Author: Chronicle Editor

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ ad Abubakar, has advised religious leaders to eschew inciting statements capable of igniting trouble among Nigerians. Abubakar made the call at the Abdullahi Fodio award presentation and book launch in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday. The event titled “Gwandu Emirate: the domain of Abdullahi Fodio since 1805, was organised by the Gwandu Emirate Development Association. He said inflamatory comments would further divide and polarised the nation, and pointed out that every religion was preaching peace,unity and solidarity among its faithful. The sultan condemn the insurgent activities parvading the North eastern part of the country, and…

Students of the Osun State University, Osogbo, on Saturday protested the shooting of two of their colleagues by some policemen. The protesting students lit bon fires on major streets and impeded human and vehicular traffic within Osogbo metropolis. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the shot students, Kazeem Adesola and Ibrahim Ajao, were playing football on a pitch at Oke-Baale area of the metropolis when the incident occurred. NAN learnt that the policemen, who came in plain clothes, accused some students on the pitch of being involved in internet fraud. A witness, who asked not to be named,…

US U.S. President Donald Trump signed his first bill into law on Friday, moments after being sworn in, clearing the way for his Defence Secretary to be confirmed. The 45th President signed a bill passed by Congress earlier this month that would allow retired Gen. James Mattis to serve as Defence Secretary by waiving the legal requirement that he be out of the military for seven years before doing so, according to White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Mattis will still need to be confirmed by the Senate, which is expected later on Friday. Trump told supporters at a luncheon…

Enugu State Government has instituted a N60million annual traders’ empowerment scheme aimed at encouraging traders in the state. Dr Godwin Udeuhele, the Commissioner for Information, who addressed newsmen on Saturday in Enugu on the outcome of the State Executive Council Meeting, held on Friday night, said participation in the scheme was free. Udeuhele said under the scheme, N5 million would be won monthly by registered traders, with each beneficiary going home with N50, 000. “The Enugu State Traders’ Empowerment Scheme is a wonderful programme that tends to empower traders in the state free of charge. “The annual amount to be…

Farmers participating in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ANCHOR Borrower Programme in Bauchi State would get a loan of N270,000 each, state Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Abdulhamid Ma’aji has said. He spoke on Saturday in Kirfi town, while addressing farmers at one day training on Irrigated Rice Production Ma’aji, who is also overseeing the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the figure was arrived at following a re-negotiation between the state government and the CBN. He explained that the figure was slashed from N367,000 to N270,000. Ma’aji said that participating farmers would be provided with fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, water…

Embattled former Gambia President Yahya Jammeh has left the State House in company of his mother, wife Zainab, son Mohammed and President Alpha Conde. He left the State House hours after announcing he was finally ceding power to his successor Adama Barrow. The long-term Gambian strongman met with his close aides and some members of his party before he was driven out of the presidential compound for the last time. He headed for the Cocoa Ocean Hotel outside the capital, APA reports. A Mauritanian aircraft has been stationed at the airport tarmac in Yundum to fly Mr. Jammeh and his…

Fernando Llorente inspired Swansea to end Liverpool’s year-long unbeaten run at Anfield as the Spaniard scored twice in a 3-2 win against the Reds. The game which failed to record a shot on target in the first half came to life in the second half after Llorente scored twice in four minutes. But Liverpool hit back through Roberto Firmino who scored twice for Jurgen Klopp’s team to ensure an intense last 20 minutes at Anfield. Despite iverpool’s industry and attacking foray, it was Swansea who scored the winner through Gylfi Sigurdsson after a rear attack from the Welsh club. Swansea…

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo has reiterated that the political future of the Igbo race can only be guaranteed in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Okorocha, the Chairman of APC Governors Forum, said that South-East could not afford to be in opposition party, and urged all Igbos living outside the zone to join the APC. The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, restated this in Owerri on Saturday. “All indigenes of the South-East geopolitical zone should seize the opportunity offered to them by the ongoing registration of APC across the nation and register…

A man has been found guilty of the “depraved” rape and murder of a mother in Aberdeen. Bala Chinda, 26, denied killing 37-year-old Nkechi McGraa – an escort also known as Jessica – at a flat in Union Terrace in February last year. Chinda sobbed as he was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 18 years, after a jury at the High Court in Aberdeen returned its verdict. Police Scotland said it was a “horrific” case. The murder verdict was unanimous, and the rape verdict decided by a majority. Chinda, whose father works at the Nigerian embassy in…

The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has urged Rivers and Akwa Ibom state governments to pay their 30 per cent required counterpart funding for the European Union (EU) water project. The Minister, The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani made the call in an interview with our correspondents in Abuja on Saturday. He explained that the two states risk losing over 200 million euros grant by the end of January, If they fail to pay the required counterpart funding for the water project. He said that five states were captured in the current phase of water and…