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 Ex-General Reveals Details of Ambush, Killing of Soldiers in Delta Community Former Major General Cecil Esekhaigbe (retired) has shed light on the circumstances surrounding the ambush that led to the killing of 16 military personnel last Thursday in the Okuama community of Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State. In an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief breakfast show on Monday, Esekhaigbe disclosed that the soldiers were ambushed by residents of the community while on a peacekeeping mission. The Defence Headquarters had earlier confirmed the deaths of 16 Nigerian soldiers, including two Majors, one Captain, and 12 soldiers, who were deployed from the 181 Amphibious Battalion to the Bomadi region for a peacekeeping mission in the Okuoma community. Esekhaigbe clarified that the soldiers were deployed to the coastal community to investigate why their colleagues, who were on a peacekeeping mission there, had been held hostage, and not for combat purposes. H...

 After sacking seven, 12 more CBN directors to go Twelve more Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directors may have been scheduled for dismissal, it was learnt yesterday. Reports on the planned sack of the senior personnel followed the termination of the appointments of seven directors by the apex bank last Friday. Two of the affected directors were said to have accepted their fate. The five others are reportedly planning to take legal action against their employer for what they consider as unlawful termination of career. It was learnt that the two directors who have resigned to fate are under probe by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) having been implicated in the Jim Obaze Report. Read Also: What to know about CBN’s N100b fertiliser donation Obaze was appointed as Special Investigator by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to scrutinise the activities of the CBN under the watch of its former Governor Godwin Emefiele. The termination letters sent to the seven dir...

 PH refinery: Marketers eye fuel price reduction, ready to load The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria have projected a marginal reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, produced from the Port Harcourt Refining Company once the plant begins operations next month. IPMAN and MEMAN also declared their readiness to load products from the facility, as they urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to fulfill its promise of pumping put refined products from the plant in two weeks time. On Friday, The PUNCH reported that the Group Managing Director, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, announced that the Port Harcourt refinery would commence operations in about two weeks time. Kyari, who appeared before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the various Turn Around Maintenance projects of refineries, revealed that mechanical works had been completed on the Port Harcourt, Warri, and ...

 Falconets beat Uganda 2-0 to reach African Games final Nigeria’s Under-20 female football team, the Falconets, on Monday reached the finals of the women’s football event at the 13th African Games in Ghana. They defeated their Ugandan counterparts 2-0 in the semi-finals of their match at Cape Coast Stadium. The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the Falconets have therefore boosted their quest to reach clinch the gold medal in their event. Monday’s encounter was closely contested with both teams vying fir a spot in the finals. Falconets had beaten Morocco 2-0 in their first match before a 4-0 humbling of Senegal in their second group B game to qualify for the semi-finals. Both teams had pushed for a breakthrough in the first half of the match which ended goalless. Substitutes, Adaobi Okoh and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, scored the goals that lifted the Nigerians over Ugandans for a place in the finals of the African Games 2023. African Games: Falconets stun Senegal with 4-0 win, a...

 March 18, 2024 Press Release: APPOINTMENTS Abia State Governor, His Excellency Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has approved the appointments of the following persons into the various respective offices: 1. Dr. Kalu U. Kalu - Executive Secretary, Primary Healthcare 2. Dr. Chimezie Okwuonu - CMD, Specialist/Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia 3. Prof. Ijeoma Nduka - CMD, ABSUTH 4. Dr. N.O.E. Kamanu - CMD, General Hospital, Aba 5. Dr. Odochi Azubuike - CEO, Health Management Board 6. Agbonma Ukaobasi - SSA, Ease of Doing Business 7. Mrs. Victoria Onwubiko - MD/CEO, ABSSAA 8. Lydia E. Onuoha - Chairman, ASUBEB 9. Dr. Eno J. Eze - Chairman, Civil Service Commission 10. Engnr. Kachy Etolue - Special Adviser, Energy 11. Dr. Ngozi Azodoh - Special Adviser, Health 12. Mrs. Nkolika Cleopatra Ubani - SSA, Legal *GOVERNING COUNCIL, ABIA STATE POLYTECHNIC, ABA 1. Stanley Egege – Chairman  2. Dr. Okoro, Christopher Kalu - Rector 3. Uchechukwu Job Iweha - Member 4. Rose Mbara Nelson – Member  5. Mrs. Lawre...

 Delta Ambush: Defence Headquartes releases names, photos of soldiers killed   The Defence Headquarters have made public the identities of the Nigerian Army commander, three officers, and 12 soldiers recently killed by attackers in Delta community. DHQ shared their photos and names on its X account on Monday. The deceased troops, who belonged to the 181 Amphibious Battalion, were deployed on a peacekeeping assignment to address communal tensions in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State when the tragic event unfolded. Below are their names: – LT COL AH ALI COMMAND OFFICER 181 AMPHIBIOUS BATTALION NIGERIAN ARMY – Maj SD Shafa (N/13976) – Maj DE Obi (N/14395) – Capt U Zakari (N/16348) – SSgt Yahaya Saidu (#3NA/36/2974) – Cpl Yahaya Danbaba (1ONA/65/7274) – Col Kabiru Bashir (11NA/66/9853) – LCol Bulus Haruna (16NA/TS/5844) – Lal Sole Opeyemi (17NA/760719) – LCpl Bello Anas (17NA/76/290) – LCpl Hamman Peter (NA/T82653) – LCpl Ibrahim Abdullahi (18NA/77/1191) – Pte Alhaji Isa...

 Alleged N2bn FIRS’ Fraud:  How Eteta Ita Diverted FIRS’ Funds to Her Private School- Witness A Prosecution Witness, PW6, in the ongoing trial of the Head of Stakeholders Unit of the Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, Emmanuella Eteta Ita, on Monday, March 18, 2024, told Justice Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, how Ita siphoned and diverted large sums of money meant for Stakeholders’ assignments to her private school, Surestart School Ltd. Ita ran Surestart School Ltd while serving as the Head of Stakeholders Unit of the Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS. The witness,  Ijeoma Maltida,  while giving her testimony  during a cross-examination by defense counsel, Paul Erokoro, revealed that the first defendant,  Ita,  undertook some Stakeholders’ assignments and  the funds meant for the projects  were traced into her account with the payment narration.  Investigations showed that the same funds were sent directly in...