Author: Vincent Osuwo

Robert Ewa, the Cross River State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, has died, according to the governor’s top press secretary, Nsa Gill.  He died on Wednesday evening at the Arubah Specialist Hospital in Calabar, the state capital. He attended the state’s executive council meeting earlier Wednesday, which was presided over by Governor Bassey Otu. Mr. Gill told journalists that Ewa contributed to the meeting but then excused himself. “Ewa died yesterday. He was present at the state executive council meeting. He even contributed during the presentation,” he said. “A few minutes later, he excused himself, and I think his…

Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun was elected as president in a second round of parliamentary voting on Thursday, ending a more than two-year vacuum in the crisis-hit, war-battered country. He is widely regarded as the favoured choice of both the United States and regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, and he is viewed as the best candidate to sustain a fragile ceasefire and pull the country out of financial crisis. Analysts believe Aoun, who turns 61 on Friday and is regarded as a “personal integrity” man, might be the appropriate choice to finally succeed Michel Aoun—no relation—whose term as president ends in…

The Lagos State Special Offences Court, on Wednesday, dismissed an application filed by former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the $4.5bn and N2.8bn fraud charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that the court has jurisdiction to try Emefiele and Henry Omoile. However, the judge dismissed four of the EFCC’s 26 allegations against the defendants due to lack of jurisdiction. Justice Oshodi explained: “Allocation of foreign exchange without reason is not defined as an offence under any written law. The…

Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has stated many Nigerians are no longer proud to identify themselves as citizens of the West African nation. In a video posted online on Thursday, Igboho, who was observed at an airport in the United Kingdom, claimed that the country’s lack of patriotism is due to corruption, insecurity, and a weak economy. The separatist further suggested that if the country is unable to function as a single country, distinct ethnic nationalities should be free to go their own way. Igboho stated that Yoruba youths, who have obtained significant knowledge and…

A rescue worker and an ethnic minority armed group told AFP on Thursday that a Myanmar junta airstrike killed at least 40 people in a village in western Rakhine state.  The Arakan Army (AA) is fighting the military for control of Rakhine, where it has seized swathes of territory in the past year, all but cutting off the capital Sittwe. The Rakhine conflict is one element of the bloody chaos that has engulfed Myanmar since the military ousted Aung San Suu K. According to AA spokesperson Khaing Thu Kha, a military jet bombed Kyauk Ni Maw on Ramree Island around…

President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences to the military and families of the six soldiers who died in a terrorist attack on January 4, 2025, at the Nigerian Army base in Sabon Gida, Damboa, Borno State.  In a statement released on Thursday by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president praised the fallen soldiers’ bravery and sacrifice. “Their sacrifice in defending our nation will forever be honored and remembered,” he said, underscoring the nation’s indebtedness to those who paid the ultimate price for its security. Tinubu also praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their swift and decisive…

The US mission in Nigeria has announced it will close its operation on Thursday to honor former President Jimmy Carter. The US mission announced this in a post on its official X handle on Thursday. “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Thursday, January 9, in honor of former President Carter’s passing. “We remember former President Jimmy Carter, a tireless advocate for peace, democracy, and human rights. As the first U.S. President, twitter.com/i/web/status/1,” the mission stated. Carter, who died on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at the age of 100, served a single term…

The homes of A-list actors, musicians and other celebrities were among that of tens of thousands of people affected by deadly wildfires in Los Angeles Wednesday, as the entertainment industry screeched to a halt. Multiple out-of-control infernos have besieged the showbiz capital, with Hollywood events including a glitzy awards show and a Pamela Anderson film premiere among those cancelled as firefighters battle flames in hurricane-force winds. Hundreds of homes were razed in the swanky Pacific Palisades area, a favourite spot for celebrities where multimillion-dollar houses nestle on beautiful hillsides. At the same time, other infernos sprang up across the north…

A wedding ceremony was brought to an abrupt end after the bride absconded, leaving the groom, family, and friends stranded. Nansik Dashe’s wedding to Kapnan Ventur, originally scheduled for December 27th, 2024, at COCIN LCC, PIL Gani in the Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, did not hold because she took to her heels. According to family sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the bride-to-be reportedly developed cold feet and fled on December 26th, leaving the groom, bridesmaids, family, and friends stranded. However, Dashe reportedly returned after two weeks following the failed marriage ceremony. It was…

Dr. Echezona Obiagbaosogu, a former Catholic priest of 17 years, has resigned to embrace African traditional religion. He teaches African Traditional Religion at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, and is fascinated by traditional African spirituality and the art of rainmaking. He defended his PhD Dissertation titled “Rainmaking and Control in Igbo African Medicine” on Wednesday. He said, “I have come to realise that my true calling is to serve my people through the ancient traditions of our ancestors. I was a Catholic priest for 17 years before resigning to embrace the traditional African religion. The topic of my…