The Zamfara state government has secured the release of 18 students of the state College of Agricultural and Animal Sciences Bakura, abducted by unknown gunmen recently. The gunmen had in August 16, abducted students and staff of the College in Bakura local government area of the state. Presenting the released abductees to Gov. Bello Muhammad, at the Government House, Gusau, on Friday, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ayuba Elkana, said the victims were rescued through dialogue initiated by the state government. “We may recall that the students were abducted and kept with the bandits 12 days ago. “They were…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the country now has 199,333 COVID-19 infections as at Friday Aug. 27 across all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The Centre, who made the announcement on its verified website on Saturday morning, noted that the country logged in 618 additional COVID-19 infections on Friday, adding to the recent surge in infections driven by the spread of the Delta variant in the country. The 618 fresh cases reported on Friday was a drop from the 835 cases reported the previous day and that the fresh cases were reported from 15…
Several Middle Eastern leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Baghdad on Saturday at a summit hosted by Iraq, which wants its neighbours to talk to each other instead of settling scores on its territory. Relationships within the region are strained chiefly by hostility between Iran on one side and the United States and its Arab Gulf allies on the other. Organisers said they did not expect any diplomatic breakthroughs at the summit. “Getting these countries to sit around the table – that will be achievement enough,” said one Iraqi government official. Heads of state attending included President Abdel Fattah…
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says the country will not disintegrate in spite of the current challenges it is facing. Obasanjo made the assertion in Lagos on Friday at a book lunch in honour of His Eminence, Sunday Mbang, Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church Nigeria. The launch of the book, “My Life and Times”, an autobiography of Mbang, was to celebrate the prelate on his 85th birthday, which was on Aug. 26. The event took place at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos. According to him, those fanning the embers of disunity are the enemies of the land and will soon…
There seem to be litany of orders as the Cross River High Court has granted an interim order restraining Uche Secondus from resuming office as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Recall that a Rivers state High Court on Monday granted an interim order restraining Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman of the party. The National Working Committee, NWC, of the party on Thursday, appointed Yemi Akinwonmi, deputy national chairman (south) of the PDP, as the acting chairman, which position was also ratified by the PDP Governors Forum. However, later same day, a Kebbi State…
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors Forum has denied that it asked Prince Uche Secondus to quit as National Chairman of PDP, in spite of the Kebbi State High Court Order reinstating him. A statement by the Forum’s Director General, CID Maduabum made available to newsmen on Friday, explained that the Forum’s endorsement of the appointment of Yemi Akinwonmi as acting national chairman, was made before the Kebbi High Court order was received by it. The Forum described the media reports as mischievous. “The PDP Governors Forum hereby categorically denies the insinuation in some media, that it had asked Prince…
The Kogi state government has purchased the first hospital based Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT) chamber in Nigeria, a facility service that could only be got on treatment abroad. Dr Saka Audu, the Kogi Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Lokoja. He explained that the purchase made Nigeria the fifth country in Africa to boast of such sophisticated medical equipment. Audu also stated that it was part of Gov. Yahaya Bello’s commitments to revamping the health sector by brining World best health care and services to Nigeria through the state. With this and many more state…
World football governing body FIFA has appointed Togolese official Kouassi Attiogbe, as the referee for next Friday’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying match between Nigeria and Liberia. The match, a Match Day 1 fixture in the qualifying competition, is scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos. The match between the Super Eagles and the Lone Star will begin at 5 p.m. Attiogbe is to be assisted on the lines by compatriots Komlan Adiwotso (Assistant Referee 1), Limna Kabassima (Assistant Referee 2) and Yelebodom Bodjona (Fourth Official). FIFA has also appointed Munkaila Adam from Ghana as Match Commissioner, while…
D’Tigers beat Kenya’s senior men’s basketball team 71-55 on Friday in Kigali to set the stage for their final group game on Sunday at the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket in Rwanda. The Nigerian senior men’s basketball team won the first quarter 20-8, only to lose 14-18 in the second quarter. They however resurged in the game’s second half, winning 15-13 and 22-16 in the third and fourth quarters respectively. The Nigerian side, after having won their opening game, 81-73 against Mali on Wednesday, therefore lead Group C ahead of the group’s other match of the day. Cote d’Ivoire, who beat Kenya…
Telecommunications company, MTN, has a payment plan with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to pay the tax remittance of $2 billion. Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning said this when she received the Commandant of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Mr Ayodele Adeleke on Friday in Abuja. According to reports, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Jan. 8, 2020, withdrew a two-billion-dollar tax demand against the telecoms company. This was after two years of allegation from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF)…