emphasized that financial crimes are a c...