The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over release of alleged bandit collaborator, who was arrested at a planned meeting bandit leaders in Gusau, Zamfara State capital. In the petition addressed through the governor of Zamfara state dated September 23, 2020, the group warned that Buhari’s fight against banditry in northern and other states, would be tainted by collaborators, who have connection with powerful politicians in various states. According to the letter signed by the spokesperson of CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman and the group’s Zamfara coordinator, Bilyaminu Aliyu and made available to Ashenewsonline on Wednesday, “the situation…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, and Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, are under fire for allegedly tinkering with the president’s approval in the award of radio and TV broadcasting licenses. In 2016, Mr. Kyari was accused in an online report of taking N500 million from communications giant, MTN, purportedly to help it mitigate the fine of $5 billion imposed on it by the federal government, just as the embattled NBC boss is currently facing charges bordering on the misappropriation of N2.5 billion. The recent recommendation by the NBC…
By Tina George, Minna The Executive Director of the International Press Center, IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade has charged journalists, to win back public trust by holding as sacrosanct their constitutional obligation of monitoring governance and holding government accountable to the people. He made the charge during a two-day media training workshop on use of Freedom of Information, FOIA, for Investigative Reports on Campaign Finance and COVID-19 Accountability Issues in Abuja. According to him, there is need for journalists to overcome the growing perception that the Nigerian media has been compromised and that investigative journalism is dead in the country. “We…
CDC Group, a UK development finance institution, says it is currently investing US$425 million to support 100 businesses and 38,000 jobs in Nigeria. The UK Group disclosed this during a virtual visit to Nigeria by its board led by Chief Executive, Nick O’Donohoe and Chairman, Graham Wrigley. According to a statement by British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, CDC also partnered with 40 investment funds, which included Afreximbank, African Capital Alliance and Indoram. The UK Government-funded institution says all proceeds from its investments are reinvested to improve the lives of millions of people in Africa and South Asia. “Nigeria plays a…
By Tina George, Minna A veteran journalists and correspondent of The Guardian newspaper in Niger state, Akin Alofetekun has died. Alofetekun died in Minna at the age of 64 on Tuesday, after a brief illness. The state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, former governor of Niger state, Dr Babangida Aliyu, the state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the NUJ Correspondent Chapel, have all commiserated with the family of the deceased journalist. In his condolence message to the family and NUJ, Sani Bello said that the counsel and wealth of knowledge of the deceased would be missed…
The Global Integrity Crusade Network, GICN, has observed that there was no need to invite the Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, to appear as a witness before the Justice Ayo Salami-led Investigative Panel. Edward Omaga, the Network’s Executive Director, while making the suggestion in Abuja on Wednesday, said there was no need for the AGF to be invited since the panel had gathered enough evidence to do justice to its report. “There were reports that Malami is to appear as witness before the panel and we are saying the panel should be allowed to use its own wisdom in…
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved $1.95billion for the construction of Kano-Dutse (Jigawa)- Katsina- Jibia–Maradi (in Niger Republic) rail line project. The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, made this known when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chamber, State House, Abuja. He said the council also approved N3 billion for the design, manufacture, supply, testing and commissioning of one railway crane of 150 ton capacity for emergency and recovery of rolling stocks. “The Council approved two memos for the Ministry of Transportation. The…
Twenty-three persons have been confirmed as a result of Wednesday morning tanker explosion, at Felele area of Lokoja, Kogi state. ChannelsTV reports the sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr Idris Fika as confirming the figure of the bodies that have so fat been pulled from the wreckage. ChannelsTV further reports eyewitnesses as putting the figure at over 50 people. The Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello in a statement by his spokesperson, Onogwu Muhammed, expressed his condolence to the families of those affected by the occurrence. “It is very sad to learn of the tragic loss of…
Four years after her petitions against Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB, over alleged illegal withdrawals of €11,765 Euro from her account, a bank customer, Mrs Gbemi Erinoso-Babalola, has expressed concern over the inability of the EFCC and CBN to investigate the matter. Erinoso-Babalola, a director at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), through her lawyer, Cornelius Nwapi of Midland Chambers, expressed her disappointment over the reluctance of the anti-graft agency and the CBN to probe the matter she lodged in 2017. Nwapi lodged the complaint in two separate letters written to the Area 3, Abuja Branch Manager of the GTB on…
Governor Aminu Tambuwal, has ordered the recovery of corpses of five people that drowned in River Zalzalu along Sokoto-Illela road as a result of an auto crash on Thursday, last week. Tambuwal also condoled the families of the deceased, praying to God to grant them Aljanna Firdaus. The victims were identified as Shuaibu Mai Maciji Isa, a snake charmer, along with his two apprentices, Mubarak Aminu, the driver of the vehicle and the motorcyclist who is yet to be identified. Tambuwal who was on his way to condole the people of Wurno the day the accident involving a motorcycle and…