Author: Chronicle Editor

MV Gratitude, a bunkered vessel and its crew of six, intercepted on January 9, 2020 by officers of the Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, were today January 22, 2020 handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and possible prosecution. The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim, while handing over the vessel and crew disclosed that that the ship laden with 1,000,000 liters of locally refined automotive gas oil and it crew of six Nigerians namely, Victor Ita (captain), Rotimi Poroye, Henry Edet Bassey, Rahpael Adewale, Godswill Iko and Jonah Achieve were…

Nigeria will lift a ban on gold mining in Zamfara state by the end of March after the government deployed a surveillance team to stifle illegal activity in the northwestern region, the minister of mines and steel development said. The government suspended operations in April on concerns that illegal mining was connected to a surge in banditry in the state that was the worst hit by a wave of violence that killed dozens of people and displaced thousands. “The ban is about to be lifted because a lot of genuine investors who want to come (to invest) into Zamfara state,”…

Malam Muritala Salawudeen, an Ibadan-based businessman, has prayed a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan to grant his prayer for divorce from his wife, Adeola on grounds of unfaithfulness and threat to life. Testifying in court, Muritala, who resides in Omiadio area of Ibadan, alleged that his 11-year-old marriage to Adeola, was characterised with cheating, nagging and disrespect. ”My life is in danger. She brings different kinds of men to my house. ”My 10-year-old son told me that a certain man called Biodun, usually comes around in the night whenever I travelled on my business trips. “The boy also said that…

Afe Babalola, SAN, says attempts by the Federal Government to scuttle the Western Nigeria Security Network, code named Amotekun, would fail because it is supported by the constitution. Babalola, an elder statesman and founder of Afe Babalola University, said those kicking against Amotekun were ignorant of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the previous ones. Babalola faulted Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, saying sections 24, 40, 45of the 1999 Constitution impose clear responsibility on citizens to ensure security of their lives and property. The SAN, at a news conference in Ado Ekiti said it…

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun has dismissed claims that the South West Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun has any religious colouration. In a press statement on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, Governor Oyetola contended that kidnapping, rape and armed banditry have no religion. “The raging debate over the launch of the South West Security Network otherwise known as Amotekun  is no doubt healthy and a welcome development,” the statement said. “But to politicise it on the altar of religion and ethnicity will be unhealthy, dangerous and counter-productive. “Amotekun is a collective response by the South West region to the…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has advised passengers and other airport users to comply with all quarantine procedures at the nation’s airports. The agency said the directive was to protect passengers from the epidemic ravaging some countries and to prevent the spread of such communicable diseases into Nigeria. “All the equipment and personnel used in combating the deadly ebola virus in 2014 are still very much in place at the airports,” the statement signed by Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN said. “FAAN has always had thermal scanners in her airports that monitor temperature of passengers and…

GOtv will broadcast LIVE a series of top football matches from big English and European leagues this week. The games, scheduled to hold from 21-25 January, will be broadcast live on SuperSport Select 2 to GOtv Jolli and GOtv Max subscribers, and on SuperSport Select 4 and SuperSport Select 5 exclusive to GOtv Max subscribers.  Tottenham Hotspur will continue their chase for a top-four spot when they host Norwich City at Tottenham Stadium on Wednesday. The game kicks off at 8:30pm and will be aired live on SuperSport Select 2. Spurs have struggled to score goals following the injury of…

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has dismissed claims that a security outfit launched by South-West governors, Amotekun, is a threat to national unity. In a press statement issued on Wednesday, he said, “Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion. “Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the Southwest have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if such sentiments are allowed to…

The Trump administration is planning to add seven countries – Nigeria, Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sudan and Tanzania – to its travel ban list, US media reports said on Tuesday. Some countries will face bans only on some visa categories, the Wall Street Journal reported. The list of countries was not final and could yet change, the Politico said. US President Donald Trump said in an interview with the Journal that he was considering adding countries to the travel ban, but declined to state which ones. Politico said an announcement was expected as early as Monday. The move is likely…

The licences of 11 centres selling the e-PIN for registration for the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have been withdrawn by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. The centres were found to be charging candidates above the amount pegged by the board for the sales of examination instruments. JAMB had fixed the cost of e-PIN for registration for N3, 500 and the cost of materials for N500 while N700 for the computer-based test (CBT) centres, totalling N4, 700. JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who disclosed these during an interactive session with stakeholders at the headquarters of the Nigeria Security…