Author: Chronicle Editor

Electoral College members will meet Monday around the country to place their votes for president of the United States. It is a constitutionally mandated ritual every four years that this year Americans will watch with interest. The Electoral College’s usually ceremonial role has come under focus in the aftermath of the 2016 election due to a number of factors — including that Democrat Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote by a significant margin, and the finding by the CIA and FBI that Russia used hacking to try to influence the election. In light of these circumstances, pundits and members…

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on Monday asked banks to submit bids for a “special currency auction” to clear the backlog of matured outstanding dollar obligations for selected sectors of the economy, traders said on Monday. The central bank instructed commercial lenders to submit backlog dollar demand from fuel importers, airlines, raw materials and machinery for manufacturing firms and agricultural chemicals by 1500 GMT for a special forex intervention. Nigeria is in its first recession in 25 years, caused by low global oil prices which have cut the supply of dollars needed to fund imports. Attacks by militants on…

FIFA has fined all four home nations for displaying poppies during World Cup qualifiers around Armistice Day. England and Scotland players wore armbands featuring the symbol when they met at Wembley on 11 November. Wales and Northern Ireland’s respective games featured displays on the pitch or in the stands to mark the event. England have been fined 45,000 Swiss francs (£35,311), Scotland and Wales 20,000 Sfr (£15,694) and Northern Ireland 15,000 Sfr (£11,770). Fifa disciplinary committee chairman Claudio Sulser said he “fully respected” the commemorations but stressed the rules “need to be applied to all member associations”. “The display, among…

The Kano State Police Command has declared a Chinese national, Mr Yang Zhong, wanted for alleged attempted murder of another Chinese. The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Magaji Majiya, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Monday. Majiya said that Zhong was declared wanted in connection with attempted murder of a Kano-based Chinese businessman, Mr Wu Haiwang, on July 17. “Mr Yang Zhong, also a businessman, is suspected to be behind the murder attempt made on Mr Wu Haiwang,’’ he said. The police spokesman said that Haiwang sustained much injury. “As…

Police say two girl suicide bombers blew themselves up at a checkpoint outside Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri and wounded three civilians. Police spokesman Victor Isuku says the teenagers detonated their explosives when they were stopped for a search Sunday night about 12 kilometers (eight miles) east of the city center, near Muna bus station. That area has suffered several suicide bombings in recent weeks. Isuku blames Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group that has used scores of women and girls in suicide bombings. Some observers suspect that the women and girls are among the thousands Boko Haram has kidnapped…

On Monday, the Kano State Police Command declared a Chinese national, Mr Yang Zhong, wanted for alleged attempted murder of another Chinese. The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Magaji Majiya, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. Majiya said that Zhong was declared wanted in connection with attempted murder of a Kano-based Chinese businessman, Mr Wu Haiwang, on July 17. “Mr Yang Zhong, also a businessman, is suspected to be behind the murder attempt of Mr Wu Haiwang.” He said The police spokesman said that Haiwang sustained much injury. “As a result, Mr Yang Zhong, who…

Two female suicide bombers were on Sunday night killed as their weapon went off as they attempted to invade Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, officials said. The incident happened at about 10.30p.m., near Muna Garage, one of the most attacked motor parks in recent times. Two young girls, with explosives on their bodies, made their ways to a suburb village called Geleri, about 5km away from Muna park. One of the suicide bombers detonated her device in the village, which also killed her partner whose device failed to explode. Police spokesman, Victor Isuku, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said…

Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has been named along other world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, American President-elect, Donald Trump and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel as the most powerful persons in the world. These personalities were ranked along with 70 others as the most powerful people with Dangote ranked as the second most powerful in the African continent. The Nigerian business mogul has constantly featured in the list since 2013 when he was listed as the only black African so rated by the popular Forbes Magazine in the list of 100 most powerful…

The Minister for Information, Arts and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has hailed Nigerians for their perseverance and understanding, urging them to look forward to better times in 2017. Mr. Mohammed spoke to journalists at a programme tagged “A special evening of music and camaraderie to usher in the Yuletide season”, organised by the Lagos State Government at the State House, Alausa. “We give thanks to God that we are alive; by the grace of God, next year will be much easier. 2016 has not been a particularly easy year even for governance because the economy has not done much as well…

No fewer than 74 professional journalists and bloggers were killed this year, up till 10 December, in connection with their work, Reporters Without Borders, RSF, said in its latest report. “Some were killed while out reporting. Most were clearly the deliberately targeted victims of deadly violence”, it said in the report called Round Up 2016 . Although the dead journalists were fewer than the 101 recorded in 2015, RSF said the fall was not encouraging because it is due largely to the fact many journalists have fled countries that became too dangerous, especially Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan and Burundi.…