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 Defection: Court dismisses APP’s suit seeking sack of 27 pro-wike lawmakers in Rivers assembly The federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the sack of 27 members of the Rivers state house of assembly loyal to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT). The suit, instituted by the Action People’s Party (APP), sought to replace the lawmakers on account of their alleged defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Delivering judgment on Friday, Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, held that the suit was statute-barred because it was not filed within 14 days allowed by law. Although the lawmakers reportedly defected in December 2023, the APP filed the case on July 12—eight months after the cause of action emanated. The judge also ruled that the case was a gross abuse of the court process, noting that the federal high court had adjudicated on many suits concerning the alleged defection of the same 27 lawmakers...

 AFCON 2025 qualifiers: Super Eagles vs Libya dates revealed The official dates for the Super Eagles 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Libya have been fixed.  The double header is scheduled for next month. The Super Eagles will host the Mediterranean Knights in a matchday three encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, October 11. Both teams will clash in a matchday four encounter four days later in Tripoli. Nigeria sit atop Group D with four points from two games. Libya occupy the bottom spot in the group with one point from the same number of games.

 Overwhelmed by challenges, man attempts suicide on Third Mainland Bridge A 59-year-old man identified as Yemi has disclosed that he attempted suicide because he was overwhelmed by challenges. Yemi, a resident of Ilasa in Lagos State, was rescued by the Rapid Response Squad operatives while attempting to jump into the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge on Friday. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. Hundeyin tweeted, “At about 1200hrs today (Friday), Rapid Response Squad (RRS) bike riders on routine patrol on the Third Mainland Bridge prevented a man from jumping into the lagoon. “The man, one Yemi, aged 59 of Ilasa, Lagos stated that he was overwhelmed by challenges.” He added that Yemi has been taken into protective custody pending the arrival of his family. “Commander RRS, CSP Shola Jejeloye has counselled the suspect and has directed he be kept in protective custody pending the arrival of hi...

 N17.63bn Salary Arrears: Otti Has Shown Political Will – LP Chieftain Labour Party chieftain in Ohafia, Obinna Odum has said that Abia State governor, Alex Otti showed political will when he approved the payment of N17.63 billion salary arrears previous administrations owed workers of the institutions. Odum made the remark, yesterday, while speaking to LEADERSHIP Friday in Umuahia, the state capital following the announcement of the approval by the state’s commissioner for information, Okey Kanu. He said: “This is not only a welcome development, but also a very big relief to the workers and their families, and a sign of hope for the civil servants and the generality of the people of the state.” The chieftain, who extolled the governor for the approval and other turnarounds he had achieved, urged the workers to reciprocate the approval by being more productive. In a statement entitled “Public notice announcement,” the commissioner had said the approval was “in line with the promise...

 Notorious Plateau gunrunner Bitrus Gyang caught with 20 AK-47s in Kaduna A notorious Plateau State gunrunner, identified as Bitrus Gyang has been intercepted by the Police in Kaduna with 20 fabricated AK-47 rifles. Kaduna Police Command’s Spokesperson, ASP Mansir Hassan revealed this in a statement on Friday. He said the suspect was arrested on Sept. 19, at about 1600 hours by officers from Buruku Police Division in Chikun Local Government Area of the State According to him, while conducting a routine patrol at Buruku Bridge, the police officers intercepted a black Golf III saloon car.” He said that upon thorough search of the vehicle, the officers discovered 20 locally made AK-47 rifles and an empty type 06 magazine hidden in the vehicle’s boot. Nigerian govt issues flood alert as Cameroon begins release of water from Lagdo Dam Hassan said the suspect, identified as Bitrus Gyang “is from Barkin Ladi of Plateau,” adding that during interrogation, he confessed to have being a gunru...

 Ogun: Man arrested for allegedly dismembering corpse of 13-yr-old-girl Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested one Ogidan Mustapha for allegedly dismembering the hands of his neighbour’s dead 13-year-old child in Sagamu Local Government Area of the state. Mustapha was arrested at about 1:30 am on Friday while trying to dump the body of the deceased near Igbosoro River in Igode village. The remains of the deceased, identified as Oriyomi Adegboyega, were wrapped with a mat. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, said the arrest followed intelligence from a sister security agency. She noted that three other suspects were also arrested for assisting in digging the grave. Odutola maintained that the mother of the deceased, Peace Adegboyega, when contacted, informed the command that her daughter had died of electrocution at around 10:20 am on Thursday. Adegboyega was shocked to learn that their neighbour Ogidan had been found with her daughter’s disme...

 Sex trafficking: Speed Darlington queries Burna Boy over association with Diddy Controversial Nigerian rapper, Speed Darlington has queried Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy over his association with embattled American music executive Sean Combs aka Diddy following the mogul’s sex trafficking indictment. Federal officers seized supplies that were intended for use in orgies known as “freak offs”, including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil during the raiding of Diddy’s $61m mansion in Beverly Hills in March. Following Diddy’s arrest by Homeland Security on Monday on suspicion of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and interstate transportation for prostitution, Speed Darlington urged Burna Boy to speak up if the disgraced mogul sexually assaulted him before accepting to executively produce his album ‘Twice As Tall’ which won a Grammy in 2021. Speaking in a video that went viral on Friday, Speed Darlington remarked: “Burna Boy took a picture with Diddy and he won a Gr...