Author: Mariam Usman Lawal

Unknown gunmen have reportedly abducted a Nigerian Army officer, Charles Ogbonna, in Makurdi, Benue State, near an army barracks. Ogbonna, identified as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCO), was last seen driving out of the barracks at Makurdi en route to Agenebode. According to a report by SaharaReporters, his car was later found abandoned along the Naka-Makurdi road, with his military identity card inside. Sources within the military have disclosed that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N5 million for Ogbonna’s release and have initiated contact with his wife. A military signal confirming the incident and detailing the efforts…

Despite the invasion of military junta in Republic of Mali, Niger and Burkina-Faso, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated the commitment of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to sustain push for restoration of constitutional government across member states. President Tinubu who doubles as Chairman of ECOWAS gave the commitment on Tuesday at the opening of 2024 second extraordinary session of the community parliament in Kano. Tinubu underscored the essence of political and constitutional stability as panacea to prosperous regional growth and integration, declared Nigeria’s willingness to work with the regional legislators to entrench strong democratic ties…

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has vowed to sign a death warrant of one Shafiu Abubakar, if convicted of murder in the mosque explosion at Gadan village, Gezawa local government area of the state. Abubakar, was arrested after setting the local mosque ablaze on Wednesday during the early morning prayers, leaving 24 members of a family with critical burnt. Meanwhile, Kano state police command has said a total number of 17 person so far lost their lives in the callous act of arson. Governor Yusuf who issued the threat yesterday when he paid a sympathy visit to remaining surviving victims…

The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage will reconvene on Tuesday, May 23 to further negotiate a reasonable new minimum wage for workers, after the organised labour walked out of the negotiation on May 15. An invitation letter sent to the labour leaders by the chairman of the committee, Bukar Goni, states that the other members of the committee have agreed to shift grounds from the N48,000 proposal which was made on Wednesday. The letter appealed to the labour leaders to speak to their members and attend the reconvened meeting next Tuesday. The organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress…

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja, has refused to grant bail to an Executive of Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan. Justice Nwite held that Gambaryan is likely to jump bail if bail is granted to him. The company and its executive were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on money laundering before Emeka Nwite, judge of a federal high court in Abuja. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge. Moving an application, Counsel to the Defendant, Mark Mordi, argued that the court had the power to grant bail to the defendant and impose conditions to…

President Bola Tinubu has welcomed President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal to the State House, Abuja. The President was flanked by senior members of his cabinet who were on hand to receive the Senegalese leader to the nation’s capital. Faye, who was just sworn in as the President of the West African country in April, is in Abuja on an official visit. Tinubu was in attendance when Faye was sworn in April as Senegal’s youngest president after sweeping to a first-round victory on a pledge of radical reform 10 days after he was released from prison. The 44-year-old has…

The Kano State Police Command has confirmed the death of 11 victims of Wednesday Mosque explosion at Laraba Abasawa village, in Gezawa local government area of the state. No fewer than 24 worshippers were set ablaze in a local mosque in the village while observing their early morning prayers by one Shefiu Abubakar over an inheritance disagreement. Although, six of the 24 who suffered critical burns lost their lives yesterday at the Murtala Muhammad Specialists Hospital, the lastest rise in the death toll said to have ensued as at 6am Thursday. According to Police spokesperson in Kano, SP Abdullahi…

The Yobe State Government has gone spiritual in response to the ongoing issue of vandals damaging electricity towers in the state on Wednesday. The Special Adviser to Governor Mai Mala Buni on Religious Affairs, Babagana Kyari, made the government’s position known during a prayer session in the state capital, Damaturu. The vandals had destroyed electricity towers, cutting Borno and Yobe states from the national grid. Kyari led a group of Muslim clerics in the recitation of the Holy Quran, prayers and slaughtering of cows for God to punish the insurgents crumbling the towers. The development followed the governor’s warning…

A Non-Governmental Organization, Nigeria First Project has challenged Federal government to reinstate enforcement of Cybersecurity Levy amid public outcry against the extra cost on Nigeria. Even though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the implementation of the Cybersecurity levy, the group insisted the Cybersecurity levy was sincerely introduced by the government as part of strategies to combat insecurity. Besides, the NGO urged Nigerians to dismiss insinuations that the levy was introduced to punish masses already saturated by the impact of subsidy removal and hyper inflation in the country. Addressing journalists at Kano press centre on Tuesday, the National Coordinator…

The Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, has discontinued his support for the planned mass wedding of 100 orphans in his constituency, asking the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, to investigate claims of child rights abuse. Sarkindaji stated this while briefing journalists at the House of Assembly complex in Minna. He expressed displeasure over the minister’s position regarding the mass wedding and his support to orphans whose parents are not able to meet marital expenses. Visibly upset with the negative media reports attributed to the minister, the Speaker said he was never contacted for clarity but…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has threatened a nationwide strike. The union decried the failure of the Federal Government to appoint Governing Councils for Federal Universities. The union also faulted what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to matters pertaining to academics in Nigerian Federal Universities. The body of academics, during an ongoing press briefing at the University of Abuja, also faulted the 35 per cent salary increment for professors and the 25 per cent salary increment for other academics in the university system. The body said it saw the increment…

The Federal Government has suspended the controversial cybersecurity levy on electronic banking transactions. Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday. He said the policy is undergoing a review. “The position of the government is that that policy has been suspended. It has been put on hold. That is the position of the government for now. It is undergoing some form of review. It was reiterated in council (FEC meeting) yesterday. You know that today’s council…

A new wage system based on employee’s productivity in the civil service is underway, the Federal Government said on Monday. The government said with the system, workers on the same level could earn different salaries. The government said the formulation of an innovative wage system was being considered because it realised that productivity was a key factor in the growth of the country’s economy. The Director-General of the National Productivity Centre, Nasir Raji-Mustapha, disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with Labour correspondents. He said: “We are in the process of developing a productivity-led wage system that will ensure…

Nigerian sprint icon Tobi Amusan has become the world’s fastest woman in the women’s 100m hurdles after running a world-leading 12.40 seconds. In a thrilling race, the world record holder secured the victory, leaving behind Danielle Williams, the world champion, who clocked her best time of the season at 12.46 seconds. Following closely was American Christina Clemons, claiming the third spot with a time of 12.54 seconds. This triumph means the Nigerian athlete has now claimed the top spot globally, surpassing American Tonea Marshall’s previous record of 12.42 seconds set in late April. Tobi Amusan’s impressive win arrives just…

AN aircraft belonging to Xejet Airlines on Saturday skidded off the runway at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos. The incident happened after landing at Runway 18L when it skidded off the Runway into the grass verge by B5 Aircraft. The E145 aircraft departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with 52 passengers and two crew members on board. “Fire and Rescue on ground to help in evacuation of the passengers. At the moment Runway18L is closed to traffic,” a source said. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has confirmed the incident, saying its investigators had been deployed to…

The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, says 100 female orphans who lost their parents to bandits’ attacks in Mariga Local Government Area will be given out in marriage this month. The Speaker, who pledged to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms, has procured all the materials needed for proper marriage to the 100 girls, stated that their comfort in their matrimonial homes has been taken care of like any other child who gets married in the Islamic way. The Speaker, who represents Mariga Constituency, did not disclose the age range of the girls but…

The Senate has approved the death sentence as a penalty for drug traffickers in the country, as it passes through the third reading, the 2024 NDLEA Act (Amendment) Bill. The proposal was adopted on Thursday when the Senate dissolved into a committee of the whole for a clause-by-clause consideration of a report of the Chairman of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters and Drugs & Narcotics National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Senator Tahir Munguno. In a review of the penalty provisions of the amendment bill towards strengthening the operations of the…

A non-governmental HortiNigeria has launched a pest control campaign against a deadly disease wrecking havoc on tomatoes in Nigeria. The tomato infection ‘Tuta Absoluta’ has persistent destroyed significant percentage of farmers investment, crippled production level and largely responsible for high cost of the vegetables in the market. Unveiling the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) campaign amid farmers and other stakeholders at Gidan Kwari in Bunkure local government of Kano state, HortiNigeria lead sector enhancement officer, Abdullahi Umar said the techniques requires farmers to apply strategic measures ranges from cultural improved farming practices and the use of safe pesticides. Umar disclosed…

Veteran Nollywood actor, Jide Kosoko, on Tuesday mourned Elizabeth Evoeme, popularly known as Ovularia in the 1980s TV sitcom ‘The New Masquerade’, who died at the age of 81. Kosoko, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, described the late actress as a disciplined woman who had contributed immensely to the growth of the entertainment industry. “We have lost another gem, though at a ripe age. I pray the almighty God grants her soul a peaceful rest. “We worked together on The New Masquerade; I was a guest artiste at that time, she was…

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has assented the Kano State Premarital Health Screening act, a law mandating couples to undergo compulsory medical test. With the new law in place, conjugal tie will only be permitted upon clean bill of health for genotype, hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS, and other related illnesses. The law is also deemed necessary to reduce the likelihood of childbirth with underlying health issues such as sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis. In a statement by Director, Media and Publicity, Kano State Government House, Sanusi Bature, the initiative was in line with Governor Yusuf’s commitment to enhancing…