Commonwealth Games: Team Nigeria Women Grab Gold, Men Manage Bronze

August 7, 2022

Team Nigeria Track and Field competitors have won more medals as Nigeria women’s clinched the 4×100m Gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
The quartet of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha ran a new African Record of 42. 20 seconds to place first ahead England and Jamaica in the final.
Tobi Amusan, who is the current World Athletics Champion, ran the first leg before handing over the baton to Favour Ofili who had yesterday won Silver medal for Team Nigeria in the 200m final.
Ofili ran the bend before passing the baton to Rosemary Chukwuma who gave a good account of herself before handing over the baton to the anchor, fleet-footed Grace Nwokocha who ran the race of her life as the Team England and Jamaica anchors, chased her in vain to the finish line as Team Nigeria struck Gold.
Earlier, Team Nigeria 4×100m for Men, finished in the 3rd Place to clinch the Bronze medal.

Buhari Directs Southeast Leaders To Fish Out Attackers Of Non-Indigenes, Police

Editorial staff

August 6, 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the community and religious leaders to immediately fish out and expose the unidentified terrorists that attacked and killed non-indigenes and law enforcement officials in the Southeast.

President Buhari, who reacted to the reports of the killing of six Nigerien citizens and the brutal killing of a number of policemen at their duty posts, in a statement today, August 6, through his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, called on the leaders in the state to “speak more forcefully against the killings, stand up and defend the ethos of our cultural and religious heritage.

“Those who know should point at specific people who did this.”

He expressed his administration’s unwavering commitment to peace and stability in the southeast and the entire country, saying that the reports of killings anywhere are sad and unwelcome.

The President expressed condolences to the families of the law enforcement agents murdered and to the government and people of Niger Republic whose citizens were cruelly beheaded by “the beastly attackers.”

He reiterated his unequivocal condemnation and promised all possible action in conducting a speedy investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

2023: 56 Support Groups Stage One-Million Man-March For Peter Obi In Nasarawa

Editorial staff

August 6, 2022

A coalition of 56 support groups across the 13 Local Government Areas of Nasarawa state have staged a one-million-man march in solidarity and support for the 2023 Labour party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The groups, today, August 6, marched from the College of Agriculture junction along Jos road to the U-turn linking the Lafia main market along Makurdi road, carrying several inscriptions which indicated their love and support for Obi.

Secretary of the coalition, Wilson Kingsley, said that residents of the state are tired of the misrule of the All Progressives Congress-led government at the federal and state levels, which is why they came out in their numbers to support the former Anambra state governor.

According to him, the support groups are Peter Obi Candidacy Movement, Women for Peter Obi, Peter Obi Support Network, Peter Obi Ambassadors, Like Minds for Peter Obi, TakeBackNaija, Nigeria Needs Peter Obi, Peter Obi movement for President, Associates of Peter Obi, and others.

“These one million supporters are those who belong to the registered 56 groups across the 13 LGAs of the state. We are not campaigning at the moment because the Independent National Electoral Commission have not given a go-ahead. What we are doing today is a march to declare our support for Mr. Peter Obi.

“We are supporting him because we believe that he has the capacity and ability to take Nigeria to greater heights. We are tired of all the politicians who deceive us every election year, telling us that they will provide good governance but they never fulfill their promises.

“The present government has completely failed the citizens. They promised to provide security and ensure stability for our economy but everyone can see what Nigeria has become. Everything in the market have increased in price but the salary of workers did not increase.”

We Spent N100 Million To Conduct UTME For 42,000 Students – JAMB

Editorial staff

August 6, 2022

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that over N100 million was spent to organise its 2022 mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). It was held today, August 6.

The exam body, however, expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the exam held in 45 centres across the country.

The exam was for candidates who could not participate in the examination during the main exercise in May due to various reasons, including examination malpractice.

The board noted that after every exercise, it reviewed various reports from officials in the field and video footage of the examination.

It said that a team of experts conducted this to detect activities subversive of the process.

JAMB registrar, Ishaq Oloyede told journalists while monitoring the exam in Lagos that over 42,000 candidates participated across five states.

“Yes, we are here to monitor the conduct of this examination in Lagos. After a thorough analysis of the conduct of the 2022 UTME in 10 centres spread across five states of the federation where examination malpractices were established to have taken place, it became necessary to cancel the results of all candidates who sat for the examination in the affected states.”

Oloyede decried the activities of centres involved in malpractices during the main examination held early in May.

“They have seen for themselves that cutting corners does not pay. They have seen that they are repeating the examination, though it costs us a lot of money,” said Mr Oloyede regarding the students sitting the mop-up exam. “The only shortcut to success is hard work.”

According to the registrar, rewriting the UTME has cost JAMB over N100 million.

“My advice, therefore, for candidates generally, especially those writing this examination here today, is that they have seen for themselves what all of us have made of the country.

“They are free to determine whether they want to continue with this system or on their own, whether they are eager to create a better tomorrow, and the better tomorrow is not to cheat in the examination.”

Source: NAN.

Female Pilgrim From Taraba State Declared Missing In Saudi Arabia

Editorial staff

August 6, 2022

A female pilgrim, Hassan Abdullahi Bamuze, has been declared missing in Saudi Arabia after where she had gone for pilgrimage. She was among the 668 Muslim pilgrims airlifted from Taraba State to perform this year’s Hajj rites in Saudi Arabia.

Bamuze was reported to be missing from the two batches of pilgrims that returned to Taraba State after completing the pilgrimage.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Baba Hamza Muri, confirmed the report today, August 6, in Jalingo, the state capital.

According to him, the missing female pilgrim “has not been found yet.”

Muri said that the state completed the 2022 Hajj successfully with the arrival of the last batch of 131 pilgrims from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

He said that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has assured that everything will be done to locate the missing woman.

Police Intercept Igbo Woman Transporting 2 Kanuri Kidnapped Kids In Borno

Editorial staff

August 6, 2022

Borno State Police Command has intercepted an Igbo woman, who gave her name simply as Mrs. Nkwenwu, for allegedly transporting two Kanuri children suspected to have been kidnapped. She was also with a two year old baby girl.

Borno State Police spokesman, ASP Sani Kamilu Muhammed, who confirmed the story today, August 6, said that Mrs. Nwenwu was arrested with the children on her way from Maiduguri, Borno State to Abuja.

A Commercial driver operating on the Abuja route at the motor park where the woman was arrested, Danjuma Mohammed, told newsmen that the woman had arrived the Borno express motor park along with three children: two males and a baby girl, strapped on her back, late Thursday evening on her way to Abuja.

The driver said that because it was late, she requested for accommodation in the motor park to spend the night.

Mohammed said that on Friday morning, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) working in the park noticed the suspicious attitude of the woman and promptly arrested her.

A member of CJTf at the motor park, Mallam Bukar, said: “the woman solicited for accommodation to spent the night in the park and after undergoing interrogations by security and surveillance officials they gave her a room where she and the children slept.

“When one of children was hungry and began screaming for food, she rushed him to a nearby restaurant where some women noticed that the child crying bear Kanuri tribal marks on his face and became suspicious about the woman.

“It was one of the women who asked the child in Kanuri dialect and the boy revealed that the woman picked him at the popular Post Office roundabout and promised to buy him slippers. She called to inform me that an Igbo woman with suspicious signs brought a Kanuri boy (Almajiri) crying for food in her shop.

“I went straight to the restaurant and met the boy eating while she returned to the main wall of the park where she kept the remaining children. When she returned, I approached her to know the relationship with the child and she claimed that the children belong to her elder sister who is also going to travel alongside with them to Abuja. We waited for hours for the acclaimed sister but she did not show up and we reported to the police who moved her to the Metro Police Station.”

We Lost 2 Officers, 2 Expatriates, 2 Others To Unknown Gunmen In Kogi

Editorial staff

August 6, 2022

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the killing, by unknown gunmen, of six persons, including two police officers, two expatriates and two company drivers, along the Lokoja-Ajaokuta road. The two policemen were escorting the expatriates to the West Africa Ceramics Company in Ajaokuta.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Williams Aya, said that military personnel have been deployed to the scene.

The statement said said that the gunmen escaped.

“Two expatriates, two company drivers and two Police Inspectors died in the exchange of fire with the hoodlums, before the Area Commander and a detachment of Military in the area reinforced to the scene of incident, and the attackers fled.

“The Commissioner of Police (CP) assures that the Command is committed to working in synergy with other security agencies as well as patriotic stakeholders to make the state a safe and secure place for all and sundry.”

The statement said that investigations into the incident have commenced towards identifying and apprehending the attackers.

“The CP has further asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to commence investigations into the unfortunate incident so as to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the attack with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.”

Kogi State has witnessed an increase in security challenges recently.

In July three police officers and five members of a local vigilante group were killed by gunmen in the Ajaokuta area council of the state.

Firstbank Confirms “Unlawful” Sealing-Off Of Abuja Branch

Editorial staff

August 5, 2022

The Media and External Relations of the Firstbank’s Coomassie House Branch in Abuja, Kehinde O Taiwo, has confirmed the sealing-off of the bank yesterday over what was termed: “a garnishee order issued by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.”

The spokesman, in a statement today, August 5, denying the sealing-off story, said that the bank is currently challenging the action of the court.

“Our attention has been drawn to the news reports online with the conflicting claims that FirstBank branch or/head office has been sealed.

“Please be informed that the referenced story is a misrepresentation of the facts and misleading. Neither our branch nor head office was sealed.

“On the 4th of August, 2022, there was an unlawful enforcement at the Bank’s Coomassie House Branch of a garnishee order issued by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which order the Bank is still challenging in court.

“While the Bank has taken appropriate legal steps to deal with the situation, we wish to reassure our customers of unhindered banking services and unique customer experience in all our branches and through our numerous alternative channels.”

Colonel In Nigerian Army, Bags Brazilian Govt Award On Science And Technology

Editorial staff

August 5, 2022

A serving Colonel in the Nigerian Army, Nicholas Ashinze, has won the ‘Brazilian Government Prize for the Best Project on Science and Technology.

Ashinze of the military intelligence corps, bagged the prize for an outstanding research project titled: “Digital Currency and National Development in Nigeria: E-Naira in Perspective.”

The Prize was given today, August 5, at the National Defence College (NDC), Course 30 Graduation in Abuja. The College, established in 1992, also celebrated its 30th anniversary.

The Commandant of the NDC, Rear Admiral MM Bashir, said that the graduation ceremony was held for 102 participants of Course 30 and that the Nigerian Army had 28 participants, while the Nigerian Navy and Air Force, respectively had 20 and 5 participants.

Others are the Department of State Service, DSS, with 3 participants, the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA, with 2 participants, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, with 2 participants, the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, with 2 participants, and the Nigerian Police Force with 6 participants, in the long list of Strategic Institutions/Ministries, Departments and Agencies with participants in the Course 30 programme.

Addressing the participants, President Muhammadu Buhari, said that he is deeply worried over the activities of bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements across the country.

The President, who spoke through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, the President lamented that the number of violent and unprovoked attacks on citizens has been on the rise, recently.

He described the situation as unacceptable, even as he tasked security agencies to deal decisively with enemies of the country, just as he assured the country that his government will continue providing maximum support to the military and other security troops, to curb the spate of wanton attacks on harmless citizens.

Source: PRNigeria

2023: 15 De-Registered Political Parties Regroup, Endorse Peter Obi For President

Editorial staff

August 5, 2022

The 15 political parties which were deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have regrouped under the aegis of Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) and endorsed Peter Odi and throw weight behind the party, the Labour Party.

The CGG, in a statement today, August 5 by its national chairman, Okey Chikwendu, and Publicity Secretary, Don Anthony Harmattan, said that the group party took the decision to back Obi after carefully studying each presidential candidate to know the most reliable and credible among them.

The statement read: “We have earlier stated that the outcome of the political parties primaries for the presidential ticket and selection of the vice presidential tickets will determine which party we, the Coalition for Good Governance comprising of 15 deregistered political parties and some former presidential candidates would endorse and support for the 2023 presidential election.

“The choice is based on identifying the ticket with the most credible candidates who are tested, trusted, and exhibit sufficient intellectual capacity to salvage our nation from the wreck we find ourselves and meet the yearnings of the Nigerian people which is equitable, fair and just irrespective of tribe or ethnicity.

“In furtherance to the above, the CGG on July 28 held a meeting in Abuja well attended by the National Party Chairmen and former presidential candidates of deregistered political parties whereby they took a very critical appraisal of all the current presidential contenders for the 2023 presidential elections and their Vice, the house unanimously voted Peter Obi/Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as the most credible among the candidates and as such resolved to support and work with them and their campaign group on the platform of Labour party.

“We, therefore, agreed to rebrand our offices nationwide as Campaign support offices for the project. Our structures all over the 36 States and 774 Local Government Areas are henceforth required to support the Obi ticket.

“Nigerians have had enough of the disunity, eminent disintegration, lingering ASUU strike, terrorist threats, killings, kidnappings, hunger, unemployment, unbearable petrol cost and scarcity, high electricity tariffs, its epileptic situation, rising food cost etc and the continued lack of resolve by the establishment to put an end to these crises.

“We as leaders in mainstream politics in Nigeria wish to make clear that only an efficient, effective and credible candidate of renowned character can resolve most of Nigeria’s lingering problems and we, therefore, urge Nigerians to heed to our advice and support our goals of returning Nigeria as the true giant of Africa and the production hub of West Africa.”

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