The Federal Government has clarified that the newly detected XEC COVID-19 variant, identified in Australia and some other countries in Europe, is not in Nigeria. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Kachollum Daju confirmed that a recently leaked letter addressed to the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors was precautionary and not intended to cause panic. Speaking further, Daju noted that the XEC COVID-19 variant has been detected in 29 countries, and due to the festive season, when travellers arrive from various parts of the world, it is crucial for hospitals to implement measures to ensure the…
Author: Musa Bello
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A nine-year-old boy reportedly set his parents’ three-bedroom flat apartment, located at No. 52 Mandate Housing Estate, Ilorin, Kwara state on fire on Thursday. It was gathered that the fire was accidentally caused by a nine-year-old child playing with matches, which ignited a mattress and escalated the blaze. The incident that was confirmed by the head, Media and Publicity of the state Fire Service, Hakeem Adekunle, occurred when the young boy was playing with the matches. The Fire Service official also recalled a fire incident which happened last year in the Ilorin metropolis, when a young boy completely razed…
The trial of former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, continued on Wednesday before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. The duo faces charges of alleged misappropriation and theft of public funds amounting to ₦5.78 billion. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleges that the funds, intended for teacher salaries under the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) and other public welfare projects, were misappropriated during Ahmed’s tenure as governor. At the hearing, the EFCC called its first witness, Abubakar Hassan, an assistant director of finance at…
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, has confirmed the rescue of a 19-year-old student from Abubakar Audu University, Ayangba, Kogi State, who was found wandering naked in Ilorin. The victim, identified as Fauziyah Muhammed, a 400-level English Education undergraduate, was reportedly kidnapped on Sunday morning in Ayangba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. She was allegedly hypnotized by her captors and later abandoned in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Dr. Umar Muhammed, the NSCDC Commandant in Kwara State, revealed during a press briefing that Fauziyah was discovered by residents of the Ajegunle-Isale community…
A boat mishap that occurred between Baro and Akwanu communities of Agaie Local Government Area of Niger has claimed 22 lives. The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the incident in a statement in Minna on Friday. Arah said the boat, sailing from Ebe Community in Kogi state with about 50 passengers on board, was heading to Katcha market when the incident occurred around 2.00 a.m. on Thursday. He said that personnel of NSEMA, Agaie Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and other community volunteers, had been directing search and rescue operations. The…
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has congratulated Comrade Alhassan Yahaya on his election as the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). Comrade Yahaya emerged victorious at the 8th Triennial Delegates Conference held on Thursday in Owerri, Imo State. In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf described the election of Comrade Yahaya and his team as a reflection of the trust and confidence reposed in them by journalists nationwide. He called on the new leadership to promote inclusiveness, maintain the ethical standards of journalism, and focus on capacity-building initiatives…
Shamsuddeen Garba, also known as Dan Small, a resident of Gombe State, has been rewarded with a Honda (EOD) car and N700,000 after completing an extraordinary 548-kilometre bicycle journey from Gombe to Abuja. The gesture came from Dattuwa Ali Kumo, the deputy national treasurer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who expressed appreciation for Shamsuddeen’s determination. Shamsuddeen explained that his journey was a show of support for Dattuwa Kumo, citing the APC leader’s leadership and philanthropic activities in Gombe. He also urged Dattuwa to consider running for the Gombe State gubernatorial seat in 2027, citing his strong political potential.…
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday, departed Abuja for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to attend the opening of the International Exhibition of Extractive and Energy Resources 2024 conference. The event holds from November 27 to December 2, 2024, at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre. Shettima’s visit is “At the invitation of Côte d’Ivoire’s Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné,” Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement is titled ‘VP Shettima Leaves For Abidjan, To Attend SIREXE 2024 Opening Ceremony.’ SIREXE conference is an international event organised by…
A total sum of N1.411 trillion, being October 2024 Federation Accounts Revenue, has been shared among the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils. A statement by the Office of the Accountant General of thee Federation on Wednesday, said the revenue was shared at the November 2024 meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) held in Bauchi State, and chaired by the Accountant General of the Federation. Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein. The November 2024 FAAC meeting was held after the 2024 National Council on Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) hosted by the Bauchi State Government. The N1.411 trillion total…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted multiple attempts by drug syndicates to export large consignments of cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, to destinations including the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and Qatar. A statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed that the interceptions were the result of intelligence-driven operations, leading to the seizure of illicit substances and the arrest of individuals allegedly involved. At the Lagos airport on November 5, NDLEA operatives seized 13 parcels of cocaine…
The federal government has prohibited licensed flight crew members from operating multiple airlines concurrently. This was announced by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which came up with the restriction after discovering that pilots and other crew members were providing services to different airlines at the same time. In a circular with number NCAA/DGCA/AOL, dated November 6, 2024, and signed by the acting director-general of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, the regulatory agency said the practice has been declared illegal. The circular stated that operating for more than one airline at the same time poses significant safety risks. It stated…
A Delta State High Court in Warri has issued an order restraining the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from implementing its recent policy requiring a minimum admissible age of 16 years for university admissions in the country pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed against the board. JAMB, in a statement on October 16, stated that only candidates who will be 16 years old by August 2025 would be admitted to tertiary institutions. This directive was a follow-up to the new policy that the Ministry of Education introduced which states the adoption of 18…
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on Saturday challenged the opposition All Progressives Congress APC to concede defeat in the ongoing council election in the state. Governor Yusuf gave the advise after casting ballot at his Chiranci ward in Gwale local government area of the state, where he described the conduct of the election as freest process in history of election in the country. APC has earlier on Friday announced their withdrawal in the conduct of the council election citing the Judgment of Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal high court as justification of it decision. They however silent over the…
The value of the naira has continued its downward trend, depreciating further in the unofficial market, trading at ₦1,705 to the dollar on Wednesday, according to Bureau De Change (BDC) operators in Lagos and Abuja. Aliyu Sani, a BDC operator in Lagos, confirmed that he sold dollars at ₦1,705 and bought at ₦1,695. In Abuja, the rate was slightly lower, with currency traders selling dollars at ₦1,700 and buying at ₦1,690. On the Nigerian Autonomous Forex Exchange Market (NAFEX) housed on the FMDQ Securities Exchange, the naira closed trading at ₦1,659.69 to the dollar, marking a slight 0.04% depreciation…
Players and officials of the Super Eagles have been left stranded at the Al Abaq airport in Al Abaq, Libya hours after arriving in the country. About an hour before landing, the Nigerian aircraft approached its destination, Benghazi, but it was diverted to another city, which was more than two hours’ drive from the original destination. According to a journalist, Adepoju Tobi Samuel, the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) transport plans for the Super Eagles were disrupted during their journey to Libya. The initial agreement and approval obtained by the NFF was for a chartered flight to land in Benghazi,…
The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man, Aliyu Adamu, for the brutal murder of his close associate and childhood friend, Dahiru Musa. The tragic incident, reportedly motivated by greed and betrayal, occurred in Gaida Yan-Kusa Quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State. The deceased, Dahiru Musa, also known as “Alhaji Senior” or “Baba Alhaji,” was an estate manager. According to the police, Aliyu Adamu confessed that he killed his friend with the intention of converting Dahiru’s landed property to his own, as he was in possession of the land documents. The suspect was arrested alongside…
The trial of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, resumed on Wednesday, with significant testimony provided by Edward Adamu, a former Deputy Governor of the CBN. Adamu appeared as the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing case centered on the controversial naira redesign policy implemented under Emefiele’s leadership in late 2022. Emefiele is facing charges brought by the Federal Government regarding his handling of the naira redesign, which caused widespread public and economic disruption. The case is being heard before Justice Maryanne Anenih at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. During…
Barkisu Sulaiman, a housewife from the Karaworo-Lokoja area of Kogi State, has been arrested by local residents for allegedly throwing her newborn baby into a drainage ditch. The incident occurred on Tuesday, October 7, after a tip-off from a woman in the Kabawa area of Lokoja, who had a close relationship with Sulaiman and informed the authorities about the situation. According to reports, the woman revealed that Sulaiman had confided in her about being pregnant by one of her ailing husband’s servants residing in Adankolo-Lokoja. The friend further disclosed that the alleged father of the baby had denied responsibility…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced that over ₦13 billion in diverted public funds was recovered in September 2024 alone. The Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this during the launch of the commission’s 2024-2028 strategic action plan in Abuja on Wednesday. Aliyu, who emphasised that the anti-corruption agency has been working relentlessly to fulfil its mandate, did not disclose where exactly these funds were recovered from. “Over the past year, the ICPC has made significant progress in discharging its mandate; for example, we recovered over ₦13 billion in diverted public funds in…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, and a former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja for fraud. Both are being prosecuted on a 15-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27bn. One of the charges reads: “That you Darius Dickson Sshaku whilst being the governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the permanent…