Author: Chronicle Editor

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says US president-elect Donald Trump would be a “natural ally” against terrorism if he could overcome “countervailing forces” in the US administration. “We don’t have a lot of expectations because the American administration is not only about the president; it’s about different powers within this administration,” the Syrian leader told Portuguese television station RTP in his first comments on the outcome of the US election. Asked about Trump’s remarks on being ready to fight the Islamic State extremist group, al-Assad, who spoke in English during the interview broadcast late Tuesday, said, “this is promising but can…

The Federal Government on Wednesday expressed its readiness to spend 150 million dollars on the rural electrification. Babtunde Fashola, the Minster of Power, Works and Housing, disclosed this in Abuja at a business forum on “Financing Opportunities in the Nigerian Power Sector” He said government would use 44 tertiary institutions and small hydro dams in the rural areas as anchors for the electrification programme. Fashola said the money would be deployed towards providing Independent Power Plants (IPPs) to supply electricity to tertiary institutions and rural communities. He said that 37 out of the 44 tertiary institutions audited for the project…

An attempt to kidnap a Nigerian oil magnate, Femi Otedola, has been foiled by the Nigeria Police Force. The IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) accomplished this task when it arrested a three man notorious kidnap gang on the 23rd June, 2016. The arrest was achieved through coordinated intelligence gathering and deployment of technical investigative tools that spanned several weeks. The Principal suspect, one Ikechukwu Daniel, a 28 year old indigene of Imo State, who is the mastermind of the gang, was rusticated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria due to his cult related activities on campus in 2009/2010. He also doubles…

Indonesian police say they will proceed with an investigation into a blasphemy complaint brought by Muslim groups against the Christian and ethnic Chinese governor of Jakarta and banned him from leaving the country. The complaint against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, nicknamed “Ahok” and the first ethnic Chinese and Christian governor of the sprawling Indonesian capital, comes as President Joko Widodo tries to keep a lid on security and simmering religious tensions in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation. Ari Dono Sukmanto, chief of the National Police criminal investigation department, told reporters that, although there had not been consensus after an initial investigation.…

The renewed fight against Islamist sect, Boko Haram, by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has greatly reduced global terrorism deaths, a new report has shown. Deaths from terrorism in OECD countries however increased by 650 per cent last year despite a marked fall globally as Islamic State (IS)and Boko Haram militants suffered military defeats at home but committed more attacks abroad. The Global Terrorism Index, GTI, said worldwide there had been 29,376 deaths caused by terrorism in 2015, a drop of 10 per cent and the first fall in four years, as action against Islamist militants IS in Iraq and…

The United States of America suffered their worst World Cup qualifying defeat for 36 years when they were beaten 4-0 by Costa Rica on Tuesday. Joel Campbell scored twice for the hosts, with Johan Venegas and Christian Bolanos also on target. USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann, whose side have lost both their opening qualifying games, called it “the defeat that hurts most” of his five-year tenure. “A very, very bitter moment for us. There’s no doubt about it,” he said. The USA had not lost a qualifier by four goals since a 5-1 defeat by Mexico in November 1980. They sit…

The Niger Delta Avengers militant group said it has bombed three oil pipelines in southern Nigeria, an attack it said would lead to a production loss of 300,000 barrels per day in the OPEC-member nation. Attacks on pipelines by several militant groups have slashed Nigeria’s oil production helping to tip the country into recession as it struggles to adapt to the low price of crude globally. The Niger Delta Avengers, blamed for a wave of such attacks since the start of the year, said the latest bombing was to register its displeasure with way the government was handling grievances in…

Africa is expected to cross one billion mobile subscriptions in the fourth quarter of 2016, reaching 1.02 billion by year-end. This is according to market research and advisory firm, Ovum, which also forecasts the total number of mobile subscriptions on the continent will rise to 1.33 billion at the end of 2021. However, the firm says growth in new mobile subscriptions is slowing, pointing out the average rate of mobile penetration in Africa was 79% at the end of June. Mobile voice revenue on the continent is set to decline over the five years to 2021. According to Ovum, data…

Pay-TV company MultiChoice Nigeria, has described as misleading and inaccurate recent media reports accusing it of unfairness to Nigerian subscribers. Over the last three weeks, there have been media reports purporting that MultiChoice effected a 20 per cent slash in DStv subscription in countries which it operates, leaving out Nigeria and South Africa. In a statement signed by Caroline Oghuma, Public Relations Manager, DStv, the company said that subscription rates across countries are easily verified, and that all the facts are on the internet for all to see. While admitting that DStv bouquet subscriptions were slashed in other countries, as…

This statement is issued in response to the latest falsehoods to emerge from Alhaji Atiku Abubukar. He has a record of spewing outright lies and innuendo against my person. As we struggle to build a law-abiding society and secure progressive outcomes for our people, we cannot allow the triumph on these shores of those who will have us move to a post-factual world. Not even from a man as practiced as Alhaji Atiku is in the dark arts of damaging other people through a campaign of lies from him and his media machine. Therefore, I am constrained to provide a…