Author: Chronicle Editor

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom has arrested a fake corps member at the NYSC orientation camp, Ikot Itie Udung, in Nsit Atai Local Government Area. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Chukwu Ikechukwu, in a statement on Wednesday, said the fake corps member, Mr Justice Orlu, was nabbed following an intelligence report from men of the police force at the orientation camp. “Based on intelligence received by our policemen at the orientation camp, officers swung into action and arrested one Mr Justice Orlu Ordu, and indigene of Ikwere in Rivers, in Monday Uko’s Hostel in the…

Antonio Conte has warned that Chelsea must bring in more players to have any chance of successfully defending their Premier League title. The champions have so far signed three players; Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata and Roma defender Antonio Rudiger. The Blues are interested in a string of others including Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk, Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater and Valencia right-back Joao Cancelo. Asked if it will be hard to retain the title this season without making more signings, Conte told Sky Sports Premier League: “Yes, for sure. This league is not…

A new report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has revealed how over N11 trillion meant to provide regular electricity supply was allegedly squandered under the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. According to the report, “The total estimated financial loss to Nigeria from corruption in the electricity sector starting from the return to democracy in 1999 to date is over Eleven Trillion Naira (N11 Trillion Naira). This represents public funds, private equity and social investment (or divestments) in the power sector. It is estimated that may reach over Twenty Trillion Naira…

Pope Francis has described as “shameful” attacks on Christians in Nigeria and the Central African Republic (CAR), calling for an end to “all hate and violence”. “I have been profoundly saddened by the massacre last Sunday in Nigeria, inside a church, where innocent people were killed,” the pontiff said at the end of his weekly public audience at the Vatican. “And sadly this morning we have news of violence in the Central African Republic against Christian communities. “I hope all forms of hate and violence will cease and such shameful crimes in places of worship, where the faithful are gathered…

PayU Nigeria has introduced PayU Subscription, a convenient payment method which allows merchants to safely and securely collect payments from consumers who have recurring bills or subscription payments in a seamless way. Country Manager of PayU Nigeria, Ms Juliet Nwanguma said: “PayU Subscription is an innovative product for businesses who are looking to offer subscription and recurring bill payments to their customers.” It provides customers with a simple, safe and secure alternative to regular direct debit payments. Using tokenisation as the underlying technology, PayU offers a card based recurring payment method for the payment of any recurring bills or subscriptions.…

North Korea has said it is considering carrying out missile strikes on the US Pacific territory of Guam. The report in state media, quoting an earlier military statement, came hours after President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury”. The North’s official news agency said it was considering a plan to fire medium-to-long-range rockets at Guam, where US strategic bombers are based. The exchanges mark a sharp rise in rhetoric between the two countries. The UN recently approved further economic sanctions on North Korea, which Pyongyang said were a “violent violation of our sovereignty”, warning the US would…

• Baby rescued, two lynched, two others arrested Residents of Ijaiye, Ahmadiyya and Abule-Egba areas of Lagos State are yet to overcome the shock of a ritualists’ den, popularly called Ajale, discovered right under their noses, in the early hours of yesterday. They are at pains to fathom how terrible acts of such magnitude were being perpetrated at Obadeyi Ajala street, Ijaiye, in the densely populated area, under the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, though the discovery has provided answers to the puzzle of missing persons around the area. The den, located beside the main road at the popular Obadeyi bus-stop, Ijaiye, was…

The Federal Government is breaching its own local content policy in the construction of over $20 billion rail tracks across the country, as indigenous firms are being excluded from the execution of the projects. If the extant policy, which provides that 40 per cent of such projects should be executed by local contractors, is followed, Nigeria would retain about $8 billion in its coffers and address unemployment and other social challenges. The $8 billion, equivalent of N2.416 trillion, is about one-third of Nigeria’s 2017 national budget, and can almost fund the entire Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway projects estimated at $8.3…

Rivers Government has closed no fewer than 1,886 schools operating without government’s approval, Gov. Nyesom Wike said in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Wike made the development known when the management staff of Jesuit Memorial College, Mbodo-Aluu, paid him a courtesy visit. He said the schools were shut for failing to meet specified standards of the state Ministry of education. He said that parents patronising the affected schools had been told to relocate their wards before the next academic session began. According to him, the government will fully implement measures aimed at strengthening the state education sector by September. “We want…

President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning to North Korea on Tuesday, saying it faces “fire and fury” over its missile program, after US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead. North Korea raised the stakes just hours later, saying it was considering missile strikes near US strategic military installations on the Pacific island of Guam. Once finalised, the plan could be put into action at “any moment” once leader Kim Jong-Un made a decision, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a military statement as saying. Trump’s remarks marked a sharp rise in rhetoric from the…