Image Credit - Алесь Усцінаў Russia launched a titanic air attack over Ukraine on Friday, killing at least 30 people and wounding hundreds across the country in the brutal attack since the first days of the war nearly two years ago. Schools, a maternity hospital, shopping arcades and blocks of flats were among the buildings hit in the barrage, said Ukrainian officials. The attacks — during which a Russian missile passed through Polish airspace — triggered international condemnation and fresh promises of military support to Ukraine, which has been fighting off invading Russian troops since late February 2022. “Today Russia hit us with almost everything it has in its arsenal,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Ukraine’s military estimated Russia had launched 158 missiles and drones on Ukraine and 114 of them had been destroyed. Air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat told AFP that this was a “record number” of m...

  The Police Service Commission (NPC) has complained about unprofessional conduct by the Special Police Constabulary, a declared-Police establishment created to assist in community policing. It called for a different uniform and disbandment of outfits in states where the constabularies are not paid and taken care of. According to the Commission, it was dangerous to arm a group of people and license them to provide security and maintain law and order in states and communities across the country without basic financial remuneration. It observed that these set of men have descended on innocent Nigerians for their daily upkeep through forceful extortion and intimidation. The position of the PSC was made known in a statement signed by its Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, on Thursday. The Commission said it is no longer comfortable with the organisation and operations of the Special Police Constabulary nationwide, adding that it is already in contact with the Inspector G...

        Lucky Aiyedatiwa On Wednesday, December 27, 2023, Ondo State Acting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the substantive governor of the Sunshine State after the sad passing of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who died in Germany where he was being treated for prostate cancer. Aiyedatiwa, 59 years old took the oath of office at 5:18 pm in the presence of All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains and top government officials at the Cocoa Conference Hall in the governor’s office in Akure, the state capital. In his acceptance speech, Aiyedatiwa recounted how his relationship with Akeredolu dated back many years ago, “having closely worked with him when his (Akeredolu’s) gubernatorial journey started in the Year 2012”, adding that “the events which culminated in today (Wednesday’s) ceremony is a watershed in the history of Ondo State as this is the first time we are having a transition in an administration”. Aiyedatiwa’s walk to becoming the governor of Ondo S...

  Governors and House of Representatives members across political parties, on Wednesday, described the passing of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, as painful. Akeredolu passed away on Wednesday at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer. In separate statements, the governors and lawmakers said Akeredolu was an “exceptional statesman”, who made indelible marks in public service. The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, saluted Akeredolu’s patriotic spirit. “My heartfelt condolences go to the Progressives Governors’ Forum, the government and people of Ondo State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), as well as the immediate family of my dear brother and colleague His Excellency Olurotimi Akeredolu SAN,” AbdulRazaq said. “A frontline lawyer and conscientious politician of progressive bent, His Excellency would be remembered for his courage, patriotism, and immeasurable contributions to the constitutional and sociop...

Air strikes by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe have destroyed six illegal oil refining sites in Opu Arugbana in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State. According to the Air Force, the operation happened on 23 December 2023, “The illegal sites were sighted clustered within a radius of about 80 metres at a location about 6 nautical miles south of Opu Arugbana.” “Having been confirmed to be active, authorization was obtained to destroy the 6 sites, thus discouraging the criminals from continuing with their acts of illegality,” a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air CommodoreEdward Gabkwet read. “Despite the festive season, air operations against criminals in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country continue unabated. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, who spent Christmas day with troops in the Northeast and is currently in Katsina to fete troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, has commended the eff...

Love, unity, peace, and tolerance were some of the common themes in the messages by Nigerian leaders across all levels as the country joins others for the Christmas celebrations amid a stuttering economy. President Bola Tinubu, who came to power at the helm of Africa’s largest economy in May, launched an ambitious reform agenda to attract investment and address a cost-of-living crisis. He ended a costly fuel subsidy and lifted restrictions on the naira currency. Since then, fuel prices have tripled, the naira has lost 41 percent of its value against the dollar on the official currency market and, according to the World Bank, food prices have surged more than 31 percent. Overall inflation exceeded 28 percent in November. Poverty in Africa’s most populous nation rose from 40 percent in 2018 to 46 percent this year, the World Bank said. The lives of some 104 million people — or nearly half the population — are blighted by poverty. Despite these, Tinubu in his message told Nigerians he is ...

       Image Courtesy -  Ambroz The Federal Government has declared December 25th and 26th as public holidays for the Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations. It also declared Monday, January 1st, 2024 as a public holiday for New Year’s Day festivities. “The Federal Government has declared Monday 25th, Tuesday 26th December, 2023 and Monday, January, 1st 2024 as public holidays to mark Christmas and New Year Day celebrations, respectively, ” the Director Overseeing Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior Peter Egbodo said in a Friday statement. He quoted the Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as making the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government and felicitated Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on the occasion. “Dr Tunji-Ojo enjoined Christians to emulate the life of Jesus Christ in His practice and teachings of humility, service, compassion, and patience. peace and righteousness that His birth signifies,” he ...

The Special Investigator probing the Central Bank of Nigeria, Jim Obazee, says former CBN Governor Mr Godwin Emefiele and others embezzled billions of naira and committed other gross financial offences. According to a report by the online newspaper Premium Times, Obazee’s findings and recommendations were contained in a report he submitted to President Bola Tinubu on December 9, 2023. The findings include that Emefiele who was in office from June 2014 to June 2023, was engaged “in fraudulent cash withdrawal of $6.23 million”, and perpetrated fraud in the redesign of the naira, while Emefiele kept 543.4 million pounds in the United Kingdom. Premium Times, which saw a copy of Obazee’s submission to President Tinubu, also reported that Emefiele was found to have manipulated the exchange rate, fraudulently used the Ways and Means to the tune of N26.6tn, launched fraudulent intervention programmes, made fraudulent expenditures on COVID-19, and manipulated presidential approval, among other ...

  The Federal Government has reopened the Third Mainland Bridge, one month after its closure for maintenance work. “We are pleased to announce that parts of the Third Mainland Bridge which were closed last month will reopen today 21st December, 2023 by 6 pm,” the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi said in a Thursday statement. “Following essential maintenance, the entire bridge is now fully accessible to the public, ensuring smoother connectivity and safe commuting,” the commissioner added. He commended Nigerians for their “patience during the temporary closure,” adding that the government understood the inconvenience the closure may have caused. Osiyemi stated that the reopening reaffirms the government’s commitment to infrastructure upkeep and public safety. The move came over one month after the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works announced that it would be closing two ramps of the Third Mainland Bridge for repairs. The November 1 move as...

  Donald Tru mp is legally disqualified  for the US presidency because of his involvement in the January 2021 assault on the Capitol, Colorado’s supreme court ruled Tuesday, setting off a political earthquake that could upend next year’s election. The stunning legal decision — which Trump’s campaign said it would appeal — drew immediate condemnation from Republicans across the spectrum, and looked set to light a fire under the former reality TV star’s claim to political persecution. The ruling, which only applies to the Colorado primary ballot, is the first of a number of legal actions across the country to successfully invoke the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which bars from office anyone formerly sworn to protect the country who later engages in insurrection. “A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the Colorado high court wr...

  The Senate has disclosed plans to institute full investigation into the Military Pensions Board after it resumes from recess. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Olamilekan Adeola, made the announcement on Tuesday during the defence of the budget report by the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service. During the session, an additional fund amounting to N20bn was requested for, towards the construction of a office building for the military pensions board, as well as the renovation of the phase 1 to 4 of the federal secretariat. The Chairman questioned the operations of the board, its budget and the number of retirees who reportedly receive payment. Adeola stated that the Senate will resume next year with a probe into the board’s activities to put a halt to concerns of lack of transparency. The appropriation panel also frowned upon an additional N25bn request for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), when it received reports from the Ch...

Lara-jameson Rescuers in remote villages of northwest China dug through the rubble of collapsed homes on Tuesday after China’s deadliest earthquake in years killed at least 118 people and injured hundreds more. Officials in impoverished Gansu province said the shallow tremor just before midnight had caused the deaths of at least 105 and injured almost 400 as of Tuesday morning. A further 13 died, 182 were injured and 20 were missing in the city of Haidong in neighbouring Qinghai province, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The quake damaged thousands of homes — many of them ramshackle brick structures — and sent residents running into the freezing streets for safety. “I was almost scared to death. Look at how my hands and legs are shaking,” said a woman of about 30 in a video posted to a social media account associated with the state-run People’s Daily newspaper. “As soon as I ran out of the house, the earth on the mountain gave way, thudding on the roof,” she said as she sat swaddled in...

  Nigerian actress, Iyabo Ojo, has demanded N1billion from singer, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, for failing to deliver a letter that was made public. As  reported earlier,   Naira Marley demanded the sum of N500million and a public apology from Iyabo Ojo for the alleged dissemination of false and defamatory information about him on her Instagram account. Naira Marley was detained by the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Command over the death of his former signee, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.  In a letter posted on his Instagram page, the singer threatened to sue the actress if she failed to meet his demand. Naira Marley in a letter sent to Iyabo through his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, accused the actress of making an Instagram post in September 2023, accusing him of engaging in spiritual and physical dealings with Mohbad. According to him, the actress accused him of causing mental harm to Mohbad. But in what appeared as a ...

  Holders Manchester City will play Copenhagen in the last 16 of the Champions League, while Arsenal face Porto. Danish champions Copenhagen, who finished above Manchester United in their group, reached the knockout stage for the first time since 2011. The first legs take place on 13-14 or 20-21 February and the second on 5-6 or 12-13 March. City and Arsenal are seeded, meaning they will play the second leg at home. Record 14-time winners Real Madrid meet RB Leipzig, while Inter Milan - runners-up last season - play Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich face Lazio. The final takes place at Wembley on 1 June. Last-16 draw Porto v Arsenal Napoli v Barcelona Paris St-Germain v Real Sociedad Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund Lazio v Bayern Munich Copenhagen v Manchester City RB Leipzig v Real Madrid Premier League leaders Arsenal, who topped Group B but have never won the Champion League, beat Porto 5-0 at Emirates Stadium the last time they met in 2010. Runn...

  Florence Okpe Three persons have died with seven others sustaining injuries in an accident involving two vehicles at the Conoil filling station axis on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Saturday. This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Ogun Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Florence Okpe, in Abeokuta, the state capital. According to Okpe, the incident occurred at 9:23 p.m. and involved a Toyota Hiace bus with registration numbers RLG 846 XA and a trailer marked JJN 32 YX, adding that the accident was caused by speeding which led to the loss of control by the bus driver’s part. The FRSC spokesperson also said 18 people, including 16 men and two women, were involved in the accident. She said that seven persons were injured while three persons died from the crash. Remarking that the injured victims were taken to Idera Hospital, Sagamu, for medical attention, Okpe stated that the deceased were deposited at the morgue of the same hospital. On his part, th...

         Image Credit - Nemanja Ciric Israel on Saturday mourned the deaths of three Gaza hostages killed when troops mistook them for a threat, with the military expressing remorse over a “tragic” incident that sparked protests in Tel Aviv. The Israeli army said Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer El-Talalqa — all aged in their twenties — were shot during operations in a neighbourhood of Gaza City. The trio were among an estimated 240 people taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7 raids into Israel, which also killed an estimated 1,200 people. “During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat and as a result, fired toward them and the hostages were killed,” Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said. “The IDF expresses deep sorrow regarding this disaster and shares in the grief of the families.”

  The governors of the 19 Northern states have asked the Federal Government to redouble its efforts to tackle the menace of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other related security challenges bedeviling the region. The governors under the aegis of the Northern Governors Forum also said they are working collectively to ensure that the tragic accidental military airstrike in Tundun Biri, Kaduna State is thoroughly investigated with a view to compensating the victims and taking corrective measures so as to prevent future occurrence. In his opening remarks at the governors meeting in Kaduna on Friday, the chairman of the forum and governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, noted that security challenges have drastically affected socio-economic wellbeing of the people of the North. While commending the Federal Government for the renewed vigour in the fight against insecurity, Governor Yahaya noted that more needs to be done to bring an end the menace of banditry, kidnapping, communal cla...

  The Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Folashade Yemi-Esan, has expressed confidence that by the end of 2025, the entire service will be fully digitized. She said that the Federal Civil Service is making significant progress in its efforts to transform and digitize work processes. The HoS made this disclosure during the 45th meeting of the National Council of Establishment held in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital. “From the service wide perspective, all MDAs, all other ministries are also running with the digitalization programme and there are different stages of implementation, but they have a mandate for all to achieve full migration by the end of 2025. “It is also worth adding that efforts aimed at transforming the federal civil service through the digitalization of its work processes have yielded the desired results,” Mrs Yemi-Esan said. Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who inaugurated the session, emphasized the importance of collaboration as he announced measures t...

                                                  Image Credit - Sora Shimazaki Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education have been taken off from the Integrated Personnel Payment System (IPPIS). A recommendation for the exclusion was given by The Federal Executive Council at its meeting on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa Abuja. The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents alongside other ministers on the outcome of the FEC meeting, and said this takes immediate effect. According to him FEC also observed that Vice Chancellors of Universities didn’t need to abandon their work to come to Abuja to process the salaries of their personnel.

Troops of Exercise GOLDEN DAWN III in association with personnel of the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and local vigilante operatives on Monday, acting on credible disclosure raided camps of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliates the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Orsumoghu general area of Anambra State. During the raid operations the troops cleared the and destroyed IPOB/ESN camps. One of the terrorist was naturalized while others escaped with gunshot wounds and one pump action rifle was recovered. Similarly, on Saturday 9 December 2023, troops on patrol along Orsumoghu ~ Ukpor road in Ihiala Local Government Area came in contact with the irredentist. Authorities report that due to superior fire power the criminals were forced to abandon their location. Items recovered includes, 27 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammunition, 3 locally made hand grenade, 2 handheld radios, one pair of NPF uniform and fragmental jacket and charms. It could be recalled t...

  The Senate on Tuesday announced President Bola Tinubu’s request seeking the confirmation of the nomination of 19 commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC). The appointees are: 1. Emmanuel Eke (Abia) 2. Clifford Zirra (Adamawa) 3. Chidi Ezeoke (Anambra) 4. Isa Buratai (Borno) 5. Alex Ukam (Cross River) 6. Blessyn Brume-Ataguba (Delta) 7. Jeremiah Nwankwegu (Ebonyi) 8. Tony Aiyejina (Edo) 9. Ejike Ezeh (Enugu) 10. Abubakar Damburam (Gombe) 11. Uba Nnabue (Imo) 12. Dogon Garba (Kaduna) 13. Aminu Tsanyawa (Kano) 14. Yori Afolabi (Kogi) 15. Olakunle Sobukola (Ogun) 16. Temitayo Oluwatuyi (Ondo) 17. Mary Afan (Plateau) 18. Ogiri Henry (Rivers 19. Saany Sale (Taraba) The President also asked the red chamber to confirm the nomination of Bashir Indabawa (North-West), Enorense Amadasu (South-South) and Babajide Fasina (South-West) as NPC commissioners. The Senate led by Senator Godswill Akpabio referred the nomination to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to...

                                                    Image Courtesy - Monstera Production President Bola Tinubu has stated that the country has the potential to be at the forefront of Africa’s efforts to be a potent force in reducing greenhouse emissions. Tinubu made this known on Tuesday in an op-ed on CNN, reiterating the country’s commitment to achieving this feat in a twenty-period timespan. ”Nigeria has taken significant steps and acted decisively in enacting the Climate Change Act and committing to net-zero emissions between 2050 and 2070, ” Tinubu detailed. Despite the nation’s readiness, he admitted that as the President of a country of more than 200 million people and also in his role as Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he presides over a region battling with security threats and socioeconomic challenges. ”However, chal...

It has been "toxic at times" at Manchester United under former managers but the players are "firmly behind" Erik ten Hag, says midfielder Scott McTominay. Saturday's 3-0 Premier League loss to Bournemouth was their 11th defeat in 23 games in all competitions this season. They must beat Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Tuesday to have any chance of staying in the Champions League. "It is the players' responsibility, first and foremost," McTominay said. "We have had many amazing players and right now we are at the stage where we have big characters in the dressing room. "It is not just a case of like [with] some of the other managers where it has been a little bit toxic at times - the boys are firmly behind the manager. "We've got amazing coaching staff. We just want to do well for the football club and it's as simple as that." Midfielder McTominay, 27, made his Manchester United debut in 2017 under Jose Mourinho. Last wee...

West African leaders meet on Sunday for consultations with the region in escalating mess, after four countries fell under military rule and with risks growing from Sahel jihadist conflicts. After coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger since 2020, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc also saw member states Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau claim attempted coups in recent weeks. A French military withdrawal from the Sahel — the region along the Sahara Desert across Africa — is increasing concerns over conflicts spreading south to Gulf of Guinea states Ghana, Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast. “These military coups are not only based on fake narrative and false justifications; they are also a driver of insecurity in the region,” ECOWAS commission president Omar Touray said in a meeting before the summit. ECOWAS leaders will meet in Nigeria’s capital Abuja for an ordinary summit where they will discuss delayed transitions back to civilian rule for Mali, Burkina Faso, G...

  The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) says it discovered over 4,800 illegal connections on oil pipelines in the country in what is a grim picture of the country’s major income earner. “We have over 4,800 illegal connections on our pipelines. That means in some lines, within 100 kilometres of pipelines, you have as much as 300 insertions,” the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL Mele Kyari told the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Friday. “Therefore, even when you produce the oil, you cannot deliver them at the required pressure and therefore the volume will also be less.” According to the NNPCL boss, people troop in from other parts of the country to insert illegal connections on pipelines in the oil-producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The latest development came about one year after the firm discovered 295 illegal connections to its pipeline, a development that further amplified the massive crude oil theft in Nigeria. Two years ago, Kyari said the ...