Author: Chronicle Editor

…Says Completion Of On-Going Projects, Activation Of New Ones Remain Immediate Priority Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday swore-in five new members of the State Executive Council with a charge on them to hit the ground running and offer only the best of services to the people. Speaking at a brief swearing-in ceremony held at the Lagos State Executive Council Chambers in Alausa, Ikeja, Governor Ambode said the new cabinet members were appointed based on their track record, expertise and experience, and as such they must immediately settle down in office and inject new ideas to reinvigorate and…

The trial of former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spokesman Olisa Metuh has been adjourned by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja after he arrived the court premise on a stretcher. Metuh through his lawyer Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN) had earlier told the court that he was on admission at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Specialist hospital, Nnewi, Anambra state and wanted the case adjourned. But on January 25, Justice Abang gave an order that Metuh show up for trial or he risk being arrested. The judge said that the letter which Metuh wanted the court to rely on to grant…

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has defied his party and refused to step down, according to media reports. He and senior members of the African National Congress (ANC) held talks on Sunday but no details of their meeting have been released. Facing corruption allegations, Mr Zuma was replaced as ANC leader in December. Party leaders, who may be trying to oust Mr Zuma before his State of the Nation address later this week, will hold an emergency meeting on Monday. Mr Zuma, who spent time in prison for his part in the fight against apartheid, is most of the…

Suspected computer hacker Lauri Love has won his High Court appeal against his extradition to the United States. Mr Love, 32, from Stradishall, Suffolk, who was first arrested in October 2013, is suspected of hacking into FBI, US Central Bank and Nasa systems. Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and Mr Justice Ouseley said they permitted Mr Love’s appeal against his extradition. However, they said it would “not be oppressive” to “prosecute Mr Love in England for the offences”. Mr Love, speaking outside the court, said he was “very thankful for all the support” he had received. He said he hoped…

Jay Ajayi ran for 57 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles as he became a Super Bowl champion just four months after he was traded by the Miami Dolphins. Born Oluwadamilola Jonathan Ajayi to Nigerian parents, he played college football at Boise State and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Ajayi made history with the Philadelphia Eagles as they won the Super Bowl for the first time by beating the New England Patriots 41-33 in an extraordinary encounter in Minneapolis. On a night when records tumbled and the expected norms of an…

Boko Haram fighters stormed a village in northeast Nigeria and killed two people, a local resident and a security source said Monday, as the military again maintained the jihadists had been defeated. The attack happened on Sunday evening at Alau-Kofa village, some 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri. “Boko Haram came to our village last night at about 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) firing guns and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades),” Bulama Bukar, who lives in Alau-Kofa, told AFP. “Two people were burnt alive and the whole village was burnt, along with our food.” Bukar, whose father was shot…

Nasarawa people are looking up to President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit on Tuesday as a panacea to herdsmen and farmers crisis in the area. Some residents in Nasarawa state have opined that the visit will play a key role in ending clashes. Mr Samuel Akala, Special Adviser to Governor Umaru Al-Makura on Youths, Students and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), said the mere presence of Buhari and dialogue with relevant stakeholders will douse tension and pave way for peace to return between farmers and herdsmen. “Though the visit is not because of the crisis but I think the visit will bring some lasting…

Nigerian and Beninese authorities have begun search for a ship carrying 22 Indian crew and 13,500 tons of gasoline which went missing in the Gulf of Guinea after contact was lost in Benin on Friday. The cause of the loss of communication was unknown but search is underway. The Marine Express tanker, managed by Hong Kong-based Anglo-Eastern, was last see in Benin’s waters at 3:30 a.m. GMT on Friday after which contact was lost, an Anglo Eastern spokesman told Reuters. The Gulf of Guinea has become an increasing target for pirates who steal cargo and demand ransoms, even as piracy…

The government of Enugu State will, on Thursday, host officials of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), business leaders and traditional rulers. The VAIDS team will be led by Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, whose ministry ‎conceived VAIDS as a solution to the country’s defective tax system. The VAIDS team will be received by Enugu State governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and members of the state Executive Council. The event will hold at Base Event Centre, Enugu. VAIDS, which began last July, is a tax amnesty programme that provides a time-limited opportunity for tax defaulters to truthfully declare…

Former military head of state General Ibrahim Babangida has denied reports that he called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to re-contest in 2019. He described the statement as the personal views of the writer. Obasanjo had released a letter he purportedly wrote to Buhari advising him against re-contesting for second term. This has generated national debate but presidency took the advice philosophically. Babangida said that “as former President and Statesman, I have unfettered channel of communication with the highest authorities without sensational public correspondence”. “I am a realist that believes in all issues in a democratic atmosphere are sincerely discussed…