Amidst renewed calls by North East governors on the Federal government to engage foreign mercenaries in routing Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest and other insurgents’ enclaves, the foreign military contractors earlier engaged by Nigeria have vowed never to return. During the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria had covertly brought in ‘military-technical advisers’ suspected to be mercenaries from South Africa and the former Soviet Union to take on Boko Haram ahead of the national election in 2015. Several regional security, defence and diplomatic sources were aware of the development at the time including a tacit confirmation by President Jonathan…
Author: Editor
Niger Republic has extradited the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina to Nigeria, reports in Abuja say. Recall that Maina was arrested in Niger’s capital, Niamey, having jumped bail and declared wanted by an Abuja High Court. He was received on Thursday by men of the Nigeria Police Force at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The aircraft carrying the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team landed at the airport at 2.15 pm. Speaking with journalists at the airport, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Interpol said Maina was brought back…
Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of N235,451,969.89, traced to the account of a convicted fraudster, Okeke Obinwanne, to the Federal government of Nigeria. Justice Liman had, on March 23, 2020, ordered the interim forfeiture of the money domiciled in First City Monument Bank, following an ex parte application dated December 18, 2019 by the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. In granting the interim forfeiture order, the Judge had also ordered the Commission to advertise same in any national newspaper…
By Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto In commemoration of the 16 days of activism against Sexual and Gender-based Violence, SGBV, women’s and child rights advocates as well as civil society organisations, CSOs, in Sokoto state, have called for the establishment of more life skills and schools for People Living with Disability (PLWD). The CSOs made the call at a WRAPA EU-UN Spotlight Initiative 2-Day midterm review workshop held at the Giginya Coral Hotel, Sokoto. The call is aimed at promoting self reliance as well as protect women and girls living with disability against sexual and gender based violence. They also appealed to…
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has appealed to the Federal Government to immediately restrict international flights, following recent reports indicating a new wave of Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Director of the group, prof. Ishaq Akintola, made the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday in Lagos. “We recall that the first index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria which was reported on Feb. 27 came in from Italy. A second case was reported within two weeks of the first in Ewekoro, Ogun State. “All hell broke loose soon after and the country came under lockdown for about three months with dire consequences.…
The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC), has announced 122 new infections of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. The NCDC made this known via its verified website on Wednesday. The public health Agency stated that the new infection were reported from 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The agency said that the infections had brought the total number of cases in the country to 67,838. Nigeria has so far tested 779,708 persons since the first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic was announced on Feb. 27, 2020. The NCDC said that the country had recorded a total…
Oil prices rose on Wednesday as the market awaited a pact from producers on output, which many traders expect will continue to be reined in. Britain’s approval of a COVID-19 vaccine gave hopes for a demand recovery a boost. Prices were hit earlier by a surprise build in oil inventories in the United States and as OPEC and its allies created uncertainty with a two-day delay to a formal meeting to decide whether to increase production in January. Brent crude oil futures were up 34 cents, or 0.7%, at $47.76 a barrel by 1500 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate crude…
The Kebbi chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, has called for stakeholders increased collaboration to check the spread of HIV/AIDS. The chairperson, Laiatu Bamaiyi said this in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the 16 days of activities on violence against women and children should not make stakeholders forget to mark the 2020 World AID day. While describing persons living with HIV as indispensable community in the violence against women and HIV response, she reiterated the commitment of UNAIDS in championing global solidarity against stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Bamaiyi said that the candlelight commemoration…
The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading the “Finance Bill” aimed at reforming extant fiscal policies for economic growth. The bill seeks to amend the Capital Gains Tax Act, Companies Income Tax, Personal Income Tax, Tertiary Education Trust Fund establishment Act, among others . The consideration of the bill for second reading followed the presentation of the lead debate at plenary by Sen. Abdullahi Yahaya (APC Kebbi). Yahaya, leading debate on the general principles of the bill, said the bill among other objectives sought to reform extant fiscal policies to respond to the economic and revenue challenges caused by decline…
Those agitating for a brand new Constitution in Nigeria may have to perish the thought because the National Assembly, NASS, lacks the powers to do so, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said. Speaking when he hosted members of Alliance of Nigerian Patriots in Abuja, Omo-Agege who chairs the Senate Adhoc Committee on Constitution Review, stressed that the National Assembly has no powers to replace the current Constitution but can only amend same. The delegation was led by Ambassador Umunna Orjiako. Citing advanced democracies like the United States of America where Nigeria’s presidential system of government is…