Author: Chronicle Editor

Reginald Clemons, whose conviction in the rape and killing of two sisters was overturned, admitted to the crimes on Monday after decades of denial and was resentenced. Clemons, a former US death row inmate hails from the state of Missouri pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with prosecutors to spare him the death penalty. The 46-year-old was given life in prison on five counts of rape, murder and robbery. Clemons and three accomplices were tried and convicted for the 1991 killings of Julie and Robin Kerry — two sisters in the city of St Louis who were 20 and…

Nigeria has started issuing biometric visa, the first in Africa, designed to effectively block many people that would not needed to enter the country. The introduction of biometric visa was announced by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Mr Abubakar Magaji, at the 2017 End-of-Year Dinner and Award Night of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abuja on Monday. He represented the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), at the occasion. “You have made us proud because at this moment, Nigeria is the only country in Africa that is issuing biometric visa. “It started this year, but…

The son of former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has been charged with assault and burglary after a confrontation with his father involving a firearm. Police say Track Palin allegedly broke into his parents’ Alaska home through a window on Saturday night. Documents obtained by US media say the 28-year-old said he was on pain medication and had been drinking. He was arrested in 2016 for allegedly punching his girlfriend. After he eventually pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm while intoxicated, other charges were dismissed in that case. Read Also South Africa’s ANC picks Cyril Ramaphosa as leader…

A Lagos businessman, Ugochukwu Okolie, who is also a director of Brickcity Company, in a petition filed before a Federal high court in Lagos is urging the court to wind up the company on the ground that the Brickcity Company is insolvent. In a statement of fact filed before the court by Barrister Soibi Ovia on behalf of Mr Ugochukwu Okolie, it was alleged that the petitioner who is a director of Brickcity Company loaned the company the sum of N10 million to purchase machinery for the company. Despite several demands made on the company to liquidate its indebtedness, the…

Cyril Ramaphosa, an anti-apartheid activist turned tycoon and politician, has been chosen by the African National Congress as its leader for the next five years. The battle to lead South Africa’s ruling party, which has been in power for 23 years but has been hit by declining support and a series of scandals, remained on a knife edge to the last minute. Almost 5,000 delegates voted in an internal party election at a conference centre in Johannesburg. Ramaphosa won with 2,440 votes to 2,261 for his rival Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Read Also Fayose confirms receiving N4.76bn Paris Club refund The delegates’…

A number of people were killed and scores more injured south of Seattle on Monday when an early-morning Amtrak train traveling on a new route on its first day derailed while crossing a bridge above a busy highway, authorities said. At least two cars tumbled onto Interstate 5 and several more dangled over the highway. The Associated Press reported the derailment killed at least six people, citing an anonymous U.S. official who was briefed on the investigation. Local officials haven’t confirmed the death toll. Chris Karnes, a passenger, said the train was approaching a curve before it came off the…

The Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has confirmed receiving the sum of N4.76 billion as the last tranche of Paris Club refund. In a tweet on Monday, he said: “I have received N4.76 billion Paris Club Refund. “It will be shared between the state and Local governments next week,’’ he said. Fayose also said that civil Servants would get their Christmas bonus latest Thursday. Read Also 66% of Nigerian Prisons inmates are awaiting trial, says NPS “Salary will come, leave bonus will come, Xmas bonus will come, Everything will come,’’ he tweeted. https://twitter.com/GovAyoFayose/status/942751091430748161 In an earlier tweek, Fayose in…

The Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) has confirmed that majority (66 per cent) of inmates in Nigerian prisons are awaiting trial as at December 15, 2017. The Controller General of the Service, Jaafaru Ahmed, made the disclosure at the quarterly meeting of the Penal Reform Media Network (PERMNET) in Lagos. Represented by the spokesperson of NPS, Francis Enobore, the prison boss said: “As of today December 15, 2017, the current population of prisoners in Nigeria is put at 72,384 with 48,527 of the figure are the awaiting trial inmates. The awaiting trial inmates therefore constitute about 66 per cent of the…

A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced a security guard, Nasiru Ribado, to six months imprisonment for sleeping at his duty post. Ribado, 37, who resides at Jabi Forest, Abuja, was arraigned on a one-count charge of negligent conduct. The presiding officer, Abubakar Sadiq, convicted Ribado after he pleaded guilty to the charge and ordered him to pay N363, 000 as restitution to the complainant. Sadiq, who did not give the convict an option of fine, warned him against committing crimes after his prison term. Read Also CCTV reveals man who stole phones at Lagos Airport…

West Ham playmaker Manuel Lanzini has been charged by the Football Association (FA) for diving during Saturday’s Premier League win at Stoke. The Argentine fell to the ground as he was challenged by defender Erik Pieters and the Hammers were awarded a penalty, which put them 1-0 up in a 3-0 victory. Lanzini has until 18:00 GMT on Tuesday, 19 December to respond to the charge. If the charge is upheld, he is set to get a two-match ban for ‘successful deception of a match official’. That would rule him out of Tuesday’s League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal and Premier…