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 TROOPS ELIMINATE 5 TERRORISTS, RESCUE HOSTAGES IN A DECISIVE BATTLE IN SOKOTO STATE Troops of the Nigerian Army deployed for counter terrorism operations in Sokoto State in a daring gun battle on Thursday 27 June 2024, successfully foiled a kidnap attempt in Sokoto State, neutralizing 5 terrorists and rescuing 2 hostages held by the terrorists. The troops responding to a distress call from the Baniguntu and Gohonau forest area in Gudu Local Government Area, engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle, resulting in the neutralization of the terrorists, while others fled with injuries sustained from the exchange of fire. The rescued hostages, identified a Nura Isya and Saluhu Hamza, were freed from captivity and safely handed over to the Chairman of Gudu Local Government Area for medical attention and reunification with their families. The successful operation not only prevented a potential tragedy, but also led to the recovery of 5 AK-47 rifles, 32 rounds of ammunition, and a Tecno p

 Charlie Sheen's ex connected to Matthew Perry death investigation: report A criminal probe into Matthew Perry's death may include information from Charlie Sheen's ex-wife, Brooke Mueller. Mueller, 46, has reportedly been questioned "multiple" times about Perry's October death, sources told InTouch Weekly. Authorities reportedly attempted to contact Mueller at the sober living house where she's staying, but the actress wasn't home when officers arrived with a search warrant last month. A source told the outlet that Mueller was "out exercising" at the time but was "completely cooperative" when she returned. "She’s hired lawyers and has had multiple meetings with law enforcement since they arrived at her sober living house with a search warrant. She’s being tight-lipped about the situation," the insider said. "It’s tough to say or know exactly what her role is [in Matthew’s death], but she’s adamant she had nothing to d

Cameroonian footballer Landry Nguemo dies in a tragic road accident Cameroonian footballer Landry Nguemo tragically died on Thursday at the age of 38 in a road accident near Yaoundé. Nguemo, who scored three goals in 42 appearances for the Indomitable Lions, retired from football in 2020. The accident occurred a few kilometers from Yaoundé when Nguemo's car, driven by his chauffeur, collided with a sand truck. Both Ng'uemo and his chauffeur died on the spot. The president of the Cameroonian Football Federation and Nguemo's former teammate, Samuel Eto'o, expressed his sorrow on social media. The Yaounde-born midfielder played 42 times and scored three goals for Cameroon between 2006 and 2014, winning a runners-up medal at the 2008 African Cup of Nations. He spent most of his club career in France, starting as a 16-year-old at the academy of AS Nancy-Lorraine. He graduated to the first team winning the 2006 French League Cup before leaving for Bordeaux. Between 2011 and 2

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE  PRESIDENT TINUBU URGES GOVERNORS TO MEET TARGETS ON FOOD SECURITY; APPROVES IMMEDIATE ROLLOUT OF NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION AND HOUSEHOLD SUPPORT PROGRAMME To boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy by creating opportunities in the real sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, as well as provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country. Under the programme, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, is prioritized. Other road infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is underway, and the Trans-Saharan Highway, which links Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, are also prioritized. The President has also approved full counterpart financing for Port Harcourt-Maidugur

 Abia vows to protect widows’ right to inherit land The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, has said the state government will back all laws enacted to protect the rights of widows and their children to inherit landed property in the state upon the demise of their spouses. Mrs Otti gave the assurance at an event to commemorate the 2024 International Widows Day celebration held in Umuahia, the state capital. A statement made available to PUNCH Online on Thursday stated that the theme of this year’s event was titled; “Land Rights For Widows.” The statement added that Mrs Otti was represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Adaeze Emetu, who expressed plans to support indigent widows through microfinance loans, healthcare services, skill development and vocational training, computer literacy programs, adult education, cooperatives and legal assistance among others. She said, “As a government, we will be contributing our part in supporting about 500 indigent widows in

 Age falsification: Civil servants manipulating court affidavits, NPC certificates – Abia Govt Abia State Government has revealed that it has observed the activities of some civil and public servants who are engaging in age falsification with court affidavits. Abia state Head of Service, Mrs Ngozi Obioma, in a statement on Thursday, said some civil and public servants also approach the National Population Commission (NPC) to obtain fake Date of Birth (DoB) certificates. She noted with dismay that the fraudulent officials use the affidavits and NPC certificates to quote the age that suit them thereby falsifying their ages. Mrs Obioma, who warned those indulging in such fraudulent acts to desist forthwith, said that any one caught in the act would be summarily dismissed from the Service and also prosecuted. The state government had, in 2023, launched a verification exercise in the civil and public service aimed at strengthening the Service and also flushing out ghost workers. It also dir

 Imo LG poll: Ohaji/Egbema residents stage protest against ex-minister Hundreds of protesters from Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State on Thursday barricaded the Government House over what they described as undemocratic moves by a former Minister of State for Education, and one time Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Goodluck Nanah Opiah, to scuttle long time agreement that exists within the political blocs that make up the local council. The protesters accused the former minister of attempting to impose his choice candidate for the chairmanship seat of the LGA, saying that the move if allowed would truncate the zoning arrangement which has been long established among the components of the council. They insisted that it was the turn of Awarra Court Area to produce the next chairman of the local council, saying that trying to use the Sole Administrator of the Local Government, Princewill Onyeaju, to manipulate the process would be resisted. Speaking during the protest, the spokespers

 Ogun Allocates Housing Units To subscribers ...says scheme not for profit-making but service-driven  Ogun State Government will from Monday, next week begin allocation of 200 housing units to Subscribers of the Kobape phase III  housing scheme. This was disclosed on Thursday by the Commissioner for Housing, Alhaji Jamiu Akande Omoniyi while speaking at a press conference on the activities of his ministry. The commissioner added that the housing policy of the Dapo Abiodun-led administration was not for profit making, but rather as a social service to the people of the state and those in Diaspora who desire  to live and work in the Gateway State Omoniyi, therefore, put to rest the controversies  surrounding the allocation process, said that out of the 200 Subscribers, 110 will get their allocation letters from Monday on the first come, first serve basis. He urged the Subscribers to look out for their names, even as he noted that 36 others who defaulted would have their deposits refunded

 65-Year Old Pastor Handed Over To The Police For Defiling Seven Year Old Girl In Awka.  By Chidinma Ikeanyionwu  A 65- year old pastor, Mr. Francis Ogwu has been handed over to the police for defiling his seven year old domestic help in Awka.  The suspect Ogwu was arrested following an alarm raised by concerned residents of the town.  The suspect identified as Mr. Francis Ọgwụ, from Imo State, is a pastor and general overseer of Jesus House of Joy Church, Awka, but has lived with his wife and children in Anambra for over 30 years.   Mr. Ọgwụ confessed to the Honourable Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, that he "just fingered the girl once" and denied other allegations of peneration as against what the seven year old victim said.  On why he defiled the child, the suspect explained that he was tempted because his wife usually gives excuses that she's fasting whenever he wants to have quality time with her.  Meanwhile, the seven year old survivor who n

 Court Jails Five for Internet Fraud in Kaduna   Justices R.M Aikawa and A. Isiaka on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 convicted and sentenced five internet fraudsters to prison in Kaduna.  Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court Kaduna sentenced and convicted the trio of Molwat Terah Sati, Zumshak Paul Wankof and Chidi Tochukwu Emmanuel, while Abraham Daniel (a.k.a Eric Wallace) and Amos Wisdom (a.k.a Laura Lute) were convicted by Justice Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court.   All the convicts were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on one-count separate charges, bordering on internet crimes.   Sati’s charge reads: “That you Molwat Terah Sati (a.k.a Helena Bialas) sometime in April, 2024 at Bankers Apartment, Reyfield, Jos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Helena Bialas on Facebook (an online social media platform) to unsuspecting members of the public with intent to gain advantage for

Regional Hotel Operation:  Olukoyede Orders Arrest of Officers Involved in Unprofessional Conduct The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  Mr. Ola Olukoyede has ordered the arrest of two officers of the Commission allegedly involved in the manhandling of a female staff of Regional Hotel, Ojo, Lagos. The officers were sighted in a viral video assaulting the staff of the hotel in an early morning sting  operation in Lagos.  The operation yielded a sizable number of suspects who are still being profiled. The EFCC’s boss has also ordered detailed investigations of the operation carried out at the hotel and assured that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any of the officers found to be culpable. Olukoyede assures the general public that the EFCC would continue to ply its job professionally and with profound respect for the rule of law.

 Lisa Kudrow remembers Matthew Perry being 'uniquely hilarious' in 'Friends' rewatch Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow became family on the set of one of the most beloved sitcoms, "Friends." Kudrow, who portrayed the quirky Phoebe Buffay on the NBC series, admitted years ago that she feared watching the show again and not liking her work. Recently, Kudrow began rewatching episodes of "Friends" to keep the memory of her late co-star alive. Perry died on Oct. 28 after an apparent drowning in a hot tub at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. He was 54.  "Honestly, I wasn’t able to watch it because it’s too embarrassing to watch yourself. But if I make it about Matthew, then that’s OK," Kudrow told The Hollywood Reporter.  "And it’s just celebrating how hilarious he was — and that is what I want to remember [about him]." Perry was 24 years old when he began portraying his arguably most famous character, Chandler Bing. &q

 Bolivia grapples with aftermath of failed coup attempt as nation strives to restore stability Calm returned to Bolivia's capital on Thursday after troops led by a top general stormed the presidential palace, then quickly retreated, tumultuous scenes that threatened to pitch the long-troubled South American democracy into chaos. The nation of 12 million watched in shock and bewilderment Wednesday as Bolivian military forces appeared to turn on the government of President Luis Arce, seizing control of the capital’s main square with armored personnel carriers, crashing a tank into the palace and unleashing tear gas on protesters who flooded the streets. The country's army chief, Gen. Juan José Zúñiga, addressed a scrum of TV reporters from the palace, vowing to "restore democracy," replace the cabinet, and free political prisoners. But as opposition leaders condemned the apparent coup attempt, it became clear that the coup had no meaningful political support. Arce refus

 New fish species with human-like teeth named after popular movie villain A new fish species has emerged, but it does not hail from the realm of Mordor as its name suggests. The relationship between pacus and piranhas has been closely studied by researchers and while the species are related to one another, pacus have been labeled the "vegetarian piranhas" because of the fish's human-like teeth. The newest addition to the pacu family was discovered swimming in the Amazon River and has a marking on its body that closely resembles a villain out of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel. The Myloplus sauron is a new species named by researchers "as part of an effort to see through the confusion surrounding piranhas and their relatives, and better understand the fish living in and around the Amazon River," the Natural History Museum reported. The fish has a large black band on its body that resembles the "Eye of Sauron," a disembodied form of the villain in "The Lord

 Supreme Court rules to allow emergency exceptions to Idaho's abortion ban The Supreme Court Thursday ruled that doctors in Idaho must – at least for now – be allowed to provide emergency abortions despite the state's near-total ban, in order to comport with the federal law that requires emergency rooms to give "stabilizing treatments" to patients in critical condition.  In an unsigned opinion, the Court held that writs of certiorari in two cases involving the law were "improvidently granted," and vacated stays the Court granted earlier this year.  The consolidated cases, Moyle v. U.S. and Idaho v. U.S., had national attention following the high court's 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.  In a concurring opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanagh, agreed with the highly unusual move by the Court. "because the shape of these cases has substantially shifted" since the Court granted certior

 Illegal accused of raping NY teen after slipping into San Diego from Turkey An illegal immigrant from Turkey is accused of raping a 15-year-old New York girl in his car after threatening to beat her with a pipe, according to local reports. Sakir Akkan, 21, forced the girl into his green Toyota Prius on May 14 but was not captured until June 18, the Albany Times-Union reported. Border Patrol agents arrested him in November 2023 at the U.S.-Mexico border in California and released him into the interior, according to the paper. Then he obtained a New Jersey driver's license and a car and settled in Troy, New York. According to an incident report obtained by Fox News, Akkan coerced the girl into his backseat with a pipe, removed her clothes and raped her there despite her attempts to push him away. Akkan was being held in an Albany jail without bail. He is due back in court Thursday afternoon. Court records show Akkan had been stopped in another jurisdiction for an alleged traffic vio

 Shannen Doherty admits cancer makes dating difficult because she ‘might have an expiration date’ Shannen Doherty says she thinks she might be a "hard sell" on the dating scene because her cancer diagnosis could be difficult for a potential romantic partner to handle.  "I think it’s hard for somebody like me, in my personal opinion, because it’s hard to go into dating someone when you know that they might have an expiration date," she told Kelly Ripa on the "Live" host’s Sirius XM "Let’s Talk Off Camera" podcast this week.  She continued, "And I don’t think men handle death and illness – most men, I don’t want to generalize and say all men – but they don’t handle any of that as well as women do."  "I’m a very hard sell," she added, which Ripa said she disagreed with, explaining that she is always trying to find a match for her. The morning host said she thinks Doherty needs an older man with his own money who is not "inti

 Abia Keke Union Supports Recent Restrictions of Movement The Abia State Tricycle Operators Onion (ASTOPU), says it is in total support of the recent restriction on movement of Keke from 7pm to 6am. While reiterating that the recent development is to ensure protection of lives and property, ASTOPU said the move is in tandem with the ideals of the union. In a statement by Azubuike Victor chairman and  Ken nwaosu secretary, the union pledged to support the government in sanitizing the industry as well as ensure that all members are duly registered. The transport union also asked all our members to comply with the directive to avoid harassment by security operatives.

 Each State Should Be Allowed To Negotiate Minimum Wage — Southern Govs The 17 Governors from the Southern part of Nigeria under the aegis of the Southern Governors’ Forum have advocated that each state be allowed to negotiate a new minimum wage they can pay with the labour unions. This was contained in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. “The Forum discussed the minimum wage issues demanded by labour and unanimously agreed that the minimum wage should be reflective of the cost of living and ability to pay, and each State be allowed to negotiate their minimum wage,” the communique partly read. In the 16 points communique, the Forum called for strengthening of fiscal federalism and devolution of powers and expressed concern over current practices where mineral licenses are issued and explorations undertaken without recourse to state governments. It noted that issuing mineral licenses without carrying the states along have resulted in

 NASS Passes Bill To Extend 2023 Appropriation Act, Supplementary Budget The National Assembly comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate has passed a Bill for an Act to Amend the Appropriation Act 2023, to further extend the implementation of the Capital aspect of the Appropriation Act, 2023 from 30 June 2024 to 31 December. It also passed a Bill for an Act to Amend the Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2023 to further extend its implementation from 30 June 2024 to 31 December 2024. The bill scaled the first reading on Thursday. The leader of the senate, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele and sponsor of the executive bill, then proceeded to lead the debate on the general principles of the bill presented for the first time today. The development comes as President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, asked the Senate, to further extend the implementation period for the capital component of the ₦21.83trn 2023 budget, and the ₦2.17trn 2023 supplementary budget from June 30 to December 31, 2024. This w

 Shun hard drugs, bad influences – Gov Otti admonishes youths in Abia Abia State governor Alex Otti, on Wednesday, urged youths of the state to shun hard drugs and bad influences to secure their future and contribute meaningfully to the development of society. The Governor stated this in Umuahia, during the commemoration of the 2024 United Nations Day Against Illicit Trafficking and Drug Abuse, organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The Governor explained that knowing and understanding the effects and consequences of drug use will go a long way to help youths make informed decisions and seek necessary help when needed. Dr Caleb Ajagba, the Chief of Staff who represented the Governor, explained that education plays a very significant and vital role in empowering people with the information they need to resist substance abuse. He stressed that the journey of life should be approached with the right intention to excel as it emphasizes the need for youths aspiring to succee

 PRESS RELEASE NPF CONDOLES WITH POLICE MINISTER ON MOTHER'S DEMISE The Nigeria Police Force extends its deepest condolences to the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, on the passing of her beloved mother, Hajiya Aisha Sulaiman-Danladi. The passage of Hajiya Aisha Sulaiman-Danladi peacefully after the Fajri morning prayer of Thursday 27th June, 2024, is a profound loss not only to her immediate family but also to the extended community that had the privilege of knowing her. The Inspector General of Police, the entire NPF leadership, and all officers of the Force express their heartfelt sympathies and stand in solidarity with the Minister during this difficult time. Hajiya Aisha Sulaiman-Danladi's legacy of kindness, compassion, and devotion will be remembered by all who were touched by her life. We pray that Almighty Allah grants her Jannatul Firdaus and grants her family the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss. ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr,